Jayden gave her a firm look before continuing while Laurie frowned in confusion.
"Luckily none of them really know enough about us to be able to give them anything worth having. Still, as it took us a long time to start persuading any Harbour city residents about the lack of danger out here and of the normal lives we are able to lead without threat of contamination, it is a major blow." He frowned and his foot started tapping on the floor.
"Lack of danger?" I whispered to Laurie who rolled her eyes.
"However, there are some of our contacts still at liberty within the city." Jayden continued tap tap tapping with his foot. "Though they may be wondering why we've gone mute on them for the last five years. We hope, firstly, to regain our standing with these people inside and then see if it's possible to get into the city and release the prisoners." He ran his hand through his hair making it stand up even more.
"That last will be the hardest to achieve. We've been able to find records of the prisoners and information that confirms that they're being held somewhere within the city itself. But it's going to take a while before we can work out precisely where they're being held-"
"You mean they're really there?" I asked, feeling my heart constrict. "You found more than just that list to confirm it? You double checked the names?" I gripped the arm of my chair so hard that it hurt my fingers.
"Yeah." Jayden frowned at me. "We've found multiple records of interrogations with dates and time and even some footage of some of it."
I gaped at him as his words sank in. That meant it was true. I hadn't let myself believe it but if he really had as much proof as he was saying then they were really there, locked in some prison. My mom and dad were alive.
"Harbour city is a huge place," Jayden continued. "It's been built specifically to keep everything out here, out, so getting in won't be easy."
"It would be hard for you," Alicia said cockily. Coal and Hunter laughed appreciatively. Jayden ignored her and carried on. I was finding it hard to focus on what he was saying. My mom and dad were out there. Waiting for me.
"We're using the connection we've built with the super computer to re-establish our links within the city but we have to be careful. The whole system is filled with traps to detect unauthorised use. Basically, for now, us geeks are busy here and the muscle is going to have to hold off for a while while we do our thing." He gave Alicia a pointed look and ran his hand through his hair again. He looked distracted, like he really couldn't be bothered to talk to us and we were wasting his time.
"My parents are in there," I said quietly, looking directly at Jayden.
"In the city?" He looked confused, the tapping actually stopped for a moment.
"No. In the prison." My mood had plummeted from the moment he started speaking and I could feel my temper rising in the background as I listened to him analysing everything without emotion. Jayden stared at me with his mouth slightly open, he clearly had no idea what to say to me.
"It's going to take time, we can't just go storming in there," Coal said gently. He reached out a hand to me but I snatched my arm away.
Alicia raised an eyebrow but she didn't say anything.
"I work quickly, it might be possible sooner than we expect." Jayden shrugged.
"Okay," I breathed. "But it needs to be soon, or I'll go myself and break them free with my bare hands. Anyone who tries to stop me within that city will sorely regret it." My voice had nearly risen to a shout and I could feel my hands shaking. I tore my eyes away from Jayden, who looked utterly lost, and looked back to my friends. I knew we would get my parents back but I also knew we weren't leaving any time soon. If I stayed there for another second, I was going to scream.
I got up and walked out of the room.
The sun shone down with force in Franklin, the rain obviously hadn't found its way this far south. I wandered around the town aimlessly for a while, letting my feet take me anywhere they wanted to while my mind whirled and I tried to tame my anger.
Eventually, I found a spot in the town centre where a huge tree stood alone on a green like a sentinel keeping watch.
I let out a breath through my nose and bit my lip against the pain in my chest. I'd grieved for them, mourned them and even found a way to come to terms with their deaths. And now I found out that they'd been alive the whole time.
I didn't know whether to scream or cry or laugh and I couldn't quite manage to do any of them.
I sat in the springy moss around the tree's base and leant against the towering trunk. The sunlight shone on my skin and I drank it in with my eyes closed, feeling the warmth sink into me. I would never get enough of the feeling of sunlight and wind and rain and everything real about the world that had been hidden from me for so long. I kicked off my boots, which were still hanging onto some moisture, and dug my toes into the soft moss.
"Is this a private gathering or can anyone join?" Coal asked hesitantly from somewhere above me after I'd been sitting alone for a while. I could feel his shadow laying over me. I kept my eyes closed and shrugged.
I felt him settle down next to me, not near enough that we were touching but I could hear the steady rise and fall of his breath somewhere to my left. We sat there for a long time and I felt the lengthening shadows move across my face as the afternoon passed us by.
I didn't sleep and I was sure that Coal didn't either. He just sat with me and waited. Eventually the sun dipped below the horizon. I opened my eyes and turned towards him.
"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes wary.
"For what?" The temperature was dropping quickly now that the sun wasn't touching us.
"That we can't go and get your parents right away."