Chapter 7.2

With a quick stride, I followed Theo back to the Whitelisted, perplexed and uneasy. She doesn't give any explanation and I trail after her in silence, knowing it was useless to try and get her to explain before she was ready. My mind reeled with terrible possibilities of what that article could contain.

Theo had a quick word with Bella, who was in the middle of a game of pick-up sticks with a few of the children. Her expression quickly floods with concern, "Come on guys, its time to go back to the medical ward now!" Bella called, attempting to round up all the children.

"But we played much longer yesterday! I don't wanna go!"

"We can play something back in the medical ward. I'm sure Harry's really bored right now." Bella countered firmly.

Theo's mind is elsewhere; she hands over the document to Ian. He looks at her questioningly, confused at the sudden change in atmosphere. "I need your help. Can they really do this?" He looks down and starts to read.

"-Pack up your things guys! We're heading back!" I dragged my attention away from their exchange and focused on getting the children out. The other Whitelisted were confused at the sudden change, but outside, the FDD looked at us strangely. They stopped in their tracks to watch us go by, they were hostile per say, but it was like they knew something we didn't, like we were some kind of spectacle. We hurried back, and as soon as the dropped the children off, I rushed back to Theo for some sort of explanation.

I seemed like Ian had given her the basic run down, but he clarified again when I re-joined her.

"You and Tommy refused to be studied when you first arrived, and then Theo stopped them studying the children because they weren't old enough to give informed consent. They enacted the militaries right to form a quasi-government in times of great disaster and they voted for movement that bypasses informed consent if it can be proven to be necessary for national security."

"How did they do that without us knowing?"

He shrugged, "The Whitelisted weren't involved, only FDD members were allowed to vote."

"Do they really think that is going to be enough when this is all over? Forcing kids into their experiments, just like Garlantia was planning to?"

"I'm not a lawyer, but its enough of a defence. Court doesn't necessarily decide what was right and what was wrong, just if something breaks the law."

"Sean won't stand for this." Theo mutters angrily.

"Theo, he's hundreds of miles away, and the only contact he has is through a radio system only Raven has access to. We're alone in this."

"Well, we can't just do nothing!"

Pieces of the puzzle were slowly fitting together, and I was starting to work out Raven's intentions- or at least some of them, and I didn't like what I saw. "I'll fix this. I think I know of a way." I replied, but my voice was grim. I didn't like where this was going, but I was forced into a corner and there were thirteen hostages at risk if I didn't play to her tune.

"What? How?" she asked but I was already making my way to the control room.

***

"You were expecting me?" I observed the empty room; ordinarily, it would be bustling with workers typing away at their computers or working with odd devices which had some important and complicated function to keep the FDD running. I walked right in without the usual resistance from the militants on guard and found myself in an empty control room, with Raven at the centre, waiting.

"Well, I knew either you or Theo would come to see me about the article."

"And you hoped it would be me."

She nodded slightly.

"I fell for your bait." I sighed, I couldn't work out a better way out of this without playing her game and it was frustrating.

"I'm not sure what you mean." She said feigning ignorance.

"I'll do it, so leave the children alone."

"I feel like you're overestimating your worth here."

"You can get all the results you want from me."

"Statistically, it's better to have a bigger sample pool." She was playing with me, wanting me to convince her and myself that it was better for it to be me than the others.

"The whitelisted have got quite attached."

"It was masterfully done, I'd admit. I bet the children didn't even know what they were doing. I underestimated you both, it seems I'm not the only one who uses children in pursuit of their own goals."

I ignored her dig, "So do we have a deal?" I hoped I wasn't making a big mistake.

"We do. Follow me." I hated the hint of a smirk left on her expression.