Abandon Read Online Free PDF Page B

acknowledging something he’d rather ignore.
    The fight went out of me. “Except for Vi,” I conceded. “I’d change things if I could, Zenn. So many things.”
    I felt rather than heard or saw his defeated acceptance. An understanding passed between us.
    “You might still make your appointment,” I said. “We’ll get Thane out, and you and Gunner can fly all night.”
    “Fine. But you get to tell Vi she’s riding in the backseat on this one,” he said. “She’s gonna be mad as hell.”
    “Fair enough.” I followed him into the hall, already dreading the argument I would have with Vi. “And Zenn, you are strong enough to resist this time.”
    *   *   *
    I found Vi in her room, her face already closed to any discussion. I smothered a sigh and sat next to her on the cot. We both studied the floor. “So, we’re going into Freedom.”
    “So I heard,” she said. What she meant was, I didn’t hear it from you.
    “You’ve been assigned to Zenn. You guys will fly mid-pack and stay out of trouble.” What I meant was, I’m assigning you to Zenn. Ride behind him and keep your mouth shut.
    The silence in the room said it all. Her anger. Her defiance. Vi didn’t like being told what to do.
    “Do I have your permission to speak?” she snapped.
    “Oh, brother,” I said. “Say whatever the hell you want. It’s not going to change my decision.”
    “I hate how you boss me around,” she said.
    I stood up. “I hate how you doubt all my decisions,” I fired back. “I’m the cracking leader of the cracking Resistance.”
    She shot to her feet too. “I’m more than just another one of your Insiders. I’m your girlfriend.”
    My stomach clenched. Didn’t she get it? That was exactly why she had to fly mid-pack and stay out of trouble. Sometimes her stubbornness amazed me. I glared at her a moment longer before heading toward the door.
    “Stay with Zenn. Mid-pack.” I left her simmering—okay, boiling—in her room. Zenn had been right—Vi was mad ashell. But you know what? I’d do what it took to keep her safe. Losing her was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.
    *   *   *
    Gunner spent the afternoon detailing the layout of Freedom for the group. We didn’t have customizable p-screens underground. So Gunn painted a picture of Freedom with words. He spoke in that way that commanded people to listen, using a Thinker’s voice but not its brainwashing ability.
    People listened to Gunner because of his quiet steadiness. I’d felt his determination and strength the first time I met him, even though I’d been strapped to a bed at the time. Now I could also feel the myriad of emotions teeming beneath his calm exterior. Because the girl he loved, Raine Hightower, was still trapped inside Freedom.
    More than once he’d voiced to me that Raine’s father wasn’t afraid to do horrific things to his own daughter. Gunn never cried, but his desperation to get her out, protect her, never faded. I’d felt an immediate connection to him, because I felt the same way about Vi.
    Neither of us could protect the people we loved, and it was killing us.
    I listened to him talk about how Freedom was designed on a grid, and how navigating toward the tallest building shouldn’t be too troublesome. Indy and Vi seemed the mostinterested. The rest of us knew the general layout. Gunn waved his hand, talking about Rise One situated in the middle of the Rise-canyons.
    He paused, and I wanted to get up and clap him on the shoulder. Tell him to escape and have a good cry over Raine. Tell him to be honest with himself for a change. Instead I simply watched as he composed himself and said, “The techtric barrier presents the biggest problem.”
    “It’s not a problem,” I said. “It’s a monumental issue.” Everyone swung their attention to me. Beyond that, guards and seeker-spiders would likely present another obstacle. And Enforcement Officers equipped with tasers and various special talents.
    “So how do we get