“Nothing beats the conviction of eye-witness accounts,” Sutton says. “Besides, some of the people in the Hole deserve to be there. They did exactly what they were accused of to earn a place there. Some became criminals doing what they had to do to survive once there. But criminal or not, this is not how we’re supposed to treat people. We’re capable of much more, and the rest of the world will hold us to a moral standard we seem to have forgotten long ago.”
“Good thing, because Wilson would probably wine and dine them to death,” Cole says. “He’d make a big show of it, making himself out to be a hero rather than the monster that he really is.”
“Without a doubt,” Sutton says. “I’m just hoping they stick to their agreement. That they truly and thoroughly investigate, question, and hold Wilson and his regime accountable for their crimes against humanity.”
“Why wouldn’t they? What motivation would they have to turn their back on us?” I ask.
“Because a weak United States makes everyone else’s position stronger,” Sutton says, twisting his hands together.
We are all silent as that sinks in.
“So you trust them or you don’t?” Bruno asks, pacing.
“I trust they’ll do their job once they’re here,” he says. “They know they have some atoning to do since the last World War.”
“Then that’s all that matters. I’ll do whatever you ask of me,” I say.
Sutton’s sympathetic eyes rest on my face.
“Lexi, it’s our only chance.” Sutton takes the paper back from Grace and tucks it away in the pocket of his coat. “It must be done. We need their support. We can’t do this alone. But if we hesitate even for a moment, we may never get another opportunity.”
“How long do you think the investigation will take?” I ask.
“There’s no way of telling. All we can do is pray the monitors get their jobs done and the United Powers will care enough to step in afterward.” Sutton sighs while looking at me. “So please do your best to hold it together for just a little while longer. In the meantime, I need to get back, get all of my documents in order.”
“When will you go?”
“I’ll be leaving in an hour.”
“Why so soon?” I ask, but he doesn’t answer me. He motions in Cole’s direction.
“Cole. Bruno. I’d like to have a word with you,” he says. Bruno and Cole follow him into the kitchen and remain there for a few minutes while I agonize over his impending departure. When he returns, he smoothes over his eyebrows with his fingers and glances at me.
“Come with me,” he says. I raise my head. “We need to talk in private.”
He guides me into the hallway and through the small kitchen at the end. Then he opens the deadbolts and leads me to the back porch. He sits on a peeling, white bench and pats the spot next to him. “Sit.”
I sit beside him, lean back, and fold my hands in my lap. My nerves are already on edge from the excitement and promise of his news. My heart races as adrenaline moves through me.
“There’s something you should know.” He sighs, and I feel my shoulders slump. “There are things I should’ve told you a long time ago, but the right opportunity never presented itself. So please listen carefully to what I have to say.”
“I’m listening,” I whisper.
“Your father and I met when we were young boys. We lived just down the road from one another. And even though my brother was five years older, he still played street hockey with us all the time.” Sutton forms a thin smile. “But the first Commander began drafting more guards each year, and my older brother was chosen. It wasn’t long before he started to change. At first, it was little things like no longer having the time or interest in playing with us. Soon, he became impatient, almost angry, stomping and slamming doors when he was home. Every night at dinner, all he’d talk about was the guards and the latest Sinner in the neighborhood—how all Sinners deserved death. If anyone tried to change the subject, he’d become agitated and claim we didn’t care enough about our country.” I put my hand on his, suppressing my own strange mix of emotions. “My parents tried to talk sense into him, but my brother was immune to any punishment or any wisdom they offered. He eventually began yelling orders at my father, taking over his role in the home, and that was the moment we knew.”
“Knew what?” My brain is foggy from the overload of emotion and exhaustion.
“We found proof that my brother wasn’t just recruited to join the guards. He was being groomed for more than that. My brother was chosen to be the next Commander. But we also found something more disturbing.” Sutton gulps loudly.
“Do I really want to know?” The revelation that Wilson was chosen to lead this regime and that my father knew was already a lot to absorb.
Sutton squeezes my hand before continuing. “My brother was collaborating with Wilson to develop experiments on Sinners. In the Hole.” I nearly jump out of my skin, vaguely flashing back to the conversation I overheard my father having in the kitchen a few years ago.