Tearing Down the Wall by Tracey Ward Page A

infinitely relieved and surprisingly happy when I turn to find Amber standing beside me.
    “ Sorry,” she says with a sheepish smile, retracting her hand quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    “ You didn’t,” I lie. I do it poorly, as always. I can see it in her bright blue eyes that she doesn’t believe me. “How are you?”
    “ Good. We’re all really good, actually. Well, except for tonight. The news about Rebecca is unbelievable.”
    “ I’m sorry.”
    “ We were worried for you there for a minute. Good thing your friend stood up.”
    “ Oh, yeah, this is Ryan.”
    She smiles. “I heard. I’m Amber.”
    “ Hi,” Ryan says.
    “ I’m Trent.”
    We all look at him , Ryan and I both a little uncertain.
    Amber goes right on smiling , not knowing the weird she’s walking into. “Hi, Trent. I liked what you said about enemies and friends.”
    “ It’s a proverb. Fourth century.”
    “ Oh.”
    “ Arabian or Chinese. No one knows for sure.”
    “ Well, it’s cool. And fitting.”
    “ You work in the kitchens.”
    Amber looks at me , unsure. It’s not exactly a question. “Yes?”
    Trent doesn ’t say anything after that. He stares at her as though he’s waiting for something. Problem is, none of us knows what the hell it is he’s waiting for.
    “ Anyway,” Amber says hesitantly, “we’re so glad you’re back, Joss. You were gone so long we worried we’d lost you.”
    “ Yeah, sorry about that. Help wasn’t exactly easy to find.”
    “ You did your best and we’re all grateful,” she says, lying much more convincingly than I do. “We’re lucky we had Vin while you were gone. He’s really turned this place around. It feels so different now.”
    “ Who are the Mayors?” Ryan asks. “Are they a council?”
    “ When we were a Colony we were split up into groups based on our jobs. The Guard, the gardens, the kitchen, you know. There used to be a Team Leader in charge of each group. When Vin overthrew the place, he put the Colony Team Leaders in prison and replaced them with our own people who work just like the rest of us, but they also meet with him. They’re the ones called Mayors. They’re a voice for each group.”
    “ Wait, hold on,” I interrupt her. “Did you say ‘when Vin overthrew the place’? What? He did it alone?”
    Amber beams excitedly. “Practically. They tried to kill him twice and he survived both times.”
    “ And that made him valuable to you,” Ryan says thoughtfully.
    “ Well, yeah. It’s like what you said about the cannibals. If your enemy is afraid of it, you should use it as a weapon. After he survived the second attack when he was already injured, we were all convinced.”
    “ Convinced of what?” I ask.
    Ryan looks at me with a weird expression I can ’t quite read. It’s almost worried. “They were convinced he was the one who would set them all free.”
    Amber laughs. “Maybe not so biblical as that, but yeah. We realized he was strong enough to help us finally take over. We’d all wanted it since the day we set foot in this place. Vin gave us the opportunity and the courage to do it.”
    “ We have to leave,” Trent says suddenly. “They’re moving the cannibals. We should go with them to make sure they get out safely.”
    “ Oh, okay,” Amber says, sounding confused. She’s probably wondering why we care if the cannibals live or die. Part of me wonders the same thing. “Good to see you again, Joss. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
    I smile at her. “Thanks.”
    Amber blushes suddenly , her eyes going to Trent who has yet to stop staring at her like a lunatic. “Bye, Trent.”
    “ Goodbye,” my robot replies.

Chapter Nine
     
     
     
    We go our separate ways, Amber heading out with the flow of Colonists and us following the cannibals back to the shower room. More members of the Guard have joined our group, some leading and more following, and I’m grateful that Ryan, Trent, and I aren’t lumped in with the