Our rooftop journey to the subway station passes without incident, and we descend the fire escape at the back of a shop building, down into the alleyway. Dani leads us to a service hatch, and signals for us to climb down quietly.
It’s difficult to stop the metal steps from making a noise, but we go slowly—first me, then Caleb, and Dani last. The service hatch leads to a claustrophobic concrete tunnel that runs alongside the underground tracks, lit occasionally by flickering emergency lights. We follow the track until we reach the subway station—white tiles and white lights, shining ceramic and polished glass.
The station is quiet, having already sent many of the workers for the first day shift. A few maintenance staff hover around near large advertisements, sharing gossip and enjoying a break. We stick to the shadows, hoping to go unnoticed.
Skirting the back wall and following the station platform down, we come to a second service tunnel. Dani points the way and we follow them through, closing the metal hatch behind us with only the whisper of a squeak.
“Not far now,” Dani says. “Next service hatch, we hop out, and we’ll be near the unit Gemma told you about.”
Caleb gives Dani a nervous smile, and we continue in silence. I daren’t ask him how things have gone with Gemma lately—besides, there are more important matters to deal with right now, without worrying about romantic involvements…
And yet I can’t stop my gaze from landing on Dani’s shoulders—they’re wearing one of Lena’s clean tops, and it hangs on their frame perfectly, showing off a peak of lean abs, and completely exposing the top half of their back. The dim lights of the tunnel highlight the subtle curve of muscle, the tension in the back of their neck.
Heat rises to my cheeks and I shake my head, breathing in deeply. No time for this. Have to concentrate.
Dragging my eyes away from Dani’s shoulders, I focus on Caleb. “Do you think Gemma will show?”
He nods curtly. “She’ll show. She wants this as much as anyone. Harding’s been making her life hell lately.”
Heh. Join the club, Gemma. “So she’s going to show us the way in?”
“The warehouse is guarded, but she knows a spot where there’s no one watching.”
“Isn’t there anyone inside?”
“Only overnight. In the daytime it’s just a few guards outside. So we’ll have to be quick, and quiet.”
“Also,” Dani joins in, “we can’t carry too much stuff out of there. We’d never back it back across the rooftops. But if we can find the path in today, and get a few supplies, we can come back for multiple trips.”
I frown. “Won’t that raise suspicion, if we’re helping ourselves every day?”
“We’ll be discreet,” Dani says, but something in her face tells me she’s as unsure about this as I am.
Frank and Lena have this plan, not us. It’s not that I’m not grateful to Lena for sheltering us, or to Frank… but it feels unfair to fight this battle while they hide, safe from the wardens, safe from reform.
I allow myself to feel annoyed until we reach the service hatch. Two minutes of stewing in my anger, before I let it go. I can’t dwell on it—I agreed to help, as did Caleb and Dani. We just need to get the job done, then get out.
We climb the metal ladder and push the service hatch open, emerging a small industrial zone, tucked away from the city centre, away from Main Street. Here, the buildings are mostly steel and concrete, but unlike the town-facing shops, which are so clean they practically glow in the sun, these units are dirty and grey. A thick layer of dust and grime covers everything—it seems like nobody bothers to clean it, knowing it’ll just be back in the same state again the next day.
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Caleb points to a chain-link fence at the end of the alley. “It’s Gemma.”
She waves, standing awkwardly against the fence, hooking her fingers through the links as if to keep herself standing. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, her outfit is an echo of the latest VIP fashion—tailored suits, pressed shirts.
My stomach lurches at the visual reminder of college. I only went for a few months before the demands of the course got too much, but it was long enough to have a taste of what might have been. Not all the students dress so aspirationally—especially not the ones like me and Caleb, attending thanks to a scholarship. Those from VIP families had much more sway, and took up the vast majority of the campus. Gemma was quite obviously from their ranks, even at a glance.
Caleb meets up with her and touches her hand through the fence in a tender greeting, but she pulls away, hiding her face.
Dani and I exchange a look, but stay back a few steps to let them talk.
“Is everything okay?” Caleb asks, peering into Gemma’s face.
“Fine,” Gemma hiccups, obviously recovering from a crying fit.
Caleb frowns. “What’s happened?”
“It’s nothing, just a bad morning, that’s all.” Gemma stays on the other side of the fence, bathed in sunlight, contrasting the shadowy alley. “Jack’s been—”
“That fucker,” Caleb spits, peering harder at Gemma’s face. “He hit you again?”
I can just make out a darkening patch around Gemma’s left eye—she’s tried to cover it with her bangs, but there’s no mistaking the purple tones of her skin.
“Caleb, can we just—”
“Where is he?”
Dani and I move forward as one, holding Caleb by the elbows. “Hush,” I whisper. “Don’t forget what we’re here for. Don’t get distracted.”
Now that I’m closer to Gemma, I can see the damage more clearly—her cheekbone is swollen, and a cut sliced across her browbone. She turns away, flattening her hair over her forehead in a vain effort to cover it more.
“Nice to meet you, Gemma.” I try to keep my face neutral and free of pity—I know that would annoy the hell out of me if the tables were turned. “I’m really sorry about this but we need to—”
“Yes,” she cuts in. “We need to get going. This way.” She reaches for the gate and opens the padlock, allowing us through. Caleb mutters to himself, clenching his fists as we walk, but I ignore him. We need to find the warden’s dosing supply.
“How do you know about this place?” Dani asks, keeping their eyes on the multiple accesses to the busier streets in the distance.
Gemma shrugs. “You hear things. My dad works nearby.”
Again, Dani and I exchange glances, unsure of how someone could just catch wind of a place like this. But the risks are high for her, too, so we settle our concerns for now, and follow Gemma through the small industrial estate. The factories and units here are small scale—building depots and maintenance centres, mostly. A few storage and service vehicle yards stand idle, even the vehicle bays are almost empty during the daytime.
Once we’ve crossed three blocks’ worth of service buildings, Gemma motions to a unit up ahead. “That one. See the corner?”
A security guard—or more likely a warden, judging by their uniform—stands guard at the corner of the building, next to a large vehicle loading door. Gemma points to the roof, where another guards stands watch.
“How are we meant to get around them?” Dani asks.
Gemma motions to the door of the nearest building. “Some of these units are linked up by service tunnels. This one leads over to that. You’ll pop up right inside the storage unit.”
Standing at the corner of the closest building, Dani keeps watch on the guards in the distance, and I step back allowing Caleb a chance to speak with Gemma. He gives her a quick hug, seemingly not noticing how she stiffens at his touch. I frown and stare at the ground.
“You’re sure you won’t come with us?”
“I really can’t—”
“He’s no good for you, Gem. You’re going to get hurt—”
“Caleb, it’s not that simple—”
“It is that simple! I care about you, you know that. I’d treat you so much better than him.”
“You’re about to break the law.” Gemma hardens, standing firm against Caleb, glaring at him but thankfully keeping her voice hushed. “You realise that’s what you’re doing? Stealing from wardens?”
“You’re helping us!” he hisses back.
Gemma gapes for a moment before rolling her eyes. “I can’t go through this again. Cal, please just think about this. Don’t do it. Come back to campus with me and forget this before you lose everything.”
Caleb steps back. “This is my sister. I won’t turn my back on her, not for anyone.”
Tears threaten and my face burns at this, but I keep my gaze on the floor. I can’t see Gemma’s expression, but she sounds severely disappointed when she turns away. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”