Free Rebel Nation by Shaunta Grimes

said under her breath.
    Bridget wasn’t worried about having a bodyguard. “You’re cheating on my brother?”
    â€œI’m not,” she said, defensively. “I mean, we barely knew each other, anyway.”
    â€œAre you kidding me? You’ve known each other forever. You went to school together.”
    â€œI went to school with Isaiah, too, and you’ve known him your whole life. We can’t just leave him here. He’ll be accused of helping us get out of the city.”
    That part was true. “So, do we tell him?”
    â€œYes,” Bridget said. “I vote yes.”
    Clover looked at Jude, who lifted his shoulders. “You know him best, Clover. What do you think?”
    What Clover thought was this: Bridget knew where the ranch was. If they left her behind, she’d be questioned. If she was questioned hard enough, she would crack. They wouldn’t be safe there, with her here.
    In fact, if Jude and a dozen Foster City kids disappeared, Clover and Bridget would both be questioned. They were the only Reno citizens who had left the city and come back in more than fifteen years. They all had to go, or no one could leave—including the boys in the Dinosaur. Clover felt the knot of conflict in her chest unwind.
    And Jude and Bridget were both right. She’d known Isaiah all her life. She couldn’t leave him here to be punished for something he didn’t even know about. “Okay, let’s tell him.”
    Bridget brightened in a way that Clover didn’t exactly like. The two of them fit what they could into their packs. Clover took the notebook that Jude had copied some of Waverly’s letters into before they left the ranch and wrapped it in one of the plastic bags they’d taken from her house. Jude had already wrapped his computer and modem as well as he possibly could and cushioned them in the clothes in his pack.
    They found Isaiah sleeping in his unlocked room in the boy’s dorm. He should have been studying, Clover thought. He didn’t test into the Academy, and keeping up appearances meant keeping up his grades. Not that any of that mattered anymore.
    â€œIsaiah?” Bridget leaned over and touched his shoulder.
    He smiled and reached for her, then yanked away and sat up when he noticed that Clover and Jude were in the room as well and that all three had their full packs. Clover wondered how often he left his door unlocked for Bridget. “What’s going on?”
    Bridget sat down next to him. “We need to talk.”
    Isaiah ran his hands over his face, and then over his cropped hair. “Hold on,” he said, then walked into the bathroom he shared with the boy who had the room next to his.
    â€œHow much does he already know?” Jude asked Bridget. “You might as well tell us.”
    Bridget’s face went scarlet and she wouldn’t look at Jude. Clover either, for that matter. “He doesn’t know where the ranch is.”
    â€œBut he knows there is one?”
    â€œI had to talk to someone. You two have each other, I needed—”
    â€œYou could have talked to us,” Jude said.
    Bridget just shook her head.
    â€œDoes he know that West is alive?” Clover asked.
    â€œHe was so upset. Imagine if you thought West was dead and no one told you the truth. I couldn’t stand to see him so sad.”
    â€œHe’s a guard,” Jude said. “Do you know what could have happened?”
    â€œI’m telling you, he’s a Freak. You’ll see.”
    â€œWhat do you need to talk to me about?” Isaiah stood in the bathroom doorway, looking more awake.
    Clover didn’t know where to start. Isaiah already knew about the ranch and about West. Did he know about the other kids? “What exactly do you already know?”
    â€œI know lots of things,” Isaiah said.
    â€œAbout West and the ranch.”
    â€œI know that West isn’t dead.”