274 (Complex Series, #4)

Harry laughs nervously. “What do you mean you don’t know? You’re a Head.”

“Yes, but so is Ellen, and a rather difficult one. Just because I have power doesn’t mean I’m intelligent.”

He adds quickly to the end, “Of course, I am intelligent. I’m just saying, theoretically, I don’t know everything. But, I do know this. Ellen is bringing all the Control Officials here, today, in about…” he glances at his Notice, “…less than an hour. So I suggest we are ready for whatever Ellen has for us.”

“All the Control Officials? How many is that?” Canton asks.

“Almost a thousand.”

Silence rips into the air. How can we fight against a thousand Officials? What does Ellen plan to do? Kill us all? What else would she need a thousand Officials for?

Derek turns to the crowd gathered within the Eating Hall.  “I suggest you send a couple people that you trust with us to gather supplies from, what do you call it? The Tech area, correct? You must have something there that could help us.”

Uncertain murmurs run through the crowd. It ripples and three people break through. Harry joins them. They all whisper uncertainly among themselves.

Derek scans the group, “You are all Councils, aren’t you?”

Their heads snap up. One asks, “How’d you know?”

Derek shrugs, “I’m a Head, remember? I know things.”

They look unsettled, but don’t question him anymore. The Unknown wasn’t as information-safe as everyone thought. Did Ellen know these things as well? Was it only because Derek was working with the rebellious group that he found these things out?

Derek claps his hands together, “Well, we better be going. I suppose you people in the Eating Hall can…well…do whatever you like, I guess. Just report back to the Eating Hall within half an hour. If you don’t, you’ll be left defenseless against Ellen’s army.”

He marches off down the hall. The leaders of the rebellion stride after him. The Council shares a hesitant glance before following after them. I lag behind the whole group, unsure whether I’m supposed to come at all. I don’t want to stay behind with all the strangers of the Unknown.

Footsteps echo behind me. I turn to see Theo jogging towards me. I pause, waiting for him to catch up. He grins at me, “So, you met Ellen and survived.”

A stubborn grin tips up my own lips, “I guess. I got lucky.”

My mind slips to Miranda, who didn’t have that same luck. The smile is wiped from my face.

“Why are Piper and Christopher unconscious, and you’re not?”

“I’m immune, remember? The same thing that ruined my life saved it.”

“What do you think? About Derek, I mean.”

“I don’t know. He had the chance to kill Piper and Christopher, but he saved them. He knew I was immune and I’m still alive.”

Theo is quiet.

I say, “I thought you trusted him. After what you just said…”

“I just know that Ellen is going to attack us. Whether or not Derek is completely on our side, I don’t know. I just figure that having some type of help is better than nothing. If he turns on us, I think we should be able to take him and his Official down.”

“Why would he put so much effort into rebelling if he was only going to turn on us?”

“Maybe he’s rebelling against Ellen. Once she loses her power, he’ll take all the power for himself. I think it’s not so much that he is on our side, but that we are on his side.”