The squelching and whistling of the conveyer belt as Dana worked beside it rattled her nerves. Thoughts of the previous night plagued her mind. How was she to betray her friends and save her parents? After hours of wrestling with her conscience, Dana realized that in this society, one was not allowed to have friends.
She picked up a plastic container that once held some kind of liquid. Carelessly, Dana tossed it on the conveyer belt that went straight into the recycling portion of the plant. It landed with a thump. Despite being tired, she raked at the pile of refuse she stood upon, sifting through it for more recyclable items. She picked up a half-broken glass bottle and tossed it into the chute for glass items.
“Hey,” said Elsie as she and Sanders walked up.
“What are you two doing here?” asked Dana. “I thought you were working in the metals area.”
“We bribed the officer to let us come here,” replied Elsie.
“Oh.”
“What happened to you yesterday?” asked Sanders.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” said Dana, avoiding the question.
“Yes you do,” said Elise.
Dana looked over at an officer watching her every move. She didn’t know how many people knew of the arrangement between her and Seth Michaels, but she didn’t want to take any chances. “I can’t talk about it.”
“What’s wrong, Dana,” said Elsie. “You seem different.”
“Maybe because I am,” said Dana.
“Why won’t you tell us what happened?” said Sanders.
“Because—I went to Jesse’s last night like I usually do. I forgot about the time and had to sneak in. I was lucky I didn’t get caught.”
Officer Burroughs strolled past. He looked in Dana’s direction, and she knew that he wanted to know the contents of her conversation with Elsie and Sanders.
“It might be best if you two aren’t seen with me quite so much,” said Dana, walking off.
Sanders and Elsie watched her go.
“Lost track of time,” said Sanders. “Dana never loses track of time.”
“Yeah,” mused Elsie. “Something else is going on here. Let’s get back to work.”
Dana glanced up as her two friends disappeared. She hated lying to them.
“Dana Ginary,” said an officer. “You are wanted in Officer Burroughs’ office.”
Dana dropped her rake and followed the uniformed man to Officer Burroughs’ office. They hiked up a metal staircase that curved in circles. The higher they went, the more anxious Dana became. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants.
“In.” The officer held the door open.
Nerves going haywire, Dana entered the small office. She immediately noticed the big window that overlooked the plant. It was one of those two-way mirrors.
“Miss Ginary,” said Officer Burroughs, indicating for her to take a seat.
Dana obliged.
“I noticed that you were talking with your two friends.”
“I always talk with them,” said Dana, her heart pounding so hard she thought it would force its way out of her chest.
“I want to know what you were discussing.”
“Nothing special.”
“Miss Ginary, I am aware of your arrangement with the First Councilman. Colonel Fernau has told me what I need to know.”
Not everything, thought Dana.
“So I am asking you once more. What did you tell them?”
“Nothing,” said Dana. “They just wanted to know why I was back so late. I told them I had visited another friend and lost track of time.”
The thoughtful look on Officer Burroughs’ face told her that he only half-believed her. “In the future, you might want to spend less time with them and more with George Saule, gaining his trust.”
“Won’t that look suspicious?” asked Dana.
“Pardon?”
Dana fiddled with her hands before finally placing them in her lap. Her pulse thudded so hard that she wondered if everyone else heard it as well. “If I change my habits, don’t you think that would look suspicious even to them?”
“That is excellent thinking,” said Officer Burroughs.
Dana released the breath she had been holding.
“However, my officers and I will be watching your every move,” said Officer Burroughs. “If you sneeze, we will know about it.”
He waved an officer over. “In fact, we have decided that you should wear this.”
Officer Burroughs held up a shirt.
“This top button has a camera built into it. It will record everything you say and do. Put it on.” Officer Burroughs tossed the shirt to Dana.
She clumsily caught it. Realizing that no one was going to give her an ounce of privacy, Dana stood up and unbuttoned her shirt. As quickly as she could, she put the other one on.
“Make certain that you do not take it off,” said Officer Burroughs.
He motioned for her to leave. Immediately, an officer wrapped his gloved hand around her arm and pushed her toward the door.
“And remember, we will be watching everything you do.”
Dana’s heart sank. If she thought she was a prisoner before, she was even more of one now.
Once freed from Officer Burroughs’ office, Dana ran to a posted schedule to see where she would be spending her afternoon. Her name had been placed next to George’s for the incinerator. Big surprise. Before she could be yelled at, Dana rushed off to the bottom level where the incinerator awaited her.
Once there, she quickly put on the gloves that ran up the length of her arm and grabbed a rake. The roar of the incinerator pounded her ears, giving her a headache. The thought of jumping in floated through her mind. Dana pushed it away. How will that help my parents?
“Well, you look a little worse for the wear,” greeted George as she took her place next to him. He flung a bunch of garbage into the fires.
“What?” said Dana.
“There’s bags under your eyes,” said George. “Didn’t get much sleep last night, did ya?”
“Uh, no,” said Dana. “I was a bit preoccupied.”
“By what?”
“You know, all that excitement of being able to see my parents.”
A lump formed in Dana’s throat at the mention of her parents. She immediately swallowed it back before she could betray anything.
“George,” said Dana, “I need to get to the market again.”
George stepped closer so they wouldn’t have to shout. “What for?”
“Things I need and can’t get here. Look, it’s personal stuff. I still have a few coins left over.”
“Not tonight, dearie,” said George.
“Why?”
George gave her a questioning look.
“When then?”
“Tomorrow soon enough?”
“Yeah. Can I bring Elsie and Sanders?”
“What for?”
Dana’s mind raced as she tried to figure out a reason. She didn’t even know why she asked.
“Sanders is good at math. He’d be able to tell me right off if I’m being cheated.”
That line of reasoning made sense to George. “And Elsie?”
“No reason,” mumbled Dana.
“Yeah, sure. They seem honest enough. Considering the amount of officers that go there, what’s a couple more wayward souls?”
The last comment stung Dana. He spoke of honesty, and she was trying to get him to reveal his secrets for her own gain. “Tomorrow night then.”
Dana scooped a pile of refuse into the flames. Her eyes flickered to the camera on her shirt. Emptiness filled her.
Chapter Fifteen