The Selection

Chapter 48: Call

"I- uh-," I shook my head not knowing how to form words.

"It's okay, you don't have to cover for him," the king egged me on. I turned to my right to look at Gabriel but his eyes focused firmly on the man across the table whom I'd never seen before.

"I- I didn't really know. I did but I also didn't," I whispered. I shifted in my seat, in pain from only giving birth hours ago. This must really be serious if I'm out of bed and not with my son during the first few hours of his life.

"Could you explain? As fast as possible please," the king urged.

"My mother told me she was forced to marry him, that she thought he was a spy for them. When I asked my father he said that she was crazy. That he agreed with the south but that he was not a rebel," I concluded.

He nodded and then reached for a remote. Gabriel sat up quickly, putting a hand down on the table.

"Do not play that for her," he growled.

"I have too, Gabriel. It's the only way she'll believe it," the king said back with a commanding voice even I wouldn't have argued with. Gabriel stood and put his hands behind his head while walking towards the doors.

Suddenly a scream sounded from behind me. It was my own. I turned to see a familiar looking room with familiar looking people. I winced quickly and turned away from it.

"You don't have to watch just yet but when the time comes for me to tell you to look, please do," the king begged. I nodded once as I listened to a man coax me about Gabriel. The same things said to me night after night. In this particular moment, I remember standing up for myself, which I had only done once.

"Watch now, Ember," he commanded. I turned and my eyes searched the screen. A scrawny version of me threw a fist and then was attacked as the main man's mask flew and for one millisecond, just one his face was exposed. I gasped quickly as I turned my entire body towards the screen. The king rewinded the video, pressing pause just as soon as the man's face was clear.

It was him. My father. I'd seen that face so many times before. I searched in my brain for details of this man during my time in the south and one very painful memory stood out. I shook my head back in forth quickly, shaking the memory away. A few tears escaping as I squeezed my eyes, willing the face to change but when I opened them again, he was there. The man who welcomed me home from school, who ate dinner across from me and my mother every single night, who tucked me in as a child. He's never shown me love but he was my father. The only family I had left.

"Ember, we need you to call him," the king interrupted my thoughts as I was trying to process this moment. I stayed quiet.

"Tell him you know it was him, tell him you still love him and you want to be on his side. Tell him we're coming from the east in twenty minutes. We'll catch them from behind. We'll catch him and Olivianna."

My eyes shot up automatically. He was planning on capturing them... and then what? I had no time to think as a walkie talkie was pushed towards me.

"We have to catch a signal to his exact walkie talkie," the king explained as another man typed away on a machine and listened in headphones. Static sounded from the small machine.

The king leaned forward whispering to me, "Sound frantic, sincere. Like you're trying hard to help him. Try to sound like you care about him."

I glanced up at his face, my eyes searching for help.

"I know," Anderson nodded, placing one hand on mine. "You can do this. Your country depends on this. Once they're out, this is over."

"Hello?" A rugged voice sounded. One much higher then the voice that came from the mask all those months.

"Dad?" I asked quietly.

Silence answered me. I looked up at Anderson and he pushed his hand forward as if to say go on.

"Dad... I- I stole this to talk to you. Can you hear me?" My voice shook.

"What do you want?" His cold voice asked.

"I-I know what you did, I know why you did it," I whispered. "I understand a-and I want to help."

"Go on," he responded.

"They're coming for you. The entire village. You need to run, leave there. They're sending every troop-"

"From where Ember? Do you have more details then they're coming?"

"I heard them saying from the east. You won't win. I've seen your troops and I've seen there's-"

"How did you find out?" He cut me off.

"They allow me to sit in on decisions now-"

"No, Ember. How did you know it was me?" He asked.

"I always did... Dad," I whispered. "Run."

I turned the walkie talkie off then and stood from my chair.

"I'd like to leave now," I stated, keeping my eyes on the floor.

"You're more then free to go, Princess. You've done well," Anderson complimented. I turned to leave, focusing passed Gabe who was leaned against the wall by the door. He pushed the door open for me, following me down the hall.

"I told you, you shouldn't have gotten into this-"

"You were going to hide that from me?" I turned suddenly, cutting him off.

"Ember you've gone through so much, you don't need more to worry about," he consoled me, trying to grab my hand. I snatched my hand away, turning towards the steps.

"It doesn't matter, that's not something someone should hide. Especially if that someone is your wife," I spit.

"Is it bad that I only want to protect you?" He asked climbing up after me.

I turned once more, staring hard into his eyes, "Protect me? You don't need to protect me. Ever. You didn't for nine months. Stop acting like I'm a child that needs to be coddled and concealed. I've saved myself multiple times without your help. Why would I need it now?" I rambled in my rage. I watched as his eyes fell and I immediately regretted my words.

"Gabe, I-" I began.

"No," he held up a hand. "You're right."

I folded my arms and looked at my feet. Shuffling from one foot to the other. He quickly took the two steps up to me and kissed my cheek.

"Go to bed," he whispered. "I have some things I need to handle."

Then he turned his back on me, taking long strides down the hall.