Chapter Nine

The operation to retrieve Toby was underway. As it turned out, Henry and the other revolutionaries had more tunnels underground than Jacob thought. A small team including Jacob discreetly snuck up a maintenance hatch and through a dilapidated alley towards Toby's window. One of the soldiers began unscrewing the lock and quietly opening the window.

"I didn't know those could open." Jacob whispered.

"They can't." the soldier responded.

Jacob stealthily climbed through the window while the others stood guard outside. Toby was asleep.

"Toby." whispered Jacob.

"Daddy?" Toby shouted, half awake.

"Shh." Jacob said. "We have to be quite. Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Toby asked.

"Away from here." Jacob replied.

"But kids aren't 'upposed to leave the house." Toby said.

"Just trust me." said Jacob.

"The gov'ment knows best!" yelled Toby.

"Toby stop. You have to follow me." Jacob said.

"NO! You're a racis..." Toby started to say before a tranquilizer hit him in the neck and he passed out.

"You didn't have to drug him." Jacob said.

"I really did." said the soldier holding the tranq gun.

Jacob picked up Toby and carried him out the window. The group made their way back to the base and Jacob brought Toby to his quarters. Toby woke up.

"Where are we?" Toby asked.

"We're in a secret place." Jacob explained. "A place of freedom."

"Yeah, right." Toby said. "You probably just want to indoctrinate me."

"This is gonna take some work." Jacob thought.

Over the next few months, Toby and Jacob learned about the truth of history and how science really worked. Though Toby was much more resistant to the classes, he eventually begin to warm up to them.

At first he thought it was "crazy ra'ist pro'ganda", then he began to think of it as some kind of farcical tale, eventually he realized it was all true. And for the first time in his life, Toby liked his country.

Jacob's entire schedule changed as he would go back up to work during the day and would do school and sleep down in the base. He had begun sabotaging the Security-bots' motion sensors so that when people escaped their houses they couldn't be tracked.

Jacob's first time wearing a safety suit since "waking up" was not easy. He had never noticed how uncomfortable it was. Tight around the armpits, constricting in the neck, riding up in sensitive areas. He realized he never noticed it because he always just did what he was told.

"This is for you own protection." Jacob's mother told him when he put it on for the first time.

"But it hurts!" he yelled through the muffling mask.

"The government knows what's best for you." his father said.

Soon Jacob forgot his qualms about the suit as everyone told him it was the norm to wear one. It was a very "what would the neighbors think" type of situation. Not that Jacob knew any of the people who lived in his neighborhood. As Jacob discretely put faulty sensors on the Security-bots, he noticed his friend Hector started coughing. A guard marched up to him.

"No," said Hector, gasping for breath. "I don't have the virus, I just can't breathe in my suit *cough*. If I could only take it off for a moment or t- *cough* *heave*."

"Nice try buddy." the guard said. "You're coming with me."

The guard grabbed Hector by the shoulder and started pulling him away.

Jacob tried to keep his head down but the screaming was getting louder.

"NO! PLEASE NO!" Hector shouted, breaking out into tears.

The guard tased him.

"Hey!" Jacob protested. "Leave him alone!"

"I wouldn't talk back if I were you, Carroway." Jacob's boss said, walking up. "You're already on thin ice for the crap you pulled ten months ago."

"I know, but," Jacob said, nervously. "I also know what you're going to do to him."

Jacob pointed at Hector who was still reeling from the taser.

"Alright, that's enough." the boss said to the guard. "Take him too."

The guard snapped his fingers and two other men came and, handcuffed Jacob, and hauled him away.

"Where are you taking me?" Jacob asked.

"The place where you belong," the guard responded. "The George Floyd Memorial re-ed center."