-Josie-

Since yesterday's attack on Paris, the city has been under siege by the insurgents. We leave the inn soon after finalizing the plan and decide to take the rebels head on. Kaden drives to the nearest blockade but before we can even reach it we're stopped by a man with a gun slung across his chest and a black bandana tied to his forehead, the uniform of the insurgents.

My heart is hammering as the man shouts at us to step out of the car. I get out on shaky legs as Kaden does the same.

Before either of us can speak, the man grabs Kaden by his collar and shoves him against the car making me gasp in fear. But Kaden's face is calm as I watch him shove down the urge to use all the combat skills he learned back at the palace in Illea.

"State your identity." Another man walks up to us, his gun ready to shoot.

"I'm Jeremiah Bisset and this is my wife Helen. We've come from outside France to join you." Kaden says, relaying our cover story.

"Outside France?" The second man questions.

"Yes." Kaden nods, his shirt still fisted in the hand of the insurgent.

I heave a sigh of relief when the insurgent lets go of Kaden and shouts to a man across the road, "Hermes! People here to join us!"

Hermes is a man, close to our parents' age who appears calmer than the other two men who talked to us. He crosses the road and comes to join us.

"What's all this about?" Hermes asks.

"They say they've come from outside France to join us." The first man growls.

"Calm down, Norbert." Hermes says as he turns to Kaden and says, "Explain yourself."

Kaden glances at me before launching into his rehearsed story.

"Sir, my father was a soldier in the army that fought against New Asia but he was killed at the time. My mother didn't look for work after he was recruited because she was hoping to get the compensation money soon. But that never happened and soon our house was seized by the authorities because she was falling back on payments. She was forced to run away from France but she settled in Illea and gave birth to me. That's where I've lived my whole life and that's where I met my wife, Helen who was in Illea under similar circumstances. She lost her father to the war too. We're here to avenge our fathers."

"Do you have proof of your Illean citizenship?" Hermes asks.

Kaden nods and pulls out passports with our fake names from his pocket. Hermes looks at them before tearing them in half letting the pages flutter to the ground as I watch in horror. These passports were our ticket out of Illea once we're done with the plan.

"Welcome. Now you're truly our people and no one else's. We'll take care of your car. Norbert drive them up to headquarters so that they get assigned to a unit." Hermes says as he turns around and walks back where he came from.

I'm stunned, unable to stop staring after Hermes receding figure but I'm jolted back to earth by Norbert's harsh grip on my arm.

"Hey!" Kaden immediately shoves his arm away as he takes my hand in his. "Lead the way."

"Get in the jeep." He scowls at us as he starts towards a military jeep that they must have seized from the French soldiers who were at this blockade.

A very happy new year to all my fellow Selection fans :)