Chapter 10 - Price Of Defiance

Kelly weaved her way through the narrow rows of bunk beds, every step brought her closer to Justin, her heart pounding in time with her footsteps. She wasn't sure what she'd say to him.. not fully, anyway..

Justin sat on the edge of his bunk, hunched over with his head bowed and hands gripping his knees. Even from a distance, she could see his shoulders trembling slightly.

"Justin," Kelly called softly. Justin lifted his head, his green eyes rimmed red and glassy. Kelly sat down on the edge of the bed beside him, her fingers curling into her lap. "I'm sorry," she said at last, her voice low and halting. The words felt clumsy on her tongue, but she pushed through. "For yelling at you. For blaming you." Justin blinked, his expression unreadable. "It's not your fault we're here. It's your dad's. I know that."

"It's okay, Kelly.." Justin began, wiping his eyes. "I get it. You're mad.. at him, at this place, at everything.. But… maybe it's not as bad as you think."

"What?" Kelly asked, frowning.

Justin glanced at her nervously, then forged ahead, his voice quiet but insistent. "Maybe my dad brought us here because it's safer than being out there. I mean, the walkers.. bad people.." He trailed off, swallowing hard.

"You think being locked up like animals is better than being out there?" Kelly asked sharply.

Justin's gaze dropped to the floor, but he didn't back down. "It's not perfect," he admitted. "But it's… organized. There are rules, and people follow them."

"People follow them because they're afraid," Kelly shot back, her voice rising. She shifted on the bed to face him fully, her eyes blazing. "This place isn't safe, Justin. It's Lockheaven. You think your dad brought us here to protect us? He brought us here because he's one of them!"

Justin flinched at her words, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. "You don't know that, you don't know him like I do."

"Maybe I don't, but I know enough. I've seen what Lockheaven does. I've seen what they are. Don't tell me this place is safer, Justin, because it's not. It's a prison. And the second we stop being useful to them, we're done."

"Y'all are both wrong," came Patty's sudden interjection. Kelly turned her head sharply, spotting Patty leaning casually against the edge of a bunk post, arms crossed.

"What do you mean?" Kelly asked warily, her gaze flicking between Patty and Justin.

Patty stepped closer, her usual air of confidence now tinged with something darker. "The Citadel ain't Lockheaven. But Lockheaven is real."

Justin looked up at Patty, his brow furrowed. "What.. what happens there?" he stammered, his voice trembling.

Patty's eyes softened slightly as she glanced at him, but her tone remained somber. "It's where they send the ones who can't fall in line. The troublemakers, the rebels.. people they think are too much of a risk to keep here. Once you're sent to Lockheaven.. you don't come back. From what I've heard, they make sure you're… dealt with. Permanently."

"Does that mean Lockheaven is where they send people they think are dangerous?" Kelly asked

"Yeah," Patty confirmed, nodding. "That's the gist of it."

"Then that's where my parents are," Kelly muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Justin asked, his voice rising in panic. "Kelly, that's insane. If what Patty says is true, Lockheaven isn't a place you want to go. You could.. you could die there!"

"That's the point," Kelly shot back. "If my parents are alive, and if they're anywhere, it's there! They're fighters.. they wouldn't just roll over for people like Briggs. Lockheaven's where they'd be."

"Whoa, hold on," Patty said, holding up her hands. "Even if that's true.. and I'm not saying it is.. you can't just get yourself sent there. That's suicide."

Kelly stood abruptly. "Maybe for you," Kelly said, her voice trembling slightly, but with a spark of excitement underlying it. "But for me, it could be my chance."

Justin scrambled to his feet, shaking his head vehemently. "This is crazy, Kelly! You don't even know if your parents are alive, let alone if they're at Lockheaven. You'd be risking everything for a guess!"

"I don't care!" Kelly snapped, whirling to face him. "I have to try. I can't stay here, doing nothing. I can't just.. just wait for them to crush me like everyone else here."

"Kelly, listen to me." Patty cut in. "You don't know what you're getting into. I've seen what happens to the kids who fight back. You don't want to end up like them."

Kelly turned to her, her expression hard but not unkind. "I'm not like them," Kelly said firmly. "And neither are my parents."

Patty shook her head, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "You're stubborn as hell, I'll give you that."

Kelly smirked faintly. "You have no idea."

Justin slumped back onto the bed, burying his face in his hands. "This is a terrible idea," Justin muttered, muffled by his palms.

"It's the only one I've got," Kelly said softly.

Patty looked at her like she'd just declared herself invincible. "You're seriously going through with this?"

"Dead serious," Kelly said, her voice rising slightly with excitement. For the first time in days, she felt a glimmer of purpose. "This might be my chance to find them. I have to take it."

Patty sighed, shaking her head in resignation. "You're gonna get yourself killed."

"Maybe," Kelly said, her jaw set.

-_-_-

Kelly eyes were fixed on the patched and stained fabric ceiling, her mind racing. Below her, Justin shifted restlessly on the bottom bunk, his fidgeting making the bedframe creak softly. "So…what's the plan?" His voice was tentative, as though he wasn't sure he wanted to hear her answer.

Kelly tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing. "The plan? It's simple. I'm not following their rules. No orders, no obedience. If they want to send troublemakers to Lockheaven, I'll make sure I'm at the top of their list."

Justin leaned back against the bunk's wooden support beam, his fingers twisting the fabric of his shirt. "That's it?" Justin asked, a nervous laugh escaping him. "I mean, it didn't seem like you were going to follow the rules anyway."

"You're right," Kelly said, sitting up so fast her head nearly brushed the low ceiling. "I'm not the rule-following type."

Justin blinked, startled by the shift in her tone. "Uh… thanks?"

"No," Kelly said, shaking her head. "I mean, you're really right. Me not following their rules? That's expected. It's predictable. If I want them to notice, I have to do something that really makes them pay attention."

"Like what?"

Kelly swung her legs over the side of the bunk, hopping down. Her feet landed on the dirt floor with a muffled thud. "If they think I'm dangerous, they'll send me to Lockheaven. And if my parents are there, I'll find them." Justin's breath hitched as Kelly yanked him to his feet, her small fingers gripping his wrist like iron. "Come on," she said sharply, her voice low but urgent. "We're not staying here."

He swallowed hard, his gaze darting toward the rows of occupied bunks behind them. Some of the other children stirred, but none seemed awake enough to notice. "Kelly, we can't just-"

"Quiet," Kelly snapped, cutting him off. She released his hand and spun on her heel, her steps swift and deliberate as she made for the tent's entrance. Justin hesitated, his legs rooted to the spot.

"What if we get caught?" he whispered. "They'll-"

"Then we'll deal with it," Kelly said without turning around. "Do you really want be stuck in here?"

Justin looked down, rubbing the back of his neck. Stuck. He hated how much that word resonated with him. For a moment, the fear won out, and he considered sinking back onto the bunk. But then his eyes flicked to Kelly. She was already standing at the tent's entrance.

With a reluctant sigh, Justin took a shaky step forward, then another, his feet dragging.

When he reached her side, she was pressing her palms against the flapper door, her fingers fumbling for a seam. Justin glanced over his shoulder nervously, certain that at any moment, someone would storm in and drag them back to their bunks. "Kelly, maybe we should-"

"Stop saying 'maybe.'" She cut him off again, her voice sharper this time.

Justin took a step back, his gaze dropping to the ground and scanned along the tent walls. His eyes caught something.. just a slight gap where the thick fabric didn't quite meet the ground. He walked over and crouched down beside the wall, his fingers brushing the rough material.

"What are you doing?" Kelly's voice cut through the.

Justin didn't look up. "I think-" He tugged at the edge of the fabric. "I think we can get out through here."

Kelly blinked, her disbelief evident as she crouched beside him. "Through a hole in the wall? What, you think Briggs didn't think of that?"

"It's not a hole," Justin corrected, his voice gaining a hint of confidence. "It's just... it's staked into the ground, see?" He pointed to where a thin metal pin held the fabric taut. "If we pull it up, there's enough space to crawl under."

Kelly frowned, leaning in to inspect it. "You're sure?"

Justin glanced at her. "Not really." He admitted.

Kelly studied the gap, the gears in her mind turning. It wasn't much, but Justin's idea made sense. If they could just get the fabric loose without alerting the guards, they might actually have a chance. "Well.." Kelly said finally, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Guess you're good for something after all."

Justin flushed, ducking his head. "Yeah, thanks." He reached for the fabric, his fingers curling around the edge. He tug at the fabric with nervous energy.

A thunderous crack split the air, deafening in the confined space of the tent. Kelly recoiled, her body jerking back instinctively. Justin's cry of pain followed immediately, sharp and raw, and her eyes snapped to him. He was clutching his left hand, blood dripping from between his fingers onto the dirt.

"Stay where you are!" A gruff voice boomed from outside.

The other children shrank back in their bunks, their faces pale and stricken. Kelly felt her heart hammering in her chest, her eyes locked on Justin, who was trembling, his breaths coming in shallow, panicked gasps.

A harsh beam of light floods the tent as the flap door is suddenly yanked open, and several guards storm in with their rifles raised, barking orders for the children to stay still. Kelly backed away from Justin as a tall man strided into the tent. His piercing gaze sweep over the room before settling on Justin, who is now crouched on the ground, cradling his injured hand. The man approached, his boots thudding heavily against the floor.

"Quiet," the man commanded and the children shrink into silence. Kelly stood frozen, her fists clenched at her sides as she watched him kneel in front of Justin. "Let me see it," he said, gesturing to Justin's hand.

Justin hesitated, his face pale and twisted with pain. His fingered are slick with blood as he clutched his injured hand close to his chest.

"I said let me see it," the man repeated, his tone firm but not raised. It's a tone that brooks no argument.

Kelly took a step forward, one of the guards raised his rifle in her direction. She freezed again, helpless as Justin slowly obeyed, his trembling fingers loosening their grip.

The man examined Justin's left hand, his gaze narrowing at the jagged wound where the boy's pinky finger used to be.

Rising to his feet, the man's tugged a radio from his belt. He pressed a button. "We've got a situation in the children's tent," he reported. "A kid tried pulling the tent wall up to escape. One of the tower guards noticed and took a shot. The kid lost a finger.. pinky on the left hand."

"Who was it?" Briggs's voice cut in.

The man's gaze shifted downward, locking onto Justin. He crouched slightly, making his towering frame less imposing, though his piercing eyes made the boy squirm. "Name?"

Justin stammered, his voice trembling. "J.. Justin," he whispered, his lips barely moving. His small frame seemed to shrink further under the weight of the man's scrutiny.

The guard nodded, straightening up and repeating into the radio, "The kid's name is Justin. He's hurt pretty bad. Lost the pinky clean off."

"Doesn't sound like the boy has much potential anyway. Send him to Brandon to patch him up, then ship him off to Lockheaven."

"Understood," he replied, slipping the radio back into its holster. He gestured to two guards standing by the entrance. "You two, take him to Brandon. After that, you know the drill."

Without hesitation, the guards stepped forward. Their heavy boots thudded against the ground as they seized Justin by the arms. He let out a startled yelp, his feet skidding against the dirt as they dragged him toward the tent flap.

"Wait!" Kelly's voice broke the silence before she realized she had spoken.

The man paused, his sharp gaze slicing through her. "Something to say?" Kelly swallowed hard and she glanced at Justin, who stared back at her with wide, tear-filled eyes. Her mouth opened, but the cold, calculating look on the man's face stopped her. "Thought so," he said coolly, dismissing her with a flick of his eyes. The guards hauled Justin out of the tent. He struggled weakly, his cries fading as the flapper door swung shut behind them.

Kelly stood frozen, her legs trembling as the oppressive quiet settled over the tent once more. Around her, the other children huddled on their bunks. Kelly's fists clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms. She felt anger, fear, and something else she couldn't quite name.. guilt. She had done nothing. She had let them take Justin. Her gaze dropped to the floor, where a small patch of dirt was darkened with a bloody pinky.