Chapter 8: The Deserter’s Path
247 Words
Julian spent the next forty-eight hours in a daze. He didn't go back to the house. He didn't go to his apartment. He stayed in a cheap motel on the outskirts of the city, watching the door. He knew Miller would be coming. The Bastion didn't lose "Candidates" to heartbreak.
On the third night, the door didn't open. The window did.
Amir climbed inside, his face grim. "You're a mess, 04. Or should I say, 'Deserter'?"
"Did Miller send you to kill me?" Julian asked, sitting on the edge of the bed with a heavy iron pipe in his hand.
"He sent me to find out if you've talked. If you haven't, he might let you come back. Under... 're-education' terms."
"I’m done, Amir. I want out."
Amir laughed, a dry, hollow sound. "There is no 'out.' You know too much. You know the names of the alumni on the city council. You know the locations of the armories. You're part of the Ledger now."
"Then let him come," Julian said, his voice dropping an octave. "Tell Miller I’m waiting."
Amir looked at his friend, his expression softening for just a second. "He’s not coming for you first, Julian. He’s coming for the breach. He knows Ivy was in the alley. He saw the flash too."
Julian felt the world tilt. "She doesn't know anything! She didn't see our faces!"
"Doesn't matter. To Miller, she's a loose end. And he’s already sent the Sentinels to 'tidy up'."
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