Destiny: Quantic Dreams Book 3 by Elizabeth McLaughlin (books for 20 year olds .txt) 📗

“Turn Jacob over to us. The rest of your people can go home. We’ll continue sending the aid until such time as the trial has concluded. We’ll even let you and your wife stay with him to make sure he is treated fairly.”

Treated fairly? Yeah, right.

“And how will you be assuring us that our people won’t be sliced into roast beef the second they get outside the city limits?” Eliza recovered her composure.

“I suppose you’ll just have to trust me.” Eleanor’s demeanor had turned cold, too. The trespass of one of our own into their territory had done more to ratchet up the tension than I thought.

“All right. Give us an hour and we’ll have our people ready for escort back outside the city. We’ll stay with Jacob. There’s only one further request I have.” Eliza made a point of keeping her body language neutral. Good for her, because my heart was pounding.

“Yes?” Eleanor glanced at Tenzen, annoyed.

“Allow our son to stay with us. If the trial doesn’t go our way and you have to execute Jacob, you would do us a kindness to let the boy say goodbye to his grandfather.”

“I’m sure it won’t make much difference. Are you sure you want the boy to witness what is to come?” It was funny how the androids tried to keep up the illusion that there was going to be any other outcome to this. Dad’s hours were numbered, and we both knew it. I glanced surreptitiously back toward the door where I knew Marcus would be stalking back and forth by now.

“Yes.”

“Then so be it. Have your people ready to move in an hour’s time. One minute later and they stay here, under armed guard this time.”

“You have my word. Please, take the boy’s body and dispose of it with dignity. He may have broken your rules, but I ask it as a favor. If I can tell them his body is gone, it will go a long way towards keeping them calm.” She wasn’t lying. The stink of fear permeated the air. We may think ourselves evolved but humans are still herd animals at the end of the day. Emotions were as contagious as a virus and the panic of one would panic all.

“I think that can be done.” Deep down Eliza knew she couldn’t ensure a thing, but the gesture would go a long way.

“Thank you.” The androids picked up James’s body and took it away. I opened the door to find Marcus shifting his weight back and forth. He looked like he was ready to break the doors down.

“What the hell happened out there?” he demanded. “Where is the body?”

“The androids have agreed to dispose of James’s remains with dignity. I regret that we won’t be able to take him back to the colony with us, but we can’t risk it. We have a change of plans.” Eliza raised her voice to address the whole assembly. “You have one hour to make preparations, and then you’re going back to the colony.”

For a moment, there was dead silence. Then everyone started talking at once.

“HEY!” Marcus bellowed over the din. “Everybody shut up!”

Eliza nodded to him in thanks. “The androids want you out. I’ve arranged for your safe passage outside the city and from there they’ll supply you with resources for the journey. Aid will continue to be sent to the colony until such time as the trial has concluded.”

“What does ‘you’ mean? You’re not coming with us?” Alan broke through the front of the crowd.

“In return for your safe departure, we have agreed to surrender Jacob to the androids to await trial.”

“The hell you did!” Dad shouted from behind Alan. “I refuse to surrender my freedom for some bullshit—“

I motioned for him to come close to me. “Do what she says or I’m going to make sure the androids aren’t your biggest worry.” He narrowed his eyes.

“Listen here daughter, if you think that you’re going to tell me what to do because your wife is the leader of the shelter, you’ve got another thing coming.“

“I’m telling you what to do because I’m trying to keep these people safe. Now if you could put others ahead of your selfish ass for a single second, we could get somewhere.” He didn’t say anything to that. “Now you’re going to stand next to me and act like we’re best friends and let Eliza handle this. Understood?” Dad opened his mouth and I flexed my fingers on my utility knife. “I don’t know at what point I became the parent here, but I swear to god Dad I will stab you if you don’t do what I tell you.”

A smile cracked through his frustrated exterior. Like father, like daughter. Eliza didn’t need to tell the crowd anything else. True to her instructions before leaving to speak to the androids, most of their belongings were packed and ready to go. The rest of the hour was spent preparing. Every person was led to take one last hot shower before their departure and any medical needs attended to. The work was done mostly in silence; the people who had volunteered to come with us had been through too much. No amount of loyalty was worth keeping themselves away from their families for a single moment longer. This was the best way forward for them.

Chapter Eighteen

The androids allowed the four of us to accompany the group on their way. When the time came to say goodbye, Alan turned to me. “You’ve got to keep them safe, Fiona. Your Dad has done more for us than you know. I know things are in the shit, but please--do what you can.”

I gave him a fierce hug. “I will. You know I will. Say hello to the folks at home for me, all right? Make sure they know that it’s going to be okay.”

The ninety-six colonists who had set out to discover the possibility of salvation now returned to