The Calling Read online

  PRAISE FOR THE CHOOSING

  “The strong female heroine will appeal to teen readers, and adults and teens alike may also enjoy the themes of corruption and religion, absolute human power, and government as God. . . . Dekker’s debut is worth choosing.”

  PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  “The story vacillates between the sweetness of a tender coming-of-age romance and moments that almost resemble a Dean Koontz thriller. . . . At times frightening but often beautiful, this first volume of Carrington’s story will leave readers eager for the next book of this new series.”

  SERENA CHASE, USA Today

  “This is an amazing debut novel full of heart, drama, and complex believable characters . . . with a detailed plot, and gripping truths that pierced my heart.”

  THE BOOK CLUB NETWORK INC.

  “A swiftly moving plot puts readers in the center of the action, and the well-described setting adds to the experience. Deeper themes of value and worth will appeal to both young adult and adult readers.”

  ROMANTIC TIMES

  “Whatever expectations you have of debut author Rachelle Dekker, go ahead and put them aside. Rachelle, daughter to bestselling author Ted Dekker, is carving out a space of her own. Her debut novel, The Choosing, is a rich statement about the author’s future and her impact on Christian fiction.”

  FAMILY FICTION

  “Ripe for discussion, [The Choosing] may inspire some readers to open up about the social pressures that they feel both in and out of their faith community. Expect it to appeal to dystopian fans of all ages.”

  FOREWORD REVIEWS

  “Readers will find Dekker’s storyline somewhat akin to her father’s works in terms of action, adventure, and unpredictability. The Choosing, though, explores more the inner workings of her characters and how they feel about their lot in life. I look forward to more dystopian titles from Dekker in the near future.”

  BOOKREPORTER.COM

  “The Choosing is an inspiring tale that reaches deep into the hearts of men and women, showing both the love and the darkness that can lurk within.”

  FRESH FICTION

  “Marrying the themes of the popular Kiera Cass Selection novels with the action danger of The Hunger Games, Dekker asserts a strong imaginative voice that had me gulping down sentences and events as quickly as they were relayed on [the] page.”

  NOVEL CROSSING

  “This book is part adventure, part romance, part mystery, and it works. The writing is wonderful. It flows in such a way that it keeps the reader turning page after page . . . more than likely long into the night to find out what happens!”

  RADIANT LIT

  “In her stunning debut novel, Rachelle Dekker plunges readers into a unique yet familiar-feeling dystopian society, where one girl’s longing for acceptance, identity, and purpose becomes a mind-bending, pulse-pounding journey that’ll [leave] you breathless and reeling. A superb story!”

  JOSH OLDS, LifeIsStory.com

  “A stunning debut, masterfully written and filled with deep questions of the spirit; I could not put it down.”

  TOSCA LEE, New York Times bestselling author

  “A powerful tale for anyone who has ever felt worthless, or feared that their true value is an award they’ll never be able to earn.”

  ERIN HEALY, author of Motherless

  “A true page-turner! Compelling and intriguing, The Choosing is a fantastic debut that will have you glued to the pages all the way to the climactic ending!”

  SUSAN MAY WARREN, bestselling, Christy Award–winning author

  Visit Tyndale online at www.tyndale.com.

  Visit Rachelle Dekker’s website at www.rachelledekker.com.

  TYNDALE and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

  The Calling

  Copyright © 2016 by Rachelle Dekker. All rights reserved.

  Cover photograph of man taken by Dean H. Renninger. Copyright © Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

  Cover photograph of tunnel copyright © livingstonphoto/Dollar Photo Club. All rights reserved.

  Cover photograph of city copyright © Sergey Nivens/Fotolia. All rights reserved.

  Author photo copyright © 2014 by Alyssa Ann Creative, www.cargocollective.com/alyssaanncreative. All rights reserved.

  Designed by Dean H. Renninger

  The Calling is a work of fiction. Where real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales appear, they are used fictitiously. All other elements of the novel are drawn from the author’s imagination.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Dekker, Rachelle.

  The calling / Rachelle Dekker.

  pages ; cm. — (A Seer novel)

  ISBN 978-1-4964-0226-4 (hc) — ISBN 978-1-4964-0227-1 (sc)

  I. Title.

  PS3604.E378C35 2016

  813'.6--dc23 2015032289

  ISBN 978-1-4964-1240-9 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4964-0234-9 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-1241-6 (Apple)

  Build: 2015-12-29 10:32:51

  For my only brother, J. T.

  Remember, your strength does not come from fighting your fears but rather learning to let them go.

  Fear only exists when I believe.

  When I give it a name, a face, a hand to grip me.

  For I fear tomorrow and I fear the past.

  I fear the hellos and the good-byes. I fear my monsters; I fear myself.

  Above all I fear the dark and its power to swallow me whole.

  I watch a tiny flame dance before me, which knows nothing of the darkness it consumes.

  It only knows its heat, its light. And the darkness knows it too.

  I watch as the red and orange lick the air, realizing the flame fears nothing.

  But I fear the wind, the slight gust that could forever end the flame,

  Leaving me with nothing but ashes.

  And when it is gone, all my fears come alive.

  I am lost in a sea of things I created and there is no lifeline to be seen.

  For when the light is put out the darkness wins. My fear sinks in.

  Yet beauty rises from ashes.

  KARA DEKKER

  CONTENTS

  Cast of Characters

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Discussion Questions

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  SEERS

  Remko Brant

  Carrington Hale Brant

  Sam Miller

  Kate Miller

  Graham “Wire” Tollen

  Neil Stone

  Trig Mullen

  Kal Wright

  Connor

  THE AUTHORITY

  Damien Gold, President

  Enderson Lane, Minister of Labor and Director of Authority Workers; Interim Commander of the CityWatch

  Monroe Austin, Minister of Health and Wellness

  Clyde Bus
hfield, Minister of Citizens’ Welfare

  Rains Molinar, Minister of Projects and Engineering

  Walker Red, Minister of Education

  Riley Scott, Minister of Finance

  Riddley Stone, Minister of Justice

  OTHERS

  Aaron

  Ian Carson, Former Authority President

  Lucy and Rayna Carson, Daughters of Ian Carson

  Selena Carson, Wife of Ian Carson

  Jesse Cropper

  Dr. Roth Reynard, aka “the Scientist”

  Dodson Rogue, Former CityWatch Commander

  Smith, First Lieutenant and Interim Acting Commander of the CityWatch

  PROLOGUE

  Damien Gold sat down beside Roth Reynard, better known as the Scientist, on the hard wooden bench. The sun was high, the wind soft, and the garden around them still. Things were already in motion and change was upon them all.

  The Scientist didn’t glance over as Damien sat. He kept his eyes forward, squinting through the sun’s rays and clearly lost in his own thoughts. They had these meetings sometimes, out here in the Capitol gardens, because the Scientist enjoyed the sun from time to time, and the garden area itself provided isolation.

  “Things have begun,” the Scientist said.

  “Yes, the compound is fully operational,” Damien said.

  “Results should happen quickly then?”

  “Ideally.”

  “And the rebels?”

  “Aaron’s movements are impossible to—” Damien started.

  “I have told you before, Aaron is not our primary concern. Remko Brant is the one who steers that ship.”

  “I disagree; Aaron holds the power.”

  “Aaron is a delusional radical. But Remko possesses training and wit. He has managed to break through our security systems on numerous occasions.”

  “On Aaron’s authority, though.”

  “Don’t be a fool. If we break Remko, we break their will. Remko is the key.”

  Damien tried to hide his frustration at the man’s clear disregard for Damien’s insight. But now was not the time to engage in discourse. With so much happening, they needed to be on the same side.

  “We are working on an inside man, as you suggested,” Damien said.

  “Good. How close are we?”

  “Close.”

  “Then the plan to change the world is functioning as we predicted.”

  Damien smiled and nodded. “You had doubts?”

  “I’m a scientist. I always doubt until evidence is laid before me.”

  “Don’t worry; you’ll have all the evidence you need soon.”

  The Scientist turned to Damien and they shared a knowing look before Damien stood and left.

  1

  Remko sensed panic from the group behind him. It filled the air around his head and pressed against his skull. They were running out of time. He pushed away the pocket of dread threatening to knock his legs from under him. They couldn’t afford to run out of time.

  Carrington was on his heels, moving quickly as they maneuvered through the underground tunnel. Sam and his younger sister, Kate, followed alongside Wire, all of their faces focused yet terrified. They all knew time was against them, and they all knew what that meant.

  Remko could hear Carrington’s fear screaming at him, begging him to move faster, to be better, to save them. He was supposed to keep them alive, to lead them against the Authority, to be their hero, their protector. He was failing.

  It had been the same song and dance for the last several months. A ticking clock they were fighting against. Each of them hoping for a pause in its constant rhythm so they could stand still and breathe. Each of them desperately needing a moment in which it didn’t feel like the world was crushing them from above, where they came out on top, victorious for once. Remko would settle for just a moment.

  A large, round steel grate overhead occupied the majority of the tunnel’s top surface. It operated on a mechanical lock system, like most of the exits within the tunnels. Wire easily disabled the lock using the handheld device that never left his side. He called the device Roxy, something Kate mocked him for constantly, which usually inspired a witty response, and the two of them would fill the space with banter. No one said anything today. Their fear kept them quiet and made the silence deafening.

  Sam stepped past Remko, the top of his six-foot-four-inch frame brushing the tunnel’s ceiling, and yanked the grate open with a labored pull. They ascended one at a time, Sam leading to help pull the others up and Remko coming through last. Once aboveground, the group awaited Remko’s lead. They were now at the end of a long alley deep within the Authority City. The walls of the surrounding buildings towered into the sky above. Dark clouds covered the sun and cast a shadow across the city. The smell of rain hung in the air, the street before them already soaked from the morning’s storm.

  The streets should be empty by now. People would have already gone inside for the viewing. It was mandatory that all executions of criminals be watched—a visual reminder of what happened to those who rebelled against the Authority. It didn’t matter your age or status; even the youngest in the society were required to participate. Back when Remko had felt pride in being a part of the Authority’s CityWatch Guard, he’d never felt comfortable with the idea of mandatory viewing of executions. But then, he’d only ever experienced one in person: Arianna Carson, eldest daughter of President Ian Carson and loyal follower of Aaron. Her death felt like a lifetime ago, even though only a year and a half had passed.

  Now the executions happened monthly. Trials occurred less and less, people sometimes sentenced to death without a single word of defense. All because they followed Aaron, a man Remko increasingly found himself questioning. Many believed he was their saving grace, but Remko couldn’t help but wonder if his grand ideas for change were simply the naive ramblings of a madman. All the same, Aaron had called the woman Remko loved out of the city, and the woman had asked Remko to follow, and he had. He would have followed Carrington anywhere. He still would.

  She placed her hand on his shoulder, shaking him from his thoughts. There was no time for thinking; they had to move. He caught her eye for a brief moment and her expression made him sick. Yes, there was plenty of worry and fear, but he could see the hope that lay beyond, hope that they could complete their mission, hope that they wouldn’t fail, hope in him. Misplaced hope.

  Executions were held in the Capitol Building, which stood a couple of blocks to their left and was always surrounded by a heavy CityWatch presence. They had never broken into the Capitol Building before. Usually they were helping people flee the city from their homes or workstations. People Aaron had called to join the Seers in the wreckage of earth that lay miles beyond the city walls. Called to a life that would consist of always looking over their shoulders and wondering how long they could actually survive before they were discovered. Before the Authority rained down terror and vengeance on their group for leading the charge against them. For igniting curiosity and inspiring hope.

  Usually Remko and the other Seer scouts spirited people out under the cover of darkness, outwitting and outmaneuvering those chasing them. Like magicians using a curtain to disguise the illusion, pulling the white rabbit out of the hat at precisely the right moment, they employed quick sleights of hand and crafty distractions.

  In the beginning it had thrilled Remko. It had thrilled them all—the way Wire broke down the Authority’s internal programming at lightning speeds before anyone knew a breach in security had been made; the way Kate slithered into secure locations without detection, moving with speed and strength that seemed impossible for her small frame; the way Sam inflicted fear at just the sight of his stature, the quiver you could see in the guards’ expressions when they encountered him. And Remko, calling the shots, directing their perfectly assembled plans. Using the talents of his team to fool and confuse the enemy. It had been a rush. A rush that covered their fear and kept them stable.

  Moving thr
ough the streets now, that rush was gone, replaced with a sense of shame that this had ever felt thrilling. Shame in believing that at some point they could actually win the game they were playing, that they could actually pull off the big end trick. But the real illusion was that they could ever be successful. Behind the curtain the Authority was pulling all the strings. The rest of them were still just puppets, convinced for a brief moment that they could be real boys and girls.

  Remko clenched his molars and reset his focus. He could see the grand Capitol Building through the clouds ahead. As suspected, the streets were nearly empty, but the team still clung to the dark alleyways and moved like shadows toward their destination.

  A loud mechanical grind echoed around them and sent a shiver through the ground beneath them. Remko knew the sound. They all did.

  High above, large steel plates were sliding back to reveal plasma screens that stretched fifteen feet across and stood over nine feet in height. There were six main government buildings surrounding the Capitol Building. They stood twice as high as the Capitol, their walls reaching into the clouds, and every one of them had a large screen attached to its front. Screens easily seen throughout the Authority City and even into the outskirts of the Cattle and Farm Lands.

  Remko could remember seeing those screens from the CityWatch barracks. They weren’t used often back then—Remko could only remember a couple of times from his childhood—but they were being used more frequently of late. The Authority broadcast every execution; even with a plasma screen occupying a wall in each home throughout the city, these screens were still used. It was an extra twist of cruelty, another reminder that the Seers were losing. The revealing of the screens meant Remko’s time was up.

  He increased his speed and the others followed. The plan was to drop into an old water main that was out of commission and traverse its length under the Capitol Building and up through an unused service entrance that would pop them out on the eastern side of the structure. The execution room was on the second floor. Wire knew the guards’ rotation schedules, so maneuvering through the side hallways and up an ancient staircase would be all about timing. From there it would be a combination of software and electrical distractions so that they could slide into the room, obtain the objective, and leave.