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never are—her work as a scientist will award her a few acres when she retires someday.
    Ty leads us to a backroom lined with rows of shelves where we could hide in case of a raid. He lights an old fashioned lantern. It’s too risky to use the overhead lights.
    Jena pushes her glasses up on her nose. “Who’s coming tonight?”
    “Since we’re a new cell, I’m not sure.” Ty pushes aside a rusted toolbox and sets the lantern on the dusty shelf. “It could only be the five us.”
    One of the retired Warriors calls the meeting to order. “Let’s start then. Any new information?”
    Ty shakes his head. “The school has been quiet.”
    “Anything new in the labs?”
    Jena shifts from foot to foot. “Nothing.”
    None of them look at me, not even a glance. I might be part of the same fight but I’m still a Deb, a second class citizen. I kick at the splintered wooden floor. “I found another termination list.”
    “You?” Ty asks.
    “It’s always me. I’m always the one who gets the list.”
    “But it won’t be for much longer,” he says. The others are staring at Ty, not giving me their attention. “She’s dying. We’ll need to get another Deb into her role.”
    Jena’s lips twist. “There isn’t another one. It took years to train her and teach her to read.”
    Ty jerks back. “You can read?”
    I drop my chin in acknowledgment. It hadn’t taken years to train me, but Charlie never corrected that particular rumor. “I have to read to hack into the system.”
    I show him my signacom, then type in my password. Pressing my personal device against the tablet Jena brought with her, I transfer the data, then quickly delete the list. My device is scanned every day. I can’t risk getting caught with anything of value.
    Jena takes the tablet from me and quickly scans the list. “There are two immediate terminations scheduled. The first is Zachary Collins.”
    “Zachary Collins?” I shouldn’t be shocked that a decorated war hero who took a Musk hoof to the chest rescuing his troop is on the list to be killed, but I am.
    “He’s becoming too popular.” Jena looks back to her tablet. “We need someone to take him to our associates.”
    “I’ve seen him before at the academy,” I say. “Maybe I can…”
    Ty steps forward, the floor squeaking beneath him. “He won’t be at the school. He only visits there occasionally. Besides, he wouldn’t listen to a Deb. I’ve met him a few times. I’ll take the assignment.”
    “You’ll have to find him quickly.” Jena taps her device. “He’ll be at Warrior Headquarters this evening, running drills for a troop shipping out tomorrow. Will you be able to reach him there?”
    “It shouldn’t be a problem,” Ty says. “Some of us at the academy are allowed over into that part of the facility. I’ll go as soon as we finish here.”
    Jena nods. “The next name on the list is Carlos Mendoza.”
    I gasp. Carlos Mendoza is one of the kindest Vals I’d ever met. On more than one occasion I’d seen him share his meal with a hungry Deb. “Why would they kill him?”
    “They probably don’t like his politics,” Jena says.
    I dab at my nose and raise my hand. “He’s almost always near the greenhouses first thing in the morning. I can get to him.”
    “Would he listen to a Deb?” Ty asks.
    One of the landowners snorts. “He might be the only Val who would.”
    Jena looks at me. “He’s your assignment. Here’s his info.” She taps her tablet and sends the file to my signacom.
    “I’ll save him,” I promise, already planning how to approach him.
    “Anything new in town?” one retired Warrior asks the other.
    “Well, I received a message this morning from—”
    The pounding on the door has us all—except Ty—scuttling to hide behind the shelves. Ty turns off the lantern as I hear the door in the front room open. A large silhouette fills the doorway.
    “Who’s there?” Ty squints into the darkness as he walks away from us.