Unmarked

38. Two Liars Meet

The large metal gates are a portal to another world, a tranquil dimension where the noise of the city is blocked by a faint rustling of leaves and the occasional joyous shrieks of young children.

Envy prickles along my insides as I gaze at my surroundings. Generally, I avoid parks. I've never been one of those children feeding ducks or making daisy chains. I couldn't be one of the couples picnicking on spring days talking about their future and I would never become those older folks hogging benches reminiscing about their past. I have nothing to look forward to and nothing I want to remember.

I should be more grateful. I'm alive but sometimes I'm not living, I'm simply trying to exist and not get killed.

"The last time we were in a park, you promised I could mark you. I knew then you would never let me. I'd known for a while you were an Unmarked," Teddy whispers in my ear.

"How long?" I turn slowly.

Teddy's Official uniform has been replaced by jeans and a short-sleeved top. The Teddy I knew stands in front of me. I quickly crush the small part of me wanting to believe he hasn't changed. I'm not a dreamer.

"Since you returned from your trip to see your supposed fiancé and I helped look after you. I checked for your Birth Brand whilst you were asleep."

"You checked?" I hiss, raising my hands to push him hard. He grabs them and pulls me close. "Don't. There are a lot of Officials monitoring this park and you know even the intent of physical force or violence is punishable."

"Yes, lots of Officials and one is standing right here in front of me. How long did you lie to me?" I pull my hands from his grasp. Breathe deeply and slowly, keep calm.

"I've been an Official since I turned eighteen so just over a year." Teddy sighs.

The whole time we've known each other he was lying to me. I was also lying to him. It would be comical if I wasn't so angry and hurt.

"Why don't you have The State mark?"

"I was allocated to a department which requires us to work covert missions so we don't get any marks which would link us to The State."

"What work were you doing when I met you?" I ask.

Teddy averts his eyes, looking past my shoulder into the distance and the realisation dawns on me of what his covert mission was.

"You were looking for me, weren't you? Your aim was to find and capture me."

"I was looking for Unmarked individuals," Teddy says grimly. His hand grips the crook of my arm and he guides me off the path towards a tree tucking us out of sight. "I was also looking for people who had escaped Labour Camp. Over the years, we've had reports of a number of sightings of Unmarkeds and labour camp escapees. I was assigned to the city with the intention of seeking them out."

"So why did you ask for a job if you thought I was Unmarked? Why didn't you hand me over?"

"I didn't think you were unmarked. I'd seen you visiting multiple locations on my watch list, and I thought if I could get a job with your company I would have better access to those establishments, therefore, improving my chances of finding an Unmarked. I had no clue it was you I was looking for, but eventually I started to suspect you were hiding something. You're the only person I've met who rides a bicycle around the city in the middle of summer and doesn't roll up their sleeves or wear a t-shirt or look in the slightest bit bothered by the searing heat." He laughs, tugging at the collar of my top.

I push his hand away, frowning. "You do realise they want to kill me. The State want me dead. You want me dead."

"You have to understand, I was doing my duty. We were led to believe Unmarkeds are enemies of The State. You are the symbol of the rebellion, everything you represent goes against what we are trying to achieve. You are meant to symbolise our downfall and corruption, you want to overthrow our way of life. From everything we were told about Unmarkeds, the last person I was expecting was you." Teddy drags his palm over his face. "Why didn't you mother get you a Birth Brand?"

"I don't know." Not really.

"Are you part of a rebellion?"

"No." But they want me to be.

Taking a few deep breathes, I try to steady my trembling body. "Did you go back to the shop the day after we went to the lake?"

"I did but everything was closed up which isn't unusual. I assumed you were out on deliveries. What happened? How did you end up in a fight club?"

"The owner found out I had no engagement seal and took me there. Once they realised I was unmarked, they wanted to auction me off." I rub my head which has started throbbing again. "I need to leave this city."

"You can't keep running. It's only a matter of time before you're discovered again. You're getting to the age where more people will be taking notice of whether you have an engagement seal and now The State know you exist, they'll be increasing their effort to find you."

I press my lips together. What can I say? He's correct. Life is only going to get harder and I'm tired, tired of running and hiding and waiting for my time to be up.

Teddy's hand cups my face, gently tilting it up so our eyes are in line. "Cady, I haven't told anyone you're unmarked but they're watching the people you were with yesterday. They were identified as being near the warehouse when you escaped and they're under surveillance along with others. You're not safe."

"I'll be fine," I mumble, twisting out of his grip. I step back and cross my arms tightly against my chest.

"You don't know that. I can help. I can keep you safe. Who else have you got?"

"Teddy, you work for The State. How are you going to keep me safe?" I step to the side and around his body which has cornered me against a tree. "Thank you, for not telling anyone about me but this can't happen. You are a part of The State, the same people who want me dead for not having a Birth Brand. Do you not see how messed up that is? I didn't choose this life but they still want to kill me."

Teddy doesn't respond which only disappoints me more. Can he really believe in everything The State enforces? From all our conversations, I always believed him to be decent, someone who made their own judgement and wasn't swayed by all The State's vile propaganda. Now, I'm not so sure.

"I should go." I sigh.

"Where are you going?" Teddy holds my hand.

"That is none of your business." I pull my hand out of his grasp and step away from him.

Pulling a slip of paper out of his pocket, Teddy thrusts it into my hand. "Call me anytime. Anything you need, I'm here for you. You don't have to do this alone."

I watch Teddy pace away, confident and self-assured. How did he fool me for so long?

Exhausted, I lean against a tree trunk, my body and mind on the verge of collapse. Tucking the paper into my pocket for safekeeping, I'm not ready to discard my connection to him. I only have a few people in my life, and I'm desperate to hold onto them no matter how untrustworthy they may be.