He shook his head. "Not specifically, no. Though I think most of the prison is filled with dissidents. I think the real criminals whose weapons ended up in our safe house weren't so lucky."

  "How do we break into a prison? It's got to be heavily guarded."

  "Well, who says we have to break in? Maybe we can somehow help the prisoners break out. Start the uprising from within."

  She kissed him. "You see? You can't doubt yourself, Theo. I keep telling you, you're in this position for a reason. Why don't you meet with all the inner circle tomorrow?"

  "Sounds good. What do I do today?"

  She smiled. "Leave that to me." She kissed him again.

  "We have so much to be proud of right now," Theo said to his friends. "The bank mission has provided us with a fighting chance. It's now time to talk about what comes next."

  "Does it involve some kind of espionage?" asked Brian. "I'm dying to get out there and get involved."

  "Then this might be your lucky day, my friend."

  "What's your plan, Theo?" asked Jamie.

  "My plan is to bring the fight to Tiberius. It's time for war. How we get there… well, I have a few key parts of my strategy. Please feel free to contradict me and give me your opinions." He smiled. "It's only the fate of all of our lives that we are discussing here. You know, NBD."

  The laughter that greeted this statement inspired him. His people were united by common goals and beliefs. Tiberius united only by fear. That was going to be his downfall. Theo was going to show Atlantic Island that there was nothing to fear from Paul Tiberius and his Security Force.

  Theo opened his mouth to continue, but caught himself as he saw the expressions on the faces of everyone in the room. They were all looking to the doorway. One of Kylee's recruits was standing by the entrance to the safe house with a gun raised to the head of another woman. It was Michelle.

  "Found this girl wandering around. She was asking about all of you. I thought I'd better bring her in."

  "It's okay," said Theo. "She's our friend."

  The woman scowled as if to question the company Theo chose to keep. She lowered her weapon and backed off. Michelle relaxed and walked into the room. Jamie and Kylee jumped up and hugged her.

  "Where have you been?" Kylee asked.

  "Living in the city," said Michelle. "The Security Force thinks I'm a Tiberius loyalist."

  "And you're not?" asked Ryan. He looked furious.

  "No, Ryan! I'm so sorry for everything. I was wrong to run out on you guys. It took me a long time to find you. What is this? You have security?"

  "We've been through a hell of a lot since you decided to wander off," Ryan said.

  "Come on, man," said Bill, "go easy on her."

  "No!" said Ryan. "She left us. Left me! Ran away because we dared think that we didn't have to accept a life under a dictator. Well guess what, Michelle? We damn near got killed by your beloved dictator. We've been hiding here. Sleeping on the floor. Trying to survive and mount a counterattack."

  "A counterattack?" Michelle asked.

  "Yes," said Theo. "Why don't you join us, Michelle?" We were about to discuss some strategy."

  "I'm sorry, Theo," said Andrew, "but how do we know we can trust her? How do we know she's not a spy for Tiberius?"

  "We don't. We can't. But I'm not going to deny safety to someone who needs it and I can't have any of us not trusting each other. I want her to stay."

  Theo could tell that some of his group did not agree with his decision. He hated having to pull rank. It was not his style of leadership. In this case, it was the only thing he could think to do. Michelle was one of Kylee and Jamie's best friends. She deserved a chance to apologize and return to the fold. He knew that Ryan would likely not forgive her, and maybe that was okay. Ry would be keeping an eye out, and that was good enough for Theo.

  "So as I was starting to say," Theo continued, "the time is coming to go to war with the leadership. We don't have to launch the plan until we are good and ready, but once it starts I'm afraid it's all going to happen at once. We are going to build our army from the men Tiberius has unfairly thrown in prison. We'll do that by starting the fighting from within."

  He looked at Kylee. "I wish there was time for you to train them, but this isn't going to be like the raid on the bank. There's no way to get all those people back across the island to hide out here and learn to fight. The prison breakout has to be the first major part of the battle. From there, we don't stop. We will make sure to get word in advance to Officer Menendez. With any luck he has a few recruits who can help us. It's going to be a difficult, progressive struggle. We will need to disarm Security Force soldiers as we defeat them, in order to properly arm our men."

  "What's the end game?" asked Bill.

  "The end game is our army storming the Palace. We take out Tiberius, dead or alive. Personally, I'd prefer alive. He has a lot to answer for and I'd love to see that happen in a real, honest court of law."

  He paused, waiting for dissent. There didn't seem to be any. Michelle was clearly holding her peace so as not to incite another round of animosity in her direction. Theo doubted she had totally relinquished her concerns about challenging Tiberius.

  "I don't say any of this lightly," he continued. "Many of us in this room and in this house may not survive the battle to come." He saw his friends starting to interject. "I don't want to hear anything about me staying back. This is for all the marbles, as they say. I'm there with you every step of the way. Who is with me?"

  Hands went up. Before long, every hand was raised but Michelle's. Theo saw her look around. She reluctantly raised hers as well.

  "I'd follow you to the gates of Hell itself, Theo," said Joseph. "And if I die, it will be fighting. A good death, yes?"

  "Thank you, Joseph," Theo said. "I am…honored, touched, beyond words to have your support. To know each and every one of you." He spoke for the next five minutes praising them for the challenge they had accepted.

  A week later, he stood in front of the safe house, addressing his entire army, Kylee and Bill at his sides.

  "The world outside this island, it would seem, fell victim a long time ago to a dictator and his ruthless ways. The same thing has happened now, on Atlantic Island. With your help, with your sacrifice, this comes to an end. Tiberius comes to an end. And in his place, we will bring about a better, brighter future. We will find safe, reasonable ways to provide opportunity and basic necessities for every citizen of this nation. I promise you that I will do everything imaginable to ensure that what you do very soon will be remembered in the history books to come, and never, ever forgotten. Be ready, my friends. I will call on you soon to fight for your freedom. Will you stand with me?"

  The crowd cheered. "Good thing Tiberius's men are far away," said Bill. "Enjoy it, bro. They love you."

  Theo did enjoy it. As much as he feared what was to come, he felt empowered by the support of all these people. More than that, he knew that as crazy as this whole situation was, he had found what he had always been meant to do. Sam Lucas saw it in him right away. He was meant to lead people to better, happier lives.

  It was a bizarre concurrence of emotions. On the one hand, he felt fully realized for the first time in his life. Here on a bizarre island he had "found himself." Still, that self-discovery had come in the middle of death and loss, with more surely to come. How many of the cheering people in front of him now would not survive the coming conflict? How many of those children sheltered in the safe house would lose one parent? How many would lose both? These thoughts floated through his brain, round and round, as he took time to greet his supporters like the politicians he had seen on television.

  Chapter 25

  Theo spent the next few days in meetings with his inner circle. The plan for the uprising was becoming more defined with each session. Theo knew well the sayings about the best plans for war going out the window once the battle began, but he believed that the broad outlines of the strategy would hold no matter what. In many ways they had to hold for the endeavor to be successful.

  The outline was easy to develop. An outside force would join a rebellion within the prison. The combined army would fight through the streets to take the Palace. This was simple enough to understand. Theo and his advisors quickly realized there would be some difficult spots in the plan.

  "We need to find a way to get word to the prisoners. We have to let them know that help is coming and that they need to start the battle from within. Does anybody have any idea how we can do that?"

  "Getting a message to the prisoners is going to be impossible," said Brian. "I spent last night doing surveillance on the place. It's built into an old hotel, and every inch is manned by the Security Force. Cameras show every angle of the outside. I couldn't get anywhere close."

  "If I may," said Andrew, "I've got a suggestion. It might be crazy…I don't know."

  The group listened in as Andrew spoke. When he finished, Theo said, "Andrew, you're right. It might be a crazy plan, but it also might work."

  At the next meeting, discussion turned to the attack on the Palace. Kylee wanted to get word to Carlos Menendez, to let him know what was coming. They decided to send Brian and Liz into the city to pass the message along.

  Theo felt good about the progress they were making. Still, it was one thing to discuss the ideas for war, another thing to truly go out and fight. What was coming scared him to death. After the meeting, he walked down to the beach and sat in the sand, watching the waves. This had become his post-meeting ritual. The solitude and vastness of the ocean helped clear his mind of the multitude of worries that piled up every day.

  "Mind if I join you, chief?" asked Bill.

  "Nah, find a patch of sand. There are a few to go around."

  "So… how are you handling all this?"

  "What, sending people to maybe die? I'm handling it swimmingly."

  "They aren't dying for you, man. If they die it's for themselves. For their families. For the good of everybody trapped on this island. And c'mon, it's not like you aren't taking on a hell of a lot of risk yourself."

  "Yeah, I know. That's part of it too. All of it weighs on me. It's just a bizarre feeling. I know that in some weird way I'm meant to do this. I just… well, I kind of wish the responsibility could fall to someone else."

  "I understand that. You're a pretty amazing dude, Theo. The way you've held all of us together has been beyond impressive. But you wouldn't be human if you didn't occasionally want to pass the buck. You're scared, which is a totally normal reaction. You want to know that you'll live to see the new world we are all fighting for. We all have those fears, but it's you who makes us believe that this is a cause that's bigger than any of us. We're all together in this. You've got a pretty heavy cross to bear, but we'll help in any way we can. That's what friends do for each other, right?"

  "You're right, man. Again. I think without you and Kylee and Ry and everyone really I would go completely off the rails. Thanks for being there for me."

  "You got it, buddy."

  Suddenly a voice echoed, amplified through what sounded like a megaphone. "Bring out the traitor Theo Essex, by order of the Supreme Leader!"

  "Well, would you listen to that," said Bill. "I think somebody's in trouble." The joking words were not reflected in Bill's face. He held out his hand and pulled Theo to his feet.

  With his closest friend by his side, Theo walked through the sands and across the damaged boardwalk. At the place where the broken side street intersected Atlantic Avenue a crowd of people had formed. As Theo drew closer, his pupils straining in the darkness to properly see what was in front of him, he realized he wasn't seeing a gathering. He was witnessing a standoff.

  Kylee, Ryan, Jamie, Brian, Liz, Andrew, Joseph and about ten of the women Theo now thought of as "Kylee's army" were holding various firearms pointed in the direction of a mass of Security Force agents, their own frightening military-grade weapons pointed back. In the middle of the Security Force stood Bertier, heavily armored.

  "Well, well, well. If it ain't King Crap of Loserville." Bertier smiled with delight as Theo tentatively approached. Theo wondered how many of Bertier's friends were under the fearsome masks of the Security Force. Did they have night vision in those masks? Theo thought it was likely. He realized now how fortunate they had been that the guard outside the bank had not chosen to wear his mask.

  Bertier continued to grin. "I heard you was some kinda' big deal, but look at you. You ain't nothin'."

  "What do you want, Bertier?" he asked.

  "It ain't what I want. It's what Supreme Leader Tiberius wants. It's simple, really. Starts with you getting arrested here tonight, ends with your public execution. Whatever you were planning, looks like it just ain't gonna work out. Damn shame."

  Theo took a few steps closer. His team had their guns trained and unwavering. "How did you find me?"

  "That Asian chick you hang out with, she sold you out real good, bro. Told the Supreme Leader exactly where you were hiding. Now let's go, I don't wanna have to start killing all your friends."

  "You're not taking Theo anywhere," said Bill.

  "Oh hey there, princess!" laughed Bertier. "Come to get your ass handed to you again? Lucky for you I've got strict orders to get the prisoner back ASAP. Sucks, man, I was lookin' forward to knockin' you around some more."

  Bill's fists were clenched. Theo turned to him. "It's not worth it," he whispered. "You'll get your chance, Bill. This isn't the time."

  Theo stepped forward, gently parting his line of guards. "I'll turn myself in, Bertier. But you leave these people alone. They have nothing to do with me."

  "Not my call, little man. Sure as hell not yours. I'll leave 'em alone for now because that's what the boss says. But Supreme Leader Tiberius changes his mind, you can kiss all them people goodbye. But, you know, maybe he'll let me keep you, sexy," He made air kisses toward Kylee.

  Theo looked around at his supporters. Their eyes pleaded with him to fight back. Instead, he walked straight up to Bertier and held his arms out in front of them. "Let's go."

  "Man, you're really somethin', boy. I'm gonna love watchin' them kill you. Maybe I'll get to be the one to do it!" Bertier turned and was handed a pair of handcuffs. With sick glee he snapped them around Theo's wrists.

  Theo turned to Kylee. He hated to see that she was fighting back tears. He leaned in as close as he could. "I'll be fine. You know what you have to do." She nodded.

  "Enough already, loser," said Bertier. "Get your ass movin'."

  He gave Theo a hard shove in the back. Some of the Security Force moved with them down Atlantic Avenue, while others lagged behind, keeping guns pointed at the rebels until they were well out of sight.

  Theo kept his head down and walked calmly next to Bertier. Since Sam Lucas's death he had always anticipated that this day would come. He considered the possibility that all the planning and work might lead to nothing. He might die, executed in a public spectacle like Bertier had predicted, or maybe just taken out early because a guard got twitchy or Tiberius wanted to make an impact.

  Could he face death like a man if and when the time came? He hoped so…thought so, really. But, of course, everything changes when the gun is pointed at your head. He knew his friends were worried about him. He knew that Bill was outraged that it was Bertier who made the arrest. He knew that Bill wanted nothing more than a chance to unload a year's worth of anger and frustration on Bertier's smug face, and Theo wished he could see it happen.

  Theo walked on in the darkness. The closer he got to the city, the more lights he saw on in windows. He could imagine people looking out and seeing him go by with his frightening entourage. Would they know why he had been arrested? He couldn't say what kind of propaganda had permeated the city since his forced eviction. He wondered who was living in the apartment he had shared with Kylee. They had made some good memories there, in the middle of the madness. Maybe the Security Force was using it to store weapons. The thought made him laugh.

  "Something funny, loser?" asked Bertier.

  "Sure. The idea of you being given authority to do anything more complicated than tying your shoes."

  A few seconds passed while Bertier processed the statement, trying to make sense of whether or not he had been insulted. Concluding that he had been, he moved close to Theo and spun his fist toward Theo's stomach. Bertier pulled back at the last minute. "Damn it, the Supreme Leader don't want you injured. You're lucky."

  Theo raised his arms. The chain links of the handcuffs clinked. "Yeah, I feel really lucky right now."

  When he finally arrived at the prison, he was utterly exhausted. The makeshift booking process took a long time, despite no attempt being made to fingerprint him. It was more of an effort to parade him around. Theo hoped he would see Menendez, but there was no sign of him. Theo was pushed into an elevator. The small car rose to the fifth floor. He was guided down what had been a hotel hallway. The hallway was narrow, due to the thick layers of cement coating the walls on each side.

  "Here's where we say goodbye, loser." Bertier kicked Theo in his backside. He stumbled through an open door and fell to the floor, where he landed on a thin carpet. He sat up, rubbing his sore wrists, now unbound. The sound of several heavy locks clinked behind him. He was in what had once been a hotel room. The furniture was gone, replaced by four dirty mattresses, one along each wall. Three other men were in there. One didn't even wake up. The other two eyed him suspiciously. Theo held up his hand in what he hoped was an "I come in peace" gesture.

  He made his way to the remaining mattress, and sat against the wall, looking at the iron bars welded into the large window. He thought about Kylee. He imagined her looking up at the same moon he could see right now. He wished he could talk to her. He missed her, and he missed his friends, and he missed his family. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

  Chapter 26

  Theo's friends watched as he was taken away to Atlantic Island's mysterious prison. When he was out of sight, Bill turned to Kylee. "I never thought it would be Bertier who would come to get him. How the hell did he get into power?"