The Breaking Light (Split City #1)

“They’re keeping her in the South Grid Lockup. She’s scheduled to be moved to the City Reeducation Center tomorrow.”


The South Grid Lockup was where they held prisoners who were a potential threat to national security. And the City Reeducation Center was more a black hole labeled as a place for mind-level reconditioning. Once you went in, you never came out. Being sent there was as good as a death warrant.

The news was not good. Arden had hoped they wouldn’t perform the interrogation in an official govie location. Somewhere off-site would be easier to get into. Both the South Grid Lockup and the City Reeducation Center were virtually impenetrable, with the level of security there equaling that of the city vault. Not to mention that the govies were authorized to use deadly force on any break-in attempts or escapes.

“She’s not going to be in good shape. They’re only moving her because the facility she’s in doesn’t provide the tools they need to break her.”

“Extreme torture, you mean.” Her heart sank.

Dade made an aggrieved face. “Unfortunately.”

Arden drew a breath but managed to keep her face impassive. It seemed excessively harsh a punishment when the only thing they had to hold Mariah on was her having been beyond Undercity without authorization. “How can that be legal?”

“It’s been sanctioned at the highest level,” he said. “The govies are frustrated. They see the problem as a general disregard for the Level system and the drug use a sign that the gangs want the economy to fail. The govies will do anything at this point to stop the unrest.”

“Let’s not forget that they’re also getting their pockets lined,” Arden added sarcastically. “The Solizen are pushing the issue. Crime is as bad as it’s always been. Nothing’s changed.”

Dade nodded. “You’re right, money has a lot to do with it too.”

“So now it’s okay to torture for monetary gain?”

“Don’t yell at the messenger.” Dade held up his hands in surrender. “I’m agreeing with you, if you haven’t noticed.”

Arden exhaled. “Have they gotten any info from her?” If Mariah managed to keep quiet through the first round of torture, Arden could see why the govies were ticked enough to move her to the CRC.

“I have no idea.”

Arden thought for a moment, considering this information. She’d never cased either location, as her gang members always focused on drugs and were thus far successful at not getting caught and needing to break out of a detainment facility. “What are the weak points of the locations? Any way I can run this like a smash-and-grab?”

Dade shook his head. “Your window for rescue will only be about two minutes. She’ll be guarded from the door to the transport, but that is the only point that’s vulnerable enough to make your move. The CRC has a covered in-doc area. So you can’t hit there.”

Arden nodded. “Okay.”

“If you miss your window, there won’t be a second chance.”

“Got it.” Arden licked her lips, then said, “I really appreciate your help. It’s unusual that people keep their word. You did, and I’m grateful.”

Dade’s head tilted to the side as he considered her. “I need to ask you something.”

“All right.” She didn’t like the tone he used, but he deserved an answer to whatever it was. They’d reached a new level in openness. It was time for her to reciprocate.

“I need to know how . . .” He paused to search for the right word. “How involved you are with Lasair?”

Her first reaction was a sharp intake of breath. She shouldn’t be surprised. It wasn’t like he couldn’t put together obvious clues. She had to stop thinking of him like a spoiled rich kid. He’d proven himself to be a smart, worthy opponent capable of getting information she couldn’t. Plus, even though he knew she was with Lasair, he had still been willing to help her.

“Niall Murray is my brother.”

Dade frowned. “It was too much to hope that what I’d heard was incorrect and that you were just a foot soldier, huh?”

“I sell drugs, Dade.” She was sick of being evasive. Not now. Not with him. He had to understand. If he kept pressing for this relationship, he needed full disclosure as to what he was accepting. “I steal them from your family, and I sell the drugs on the street, mostly to kids. It provides for my family. Keeps my parents alive. Occasionally I kill people because it’s necessary. If it comes down to me or them, I’m always going to save myself. It’s not what I want out of life, and I’m not proud of it, but that’s the truth. I will sacrifice anything for my family.”

“I had hoped that maybe . . .” He let his voice trail off, and his brow scrunched adorably.

“What? That I didn’t actually get my hands dirty? I’m sorry to disappoint you.” The response was a bit aggressive, and he certainly didn’t deserve her anger. Mostly it was embarrassment that caused her to strike out with her words.

“No.” His hands went to her shoulders, rubbing her arms soothingly. “I just hoped that you were lower on the food chain, is all. It’s difficult for me to understand how you can perpetuate the disease.”

“What?” She was flabbergasted.

“Sustaining the drug trade is no better than what my father does.”

“I may sell the drugs on the street, but your family and the rest of the Solizen maintain ninety-five percent of the city’s wealth and resources. Do you have any idea what it’s like to scrape in order to survive?” She might play fast and loose with her morals, but she wouldn’t be ashamed of it. “This is a war. And there’s passive resistance and active resistance.”

“Hooking kids on Shine isn’t patriotism.”

“No, but it breaks the system. Every drug that’s on the street questions the need for VitD in the first place. There is no difference between prescription drugs and street drugs. They were hooked on VitD before I sold them Shine. I’m not the one creating a generation of addicts. I’m just being honest about my part.”

Dade squeezed her hands. “I’m not passing judgment.”

Arden breathed out, letting the tension go with it. “I want to believe that you and I can work. But it’s conversations like this that make me question how different we are.”

“Not so very different.” He paused. “In the effort of full disclosure, I do understand what it’s like on the street. I may not be there myself, but I see plenty of people who suffer.”

“And how would you see that, locked in your Tower?”

“I’m the Ghost.”

“What?” It took her a full moment to compute what he’d said. Two moons, Colin had been right. “You’re just full of surprises today.”

He gave her an embarrassed grimace.

Though she really should have known. Dade was compassionate to a fault, even if that meant stealing from his own family to give to the poor. Because who else would give away lucrative drugs without thought to the money he could make?

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