Free Uprising by Jessica Therrien

Too much was at risk for me to feel sure all would go as planned. If the slightest thing went wrong, someone could be killed.
    I heaved a deep stress-filled sigh as I thought about it. My hands kept busy, sorting through darts at the kitchen table, picking out my favorite and most accurate pieces. I was sure I wasn’t fooling anyone though. Kara, Mac, and William all knew I was nervous, but they also knew nothing would get in my way.
    “Here,” Kara said, tossing me a black piece of fabric. The look of amusement on her face made me curious.
    “What is it?” I asked, examining it more carefully.
    “It’s your outfit.” She smiled wide as I unfolded it.
    “This is a dress,” I said in disbelief.
    She laughed. “I know. I can’t wait to see this.”
    “I’m not wearing it.”
    “Yes, you are,” Mac yelled from my old bedroom where he and William were getting ready.
    Somehow when Mac said all black, I’d imagined sweat pants and ski masks. Not this.
    “Isn’t there something else?”
    “Nope,” Mac answered, emerging in a stunning tuxedo, fully shaved. “It’s Beverly Hills, kid. You’ve gotta look the part. Anyone asks, we’re attending a cocktail party, and we’re lost.”
    I’d never seen Mac dressed so nice. It took me by surprise. If he was willing to go to such lengths, I guess it wasn’t so unreasonable for me to do the same.
    “Well, what are you wearing?” I asked Kara, feeling a bit singled out.
    She rolled her eyes. “Same thing, different version.”
    The two of us locked ourselves in the bathroom and shimmied into the dresses. Mine was loose around the legs, stopping at the knee and tightening up around the hips and waist. I pulled up on the shoulder straps trying to heighten the v-neck, which was a little low for my taste. Over the years, fashion had gotten so revealing. I glanced at Kara who was staring at herself in the mirror.
    “I don’t know about this,” she said, pulling the fabric down over her legs.
    At least mine was long enough to cover the weapon I now had to keep strapped to my bare thigh. Hers was skintight and didn’t leave much for the imagination.
    I held back a smile. “Yeah, I’m thinking I got the better deal.”
    We slid our feet into black flat dress shoes and stared at the makeup on the counter.
    “Do we really need to wear makeup?” I asked. “This is a rescue mission, not a dance party.”
    She shrugged. “We have to look the part.”
    I used the toilet as a seat while Kara painted my eyelids with color. The brush tickled like feathers, and made my face relax. I wished I could enjoy getting ready with a friend, but it reminded me of playing dress up with Chloe when she was younger. Behind my closed eyes I saw her sweet baby face with blue eyelids and cheeks too pink. I saw Anna smiling as her daughter danced around in that worn out princess costume. It made my heart ache.
    When we were done we pulled our hair up and faced the mirror.
    I raised my eyebrows at Kara. “We’re pretty,” I said with surprise. I didn’t recognize either of us.
    “Are you ready?” I yelled, once we emerged from the bathroom.
    “How do I look?” William asked. He slid across the wood floor in his socks, flashing his tuxedo, and nearly stumbled at the sight of us. “Wow.” The subconscious reaction was mumbled under his breath, not meant for others to hear. “You’re so . . . you look amazing.”
    I laughed to hide my embarrassment. “You too.”
    “All right, all right, can we go now?” Mac grumbled, pulling at the collar of his shirt.
    Outside the boundaries of Mac’s safe haven there was a limo, its black color camouflaged against the night. Here in Chilcoot, it was too cold for dresses, and I shivered as we walked across the dirt road toward the car. A young guy with milky white skin and pitch-black hair waited beside it. His eyes were a cool minty blue and they stared into me with intensity as I approached.
    “Name’s Alaximandrios,” he said, thrusting