Chapter 161
- Kaysi -
We moved out and followed not directly after the silent police—that would have been obvious. Instead, we took the lower walkways, the ones Shell City pretended didn't exist. Narrow corridor where pipes ran exposed, and the wall sweated condensation—the city's underbelly.
Jakeh kept gncing ahead, like he might outrun fate if he walked fast enough.
"You can't be seen yet," I reminded him gently. "If they realize you're gone—"
"They will escate," he finished. "I know."
That scared me more than panic would have.
"They did this on purpose," Becky whispered. "They waited."
"Yes," Evan. "They wanted him gone first."
To make the house quiet.
To make Mary desperate.
To make her offer sound kind.
Elia guided us down roads that you could tell she traveled many times.
We arrived at the outskirts of the lower city, where the Maxwell family lived. We were still far from the neighborhood.
"Please. She's old. She doesn't even work anymore." A desperate woman's voice pleaded.
We turned in unison.
The silent police stood in front of a small residential unit two levels below us, their cloaks draped against the pale metal walls. A woman knelt on the ground in front of them, hands shaking as she tried to hold out a small pouch.
"It's not enough," one of the officers said calmly. "Your neighbor's bor value has dropped below minimum contribution."
"She raised three kids here," the woman said. "She paid her dues."
"That is no longer relevant."
People passed by. Some slowed, but no one looked.
I felt something twist in my chest—this poor woman.
Elia had walked around so she didn't draw attention to us.
"Hey,"
Her voice was not loud—just sharp enough to demand attention.
"She's sick," Elia cimed. "You know that."
This wasn't her first time here, though.
The Silent Police didn't flinch at her reaction, like this wasn't their first run-in with each other, either.
"Citizen, Elia," one of them said informally. "This matter does not concern you."
"Elia fearlessly walked a bit closer to the one officer.
"So Frank, how much to forget you were here and not come back for a good while?" She raised a brow and shoved a card in his chest.
He was unfazed. He scanned the amount and hesitated.
"Payment accepted. She will be good for 3 months. Until then, you'd better manage your time wisely so this doesn't happen again." The officer huffed and walked off.
"You know you used to know who bled, Frank," Elia whispered just enough for him to hear.
He walked off with no reaction, but he tightened his fist at his side, which not one, but I believe, has noticed.
The woman hit the ground sobbing, which made my eyes sting. Elia helped her to her feet.
"Get some rest, Ms. O'Hara."
We walked off, following behind the Silent Police at a distance.
"They are going to report to the other groups," Elia said. "It is shift change, and we can find the group that is heading to Maxwell's. She carried on as if nothing had happened.
"That was kind of you," I said before I could stop myself.
Elia looked at me, eyebrows lifted.
"Kind?" She repeated, amused.
"Yes," I said. "You didn't have to do that."
She studied me for a minute—then smiled crookedly.
"Don't confuse kindness with convenience," she said. "If they take her, the rest of us pay more ter."
She brushed off her coat. As she passed me by, her fingers moved fast, too fast—
I felt it a second ter.
I caught her wrist gently.
She didn't fight it.
Instead, she grinned. "Rex. Checking your reflexes, I like you, kid."
She slipped the pen back into my hand. I stole that pen anyway when I commandeered the uniform.
"So what's your name anyways?"
"Kaysi."
We kept walking. "The only reason why they want a baby from that family is that they have a strong bloodline. I can tell by his worn clothing and physique that he's got great genetics; there, baby would sell for top dolr at the adoption agency." She added.
"Adoption agency?" I questioned.
"...Top-tier, actually," Elia finished quietly. "Strong bor genetics. Consistent work history. No known defects. That kind of child doesn't stay in the lower city long."
My throat went dry.
"That's—" Becky started.
"—Illegal?" Elia supplied. "No. Just documented creatively."
"How do you know all this, Elia?"
She tilted her head with a half smile. "Well—"
Ahead of us, the silent police slowed near a maintenance junction, their voices carrying in the echoes of the tunnel. They didn't bother lowering them. No one ever challenged men who wore silence like a weapon.
"The quota's already met this cycle," one officer said. "But the reassessment still stands."
Good," another replied. "Adoption credits cover the gap and then some. The governor won't suspect a thing; besides, he doesn't know where it came from."
A soft ugh followed.
"He never does," one of the officers said.
I balled up my hands on my sides.
"They're talking about Mary," Jakeh whispered. His face had gone gray. "They're already dividing us up like inventory."
Josh's jaw tightened. "That's enough. We go now."
Elia was already moving.
She cut down a side stairwell. Boots barely making a sound, leading us through the residential arteries she knew by instinct. We didn't run—not yet—but we moved fast enough that my lungs burned a bit from the artificial air.
The Maxwell home came into view just as a sharp cry pierced the morning air.
"Mary!" Jakeh broke.
He bolted the st stretch, fear tearing through whatever restraint he'd had left. I followed, heart hammering my ribs, dread crawling up my spine. Did the silent police get there before we did?
The door flew open.
Micah was already there holding it open for us.
Mary was half-curled on the bed, sweat-soaked hair pstered to her face, knuckles white as she clutched the sheets. James stood near the doorway, tense, listening to the city beyond the walls.
"She's been in bor for a few hours," Micah said calmly, already moving aside to make room. "You're te, Jakeh."
"I know," he choked, dropping to his knees beside the bed. "I'm here. I'm here."
But thankfully not too te.
Mary sobbed when she saw him. Relief, pain, fear—all of it crashing together.
