Stitch (20 page)

35. Deliverance

Alessa and Isaac emerged coughing and panting from the sewer drain, a cloud of smoke leaking from the tunnel behind them.  In the distance, they could see a thick column of black bellowing into the sky from the direction of the set.

Alessa laughed and flashed an appreciative smile at Isaac.  “Well, I think your plan worked.”

Isaac coupled his wide grin with a modest shrug of the shoulders.  “I picked up a thing or two in my time with the rebels.”

“No kidding.”

The sewer had ended in a shallow ditch which dumped Isaac and Alessa in the middle of a dark wood.  By now the sun had set completely, and a bright full moon had replaced it, illuminating the forest in an eerie crystal blue.  Upon climbing from the ditch, Alessa could see that the old growth trees thinned out not far to the west, the orange lights of Paragon glowing in the distance, casting long shadows from the compound’s walls on the snow covered ground.  A veil of smoke hovered above the northern section of the complex, blotting out the lights below.

Gazing at the chaos in the distance, Alessa still couldn’t believe they’d pulled it off.  But there wasn’t much time for celebration – they still needed to make it to the original meeting place in hopes of finding Janie before the guards did.  “Let’s move on.”

Alessa and Isaac carefully picked their way north through the gnarled trees and thick undergrowth of the dark forest in the direction of the drainage pipe where they expected Janie to emerge.  The frozen ground was littered with bare shrubs and a smattering of snow leftover from the recent storm.

Alessa shivered.  She was still in the same jeans and sweater she’d been wearing when she and Janie had used the wormhole device.  She’d at least had the foresight to throw on a couple extra layers, but anything heavier than that risked raising suspicion amongst the producers.  And Isaac, who’d had no warning of what was to come, was wearing only his usual light cotton shirt.  Alessa prayed that the rebels had left some equipment for them at the rendezvous point – otherwise, they may not even survive the night, let alone the oncoming winter.

As they reached the location of the other sewer drain, Isaac and Alessa slowed their pace and approached quietly, alert for any sign of the guards.  All was quiet.  Unfortunately, Janie was nowhere in sight.

Searching the area, Alessa spotted two heavy packs stashed among the bushes lining the sewer opening.  She exhaled with relief, thankful that the rebels had found an opportunity to equip them for the mission.

They grabbed the packs and settled down in a thicket not far from the sewer to wait.  From their vantage point slightly up a hill, they’d have a clear view of any movement from Janie but were still hidden behind enough cover to escape without notice if the guards decided to make an appearance.  Alessa unloaded two heavy coats from her backpack.  Slipping one over her shoulders, she was pleased to find a set of warm gloves and a winter hat stashed in the pockets.

Isaac, who had donned the second coat, scooted closer to Alessa and put his arm around her shoulders.  “So, do you have any idea when Janie’s supposed to show up?”

Alessa shook her head.  “She was pretty vague – we didn’t get a chance to talk in detail with the cameras always rolling.  All she said was, ‘Be careful,’ and ‘I’ll see you on the other side.’”

Alessa dug into the backpack once more looking for Janie’s coat, thinking she would warm it up against her chest before Janie arrived.  When she didn’t find a third coat in the first bag she tried the other one, but was dismayed to find that there was no coat stored there either.  She wondered how Regina could have overlooked such a basic piece of gear… and then she understood.

Alessa gasped loudly, an expression of horror on her face.  “Oh my God.  She’s not coming.”

“What do you mean she’s not coming?”

Alessa buried her head in her hands, muttering quietly to herself.  “How could I have been so
dense
?”

“What?  What happened?” Isaac urged.

Alessa dropped her arms in defeat and turned to face Isaac.  “I don’t know how I could have forgotten… ‘See you on the other side,’ were my mother’s last words to us as we were separated at the gate.  I don’t think Janie ever intended to come with us.”

Alessa couldn’t believe her sister had lied to her.  She closed her eyes and shook her head once more, disappointed and disbelieving.

Isaac nodded, his face grim, and took Alessa’s hand.  “Well, at least that means the guards aren’t looking for her, right?  As long as she stayed in character, she should be safe…”

“Safe from the guards, maybe, but what’s next?  Now that they don’t need her for the show anymore, who knows what they might do to her?”  Alessa couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her sister behind.  With the show over, they were no doubt going to toss her back in one of the cold, lonely cells in Paragon’s prison to await her next assignment, subjecting her to who knows what ghastly tortures in the meantime.  And what if the producers figured out who had helped her and Isaac escape?  Alessa would never have agreed to this if she’d known.

Still holding Alessa’s hand, Isaac brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them gently through the thick fabric of her gloves.  With kindness in his eyes, he tried to reassure her in a soft voice.  “It will be okay, Alessa.  Regina will keep her safe, and we’ll find her as soon as we get back.”

Alessa wasn’t as optimistic, but she knew there was nothing she could do.  She just dropped her eyes to the ground with a heavy sigh.

Isaac released Alessa’s hand and clasped his own together, blowing a long breath onto his numb fingers.  “Where did you get those gloves, anyway?”

“They were in my jacket.”

As Isaac withdrew the gloves from his own pockets, a small piece of paper fell into his lap.

Watching as he unfolded it, Alessa saw that it was a letter.

“It’s from Regina.”

“What does it say?”

Isaac held the paper out and adjusted the angle until he caught the moonlight just right.  Then he cleared his throat and read aloud:

Dear Isaac and Alessa,

I’m sure you’ve been through quite the ordeal today, and I hope you are both doing well, at least as well as could be expected under the circumstances.  Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that what lies ahead for you is going to offer much in the way of respite.  We don’t know what to expect beyond Paragon’s walls, but hopefully the supplies we’ve gathered for you will help in some small way to ease your journey.

I doubt I need to remind either of you of the gravity of your mission.  The rebel movement will not survive much longer under Paragon’s iron grip; we need a place of our own to regroup and build up the resistance.  These past months have been difficult on us all, and we’re counting on you to bring us back some good news.

By now you must have figured out that Janie won’t be joining you.  I apologize for our deception, but we knew that Alessa would never willingly leave her sister behind.  Janie has become a critical component of our operation in your absence, and she can do more good for the cause here than she could have out there.  I’m sure you understand.  She sends her love and hopes you will find it in your hearts to forgive her.

As you scour the surrounding area for what I hope will become our next home, please remember that our situation here is dire.  If you find anything encouraging to report, do not tarry.  Every day that we delay puts the resistance more at risk.  Once your plan is ready, return to the place where you found these packs and you will find instructions to contact me.  I will expect to hear from you by the end of May, if not sooner.

I wish you a safe and speedy mission.  Stay strong and remember your training.  The people of Paragon need you.

--R           

36. Duty

Alessa awoke at dawn wrapped tightly in the warm cocoon of Isaac’s arms.  She lay still, listening to the silence of the forest and watching as the tendrils of her and Isaac’s breath mingled in the cold air above them.  For a few moments at least, she savored the tranquil morning, allowing the trials ahead of them to slip quietly away.

But a few moments was all they could safely spare.  Having been hesitant to turn on a flashlight for fear of attracting notice, they hadn’t been able to travel far in the night’s blanketing darkness.  They had settled in for the night on a high hillside not more than a mile from the sewer drain, and it was there they still laid now, limbs entangled as the sun’s first rays crept over the barren ground.  There was no doubt that Paragon’s guards would be looking for them at first light; it was time to go.

Alessa nudged Isaac awake and he let out a groan as he stretched his stiff muscles.  “Argh.  What time is it?”

“Time to get moving.”  She brushed her lips softly against his cheek.

Isaac grinned and tucked a strand of Alessa’s hair behind her ear.  “I could think of something better to do…”

Alessa smirked.  “At least let me do something about this hair before we go there,” she teased.  She couldn’t imagine what her one-stroke restyling must look like in the light of day.

Isaac cupped her face in his hands and kissed her firmly on the lips.  Pulling back only an inch, he looked deep into her eyes and smiled genuinely.  “Don’t do a thing.  You’ve never looked more beautiful.”

Alessa glowed as she and Isaac quickly folded the blankets they’d found in their backpacks.  They took a quick inventory of the other supplies the rebels had left for them, now that it was light enough to see the contents of their packs.

“Fire starter, blades, flashlight, socks, a few days’ rations, a bottle of water,” Isaac listed the contents of his pack as Alessa dug through hers as well.

“Same here.  Oh, and a compass.”

“Good.  Well, we should be okay for a few days at least.”

“True,” Alessa agreed.  “How’s your ankle feeling?”

Isaac rolled it tentatively.  “I’ll be all right.  It’s a little swollen, but I can walk on it without too much pain.”

Alessa was relieved about that, but she was still worried about him in general.  “And how are you otherwise?”

Isaac sighed.  “Okay.  I mean, physically I’m fine.  I was tired after yesterday, after I remembered – it hurt, my memories coming back.  It really took it out of me.  But I’m feeling better now.”  He paused then and looked at Alessa, inquiring.  “How do they do it?  How do they just replace all my memories with whatever they want?  It was the oddest sensation, like my brain was being –”

“Stitched?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“I know.  I experienced the same thing.”  She sighed.  “I don’t understand it, either.  All Janie told me was that the producers have some kind of technology that rewires your neural pathways, hiding your memories and sewing new ones in their place.  The rebels are calling it the ‘stitch.’”

Isaac contemplated for a moment, then shook his head.  “I just can’t believe we lost so much time.  How long were we captured for?”

“A year?  Maybe a little more than that.”

Isaac thought that over for a moment, then set his jaw in fury.  “Who
are
these people?  Why are they doing this to us?”

Alessa just shook her head.  “I wish I could tell you, Isaac.  All I know is that the rebels are flailing, and they’re depending on us to finish our mission.  And as we learned yesterday, there’s apparently a traitor within our ranks.”

Isaac rubbed his temples, his anger displaced by dismay.  “Ugh, I’d forgotten about that.  I wonder if they know.”

“I don’t see how we could warn them if they don’t.  I guess we’ll just have to trust in Regina to stay as on top of things as she always does.”

“I guess so.”  His anger deflated, Isaac took a deep breath.  “We should probably get going.”

Alessa nodded.  “So which direction do you think we should head?”

Crunching snow between his fingers, Isaac replied, “How about south?”

Alessa smiled.  “South works for me.”

They repacked their supplies and shared a small chunk sliced off a block of hard cheese from their rations.  It was a meager breakfast, but it was heartening nonetheless.

Swallowing, Isaac commented, “We’re going to have to be careful about how much we eat until we can resupply.”

Alessa nodded.  “There’s not going to be much in these woods at this time of year.  We should probably look for a route towards the city – maybe we can scavenge some canned goods.”

“We’ll be more likely to find shelter there too, maybe even the base that Regina is hoping for.”

Alessa nodded, but she still held some reservations about venturing toward what had once been more populated areas.  Though she knew that heading to the suburbs and city was the right plan, she also knew that the virus had no less than decimated the world population, and Alessa just wasn’t sure if she was ready to face that.  It’d been… not effortless, but
easier
, to put the total destruction of everything she’d ever known aside while safely hidden behind Paragon’s walls.  But there was no hiding from the truth anymore.

“Isaac… what do you think it will be like out there?”

Isaac set his mouth in a line and shook his head.  “I really don’t know.  We headed for the quarantine zone relatively early, so I wasn’t there to witness the worst of it.  But the few people I saw who had caught the virus… it was horrible.”  He shook away the memory of his parents.

Alessa nodded.  “I know… But it’s been eight years since they closed the gates.  I just keep telling myself that with no one left to infect, the virus must have died out too.  Right?”

“Let’s hope.”

Alessa knew that her rationalization was speculative at best – after all, who knew how long the disease could lay dormant? – but she did her best to put her fears aside.  At this rate, exposure to the elements or starvation were more likely to get them first, so she decided instead to focus on the immediate task of survival.

Regina had made sure that Isaac and Alessa were well prepared for this mission, and Alessa was fairly certain that she remembered most of her training.  She knew where to look for food and water, how to build shelter and start a fire, the basics of first aid and navigation.  But nothing had quite prepared her for the enormity of the task laid out before her.

The world beyond Paragon’s gates felt
big
.  Even the simple question of which direction to head held potentially life-altering consequences.  In one direction, they might find sustenance, or the defensible facility that Regina was hoping for.  In the other, maybe death.  The problem was that they didn’t know which way was which, and one small misstep could get them lost, sick, hurt… or worse.  It was imperative that they remain always alert, vigilant.  They couldn’t let their guard down even for a second.

And the hardest part was that the rebels were counting on them.  As far as Alessa knew, the survivors living within Paragon’s walls may be the only people on the planet who had managed to escape the scourge of the outbreak.  Given that mind control and drug-enabled coercion were what Paragon had come up with in the first eight years of its existence, Alessa didn’t even want to think about what else might be in store.  And she knew that if she and Isaac didn’t return with a viable plan – or didn’t return at all – they could be condemning everyone here to life behind the walls of the thinly-veiled prison camp that was Paragon.

Isaac seemed to be thinking the same thing.  He took Alessa’s hand with an earnest look.  “Alessa, promise me that we’re going to pull this off.  For Joe’s sake.”  He took a deep breath and brushed away the tears that had begun to well in his eyes.  “He gave up his life for me, and I need to know that that was worth something.  I need to do this to make his sacrifice count.”

Alessa nodded solemnly.  “He knew you’d make it count, Isaac.  And so do I.  We’ll find a way to do this.”  And for the first time in months, Alessa truly believed it.

She’d spent so long feeling trapped, alone, lost.  She remembered her long march to Paragon’s gates, her family by her side.  The quarantine center was supposed to be their salvation, but even then, Alessa had sensed that all was already lost.  With each step, she remembered feeling like all of her hopes and dreams for the future were crumbling to the ground around her, disintegrating in a cloud of dust.  And when she’d passed through the gates with only Janie to hold, she’d known her premonitions had been right.  Nothing would ever be the same.

Her life in Paragon had felt like one big pause, even after she’d discovered the drugs.  Every day was monotonous, one day bleeding into the next, and for five long years, she had simply survived, nothing more and nothing less.

But after Joe’s loss had spurred Alessa to join forces with the rebels, things had begun to change.  Alessa’s missions had given her a sense of satisfaction that nothing else in Paragon ever had.  As she progressed, she began to feel in control again, like she finally had some power over her own life.  The feeling was intoxicating, addictive even, and she’d begun to crave it. 

But then overconfidence had landed her in Paragon’s clutches, and during her months in lockup, Alessa’s old feelings of hopelessness had come back to her in force.  For a time, Alessa had truly believed that she was capable of anything, that she was destined for greatness despite everything that had befallen her.  And losing that conviction had been crippling.  Even on the drama, these bitter feelings of powerlessness had overshadowed her every thought.

But that was behind her now.  She and Isaac had an opportunity to make a difference in the sorry world that they’d inherited, and they would do everything in their power to achieve that goal.

From their position on the top of the hill, Alessa and Isaac had a clear view of the landscape around them in the bright, cloudless morning.  The forest stretched out to the east and south, as far as the eye could see.  And to the west, where the trees petered out into rolling plains, Paragon’s thick gray walls rose abruptly like a scar.

Slinging her pack over her shoulders, Alessa took one last look in the direction of Paragon’s walls, wondering when she would see them next.  Not before she had a plan to bring them down, she vowed.

She turned her back and sidled up alongside Isaac, the crisp scent of pine needles and the soft, stroking rustle of the wind fusing with the taste of hope on her tongue.  She knew this was a moment she would never forget.

Isaac held out his hand to her, his deep blue eyes sparkling in the morning sun.  He motioned at the vast expanse laid out before them, beckoning.  “Shall we?”

Grasping Isaac’s fingers in her own, Alessa smiled gently, certain that with Isaac by her side, she could overcome whatever life may throw at them.  “Let’s.”

And they took their first tentative steps away from Paragon together.