“How would that even be possible?” I question.
Christina shrugs, “I have no idea. Unless, of course, he’s working for the Heads. Maybe he’s lived here all his life, maybe it’s his profession or something.”
I try to think back to any time he might have mentioned the Heads. He seemed to get angry when I compared his want for power to the Officials.
He also told me the story of how he got caught and sent to the Unknown. He was throwing shoes and food at Officials. Was he lying?
How do they know he’s been here for weeks and weeks? If people are continually disappearing, how can you keep track of the time?
What if it’s just another exaggerated rumor, just like the rest of the facts Christina told me about The Distress?
Was I safer with The Distress? He never actually did anything to hurt me. Besides have a temper and horribly arrogant attitude, he wasn’t that bad. If he could keep me safe from my own disappearance, dealing with him would be a small price to pay.
I have no idea where we go at our disappearance but I doubt that it could be anywhere good.
Christina asks, “Why did you leave us yesterday?”
My mouth slips open. I decide to walk the line between lies and truth in order to safe our alliance, “I fell behind from you and couldn’t see where you went. I was okay, I just went down an empty hall. I didn’t mean to leave you.”
Christina takes the lie, “Oh, that’s okay. You know who was after us?”
I lie, “No…”
“It was The Distress. Sometimes, they come after you. Sometimes, you get lucky and they chase someone else. The only way you know it’s them is by the pounding of their footsteps. The second you hear those, you need to run.”
I nod, “Good to know.”
“I guess we got lucky, then. They must have found someone else to capture, since they didn’t get either of us.”
I feel bad about lying, but don’t want her to know the truth. I need this alliance for many reasons. Mostly, The Distress is certainly still searching for me. He won’t be expecting me to have an alliance. He’ll be looking for a girl all alone, not two people.
But, there’s also the fact that Christina might know how to find food better. Also, I’m in the need of going back to that hallway, the sad substitute of Toilets. I have no idea how to get there. I can only hope that Christina knows.
I say, pretending to be clueless, “Um, are there Toilets here?”
Christina covers her mouth as a giggle escapes, “Toilets? Here? In the Unknown?”
I shrug, acting confused.
YOU ARE READING
274 (Complex Series, #4)
Science Fiction-fourth book in the Complex series- Claire, known to most people only by her Complex number as 274, has always obeyed the Official's rules. You have to, unless you want to be sent away to the Unknown. Until, she meets Marie and everything changes. ...
