Sunset Rising

They opened the door and marched me out of the Pit. As the door shut behind us, the sounds of gunfire and screaming were replaced with soft music piped in through the speaker system. The Dome was bright, and I had to shut my eyes against the glare. But the guards marched on, and I stumbled blindly with them. They stopped at the reception desk and sca

The big steel door was opened, and we crossed the threshold into the Dome. I peeked out from my narrowed eyelids and looked around the room. It was a stark contrast to the battleground we had just left. A few people were lounging by the fire, drinks in hand and deep in conversation. Another person was curled up on a chair reading a book. All were oblivious to the war being fought right beneath their feet.

The guards dragged me to an elevator and marched me in when the doors opened. One of the guards pressed a button for the tenth floor. That was the presidential floor. Were they taking me straight to Holt? Maybe I wouldn’t have to face a firing squad like Crystal. The image of her dying was permanently burned into my brain, and it terrified me. Maybe the president would kill me with his bare hands. I think that would be preferable to everyone watching me be executed.

The elevator doors opened, and they dragged me to the entrance with the Holt family name printed above it. I had been there before when Leisel had invited me to pretend to be her on her wedding day, so I knew this was where the president’s living quarters were located. I wondered why they were taking me there instead of the president’s office. Silently I prayed Summer wasn’t going to be there. She wouldn’t be very happy to see me die.

But the guards didn’t take me to the president’s suites. They stopped in front of Leisel’s apartment. I forced my eyes to open wider and looked at their faces through their visors. Then I recognized one of them—Leisel’s boyfriend Desmond. Why hadn’t I recognized him before? He knocked on the door, and Leisel answered it.

“I brought you a present,” he said, taking off his helmet. He gave her a big smile. Leisel almost jumped into his arms, knocking me out of the way.

“Oh, Dezzi, do you know how much I love you?” Leisel exclaimed, kissing him on the mouth.

“You better, considering all the things I do for you.” He kissed her back.

“But this is the best thing!” Leisel removed herself from his embrace to take a look at me. “Well, well. The elusive Su

The guards pulled me into the apartment and forced me down into a chair. She walked over to me and pulled the hat off my head. My hair spilled down around my shoulders.

“I recognize this. It’s Jack’s,” she said, looking at the hat. Then she looked at my hair. “Black?” She curled a few strands around her finger and rubbed it. “It’s coal! That’s ingenious, Su

She looked at me with laughter in her eyes. I realized she was every bit as deranged as her father. Maybe more.

“What? You have nothing to say for yourself?” she asked.

“What would I have to say to a co

“You might want to be a little nicer to your captor. I can do whatever I please with you.”

“Do what you like. I’m dead anyway.”

“Brave words.” She laughed. “But if you don’t willingly tell me where Jack is, let’s just say you’ll be begging me to kill you.”

“I don’t know where he is,” I said, truthfully. At that precise moment, I didn’t have a clue where Jack Ke

“Really? Do you want to know how I found you?” Despite my disinterested expression, she continued. “I intercepted a tip from someone named Gina who was hoping to collect the reward. She said a tall girl by the name of Autumn Jones was working in laundry. I checked the name and found out Autumn and Benjamin Jones are living on the fourth level. So I sent Desmond to see if Autumn might be Su

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I assume Benjamin Jones is Jack Ke

“I didn’t,” I snapped.

“Oh, touchy subject. Here I thought you’ve been living happily ever after with Jack, but now I think maybe you weren’t.” I could almost see the wheels working in her head. “I’m sure Summer knows his name. I’ll have a chat with her while I’m at my father’s for di

Crystal’s execution replayed in my head again, and hot tears stung my eyes at the thought of Reyes being killed in front of me. I knew she would do it, but there was no way I would tell her where Jack was. My only hope was that Summer wouldn’t tell her Reyes’s name. Given that Leisel was a master manipulator, I knew my hope was in vain. She could easily trick that information out of Summer.

“Change your mind yet?” Leisel asked. I remained silent. “I will get my way, Su

“Do you want me to stay and guard her?”

“Obviously! But stay inside the apartment. You’ll arouse suspicion standing around outside.”

Leisel watched Desmond tie me to a chair and pulled the rope to make sure it was secure. Then she gave him a passionate kiss and told him again how good he was to her.

I got the impression she was manipulating him, too.

Chapter Thirty-One

Desmond eyed me warily and then turned his back on me. He stripped off the rifle that was slung across his back and unsnapped his belt that held the tear gas canister and knives. He went into the kitchen for a glass of water and then took up residence on the sofa.

“It seems like Leisel really loves you,” I said.

He glared at me. “Did I tell you to talk?”

“I was just making conversation. I mean, it’s going to be a long night sitting here in silence.”

“Well, if you want to talk so much, how about you tell me where Ke

“I really don’t know. I’ve always been honest with Leisel. I don’t know why she doesn’t trust me now.”

“She doesn’t trust you because you’re protecting Ke

“Why would I protect him? He’s just another no-good bourge who thinks he’s better than everyone else. The only reason I’m married to him is because Leisel tricked me into it.”

Desmond narrowed his eyes. “Leisel thinks you two are hiding together.”

“If he’s down there, then someone else is hiding him.” I hoped he would believe my lie.

He eyed the ball cap that sat on the table. “What are you doing with his hat then?”

“I took it from his closet before I left.”

“Yeah, and I suppose you’re the one who knocked out the guards assigned to his apartment. You’re lying.”

“Of course he was the one who took out the guards. I told him I would get him down to the Pit if he could get us out of there. And that’s what I did. I got him to the Pit and said goodbye. I don’t know if he stayed or if he left. But one thing I can tell you, bourge are not welcome down there. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s up here somewhere.” Lying was coming easier to me.