Not What It Seems | Octavia Blake [2]

Chapter 18

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    Addison

In a warehouse —not the one Emilia took her in to see the Harvest Chamber, but a different one—, she kept a close eye on the president's Lieutenant. She was leaned up against a shelf that's decorated in artifacts of the world before the bombs, hands bound in rope Addison cut off behind old paintings that once held them up on a wall.

  "You don't have to do this." Addison remained silent, averting her gaze elsewhere as she spun the knife on its tip with a hand. "You're just a kid," Pierson said.

  "Shut up," Addison's response was sharper than the blade of the knife in her hand. She met the woman's dark, unreadable eyes.

  "Addison," Dawson called,uncrossing his arms. He lowered his voice as he crouched beside her, "This is too far."

You are not my moral compass. "You don't know what these people are doing—what they will do." She locked eyes with him, "If we don't leave, we're dead. Sayonara to our people that survived the Grounders—to Clarke."

"Clarke's—"

"Dante lied to Jasper. Dawson, think about it .  .  ." Addison glanced at the Lieutenant, then back at Dawson, " .  .  . does 'going crazy' sound like Clarke?" He was silent for a minute, lips pressed in a line. "These people, Dawson .  .  . the Mountain Men use the Grounders for blood transfusions. They're kept in cages beneath us in a place called the Harvest Chamber. Sounds like a dream vacation, doesn't it?"

  "How do you know all this?"

  "Because I've seen it. I've been inside the Harvest Chamber. Dawson," Addison whispered, desperate for him to understand, "they aren't the good guys. If we stay, this ends one way."

  The wheels turned in his head. "While you were locked up, Jasper was trying to get us to volunteer for blood donations." That made Addison's blood boil.

"Paradise in disguise, hm?" scoffed Addison. "Still want to live here?"

  "Guys," Emilia ran in, almost out of breath, looking between Addison and Dawson, but not before meeting the Lieutenant's eyes. She used to be close friends with Lieutenant Pierson's son before he joined Mount Weather's military a year ago.

  "Darren would be ashamed," the woman stated, in a hard voice. "As am I."

Emilia looked away; she couldn't stomach the look of betrayal on the woman's face. Instead, she met Addison's determined brown eyes. "I heard the elevator. Ready?"

Addison was immediately on her feet, knife in hand. "Let's do this." She looked at Dawson and nodded once. Sighing ever so softly, he reluctantly followed her movements before walking to the Lieutenant, pulling her to her feet. Addison looked back at Emilia; her eyes were wider and face paler than usual. "Hey," she nudged the mountain girl's arm, "you don't have to do this."

Emilia swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. "I . . ."

"Go. Hide."

"No, I can—"

"Dawson and I can handle this," Addison assured. "If I . . ." she licked her lips, " . . . If I do keep my word, I don't want you to feel responsible. I'm already going down the wrong path . . ." she trailed, glancing at Dawson, who kept a close, watchful eye on their prisoner. "I don't need to drag another person with me."

Emilia nodded when their eyes met. "Just . . ." she looked passed Addison, at the Lieutenant. "Just don't make her suffer, please."

Addison didn't get the chance to respond, as Emilia was already hidden in the darkness of the warehouse. Footsteps reached her ears—multiple sets.