Clandestine

forty six

I have to tell Diane. I have to.

Her life is at risk.

Right?

Because there is nothing else that those words could mean.

Apparently the Tinsleys were a bigger enemy than I had ever realized. I didn't know that my mother hated them so much. What could they have possibly done to her?

Sure, I've heard Diane speak badly about her. I'm sure her father was the same. But how many times has my mother spoken badly about them? Are they just as bad to her as she is them?

I have to save Diane. There's no question about it now. I didn't know that my mother was going to kill her father. I wasn't there. I couldn't have possibly stopped it.

But if I stand by and do nothing while my mother counts down the days to Wednesday..

I am just as guilty as she is.

How do I break the news to Diane?

I can't just say, "Hey, you know the Assembly member who has the most power? You know, the person who is supposed to enforce all the rules and make sure the justice follows through? Yeah, she's planning to kill you. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, but it was also she who killed your father. One more thing that I forgot? I am her daughter. Funny isn't it?"

I need to call Diane right now. The sooner she knows, the quicker we can make our plans to save her.

With shaking hands I dial her number, "Diane?"

"Yes."

"I have something to tell you."

"Okay."

"I...I found a document that I think I need to tell you about. Something it says."

She sighs, "Stop stalling. Just tell me. I've told you how many times I hate suspense."

I flinch. Does she know that those were practically her father's last words to my mother?

I say, "There are words on the document."

She scoffs, "Really? Words on a page? Incredible."

I sigh because she doesn't know how serious this is. She doesn't know that the day of her planned death is literally sit on the screen right in front of me. "Diane, I think you need to take this seriously."

She's quiet.

"There's a bunch of information about you on this page. Weird stuff. Your birthday, your medical history, where you are living, it's terrifying."

"Why would the Assembly member need that? Do they have information about all the citizens?"

"No. I don't think so."

"Then what does it mean? Do you think she's stalking you?"

"I think that's part of it." I can't continue on. Fear and guilt are rising up in my throat and I don't know if the words are ever going to leave my lips.

She says, "Then what's the other part."

"There's a date at the end of the page. Next Wednesday."

"There's nothing happening next Wednesday."

"It's the words that's written beneath that is scary. It says..." I swallow hard, "It says, 'Finally Free'."

She is silent. She doesn't have a witty comment. Nothing.

"It's my death day." She says.

"I think so." My voice wavers. It's pathetic that her voice is stronger than mine when she is the one with a murder plan.

"They are planning to kill me. The Assembly was behind my father's death. They told the city guard to kill him. I'm sure of it. Now they are going to kill me. The Assembly always hated me, you know that? It's my family. Just like our criminality is apparently heritable, so is their hatred. They just keep passing the despise for our family on and on. I hate to think about what Marcia Quintana's kid thinks of me."

I flinch again. If only she knew. I should tell her. I need to tell her. She'll never trust me now.

If she knew, this would all seem like a big joke to her. Just a form of entertainment for her. She might even think that I created the document just to scare her.

Do I tell her and risk her never trusting me or talking to me again? Or do I not tell her and risk her discovering it on her own?

I say, "I'm going to help you. I won't let her do this to her. I won't let you be alone on Wednesday."

"You don't know me. You don't owe me anything. I can fend for myself."

"Diane, you don't know what she is capable of. She won't stop at anything to make sure that you die. You need to have other people to protect you."

"I may need other people, but I don't need you. Besides, how do you know this lady so well? I thought you didn't know much about politics at all."

"I don't." The words fall out of my dry mouth. Why can't I stop lying? I need to stop incriminating myself. Even if I don't tell the truth, do I need to keep denying everything.

Diane starts talking me back out of the firewall. I want to keep searching my mother's computer but it's getting late. She's not home yet, but she could be any second. I don't know what would happen if she was using her account while I was hacking into it, but I'd rather not risk it. Once I'm out of my mother's computer, Diane and I both sigh in relief.

Diane says, "I need to think this over. I'm going to go to sleep. I'll call you in the morning and we can discuss this. I'll try to come up with a plan."

"And I will come up with a plan to."

Diane says, "Goodbye, Julia. Thank you."

"Bye Diane."

She hangs up and I'm left staring at my phone.

I hide the phone beneath my pile of dirty laundry. I guess I'll never be able to clean those clothes until I'm done talking to Diane.

A dark thought sneaks into my head, telling me that it might only be until Wednesday. I quickly push it away and stand. I grab my real phone from where tossed it on my bed and search through the messages and notifications.

There's a text message from my mother. She just wanted me to know that I'm going to be coming to another meeting tomorrow. It's important and I have to look nice. Also, she's going to be home late.

I sigh.

How often am I going to have to go to the meetings? Does my mother know how little I actually like them? Is this all part of my punishment and hidden threats? I would like to enjoy my life of not being a politician before I have to become one.

I text back to let her know that I got the message and then I crawl into bed. I watch the moonlight move across my ceiling as I try to think of plan to save Diane.

How can I without my mother knowing?

It's not as though I can stand proudly by Diane's side and fight off my mother.

There's an unloyal part of me that screams to just tattle on my mother. If she's in jail, where she belongs as a murderer, then she would never be able to hurt Diane. The family rivalry would be over.

Unless it's only just begun.

What if Diane finds out who I am? Will she become furious that I've lied to her? What if it only makes the rivalry grow larger?

What if I've only made everything worse as I try to help?