Read Online No Return (The Internal Defense Series) by Zoe Cannon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Zoe Cannon
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“She’s been working with the resistance for almost a year now. Her parents both have high-level administrative positions in Surveillance. Most people from Internal families follow in their parents’ footsteps—I don’t need to tell you that. But she joined us instead. And at sixteen! Can you imagine the strength of will that must have taken?”
Becca didn’t have to imagine.
She knew.
Sixteen years old.
Becca had joined the resistance at sixteen.
Her parents both have high-level administrative positions…
Becca’s mother had always expected her to get a job with Internal.
But she joined us instead.
It had taken Becca weeks to make that first phone call. She could still remember sitting in her room, heart pounding as she folded and unfolded the piece of paper with Jameson’s phone number on it.
Can you imagine the strength of will that must have taken?
It didn’t matter. The Becca who had made that call was gone. And this girl was still a threat to the resistance.
“She heard her parents talking about evidence they had on a friend of hers,” Meri continued. “She warned her friend, who happened to be one of us. Her friend put her in touch with the man who became her contact. From what I understand, she was scared to death, but she fed us information from her parents for months before the Enforcers came for her. We need people like that fighting for us, Becca. We can’t afford to lose her. Not unless we’re sure.” Her eyes pleaded with Becca. “And after what she’s done for us, what she’s risked for us, she deserves better.”
I need to take care of this.
Walking up to the door of 117 five years ago, legs shaking. Willing to risk whatever Internal might do to her in order to help her best friend.
I need to protect the resistance.
Sneaking into her mom’s bedroom after school, all her nerves on edge as she listened for the click of the front door that would mean her mom was home. Heart pounding in her ears as she searched her mom’s files for the information the resistance needed.
That Becca is gone.
Becca opened her mouth to tell Meri this didn’t change anything. To remind her of what they both had to do.
“Find out everything you can,” she said. “Use your informants in Surveillance. Get it done as quickly as possible.”
Meri let out her breath. Her hands relaxed. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.” Not until we know whether I’ve just destroyed us.
Jameson would have done what needed to be done.
Except…
Except that when Becca had impulsively followed him to a resistance meeting she wasn’t supposed to know about, he had let her live.
He had risked the safety of the entire resistance for her.
“What’s her name?” Becca asked again. But the question was different this time.
Meri’s eyes softened. “Ryann,” she said quietly. “Ryann Peters.”
“It’s likely she’ll turn out to be a spy,” Becca warned. “And we can’t wait for evidence forever.”
Meri nodded, her face still full of gratitude. “I know.”
“Ryann,” Becca repeated, and tried to tell herself she had made the right decision.
Chapter Five
The last time Becca had visited Vivian at work, the receptionist had led her down two flights of stairs into the musty darkness of the filing room. Now she found herself walking down a bright hallway two stories up, stopping at an office door with Vivian’s name carved into a freshly-polished copper plaque.
Becca swung the door open and stepped into empty space. Nothing but sunlight from the oversized window filled the cavernous room—that and a plain metal desk shoved into a corner as if it were embarrassed to be there.
Vivian sat behind the desk, her brows creased in a frown as she typed. She didn’t look up.
Becca cleared her throat.
Vivian jumped. She raised her eyes; her face broke into a smile. “Becca! Hey! It’s been ages since you’ve come to visit. What’s going on?”
Becca forced an answering smile to her
Becca didn’t have to imagine.
She knew.
Sixteen years old.
Becca had joined the resistance at sixteen.
Her parents both have high-level administrative positions…
Becca’s mother had always expected her to get a job with Internal.
But she joined us instead.
It had taken Becca weeks to make that first phone call. She could still remember sitting in her room, heart pounding as she folded and unfolded the piece of paper with Jameson’s phone number on it.
Can you imagine the strength of will that must have taken?
It didn’t matter. The Becca who had made that call was gone. And this girl was still a threat to the resistance.
“She heard her parents talking about evidence they had on a friend of hers,” Meri continued. “She warned her friend, who happened to be one of us. Her friend put her in touch with the man who became her contact. From what I understand, she was scared to death, but she fed us information from her parents for months before the Enforcers came for her. We need people like that fighting for us, Becca. We can’t afford to lose her. Not unless we’re sure.” Her eyes pleaded with Becca. “And after what she’s done for us, what she’s risked for us, she deserves better.”
I need to take care of this.
Walking up to the door of 117 five years ago, legs shaking. Willing to risk whatever Internal might do to her in order to help her best friend.
I need to protect the resistance.
Sneaking into her mom’s bedroom after school, all her nerves on edge as she listened for the click of the front door that would mean her mom was home. Heart pounding in her ears as she searched her mom’s files for the information the resistance needed.
That Becca is gone.
Becca opened her mouth to tell Meri this didn’t change anything. To remind her of what they both had to do.
“Find out everything you can,” she said. “Use your informants in Surveillance. Get it done as quickly as possible.”
Meri let out her breath. Her hands relaxed. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.” Not until we know whether I’ve just destroyed us.
Jameson would have done what needed to be done.
Except…
Except that when Becca had impulsively followed him to a resistance meeting she wasn’t supposed to know about, he had let her live.
He had risked the safety of the entire resistance for her.
“What’s her name?” Becca asked again. But the question was different this time.
Meri’s eyes softened. “Ryann,” she said quietly. “Ryann Peters.”
“It’s likely she’ll turn out to be a spy,” Becca warned. “And we can’t wait for evidence forever.”
Meri nodded, her face still full of gratitude. “I know.”
“Ryann,” Becca repeated, and tried to tell herself she had made the right decision.
Chapter Five
The last time Becca had visited Vivian at work, the receptionist had led her down two flights of stairs into the musty darkness of the filing room. Now she found herself walking down a bright hallway two stories up, stopping at an office door with Vivian’s name carved into a freshly-polished copper plaque.
Becca swung the door open and stepped into empty space. Nothing but sunlight from the oversized window filled the cavernous room—that and a plain metal desk shoved into a corner as if it were embarrassed to be there.
Vivian sat behind the desk, her brows creased in a frown as she typed. She didn’t look up.
Becca cleared her throat.
Vivian jumped. She raised her eyes; her face broke into a smile. “Becca! Hey! It’s been ages since you’ve come to visit. What’s going on?”
Becca forced an answering smile to her
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