Page 99 of Born Savage

“No. He only begrudgingly told me his real name. And I jumped all over him.”

“Yeah, he was supposed to be with the family in their secure compound, only no one knew Rage had volunteered for the Verndari program. After his family was slaughtered, he went crazy and broke out of the highly classified military compound we were being held in for the duration of the program. I say he broke out, although rumor is that they wanted him to escape. But not for the purpose of hunting down the man responsible. At the time, that wasn’t widely known. Anyway, he found you instead. He was supposed to find you, Star. That changed everything, including potentially saving his life.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Yeah. I was told to watch him. We went through the program together, but I was his shadow for a reason. So was Vicious.”

“To keep him safe.”

“Yeah, and out of trouble. We became friends.”

I heard him, but I wasn’t certain what if any difference what he’d just told me would make. All the information did was confuse me even more. “I’m so sorry about his family.”

“I shouldn’t be telling you this and will likely suffer punishment for doing so.”

“But…” I cocked my head, pleading with him with only my eyes.

“Anthony Washburn was Theodore’s best friend, the man now known as the king. They went to a military academy together, graduated from VMI together, which is a miliary college. And after a tour of duty in a smaller war in the Middle East, they both began their careers first as attorneys then moving into politics. Naturally, when Theodore was elected president, Anthony came along with him into the White House.”

Wrath wasn’t looking at me, still allowing me space, but I was paying close attention. Even studying his profile. The man held genuine respect for Rage.

“Maybe you aren’t aware of American history or the politics at the time. I honestly don’t know what’s been taught to the children of survivors, but times were different. The president didn’t make unilateral decisions. He had a cabinet guiding him, providing expertise and ultimately making policies.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m a few years older than Rage for one thing. Plus, the Verndari are all programmed with knowledge of what brought us into the final war. It’s our job to ensure future generations are aware of what occurred so history won’t be repeated.”

I leaned against the building, fueled by a rush of adrenaline. “Okay. You know more.”

“Some. Anthony Washburn was the man put in charge of the lottery system. From what we were told years ago, he was very selective in who was allowed to survive. But not in the way you would hope could occur. He didn’t want people who would cause him issues or fight him as he altered the future, turning a republic into an autocratic monarchy more savage than any in history. That wasn’t his only treachery. His actions trailed to other countries, making promises and threats. Acting as the president when he was merely an advisor. But by the point Theodore found out, it was already too late. There was nothing President Jeffers could do to stop the war.”

“You’re kidding?”

“No,” he said and for the first time, his voice was quavering. “My family was lost too. My father was the secretary of defense. The only reason I survived was because Rage’s father had already put into motion protections around the children of those serving for the greater good. Within the program of the Verndari. While I can understand your concerns, Theodore Jeffers was an amazing leader, a kind and generous man. I remember how he was with his son. Don’t share that with Rage. Much like you, he’s never wanted to remember the past or his heritage, but now he has no choice.”

“No choice.”

“No, Star. And honestly, neither do you. Rage is an amazing guy when you shove aside all the same layers of armor you’ve placed with steel rivets around yourselves. And in all the years I’ve known him through the battles we’ve fought, the lives lost and the agony suffered, he’s never once reacted to anyone the way he has with you. There is more to the story that none of us are privy to, but here’s the greatest aspect about what is happening between you.”

When he hesitated, I sensed he knew he had me on the very edge. “What? Tell me?”

“If the two of you will stop acting like fucking enemies, you have the chance to shape a future far removed from tyranny. My father taught me something very important before he died. He taught me that strength didn’t come from weapons, but from people who were willing to lay them down and find common ground. We lost our way decades ago. The two of you have a chance to change that. Wouldn’t it be cool if you’d allow that to happen?”

“Yes, it would.” Sighing, I wasn’t certain how to handle dealing with Rage any longer.

“There’s something else you should know. When we were captured, we were taken to Freedom City One, held prisoner and forced to compete in the Exile Games.”

“The scars.”

“Exactly. We were taken to a healing facility where we learned about Eden’s existence. The prophet known as the Revelator came to speak with us.”

“The prophecy.”

“Yep. Trust me. I didn’t believe in the possibility, but the leaders of the Resistance have always stated that when the time was right, the world would be reclaimed. For being healed much like Wren healed your mother, Rage made a pledge to honor the Revelator’s single request. Bring you to this mythical place called Eden. We all did.”

I couldn’t seem to stop shaking.

“Rage is risking everything to fulfill his duty to the prophet. He agreed without question because of the bond that was created all those years ago when he saved you. I just thought you should know how strong that bond is and how important it is that the both of you are taken to Eden. My duty as is for the others is to ensure that happens. No matter the cost.”