Rebel by Amy Tintera Page A

Austin facility?” Riley asked.
    “No, I escaped with Wren from Rosa.”
    “Oh.” His face brightened as if he liked this about me, and he grinned as he looked from me to Wren.
    “I’d like to speak with you,” Micah said to Wren, giving Riley a frown like he didn’t approve of him making small talk with me.
    She just stared, and I began to get nervous. Silence from Wren was bad. She might have been plotting exactly how to rip Micah to shreds.
    “I’d like a chance to explain,” he said, and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Explain? How was he going to explain genocide?
    Wren met my gaze for a moment, then turned to Micah with a sigh. “Fine.”
    I started to protest, but she shot me a warning look. Micah had his “I will pound you with my fists” expression turned toward me, and it occurred to me that maybe open defiance wasn’t the smartest move. We were outnumbered by the reservation Reboots. Not to mention that we were stuck in the middle of nowhere with them and their arsenal of weapons.
    She started to follow Micah, and Riley did the same, nodding at me. “It was nice to meet you.” He took a few steps, and when he turned around he had a grin on his face. “Good job getting Wren out. I was worried she was a HARC girl forever.”
    Wren didn’t even glance back at that statement, but I hadto resist the urge to tell him he was a dumbass. Anyone with half a brain could have seen that Wren was brainwashed and traumatized by HARC. She was certainly not their “girl.”
    “She got me out,” I corrected with a frown.
    He chuckled. “But I get the feeling you had a little something to do with that.” He gave me another approving look before he jogged to catch up with Micah and Wren.

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
    HarperCollins Publishers
    ..................................................................
EIGHT
WREN
    I FOLLOWED MICAH ACROSS THE RESERVATION AND TO THE BIG tent. He pulled back the flap and turned to Riley, who still looked amused by meeting Callum. Riley had known me as the type of girl who didn’t think twice about romance.
    “You mind checking on that new Reboot, Riley?” Micah asked.
    “Sure.” Riley glanced at me.
    “You can take a minute,” Micah said, before disappearing into the tent. I almost rolled my eyes. How nice of him to give us his permission.
    I faced Riley. He was almost smiling, but his eyes were serious.
    “I’m glad you’re here,” he said quietly.
    I wasn’t sure I was glad to be here anymore, so I just stared at him.
    “You did a good job on the hunt today,” he said. He put a hand on my arm, locking his gaze on mine. “Very calm and rational.”
    “When you don’t know what to do, you keep your mouth shut.”
Riley’s words from our first week of training echoed in my head.
“Calm and rational keeps you alive. Panic makes you dead.”
    I nodded, still feeling that small spark of pride I used to get when he praised me.
    His serious look faded as he stepped back, replaced by a half smile. “And I see what it takes to get you out of HARC. Who knew you were such a softie?”
    I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed as he walked away. I took a deep breath as I faced the tent, arranging my face into a neutral expression before I stepped inside.
    The tent was empty, nothing but Micah and the guns lining every wall. He sat at the long table in the center and I sank into a chair across from him. The air felt tense, and I had the sudden urge to grab my gun. I pushed it back and cleared my throat.
    “You’re upset.” He folded his hands on the table.
    I narrowed my eyes at him. “Let’s say confused.”
    A corner of his mouth twitched. “Okay. Confused.”
    “You killed unarmed humans.” I chose my words carefully, aware of the weapons on every wall around me. Thehundred-plus Reboots outside were more likely to back him up than me.
    “Yes.”
    “And you don’t . . .” I shifted in my chair. “Do you feel guilty?”
    He shrugged. He