A few more days passed and Lincoln finally had a free day. Nicholas had planned to interrogate both Lily and Kyla and said Lincoln could do whatever he wanted with his day.

Naturally, he immediately found himself in Janey's dorm room.

"Hey, remember what you told me before you went to Cairo? About the beach?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah... What? You want to go now?"

"I mean, it's not like I get free days everyday. I think it's the best time."

Janey rubbed her nape.

"I'm not sure. I'm currently being hunted down. I don't think now's the best time to be having fun and pushing things off."

"The Rebellion wouldn't attack so soon. Come on, I think it would help you relieve some stress. Besides, if we go any later, matters might get worse."

And that's how Janey found herself sitting on a picnic blanket at the nearest beach. It was really busy but they managed to find an area with less people.

"So," Lincoln grinned at her. He wore a light blue tee with a pair of white knee length shorts. He put his hair in a little ponytail to keep it out of his face. "What did you do last time you were here?"

Janey dressed in a white t-shirt with a red logo in the middle loosely tucked into her blue skinny jeans. Black sneakers covered her feet and tied her hair up into a messy bun.

"Sleep. Back then I didn't have a care in the world," she announced bitterly.

"Relax, Janey. You'll be fine."

"I bet that's what they said to my parents and brother. Now look at them."

Lincoln pulled her into his side and stroked her hair lovingly.

"Even if you don't make it, the most honoured Society members are the ones that passed fighting for what they believed was right."

"What if I don't die like that? What if they hijack a plane? Or shoot me dead while I'm out shopping? What I don't die in a fight?"

"Either way, you've done a lot for the Society. I doubt they'd forget you."

"They forgot my parents. They served their entire lives, they even have their dear children to the Society and they were still forgotten. Only the lazy Heads of the Society go down in history. They just type away at computers all day and they are praised. People like me will give my life, everything I have to keep them safe and they'd still get the praise."

"Janey, you're seeing this all wrong-"

"Lincoln, I say this in the nicest way I can. You'll never understand. You're next in line for the spot. You have been on a mission nor will you ever because the Head of the Society is seen as royalty. Must be protected at all costs. You'll never know how hard it is to keep your head up and stay strong when your brother and parents died from the same job you have to carry out. You'll never know how hard it is to watch their bodies being tossed into a put as if they didn't die trying to save the world. You'll never know how hard it is to accept that one day you'll die the same way and will be treated the same. You'll never know hard it is realising that your younger sister would have to endure more pain than you having lost ever last bit of her family. You'll never know how hard it is to realise that she, too, will die the same! You'll never know! Never! Why? Because you'll just be a stupid Head of the Society. You'll send your people out to kill themselves while you sit on a throne spectating!"

Lincoln deemed her harsh but meaningful words. It made him realise that all the worrying about dying was not because she valued her life, but because she didn't want her sister in pain. It gave him an extra amount of respect for her.

"I'll change that." He was practically cuddling her now. "When I become the Head of the Society, I'll go on missions. I'll risk my life to save my people. But I need you to be by my side through it all. I don't think I can run the whole Society on my own. Please don't leave me to do it alone."