Free The Defiant by Lisa M. Stasse

the night. Kelley and I follow suit, moving slowly and cautiously.
    Soon, we are standing there on the edge of the road. I can feel the weight of the knife in my waistband. If they try to strip-search me, then I will be forced to use it, because there’s no way I can explain a weapon away. Then I realize that Kelley’s gun must still be in the car. That’s going to be a lot harder to explain than a knife.
    Kelley puts a hand on my shoulder. Maybe it’s a way to appear motherly. Or maybe she’s trying to signal something to me. I can’t tell.
    â€œPapers,” the officer commands us.
    We reach into our pockets and extract our government ID cards. Then we hand them over to him.
    He scrutinizes them one by one with his flashlight. On the road, I see other cars going through the roadblock without any problems.
    â€œWhere are you headed?” he asks, without looking up at us.
    â€œWe’re on our way home from New Lakeport,” Kelley says.
    â€œFrom a camping trip,” Shawn adds. “Up near Lake Nedra.” His voice cracks nervously, but luckily the officer doesn’t seem to notice. He keeps looking at our ID cards.
    I remain completely silent. I’m worried that the officer will notice my wet hair, and think that it’s suspicious, but maybe that’s why Shawn said we were coming home from a camping trip at a lake.
    I’m watching the officer. He’s holding Kelley’s and Shawn’s ID cards in one hand, and mine in the other. He raises mine closer to his face, bringing it up to the light.
    â€œDate of birth?” he asks me.
    I tell him the fake birth date on the ID card, without hesi­tation.
    He squints at me, turning the bright flashlight to my face. “You look old for sixteen.”
    â€œLife will do that to you,” I snap, before I can stop myself.
    Time seems to stand still for a moment.
    I don’t know why I said it. It just came out.
    For a moment I see something pass across his eyes. I shouldn’t have said anything. I wish I could take the words back, but it’s too late. I’m overcome by sudden fear. I’m about to say something else to try to make it better. If this officer gets angry at me, or thinks I’m mouthing off to him, then our entire cover might get blown.
    Then the officer nods. “Life does that to everyone, I guess,” he says, as he hands my card back to me.
    â€œWhat’s going on out here tonight?” Kelley asks, sounding perky and fake again. At first I’m worried because I don’t wanther bringing more attention to us. But then I realize that she’s trying to figure out how much the government knows.
    The officer shrugs. He seems more at ease with us now. “Escaped convicts,” he says. “A couple guys broke out of the maximum-security prison in New Fort Worth. At least that’s what they’re telling us.”
    Kelley nods.
    â€œIt’s a good night to stay off the roads. They’ve got roadblocks set up from here all the way to New Austin.”
    â€œI’ll keep that in mind, Officer.”
    He nods. “And remember, it’s your duty as a citizen of the UNA to report any suspicious activities that you might observe.”
    â€œDoing my part for the UNA is a real pleasure,” Kelley chirps happily. “So we can go now?”
    â€œYeah,” the officer says, lowering his flashlight. “Sure.”
    We get back into the car.
    I’m shaking a little bit. I can see the tip of Kelley’s rifle poking out from under the seat. If they’d searched the car, they would have found it.
    Shawn starts the car and begins driving again, slowly pulling back onto the road. I see beads of sweat running down his cheek, even though the night is cool.
    â€œSee? I told you it would be okay,” Kelley says. Her voice is no longer chipper. It’s firm and as cold as steel.
    â€œBarely,” Shawn mutters.
    â€œBarely is good