Refuse (The Silo Archipelago Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

of confusion lay in the connection, or lack thereof, between whatever was going on down in Maintenance, and the papermaking guild.  As far as she knew, she and her father were the only ones who provided a connection between the two enterprises.  She didn’t know what her father was up to, and she was fairly sure that he was ignorant of her illegal activities.  The authorities had two problems in the silo, and apparently they had determined that she was the missing link.
    She was deep in thought when it happened.  The knock on the door was barely recognizable.  Her thoughts fled from her and she caught her breath and waited in trembling silence.  After a few moments, she heard it again.  She had to do something.  Twisting the knob, she felt her heart race in her chest.  She cracked the door open slightly and a hand began to push against the door.  She thought about resisting but before the thought could produce action, a porter rushed through it and quickly slammed it shut behind himself.
    “I have only a few seconds,” he said, as he flipped open his satchel and rifled through the contents.  Deep in the bag, buried down in a corner, he found what he was looking for and pulled it out.  His hands shook as he opened the small envelope.  Inside, there were two notes.
    “These are from someone up-top.  You’ll know who when you read them.  This one first,” he said as he handed her one of the notes.
    She flipped it open and read the charcoal words and recognized the firm hand and the slant of the letters and immediately knew its author:
     
    Do not help them, Leah.  Stand firm.  We’re glad to die.   They can’t stop what’s coming, and helping them won’t do anything to keep us alive.  We’re all dying.  All of your friends here in chains give you a big hug, and beg you to stand strong!
     
      The note was initialed by all of the five guild members who’d been arrested.  When she finished reading it, the porter handed her the second note and nodded his head in farewell as he took a step to leave and reached for the door.
    “Wait!” Leah said.  “Let me give you some chits for the delivery.”
    “No.  I won’t take them.  I didn’t do this for chits.”
    “Well… what’s your name?”
    “Morgan.”
    “Thank you, Morgan.”
    The porter smiled at her, and with that, he was gone.
     

 
    Leah,
     
    I would marry a picker.  I was joking when I said I wouldn’t.  Please forgive me.  If this life weren’t about to be over for me, I’d marry you and we’d move into my apartment and be loving wingnuts together.  You’re top-shelf with me, and I love you.
     
    Ivan
     
    Leah sat down, unsure of the trustworthiness of her legs for a moment.  Tears ran down her face and onto the paper she clutched in her hands.  After reading the second note from Ivan, she poured herself out, sobbing uncontrollably until she had no more tears to shed.  After some time, she braced herself and read the note again.
     
    …my apartment…
    …wingnuts…
    …top-shelf…
     
    Before she could even think about the ramifications of the letter, or ask herself if Ivan really meant the part about wanting to marry her, she’d already slung open her door and was sprinting towards Ivan’s place.  He lived on the same floor, and his apartment was tucked away down a long, dark hallway that led away from the 57 th floor landing.  Arriving at his apartment, she found that the doorway was crisscrossed with duct tape, a rude pronouncement by the authorities that the peaceful man who lived here was really a criminal— an enemy to the silo .  On the tape someone had written “Sheriff’s Investigation” several times.  She reached through the tape and twisted the knob and the door swung open into the room.  Apparently Sheriff Tatum’s office was sufficiently convinced that the mere mention of a Sheriff’s investigation was good enough of a threat to keep out interlopers.  They were wrong about that.