Page 150 of Blue Arrow Island
He shifts his shoulders in a shrug. “I guess we’re the rebellion. One of them anyway. When I left to come here, we were the largest. Our goal is to eliminate Whitman’s regime and restore democracy to the United States.”
I sit back in my chair, a lump of emotion welling in my throat. There are people fighting back. They’re organized. Maybe we can join them somehow.
“How many people are in the group?” Marcus asks.
“I don’t know. And that’s deliberate. We operate in small cells and very few people know everything.”
“How does your silence factor into all this?” Nova asks, sounding skeptical.
“I was only eighteen when I got here. Very green and eager to prove myself to the ILF. I asked too many questions. Raised some suspicions. So I decided to play a role. I became the clueless kitchen guy who couldn’t even talk. I was practically invisible.”
He’s not wrong. Everyone at Rising Tide overlooked and dismissed Olin when I was there.
“So why tell us all this?” Marcus asks, crossing his large arms over his chest.
“My work at Rising Tide is done,” Olin says simply. “I’m only still here because I wanted to find out about the Dust Walkers.” He gestures to us. “I can’t go back and tell the ILF there’s a rival faction at the base where experiments are conducted, but I don’t know anything about it. Briar asking me to come here was the in I needed.” He focuses on me, frowning. “I’m sorry. I guess I lied, but I hope you understand why.”
“It’s okay. I’m just ... thrilled to know people are working against Whitman. I’d join the ILF if I could.”
Marcus flicks a quick glare at me.
“Olin, you said you can’t go back without information about us for the ILF. So now that you have it, how do you get back?”
“I can request evacuation when I’m ready.”
My pulse flies into overdrive. Evacuation. Maybe I can leave this island with him—and get to Mae.
“How does that work?” Nova asks.
A corner of Olin’s mouth quirks up. “I’ve said as much as I’m willing to.”
My excitement screeches to a halt. Why is he being cagey all of a sudden?
Marcus clears his throat. “So what will your report about us to your group look like? What have you figured out?”
“This was a base of some kind. Probably where people with aromium were monitored.”
After a few seconds of silence, I look at Marcus. He’s giving Olin an expectant look.
“That’s it?” Marcus says.
A flash of annoyance passes over Olin’s expression. “It’s enough.”
“Enough for what?”
Marcus’s casual question isn’t really casual at all. Olin thought he was holding all the cards, but Marcus is showing him he’s wrong.
“Enough to file my report,” Olin says dismissively. “Don’t get the wrong idea—I’m not your enemy. I didn’t have to tell you what I did. And I didn’t have to save Briar, but I did.”
I swallow my urge to speak. Marcus has questioned people many times, and I’ve never done it. He knows what he’s doing.
“We appreciate what you’ve done,” Marcus says. “But there’s so much you don’t know.”
“Like?” Olin arches his brows.
“Like how to fight aromium. How to end it.”
Olin’s expression is a cross between smug and sympathetic. “If you guys knew how to do that, you would’ve done it by now. Rising Tide is a major thorn in your side.”
