Page 120 of Our Violent Ends
“There’s an execution order for your heads. White Flowers are to be treated as Communists, and just before dawn breaks, Scarlets and Kuomintang soldiers alike are going to start shooting and arresting. The command has been given. Anyone opposing the Nationalists is to be eliminated. We have to go.”
“Wait—what?”
Roma’s voice rose another octave, prompting Alisa to reach out and hug his arm. Benedikt, meanwhile, simply exhaled a breath, letting the information sink in. A full-city purge. At last the Nationalists had pushed themselves into full throttle, intent on taking Shanghai.
“We can’t,” Roma continued. “Dimitri is still out there with his monsters. I will accept stepping out of politics. I will accept hightailing it out of the way if it’s the Nationalists and Communists colliding against each other. But while we can stop Dimitri, we must.”
Was it even possible at this point? How could they stop him? How could they kill men who turned to monsters when the monsters seemed so indestructible?
Juliette grimaced, her eyes flickering again to Benedikt as if to ask for help. Before she could speak, it was Lourens who cleared his throat, interrupting her.
“You may not need to.” Lourens gestured to the back of the lab. One of the machines had been humming away, lit from the inside. “The vaccine stops the madness, no? It won’t solve the physical monster problem, but it will take away a large portion of their power.”
Roma’s eyes grew wide. “The vaccine is ready?”
“Not at this precise moment. But give it a few days, perhaps. I have the formula. I have the supplies. I can dump it in the whole city’s water supply. No one even has to know that they’re being inoculated.”
“Which means,” Juliette said quietly, “we have done all that we can here, Roma. For the sake of your life, we have to leave. All of us. Right now, before dawn breaks.”
Benedikt finally understood why Juliette’s gaze kept drifting back to him.
“Okay,” Roma said, defeated, in collision with Benedikt’s sudden“No.”
The room fell quiet, nothing but the sound of machines humming. Then, when Benedikt was sure he had summoned everyone’s attention: “Not without Marshall.”
Juliette clicked her tongue. “I was afraid you would say that.” She finally glanced away. “If Marshall is with his father, he is safer than he would be anywhere else.”
“He may be safe, but he will be trapped there for however long. If we’re getting out of the city, out of thecountry, we get out for good. We’re not leaving him behind.”
Roma made a thoughtful noise. He wiped a smear of dust off Alisa’s cheek, who, to her credit, had remained quiet through all this.
“Benedikt’s right,” he said. “If there is indeed a purge coming, it doesn’t stop with one event. Let’s say Lourens distributes the vaccine. Let’s say the madness disappears and the city returns to relative normalcy. But with this violence on the Communists and the White Flowers...”
“The city will never return to normal,” Juliette finished heavily, like she didn’t want to say it aloud.
One purge was never one purge. The Nationalists were not only forcing out all opposition. They also had to maintain their control. No Communist could show their face on these streets again. No White Flower could continue living within the city’s borders, at least not without hiding their identity. The purge would never end.
“So,” Benedikt finished, “we need to get Marshall.”
Juliette tossed her hat off, throwing it to the table. Her hair was a tangled mess. “As much as I agree,howdo you propose we do that?”
“I go alone.”
All heads in the room snapped to Benedikt. Even Lourens looked flabbergasted.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Juliette asked. “Ijustsaid that all White Flowers seen on the streets upon daybreak will be slaughtered.”
“I am not as recognizable as Roma is,” Benedikt replied easily. “Especially not if I dress as your Scarlets will be. I have already seen them. They are in workers’ overalls, with a band over their arm.” He gestured to his biceps. “They seek White Flowers to execute bylookingfor White Flowers. Who is to say what I am if I look just like them?”
“It’s a good plan,” Roma said.
“It’s a horrible plan,” Juliette said.
Roma picked up Juliette’s hat. “But all the Nationalists will be on the streets. Marshall will probably be unguarded.”
Juliette snatched the hat back. “Why do you think they have allied with the Scarlets? They always send the smaller men to go do their dirty work, their bloody work. You cannot guarantee that General Shu himself won’t have his eye on Marshall.”
“At the very least, he will not have backup.” Benedikt pushed up his sleeves, heaving an exhale. “We waste time by arguing. It is this or nothing. The two of you cannot even consider following me.Especiallyinto a Nationalist stronghold. You will be hauled off in a blink, no matter how many ugly hats you wear.”
