Prodigy

blocked off the street they were supposed to go down, where the Patriots are waiting for the Elector. And the rest of the Elector’s jeeps are still there, the entire caravan of them.
    Now June’s sprinting toward the Elector’s vehicle. If she’s trying to save him, then I have no time to waste. I hop back to my feet, swing over the side of the roof, and grab on to the gutter at the edge of the building. Then I slide down. The gutter pipe pops off the building, throwing me off balance, but I fling myself off it and grab the edge of a nearby windowsill. My feet land on the second floor’s ledge. I hop down to the first floor and roll.
    The street’s absolute chaos. Through the shouts and smoke, I can see Republic soldiers running toward the jeeps while the soldiers in the other jeeps rush out to get to the Elector. Some of the Patriots in disguise are hesitating, confused over my mistimed blast. It’s too late to separate the Elector’s jeep from the others now—there are simply too many soldiers. Swarms of them are coming down the street. I feel numb, in some ways as bewildered as they are, still unsure of why I’m going against everything I planned to do.
    “Tess!” I shout. She’s right where she’s supposed to be, frozen against the shadows of my building. I reach her and grab her shoulders.
    “What’s going on?” she shouts back, but I just whirl her around.
    “Tunnel entrance, okay? Don’t ask!” I point her in the direction of the Patriots’ bunker. Where we were supposed to hide after the assassination. Tess’s mouth is open in naked fear, but she does what I say, darting into the security of the building’s shadows and disappearing from view.
    Another explosion rocks the street behind me. The grenade must have come from one of the other Runners. Even though they won’t get the Elector to their planned location, they’re trying to block in the jeeps to make an attempt. Patriots must be running around everywhere. They’re literally going to kill me for what I did. Me and Tess have to reach the tunnel before they find us.
    I run up to June right as she reaches the Elector’s jeep. There’s a man inside with dark, wavy hair, and she’s shouting at him as she presses her hands against his window. Another explosion goes off somewhere, forcing June to her knees. I throw myself over her as debris and rubble rain down on us from every direction. A block of cement hits my shoulder, making me shudder in pain. The Patriots are definitely trying to make up for lost time, but the delay has already cost them dearly. If they get desperate, I know they’ll just forget about broadcasting an actual kill and blow up the Elector’s jeep instead. Republic soldiers are pouring into the street. I’m sure they’ve seen me by now too. I hope Tess is safe in the hideout.
    “June!” She looks dazed and bewildered, but then she recognizes me. No time for greetings now.
    A bullet zips overhead. I duck and shield June again; one of the soldiers near us gets shot in the leg.
Please, for the love of— Please let Tess make it safely to the tunnel entrance.
I whirl around and meet the Elector’s wide eyes through the window. So, this is the guy who kissed June—he’s tall and good-looking and rich, and he’s going to uphold all of his father’s laws. He’s the boy king who symbolizes everything the Republic is; the war with the Colonies that led to Eden’s illness, the laws that put my family in the slums and led to their deaths, the laws that sent me off to be executed because I’d failed some stupid goddy test when I was ten. This guy
is
the Republic. I should kill him right now.
    But then I think of June. If June knows a reason we should protect him from the Patriots, and believes it enough to risk her life—and mine—then I’m going to trust her. If I refused, I’d be breaking ties with her forever.
Can I live with that?
The thought of that chills me to the bone. I point down the street toward the explosion and do something I never thought I’d do in my whole life. I yell as loud as I can for the soldiers.
“Back up the jeeps! Barricade the street! Protect the Elector!”
Then, as other soldiers reach the Elector, I shout frantically at them, “Get the Elector out of this car! Get him away from here—they’re going to blow it up!”
    June yanks us down as another bullet hits the ground near us. “Come on,” I shout. She follows me. Behind us, dozens of Republic soldiers have arrived