When Lea slammed the door in Reynie's face, he considered doing as she said and running, but only for a brief moment. It wasn't the Kieta family the Ten Men were interested in, it was him. And should things go south, he couldn't let anything happen to Lea or her grandfather. They meant too much to this community, to one another. And so he waited; listening from just outside the door. Some commotion from inside masked a great deal of the talk, but when it finally ended, their words became much clearer. It was a good thing too, for it wasn't much later that Crawlings voice grew louder, coming closer to the door.

Reynie stumbled backwards in the alleyway. There was hardly a good place to hide, but as he cast his gaze up, he found one. He was nowhere near as nimble as Kate, so it was with great clumsiness that he climbed onto the garbage disposal and pulled himself onto the flat rooftop; the back door swinging open with gusto just as he laid flat. He didn't dare to even breathe. The voices were much clearer now. He heard Crawlings search the alleyway, and afterwards (for the door must have been left open a crack) Lea's not-so-polite dismissal of him. He counted slowly to ten, and then did it again, and then a third time for good measure. Then he slowly lowered himself off the roof, onto the trash bin, and promptly fell onto the concrete.

"Reynie!" Lea came dashing out the back door. "For Cheo's sake!"

Reynie pushed himself up. His right elbow was skinned and bleeding badly, and the trash bin lay overturned, spilling its spoiled contents over the ground. The wheels on the bottom of the bin were still spinning in the air.

"Huh," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

"What are you still doing here? I told you to get out of here," Lea stood over him, face flushed.

Reynie blanched, "Right, I'm sorry. I just had to make sure you were alright. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for just abandoning you. But I'll leave now, of course. I've already brought far too much trouble to your door,"

Something in Lea's face softened. "Oh, no, that's not what I meant. Here, let me," She extended a hand and helped pull him to his feet. "Come on, we've got some bandages inside. Though it may take me a minute to find them with all the ransacking those two did,"

Leading him by the arm was an unnecessary but appreciated gesture. In the kitchen, it looked as if a hurricane had passed through. Grandfather Kieta was cleaning up the broken tea cup, and humming to himself. Lea left to get a bandage, and Reynie stood awkwardly in the corner.

"Can I help you, Mr. Kieta?"

"That's alright, son" he said, continuing to hum. Reynie shifted in place, trying to keep from dripping too much blood on the floor.

"That's a very nice song," he said.

"You should hear it properly, not from me,"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it isn't a song for me to sing. It is the national anthem of Mali, the country my parents immigrated from," He'd finished gathering the broken shards and dumped them in the trash. Reynie pointed out a small puncture in his pneumatic tire, and Mr. Kieta set about covering and reinflating the tire. His use of the Schrader valve and pressure gauge reminded Reynie of a moment long ago, back in Mr. Benedict's house when the Washington's had been using those very same tools to practice different methods of reinflating Mrs. Washington's tires. As he worked, Reynie asked "I'm sorry Mr. Kieta, but I don't think I quite understand,"

"What's that?"

"Well I don't mean to press on this issue, but why would you not be able to sing that song?"

Mr. Kieta paused to look up at him. "To the people of Mali, that song declares their loyalty to their country, and their pursuits for a united Africa. To me, it is a song that reminds me of my parents. You should hear it for what it means, and not as the mournful musings of an old man," He turned back to his work.

"Mr. Kieta?"

"Yes, Reynie?"

"I think I disagree with you,"

"That's alright,"

"I think part of what makes something special is that it means different things to different people. And maybe you don't sing that song for the same reason your parents did, but it's still just as beautiful,"

The two of them met one another's eye. There were several long seconds of silence, and then Mr. Kieta began to laugh.

"You are an interesting fellow, Reynie," He said through chuckles, "I can see why Curtain is after you."

Lea came back into the kitchen holding a roll of gauze. "So, what's next?" she asked, taking Reynie's arm.

"Oh, that's not really necessary," he told her as she began to bandage his elbow. Lea raised an eyebrow at him, and he stopped. "I mean, thank you,"

"That's what I thought. Now you didn't answer my question,"

"I suppose I'm going to go find this psychic. She lives at 3247 Thornbush Road,"

"Oh, you mean Mrs. Anderson? I never knew she was a psychic,"

Reynie shook his head. "Not the Andersons, though they are members of the rebellion. Ms. Li is the psychic. She's been living with them secretly for the past few months. I'd planned to come sooner, but I was otherwise occupied,"

Lea's eyes widened in realization as she finished securing his bandage. "Well that sure explains a few things. I thought the Anderson's had been acting oddly, humbly asking for extra Releaf, always looking over their shoulder." She shook her head. "I wish they told me. I could've helped them so much more if I'd only known,"

"Don't be hard on yourself. They didn't know who they could trust," He gave Lea an appreciative smile.

"Well, the least you can do before you go is help clean up this kitchen." Mr. Kieta said.

"Grandpa, he doesn't—"

"No, no," Reynie interjected, "That's fair. In fact I'll clean the whole thing. Lea, Mr. Kieta, you both deserve a moment to breathe,"

Lea shook her head, but Mr. Kieta gave an "I won't argue with that!" and left the kitchen.

After sharing snickers of amusement, Lea and Reynie were prompt to get started. Both of them worked quickly, and quietly, not sharing words. Reynie had just put away the measuring cups when Lea broke the silence.

"I think it'd be better to go by foot, even though it will take longer. I have a feeling those police haven't fully dropped their suspicions of me, so it would be best to avoid using the truck," She said this casually, sweeping flour spilt from a toppled over bag into a pile.

"What do you mean? Go where?," Reynie lifted a hefty pot off the ground.

Lea seemed confused by his confusion, "Thornbush Road? Where else?"

"Oh no…" Reynie set the pot down on the counter, "Lea, you can't come with me,"

"And why not?"

"Because it's dangerous!" He was frustrated that he couldn't come up with a better answer; frustrated that so many people had been hurt because of him. Reynie couldn't, wouldn't, let Lea become one of them.

Lea sighed. She set aside her broom, and leaned against the counter top. "Reynie, everything's dangerous. Sneaking into the forest to get Releaf is dangerous. Lying to an Elite police officer is dangerous. Printing messages of hope and truth and secretly disseminating them is dangerous. It gets you arrested and taken away, leaving your daughter to take care of herself and her grandfather who's going half crazy," She pulled her sweater tighter around herself, arms squeezing like a hug she hadn't gotten in years. "But the danger never stopped me. And it never stopped my parents. So why would it stop me now?"

Reynie didn't say anything. He just looked at her, and when he did, he saw something familiar. It was in the way she hugged herself, in the way her eyes betrayed the loneliness she really felt. She too had the weary shoulders of someone who had given all she had for others, the shoulders of a leader. But who is the leader supposed to turn to for advice? Who helps the helper, and rescues the rescuer? Who is there to comfort the one who bears the weight of countless others? Is there anyone? Reynie knew there was. He had met such people; they'd been his family. But now they were gone. So what was he to do now?

"You're not responsible for me," Lea said.

Reynie swallowed. "If we are going to do this…" He paused.

"Yes?"

"If we are going to do this, you have to know what you're getting yourself into. Once you start down this road, there's no turning back,"

Lea smiled at him. "Oh, Reynie," she said, "It's too late for me. I started down this path a long time ago."

Reynie looked up at her, and he nodded. "Then let's go find this psychic,"

…

Mr. Kieta decided he would come along as well. "Have to make sure the two of you don't do anything idiotic," he'd explained. Lea was in the business of sneaking under the radar, and got them all dressed in Trippoli Tiger's merchandise. The final game of the tournament was today, and it would be all too simple to blend in amongst the bustling fans, she'd explained. After they'd all tugged on jerseys that were just a bit too large, and Reynie had donned a particularly wide brimmed cap, they set off on their way.

To reach Thornbush Road, the three of them took a busy route through plazas and alleyways that were filled with people dining in cafes and shopping at luxury stores. There was no building lacking in pennants or banners, sporting team mascots. Reynie and the Kietas became a part of the swarming mass of yellow and navy blue, the Trippoli Tiger's team colors, and white and purple, the color of the Farsteed Falcons.

Reynie found himself incredibly self-conscious, tugging on his hat every few seconds and shielding his face any time a police passed by. In hindsight, this may have made him appear more conspicuous, and he need not have bothered at all. The security consisted primarily of young graduates from the police academy who were already halfway to the point of inebriation. Still, Crawlings words hung heavy in his mind, "Me and a few good friends of mine, I'm sure you've seen them on TV." How many of the Elite were here? He hoped he wouldn't have to find out.

Lea, on the other hand, seemed relaxed, meandering at an easy pace and even joining in on team chants with fans passing by.

"I can't blend in the same way you do," she whispered to Reynie, evidently noticing his apprehension. "You could say I have a memorable face, so I've had to find other ways to slip past people's guards."

"It sure works," Reynie told her.

Their pace was slowed somewhat by the pedestrians' general refusal to let Mr. Kieta pass through easily. Reynie noticed him grumbling in frustration, but nothing more than that. It seemed he was far too used to this sort of treatment. Lea's enthusiasm did good to part the crowd somewhat, and they were able to make it through the busy streets in 30 minutes. They turned onto a residential road, listening to the noise of the crowd dissipate behind them until the only sound was that of their footsteps and Mr. Kieta's wheelchair.

"We're almost here. Thornbush Road is along this canal," Lea said. She guided Reynie and her grandfather off the main road and to a tiled sidewalk that ran behind the long row of houses. An arched railing to their other side separated them from the canal, which was reflecting the midday sunlight. Elegant bridges stretched across the waters, leading to another residential area. In the middle of the still waters, a man and woman sat in a boat, embracing. Reynie and the Kietas moved quickly along.

Reynie followed Lea until she came to a stop at the back of white walled house with spanish tile.

"This is the place," she said, making her way onto the small veranda, a rocking chair sitting inert in its corner. She knocked thrice on the back door, paused, and then knocked twice.

"Secret knock?" Reynie asked.

"Secret knock," she confirmed, and the both of them grinned. They stood, waiting for an answer from within. When none came, Grandfather Kieta knocked himself, using much more force.

"What are they doing in there? Sleeping like the dead?" He mumbled

Reynie swallowed. Sleeping hadn't been the situation that came to his mind. A quick glance at Lea showed she shared his concerns. "Is it possible they're just out at the game?" he asked.

"They wouldn't risk it, especially since they knew you were coming." Lea's voice had gone quiet with worry. All three of them stared at the door, none of them wanting to voice what they were all thinking.

"Well," Mr. Kieta said, masking his own doubt, "There's no point in jumping to conclusions," and with that, he pushed open the door. They all collectively gasped at the sight before them. The house was a mess, paintings lying smashed, chairs overturned. There'd been a struggle, and whoever was fighting did not go down easy. Reynie was the first of the group to take a tentative step inside.

"Ms. Li?" He called, "Mr. and Mrs. Anderson? Are you here?" No answer came.

There was something very unsettling about the whole affair; a palpable fog that hung in the air and made Reynie feel sick. He realized what it was almost immediately.

"Cologne," he whispered.

"The type the police wear," Lea nodded from behind him. He turned to look at her, and saw her gazing around the room, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"Lea?" She looked at him.

"They were my friends, Reynie," her voice quivered.

"I know,"

"Where are they? What did they do with them?"

"Arrested them, I suppose. Harboring a psychic"

"That's not even a law!" she dropped on a couch missing a cushion, clutching the armrest tightly. "It's not even a law," she repeated to herself quietly.

Reynie knelt on the ground and picked up a small square of paper. He grabbed it by it's corner, then dropped it promptly as it left a small cut on his finger. One of the Ten Men's business cards. "These weren't just any police. They were a part of the Elite,"

"The two that visited us?" Lea asked

"Perhaps, though I've learned McCracken is more fond of doing this type of business himself. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd sent Crawlings and Garrote to check on you while he arrested the Anderson's,"

"Children?" Grandfather Kieta wheeled his way into the room. He had a peculiar expression on his face; one that Reynie could not read. "You might want to come see this," he nodded towards the back door. Reynie and Lea let him lead them back outside to the railing of the canal. They peered over the edge and what they saw made Reynie grip the railing so tightly it cut into his fingers.

"Oh Cheo…" Lea whispered, swaying slightly as she stared at the man laying face down in the water.

"Is that—" Reynie couldn't finish his sentence, but both of the Kietas knew what he intended to say.

"Yes," Mr. Kieta answered somberly, "That is Mr. Anderson."

So great was their horror at such a loss, none of them said anything for a good minute. Reynie had to turn away, leaning against the fence and focusing on steady breathing. Don't lose it, not now. Keep a clear head. They need you right now, he reminded himself. But he couldn't do it, couldn't make himself stop shaking. It was all he could to keep himself standing. He knew the Ten Men were capable of great wickedness, but it was always painful when he was reminded of it.

After shedding a few silent tears, Lea stood up resolutely.

"We have to go," she said forcefully. She began walking back the way they came with long, aggressive strides.

"Lea!" Reynie called after her.

"What?" She turned around, a fury in her eyes. Reynie opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find any words. "We need to get going," she continued, "Nothing is going to get done if were just sitting here moping,"

"Lea, it's okay to be sad," Reynie said.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Just slow down take a moment to really think about what you want to do next,"

"You're still trying to keep me from coming with you, is that it?"

"No," Reynie pleaded, "That's not it at all. You just lost someone that was important to you and you're still recovering. This sort of thing takes time to process,"

"And what would you know about 'this sort of thing', huh?" Lea regretted her outburst almost immediately. Reynie looked at her with an astonished expression. She opened her mouth to apologize, but all that came out was a sob. And once the tears started, she couldn't seem to get them to stop.

Reynie moved towards her, and sat her down against the wall of the Anderson's home. Mr. Kieta took Reynie by his uninjured elbow and said, "I'll go on ahead. I think the two of you need a moment to recover." Reynie nodded gratefully, and sat down next to the sobbing woman. He felt his eyes sting with tears as well and, just for a moment, he allowed his walls to come down and he began to cry as well.

…..

Grief makes time pass in a most peculiar way. You may feel like you've gone years without the comfort of a loved one, when in fact they'd only parted several days ago. In an opposite manner, you can blink your eyes free of tears, thinking you'd only cried for a minute or so, to discover it'd been over a half hour. When Reynie had no more tears left to cry, and his breathing became measured once again, he did not know how much time had passed. The sun was still high and noon-day, so perhaps it had only been a minute. The only thing he knew for certain was how tired he was. Every part of him ached, weary from the weight of a thousand worries. He glanced over at Lea, who was wiping her eyes against the sleeve of her sweater. Did she feel the same way?

"Lea, how are you?"

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "Well, I'm alive. And that has to mean something," she stood, and reached down a hand to help Reynie to his feet. "We have to put an end to this; make sure those police don't ever hurt anyone again," she said, using a far more inappropriate word in place of 'police'.

"Easier said than done," Reynie gave her a weak smile.

She scoffed, "No kidding."

Reynie looked out towards the river. Midday sunlight bounced over the deep blue waters, warming the two rebels. A bird had made its perch on the roof of the house, and Reynie could hear it chattering. There was a man lying dead, a family torn apart, and yet the world moved on.

"The psychic who was staying here…" he began. "She had a nephew; only 5 years old, named Tai Lee. He was psychic too. Luckily, I was able to get him to a safe house before anything happened," Reynie swallowed. "I'd hoped so badly they would be able to reunite,"

He heard Lea inhale beside him. "Did you promise this child you'd be bringing his aunt back with you?"

"No, I don't think he even knows she exists. I didn't want to get his hopes up,"

"I guess little Tai Li will just have to wait a bit longer."

"Oh?"

Lea gave him a confident smile. "Yeah, I expect it will take at least a month to overthrow Curtain, but after that I'm sure we'll be able to find wherever he's holding Claire Li and get her back to her nephew. No problem"

Despite it all, Reynie found himself laughing at her brazenness. Lea grinned even bigger.

"What's so funny?"

"I think it's going to take a bit more than a month to overthrow Curtain, seeing as we have been trying for a good few years now." Reynie explained. "I appreciate the spirit though,"

Lea looked at him thoughtfully. "And who might 'we' be?"

Reynie suddenly found himself glancing down at the pavement. What a lovely shade of gray the stone is, he noticed.

"I've seen the other posters," Lea said. "George Washington…Rhonda Kazembe…Constance Contraire…Nicholas Benedict…"

Reynie didn't look up.

"And there was another one, though it's been a while since I've seen it. A woman with a ponytail. Katie Wetherall?"

"Kate, actually."

"Oh, right. Where did all her posters go?"

"There's no point in putting up Wanted poster for someone you don't need to search for,"

"What happened to her? To all of them?

Reynie looked up. "That is a very long and very sad story, Miss Kieta."

Lea gave a forced laugh, "Try me. I don't think my day can get all that more depressing."

"Very well," Reynie stared up at the sky, remembering a time that, compared to all the centuries that had come before, really wasn't so long ago, yet still felt ages ago. "We used to all be together. The rebellion, that is. An underground system of tunnels, some that were pre existing but most we made ourselves as more space was needed. It sounds depressing, and for the first few months it was. But the more we renovated, and the more hands we had to help, the lovelier it became. We had a kitchen and facilities and books, lots of books. With the help of some very determined engineers and construction workers, we were even able to establish electricity and running water. This was back when I first started the file," He rested a hand on his satchel, "Some rebels, usually the psychics, lived in the base full time. Others came and went, performing errands and missions for us. Me and my family, we lived full time there. But when it was deemed safe, we were allowed permission to go out and help on missions."

Reynie smiled, reminded of one of the early days of hiding, when Number Two had very firmly declared they were not to go outside unless they'd gotten approval. Kate had argued furiously against this, stating that they all (not including Constance) were no longer children and Number Two couldn't boss them around anymore. The argument was reaching new levels of tension when Kate, in her fury, said Number Two looked like "a banana split, but without all the fun stuff like ice cream and sprinkles," to which Number Two retaliated, "That's just a banana!". There was a quiet moment, where no one spoke a word. But then all of them, for Reynie and Sticky and Constance had been watching with increasing worry from the sidelines, burst into laughter. They could even hear Mr. Benedict's dolphin-like cackles from another room, where he had surely been listening in. Drawn by the commotion, the others quickly came, and soon they were laughing too. They laughed long and hard, for they had not laughed in weeks. It was later that they'd all sat down and come to an agreement about permissions and responsibilities, and Reynie had almost forgotten about that moment until just now.

"So what went wrong?" Lea brought him back to the present.

"We were discovered. Somehow, Curtain had found out where we were hiding. If we hadn't been tipped off by an anonymous source that they were coming, I doubt the rebellion would even exist today. We were able to get everyone out in time, except me and Kate." He paused. "We were captured, but we all had a great many allies who were willing to defend us. A fight broke out, and at the end of it, Kate stayed behind so I could get away. I imagine that's why you haven't been seeing her posters lately."

All Lea said was a quiet, "Oh…"

Reynie took a shuddering breath before continuing. "But we weren't going to give up. The rebellion split up, and now we're all across the world. I suppose it's safer this way, but I haven't seen my family in almost a year now. We keep in touch, through missives and other secure correspondence, of course, but even that is difficult," Reynie shook his head, "We're supposed to be stronger this way, but I feel weaker than ever before,"

Lea stared out over the river. "So what's next?"

"I guess I'll go back to Burrough, back to where I've been staying," he explained.

"But what about Claire Li? And Ms. Anderson? Shouldn't we arrange a rescue mission?"

"I wish it were that simple, Lea, but we don't even know where they've been taken too. Even if we did, we likely wouldn't stand a chance at saving them. Don't you think we've tried before? Curtain is making it almost impossible."

Lea threw her hands up. "So, this whole thing is pointless then? If Curtain's so powerful, what is the rebellion even doing?"

"We're waiting," Reynie kept his voice calm, "I said it's almost impossible, not entirely. But we are at a severe disadvantage; we need to have patience,"

"Oh? And what exactly are we waiting for?"

"An opportunity,"

"What does that even mean?" She kicked at the ground, sending a pebble skittering across the cobblestone. Reynie rested a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know, Lea. No one does. We're all just trying to make it through the day. I know it's hard to trust the process, but I promise, the rebellion is hardly idle. Every day there are truth loving people doing what they can; whether it be sabotaging supply buildings or harboring psychics. This war is a marathon, Lea, not a race."

Lea's nod was almost imperceptible, but Reynie still caught it. "You should come with me, you and your grandfather."

"You really must be desperate for members if you are willing to take my grandfather into the rebellion."

Reynie smiled. "I think he would be the perfect candidate. And I'm sure he'd be okay with you tagging along," he bumped her shoulder affectionately. Lea snorted. "I know it must be hard to leave this town, especially with the connections you've formed, but it would be nice—" Reynie stopped. What was he saying? It would be nice to have some company? How selfish of him, to ask her to leave behind her home just so he could have a friend. He went to retract his statement, but Lea beat him to it.

"Yeah, that would be nice."

"Are you sure?" Reynie hoped he didn't sound too eager.

"I'm always sure," she said with a shrug, "Trippoli isn't going anywhere. And with luck, the next time I'm back, it will be a liberated city." She smiled at the view in front of her, just one small neighborhood of the city she'd come to know as home. With each gust of wind, she remembered moments of great joy and great pain, all she'd felt in this city. The wind carried scents and sounds and sights, some familiar, some new. She could smell the spices of her mother's cooking, taste the ice cream from the truck that used to drive by melting on her tongue. So many moments, all of them leading up to this singular point in time. And then even this moment was gone, and it joined the other memories that drifted along the wind.

"I'm ready," she said, and with one last glance over the river, the two walked down the sidewalk, away from the man that was no more and the Spanish tiles of 3247 Thornbush Road.