Fallen

Chapter Thirty-Two

It was a bad idea. I knew that. But yet there I was, breaking into Morgan's office with April at my side. In her arms was a bag of food we had stolen from the kitchens moments before.

"Come on," April hissed in my ear. The night patrol had passed us a moment ago, leaving us a few minutes to break into the office. Before I had begun to pick the lock, I checked through the window finding no in the office other than Gary in the cell.

"If you would stop reminding me, I may go a little faster." The pick slid into place and I opened the door. Though she was anxious to get in, April waited for me to step in first to see if anyone was inside that I may have missed. But the office was dark and quiet.

They hadn't left a candle for Gary but the moonlight from the window laid on top of him, bathing him in light. I stepped into the room, my soft boots silent on the worn wood flooring.

I nodded and April rushed passed me to the cell. "Gary," she whispered. Thank god, she had enough sense to be somewhat quiet. I walked to them carefully, still not believing they would have left Gary alone.

Gary jumped up from his bed, "What are you doing?" His hand slid through the bars to touch April's cheek. It was the same gesture that had gotten them in this mess.

"We are here to get you out," April said. She held up the bag in her hands. "I have food and supplies."

His hand did not move from her cheek when he said, "We can't. We will get caught."

"No, we won't."

I stepped forward and Gary eyed me. "Its best to leave now. It will be hours before anyone shows up in the morning. Do you know a way to get out of the Settlement?"

Gary pulled his hand back inside the cell. "If we get caught," he said, his head shaking, "I will be given the worst punishment and you will be alongside me. I cannot have that."

"What is your punishment?" I asked.

His answer was going to be bad, but I still flinched when he said, "Castration."

April pushed her arm through the cell bars, grabbing hold of his wrist. "If that is done to you, you can never marry. We can never be together or have children. You will be a broken man. This is our only chance to escape this world."

Gary eyed the small, delicate hand that held his wrist. The pain and panic he was feeling was written on his face as he thought over his escape and the future he may have.

"Gary," I said. He didn't look up. "You are part of the Orion. You know the land, you have a good chance to get far away and if they come to get you, you can hide."

It was what he needed to hear. He looked up at us, his free hand covered April's. "Okay. Over by the cemetery there is a loose board in the Wall. A few of us younger men know about it."

"Good." I nodded. "How do we get you out of this cell?"

"There should be a key hanging by the door in Morgan's office."

"I'll get it." I left April and Gary, their hands wrapped around each other's. The nagging feeling of this being a terrible idea still tugged me. As long as we didn't get spotted, there was no way they could prove that it was me who helped them. I could easily say she left the room when I was asleep.

The key hung where Gary said it was. Returning to the cell, April moved to the side and allowed me to unlock it. It swung open on silent hinges.

"Let's go," I whispered. The patrol would be walking past us by now and anyone could come check on him at any minute.

Gary pulled April into a tight hug before grabbing the bag from her arms. They followed me to the door. Light flickered from the window, looking through it, the night patrol walked passed with the torch in his hand.

"Why do they have a night patrol?" I whispered to Gary and April, as we waited for the man to turn the corner to walk down the row of houses. "I thought no one did anything wrong or did anything against the rules."

"There's been some unrest," Gary said, his arm wrapped around April's waist. "Some people don't like Morgan's rules and some of us have been wanting to fight him."

The patrol turned the corner and I opened the door. We ran as quietly as we could to the alley.

"There shouldn't be anyone from here to the wall," Gary said. The grassy field between us and the cluster of trees was empty and dark. The moon did not give us much light but that was in our favor.

"Let's make this quick, I still need to get back without getting caught." We jogged lightly across the grass.

Reaching the cluster of trees, Gary led the way while holding April's hand through the trees. On the other side, we beelined to where the loose boards were. "This should be it." Gary knelt and with his fingers, pried the board away from the others. It would be a tight squeeze.

A hand wrapped around mine, dragging my attention to April. "Thank you," she said. She pulled me into a tight hug.

"You're welcome." I looked at Gary. "I know you can't explain everything now but this uprising; who's in charge of it?"

Gary looked me over. "Why do you want to know?"

"Seriously? I just saved your ass." I wasn't about to tell him the real reason. Why I wanted to know was who I should seek out an alliance or at least be friendly toward.

When Gary didn't speak up, April answered for him. "Colt. He's the leader of the uprising."

Colt? Cocky, arrogant Colt was the leader? No wonder he wanted to know why I was here. Maybe he wanted me as a friend, to aid him.

"Thank you for the information. Now you two need to go. I don't want you to be dragged back here."

The two slipped through the opening. I closed it, putting the board back into place and made my way back to bed.

Reaching the house was uneventful. Every house was silent and the night patrol walked past my hiding spot without taking notice of the small body lingering the shadow. The door to the house was still unlocked and I carefully walked up the stairs, avoiding the creaking floorboards and steps. The door closed softly behind me and slid into bed.

I was a moment too late to defend myself when the hand shot out of the darkness and covered my mouth. Though the hand was to stop any sound from escaping my lips, I wasn't stupid enough to make a sound. The mattress below me shifted as a body was on top of mine.

"Didn't I tell you not to help them?" hissed Colt. With the weak light from the moon, I could barely see the outline of his high cheekbones that was inches from mine.

His hand slid from my mouth. "Why didn't you stop us then?" I snapped.

"How would I look if I tried to stop you and April? You just fucked this all up."

The mattress shifted and Colt sat at the edge of the bed and I sat up.

"They are going to know it's you that helped April. Tomorrow Porter will accuse you."

I figured as much and I would defend myself saying that April left when I was asleep. No one could prove it was me. But maybe they didn't need proof.

"I will protect you in any way that I can."

"Why is that?" I asked. "Why protect me?"

Colt turned to me. He stood from the bed. "There's something about you. You aren't here to live the rest of your days. You are here for Audrey, whoever she is. Tomorrow, do what I say." The door closed behind him.

I didn't trust Colt. Not quite yet. But there was no doubt that tomorrow, I would be accused by Porter. The old crow never liked me since I got here. Getting rid of me would be the first thing he would try to do.

As I nestled down in bed, I thought of Ben. He wouldn't be happy either of what I did. Not happy at all because he wouldn't be able to help without blowing his cover.

No, I would have to trust Colt.