40
“As we suspected, we found him in a holding cell in the Tempestade,” Ada quietly tells me a week later during our next resistance training session.
I’m lying in the same bed where we first met, shielded inside a small glass room.
More people occupy the other beds, each here for their regular doses of electricity.
Her voice is low, and she doesn’t look directly at me as she adjusts some knobs and dials on her equipment.
“What?” I ask, concealing my alarm because, as usual, we have company. Captain Dire and another Extinguisher—Lieutenant Carter, according to his name tag—are patrolling the room. How many times do they need to watch us do this before they’re convinced we aren’t a threat?
“He’s in a secret holding cell,” Ada says. “Well, not entirely a secret. At least not to us. They’ve kept high-profile prisoners they want to ‘erase’ there before.”
“Okay,” I say. “What’s the plan?”
“We’ll need the right key card,” she says. “They update the lock every two weeks as a security measure. Henry and the others are working on it as we speak, and we’re trying to find someone with enough clearance to gain access.”
“We can’t just break in?”
Ada shakes her head. “We will if it comes to that, but their systems are sophisticated and would trip an alarm if we tried. A key card would mean a much better chance of entering and leaving undetected, at least for as long as it takes to get him out.”
“Won’t he be under guard?” I ask.
Ada nods. “Absolutely, but I have it on good authority that Extinguisher patrols are stretched thin. We’ll do some additional reconnaissance, but we hope his guard doesn’t include more than a handful of people.”
“I want to go,” I say. “When you rescue him.”
Dr. Eze presses her lips together. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Poet.”
“Please. I’m the reason he’s in there. I know Rook will want to as well.”
She glances at the Extinguishers and then back at me before she nods. “We can discuss it.”
“Do you think Captain Dire would have the right clearance?” I ask, dropping my voice even lower.
Ada’s gaze pings to him and then back to me.
Dire and Carter are busy chatting, their heads bent close together.
I scan their uniforms, wondering where they might stash something like a top-secret key card. Maybe the front pocket of their vests.
“He would never cooperate with us. We have a few moles working in administrative positions who are loyal to our cause.”
“How long will that take?” I ask.
The longer this goes on, the more worried I am about Edward’s survival.
“I’m not sure,” she admits. “A few weeks? It’s tricky business.”
“We could get close to Dire,” I say. “He likes Rook.”
Ada presses her lips together. “I understand the general wanted you to use Trinity to gather secrets, but she isn’t important enough.”
“No, but he is. That’s how we knew they had Edward in the first place.”
She dips her chin as she flips a few more knobs.
“So we have to try,” I say. “If we get the card, can Rook and I join the rescue team?”
Ada peers up at me. “Very well, but don’t take any unnecessary risks.”
I blow out a breath.
“We have to find him.”
She searches my face and nods. “Of course. But be careful. I have a feeling that if we lose you, everything we’ve been working toward might all be for nothing.”