Contributor by Nicole Ciacchella

Author:Nicole Ciacchella [Ciacchella, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult, science fiction, Young adult dystopian/post-apocalyptic
Goodreads: 19540832
Publisher: Sweenix Rising Books
Published: 2012-01-01T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

"Where's Letizia? I want to see her right now," Dara demanded, refusing to be intimidated.

"You can't see her right now because Raj is still busy working on her," Mal said.

Dara felt a bone-chilling flash of fear. "Will she be okay?"

Tasha shot a look at Mal that Dara couldn't interpret, and moved to Dara's side, gently taking her hand and squeezing it.

"Letizia will be fine," she said. "Raj is a very good doctor. Just give him some time."

"I need to get her back to the dome. The doctors there can take care of her."

"She has a head injury, remember?" Mal asked. "Until Raj fully assesses her, Letizia can't go anywhere."

"Does that mean—" Tasha began.

"Yes, it means she needs to stay here as well," Mal told his sister, practically barking the words at her. Now Tasha looked worried. She glanced from Mal to Dara and back again.

"You're not holding me hostage here! As soon as day breaks, I'm going back to the surface and I'm—"

"You're what, going to wait for Magnum to come and rescue you? Let's assume that you're able to avoid the roaming gangs. Then what? Do you really think Magnum is going to send search party after search party until they find you?" Contempt practically dripped from every word he spoke.

"Letizia said a recovery team—" Dara began.

"If your transport was operational, if it was sending signals to Magnum, and if those signals included life signs, then maybe Magnum would think about sending someone out."

"Of course they would send someone out," Dara snapped. "We're assets. They won't just leave us out here to die."

"You're only an asset as long as you're not a liability," Mal sneered. "If you think your beloved Job Creator cares about you, well, you have a lot to learn."

"What is that supposed to mean? Of course Magnum cares about its Contributors. It devotes a lot of resources to us and we, in turn—"

"Spare me your lectures. Tasha, make her a bed."

Tasha opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Mal strode back out of the room. Dara watched Tasha clench and unclench her fists and then take a deep breath before she spoke again.

"Look, this isn't an ideal situation, but you can't go anywhere right now. If you went back, there would be questions about where Letizia is."

"I'd tell them where she is so they could come and rescue her," Dara said, shocked and angry. "I wouldn't just leave her behind!"

"Listen to me. If you did that, we'd all be in jeopardy. You and Letizia would both be under a cloud of suspicion, even if you were able to convince Magnum that you weren't conspiring with us.

"As for me, Raj, and Mal, well, we would be accused of kidnapping. No doubt you know the penalty." Tasha locked eyes with Dara, studying her with such intensity that Dara couldn't look away.

"But...but that wouldn't happen! You didn't kidnap us. And if you let me go now, I'll explain that you rescued us and that you took care of Letizia's wounds.

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