Page 28 of Fractured Memories

He turns around. “You understand how volatile the air is down there, don’t you?”

I narrow my eyes at him. Is he calling me stupid? “I think everyone does.”

“Then you understand that starting fires would not only put a majority of our population in the direct path of ash and smoke, but it would also clog the limited oxygen that those near the valley have? The lower class in the foothills? The middle class still at the bottom of the slope?”

I press a hand to the table, slowly standing. I don’t like the way he’s speaking to me, and I let that anger filter across my face as I rise. It’s enough to make Conor’s demeanor shift, and I watch fear trickle through him.

“I understand that it would trap the rebels, force them out into the open, and kill some in the process. That is my priority right now.”

He swallows hard, clearly nervous now that he realizes how much he’s pissed me off. “Kieran, we empathize with your anger, but we have to think of the good of the city⁠—“

“I am,” I snarl. “Those near the valley are being attacked. The supply chains have been disrupted. By doing nothing, we are letting a disease fester in our city.”

“Then we do sweeps through the forest. Increase our patrols around the valley to keep the rebels contained there. We give the people protection⁠—”

“That doesn’t work!” I slam a hand against the table, barely holding myself together. “We were doing that, and they still—” The words freeze in my throat.

Conor nods, his voice lowering. “This is an issue that is close to you. I can respect that. But we also have to think of the good of everyone else, and killing the people who are unfortunate enough to live at the base of the mountain isn’t the solution.”

I grind my teeth, noticing that Lochlan is looking at me. I don’t meet his gaze, though I can read his confusion that he tries to mask.

Conor is under the impression that I want to burn down the forest to find Eden, an idea he isn’t fond of. He thinks that finding the rebels isn’t worth the risk it would pose to the lower class and classless in the foothills, even if it was to save my wife. He just doesn’t know she doesn’t need saving.

I thought using Eden as an incentive might actually get the arseholes to listen to me. Clearly, I was wrong. But given how annoying these pricks are, I tend not to keep them up to date on information they don’t need. The only thing they need to be aware of right now is that the rebels are still running free after daring to touch my wife.

Hence the reason I want to set everything on fire.

“There isn’t another option.” Not one I want to hear. “I have tried everything you’ve suggested, and all it has led to is our guards overworked and attacked. I refuse to do more sweeps through the forest when they always result in casualties on our part.”

“We could change the approach.” My head jerks toward Lochlan, who is already looking at me. “Sending the guards into the forest, where the rebels know the land better, has only put them in danger. But if they are getting into the city, they have to have hiding spots. Instead of sweeping their domain, we could conduct routine searches of homes and businesses. It keeps the control in our hands.”

Leave it to Lochlan to find a good middle ground. I see his point, too. He and I know that we sent the rebels scattering, so they must have hiding spots up the mountain or even in the city. But his explanation works for what Conor knows as well.

Too bad the prick is already shaking his head. “There is already too much unrest. If we steal people’s privacy, invade their spaces, it’ll make them even more distrustful of us.”

Lochlan stands, coming around the table as he meets Conor’s gaze head-on. “Not if we stage it like a campaign. Miles can give a statement that we want to provide them with the safety they deserve and that the rebels might be infiltrating areas they aren’t aware of. We don’t accuse them or make them feel like we have no trust in our own people.”

I don’t, to be clear. I don’t trust anyone outside my inner circle.

“It would improve morale for them to see us pouring resources into protecting them.” His dark blue eyes glance my way. “We can even incentivize it.”

I arch a brow. “How?”

“Offer something in exchange for information. Money. Food. Medicine.” He shrugs one shoulder, head turning to Conor. “I’m sure you and Miles can figure that part out.”

I turn my gaze on the bastard as well, waiting for his protests. For someone who is so adamant about the care of the city’s citizens, he’s been uncooperative when it comes to finding the rebels.

Maybe he just actually has morals, and, as someone who lacks those, I can’t understand why he’s blocking obvious solutions. I’d rather have to sacrifice a few innocent people than let a single rebel live, but apparently, that’s no way to treat our city according to Miles and Conor.

“I can talk to Miles,” he finally agrees, and I take that as the end of this conversation. It’s not exactly setting the bastards on fire as I’d hoped—and the only reason Conor even was told about it was because I wanted a mandate to stay indoors issued—but it’s a step in the right direction of me killing everyone who had a hand in Eden’s kidnapping.

And when I get my hand on that fucking rebel leader—Parker—he will die a very, very slow death. He’s been a pain in my arse since he took charge of that makeshift group a couple of years ago, right before I met Eden. Despite having limited foresight unlike his predecessor, he still has managed to be a fucking problem.

“Send Lochlan the draft statement. I want it released in the next forty-eight hours, and we’ll get the guard assignments sorted.”

Conor nods, and I turn away, ready to get back to my side of the mountain. Lochlan’s heavy boots are loud against the wooden floor as he follows after me.

“He was never going to let you burn down the area that provides protection for the classless,” he says as he stops beside me.