I know my heart shouldn't flutter seeing Paige, but it does. And it gives me mixed feelings. Not only did she turn me into her father while I was in hiding, but she also kept the reason we're friends a secret from me for years. That's grounds for never talking to her again. And if it was a perfect world, that's what would happen. But I can't help my feelings for her, even though she'll never talk to me again.
She stands in the middle of the crowd in the same clothes she was wearing when I saw her last, a navy blue tank top and grey sweatpants, except this time, they're covered in her father's blood. Her hair is still in a bun, but some front pieces have fallen and are dangling around her round face. The people nearest to her gasp at her appearance, knowing she's the Founder's daughter and the fact that she looks like— that would raise suspicion in itself, but everyone can see the Founder's missing hand, and I'm assuming they believe she had something to do with it.
She steps closer to the front of the Hub, and the surrounding people step back and pull their children away in fear. If it were a different situation, I would be glad to see Richlings in such a shock, but I'm the reason for this mess.
Mr. Smith eyes his daughter with scrunched eyebrows. "Don't be alarmed. She did nothing wrong." He says. "She was there to help me when Ethan assaulted me and cut off my hand." His voice echoes through the microphone, causing a sharp noise from the speakers.
The crowd starts yelling obscenities at me. I can't help but stare straight ahead. I have no idea if I should begin to explain myself or stay quiet. I can feel my face becoming hot from anger. These people have no idea what happened and are quick to believe what they have been told. It makes me furious. I bet they'd think there were monsters in the tunnels if Mr. Smith told them so.
Paige raises her arms and waves them in the air. "Everyone, look at me! Listen to me! He's lying to you. The air outside is breathable! There are people outside! We heard them at the gates!"
Mr. Smith laughs nervously. "Don't be silly now, Paige." He shuffles his feet, letting a little anxiety escape his posh stance. "I'm sorry for my daughter's outburst. She's been through a lot tonight."
A Richling from the front of the crowd steps forward. It's an older man with a big belly, and he's wearing an evergreen silk pajama set. "Is what she's saying true?" He takes the matching bedtime hat off his head and grips it in his hands.
"Of course not." Mr. Smith fakes a laugh. "Why would I keep that from my people?"
"We have evidence!" Paige yells. She digs into her pocket, pulls out a flash drive, and waves it through the air. "Just give me a computer to plug this in, and you'll see!"
Mr. Smith's eyes widen. "Paige, why don't you come into the Control Room, and we can discuss why you're upsetting people with this false narrative?"
"I also have evidence that Ethan was innocent in John Chapman's death!" Paige yells, ignoring her father.
"You do?" I let escape my mouth. Mr. Smith turns to me like he forgot I was standing beside him. His dark eyes met mine, and in that second, I knew who had deleted the footage of the murderer going into that hallway bathroom. It was him.
"I knew you did it," I say just loud enough for him to hear.
The crowd's whispering has become full-blow outbursts. I hear some Richlings on the ground below me talking about Paige. "All she's doing is trying to free her boyfriend." A guy I recognize from one of my classes says to a girl beside him. Even though my chest fills with warmth at the thought of them thinking I'm her boyfriend, I still make my face look unfazed.
"Put it on the big screen!" A Grub yells from one of the staircases.
"Now, let's not feed into her nonsense." Mr. Smith says. He turns to the guard beside him and whispers something into his ear. Then, the guard leaves his position and motions for more guards to follow. They're going to restrain Paige.
The crowd must also understand what will happen since they start to yell and shout.
"He's hiding something if he's going to arrest his daughter!" Someone says.
But before the guards reach Paige, Dr. Shepard appears on the mezzanine level beside Mr. Smith. General Fox is right behind him, walking with urgency. When General Fox walks up to Mr. Smith, I hear Mr. Smith whisper, "Did you fix the problem?"
Dr. Shepard snatches the microphone out of Mr. Smith's hand. "Attention, everyone!" When he speaks, his voice cracks, and his eyes beam from under his glasses. "We have a problem!"
The crowd goes quiet.
Two guards take hold of Dr. Shepard's arms before he speaks again, but he keeps the microphone up to his mouth. "The security system is preventing me from turning the MOXIE back on! We only have ten more minutes until we all suffocate to death!"
The crowd is so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Their wide eyes and shocked glances at the people beside them tell me they're more stunned than anything. My heart beats in my ears. Ten minutes. That's barely enough time to get to one of the gates from where I'm standing.
Mr. Smith takes the microphone out of Dr. Shepard's hands. I hear his heavy breathing as he holds the microphone to his mouth. He doesn't say anything, though. His eyes dart around the room like he's contemplating what to say, but after a few moments, he clears his throat and talks. "We have thought about this type of incident. Do not panic. There are air tanks in each one of your residences. Please make your way to your homes safely and swiftly."
But instead of following his directions, the compound explodes into mass hysteria. I watch as a Richling lady holds her child close as people start to push each other. A kid my age falls to the floor, but no one helps him. He's trampled. I hear his screams as a heavier man steps hard onto his head. Then I see the blood spill out from under the hands covering his face. It makes a puddle quickly, and I know there's no possibility that he's still alive. The blood smears as people slip and fall, creating a pile of flailing bodies. My heart drops when I see a flash of dark fall off the third story of the nearest staircase, and I watch as a man strikes the ground and takes two people with him. The thud that man's head made when it made contact with the concrete floor will haunt me for life. It sounded like a wooden bat smacking a tree, a hollow thunk. Blood-curdling screams echo throughout the Hub at the sight of the man's brains splattered on the people nearest him. Children cling to their parents, eyeing the massacre with wide eyes.
My eyes reach Mr. Smith's, and he's watching in disbelief. He then turns to the guards holding onto Dr. Shepard's arms and waves his hand in their direction. The guards drop him to the ground, restraining him. They put their body weight onto Dr. Shepard's back, keeping him from moving. He looks at me, eyes pleading for me to do something. But I know that if I move, I'll be the next one on the floor with the guards digging into my flesh with their kneecaps.
I don't realize I'm clutching onto Dally's shirt until the muscles in my hand begin to ache.
In the mass panic, Paige manages to move to the front of the Hub. I wince as the neighboring people knock and push against her. When she finally reaches the front, she screams at the top of her lungs. "Open the gates!"
The people near her join in, and a chant starts through the Hub. "Open the gates!"
Mr. Smith lets out a frustrated grunt. "Everyone needs to calm down!" The microphone picks up his shaky voice.
My neck snaps to the back of the Hub. A group of Grubs are marching through the crowd with their fists in the air. "Down with the hierarchy!" I hear them yell.
Mr. Smith senses the incoming mob and turns toward the guards behind him.
Eighteen guards.
"Restrain them!" He yells, the vein popping out from his temple.
Surprisingly, the guards don't move. All in unison, they drop their weapons.
"What are you doing?" Mr. Smith drops the microphone, and it rolls off the mezzanine level. "Your job is to protect me!"
A voice comes through the speakers. Someone has picked up the microphone. "Open the gates!" They yell, their voice blaring in my ears.
Mr. Smith looks at me, his eyes full of anger. "You have no idea what you've done." He runs into the Control Room behind us on a swift heel turn. The crowd seems to respond, scattering in different directions.
I watch as a bunch of Grubs breaks down the fence that blocks off the tunnels. People rush in, trampling over each other. Screaming, crying, and shouts of terror all fill the Hub over the chanting. In seconds, hundreds of people are running for their lives.
I hear the same automated voice I heard when I tried to open the gates before, and I swivel my head in the Control Room's direction. "OVERRIDE COMPLETE. GATES WILL OPEN MOMENTARILY."
All I have to do is look to Dally, and we make a run for it. My legs burn as they bring me down the stairs and into the main floor of the Hub. I push people, shoving them aside as I run for the only thing I care about right now, Paige.
I see her in the clearing; her bloody outfit stands out in the crowd. Our eyes lock together, and a smile lights up her face. Her arms wrap around me after she closes the distance between us, squeezing me tight. "I'm sorry," Paige says, her voice horse. When she sees Dally, she brings him into her arms, and we all sink to the floor in an embrace. "We did it." She cries into my shoulder. "We did it."
"We need to get out of here now," Dally says, panic coursing through his voice.
Dally and I help Paige off the floor, and we start sprinting toward the entrance of the tunnels. We weave around the other people and the bodies on the floor, and I can feel Paige holding onto my jacket to keep up with me.
"Fuck!" I say and stop as the thought pops into my head. "Where's my mother?"
Dally and Paige look at each other briefly before giving me a sympathetic look. "She'll make it out," Dally says, his voice dipping at the end.
My stomach drops thinking about my mother being one of the bodies on the floor. Paige seems to see the panic on my face, and she rubs my arm. "She will." Her smile makes my insides feel on fire.
But just that second, something hits me, and I'm jolted to the floor.
"Ethan!" I hear Paige scream. Her hands try and reach mine to help me, but a group of people knocks her down. With every stomp on my body, I grit my teeth, but I slither my way over Paige and protect her from the trampling feet. I take a second to look up. I don't see Dally in sight, and that worries me. What if he's knocked down and getting trampled too? I hold my ground and breath away the pain until the crowd eases up a bit, and I try to bring Paige up by her hand, but she doesn't move.
She's knocked out.
"Paige!" I sink back down to her. "Wake up! You need to wake up now!"
It's not until I grip her head in my hands that I see the deep gash on her forehead.
"Fuck!" I scream as I pick up Paige and carry her through the crowd toward the gates.
"Dally!" I scream. "Where are you?"