Fall of Eden by Madeline Freeman

Author:Madeline Freeman [Freeman, Madeline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Laurealinde Publishing LLC

Chapter Twenty

Over the next twenty-four hours, news reports were all over the place. Some so-called experts predicted Phoenix was losing its nerve, and that Maisie’s release was the precursor to more hostages being let go. Others questioned whether Maisie was really a student at Blakethorne—or whether the terrorists had spent the last few days dressing up one of their own operatives to pass for her so she could infiltrate what was left of the government.

I did my best not to focus on any theory or make any predictions about why Phoenix released her. Instead, I waited for General Ortega to fulfill his promise and give me accurate details about what was going on.

My patience paid off just before dinner the day after the press conference. Before the knocks fully stopped, I rushed across the common room to the door, Nate on my heels.

He inclined his head. “I have news for you about Cadet Moran.”

I nodded, fighting against a torrent of questions that bubbled up in my mind. I wanted to ask if she was debriefing this whole time, what she said, how she seemed—but I kept it all bottled in.

Ortega sighed, his expression softening. “She’s been asking about you.”

Something in my heart twisted. “Can I see her?”

“That’s why I’m here,” Ortega said. “But we have to hurry. There’s talk of transferring her to a different facility.”

Nate stiffened. “‘Facility’? Are you talking about a prison?”

Ortega shook his head. “No. But somewhere more secure than here, maybe. I don’t see the need. After all, if this place is safe enough for the five of you, it should be safe enough for her. But some people are convinced the girl is a security risk. That the only reason Phoenix would have released her is for her to become a mole and report back what the Guard is planning.” He shook his head again. “As if that poor girl hasn’t been through enough.”

Concern for my friend rose in me again. What “enough” had she been through? Did Phoenix hurt her? I swallowed down my worries. “Can we see her now?”

The general stepped back, allowing us to join him in the hall. “Please.”

The guards posted outside our room followed our progress down the hall with their eyes. I sensed their displeasure that Nate and I were leaving the suite, but it wasn’t like they were going to stop a general and tell him he couldn’t do whatever he liked.

Ortega led the way through the labyrinth-like corridors of the building, down two flights of stairs and through several more halls. My skin tingled at the thought of seeing Maisie. In the time since her release, I’d seen the same four two-second long clips various intrepid video journalists captured too many times to count. In every image, she seemed more frail than the vibrant girl I remembered. She could walk under her own steam, which offered the tiniest amount of comfort. But just because Phoenix was feeding her and not beating her badly enough to break her legs didn’t mean they didn’t cause her major harm in other ways.

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