Unspoken

Chapter 17

I'm working through my breakfast when Jeremii and two other middle-aged men arrive for me. "Can you come with us?" Jeremii inquires with a hand pressing on my shoulder. I can smell eggs and toast on his breath as he leans down.

I peer at Baya, at her exhausted, ocean eyes. Xander had to work through breakfast today; if I leave, she eats alone. She awoke with more sleep-deprivation and sadness in her eyes than the day before. I can tell she doesn't want to be alone--she shouldn't be alone, at any rate.

I can't look much better, though. I finally caught my reflection in the mirror. Deep shadows ring my eyes from bruises and fatigue. A large gash runs across my hairline. My lower lip is busted and scabbing over. From my left ear to nose a swollen bruise and scrape trails the length.

"You can go, Taeo. I'm almost done anyway." She takes another, small bite. Her food has hardly been touched. I want to see her laugh again like she had been yesterday with her music.

I hesitantly follow after the men even if I don't particularly want to. Baya rises before I've barely stepped away to empty her tray and head on her way for the day. She has training for some job, she said. She has to learn about the field she's going to work in before she can actually be hired in the position.

Once we get in the elevator, Jeremii says, "We're making contact with Mathis. Michael wants you present."

I stand straighter and gulp. My father. They're going to let me see him. I might get to go home today.

Only a floor up, Jeremii calls for the elevator to stop. He stands in the door. "I have an appointment with a recent transfer, but Paul and Jonah will take care of you. I'll see you later, Taeo."

Both smirk and nod, their eyes light with joy and kindness. I feel my shoulders go slack as Jeremii steps off the elevator and hurries down the dull red hall.

The other men stand on either side of me, both with their hands clasped behind their backs. I slowly lean back and look at both of their wrists. Only one has a Data Tag. It belongs to the man on my right; his name is Jonah Leonard Hanson. He's too muscular to have been in the Movement. He far surpasses the fit, lean body type we regulate. His shoulder-length hair doesn't seem to have been washed in days.

But Paul is different.

Paul has obviously never been in the Movement. Still, he resembles and acts like us in almost every way. His hair is groomed perfectly, kept a little longer than the regulated length. His arms are about the size of mine, maybe a tad larger. He says a lot with his eyes in our few moments in the elevator that he doesn't even realize he says, a trait common among my people.

It makes me feel very comfortable.

We get off on a purple hallway. There aren't many doors on this hallway. These are larger rooms, and emptier. They look set for meetings.

"Looks like they've already started the call," Paul observes. He talks with the same inflections as Michael and Christopher.

Just down the hall, a crowd is gathering outside of a meeting room. Everything is silent; everyone is attentive.

Michael speaks. His words are incoherent from this far down the hallway. People move away when they spot me. When we get farther into the crowd, Jonah and Paul leave me to continue on my own. Getting three of us into the room won't be possible with such a large number around.

Once in the doorway, I can finally make out three cries that aren't Michael's. They're distinct and familiar.

I try to push forward as I hear them.

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A/N: What'll happen next? We'll find out on Friday! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, as simple as it may be!

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who's been dedicated to this story, and has read it through to this point. I haven't said how much I appreciate you all, but I really do. This story is my baby, so even if I just have a small pool of people looking at it, it still makes me proud. I'm actually starting to seek publication of this story, so I love seeing how people enjoy it, and getting your feedback is great! So thank you all for putting the time into this story! It gives me a lot of hope for the future of my novel!!

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Alisha :)