The Green Rising

Chapter Twenty-seven

“You drugged me last night?” Luc sneered, cutting through the room’s infernal darkness.

He had every right to be upset with me for drugging him; I’d be equally infuriated. The decision had been an impulsive one, but it had saved all of us. “Have you forgotten so soon what we saw on TV?”

“I remember clearly, Lily. That’s the problem, and drugging me is probably the tip of the iceberg.” A popping noise punctuated his words. He was probably working his way through his knuckles. “You told me about the guy last night, but who’s the other person you killed, and who else did you drug? I can’t believe they know you drugged me, so who was it?”

Pops again, as I tried to concoct any story that wouldn’t anger Luc for eternity. “It seems the greenies are more honest with me than you are.”

“You would have done the same thing, maybe even shot me if the roles had been reversed.” I was glad neither of us could see the other’s reaction, though my hesitation in answering had betrayed me.

“You didn’t answer the question.” His tone matched the raging blizzard outside, and Noah began to cry.

“I haven’t killed anyone other than the man last night. For the record, the greenies also listed you and a bunch of your cohorts as dangerous criminals. We both know that’s not true, yet you choose to believe their lies about me.” Hands in front of me, I stepped cautiously to the kitchen and pulled open the utility drawer to remove two flashlights. Once light illuminated the room, Luc walked over to me, blocking my path to the couch.

“Damn it.” He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the flashlight’s beam. “They specifically said they wanted you alive. No one else on that list got that caveat, so you’re either lying to me or hiding something. Which is it?”

There was no way he’d give it a rest. But how much should I divulge? How much could I trust him with? I knew one thing for sure. This wasn’t going to happen in front of Jessa. She needed no more ammunition in her attempts to undermine me. I stepped around Luc and turned my attention to her.

“Please take Noah to the other room. Your uncle and I need to talk.” I handed her a flashlight, but she rebuffed it, shaking her head as she hugged Noah closer.

“I’m not going anywhere. As a matter of fact, I’d be making popcorn right now if the power was on.” She plopped onto the couch with Noah snuggled to her chest. I wanted to wipe the smirk from her face.

“Do as your aunt says.” Jessa rolled her eyes and left for the bedroom. I was certain she knew now wasn’t the time to badger Luc. A lump formed in my throat as he turned back to me. “Start talking and don’t leave anything out.”

“You have to understand that I’ve been doing what I can to suppress these memories. This is really painful for me.”

I took a deep breath. My voice cracked, and I began with the research assignment. Tears dripped onto the wooden floor as I told Luc about my activities with the church and watching my sister and boyfriend die. Arms folded to his chest, Luc stood emotionless as I mourned their loss and the loss of my former life.

“Starting over was the only way I could survive. It was the only way to protect my family.” Exhausted, I brushed my wrist against my cheek to stanch the tears.

“I didn’t expect that.” Luc pulled me into an embrace, his hands resting lightly on my back while I sought composure. “How did they find you?”

After all that, this was his question? Not an “I’m sorry for you loss” or an “I understand?” His lack of a reaction befuddled me. “I don’t know how they discovered me.  Maybe Ryan saw me, or Colonel Poison realized who I was. Heck, the church could have known I was alive the entire time. Regardless, dwelling on it isn’t going to help our situation. It’s just a matter of time before Mike or Carrie sells us out to gain better standing with the church. They’re going to lead the greenies straight to us.”