Chapter 5.12

Theo returned with a bundle of maps in her arms followed my Ian and a few other Whitelist refugees, followed by Bella with a rucksack full of supplies.

Theo spread out her map on the floor and we sat around it. Ian hovered above us explaining the best points of entry and how much cover we would have at each point. Then he snatched another map from Theo lap and laid it onto of the map of the city.

"Do you have a plan for getting twenty or so kids out of the city without being seen?" He asked, almost rhetorically.

I recognised the pattern of lines- it wasn't like a normal map. "The sewage system?"

He nodded, "there's no better way of getting through the city undetected, and I bet ya they don't have a map. Getting lost in one of tunnels could leave you lost and disorientated for days. They won't be able to find you."

"Won't that be dangerous for us as well? I don't know if we should rely on our map reading skills." Theo asked.

"Whoever made Cenderhan's sewage was a smart man- or woman, they had a system to prevent people from getting lost. At the end of each tunnel there should be a number and a letter, the further from the centre you are the higher the number. The letter corresponds with the direction."

"Do you think Garlantia has also figured out how to use it though?"

"They've been in our country for about a month; I don't think they would have had time to inspect the sewage system."

Theo nodded, "sounds like a plan."

Ian showed us all how to read the map and pointed out places that were good for hiding.

"You could leave the truck here." He pointed somewhere between three buildings on the outskirts of Canderhan. "Any further in and you might get seen. The buildings give cover from anyone looking in on the outside and there's an entrance to the sewage system at the intersection." He pointed at the sewage system map, "you'll be looking for 64S. Follow the tunnels South and you should be able to find it."

"Thanks for your help."

"Anything I can do."

"We should be back in a few days, so I haven't packed much food, just some survival gear and anything I thought might be useful."

"What about something high carioles we can give the kids? Chances are they wouldn't have been treated very well." Half-starved more like it.

"I can get that." One of the people who'd come with Ian piped, a short quiet man with a moustache. He seemed eager to help, although I didn't catch his name, he quietly scurried off.

"That would be really helpful." Theo smiled kindly.

Bella handed us a pocketknife each, and added: "For use as a tool, not as a weapon."

She was interrupted, we looked up from the small, folded pocketknives in our hands, "I would like to offer my services as well." It was one of Raven's soldiers, I think I saw him in the command room, but I couldn't be sure. There were many people in uniform there and I wasn't exactly making any friends. He was tall and thickly built, but not enough so he couldn't move quickly if he needed to.

I admit I was suspicious, I couldn't understand why a random FDD soldier would go against Raven. What did he have to gain? Was it personal? Did he know someone in Canderhan?

"Okay…" Theo suspiciously agreed. "Can I ask why? Raven made it very clear she wouldn't help us."

"I've already passed it by her. I'm free to do what I like. I have military experience, I'm sure it could come in handy." His hand rested comfortably on the gun at his hip, maybe it was by habit, or maybe it was a reminder.

I didn't like how he answered but still managed to evade her question; she either let it side or she didn't notice. Either way, I wasn't sure we could trust him. But I was equally aware that mistrust was also dangerous, and there was no need to increase the divide between the FDD and us. We didn't want to create an in-group out-group situation any more than what already existed. That wouldn't help anyone. Once that switch had been flicked, it would only spiral out of control.

"No guns." I said on impulse. "They're too loud." My stomach twisted uncomfortably as I remembered where I learnt that from.

He looked reluctant, and I felt like he looked down on us as if to say "what does he know?" but Theo quickly added, "if you come with us, you will promise to listen to what we have to say. Ezra says no guns. So, there's no guns."

"Okay, I will listen to you." He said though I doubted his words slightly. He kept his hand resting on the gun at his hip despite his words.

"What is your name?" I asked, trying to obscure my mistrust.

"Sargent George Han." He held out his hand, and I reached up to shake it. If felt a little supercilious, he towered over us sitting on the floor and leant slightly to come into reach. I felt like there was a quick micro-expression of a smirk, but it could have been my imagination. I didn't trust him, and I didn't think he was there to help us.

Oblivious to my mistrust, Theo exclaimed optimistically, "We have the five of us. We can do this." She eyed us each in turn, Tommy, Bella, Sargent George Han and finally me.

The five us… Just the five of us, against an entire city of Garlantians.

"When are we leaving?" The Sargent asked.

Theo looked at the watch she'd borrowed from Anna, it was just after one in the afternoon. A journey that took us days by foot, would only take a few hours by car. They'd move the children in two days' time, we didn't know the exact time of day, so it was better if we rescued them in the early hours of the morning. Still, we didn't want to rush into things, and we didn't want to hang about in the city for too long or else the risk of being seen increased. "What about tomorrow morning? We can scout out where the children are, and then rescue them in the early hours of the moving day."

He nodded surprisingly obediently.

"Let us know if there's any other way we can help." Ian

"We just want to see our children again." Another Whitelist added.

"We understand. Thank you. We will try our hardest to get your children back to you… But we don't know whose children will be among those that we're rescuing. They could be none of your children." Theo was right, it was a literal lottery of who we rescued, and they were treating us as if we were specifically going there to save their children.

"We only have hope. Whoever's children they are, they deserve to be safe." She gave a sad smile. The moustache guy returned with an armful of rations, and a look of determination. Those Whitelisted who'd come with Ian, all wore the same expression: Hope. I didn't know if we were deserving of that. But soon, we'll find out.