“Theo, no!” Mrs. Roth calls out. She tries to go after her grandson, but Haven holds her back.

Rayla, Emery, and Xavier also leave the safety of the car to stand shoulder to shoulder with Alexander.

Amazingly, all at once, the rest of the Common abandons their shelters to gather behind our leaders—weapons out, at the ready if needed.

The general has a squadron of soldiers armed to the teeth and a heat-ray gun backing him. It’s not a fair fight.

“Alexander,” General Pierce says, bowing his head formally to the governor’s son. The sudden onrush of enemy combatants doesn’t even make him blink. “The Texas Guard stands with you.”

My god.

Did the greatest army in the country just offer to join forces with the rebellion? Or with Alexander in particular?

“I’m not the one in charge here,” Alexander says, stepping aside. “Emery is the leader of the Common. Address her, not me.”

Emery looks to Rayla, her former instructor and the rebellion’s former leader, as if asking for her blessing. Rayla nods, and Emery steps forward.

“Why do you rebel?” she demands of General Pierce.

“Because I am a patriot,” the general answers with a surprising amount of heat. “I stand by my country and my state, not by the public official. Roth no longer serves his country or his state. He serves only himself. That was made clear to me at the assembly tonight. It would be unpatriotic not to oppose him. I should have done so long ago.”

He didn’t use Roth’s title. A clear sign his master’s leash has been broken. Does his alliance with us also mean he openly opposes the Rule of One? It seems so incredible I can hardly believe it.

Guards in full riot gear, at least a hundred strong, pour out of the SUVs and stand in formation behind their general. All of them have slashes of yellow paint across their chests.

“These soldiers of Texas and I request to unite with the Common against Roth,” General Pierce continues. “We pledge to assist the Common in whatever capacity it requires.”

“Where did the Guard take our members?” Xavier says. “My son, Malik, is missing.”

“And Cleo,” Haven says, hoarse, like she’s overused her voice. “The Guard took citizens at a rail station.”

Who’s Cleo? Does she have a friend?

The general knits his brows. “All prisoners were taken to Guardian Tower.”

“Can you get them out?” Rayla interjects.

“Roth still has the Tower. His loyal soldiers control the Guard headquarters,” General Pierce says. He surveys the garage, taking in the Common multitude for the first time. Civilians, not soldiers, holding guns. Lots of them. A sight I bet he never thought he’d see in his lifetime.

“Unless there’s a majority objection?” Emery asks the Common. There are a few grumbles from the crowd but no outright dissent. “The Common accepts your pledge,” Emery says.

The Commanding General of Texas and the leader of the rebellion clasp shoulders. “Resist much,” Emery and Rayla say together. “Obey little,” the general finishes.

At that, Mira bolts for General Pierce. “Obey is all you’ve done your entire career,” she fires at our father’s former friend.

I follow her to stand face-to-face with the general. Even together, we don’t equal his size. But our anger can overpower him.

“I won’t let my personal prejudices against you stand in the way of getting Roth,” Mira says, “but I have to hear you say it out loud. Our father did not take his own life. Roth killed him.”

General Pierce meets our eyes. “I wasn’t there.”

“I know,” Mira says, her voice tight. “I saw the video.”

I reach down to grab my sister’s hand.

“Your father never gave up,” the general says, clearing his throat. “The video is real. Darren was shot by the governor himself.” Gasps of disgust fan across the garage.

The general reaches inside his heavily medaled uniform and pulls something from his pocket.

My father’s Family Planning Director badge.

Does he think it’s a keepsake?

“Why would we want that?” I say, suddenly enraged. “It was just a game our father was playing. It’s not who he really was.” I say this so earnestly it’s like I’m trying to convince myself. What about Albatross?

“It requires two fingerprints to open,” the general says, handing me the badge.

Just like Father’s journal. My heart races.

The general turns on his heel toward the Elders, giving Mira and me privacy.

I flip the badge over and see the familiar infinity symbol etched next to a small clasp. Tied together forever. My father’s words come back to me in a rush of emotion. Just like we did in the factory in west Texas, I place my forefinger next to my sister’s, we scan our prints on the lock, and it opens.

Instead of words of rebellion, a paper photograph of an illegal family hides inside. My family.

Father has his arm wrapped around our mother, who sits in a chair, a silver sonogram device positioned over her swollen stomach. Mira and I float above her belly in holographic blue light, astonishingly lifelike, our foreheads pressed together, our tiny fingers entwined.

The only time I’ve ever seen our family together, whole.

I wipe away the tears that stream down my cheeks. “Where is he?” I demand of the general, raising my voice. He turns back around to face me. “Where is Roth?”

“Hiding inside his fortress,” General Pierce answers. “He’s underneath the Governor’s Mansion.”

There’s a bunker below Roth’s castle. Of course.

“Take the mansion, and Guardian Tower will fall,” the general says.

The citizens of Dallas come for your reckoning tonight, Roth. The mighty will fall at the hands of his own people.

The degenerates, the filth. The Common.

We’re all coming for you.

OWEN

“Look who’s underground now,” I joke to Blaise. The Common’s out in the open, and the government’s in hiding. Literally underground.

Like, ten feet below, in fact.

Never thought I’d get to visit the notorious Governor’s Mansion. The front doors might as well say, “High Rankers Only, Chumps.” Looks like tonight’s my lucky night.

The general of the Texas Guard signals to one of his lackeys, and a hologram map pops up in front of the concrete wall. Blaise and I scramble to get a good view.

Pawel stands next to me. The guy studies the map like he’s cramming for midterms. Then he turns his baby blues on me. “Good job disabling the lockdown. I’m Pawel, by the way. I head the Intelligence Room back at HQ.”

Well, that’s cool. I guess. “I’m Owen. I’m with her.” I throw a nod at Rayla, who stands front and center beside the general, strategizing our imminent strike. I’m in with the grandma. Are you? I glance over at Ava, too busy discussing the map with Mira and Haven to glance back.

Get. It. Together. We’re about to lay siege to the Governor’s Mansion. Focus.

The general speaks in a strictly classified tone. “We have a drone—”

“Please,” Emery cuts in, “if you could speak loud enough for all to hear.” This puts a constipated look on the big man’s face. Generals aren’t used to keeping the humble masses up to speed.