“So you see, all this time the government have been lying to us. Can you believe that? They’re meant to look out for us. They’re meant to serve us!”
Ari nods, his expression suddenly studious. “We should always question everything,” he says quietly, his eyes burning into me. “Everything, Leyla.”
Papa’s voice rings in my ears: The facts, Pickle. Always. Only cold, hard facts. My papa. A great astronomer. My heart aches for him now. Everything in his absence is too confusing. So many truths revealed to be lies. He would never accept the lies. We mustn’t accept them. How dare they tell us we’ll be living up on the surface very soon when we clearly won’t be?
I meet Ari’s questioning gaze. “Explorers have died trying to find ways for us to live on the surface. And yet the authorities still send them up there. No matter where you are on the globe, the surface is hell—it’s a death trap. It’s all here in the official reports. For one thing, we’re breathing filtered oxygen down here. We’d have to wear masks and carry filtration systems all the time if we were up there. We’d be fighting the environment twenty-four/seven. Our numbers would drop even further. Yet they still encourage the idea. And all those poor people who work so hard to meet their payment to the Explorers Fund every month! For what? And, Ari . . .”
His eyes flicker bright with anticipation when I say his name, his gaze unwavering now.
“If the authorities can lie about that—if they could make people believe such a huge lie—then we have to ask ourselves not only why, but what else are they lying about?”
He’s so incredibly still as he searches my face . . . as if he’s holding his breath. A glimmer of something flashes across his expression, but it’s gone before I can pinpoint it. Was it sadness? Apprehension?
“What’s the government up to, Ari? What’s really going on with my papa?” My voice cracks.
He moves closer to me until his face is inches from mine. In the dim glow of the room his eyes are almost hypnotic, and his face more mysterious than ever. It breaks into the softest expression and pulls at me. I step toward him just as he closes the few inches between us and wraps his arms around me. I breathe him in as I bury my face in his chest.
Deep breaths. His smell is how I imagine the Old World outdoors to have smelled. Fresh, foresty, wild. Despite the alarming discovery just now, this is the safest I’ve felt in far too long. And my insides . . . they just flutter. His arms feel so comfortable around me, and yet he’s incredibly, undeniably exciting. It’s like he’s both home and the unknown. And though anything unknown always leaves me reeling in terror, Ari doesn’t.
“I . . . I can stay on,” he says, his voice hesitant and low. I hear him swallow before he continues. “Once we reach your grandfather’s cottage. If you need me, I can stay longer. To help you search for your father.” His chest expands against my face as he takes in a long breath, releasing it slowly. He sounds exhausted. “Too many families have been lost to their lies. Let me help you find yours, Leyla. I want to do this for you.”
There is so much pain in his voice I can’t bear it.
And I can no longer imagine going on without him on board. I whisper against his chest. “Yes . . . Please stay longer if you can. If your family will be all right without you for a while.”
It takes a moment for me to realize his hand is ever so slightly stroking my hair in a reassuring gesture. I never want it to stop.
A sound in the far corner pulls us apart and I glance over. Nothing. My gaze returns to Ari and our eyes lock; the most tender look shines in his. His shoulders rise and fall. I feel the warmth in my face and swallow, remembering where I am.
I shake myself out of my thoughts and take a few steps back. Clearing my throat, I beckon him toward the sofa.
I fill him in on what Theo said. “Because I still don’t have any info on what’s going on here, or with Papa, you see. And Theo said we might have some luck with that system there,” I say to him, pointing to the largest of a specific group of screens and trying so hard to block out the feeling of being against his chest. Focus. I flick my wrist to indicate my Bracelet. “Theo sent help, and it’s specific to Papa.”
Ari nods and we make our way over to the row of screens, pausing by the main one. I glance at the blinking visual display. If only Theo were here himself!
I follow his instructions and upload the coding he passed on to me. Immediately a bright white insignia appears on-screen, rotating forebodingly. Oh no.
“Theo said if that particular security crest appears, then there’s a risk my transferring any info might leave a trace.” I bite my lip.
Ari glances at the screen and back at my face. “What do you want to do?”
“Well . . . I mean we’re out of here first thing in the morning, right? He said it could take them a while to discover a breach if this happened. We can’t leave this place without trying. I just have a feeling these guys know more about Papa’s situation. I want to risk it,” I say.
“Yes?” Ari cocks an eyebrow.
“Yes. We continue to upload this coding, transfer the results, and then get out of this area before anyone else wakes up.” I offer a quiet prayer that I’ve made the right choice.
It all seems to take forever. Anywhere Papa’s name is mentioned on this tech, Theo’s coding will capture it for Oscar to identify. At last we’re done, and I can’t move away from the screens fast enough.
We pause where we must part ways and I stare at my Bracelet, mumbling something that’s meant to be Good night. Ari twists the beaded necklace around his neck as he nods in reply, and I hurry to my room.
When I climb back into bed, sleep is a million leagues away.
Possible mention of Papa in the downloaded info and the lie about the Explorers’ progress both work together to keep me awake for too long. And the sense of Ari’s arms wrapped around me doesn’t lessen at all as the hours tick by. His words also linger.
He’s right; we must question everything. Without Gramps and the twins with me, Ari’s the only person left who I can trust. No governmental body or representative can be trusted. It’s just one terrible lie after another. I must stay focused on finding Papa myself.
I trace my Bracelet. I finally have something, I’m certain. At Grandpa’s place in King’s Lynn I’ll decide my next move based on whatever the download might reveal.
Please, God, let it be something hopeful, positive.
I try not to think about Bia and her people possibly finding out what I’ve done. If they do discover the security breach, I pray it’s when we’re leagues away from here.
God knows what these people are up to, and I wouldn’t want to ever cross them.
I wake up light-headed. Ari’s arms around me is the very first thing that pops into my head, and I just want to lie here thinking about it. Unfortunately the rest of last night also kicks in, and I hasten out of bed, yawning away.
We’re out of here very shortly, and finally I’ll have some answers. Grabbing Jojo’s Bliss-Pod, I open the door and step into the main area of the Den, where Bia’s words greet me.
“Did you really think you’d get away with it?”
My insides drop and I tighten my grip on the Bliss-Pod’s handle as