He hesitated. “Under Celia’s orders, yes. Sampson didn’t know it, but the raid was always meant to fail.”
I stared at him. “You sent those people to their deaths.”
“And I would do it again if it meant gaining Daxton’s trust.”
The part of me that had begun to thaw toward him froze solid again. “Why are you even here, Knox?” I said coldly. “Can’t the Blackcoats break everyone out of Elsewhere without your help?”
He leveled his stare at me. “The Blackcoats aren’t breaking anyone out, Kitty.”
I frowned. “Then what—”
“The Blackcoats are breaking in.”
He straightened and took a step toward us, leaning in as if he were afraid of someone else hearing. A pair of guards stood at the far edge of the circular platform, barely visible beyond the door, but when one of them glanced over, I recognized his face from the Blackcoat meeting. Maybe they didn’t know who Knox was, but Knox knew who they were.
“We’re going to war, Kitty. A real war this time, not just random bombings and guerilla tactics under the cover of night. If we can gain control of Elsewhere, we have a real shot. We’ll have resources, weapons, an entire army at our disposal—”
“You’re not going to make the prisoners fight, are you?” I said, horrified.
“No one will be forced,” he said. “But this is their chance at a normal life. Enough of them will pick up a weapon, and we’ll have the numbers we’ll need to give the Blackcoats the edge.”
I hesitated. “Not everyone’s in here for stealing food or not paying taxes. Some of them—”
“We’ll sort that out when we get there,” said Knox. “For now, we need numbers, and we need weapons. This place has both, and it’s designed to keep prisoners in, not upstanding citizens out. This is our best shot, and I’m here to make sure it happens.”
I pressed my lips together. “Do you have the armory codes?”
He grimaced, not looking surprised that I knew about those. “Not yet. We’re working on it.”
“Do you know where they are, at least?”
“In Mercer’s office, corner drawer. It’s in a black folder. The codes are changed every three days, which is why we’ve cut it close.”
“I know what you’re thinking, Kitty, and you’re not going to do it,” said Benjy, running his fingers through my hair. “You can’t risk it, not when we’re this close.”
“I don’t have a choice,” I said. “If Knox can’t get them—”
“Then you’ll have no chance, either,” he said. “For once in your life, would you please listen to me?”
Knox cleared his throat. “Benjy has a point. The Mercers respect me. They’ve given me free run of the house, and if I’m caught lurking around at night, they won’t question it. You, on the other hand—you might be a Hart, but I can only protect you so much. We’re going to lose enough people during the war. I’m not throwing anyone away unnecessarily.”
“How many—” I swallowed hard. “Do we really have a shot? Elsewhere against the rest of the country?”
“Anything I tell you right now would be a guess. Daxton might have reserves I’m unaware of. The armories might have been cleared out. We have no way of knowing for sure.”
He and Benjy exchanged a look, and Benjy’s grip on my shoulders tightened.
“What?” I said, glancing back and forth between them. “Don’t tell me there’s more.”
“We might have one way to avoid a bloodbath,” said Knox. “It’s not a guarantee, but as you so astutely pointed out, it’s our best shot of overthrowing Daxton as peacefully as possible.”
I opened and shut my mouth. The file on Daxton—the one that had gotten me arrested and Benjy supposedly killed in the first place. “You haven’t found it yet.”
“You know we haven’t,” said Knox. “You were right, Kitty. If we can get our hands on it and prove Daxton isn’t the real Prime Minister, we could strip him of his support. The army, the navy, the generals, the Ministers of the Union, everyday citizens—if they know he isn’t who they think he is, they’ll rebel right along with us. He’ll be arrested in a matter of hours.”
“And Greyson will be Prime Minister,” I said. “No.”
Knox reached for me, and I slapped his hand away. He might not have killed Benjy, but he’d still put both of us through this. “You’re willing to get countless people killed just so Greyson won’t have to be Prime Minister for a few days, until we get it all settled?”
“The Blackcoats will kill him,” I said. Knox opened his mouth, but I cut him off before he could speak. “You can pretend all you want that the Blackcoats will leave him alone, but he isn’t one of them. He’s a Hart. They’ll string him up right alongside Daxton, and I’m not going to let that happen.”
“Neither will I.”
“Then prove it. Get Greyson to safety—bring him here so I know for sure you’re telling the truth—and then I’ll tell you where the file is.”
Knox’s frown deepened, and suddenly he looked much older than he really was. “You’re going to get people killed.”
“So are you, so I guess that makes us even.”
I stared at him. “You sent those people to their deaths.”
“And I would do it again if it meant gaining Daxton’s trust.”
The part of me that had begun to thaw toward him froze solid again. “Why are you even here, Knox?” I said coldly. “Can’t the Blackcoats break everyone out of Elsewhere without your help?”
He leveled his stare at me. “The Blackcoats aren’t breaking anyone out, Kitty.”
I frowned. “Then what—”
“The Blackcoats are breaking in.”
He straightened and took a step toward us, leaning in as if he were afraid of someone else hearing. A pair of guards stood at the far edge of the circular platform, barely visible beyond the door, but when one of them glanced over, I recognized his face from the Blackcoat meeting. Maybe they didn’t know who Knox was, but Knox knew who they were.
“We’re going to war, Kitty. A real war this time, not just random bombings and guerilla tactics under the cover of night. If we can gain control of Elsewhere, we have a real shot. We’ll have resources, weapons, an entire army at our disposal—”
“You’re not going to make the prisoners fight, are you?” I said, horrified.
“No one will be forced,” he said. “But this is their chance at a normal life. Enough of them will pick up a weapon, and we’ll have the numbers we’ll need to give the Blackcoats the edge.”
I hesitated. “Not everyone’s in here for stealing food or not paying taxes. Some of them—”
“We’ll sort that out when we get there,” said Knox. “For now, we need numbers, and we need weapons. This place has both, and it’s designed to keep prisoners in, not upstanding citizens out. This is our best shot, and I’m here to make sure it happens.”
I pressed my lips together. “Do you have the armory codes?”
He grimaced, not looking surprised that I knew about those. “Not yet. We’re working on it.”
“Do you know where they are, at least?”
“In Mercer’s office, corner drawer. It’s in a black folder. The codes are changed every three days, which is why we’ve cut it close.”
“I know what you’re thinking, Kitty, and you’re not going to do it,” said Benjy, running his fingers through my hair. “You can’t risk it, not when we’re this close.”
“I don’t have a choice,” I said. “If Knox can’t get them—”
“Then you’ll have no chance, either,” he said. “For once in your life, would you please listen to me?”
Knox cleared his throat. “Benjy has a point. The Mercers respect me. They’ve given me free run of the house, and if I’m caught lurking around at night, they won’t question it. You, on the other hand—you might be a Hart, but I can only protect you so much. We’re going to lose enough people during the war. I’m not throwing anyone away unnecessarily.”
“How many—” I swallowed hard. “Do we really have a shot? Elsewhere against the rest of the country?”
“Anything I tell you right now would be a guess. Daxton might have reserves I’m unaware of. The armories might have been cleared out. We have no way of knowing for sure.”
He and Benjy exchanged a look, and Benjy’s grip on my shoulders tightened.
“What?” I said, glancing back and forth between them. “Don’t tell me there’s more.”
“We might have one way to avoid a bloodbath,” said Knox. “It’s not a guarantee, but as you so astutely pointed out, it’s our best shot of overthrowing Daxton as peacefully as possible.”
I opened and shut my mouth. The file on Daxton—the one that had gotten me arrested and Benjy supposedly killed in the first place. “You haven’t found it yet.”
“You know we haven’t,” said Knox. “You were right, Kitty. If we can get our hands on it and prove Daxton isn’t the real Prime Minister, we could strip him of his support. The army, the navy, the generals, the Ministers of the Union, everyday citizens—if they know he isn’t who they think he is, they’ll rebel right along with us. He’ll be arrested in a matter of hours.”
“And Greyson will be Prime Minister,” I said. “No.”
Knox reached for me, and I slapped his hand away. He might not have killed Benjy, but he’d still put both of us through this. “You’re willing to get countless people killed just so Greyson won’t have to be Prime Minister for a few days, until we get it all settled?”
“The Blackcoats will kill him,” I said. Knox opened his mouth, but I cut him off before he could speak. “You can pretend all you want that the Blackcoats will leave him alone, but he isn’t one of them. He’s a Hart. They’ll string him up right alongside Daxton, and I’m not going to let that happen.”
“Neither will I.”
“Then prove it. Get Greyson to safety—bring him here so I know for sure you’re telling the truth—and then I’ll tell you where the file is.”
Knox’s frown deepened, and suddenly he looked much older than he really was. “You’re going to get people killed.”
“So are you, so I guess that makes us even.”
