Resist Read Online Free Page A

now—what comes next.
    But Jude’s an army man; he thinks I’m asking how we catch the perpetrators. “Well, you know we’ve been chasing the Resistance inside and outside the pod. We’ve nearly got them all rounded up. You can help with that.”
    “Me? No . . . I want nothing more to do with the Special Forces.”
    He squints. “Let’s talk about this tomorrow.”
    “I don’t want to talk about it tomorrow. I want out. Those people weren’t terrorists. They were gardeners , Jude. And most of them were my age.” I’ve tried not to think about those we killed, but it comes back to me now: the faces of boys and girls, only a handful of them wearing bulletproof vests, not one of them holding an automatic weapon. They had rifles and shotguns. It wasn’t a war at all—it was a massacre.
    “Those people are responsible for your father’s death.”
    He knows the only reason I joined the Special Forces was for my father’s approval. But strangely, now he’s dead, I couldn’t care less if he rolls in his grave. I have no interest in working for the Ministry and spending my life subjugating people for no good reason.
    “No. The Ministry’s lies are responsible for that riot, and I won’t be a part of that anymore.”
    “You don’t really have a choice. Do you know how much your training cost?”
    “I’ll pay back whatever it cost. We have money.”
    Jude sighs. “None of us have money, Ronan. This house, the buggy, your housekeeper, dammit, even your air supply . . . who do you think pays for it all?”
    “But my father had shares in Breathe. A pension.”
    “Perhaps,” he says. “But Special Force soldiers don’t quit. You’re one of the Ministry’s most dangerous weapons. They aren’t going to let you loose. Who’s to say you won’t defect?”
    “But you can cut me loose.”
    He smiles. “If only that were true. I’m as much a slave to them as anyone.”
    “I’ll refuse to fight,” I say. They can’t make me.
    “Get real. What do you think they’ll do to you . . . and to your sister? Have you forgotten what happened to Adele Rice?”
    “She was killed by—” I stop and stare at Jude, who nods slowly. It was all over the news: Adele Rice, Special Forces elite, went missing and was suspected dead after a mission to The Outlands. The Ministry blamed the “terrorists.” Were any of the supposed terrorist attacks true?
    My stomach tightens and bitterness against my father, the Ministry, and Jude Caffrey surges. I swallow hard and have a desperate urge to go up into my studio and throw paint. Why didn’t I stay up there years ago and do what I love instead of trying to be the soldier-son my father wanted?
    “The ministers have invited you and your sister to the chamber next week. They’d like to pay their respects,” he says. He stands, puts on his coat, and retrieves his air tank from the floor.
    “Right,” I say.
    “It’s protocol,” he says flatly. “And again, I’m sorry, but my advice, if you want to stay safe, is to stay useful. The Special Forces is a prestigious group and we’ll need you to clean up the mess in the pod. If I were you, I wouldn’t give up on us just yet.” He turns to the door as Todd and Niamh stroll into the kitchen. Niamh’s red lipstick is smeared across Todd’s neck and white T-shirt. I grip the edge of the table to stop myself from jumping up and knocking him out.
    “I’m taking this.” Todd holds up an air tank. Niamh comes into the kitchen and flops into a seat beside me. “Listen, Niamh, I’ll see you at school, yeah?”
    Niamh chews on a thumbnail. “Okay,” she replies, and smiles.
    “Should I wait for you to call me, or should I—”
    “Just get out,” I say.
    “Huh?”
    “Leave,” I bite out.
    “Why are you being such a jerk?” Niamh asks.
    “I’m going anyway. No worries,” Todd murmurs, and steps out of the room.
    “I’m telling Dad,” Niamh says. We’re both practically adults, yet when I look at her, I