Free Children of the Uprising by Trevor Shane Page A

where it was, in the jungles of Costa Rica, specifically because of how remote the place was. As the world encroached on them, the relocation plans would have to be taken more seriously. After fifteen years working at the Intelligence Center, Alejandro had heard all the talk. He also knew that if everything went according to plan, moving the Intelligence Center would become a moot point. They wouldn’t have to move it. They could simply stand by while the jungle reclaimed it.
    One way or another, it would all be over in less than seventy-two hours. All of what? Alejandro couldn’t be sure. He tried to stay positive but couldn’t imagine the world without the War. So instead, he focused on what he had to do. He knew that he couldn’t control anything else or anyone else. He had to play his part and then have faith. Whether the War ended or not, this was going to be something.
    Alejandro stood up. Some of the white sand still clung to his hands so he wiped it off on his jeans. He looked out over the water. A boat would be coming soon—a boat full of people and weapons—and Alejandro would be there to greet them, to pull them ashore and to tell them the plan. Before that, Alejandro said a silent prayer to himself and hoped that Christopher knew what he was doing.

Eleven
    It was well past midnight when Christopher first heard the noise. He had been drifting in and out of sleep for over three hours, but the sleep wouldn’t stick. Christopher kept thinking about the decision he was supposed to be contemplating. He kept hearing Reggie’s voice saying over and over again,
Staying in one place for any amount of time is dangerous. I can’t guarantee that you’ll be safe here.
So Christopher was awake, lying on the pull-out couch with his eyes closed, when he heard the light knock on Max’s condo door. Christopher opened his eyes and looked at the clock. It was a quarter past one in the morning. The knock wasn’t loud, but that didn’t make Christopher feel any better. For as long as he could remember, the sound of knocking on a door had terrified him. It was fear bordering on a phobia. He lay still for a moment, trying to make sure that he was actually awake and wasn’t merely having a nightmare. He heard the faint rapping sound again and knew that this was real. His heart began to pound, his body excited by the confirmation that it was right not to let him sleep. Christopher had to remind himself that he really couldn’t trust anyone. Dangers lurked everywhere and now one of them was knocking on Max’s door. As quietly as he could, Christopher stood up and tiptoed toward the hallway.
    Max had heard the knock too. Christopher peeked through the crack in his door and saw Max already standing in the hallway. Max had offered to let Christopher sleep in his bed, but Christopher refused. He was pretty sure that he wasn’t going to be able to sleep anyway, so he figured there was no reason to waste the bed. All the lights in the condo were off, but enough light came in through the windows for Christopher to see in blacks and whites and grays. Christopher looked over at Max and stepped into the hallway. Max looked scared. Seeing the fear in Max’s face jump-started Christopher’s heartbeat again.
    Max’s condo didn’t stand out in any way. It was on the edge of the development. You had to make a few turns to find it. You wouldn’t stumble upon this place if you were lost. Whoever was knocking on the door had found them. It was a two-bedroom condo, with both bedrooms upstairs. Max had turned the second bedroom into an office with the pull-out couch. The office, the bedroom, and a bathroom were the only rooms upstairs. The stairs ran down into the living room. The ground floor had the living room, dining room, kitchen, and another bathroom. From the window in the upstairs bedroom, you could climb out onto the roof.
    Max walked over to Christopher. His