“Because of that other place. The one you were at before you came here?”
I nod. He’s watching me patiently. I take a deep breath. “It’s been . . . hard. . . .” And then I start to tell him about my years in the After with Baby. My voice cracks when I talk about her, and when I start to talk about New Hope, I falter again. “When we were taken to the other colony, a place called New Hope, I thought we were finally truly safe, but it was worse than living with the Floraes.”
He’s listening intently, waiting for me to continue.
“I was tortured by doctors because I found out about the Floraes, what they really are . . . the result of an experiment.” I leave out the part about my mother creating the bacteria that turned people into Floraes. “My sister was part of the original test group. So was my . . .”
Rice. What is Rice to me?
“My friend was also a part of it.”
I swallow hard. I hadn’t meant to tell him so much. “I’m here to find Ken because he can help me get my sister out of New Hope.”
“Amy, why didn’t you tell me sooner? I . . . I would have done anything to be able to save my sister.”
It’s my turn to ask. “What happened?”
For a moment I think he won’t be able to talk about it, but then he tells me in a strained voice, “I tried so hard to protect her.” He shakes his head angrily. “Tank took a liking to her too, you know. He’d follow her around, stare at her. I made sure to put a stop to that shit right away, though. That’s why I took his file, way back then. I wanted to see what I was up against. As soon as I read it, I told my father. He said not to worry, so I told my uncle, and he made sure Tank knew she was hands-off.
“Still, she was scared of him. She used to be so vibrant, even in those first days when the infection broke out. She tried to tell me it was all going to be okay. She said it was important to remember that we still had each other, so things weren’t all bad. But once Tank started stalking her, she hardly ever left the cell, not even when I was with her.
“The night of the fire, the one I told you burned up the Yard, I tried to keep her safe. I was afraid it would spread to us here, so I made her leave. Everyone was scrambling. I lost her in the crowd.” His eyes burn with the memory. “She died in the flames. It’s my fault.”
I look up, startled at this admission. But the look on his face tells me not to say any more.
The silence stretches out between us, but after a while he speaks up again. “So you think Ken can help you get your sister back?”
“He’s the only hope I have. That’s why,” I say quietly, “I can’t promise that I’ll stay here. But I can promise that I won’t abandon you. If I leave, I’ll tell you first.”
“I get it.” He nods, but he doesn’t look happy. He stares at me, as if wanting more, but that’s all I have to give.
Chapter Sixteen
For three days straight I return to the same place and watch the door for Ken, but I don’t spot him again. There’s always someone guarding the area. Jacks comes with me at first, but eventually he has to go to work, which I tell him he can’t skip, especially with the Warden on to us. He relents when he realizes there is no way to convince me to go back to the cell to wait.
“If anyone bothers me, I’ll just tell them I’m yours,” I say.
Eventually he begrudgingly leaves. With the masses of people walking around, the guard either doesn’t see me from where I sit quietly against the wall, or he’s choosing to ignore me.
I’ve begun sneaking back at night, my synth-suit hood pulled down so I blend into the darkness. It’s useless; I can’t be there all the time. I have to sleep. There are hours when Ken can pass in and out without detection.
When I slink back to the cell for the fifth day in a row of no luck spotting my target, I announce, “I think I need a bike.”
“Why?” Jacks says, not looking up from his sketch.
“When I do find Ken, I’ll need to get to New Hope.” If I need to get to New Hope in a hurry, I could probably snag a car, but again, I’d have to find one that has keys and gas and figure out how to drive the thing. And then, if it breaks down, I’d be completely screwed. It will be good to have a bike as backup.
“Amy.” Jack’s tone is serious. He puts down his pad and places his elbows on his knees. “I think you have to face the possibility that you’re not going to find Ken.”
I look at him. “What are you saying?” I ask, trying to hide the edge in my voice.
“I’m saying that no one seems to know this guy. Not me, not Pam, no one. And Fort Black ain’t that big of a place. For the number of people I’ve asked, it’s just odd that we can’t find him.”
“But I saw him.”