The Selection

Chapter 43: Truth comes out

"Who's this?" A man spit in my direction as Jillian pulled me toward a large set up deep under the treetops.

Jillian stared down at me, his emotions calm and collected, "I'm not sure. She won't talk. Found her asleep by the river."

"What's your name?" The man screamed at me and I flinched away, hiding myself behind Jillian.

"Come on now, Price. Don't be like that. She's obviously afraid," Jillian said blocking Price's way.

"Porter, she's more then likely broken the law. Look at her. She's not staying here," Price stared at my large stomach. Boy would he feel stupid once I was back home.

"I can't let her go back, they're fighting-"

"Yes and you should be too," he scoffed.

"Just let her stay and I'll get her out of here by tomorrow."

Price looked him up and down then looked to me, trying to understand the fascination. In the end, he shrugged, "If you get caught with a fugitive, I'll tell Olivianna to her face I didn't know."

"That's fair," Jillian nodded and turned to me.

"Come," He said. I met eyes with Price one last time before turning and following Jillian. He led me out of one tent and into a lone one, hidden with camouflage.

He unzipped it, allowing me to enter first then he followed me in and closed us in.

"Here," he said, flinging a bottle of water at me. It took me a nano second to drain the entire bottle. "Slow down, you're going to get sick."

"Do you have more?" I asked, ignoring his concern. He nodded, handing me another bottle.

"Would you like food?" he asked. My eyes grew with excitement and he gave me a smile as he opened a package and prepared a small meal. I stood, staring over his shoulder.

"Not each much in the village?" He asked.

I shook my head, "Olivianna didn't like for me to eat."

He sat the tray down at a small desk and I hovered over him until he handed me a plastic fork, then I dug in.

"I wanted to ask you about that," he whispered. When I didn't respond he continued. "What's happening?"

I knew what he meant. I'd been trying to avoid thinking about it that past several months I'd been starved, cold and beaten in that cellar. I didn't want to think about a world where Gabriel existed and I didn't, along with my child existing with neither parents for it. I tried to do my work and behave as well as possible until the day Olivianna decided to kill me.

"A lot is happening," I began. "I think it's more then just jobs and getting rid of the system like I'd thought. Olivianna wants power over the entire country."

"I could see it turning that way," he admitted.

"Why are you helping me? Aren't you one of hers," I asked genuinely.

"Yes," he nodded. "But I'm also one of yours."

"You can't be for Olivianna and King Anderson at the same time."

"I'm not for King Anderson. I said one of yours," he annunciated.

"Mine?" I whispered. "That makes no sense. I'm nobody. My opinion doesn't matter."

"It does to us," he shrugged.

"Us? Who's us?"

"You have a lot of followers," he informed, untying a boot.