Reaping by K. Makansi

grateful, I’m sure, that she, at least, doesn’t believe Philip Orleán.
    “So how do you explain his disappearance? Did he give you any hint he was leaving? Were there any clues? Do you think he was jealous of Vale?”
    “No, of course not!”
    “Jealousy can be a powerful motivator. Is it possible Jeremiah was tired of living in Vale’s shadow? Could that be what motivated him to turn against the Sector?”
    “Linnea, he wouldn’t have—” There’s desperation and confusion in her voice. I wish for everything the plasma screen hadn’t gone out when it did. I wish I could see her face. Miah’s staring into the distance as though he’s trying to murder Linnea just by thinking really hard.
    “What gives you so much faith in this man, who Sector intelligence teams have concluded is guilty?”
    “If he did it, he must have been forced into it. Maybe the terrorists tortured him or threatened his father or something. But Miah would never willingly hurt or betray Vale.”
    “But would he betray the Sector? After all, his father is a known terrorist.”
    “No, he—”
    “My understanding is that you’ve been one of Vale’s closest friends for many years as well. If Jeremiah Sayyid didn’t kidnap him, how do you explain Vale’s disappearance?”
    “I don’t know. They were there one night—at the Solstice Ball—and then they weren’t.” Her voice breaks. “Something else must have happened. It’s just not possible that Miah—”
    “I know this is painful for you, but there’s one more thing I need to bring up. Soren Skaarsgard.” In our crowded little comm center, two dozen faces turn immediately to Soren. His blue eyes crystallize in that instant, his entire body tenses as he focuses his frozen gaze on me. “Soren, the only son of former Chancellor Cara Skaarsguard, was once a rising star within the Sector Research Institute. Many speculated he might follow in his mother’s footsteps into the College of the Deans. Jeremiah and Soren were close friends before Soren went missing. Don’t you think it’s just a little too coincidental that both of Jeremiah’s best friends—both from politically connected families—suddenly disappeared?”
    “I don’t have any idea why Soren disappeared, but that was a long time ago! That has nothing to do with—”
    “I’m sorry, Moriana, but that’s all the time we have. Thank you for agreeing to talk with us. I know this must be difficult for you.”
    “Lin—”
    “Fellow citizens, that was Moriana Nair, former girlfriend of Sector traitor Jeremiah Sayyid. Stay tuned for the latest news of Valerian Orleán’s abduction. This is Linnea Heilmann. Goodnight for now.”

 
    5 - VALE
    Winter 32, Sector Annum 106, 05h11
    Gregorian Calendar: January 21
     
     
    Blue, glittering twilight settles on us like a pall. Every shifting shadow unnerves me, a potential threat, an enemy waiting for the kill. Earlier, we were the predators—now we’re prey. We’ve been on the move for an hour, stopping only once for a quick drink. Firestone’s holding up fairly well, though I can hear him cursing under his breath—words I’ve never even heard from Sector soldiers—so I know he’s in a lot of pain. We’re all getting tired. But we have to press on. As far as we can before we collapse—as far away from the soldiers responsible for destroying Waterloo as possible.
    I glance at the sky, barely visible through the trees. We’ve got insulated, camouflaged tents, and the canopy is dense enough that I don’t think we’ll need to worry about drones tonight. But soldiers are another matter. I don’t think they’ll be following us this far into the Wilds—Sector soldiers aren’t as good in the Wilds as they like to think they are—but I don’t want to take chances.
    I run alongside Kenzie and Jahnu, as Firestone huffs his way through the trees, until finally he collapses and falls into a heap by the roots of a towering tree.
    Kenzie and Jahnu are at his