~ ~ ~
Dana paced the office of Kenny’s father impatiently. What is taking so long? Something did not seem right, but when she opened the door to leave, an officer told her to remain inside. Feeling like a prisoner, Dana forced the raging thoughts in her head to a standstill.
“You are to be congratulated,” said Colonel Fernau as he walked into the room.
Dana remained silent. She did not feel worth the praise, even if it was false praise.
“Of course, this means that you are a hero as you have helped to locate the resistance,” continued Colonel Fernau.
“My parents,” whispered Dana.
Colonel Fernau stared at her with cold, unfeeling eyes.
“I was told that if I helped you locate the resistance that my parents would be released,” said Dana.
“And so they shall,” said Kenny’s father as he entered the room. “In time. Colonel, a word.”
Colonel Fernau stepped out of the room, leaving Dana alone. She stood up to stretch her cramped muscles, her movements bumping the desk and flicking the computer monitor on. Curious, Dana moved for a closer look. Her parents’ pictures were on the screen.
Dana clicked on her father’s. The word “terminated” in red letters stretched across it. She clicked on her mother’s.
Terminated.
Horrorstruck, Dana realized that she had been lied to and that she foolishly believed the lies. She noticed her picture on the screen. She clicked on it.
Subject to termination.
The door shuffled open. Immediately, Dana clicked off the monitor and stepped away from the desk.
“You will come with me,” said Colonel Fernau.
Dana followed the man through the hallway and its menacing fluorescent lights. The booming of a microphone and speakers grew louder and louder as they climbed a stairwell.
“Where are we going?” asked Dana.
“To your reward,” answered Colonel Fernau. “You are a hero. The woman who brought down the resistance. All of Dystopia will hail your deed.”
Doors opened before them as Dana was pushed onto a grand stage with decorations, gigantic television screens, balloons, and confetti. Seth Michaels spoke into the microphone, with Halloway standing next to him. Kenny stood toward the back. Dana walked up behind him, noting the way he beamed at her.
“Congratulations,” Kenny hugged her.
Dana remained stiff.
“What is the matter?” asked Kenny.
“Kenny,” Dana said softly. “Did you know that your father had already had my parents murdered?”
Kenny stepped back with a confused look on his face. His father’s voice echoed around them from the speakers hanging directly above.
“Did you know that I was to be gotten rid of as well?” continued Dana.
“No—”
“You’re such a liar, Kenny.”
“And I give you,” continued Seth Michaels, “the girl who delivered the band of traitors and the man who led them, who meant to harm you all. I give you Dana Ginary, the savior of Dystopia!”
A hand pressed against Dana’s back, shoving her to the front of the stage where Kenny’s father stood with Halloway. They both shook her hand, giving her a series of congratulations before handing her the microphone.
Dana stood frozen, staring out at the mass of faces looking up at her with smiles and gleeful expressions, all expecting her to make a speech. They disgusted her. If only they knew how her parents were murdered and she was used.
“Thank you,” said Dana. “First Councilman. When you first came to me with your proposal, I was hardly in a position to refuse.”
The man’s brow arched.
Dana continued. “But I want to extend to you my gratitude for giving me the opportunity to learn what Dystopia is all about and what values are honored here. Lying, cheating, coercion, the elimination of one’s rights, murder, and the betrayal of one’s friends.”
Dana stole a quick glance at Kenny.
“These are what make Dystopia and our illustrious president great.” Dana looked up at the poster of President Klens posed as though she reigned supreme above all of them. “These are the chains we have shackled ourselves with. Enjoy your servitude to the First Councilman and the president!”
Dana stared defiantly into the fuming eyes of Kenny’s father as he glared at her with pure hatred. She dropped the microphone and walked off the stage amidst the stunned silence. Colonel Fernau attempted to grab her. Bringing her fist back, Dana rammed it into his nose, feeling it crack. She burst through the metal doors and into a long, empty hallway just as the video of her interrogation flickered onto the giant screen.
She knew where George and the others were being kept. She knew what she had to do.
Dana ran down the hallway. She stopped short when she noticed a locker room with uniforms hanging up on a rack. Whistling filled the area as one officer showered. Quickly, Dana stole into the room. She snatched one of the uniforms and put it on. A knife caught her eye. Dana looked at her forearm. The chip. She knew they could track her with it.
She clicked open the switchblade. Gritting her teeth, Dana plunged the steel of the knife into her flesh and dug out the chip. Once it popped out, she wrapped a towel around her arm and pulled her sleeve over it. A janitor walked past with a cart, humming a merry tune. Acting as though she belonged, Dana marched past him, dropping her chip onto his cart.
She raced through the hall and down the stairs, bursting through the door that led outside. Hurriedly, Dana bolted down the sidewalk. The Detention Center wasn’t far. Ignoring the odd glances she received, Dana ran as fast as she could. Many jumped out of her way, afraid of being detained themselves. She rushed past them.
Pausing, Dana recalculated her route to the Detention Center. She charged down an alley, coming out on the other side. Making a right, she ran for the building where George was being held. Slowing down, Dana caught her breath. She approached the doors of the center. Locked. She pressed the call button. The man at the front desk looked at her and clicked a button on his end.
“Yes?” his voice crackled on the speaker.
Dana didn’t answer.
“Name and ID please,” said the man.
Looking through the glass doors, Dana shook her head as though she didn’t hear him.
“Damn fools,” muttered the man at the desk. “They told me they fixed it.”
He pulled out his key card and unlocked the front doors. “May I help you?”
Instantly, Dana jabbed the man in the neck so he couldn’t talk. She shoved him back, shut the door, and locked it. Turning back around, Dana knocked the man unconscious. She looked around. No one. Heaving the man up, Dana propped him in his chair so it would look like he had fallen asleep. She knew the ruse wouldn’t work for long.
She clicked on the computer screen. Scanning the list of new detainees, she quickly spotted George’s name. “Cell block five,” she whispered to herself. “Where’s cell block five?”
Dana spotted a map pinned to the wall. Not having time to memorize it, she yanked it down and took it with her. She sped through the hallway to the elevator. According to the map, she needed to go down two floors.
The elevator dinged as it stopped on her floor. She heard voices on the other side. Swiftly, she darted behind a group of plants and hunkered low. Two officers stepped out of the elevator going in the direction away from her, ignorant of her presence.
Relieved, Dana dashed into the elevator before the doors closed. She pushed the button for Basement Level 2. It crept downward at a snail’s pace, causing Dana to grow more impatient.
Ding!
The doors slid open. Dana bolted out. Reading the map, she darted to the left and sped down the dimly lit hallway. Her boots made clacking sounds as she went. Skidding to a halt, Dana paused as the hallway split into two directions.
Right.
She ran off. Dana sped past doors and rooms to where she knew she had to go. She checked the map ag
ain. Almost there. Despite the ache in her muscles, Dana hurried to cell block five.
There it is!
She ran to the door. A man’s laughter spilled from it. Halting, Dana regained her composure. She had to think of something and it had to be believable. Straightening her collar and her hair, Dana walked in with a regal posture.
“You there,” she tried to sound authoritative. “What is the meaning of this?”
The man snapped to attention. He snatched his hat and rammed it on his head.
A quick scan of the room told Dana that he had been watching contraband videos. “You know these videos are banned. And sloughing on the job. The captain won’t be happy to hear this.”
“No, ma’am,” said the officer. “Please don’t report me.”
“I might be willing to let it slide just this once,” Dana paced the room getting into the role. “Clean this stuff up and throw it in the dumpster outside. And don’t let me catch you like this again.”
The frightened officer pulled the videos out of the player and ran out of the room. Dana rushed to the individual cells. “George?”
No answer.
“George,” she said more loudly.
“Dana?”
Dana rushed to the cell the voice came from. “George! Come on. Let’s go.”
She used the key card she had taken from the man at the desk to open the cell. Dana noticed that Amy, Simon, and Charles were in the next cell. She opened it as well.
“What are you doing here, Dana?” asked George.
“Rescuing you,” replied Dana as though it should have been obvious.
“Another trick I suppose,” muttered Charles.
“Please,” pleaded Dana. “I am sorry for what happened. They had my parents and if I hadn’t—” Dana broke off. “It didn’t matter anyway.”
Silence ensued. The others had figured out what had happened.
“How do we know we can trust you now?” asked Amy.
Dana looked into their faces, time running short. Knowing only one way to convince them, she pulled up her sleeve and held out her arm. They all looked at the bloodied cloth she had wrapped around it.
“You pulled out your chip,” said Amy.
“It’s enough for me,” said George, stepping out of his cell.
The others followed. Together, they all ran out of the room and for the elevator. Dana pushed the button. Impatiently, they waited for the familiar bell that signaled the elevator had arrived. Once the doors opened, they scrambled inside and hit the button for the lobby.
“They’ll know we have escaped soon,” said Simon.
As though to prove his point, the alarm sounded. Red lights and blaring sirens alerted everyone to the breakout.
“All right,” said Simon. “We’ll split up. All of us will go our separate ways and meet up later. You know where. If you don’t show, we’ll assume the worse.”
“I’m going with Dana,” said George. “She doesn’t know where the place is. And I suspect it’s her they want most at this point.”
“Very well,” Simon agreed.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. They hurried from it, running straight for the exit. Despite the alarms blaring, no one guarded it. All of them burst through the glass doors and into the street, each heading in a different direction.
George grabbed Dana’s arm and pulled her along. She allowed him to guide her. “We need to get out of the city.”
“Where?”
“The tracks,” said George as they ran. “There are usually freight trains that leave at about this time. We’ll hop on one and take it out of Dystopia.”
They ran down the sidewalk away from the Detention Center.
“You there!” shouted an officer at them.
Cursing at being spotted, Dana ran faster. She noticed that the officer spoke into his radio, summoning more troops. George veered to the right. Dana followed. More officers waited for them. Quickly, George jerked her to the left. They darted down an alley, splashing through the muddy water that pooled there. Coming out the other side, the two made a quick turn and ran fast.
Sirens blared behind them. Knowing they would soon be cornered if they remained on foot, Dana seized George’s arm and pulled him behind a building. They waited in the shadows, watching as officers gathered and spoke to one another.
“Could they be tracking your chip?” asked Dana.
“Nope. Dug mine out years ago.”
The officers turned their backs. Quickly, they dashed from their hiding spot and bolted down the street, blending in with the crowd as best they could.
“There they go!”
Gun shots rang out as armed officers opened fire. Many people screamed and dropped to the ground. Dana and George continued running.
Dana noticed George slowing down, clutching his side. She grabbed his arm and pulled him onward. “Lean on me.”
Together, they jogged down the street, taking another turn. George’s heavy breaths worried Dana. Blood poured from his wound. Spotting a row of vehicles, Dana steered them to it. She cruised down the line of cars with George on her arm. Quickly, she peeked in each window looking for one with the keys inside. Her luck rested with an abandoned pickup truck.
It opened when she touched the handle. Without losing a beat, Dana put George on the passenger side and hurried to the driver’s seat. The key lay in the ignition.
The truck gurgled and spurted to life as the engine turned over. Jamming the thing into first gear, she punched the accelerator. The truck frogged a bit as Dana coordinated her feet to work the clutch.
“Do you know how to drive one of these?” coughed George.
“Sort of,” said Dana.
She had never driven a vehicle before. Once, when she was 13, her father explained the mechanics of driving as it had been explained to him by her grandfather. She had watched the drivers of the dump truck many times and knew how it was supposed to work. As for actually operating one, this was her first time.
Despite the jerky movements, Dana managed to get the truck to go forward. She shifted into second and then third gear. Speeding down the street, she had hoped they wouldn’t be noticed. Her mood dropped when she came upon a line of officer cars. Colonel Fernau stood in front of them with a murderous look in his eyes. Somehow, he had read her intentions.
Dana stomped on the brakes. Ramming the truck into reverse, she peeled the pavement as she backed up, shifted into first, and took off. With each movement, Dana became more familiar with the truck.
Careening down the street, Dana wove in and out of traffic, barely missing the cars around her. She scraped the side of a convertible. Shifting up, Dana rammed her foot on the accelerator, heading outside the city.
Cars pursued her. Their sirens and peels of gunfire told her that getting out of the city was easier said than done. Dana veered to the left. The back wheels skidded and she had to hang onto the wheel, turning into the skid to avoid spinning out. Once she had straightened out, she sped up.
George moaned beside her. The pool of blood on his shirt grew larger.
“You with me over there?” said Dana.
“I’m still here. Side hurts like hell though.”
She noted the pale look on his face. They had to get away.
Dana slammed on the brakes. Instantly, she rammed the truck into reverse and punched the throttle. Driving backwards and trying not to hit anyone, Dana maneuvered the truck through the line of cars that chased her. Once past, she spun around and sped down an alley. Using the alleys to hike through the city, Dana neared the edge.
The horn of a train alerted her that they were close.
“We need to ditch this truck,” panted George.
Dana agreed. Once they had the tracks in sight, she parked the truck next to another. Jumping out, Dana rushed to the passenger side. Carefully, she helped George stand up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Blood from his wound spilled onto her shirt. Ignoring it, Dana half carried, half dragged him down the hill
to the train.
Dancing light in the distance caught her attention. Pausing, Dana looked in the direction of the plant. The entire area seemed to be ablaze. “Jesse,” she whispered.
“I’m sure she got out all right,” said George.
The screeching of tires and blaring sirens forced her to move. Dana clung to George as they ran for the train yard. More gunfire whizzed by them.
“Stop her!” yelled Colonel Fernau as he stepped out of his car.
Dana pushed harder. They couldn’t stop. George leaned heavily on her, slowing her down.
“You must go on without me,” he coughed.
“No,” said Dana, “I left you behind once. I’m not doing it again.”
She took them down a line of crates. Taking a chance, Dana put George down. “Rest a moment. They’re tied up on the hill.”
Thankful, George allowed himself to be put on the ground.
Dana studied the freight trains. She found one pointed west. Knowing that that one would take them away from the city, she kept a careful eye on it.
George’s coughing distracted her. Dana took off her jacket and placed it on his bullet wound. “Here,” she said, pulling off the locket and handing it to him. “You dropped this.”
George’s blood-stained hand grasped the locket. He rubbed his thumb over it before giving it back to Dana. “Keep it. It’s yours now.”
The squeals of train wheels and shouts of officers snapped Dana back to the present. “Come on.” She lifted George up again.
Together, they hopped over tracks and past parked trains as they made their way to the one that had started moving.
“There they are!”
Dana quickened her pace. She held tightly to George, determined not to let him go. His head bobbed a bit, his breathing more labored than before.
“Almost there,” Dana encouraged him.
With renewed vigor, George picked up his pace to match Dana’s. They reached the moving train. Scanning the cars, Dana found one with an open door. She and George ran beside it.
“You first,” said George.
Dana reached out, grasped the bar on the side of the car, and heaved herself inside. Her side throbbed a bit as she landed on the hard surface. Whirling around, Dana reached her hand out for George. He had lagged behind.
“George!” yelled Dana. “George, come on!”
Dana leaned out as far as she could, reaching for her friend. With renewed strength, George ran for the car. He threw his arms out and latched onto Dana’s hand, pulling himself up. Before he could get all the way inside, his foot slipped and he dropped. Dana held tight.
Struggling, George’s strength left him rapidly. His feet dangled from the train, brushing the tracks below. As the train picked up speed, fear filled Dana.
“George,” she said looking right into his eyes.
George stared back at her and she knew what he planned.
“Let me go,” he said.
Dana shook her head. “No.”
George slipped again, nearly taking Dana with him. Her sweaty hands made clinging to him difficult, but she refused to let go.
“I forgive you.”
“George, please.”
“Live for the both of us,” said George.
“No,” Dana said through tears.
“I’m sorry.”
George used his one free hand to wrench himself out of Dana’s grasp before they both fell. His body slammed into the dirt with a sickening crunch. Dana watched with horror as his body flipped over several times before coming to a stop.
“GEORGE!”
She watched helplessly as Colonel Fernau and his officers reached George’s still form. He said something, but she didn’t hear it over the roar of the wind. A single gunshot rang out, telling her that her friend was dead.
Dana stared out at the passing earth. The thought of jumping out raced through her mind. She put her hands on the sides of the doorway and prepared to leap, but stopped. George’s words echoed through her head.
Live for the both of us.
With tears spilling from her eyes, Dana crawled to the back of the empty car. She hugged her knees, staring out the open door and feeling utterly alone.
Get book 2 in the series
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About the Author
Janet McNulty began her writing career with the Legends Lost series, published under the name of Nova Rose.
Ms. McNulty began the Dystopia Trilogy over a year ago with an idea she had carried with her since high school. A fan of books such as Animal Farm, 1984, and Brave New World she decided to create her own vision of a world gone terribly wrong.
Follow on Twitter: JMRUL
Follow her blogs: Books and Legends
Other Books by Janet McNulty
The Mellow Summers Series.
Mellow Summers moves to Vermont to attend college, accompanied by her friend, Jackie. They soon find themselves running into ghosts and one mystery after another.
Legends Lost published under Nova Rose
Enter the Lands of Tesnayr and join an epic fantasy adventure that spans over 1,500 years.
Begin with Tesnayr, the first king of the five lands as he unites them against a savage foe bent on their destruction.
Next, join Amborese as she fights to reclaim the throne after her family was forced to flee from it.
Thinking peace has finally entered the land, follow Galdin as he returns to Tesnayr to find it greatly changed. Barbarians, led by a mysterious sorcerer, burn and destroy as they go. And only Galdin can stop them if he chooses to accept his fate.
Visit www.legendslosttrilogy.com to learn more about the Legends Lost Trilogy.
Grandpa’s Stories: The 20th Century as My Grandfather Lived It.
My grandfather grew up in Arizona during the 1920s and 1930s. One week after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the Navy. During the summer of 2012, my mother visited him and recorded his stories about growing up, World War II, and time as an employee at the Pacific Bell Telephone Company. This is the history of the 20th century as he lived it. These recordings make up this book. These are his words.
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