《In Dreams》


 Shattered Dreams - Prologue: We Meet Again, for the First Time

    * * *


    Tobias tried to clear his visor again. That only smudged someone¡¯s blood across the surface, blinding him even further. Well, he hoped it was someone else¡¯s blood. It could be his, he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d notice at this point.


    He removed the visor, and the dark corridors became crisper.


    Static occupied the air, but in his ear, a quick command sounded with perfect clarity. An alarm had gone off; the enemy knew they were there. They were to plant the explosive device and exit as quickly as possible.


    To his left, Dragon shot down a guard and moved forward, signaling the rest of her team to follow. Griffon was right behind her, and he and Cypher brought up the rear.


    He didn¡¯t understand why there were so few guards this deep into the compound. He¡¯d expected his team would¡¯ve encountered more resistance the closer they got to their target.


    They raced through the maze of corridors with ease. The layout as described by Phoenix was more than accurate. He hadn¡¯t expected it would be so perfect.


    His heart sped up. Today they would end the fighting.


    Maybe then they could honor all those they had lost along the way. The ones who had died trying to find the passageway: Phoenix, Unicorn, Zeus. Just a few of the countless lives that had been lost in the struggle.


    Tomorrow their world would be theirs again, as long as they blew this entire place to hell.


    Large doors awaited them at the end of the hall, standing open.


    Scorpion already had the room secured. Bear was lying dead on the ground beside her, one more name to add to the list.


    ¡°No activity that I¡¯ve seen,¡± Scorpion said, leading them inside the dome-like structure.


    The team fanned out as Scorpion kept watch by the doors, setting up the explosives in pre-determined positions. Cypher sat down at the closest computer.


    Tobias wasted a moment to marvel at where they were. It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d have a chance to see it ever again.


    The room they were standing in was like the inside of a giant dome. It was enormous, maybe the size of a small stadium. The dome¡¯s transparent walls exposed its rock casing, revealing it was underground. When it blew, the place would be buried by tons of rock and rubble.


    In the middle, splitting the dome precisely in half, there was a transparent sheen to the air, giving the illusion of a thin sheet of water falling constantly between them and the other side of the room.


    An invisible barrier of sorts, and one whose boundaries he wasn¡¯t willing to test. Sometimes, depending on the angle, it would reflect their image as if it were a mirror.


    It amazed him that the thing hadn¡¯t collapsed by itself. Several kilometers below the surface and without any visible support beams, it stood there, strong.


    And thus the explosives.


    He finished setting his charge and checked with the others. Dragon ordered the retreat, but she was still at the computer station, having taken Cypher¡¯s place. Cypher and Griffon had already followed Scorpion out the way they¡¯d come. Tobias hung back, waiting for Dragon.


    When she finally nodded and stepped away from the console, the world seemed to blink.


    All of a sudden, another team appeared as if out of nowhere. Guns were pointed at them and everyone stared at each other, frozen.


    Maybe that was why the place was so empty. This place was empty. Tobias glanced towards the explosives.


    No one had shot at anyone so far. That was a good sign.


    The other team had five members, all of whom were also wearing masks and similar attire.


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    A voice in his ear asked where they were, told them to get out. Both he and Dragon ignored it. Hopefully, the rest of the team would make it to safety in time, though that had never been a major concern. This dome was coming down even if they had to be buried in its rubble to be sure.


    He looked around the dome again. There was no other door except the one they¡¯d been heading for. The only other option was the center of the room¡ªthe passageway itself. Cypher shouted something over the com and he tried not to listen. There wasn¡¯t much time now.


    ¡°Identify yourselves,¡± Dragon ordered.


    ¡°You first,¡± a man countered.


    Tobias shook his head. There was no time. They were almost certainly dead, but stalling was fine unless these people weren¡¯t guards either.


    ¡°Who do you answer to?¡± Dragon tried again, her voice still uncertain. Her finger twitched on the trigger.


    ¡°Are you New Nation?¡± Tobias asked, tossing the name in there in an attempt to get something out of them. He already had his suspicions.


    The other team exchanged glances.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not,¡± the man who¡¯d spoken before said. His weapon faltered, his stance relaxed a bit. His reaction resonated through them all.


    The voice on the com came back, brisk and concise, announcing the others were clear. Enemy combatants would arrive at their location in ten seconds. Tobias held back a smile, enemy combatants¡­ That would have told him Wolf was on the other end even if he hadn¡¯t recognized the voice.


    Ten seconds, that sounded good enough. The countdown would near its end soon. Nothing left but one desperate dash then.


    ¡°This place is about to blow,¡± Tobias said, holstering his gun as a sign of good faith.


    Dragon gave him a sideways glance, but lowered her weapon. She was probably as aware as he was of how much time they had.


    The others remained staring at them for a second, unmoving. He wondered if they didn¡¯t believe him. Maybe they didn¡¯t believe him because they didn¡¯t know him or, scarier still, because they did know him and didn¡¯t trust him. There was always that option, as they had learned in the most painful way.


    The other group came alive, heading back towards the center of the room.


    Tobias grabbed Dragon and thrust her toward the invisible barrier that represented the gateway.


    As he ran, he followed the countdown in his head, jumping through the transparent sheen as it reached zero.


    The explosion grabbed hold of them momentarily, but it didn¡¯t feel like it should. Not that he¡¯d ever been blown up before, but he had felt the shockwaves a few times.


    Part of the world¡ªor half of it, to be precise¡ªwas gone in a second. The air didn¡¯t appear to be different, but somehow it was. The flames made their way towards them in slow motion through the passageway, almost crawling against a resistance, then the center of the room vanished, and they were all left in a half-empty dome, as if nothing had happened.


    Tobias opened his eyes, tried to focus. He was vaguely aware of someone from the other team leaning over him. He reached for his gun out of reflex, but his hand barely moved.


    He tried moving his head instead, searching for Dragon to see if she was alive, but his vision was blocked by a woman. He couldn¡¯t will himself to rise, his body wouldn¡¯t obey.


    ¡°You¡¯re losing a lot of blood,¡± the young woman said, her voice calm.


    She was holding him down and pressing something against his chest. Debris littered the ground around them. Maybe the flames had gotten through after all. But from what he could see of the ceiling, it hadn¡¯t been affected.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if he closed his eyes or blacked out, but it didn¡¯t look like he lost much more than a few seconds. The woman was saying something to her companions. He couldn¡¯t make out the words.


    She turned back to him when he stirred. His breath caught when he met her gaze. There was not even the slightest hint of recognition there. But he recognized her, her voice, her eyes. He wasn¡¯t mistaken.


    Tobias wanted to take his mask off, but his hands failed him again. He tried not to focus on any of that, but it wasn¡¯t as if he had any illusions about his current condition. Something had hit him, even if he wasn¡¯t sure what.


    He tried to reach for his mask again, and this time the message went through to her. Reluctantly, as if she were afraid of moving him, she took off his mask for him.


    Recognition came then, if not in the way he expected. She didn¡¯t say a word, but there were tears in her eyes. He wondered if she¡¯d lost him already, like he¡¯d lost her. A wry smile formed. Once should be enough for anyone.


    Commands were being shouted in the distance, but nothing seemed to intrude on that moment.


    She blinked away the tears, but she didn¡¯t take her eyes off him. ¡°I never meant for you to die. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He wondered if she was more confused than he was. Maybe shock was contagious. She couldn¡¯t really be talking about him, not the him that was there, dying.


    He laughed. And then he wasn¡¯t sure what he thought was funny.


    Everyone did always say he had a twisted sense of humor. Apparently, they were right.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me,¡± he whispered, thinking it had sounded much better¡ªnot to mention eloquent¡ªin his head.


    She shook her head stubbornly. ¡°It was you I saw.¡±


    ¡°Not me,¡± he insisted, unable to elaborate.


    She pulled her mask away as if the thing were suddenly choking her. He almost smiled. It really was her.


    For a moment, he let himself pretend she¡¯d been the one he¡¯d been missing all this time. The one he¡¯d lost.


    ¡°Sarah¡­¡±


    She wiped at her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t stop it. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Not knowing what she was talking about, he frowned. He didn¡¯t care. He took her hand and closed his eyes, pretending.


    * * *


    Watching the man¡¯s breaths become more labored, Sarah swallowed back a sob. ¡°I did see you. I¡¯ve seen all of this¡­ Again and again¡­ In my dreams.¡±


    But he hadn¡¯t heard her. His hand released hers and fell limp on the ground. He was gone.

 Book I - ch 1. Thank You for Your Life

    * * *


    Someone screamed, a shrill sound that made people cover their ears. Robyn searched for the remote as, on the screen, the boy who¡¯d screamed looked at his friends, mortified. She turned the television off.


    Robyn smiled. ¡°Silence¡­ finally.¡±


    She was sure there would be a lasting hum in her ears.


    Ready to scold Sarah for leaving the TV so loud, she stopped when she saw Sarah was asleep where she lay on the couch¡ªpeaceful and defenseless.


    The urge to wake her up clawed at Robyn¡¯s mind instantly.


    She shook her gently, but Sarah turned and twisted into the sofa cushions, hiding her face.


    Sarah mumbled a few unintelligible phrases, still lost in her dreams.


    ¡°Sarah?¡± Robyn insisted, shaking her harder.


    ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Robyn!¡±


    Robyn smacked her on the top of the head.


    Sarah pulled back, startled awake. She raised a hand to her head, squinting because of the light. ¡°What? Why¡¯d you-? Did you just hit me?¡±


    Robyn grinned. ¡°Dinner¡¯s on the table.¡±


    * * *


    Sarah twisted and turned on the couch, shoving a couple of cushions to the floor. Robyn picked them up, shaking Sarah as she went. Her sister started mumbling words she couldn¡¯t understand. Robyn shook her harder, but all that seemed to do was worsen Sarah¡¯s agitation.


    Sarah kicked out and another sofa cushion suffered for it. ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t die¡­¡±


    Robyn used the last cushion she¡¯d picked up to hit Sarah over the head.


    Sarah came to with a start, swatting through the air as if she were being attacked by a squadron of bees.


    Robyn threw the cushion at her. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready.¡±


    Sarah merely sat there, glaring at her sister.


    With a sigh, Robyn turned off the television. ¡°Maybe you would have fewer nightmares if you didn¡¯t sleep watching TV. Especially stuff where people are getting cut in half.¡±


    Sarah turned her glare at the TV. ¡°That wasn¡¯t what was on when I sat down¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean nodded off.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re not nightmares.¡±


    Robyn scoffed. ¡°Really? Then what are they?¡±


    ¡°Dreams,¡± Sarah shot back as she made her way to the kitchen. ¡°They¡¯re just really, really freaky dreams that really, really freak me out.¡±


    Robyn scoffed again and Sarah stuck her tongue out at her.


    ¡°Girls,¡± Mom called. ¡°If you keep behaving like you¡¯re a couple of annoying little brats, I¡¯ll start treating you as such. Now sit down.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ meat!¡± Robyn said with a funny voice as she tossed her hamburger onto her plate and took a seat at the table.


    Sarah poured herself a cup of juice.


    ¡°Oh, Sarah. I forgot to tell you, Jeremy called this afternoon,¡± Robyn said.


    * * *


    The television and stereo were silent. There was virtually no sound in the house except the voices in the kitchen.


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    ¡°You know, I wanna protest this being assaulted in my own home,¡± Sarah said when she finished pouring her milk.


    Robyn glanced at her plate. ¡°And I wanna protest this silly notion you have that eating hamburgers with milk is actually normal.¡±


    They glared at each other for a moment.


    ¡°And my mother said I should¡¯ve had twins,¡± Mom said. ¡°I think I would¡¯ve left one of you at the supermarket one day and never looked back.¡±


    ¡°Her!¡± both girls shouted in unison, pointing towards the other.


    Their father rolled his eyes at their usual antics.


    ¡°So, where were you today?¡± Sarah asked.


    Robyn frowned at her. ¡°What d¡¯you mean? Class.¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to go with me to borrow Landry¡¯s book, remember?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I forgot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I kinda figured that when I sat outside your class for an hour only to find out you were ditching.¡±


    Robyn glanced at Mom and Dad. ¡°I was not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you were invisible. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Besides, nobody ditches in college. Attendance is more of an optional thing.¡±


    ¡°I must¡¯ve missed that part of the introductory class,¡± Sarah mocked.


    Robyn sank down in her seat. ¡°I was behind on an assignment, so I went to finish it in the library before the last class. That¡¯s why I forgot about you.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Can we go get the book tomorrow? I really need it.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not getting it from the library like everyone else because¡­?¡±


    ¡°All the copies are already out. Were you not listening to me yesterday?¡±


    Robyn shrugged a shoulder. ¡°Probably not.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s retort got cut off when the phone rang.


    Robyn stopped laughing, took a sip of her juice. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    With a grimace, Sarah got up to answer it.


    ¡°Anyone expecting a call?¡± Dad asked.


    Sarah didn¡¯t hear an answer, so she figured no one was. She gave the couch a longing look and pulled the phone along with her so she could sit down. She picked up the receiver right when another shrill warning sounded. ¡°Hello?¡±


    A distorted voice came through with neither feeling nor hesitation: ¡°A new nation will arise from fire and yours is the sacrifice required. Thank you for your life.¡±


    The phone fell from her hands.


    * * *


    ¡°Where¡¯s the ketchup?¡± Dad asked as he searched around the table.


    Robyn slammed the cupboard door shut with too much force.


    ¡°Planning on breaking it?¡± Sarah asked.


    * * *


    The front door was broken down in a single burst of noise. Sarah froze before she¡¯d even taken a step back towards the kitchen. Someone screamed, maybe it was her. Shots were fired, and she dropped to the floor, hiding behind the couch.


    Mom hadn¡¯t even time to react. She was dead before she hit the ground.


    * * *


    The ketchup bottle fell and shattered, its contents spilling across the kitchen floor.


    * * *


    The kitchen table was turned to serve as shelter.


    Dad had a gun.


    The strangeness of that fact tore Sarah away from her paralysis. In the chaos, she couldn¡¯t think of anything but getting to them, but there was no way.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Dad shouted, firing a couple of shots to keep the men at the door distracted.


    Sarah bolted for the living room window, so she was the first outside. She turned back in time to see Robyn making her way to the kitchen window on the other side of the house.


    She heard or imagined her sister call out her name. There was no sign of Robyn anywhere.


    There was nothing but gunshots.


    She clambered over the fence to the neighbor¡¯s yard and kept going as fast as she could.


    It was as if the world didn¡¯t know what had happened, didn¡¯t care. She glanced back for a mere second and almost tripped over a fallen branch.


    Sarah stumbled onto the street behind her house and broke into a faster run, frantically searching for a place to stop and hide.


    A few houses away, the shots could no longer be heard, but Sarah didn¡¯t slow down. She dreaded to think of what silence could mean.


    She considered knocking on someone¡¯s door and calling for help, but that could get someone else killed.


    Killed¡­ the word dredged up what she¡¯d been refusing to acknowledge.


    Tears blurred her view.


    She ran harder.


    In the distance, cars pulled off at high speed. She threw herself behind a few trash cans and hid, realizing how difficult it was to breathe. Shaking from head to toe, Sarah hugged the ground, expecting those cars to come towards her at any moment.


    They never did.


    Unsure how long she waited, her entire body felt cold and stiff when she crawled to her feet.


    There was no sign of Robyn. She looked all around. There was no sign of anybody.


    Sarah tried to keep breathing, but either the air or her lungs weren¡¯t cooperating. She took in a deep breath, but it didn¡¯t help. When she realized she was about to pass out, she tried to sit back down, but she wasn¡¯t sure she made it.


    * * *


    Sarah stared at the ketchup spilled on the floor. It looked like blood to her.


    Robyn laughed. ¡°I know it¡¯s pretty and all, but there¡¯s something you can do besides staring, like cleaning it up.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to remember this dream I had just now.¡± She couldn¡¯t look away from the red mess.


    A few drops had gotten onto her leg as well.


    ¡°Sarah, finish your hamburger. You can clean it up later,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°So, does this mean we¡¯re out of ketchup?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Robyn pulled out another bottle from the pantry. ¡°Not like Sarah¡¯s gonna ruin this dinner. After all, we gotta celebrate. I finally turned in my paper for psycho class.¡±


    ¡°Stop calling it that,¡± Dad said.


    Robyn handed him the ketchup bottle, unrepentant. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what it feels like because it keeps trying to drive me insane.¡±


    ¡°Sarah,¡± Mom insisted. ¡°Come sit down and finish your dinner. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    But she couldn¡¯t stop looking. It didn¡¯t feel like nothing. Something wet slid down her cheeks. She realized she was crying.


    * * *


    Sarah opened her eyes, coughing and sputtering as she tried to breathe. With a burning pain, the faraway place where dinner had been finished in peace was cruelly washed away and reality was once again brought to life. She curled herself into a ball in the shadow of a tree and wept.


    It was all a lie, a trick her mind was playing on her.


    There was no family dinner.


    She was alone.

 Book I - ch 2. A Game of Cat and Suicidal Mouse

    * * *


    Sarah stopped in front of a puddle of water and watched her reflection shimmer as rain drops slowly turned what would have been a pond into a violent sea.


    The day was almost over. Exhausted, she¡¯d slept through most of it, huddled up in the corner of an abandoned building a couple of blocks from her house.


    Wandering aimlessly now, she was unsure of where to go. She¡¯d again thought of knocking on a neighbor¡¯s house and asking them to call the police, but that was scary in its own way.


    It was that phone call she¡¯d answered. Unless her mind had been playing tricks on her, it suggested the New Nation¡ªa terrorist group said to be trying to overthrow the government¡ªwas responsible for the attack on her family.


    Whether overthrowing the government was their true goal or a smokescreen for whatever they were really after was anybody¡¯s guess. But they didn¡¯t usually target random people¡ªdid they? Sure, they blew up buildings sometimes, but even so¡­


    Also, Dad had a gun.


    Dad hated guns.


    Her phone was likely still charging beside her bed, so finding a newspaper or somewhere where she could access the internet or watch the news seemed the safest way to get some idea of what was going on. She needed to find out what was being said about her family.


    It wouldn¡¯t do any good to go to the police or back to the house. She was afraid of getting locked up for suspicion of involvement with the New Nation. There were so many rumors about the police not bothering much with the sorting before they threw everyone down a deep, dark hole. Paranoia will do that to the world.


    Getting to a pay phone and calling a friend would be an option, but the last pay phone she remembered seeing was quite a walk away, and she hadn¡¯t the slightest idea if it was still working.


    She brushed her hair back from her face, a few dark strands stubbornly poking her eyes. Between that and the rain, she could barely see where she was going.


    The sun still had a few hours before setting, but the rain made it darker than it should be. And she was wet and cold and hungry, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do.


    Sarah was fighting the urge to go home. There would be food there, at least, and a change of clothes. Most of all, there would be something familiar, even if the illusion of safety was probably gone. And if it wasn¡¯t yet, it would be as soon as she saw the broken-down door and the blood.


    The thought of blood brought back the images she¡¯d been trying to keep out of her mind.


    She was feeling faint, probably because she¡¯d eaten hardly anything since yesterday. And what she had eaten of dinner, she¡¯d thrown up later. She should have tried to food, but the thought of it made her feel like throwing up again.


    At some point, she came to a bus stop; she didn¡¯t pay attention which one. She sat down on the bench and closed her eyes, lifting her face towards the rain. It would wash away the filth and the blood, but no amount of downpour would take away her memories, and that was a shame, because they were the only things that really bothered her.


    She realized she¡¯d been sitting there for too long when she started dozing off. Better start moving. But moving where?


    She opened her eyes and froze when she found a man staring at her. She stared back, not bothering to shelter her eyes from the rain. Did he know her? This was her neighborhood after all. He didn¡¯t look familiar.


    The young man looked away as if he¡¯d only then noticed he was staring, but Sarah didn¡¯t¡ªshe couldn¡¯t even if she tried. She studied him. One more suspicious thing to cross her path.


    He looked normal enough, just some guy waiting for a bus in the rain, even though she doubted anyone would be out in this weather in such nice clothes. And his clothes¡ªthough she wouldn¡¯t be able to characterize them for her life¡ªlooked too nice for someone waiting for a bus in the rain.


    He didn¡¯t have an umbrella, but he was wearing a coat, not that it did him much good. His hands were in his pockets, but she couldn¡¯t tell if that was because of the rain or because he was hiding a weapon.


    Breathe, she told herself. Maybe she was being paranoid. Maybe he was just some guy fresh out of university, trying to look nice for his first real job. She could see that being his story. Still¡­


    She decided to move, but she didn¡¯t want to run off and risk looking even more suspicious herself.


    The man brushed his wet hair aside and took a tentative step towards her. ¡°Hey, are you okay? Do you need some help?¡±


    He seemed normal enough, and yet people didn¡¯t normally stand out in the rain and offer strangers help. Especially not strangers who looked like they¡¯d been through a garbage disposal, which is what she looked like at the moment.


    She ignored his offer and walked away, putting some distance between them before looking back to make sure he wasn¡¯t following. The rush cleared her mind enough that she realized she had instinctively retraced the streets that led her home.


    As soon as she saw the yellow police tape on her front door, tears joined the raindrops on their journey down her cheeks. She forced herself to look away from the house and, as she did, she caught a glimpse of the man on the other side of the street, watching her.


    Without a second thought, she ran. With the noise the rain created, she couldn¡¯t hear his footfalls as he followed¡ªif he followed.


    Sarah ran with no destination in mind. All she wanted was to get away.


    A van sped towards her, looking out of place in the empty streets. She cut across someone¡¯s yard, and she recognized the sound of a sliding door being pushed open as the wind changed directions.


    A familiar faded old wall waited for her around a corner. She¡¯d circled back to the abandoned building where she¡¯d spent the night.


    Forcing what was left of the door open, she ran inside. A strange feeling overtook her as she crossed the threshold and she almost did a double-take. She felt she shouldn¡¯t be back there, but now it was too late. There was nowhere else to go.


    * * *


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    Sarah woke up with a scream trapped in her throat, reaching out to hold on to the bed as if she were falling. The rain was getting louder; there was a full-blown storm out there now. She forced herself to lessen the grip she had on her sheets and lay back down. Outside, the rain was pounding on her window.


    It was dark and likely much later than she wanted it to be. Her nap had turned into an impersonation of sleeping beauty. She wondered if her parents were home from work yet. This whole sleeping during the day thing was going to wreak havoc on her internal clock, if it hadn¡¯t already. Robyn was noticeably absent, otherwise something would have found its way to being knocked over her head¡ªher sister¡¯s usual method to wake her up.


    Sarah drew in a deep breath, trying to associate the feeling of panic¡ªwas it?¡ªwith whatever had been plaguing her in her dreams this time.


    She¡¯d been running¡­


    Running fast and hard, but she couldn¡¯t remember why¡­


    Why she was running should matter, shouldn¡¯t it?


    She thought about getting up, but she was so tired, exhausted, as if she really had been out there, on the street.


    Her eyes closed, and in the darkness, she was standing in the rain. She was hiding, but she didn¡¯t know why. She wanted to know why¡­


    Her feet were wet and hurting, and a cut on her shoulder stung when she pressed it against the wall.


    She pushed the sheets away, eyes fluttering open in a moment of alarm before they closed again, for good this time.


    She remembered enough to know she wanted out now, but the dream had gotten a hold of her, and it was not letting go.


    As soon as she surrendered to it, the world regained form around her and it all came back. She should never have opened that door.


    Footsteps were getting louder, closer. It was only a matter of time until they found her, so she ran.


    * * *


    Sarah ran up the stairs, cursing herself for making such a stupid move. But down and out was impossible now, so upwards and onwards it had to be.


    The staircase that led to the first floor was partially intact and mostly dry. When she reached the landing, she looked back to see if she was being followed. With what little light came through the still-boarded windows, she saw the trail of water she was leaving behind among the pre-existing puddles.


    A growing sense of desperation pushed her forward. She was starting to doubt she¡¯d be able to escape whoever was chasing her. The first and second doors she tried were stuck or still locked. She insisted on the second, but it held. Fearing it would do no good to break it down¡ªit would make too much noise even if she succeeded¡ªshe moved on.


    The third door was no more than a hollow entrance, nothing but cracked walls and pooling water inside. There was no place to hide.


    When the wind shifted, giving her a momentary reprieve from the hammering force of the rain against the boarded windows, she heard movement on the stairs.


    She ran to the door at the end of the hallway. It was stuck, but the rotting wood might give if she pushed it a little harder. Sarah backed away to get some momentum.


    Three figures, made up mostly of shadows, emerged at the top of the stairs.


    ¡°You need to come with us,¡± a woman shouted above the rain.


    Sarah stared them down for a moment. They weren¡¯t in a hurry anymore because she was trapped. There was nowhere else to go.


    Well, there was that door, and on the other side, there would be a room. If there was a window in there, she could face the drop. It was only one floor and probably better than whatever was waiting for her.


    She steeled herself for the impact and threw herself against the door. As she felt it give in to her weight, something in her screamed she go back. But it was too late.


    The door gave in much easier than she expected and she lost her balance, tumbling into the room. In the split second before she fell, she saw the hole where there should have been a floor. Sarah flailed, reaching out to grab a hold of something, anything. She hit what was left of the floor and it gave in with a splintering sound.


    Sarah braced herself for an impact that never came. There was a flash of pain followed by numbness. The world became a dark void made up of floating voices. They were coming from nowhere, and they said nothing. Then there was movement. Was it her? She wasn¡¯t sure.


    Screams disguised as whispers.


    Was it raining? She couldn¡¯t tell.


    She couldn¡¯t feel anything. There was darkness, just darkness. And then not even that.


    * * *


    ¡°¡­take her back¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­medics¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­she¡¯s losing too much blood¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­supposed¡­ back alive¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ gonna kill us¡­¡±


    The loose phrases danced around in her mind without her ever truly being aware of their meaning. They were like whispers from across a room. She couldn¡¯t hear them even if she tried.


    Sarah opened her eyes, squinting towards the window. It was still raining. Was that why she couldn¡¯t hear them?


    Shouldn¡¯t she be asking them something?


    She rolled over in her bed.


    Had it been something in the dream? She wasn¡¯t even sure who ¡®they¡¯ might be. She closed her eyes again, and that brought back the building, and the running, and the falling. And the whispers.


    Eyes still closed, repeating the last phrase she¡¯d heard over and over again lest it slip away like the rest, she reached over to where she always threw her bag and dragged it towards her, working the zipper without sitting up or opening her eyes.


    The notebook came out, as did a pen. She jabbed her finger on it by accident and that brought her a little closer to fully awake and farther away from the dream. She opened the notebook on a random page, peeked at it long enough to make sure there was nothing already there, and started scribbling whatever she could remember. Whatever hadn¡¯t been taken away yet.


    She did it until she fell back into the dark, but this time, the dream was not waiting for her.


    Sarah woke up again some time later. The pen was poking her shoulder, and the notebook was scrunched under her pillow.


    She propped herself up on her elbows, reaching for the light. She cursed under her breath as it blinded her, staring at the reddish flare within her closed lids until it vanished.


    When she could see again, she pulled the notebook closer and straightened out the page to see what she¡¯d written. Strange how she couldn¡¯t remember. It was gone, all of it. She was aware there¡¯d been a nightmare, nothing more.


    There was an almost illegible phrase occupying three lines and broken in half that read: Don¡¯t open the door.


    Underneath it, there was an even worse combination of letters, but she realized it said: back to?


    She closed the notebook and shoved it dismissively into her bag on the floor.


    ¡°I am going to puzzle you together and you are going to go away,¡± she threatened her nightmares as she beat her pillow into submission.


    Her bedroom door opened slowly. She expected Robyn to come in like a whirlwind and turn the place upside down, but it was Mom.


    ¡°Were you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Kinda, I guess¡­ Just dozed off.¡±


    Mom sat by her bedside. ¡°Are you feeling alright? You¡¯ve been so tired lately.¡±


    ¡°Must be all the running and falling,¡± she mumbled, closing her eyes again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep your sister busy so you can get a couple more minutes,¡± Mom promised with a smile, moving towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll come get you for dinner in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±

 Book I - ch 3. Twenty Questions and No Clue

    * * *


    ¡°I love you¡­¡± Sarah whispered.


    The words were lost. Like her mother, her room, and whatever peace there was, they dissipated as the dream came to an end.


    Sarah woke up slowly, unwilling to let go of the place where her life was still intact. At first, she kept her eyes closed out of stubbornness more than anything. Then it was out of fear as the fog slipped away from her thoughts, revealing the memory of what had happened. She hardly dared to move, afraid of what she would find waiting for her.


    Patching the fragments of memory together did nothing to shed light on her current whereabouts. She remembered falling and little else after that, except for dreaming of home. The vivid feelings that had accompanied the dream tugged at her insides and she pressed her eyes tighter shut as tears threatened to emerge.


    When she shifted her focus away from her own thoughts, she became aware of voices somewhere close by¡ªfaint ones, but voices.


    How much time had passed?


    If she had fallen a few minutes ago, she should hear the storm, but there was no sound of rain. She was clearly lying down somewhere soft, and even through her closed lids she knew it wasn¡¯t dark out there¡­ And out there didn¡¯t seem to be out anywhere.


    As far as she could tell, she was in bed. Might be a hospital, but it didn¡¯t smell like one.


    Her head was throbbing.


    There was no movement or sound directly around her, so she wondered if she should open her eyes. A cowardly part of her didn¡¯t want to. It wanted her to go back to sleep, back to that place where nothing had changed. Where her family¡ª


    A sudden thump¡ªlike someone punching the wall¡ªdrew her attention to what was going on right outside the room.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m straight out calling you a liar!¡± a shout sounded clearly enough that she wondered if there was a door ajar somewhere in the vicinity.


    The voice was vaguely familiar, but such rage didn¡¯t feel like it should belong there. An argument followed, a brief outburst of sound that lasted no more than a breath. Everything was then silent.


    She held her breath involuntarily, wondering if anyone had noticed she was awake. But the argument continued, with another voice coming through in almost a whisper. She couldn¡¯t make out who was speaking, but the reply was very much audible.


    ¡°You shut up!¡±


    That¡¯s when she recognized it beyond a doubt. She¡¯d had those specific words shouted at her enough times before.


    Robyn!


    Sarah opened her eyes. The light, brighter than she expected, stabbed at her eyes. She raised a hand instinctively to shield them, and the pain in her chest caught her by surprise. It almost overshadowed the sharp pain in her arm.


    She held in a cry, but a whimper like that of a wounded animal escaped her. When even sucking in a deep breath hurt, she remained as still as she could. The world darkened around her, and she wondered whether she missed more than a few seconds.


    Tears started forming in her eyes, but she didn¡¯t dare move to wipe them. There was IV in her left arm, and some other tube was responsible for the dull discomfort in her nostril. She licked her dry lips and swallowed what little saliva she could muster, but it felt like swallowing sand.


    She could barely turn her head, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of fluid bags and monitors attached to the wall.


    The room, small and sterile-looking, reminded her of a hospital, but there were no tables or windows. Hell, there was no TV. There was a chair in the corner and that was it.


    There was a haze in all her thoughts, as if she hadn¡¯t quite woken up, and beyond that haze there was still a splitting headache.


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    When she got her breathing more or less under control, the pain lessened. Turning her head was a minor challenge, but she found the door. It was slightly ajar, which would explain why it¡¯d been so easy to hear the previous argument.


    The voices were gone now. Nothing remained but an eerie silence that served no other purpose than to plant the seed of doubt in her mind. The argument and Robyn¡¯s voice could¡¯ve been imagined. If so, she should¡¯ve imagined something good, or at least comforting. But maybe hearing Robyn¡¯s voice amidst a heated argument was all the comfort her mind could afford her.


    Pain kept her from sitting up. As if it didn¡¯t know what else to do, the world spun and darkened again.


    ¡°Robyn?¡± Her voice was a hoarse whisper she barely recognized as her own.


    Her gaze didn¡¯t move from the door, half hoping and half fearing that someone would come. She could no longer swear she¡¯d heard Robyn¡¯s voice.


    Sarah steeled herself and tried calling her sister again. This time it was clearly audible, if barely more than a croak, but there was no response.


    ¡°Robyn!¡± she shouted¡ªor tried to. It scratched through her throat and was still not any louder than her speaking voice.


    Her vision swam, and she closed her eyes, riding out the pain in her chest as she tried her best to impersonate a statue.


    She scratched at the stupid tube stuck to her face.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡± The voice startled her, more so because it was not the voice she¡¯d been hoping for.


    She opened her eyes and turned her head towards the sound.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡± There was a random guy standing there, smiling. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Sarah searched her mind for the familiarity that came from him.


    Dark hair, though it was dry and combed, and now she could see his eyes were some pale shade of blue. He was around Robyn¡¯s age¡ªcloser to thirty than twenty, as Robyn liked to describe herself, mathematically incorrect as that may be at twenty-four.


    He¡¯d surely know she recognized him as soon as she tensed, but she couldn¡¯t help it. His hand raised in a calming gesture, and he took a small step in her direction.


    ¡°You chased me,¡± she whispered.


    He gave her a sheepish sort of smile. ¡°You ran.¡±


    ¡°Where¡ª?¡± She struggled to get her voice out again. ¡°Where¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Try not to speak too much.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember waking up a few days ago and freaking out?¡±


    She shook her head slightly.


    He picked up an aluminum cup from somewhere behind her. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water if you promise you won¡¯t toss it at me this time. I just showered.¡±


    Sarah wasn¡¯t sure she should apologize for anything. There was only a blank between the fall and now. No, not true. There was the dream of home.


    He vanished through a door she hadn''t noticed before, and a faucet was turned on shortly after. When he returned with the water cup and offered it to her, Sarah realized the weight of her own arm when it barely lifted from the bed. She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to hold the cup, never mind throwing it.


    ¡°May I help you?¡± He brought her hand to the cup, holding both it and the cup, guiding it to her lips. ¡°Just sip for now. We need to make sure you can swallow without issues.¡±


    Water slid down her sore throat, but he pulled the cup away too soon.


    ¡°I should really get at least one of the nurses. I don¡¯t pay nearly enough attention to these medical things for you to trust me with this.¡±


    She started shaking her head, pain the only thing that restrained her. Would they sedate her again? Is that why she¡¯d been asleep for so long? Her eyes darted about the room again until he placed a hand on hers. Labored breathing triggered the pain in her chest. ¡°Whe¡ª¡± Her voice refused to come out this time and she reached for the water again.


    Despair rose. Was her mind really playing tricks on her by giving her Robyn?


    Was it all a dream? Just like the rest, just like home and Mom¡­ She sucked in a breath, and that only made the pain stab at her chest again.


    Her captor¡ªbecause that¡¯s who he was to her until someone proved otherwise¡ªlooked concerned.


    ¡°Sarah, please calm down.¡± He brought the chair closer to her bed and sat down. ¡°It¡¯s ok, I won¡¯t call anyone for now.¡±


    ¡°Who¡ª¡± Her voice failed, and she struggled to make even her lips move as how she wished them to.


    He offered her the water cup again, and she managed to guide his movement a bit.


    Again it felt only like a temporary salve. ¡°Who are you? Where the hell am I? Where¡¯s Robyn?¡±


    ¡°Doc said you might still be out of it for a while, so take it slow. I don¡¯t know if you remember, but you had a really nice fall. We brought you here and our doctors have been looking after you. Now that you¡¯re awake, we¡¯ll see about starting to get rid of some of these tubes. But please be patient. Try to stay still and talk slowly. Trust me, it¡¯ll hurt less.¡±


    She glared at him, ready to start her questions over.


    ¡°Your sister was here a moment ago. She¡¯ll be back in a few minutes. As to where the hell you are¡­¡± He let out a breath. ¡°I¡¯ll let Robyn fill you in on the details later.¡±


    ¡°You forgot one.¡±


    He frowned, though she couldn¡¯t tell whether he was pretending. ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°That one can also be left for later.¡±


    She twisted the corner of her mouth, her eyes narrowing. Maybe she should be afraid, but she wanted answers, and fear wouldn¡¯t get them. ¡°My parents?¡±


    He became instantly serious.


    The question lingered in the space between them. In that time, she had her answer, even if she wished to deny it. His reluctance to speak was enough.


    Tears started welling up again, and she turned her head to try and escape his gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said.


    Struggling to hold back her tears, she latched onto her anger as a defense. It would get her past this instant, if nothing else. It was easy to be angry at this stranger. He was the reason she was lying in a hospital bed¡ªher suspicions about this not being a hospital notwithstanding. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Well, besides the fall, a couple of broken ribs, and the fact that your heart tried to stop beating, nothing.¡±

 Book I - ch 4. Back From the Dead

    * * *


    Sarah¡¯s eyes widened. Nothing wrong other than almost dying? ¡°Is that a joke?¡±


    He cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Does it sound like one?¡±


    ¡°My heart stopped?¡±


    ¡°Well, technically, it fibrillated. I heard something about the impact causing it. Commotio¡ªcommotion or something. I stop listening when they go into the medical details, makes my life simpler. Luckily we had a former paramedic and emergency equipment with us. You¡¯ll also find some cuts and bruises on you. They¡¯re not just for show.¡±


    Her eyes drifted down involuntarily, even though she couldn¡¯t see her body. She wouldn¡¯t believe everything until she saw Robyn, but the broken ribs would explain the pain.


    ¡°How long?¡±


    He tapped his fingers on his knees. ¡°A few days.¡±


    ¡°Days?¡± The pain, sharp and sudden, flared up with the outburst. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Mild amusement played across his face. ¡°We already covered that.¡±


    No, they hadn¡¯t, not to her satisfaction. ¡°Get Robyn. Now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should leave you alone.¡±


    Her eyes scanned the room again, searching for any clues she might¡¯ve missed on first inspection. ¡°Why¡¯s Robyn here?¡±


    He edged closer, as if trying to capture her attention. ¡°We got to your house right after the attack and found Robyn. She¡¯d been shot and left for dead. We brought her back with us and took care of her.¡±


    ¡°Is she ok?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s well enough to be giving us hell over what happened to you.¡±


    It was easy to believe his words if only because she wanted to. But that didn¡¯t mean the darkness lurking inside her had gone.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you chase me?¡±


    ¡°I told you.¡±


    She started shaking her head, gave up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you¡­ tell me about Robyn?¡± She struggled with keeping the words flowing. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you identify yourselves?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the police?¡± he asked right back.


    She frowned. Was that what was bothering these people? Why they refused to tell her anything? Was there really a connection between her family and the terrorists that attacked them?


    ¡°I was afraid,¡± she confessed.


    His expression, though still the semblance of friendliness, felt like a mask for the first time.


    ¡°You think I had something to do with it?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°You have to admit it looks bad. You alone escaped without a scratch. And you didn¡¯t go to the police for help.¡±


    Taking his words at face value, it was as if they were trying to protect Robyn from her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if there was a reason for them to be targeting us.¡± Her raspy voice grew faint, but she powered through. ¡°I was afraid no one would listen to me because the New Nation was involved.¡±


    He stiffened. ¡°How¡¯d you know the New Nation was responsible for the attack?¡±


    ¡°The phone call¡­¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°They thanked us for our sacrifice.¡±


    He leaned back in his chair.


    ¡°Everyone says anyone connected to the New Nation is being disappeared.¡±


    A burst of laughter escaped him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Those rumors are¡­ well, they¡¯re rumors. Nothing like that is happening. We think it¡¯s actually the New Nation spreading these stories to discourage people from sharing what they know with the authorities.¡±


    If that was the case, should she laugh or cry at having believed it?


    ¡°I¡¯m also very sorry you got hurt because of us. We should have tried to explain, but we thought the more we said, the less you¡¯d believe. We weren¡¯t planning on chasing you. I was only supposed to ID and follow you. But you took off, so we tried to stop you before you got too far.¡±


    Her body kept pulling her down into the bed, as if she were burrowing herself into it. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed you anyway.¡± Now that she had relaxed in his presence, she was having to fight to stay awake. She didn¡¯t think she should be tired, but the rest of her apparently disagreed. ¡°Where¡¯s Robyn?¡±


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    ¡°I made her go eat something. She¡¯s been refusing to leave your side.¡± He stood up. ¡°I was hoping to talk to you before she returned, but I can get her back here.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t go. Talk to me¡­ please. I don¡¯t wanna sleep.¡± Images from her dream, of home, flashed through her mind. She knew that dream was waiting for her behind her closed lids. And waking up only to convince herself it had been a dream, nothing more, nothing real¡­ she didn¡¯t want to go through it again.


    Her eyes drifted shut and there wasn¡¯t much she could do about it. She was vaguely aware of him speaking, maybe making a call. She heard Robyn¡¯s name but little else.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay until she comes back,¡± he said. ¡°But maybe it would be better if you got some rest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna rest. Sounds like I got enough sleep.¡± Her voice sounded too tired to be taken seriously. With an enormous amount of effort, she opened her eyes again. ¡°What did you say your name was?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So what is your name?¡±


    ¡°Next question, please.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not a doctor.¡±


    ¡°Not even close.¡±


    ¡°So are you a cop or something?¡±


    ¡°Something,¡± he said with the same smile. ¡°Are we playing twenty questions? Because, if you must know, I prefer the game where there¡¯s a murder in the library with a wrench.¡±


    It was Sarah¡¯s turn to smile then, holding the laughter in just in time. She was sure laughing would hurt as well.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t everyone getting along fine in here?¡± a woman called from the door. It was not Robyn.


    They shared the same build and height, and there couldn¡¯t be that many years between them, but the similarities ended there. Even Sarah¡¯s frazzled mind could tell the difference. The woman¡¯s dirty blond hair was pulled back loosely, various strands giving form to the angles of her face. There was something familiar in her, either her voice or her features, though Sarah couldn¡¯t place it.


    She barely glanced at Sarah, directing her attention instead to Sarah¡¯s nameless companion. ¡°They need you in COM.¡±


    Sarah followed his gaze towards what looked like an intercom next to the door.


    The woman gave him a sour look. ¡°Apparently Dragon tampered with it after the last time Athena called.¡±


    ¡°Of course she did.¡± He still didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Now,¡± the blonde insisted, hanging in the doorway with her arms crossed, looking every bit the picture of impatience.


    Sarah wondered if it was an illusion, but her tone seemed to make his actions even slower.


    He offered Sarah a smile. ¡°Robyn should be back in a couple of minutes. Can I trust you to not get yourself into another accident while we¡¯re gone?¡±


    Sarah considered how far she¡¯d be able to get on her own. Probably not very far. She could afford to give them a few minutes before trying to escape. Besides, she should make sure she was fully awake for that. And right now, she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°I¡¯ll be right here.¡±


    He gave Sarah a brighter smile and followed the blonde out.


    ¡°Glad to see our sleeping beauty is awake. Maybe now things can get back to normal around here,¡± the blonde said when they were barely outside the room.


    ¡°When is anything ever normal around here?¡± was her companion¡¯s amused retort.


    ¡°At least her sister¡¯ll stop screaming all over the place.¡±


    Sarah still heard them talking as they moved away, but she could no longer make out the words. Soon even their footsteps were no more.


    Sarah closed her eyes, not entirely by choice. Sleep wasn¡¯t going to help with anything, and if her new nameless friend was to be believed, she¡¯d been sleeping for a while already.


    Images flashed through her mind amidst darkness, until finally the voice she¡¯d been expecting came for her.


    Sarah¡¯s eyes snapped open, but the smile on her lips died as soon as she saw her sister.


    Robyn was alive, but she looked like she¡¯d been hit by a car. The right side of her face sported the mixed colors of healing bruises, and one of her arms had various cuts and scratches. With all that, the wheelchair took another moment before it even registered. Robyn looked so frail.


    She tried to swallow her shock, but not even Robyn¡¯s smiling face was enough.


    Sarah let the air out slowly, trying not to cry. She realized her mouth was open and forced herself to shut it. All the words she wanted were suddenly gone. Her sister should never have looked so weak.


    Robyn looked at herself and forced a smile. ¡°I cut myself with the glass from the broken window¡­ And the wheelchair, it¡¯s nothing¡­ They won¡¯t let me walk yet. They said I need at least another two weeks of rest. They¡¯re overreacting.¡±


    Sarah nodded automatically. The tears that clouded her eyes fell while she pretended they weren¡¯t there. More than anything, Sarah was trying not to let herself be overwhelmed, but she was slowly failing. Where should she even start?


    ¡°Robyn, who are these people?¡±


    * * *


    Robyn wished she didn¡¯t have to answer. It would have been better if she could¡¯ve avoided talking at all.


    Robyn watched Sarah for a moment before bringing her wheelchair closer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault. I asked them to find you. I didn¡¯t think anything like this would happen.¡± Robyn stopped suddenly, eyes stinging. ¡°I thought you were dead. I thought I¡¯d never see you again. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re okay. I don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done. I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡± She swallowed back the rest of her words and pushed herself up so she could hug Sarah. The tears she¡¯d been holding in started to fall. Everything she¡¯d rehearsed vanished from her mind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Sarah hugged her back. ¡°Robyn, what happened? Mom and Dad¡­ Are they really¡ª?¡±


    Robyn struggled with herself in silence. Maybe it shouldn¡¯t be so surprising to her that Sarah¡¯s pain would affect her so. She pulled away and eased herself back into the wheelchair. She could see in Sarah¡¯s face that she already knew the answer. Robyn steeled herself for the next part, focusing on something other than the memories. They hurt too much.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Sarah shook her head as if she could deny the truth. ¡°Why did this happen? Wh¡ª¡± A sob swallowed the rest of her questions.


    Robyn wiped at her eyes, unable to stop her own tears. There was nothing she could ever say to fix this. Nothing anyone could possibly do.


    All she could do was tell Sarah what she¡¯d already planned and hope that would be enough. But she didn¡¯t want to go into it all. Not now. Not like this. If possible, she didn¡¯t want to hurt Sarah any further.


    Robyn took a deep breath and leaned closer to Sarah, reaching out for her. ¡°I¡¯ll explain, I promise. As much as I can¡­ Later.¡±


    Sarah glared at her for all she was worth. Later was apparently not a satisfactory answer.


    Robyn sighed. Stubbornness was a family trait after all. ¡°You just woke up and you¡¯ve had enough for now.¡±


    ¡°I think I can fit in some answers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough for now then.¡±


    Sarah looked like she was going to protest, but she merely squeezed Robyn¡¯s hand and closed her eyes. Robyn didn¡¯t think she was going to let it go, but soon the hand in hers went limp.


    She¡¯d been granted a reprieve. For now.

 Book I - ch 5. Not Just Any Rabbit Hole

    * * *


    Sarah usually remembered her dreams, or at least enough of them to know that there had been any. This was true even if they burrowed themselves deep into her subconscious after she woke up. But this time, she was sure there had been no dreams. There had been nothing.


    Voices brought her back from the void. The door was closing as she opened her eyes. Robyn was in the chair by the corner and the wheelchair parked near the door signaled she hadn¡¯t imagined their previous encounter. She tried to sit up and quickly realized the talk about broken ribs had also been real.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Robyn dragged her chair closer. ¡°How¡¯re you holding up?¡±


    There was still an IV attached to her arm, but the pesky feeding tube was gone. Her head still hurt, so did her chest and various other places to a lesser degree. ¡°It hurts about the same. But I guess being awake enough to know that is an improvement.¡±


    Robyn gently brushed her hair aside.


    ¡°Are you gonna tell me what¡¯s going on now?¡±


    Clearly reluctant, Robyn hesitated for a few long seconds. ¡°I was told you know about the New Nation being involved.¡±


    Sarah stopped herself from nodding, her head still hurt.


    When Robyn continued, her voice was but a whisper. ¡°They were after Dad. Apparently, when he was in the military, he¡¯d had some run-ins with them.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s been out for years. Why would they come after him now?¡±


    ¡°Our friends are looking into it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Sarah scoffed. ¡°They¡¯re looking into it? Never mind that you¡¯re throwing the word friends out there like it¡¯s nothing when you made Laura cry because you wouldn¡¯t let her say you were friends.¡±


    ¡°I did not make her cry,¡± Robyn protested. ¡°She did that all on her own.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Looking at it is all you¡¯re gonna give me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all we¡¯re gonna get for now.¡±


    Sarah gave her a stern look, but Robyn didn¡¯t elaborate.


    ¡°And why are we here?¡± Sarah gestured vaguely at the room. ¡°And where is here?¡±


    ¡°The less you know about that, the better. But there¡¯s this sort of joint task force that¡¯s working to stop the New Nation, and we were lucky enough that they found us.¡±


    ¡°Lucky? Really?¡±


    ¡°I was lucky they found me,¡± Robyn rephrased.


    ¡°Great, so when can we get out of here?¡±


    Robyn patted her hand. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that when you¡¯re fully recovered.¡±


    ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    ¡°The less you know, the better.¡±


    ¡°I hate that sentence.¡±


    Robyn sighed. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me what¡¯s really going on.¡±


    Robyn opened her mouth to say something else, but the intercom cut her off before she could get a word out. She gave Sarah an apologetic smile and got up to answer it.


    ¡°Athena wants to see you right now,¡± the voice on the other end said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there,¡± Robyn said. She turned to Sarah. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, I promise.¡±


    Sarah let her go without protest. But the paranoid little voice in the back of her mind whispered that it was convenient that they called Robyn away right when she might tell her more.


    The following events didn¡¯t help to dissuade that little voice in the least.


    Doctors continued to check in on her over the course of the day, but there was no sign of her sister. Whenever she asked, they would say that Robyn was talking with Athena, but no one would even tell her who that was.


    The next couple of days, Robyn¡¯s visits were brief and restricted to when the doctors or physical therapists were around, as if to limit the conversations they might have in private. Her questions about where Robyn went when she left were met with vague responses that did nothing to answer the question. Or her favorite: the less she knew, the better.


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    The only thing that reassured her¡ªif only slightly¡ªwas that Robyn didn¡¯t seem at all worried about any of it. Robyn was also improving with each passing day. She hadn¡¯t even been using the wheelchair on her last visit.


    All this led Sarah to believe they weren¡¯t in any immediate danger, but she had gone back to thinking of herself¡ªand her sister¡ªas captives. She¡¯d repeatedly asked about leaving and had been ignored.


    On the third day, having finally been disconnected from all the annoying wires and tubes, Sarah tried to follow Robyn out.


    Sarah tried to get up. The first attempt went poorly. A sharp pain pierced her sides until her eyes teared up. The movements that would have been natural were impossible right now. She still hadn¡¯t found a way to lessen the pain, if there was any.


    After she recovered from the first attempt, she broke the process down into steps.


    Step one, sitting up.


    Her ribs¡ªtwo in particular¡ªcomplained.


    Step two, moving her legs to the side.


    It wasn¡¯t painless, but she managed.


    She took a deep breath, which wasn¡¯t particularly easy, and clenched her jaw in anticipation of the next step, either three or four. How could she have lost count already?


    The door handle wouldn¡¯t budge. She was locked in, an electronic keypad standing between her and freedom.


    She cursed at the thing and returned to the bed. Get back in bed was a similarly painful process.


    Sarah glared at the door. Barring trying to break it down, there was little she could do except stay in that windowless room and wait.


    * * *


    The tick tick tick of the seconds hand was so very loud in the silence. Robyn shifted her gaze to follow the sound, but it seemed disconnected from the clock itself. Or maybe she was projecting, and she was the one who was disconnected¡­


    Disconnected from this place and the people in it, from that clock that ticked on regardless of her and the rest of the world.


    ¡°And how is your sister?¡± Athena asked.


    Robyn blinked, remembering Athena had been speaking to her, remembering she was supposed to respond. She turned back to the woman. ¡°Being a pain.¡±


    Athena raised an eyebrow. Robyn wondered if psychologists really acted this way. She had nothing to compare it with, and Athena was more of a profiler, only doubling as an in-house shrink when needed.


    ¡°She¡¯s been bugging me with questions every waking moment. It¡¯s getting hard promising to tell her things later. Everything is later! Later is always later, indefinitely¡­ And if I say she¡¯s better off not knowing something one more time, she¡¯s gonna smother me to death with her own pillow.¡± Robyn let out a breath and sagged in her chair. ¡°But she¡¯s alive.¡±


    And that was all that mattered, wasn¡¯t it? By some miracle of chance or fate, Sarah was alive. For now, it was all that mattered.


    ¡°Can you tell her something without giving her too much?¡± Athena asked. ¡°Maybe all she needs is a little of the truth. Enough that she understands why she can¡¯t be told all of it.¡±


    Robyn scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s gonna work with Sarah. She was always the stubborn one. She¡¯s not gonna smile and nod and blindfold herself because you ask her to.¡±


    ¡°Not even if you ask her to?¡±


    * * *


    A testament to her boredom, Sarah had been counting the tiles on the floor. It was the second time she performed that pointless exercise.


    She considered looking under the bed so she could have a more realistic number. Or maybe she could estimate of their size and the bed itself and calculate how many tiles would be hidden underneath.


    The familiar sound of the door coming unlocked interrupted her current count at thirty-seven tiles.


    Expecting another doctor, she was surprised when Robyn came in. With her was a man in his fifties or sixties. He didn¡¯t have that many gray hairs, but maybe it was the weight of the world on his shoulders that made him appear older. Still, he made for an imposing figure, like what she expected of a general.


    ¡°Sarah, this is Zeus. He¡¯s in charge of this place,¡± Robyn said. ¡°He¡ª¡±


    Zeus stepped forward, raising a hand to cut her off. ¡°Do you have any idea where you are, Sarah?¡±


    Sarah shook her head slightly. ¡°No.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Good.¡±


    Obviously, they both had very different definitions of the word, but she didn¡¯t interrupt as he continued.


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay here while we make sure you¡¯ll be safe. Then we¡¯ll transfer you to one of our institutes until you¡¯ve recovered enough that we can start setting up your return to the world.¡±


    Something about the way he said that didn¡¯t sit well with her. ¡°Me and Robyn, right?¡±


    Robyn and Zeus exchanged a glance.


    ¡°We¡¯ll look into that possibility,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why is it only a possibility?¡±


    Robyn didn¡¯t say a word; she wouldn¡¯t meet Sarah¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I know you want your sister with you, but it might not be safe for her.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Why not?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not entirely sure it¡¯ll be safe for you, Sarah. But it¡¯s worse because Robyn is older. They might think she knows something.¡±


    ¡°And does she?¡± Sarah asked him instead of her sister since they seemed to be pretending Robyn wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°That¡¯s not relevant,¡± Zeus assured her. ¡°The New Nation isn¡¯t known for taking risks, and since we still don¡¯t know why your family was targeted in the first place, it pays to be careful.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re sending me out there. So what am I? Bait?¡±


    ¡°No! Of course not,¡± Robyn protested. ¡°But I won¡¯t be able to come with you for a while.¡±


    Sarah clenched her jaw and focused her gaze on Zeus. ¡°If she¡¯s not going anywhere, I¡¯m sure as hell not going anywhere either.¡±


    Sarah tried to sit up, and pain stabbed at her insides. She winced involuntarily.


    Robyn took a step towards her. ¡°Maybe we should continue this later.¡±


    Sarah waved her off. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I want answers.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you those,¡± Zeus said.


    Steeling herself against the pain, Sarah embraced her anger. ¡°Can¡¯t or won¡¯t?¡±


    Zeus¡¯ expression softened. ¡°If we say too much, your life will never be the same.¡±


    ¡°My life already will never be the same,¡± she spat out. ¡°But if I¡¯m going straight to hell, I¡¯d rather know it before I smell the sulfur.¡±


    ¡°Sarah, there are some things we can¡¯t tell you,¡± Robyn insisted. ¡°Trust me, please.¡±


    ¡°Is the reason our parents are dead and we¡¯re both looking like color palettes in purple and green something you can tell me?¡± Sarah bit out each word, using her anger to push aside the pain.


    Robyn gave Zeus a questioning look. He didn¡¯t offer any objections.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t wanna have to tell you this.¡± Robyn¡¯s mouth opened and shut a few times. Her pleading eyes went to Zeus.


    ¡°Mark¡­ Your father worked for us many years ago.¡±

 Book I - ch 6. A Narrow Escape

    * * *


    Sarah held onto her head, wishing it would stop pounding. Dad worked here? She suppressed the urge to ask again what this place was. It was not a hospital, but it had one. Not the police, not the military, but that was the feel she got. ¡°Doing what?¡±


    The chaotic memory flashed through her mind. Dad had a gun.


    ¡°Data analysis, mainly,¡± Zeus said. ¡°The important thing is that he worked for us and most of his efforts involved investigating the terrorist group called New Nation.¡±


    Robyn sat on the edge of her bed. ¡°We¡¯re not sure why they came after him after all this time.¡±


    ¡°When he left us to have a normal life away from all this, we thought he was safe. We were wrong.¡±


    ¡°Zeus¡¯ team came to the house to try and help us.¡±


    ¡°But we were too late,¡± he finished in a breath. ¡°We did what we could by getting Robyn out and managing the aftermath. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here right now. And that¡¯s all we can tell you. Because the thing that keeps you safest is not knowing.¡±


    ¡°I know how that sounds, but it¡¯s for the best. We¡¯re gonna make sure you¡¯re okay,¡± Robyn promised.


    There was an intruding beep from the intercom, and Zeus excused himself.


    Sarah relaxed back against the headboard once he was gone. ¡°So, Dad was like a secret agent or something?¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Robyn grimaced. ¡°Surprise¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m having enough surprises. Please tell me Mom was normal.¡±


    Robyn nodded. ¡°He quit right after he met her.¡±


    ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°I found some stuff in his closet once when I was looking for money and that got me wondering.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I connected the dots.¡±


    ¡°You were stealing money?¡±


    ¡°Looking for¡­ to borrow¡­ and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the important part in what I just said.¡±


    ¡°Robyn, if they were only after Dad, why can¡¯t we go to the police and pretend like we ran away that night and don¡¯t know anything about it?¡±


    Robyn squeezed her hand. ¡°We can¡¯t risk it for now. We have to be sure it¡¯s safe for us to go back.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s protest was cut off by the intercom. Robyn answered it without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°Sorry for the interruption,¡± a familiar voice called. ¡°Could you come up here?¡±


    ¡°Does it have to be now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry. It¡¯s about tomorrow.¡±


    Robyn let out a tired breath. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Sarah gave her a questioning look, but Robyn didn¡¯t offer any explanations. She walked back over to the bed and brushed Sarah¡¯s hair from her face. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later to check on you, after you¡¯re done with your physical therapy.¡±


    As soon as Robyn disappeared on the other side of the closed door, Sarah went back to staring at the tiles. She gave them a little smile. Seven.


    Her gaze returned to the door. It hadn¡¯t escaped her attention that while she was kept locked in that room, Robyn could roam around the place unsupervised. Robyn even knew the codes to lock and unlock her door.


    Sarah noticed the inconsistencies on her second day awake. She attributed that delay to being distracted by the revelation that Robyn was alive and more or less well. Besides, thinking¡ªlike everything else lately¡ªhurt. There was Robyn¡¯s slip of tongue when she was talking about the investigation. She didn¡¯t say they¡¯d had no luck finding a motive; she said we.


    Step one, try two. Her ribs hurt with each deeper breath as she sat up, and she cursed them in her head.


    Seven, she repeated, controlling her breathing.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Seven-one-five-three-zero-seven.


    She got lost between steps two and three, but her legs were hanging off the side of the bed, and she edged herself towards the floor slowly.


    Beads of sweat rose on her forehead.


    She slid off the edge of the bed, looking down at her feet as they touched the floor. Her toes rejected the cold tiles, as if they had a choice in the matter, and almost caused her to fall.


    Thankfully, the chair was within reach, and she used it for support. Her legs, stiff and weak, worked nonetheless. Guess she shouldn¡¯t complain about the physical therapy anymore.


    Sarah stopped to breathe. Her balance was off, but she supported her own weight, and that was good enough. Slow steps got her to the door.


    Locked. Of course it was.


    She was tired of their bs, and this latest revelation about Dad¡ªif it was even true¡ªwas more of the same. Yet another breadcrumb to distract her for a while longer. She didn¡¯t understand the point of it all. Especially of pretending she wasn¡¯t a prisoner when she clearly couldn¡¯t leave.


    With trembling fingers, she typed in the combination she¡¯d picked up one by one every time a doctor or nurse¡ªor Robyn¡ªcame to her room. Today, she¡¯d finally seen the last number of the code.


    She crossed her fingers, heart pounding against her chest.


    A subtle click, and the door opened.


    Sarah poked her head outside to check for people before stepping out into the hallway. Her hand lingered on the doorknob, waiting.


    No alarms. No shouting people. Just an empty hallway that seemed a little too bright. She had the weirdest feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu right then, but she couldn¡¯t place it. Maybe it belonged in a dream somewhere or a long forgotten nightmare. If she had to guess, the latter seemed more appropriate.


    She shivered, goosebumps rising along her skin.


    Since no one was there to stop her, she picked a direction and started walking. Doors identical to hers, with no specific markings or identification, came one after the next. Sarah listened at a few of them, wondering if there were more people like her behind each locked door. No sound came from inside, but she thought it best not to try the doors.


    The hallway parted again. She again took a left because something told her there would be an elevator at that end. Coincidence or not, there was.


    Her heart was beating so loud, she could swear she could hear it. The elevator was standing there, empty, doors wide open. She¡¯d already come this far. What was the point if she didn¡¯t have the guts to follow through?


    Sarah sucked in a breath, cursed herself for forgetting that it hurt, and stumbled inside while holding onto the wall in pain.


    The doors closed. She held her breath as she stared at the panel.


    There were too many numbers¡ªand too many letters. She had no idea what to press. Maybe she was out of her mind. Where would she even go? She searched the ceiling for a security camera, but couldn¡¯t see any.


    While she considered retreating to the relative safety of her room, that choice was taken away from her. The elevator started moving. She tried to make it go back, but up it went regardless of her will.


    One floor. Two floors. Three¡­ she wasn¡¯t sure how many had gone by when it finally slowed.


    She desperately tried to look calm, tried to look as if she had simply wandered off by accident. As if it were no big deal, really.


    She was sure she failed miserably.


    Maybe she could claim to be sleepwalking, she was still wearing her sister¡¯s pajamas.


    Hoping to delay the inevitable, she tucked herself into the corner nearest the control panel when the elevator finally came to a halt.


    The doors opened. She braced herself to be discovered.


    There was no one there. At least not waiting for the elevator. The faint murmur of countless voices moving in the space in front of the elevator reached her.


    One of those voices stood out. Robyn. Her sister was nothing if not loud.


    The elevator doors started to close again. In a split-second decision, she held down the door open button.


    The voices were still on the move, as if they were drifting back and forth beyond the open doors, and she strained to hear what they were discussing.


    ¡°Stop being so pessimistic,¡± Robyn said, her voice moving right to left a few feet in front of the open doors.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± someone asked from the right.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to okay this, so I¡¯m going over your head,¡± she practically shouted back.


    There was a reply that Sarah couldn¡¯t hear. Her index finger started hurting from holding down the button and she switched to her thumb. She considered letting go, but she heard Robyn¡¯s voice again.


    ¡°Go look at Hydra¡¯s reports before telling me I¡¯m wrong!¡± Robyn sounded angry now. She also sounded further away.


    ¡°Did you read past his initial statement or are you choosing to ignore his concerns?¡± a man responded, closer to the elevator than Robyn. He hadn¡¯t moved to follow her.


    Sarah recognized his voice as well¡ªthe nameless guy who chased her down the street. Even though he was also speaking more loudly, his tone wasn¡¯t heated like Robyn¡¯s.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re being annoying!¡± Robyn shouted. She seemed to have stopped. ¡°Let me just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop pushing forward without thinking! Let¡¯s talk about this,¡± another woman called from right outside the elevator door.


    Sarah startled, thumb almost slipping from the button.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that it can¡¯t be done,¡± another familiar voice appeared¡ªZeus. ¡°But we don¡¯t have the resources right now.¡±


    There was more to the exchange that Sarah couldn¡¯t hear or understand. They¡¯d stopped shouting at a distance from each other. She switched to her other thumb as she lost most of the conversation.


    A chair scraped along the floor loudly.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t move now, we¡¯ll lose our window,¡± Robyn said, not quite a shout, but still loud enough for Sarah to hear. ¡°We have a good lead this time. Griffon agrees. The first real thing in ages.¡±


    ¡°And we will send someone to check it out,¡± Zeus said, also raising his voice. ¡°You have to stay focused.¡±


    Sarah pressed herself harder against the elevator¡¯s cold wall. Her head was spinning. What were they talking about? And how was Robyn mixed up in it? Even more than she¡¯d expected, her sister was definitely not some random bystander.


    Her thoughts were in such a turmoil, she barely noticed as someone stopped right in front of the open elevator doors and peeked in.


    Their eyes met¡ªit was the blonde from the other day.


    ¡°Hey, guys? Did somebody lose a spy?¡±


    Startled, Sarah pulled her hand back. The elevator doors slid shut, cutting her off from that world.

 Book I - ch 7. Crossed Wires

    * * *


    Amused, Scorpion watched as the doors closed. She¡¯d been surprised to find Sarah standing there.


    Robyn raced over, but it was too late, the elevator had already started moving.


    ¡°Was I supposed to stop that?¡± Scorpion asked, unrepentant.


    Robyn glared at her. ¡°How long was she standing there?¡±


    Scorpion shrugged. ¡°Did someone let her out on purpose?¡±


    Robyn turned a questioning look to Zeus. He shook his head.


    Pegasus pressed the elevator call button when no one seemed to remember it existed. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in how she got up here without anyone noticing.¡±


    ¡°I went to get a sandwich,¡± Cypher mumbled. ¡°And I was not supposed to be looking at the monitors.¡±


    ¡°And where are your minions?¡± Scorpion asked.


    ¡°Doing minion things.¡±


    Zeus raised a hand to stop them. ¡°Scorpion, please make sure she returns to her room and stays there. Pegasus, if you would please help Dragon finish reviewing Hydra¡¯s notes. We¡¯re short of time.¡±


    Pegasus nodded.


    Robyn didn¡¯t argue, though clearly this was not the arrangement she wanted. Scorpion wasn¡¯t thrilled with it either, but she held back her complaints.


    When everyone else went on their way, she turned her attention back to Cypher. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to go back to your monitors?¡± She tied her hair into a ponytail. ¡°Go see if sleeping beauty is back in her room. I so don¡¯t want to have to chase her down.¡±


    * * *


    Sarah pressed her palm against her forehead as she stared at a flickering wisp of light dancing on the bedroom ceiling. Just one night of decent, peaceful sleep. Was that really too much to ask for?


    She shut her eyes, letting her arm drape over her closed lids, immersing her in darkness. The dark summoned a yawn and started leading her mind away. Her thoughts split between awake and asleep, as if running in two different directions, a tug-of-war that left her unable to follow either.


    Just as sleep seemed to win, fear flashed through her mind. Heart racing, she opened her eyes in a jolt, pushing back the imaginary threat. The urgency, so clear a second ago, was now gone, nothing to show for it but her racing pulse.


    Was that three times in as many nights now? Maybe it was the fourth. And what was she even scared of? The worst thing she could think of right now would be flunking Introduction to Statistics if she couldn¡¯t get any sleep before the test tomorrow.


    She propped up her pillow on the headrest, punching it into position though it was blameless.


    With a sigh, she reached for the small notebook and opened it on the marked page. The faint glow from outside wasn¡¯t enough, so she turned on the light.


    The large lump of sheets and pillows that was her sleeping sister stirred immediately. Robyn grumbled something in her sleep and pulled her blanket over her face.


    Sarah turned off the light. Her inability to get a good night¡¯s sleep wouldn¡¯t be such a bother to Robyn if they weren¡¯t currently sharing the same room. Maybe they could use this as an excuse to get Dad to finally finish patching up the holes he¡¯d left in the wall of what should have been Robyn¡¯s actual room. But that was a separate problem. It wouldn¡¯t help with the present issue of being stuck very much awake and in the dark because she didn¡¯t want to wake Robyn up.


    Notebook still in hand, she made her way to the door. Robyn didn¡¯t stir once.


    Sarah was surprised to find signs of life elsewhere in the house. The television was on in the living room. Mom had likely forgotten it on again after watching a late-night movie.


    It wasn¡¯t until she started looking for the remote that she saw Dad passed out on the couch, having fallen over where he sat.


    Sarah dropped onto the couch next to him.


    He opened his eyes, disturbed by the movement. He squinted first at her, then at his watch. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be asleep?¡±


    Sarah smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He yawned. ¡°I was waiting for the game to start. Your mom didn¡¯t feel like watching.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Sarah looked back at the screen. The game in question was five minutes from ending. She leaned back on the couch, hugging her notebook to her like a favored stuffed animal. Something she¡¯d written a couple of days ago had been bugging her.


    ¡°Hey, Dad, were you ever, like, a spy?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d tell me if you were a spy, right?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°Of course not. Because if I were a spy, I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you.¡±


    Sarah rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°Neither is you asking me these strange questions at¡­¡± He checked his watch again. ¡°Is it really 3am?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡±


    He muted the television and turned to face her. No trace of his earlier smile or sleepy eyes remained. ¡°Sarah, I am not a spy. Why would you ask such a thing?¡±


    Sarah played with her notebook, flipping it back and forth in her hands. ¡°Do you have a gun?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Was it in her dream that he did? ¡°But you can use one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I was in the army. You know that.¡±


    ¡°Just the army?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just the army, Sarah.¡± He frowned at her, probably starting to worry that there was more to the conversation than what she was saying.


    ¡°And you really would tell me if you¡¯d been a spy¡­¡±


    He turned off the television and put the remote down on the coffee table before turning to face her. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you heard your mom and me talking or you saw something in the office that made you think this. But there¡¯s nothing for you to be worried about. A very long time ago, before you were even born, I was contacted by some people right after I¡¯d left the service. They had a good offer, and I was tempted, but then your grandpa got sick and I had to go back home and take care of him, so that was that. Never heard from them again, don¡¯t really know if they were looking for spies. They said they wanted analysts, which is what I was already doing.¡±


    Sarah couldn¡¯t feel the relief she¡¯d expected from his answer.


    ¡°Do you want to tell me why this came up?¡±


    She shook her head, hugging the notebook tighter. ¡°No reason.¡±


    None that he¡¯d believe, anyway.


    * * *


    Without a better idea of what to do once the elevator took off with her inside, Sarah randomly pressed buttons hoping one of them would take her back to her room. As chance would have it, the first hallway the elevator stopped at looked like the one she¡¯d come from. Though, as far as she knew, all the hallways in this place might look the same. Still, she was able to find her room after only a couple of wrong guesses. Thankfully, typing in the wrong codes at the doors that weren¡¯t hers didn¡¯t trigger any alarms.


    When her door opened after she typed in the code, she hesitated for only a second. She was tired, everything hurt. Grumbling to herself, she voluntarily stepped back into her cage. It wasn¡¯t as if she was going to escape anyway, not when Robyn was so comfortable in this place.


    Besides, she desperately needed to lie back down.


    She went back to the bed she considered hers and closed her eyes. Maybe she could pretend it was all a dream, some twisted dream she could wake up from and find her real life waiting for her.


    That would be nice.


    The door opened. She readied herself to bombard her sister with questions, but it wasn¡¯t Robyn who came in. It was the impatient blonde from the other day. She didn¡¯t look much happier today.


    ¡°What in hell were you thinking?¡± the woman asked as she closed the door behind her.


    She started checking the security panel, so she missed Sarah¡¯s attempt at a shrug.


    ¡°I figured I¡¯d stretch my legs, get some exercise, see the scenery.¡±


    ¡°How did the inside of the elevator look?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen better.¡±


    The blonde leaned back against the door and met Sarah¡¯s gaze evenly. ¡°Maybe the fall has got you all confused, but you¡¯re not supposed to be wandering around aimlessly down here. That¡¯s why there was a lock on your door.¡±


    Sarah cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Down?¡±


    ¡°That was not the point,¡± the woman complained.


    Sarah plastered on her best smile. ¡°I know, but I ignored the rest. Where¡¯s Robyn?¡±


    ¡°Busy.¡±


    ¡°With what?¡±


    The woman gave her an irritated look. ¡°Ask her later.¡±


    ¡°So, are you my babysitter now? I thought you were some sort of errand girl.¡±


    ¡°Did your sister leave the door unlocked for you?¡± the blonde asked.


    ¡°If I have to get a sitter, can I at least have a less hostile one?¡± Sarah asked, trying to annoy the woman into letting something else slip.


    The woman grinned. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re playing at.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here or where here is, but I do know something.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    Sarah resisted the urge to wipe the sweat from her brow. ¡°What should I call you? Besides my keeper for the time being?¡±


    The woman looked her up and down as if examining her. ¡°Scorpion.¡±


    ¡°Nice name. Really matches your personality.¡±


    Scorpion glared at her.


    ¡°Well, whoever you are, here¡¯s what I know: my sister¡¯s no stranger to you.¡±


    It was confirmation enough in her mind that Scorpion didn¡¯t refute it. Sarah tried not to let that show, but she didn¡¯t think she succeeded. Still, the woman said nothing. She might¡¯ve been a statue for all the reaction she showed. An irritated sort of statue, but a statue nonetheless.


    Finally, the statue moved. ¡°You¡¯ll be out of here and out of my sight as soon as you¡¯re better. So rest up and get better.¡±


    Sarah set aside her anger for a moment. ¡°Please, I¡¯m trying to understand what¡¯s going on. Can¡¯t really blame me for that, can you?¡±


    Scorpion froze. It seemed there was something she was debating. Finally, she smiled. ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll be outside.¡± And then she was gone.


    Alone again, Sarah closed her eyes. Part of her wanted to scream like a toddler until someone told her what she wanted to know. But the other part was so tired, almost too tired to care, and at least mildly aware that screaming would hurt.


    She tried to open her eyes. They obliged, reluctantly.


    The room was dark, but she hadn¡¯t turned off the lights.


    No one else was there as far as she could tell. A stream of light was coming in through the window, and the more her eyes adjusted, the more she could make out in the dark.


    Wait!


    There was no window in this place!


    As she realized her mistake, her mind made the image vanish accordingly.


    There was wetness on her cheeks. Had she been crying in her sleep?


    The walls were marked with shadows. In the darkness, they were monsters and eyes.


    Eyes that watched her.


    Monsters that were coming for her.


    The shadows twisted. Sarah shut her eyes, struggling to breathe through the pain.


    When she opened her eyes again, the room was light, but no less scary.


    The walls were stained with blood.


    A crimson river flowed over the tiles she¡¯d been counting on the floor.


    Sarah tried turning away from the it, and pain shot through her.


    Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up, careful of her injuries.


    Had she fallen asleep?


    The room was dark. Had someone turned off the lights for her? There was no glow coming from any imaginary window, nor was there blood anywhere in sight. She felt her face for tears and found none.


    Sarah didn¡¯t want to close her eyes anymore. It was just her mind playing tricks on her. That¡¯s all it could have been, right?

 Book I - ch 8. A Dragon’s Tale

    * * *


    After a while¡ªSarah couldn¡¯t tell how long¡ªthe door opened. She closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.


    No footsteps came, but through her closed eyelids she perceived light coming in from the hallway. Compelled by the silence, she failed to keep up the pretense for long and opened her eyes.


    Robyn stood at the open door, silhouetted against the light from outside.


    They stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence.


    ¡°You know these people. You¡¯ve been here before, haven¡¯t you?¡± As the words spilled out, Sarah realized she¡¯d been afraid of asking. Afraid of what her sister¡¯s answers might be.


    Robyn nodded after a moment. ¡°Dad talked to me once about his work here. I¡ªI don¡¯t know everything about what¡¯s going on, but I know enough to put us in danger, to put you in danger. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been keeping you isolated.¡±


    Sarah clenched her fists, bunching up the sheets. ¡°Stop lying to me.¡±


    Robyn stepped into the room, turning on the lights.


    Temporarily blinded, Sarah blinked rapidly. When her eyes adjusted, Robyn had pulled the chair closer to the bed.


    Instead of sitting down, though, she paced from one side of the room to the other.


    After a few rounds of this, she sank down into the corner, pulling her knees up to rest her chin on them.


    Sarah had caught her hiding like that in the closet so many times when they were little. It was disturbing to have that image evoked now. But it went a long way to dimming her anger.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Robyn whispered without looking up.


    Sarah waited, but Robyn didn¡¯t say anything else; she simply stared at the floor.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault they¡¯re dead.¡± She choked on the next words. ¡°Mom and Dad.¡±


    Sarah wasn¡¯t sure what to make of that, much less what to say. Not even her fears had conjured up such a scenario.


    Robyn looked like she didn¡¯t want to continue, but her expression became determined. ¡°Remember when I took a year off before starting university?¡±


    Sarah frowned, not seeing the connection. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I started volunteering at the crisis center for the W.R.O., remember?¡±


    Sarah nodded again. The World Recovery Organization. There had always been something about the name that struck her as odd.


    ¡°I spent about the entire time with the War Orphans,¡± Robyn said, using the name the organization had become known for among its opponents.


    Initially, Sarah didn¡¯t think something akin to a relief fund would have opposition. She¡¯d been surprised to find she was wrong.


    War Orphans was initially a derogatory term that stemmed from the fact the organization primarily helped the families and victims of violent acts. But while the W.R.O. supported an orphanage among their list of buildings, they were much more than housing facilities.


    Somewhere along the line, the members of the organization embraced the name as their own. What was to be a joke became their own acknowledgement of what they were: people who¡¯d had their lives taken from them by war¡ªand it was a war, whether there was an official recognition of one or not.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Robyn gestured at the walls. ¡°All this belongs to the W.R.O.¡±


    Sarah followed the motion, looking at the walls as if she hadn¡¯t memorized the details by now.


    ¡°Remember that day when you were all so worried because there¡¯d been an attack at the crisis center I was volunteering at?¡±


    Of course she remembered. She¡¯d been at school, suffering through the last twenty minutes of a class that invariably only ended when the bell rang. The teacher was called to the door and when she returned, she announced they were done for the day. It was so unexpected, no one moved until the teacher repeated herself.


    It wasn¡¯t until Sarah joined her classmates outside that she realized something was wrong. They were told to wait in the yard until someone came for them. It felt like a joke, they weren¡¯t children anymore. But no one let them leave.


    When Mom showed up, she said little and wouldn¡¯t let go of the phone. She called anyone and everyone who might have a phone and a reason to have seen Robyn that day.


    Dad was waiting for them at home. Sarah only saw him make one call, after which he sat on the couch and stared at his watch.


    Sarah kept her eyes on the news, watching the chaos unfold and hoping Robyn hadn¡¯t been caught up in it.


    Hours went by before Robyn got home. She said she¡¯d forgotten to charge her phone and had spent the afternoon in the park because someone traded shifts with her at the center.


    Sarah had been so relieved back then that Robyn was fine that she ignored several things that were odd. Like how Dad didn¡¯t seem surprised when Robyn came home. And Robyn had clung to Mom as Mom cried, but now Sarah couldn¡¯t remember seeing her and Dad even say a word to each other.


    ¡°I lied about having been given the day off,¡± Robyn said.


    What hadn¡¯t her sister lied about?


    ¡°I was at the crisis center when it was attacked. That¡¯s what started all of it, I guess. It was when I found out what the W.R.O. was really involved in. I¡¯ve been working for them ever since.¡±


    Sarah blinked at her. That had been years ago. And all this time Robyn had been lying to them?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the New Nation cared about Dad. It¡¯s doubtful they¡¯d be looking for him after so long.¡± Robyn leaned her head back to stare up at the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they found me, but they did. And that makes it all my fault.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sarah chose not to focus on that last part. It was such a painful thought and the weird offspring of a conversation she wished she didn¡¯t need to have. ¡°So was anything you told me true? About the crisis center and all that?¡±


    ¡°The crisis center does a lot of real work,¡± Robyn said. ¡°It¡¯s also more or less a front.¡±


    ¡°So were you lying about university? Because I¡¯ve seen you there, in class.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to keep it up, if only as a cover, but I¡¯ve been struggling. Haven¡¯t you noticed I only have one actual class this semester? I flunked two last year and I¡¯m barely keeping up as it is. Sometimes having a few simple errands to run gets in the way.¡±


    ¡°I just thought you were lazy,¡± Sarah muttered. It certainly wouldn¡¯t have occurred to her that her sister was struggling with her classes because she was leading a double life. ¡°You said this place had a task force to investigate the New Nation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a large part of what we do. We also handle other investigations when needed.¡± Robyn examined the tips of her hair, picking something out of it.


    ¡°Who runs this place? Because I thought the crisis center had government funding besides the donations.¡±


    ¡°Somewhere high up the food chain there¡¯s a connection with the government, but most everyone here doesn¡¯t fit into any specific category. People wind up working here as the need for them arises.¡±


    Sarah stared at her. She couldn¡¯t imagine her sister doing anything important. It was probably a mean opinion to have, but she¡¯d honestly never thought Robyn had the conviction or the dedication to do anything of the sort.


    And yet she remembered how passionate Robyn had been about volunteering at the crisis center after some kids from her school died in one of the New Nation attacks. Maybe that was what had made her easy prey for these people.


    ¡°Robyn¡­¡± Sarah hesitated, lowering her voice as much she could. Whoever these people who¡¯d recruited Robyn were, they were playing with people¡¯s lives. ¡°Is there any chance that the people here were the ones who killed our parents?¡±


    ¡°No, I promise.¡± Robyn¡¯s expression suggested she thought the idea absurd. ¡°They had nothing to do with it.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Who¡¯s to say what they¡¯d be capable of to keep their secrets hidden?


    ¡°I know them.¡±


    Sarah gave her a skeptical look.


    ¡°They¡¯re not bad people.¡± Robyn seemed to struggle with her words. ¡°They¡¯re not some shadows outside in the hallway, not even just my co-workers. They¡¯re my friends.¡±


    Sarah was about to say something in response, but Robyn raised a hand.


    ¡°They are,¡± she insisted. ¡°There¡¯s Griffon, who saved my life when we first met at the center. Unicorn, who was my sponsor during training. There¡¯s Scorpion, who butted heads with me all along the way, but risked her life for me more than once. There¡¯s also Pegasus. You met him your first day back from la la land.¡±


    ¡°The one who smiles a lot.¡±


    Robyn nodded. ¡°He does that when he¡¯s trying to look friendly. He thinks it makes him seem approachable.¡±


    ¡°It kinda works.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, when I first met him, he drew a gun on me because I said the wrong thing.¡±


    Sarah hadn¡¯t thought he looked violent. Clearly, she was wrong.


    ¡°But he¡¯s the one I¡¯d pick if I had to go through hell and needed company,¡± Robyn added hurriedly, as if that would somehow make it better. She flinched. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that first bit about the gun.¡±


    Sarah let her sister ramble on, aware that they were both ignoring the main issue. It was fine to indulge in this wayward conversation for the moment. ¡°So, everyone here is like a soldier or something?¡±


    ¡°Close enough. They come from different backgrounds, but they all go through a lot of training to be here.¡±


    Sarah scoffed. ¡°They can¡¯t be that good if they couldn¡¯t bring me in without almost killing me.¡±


    ¡°It was an accident. Besides, you are a handful.¡±


    ¡°That was your excuse when you let me eat that poisonous plant in the living room.¡±


    ¡°I was nine!¡±


    ¡°I was five!¡±


    ¡°Accidents happen,¡± Robyn said. ¡°But these people, all of them, are the best we have.¡±


    ¡°In someone¡¯s opinion other than their own?¡±


    Robyn surrendered a smile. ¡°Well, that might be too much to ask. Nobody¡¯s perfect. We¡¯re all human.¡± Her smile faltered a bit. ¡°Unicorn likes to gossip, Scorpion¡¯s got a bitchy streak in her, Griffon lets his emotions get in the way sometimes, and Pegasus has a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on when he doesn¡¯t get any sleep.¡±


    Sarah nodded, not really listening. Her head was pounding again. ¡°And what¡¯s your flaw, Robyn? Inability to tell the truth to loved ones?¡±


    Sarah knew she¡¯d sounded mean, but her sister didn¡¯t seem to be taken aback.


    Robyn sighed. ¡°I always follow through.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°It can be,¡± Robyn said, her gaze far away. ¡°Because even if you change your mind mid-fall, you¡¯re still falling.¡±


    Sarah frowned. Whatever Robyn was trying to convey was lost on her. ¡°I thought that made you pig-headed.¡±


    Robyn rose to her feet and started towards the door, pausing at the threshold. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can ever say to make you forgive me, and I know there isn¡¯t anything I can ever do to make me forgive myself.¡± Robyn turned away from her. ¡°I wanted you to know that. And if you want to hate me, that¡¯s okay.¡±


    She was gone before Sarah had a chance to reply. Which was probably best since she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    In her mind, everything Robyn said started going round and round, part of the storm pounding against the inside of her skull.


    Tears started pooling in her eyes until they overflowed. Still, she didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± She could never hate her sister.


    * * *


    Robyn was almost back to her room when she ran into Pegasus. By how he¡¯d been hanging around in the middle of the hallway, he¡¯d been waiting for her.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± he asked.


    Robyn shrugged without slowing down. She wasn¡¯t sure what was going through Sarah¡¯s mind at the moment. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what was going through her own mind.


    Her initial plan had been to give Sarah some half-truths to satisfy her curiosity. In the end, she¡¯d told her so much, too much. It felt good being able to get at least that much out in the open¡ªeven if it was meant as a smokescreen for all the things she couldn¡¯t say.


    Everything she said would¡¯ve hit Sarah pretty hard. Robyn was dreading the rest of that conversation. And she really didn¡¯t want to think how Sarah might react if or when she heard the entire story.


    Pegasus followed her along, clearly trying to read her thoughts in her expression. That made her uncomfortable.


    ¡°She¡¯s your sister, she loves you, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said, simplifying things to a ridiculous degree.


    ¡°Did they finish going over the warehouse?¡± she asked, changing subjects. Better distract him with work before he got too nosy.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re coming back now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d they find? Is the shipment all there?¡±


    He looked grim. ¡°A little more than half the chemicals are unaccounted for.¡±


    ¡°I really wanted in on this one.¡± She opened the door to her room with so much force that Pegasus took a step back as if expecting it to come off the wall.


    He leaned against the doorjamb when she went in. ¡°There¡¯ll be other missions, unfortunately. Or fortunately, depending on how screwed up you are inside. Any news on when you¡¯re clear?¡±


    ¡°Doc Brown¡¯s being infuriating, as usual. He wants another week to make sure my bloodwork is back to normal. Said he doesn¡¯t want me anywhere near poison gas in my current anemic state.¡±


    Pegasus laughed. ¡°I know, it¡¯s astounding how he doesn¡¯t care that the healthy people are going near the poison gas. Then again, it¡¯s only his job to care about the sick people.¡±


    ¡°Yay, me.¡±


    ¡°You could take it as an opportunity to spend time with your sister.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She made a face. ¡°I¡¯m kinda scared of that.¡± And kinda was putting it mildly.


    ¡°Just suck it up, Dragon. It¡¯s not fair to her.¡± His smile dimmed. ¡°Or have your plans changed?¡±


    She shook her head. No plans would be changing anytime soon. The one who always followed through, that was her.


    ¡°Then stop avoiding it and talk to her.¡±


    ¡°I will¡­¡± It was inevitable.


    Pegasus nodded towards the stack of photo albums on her bed. ¡°What are you doing with those?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I went back to the house yesterday. Figured Sarah would want these. I was looking them over before I gave them to her.¡± She flipped through one, stopping at a photo of the entire family. Smiles filled her view. ¡°There¡¯s so much of our lives we take for granted, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Have you considered changing your mind?¡± His tone was gentle.


    She nodded. ¡°But I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You went to the house by yourself?¡± he asked, changing gears.


    Robyn rolled her eyes. ¡°Unicorn drove me. She wasn¡¯t too happy about it, either. Gave me almost the same look you¡¯re giving me now. She also kept watch outside the entire time. It was perfectly safe.¡±


    ¡°I spoke to a friend of mine on the force. They¡¯ve all but filed it away as a random hit,¡± he said.


    That was expected. In all honesty, they weren¡¯t hoping for much. The police, when on its own, didn¡¯t have an impressive track record dealing with the New Nation.


    ¡°Cypher thinks we might have a lead on which cell attacked us,¡± she said. ¡°Griffon isn¡¯t letting me anywhere near it until we have something solid, but I¡¯ll get it out of Cypher as soon as you¡¯re all gone. When do you head out?¡±


    He didn¡¯t even bother warning her off. He really knew her well. ¡°0600.¡±


    She checked her watch. ¡°You should get some sleep then.¡±


    He smiled, pushing himself away from the doorjamb. ¡°Any other last-minute advice?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t get killed.¡±

 Book I - ch 9. A Place Like Home

    * * *


    The door opened without warning. Sarah had been distracted playing mind games with the tiles on the floor; she hadn¡¯t noticed someone was even outside until the doorknob turned.


    Robyn poked her head in and took a deep breath as if to steady herself. ¡°Hey, can I come in?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were hiding from me.¡±


    ¡°I kinda was¡­ Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Robyn laughed. ¡°Am I okay? Me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Robyn. Of course it¡¯s not.¡±


    Robyn shook her head as if she disagreed, but she said nothing aloud.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m going crazy in here. You could¡¯ve at least brought me a TV, a deck of cards, a book. Something, anything.¡±


    ¡°I went to the house a couple of days ago,¡± Robyn cut in when Sarah stopped to take a breath. ¡°I brought back some of our photo albums.¡±


    Sarah froze. She¡¯d barely registered the words photo albums. She was thinking about the house. About what that house meant.


    Home.


    But was it a home if it was just a house? An empty house with a broken door and blood needing to be wiped from the floor¡­


    Would anyone have done that?


    Her mind recoiled from the thought of how the blood had gotten there as her eyes started tearing up.


    She cast the memory shakily from her mind by forcing herself to latch onto what Robyn had been saying.


    Photo albums¡­


    Photos of people laughing, of trips and holidays and everyday things. Mom cooking, Dad making the hole that was never patched in Robyn¡¯s wall.


    Robyn was watching her expectantly.


    She wiped at her eyes, trying not to blink.


    Just things, albums, photos. But most of her photos wouldn¡¯t be in those albums.


    ¡°My laptop, my phone. All my photos, my files. Everything is there.¡±


    Sarah closed her eyes. It was hard to focus on the things. The files weren¡¯t important¡ªthey were mostly assignments for classes she couldn¡¯t care less about¡ªbut the photos were different. They were all that was left of the life they had.


    ¡°Do you want me to bring the albums over?¡± Robyn asked.


    Sarah nodded, subdued.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go get them.¡±


    Robyn had barely opened the door when an alarm sounded.


    For a moment, Sarah thought there was an alarm rigged to her door, but that was a little too ridiculous. The next thought, that it signaled something greater, was confirmed by Robyn¡¯s reaction. Her sister shot her a startled glance before running off.


    * * *


    Robyn remembered to make sure the door was locked behind her. This was not a good time to have Sarah wandering around the place¡ªnot that any time would be.


    In the distance, the alarm continued. Its rhythm signaled a medical emergency. That usually meant that a team had come in with severe injuries and the medical staff and whatever personnel were on call to help needed to be prepared.


    Curiosity more than anything made her head towards comm. As was customary, she ran to the stairs instead of the elevator because she was not on call. As far as she knew, the only team they had outside at the moment was Griffon¡¯s. The urgency of the alarm meant they¡¯d come back, and someone was dying.


    As she reached the last flight of stairs, she almost knocked over a dazed Scorpion.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Robyn stopped short of bumping into her. Instinctively, relief flooded her. She could scratch at least one name off the injured list. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°They saw us coming somehow,¡± Scorpion said, upset. ¡°Bear¡¯s not doing so good. Pegasus¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that moron¡¯s not easy to kill.¡±


    Scorpion hovered where she was, as if she¡¯d forgotten where she¡¯d been going.


    ¡°Did we get the rest of the shipment?¡± Robyn asked. They¡¯d been tracking down canisters of poisonous gas that had been stolen from a research lab.


    ¡°Looks like it. Including the ones they decided to test drive. But better that they use it on us than anybody else, right?¡±


    Without waiting for an answer, Scorpion moved past her. Robyn noticed she had a makeshift bandage on her right leg, but she wasn¡¯t limping too bad. Must not have been serious. She¡¯d still have to keep off it for a couple of days. That meant they¡¯d be short at least three operatives for the next day or two.


    If the mission to track down the cell that attacked the Owens¡¯ household got okayed within the next few hours as expected, she might be allowed to fill in.


    In the distance, the alarm stopped.


    Robyn closed her eyes. She never liked that silence.


    When the alarm was still sounding, there was still hope, still possibility. Someone was dying, but they weren¡¯t dead. Not yet.


    When the sound stopped, it meant an emergency summoning was no longer necessary, either because all the doctors had arrived or because there was no one left to save.


    * * *


    Sarah was trying to finish reading a paragraph from the book in front of her, but she was getting stuck on the same sentence. She¡¯d read it about twenty times by now, but she still didn¡¯t know what she was reading. Shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise since she couldn¡¯t even remember which book it was. At this point, she was staring at the page and not doing much else.


    ¡°Are you pretending to study so you won¡¯t help me with the laundry?¡± Mom asked, passing her on the way to the bedroom.


    Sarah blinked at her, following what had happened with a sort of delay. ¡°No.¡±


    Her gaze fell back on the book. She didn¡¯t think she had a book to read. Why had she been wishing someone brought her a book?


    She blinked at the page, not bothering to read it. Like an idiot, she picked it up and leafed through it with the strangest feeling that the book shouldn¡¯t be there.


    Was it because she didn¡¯t have her things? Everything she had was back home.


    Wait! Her eyes darted about the living room.


    She was home. How could she be home?


    But it was her living room and the front door¡ªhad they fixed the door?


    Sarah jumped to her feet. Her chair lost balance, crashing onto the floor.


    She was having trouble breathing.


    This was wrong.


    It was a dream. She had to wake up.


    But it looked like home. It felt like home.


    It couldn¡¯t be, could it?


    There¡¯d been a room, a white sterile room with little more than a bed where she¡¯d been trapped, and empty corridors that led to an elevator that led¡­


    She sucked in a breath. She still felt trapped, still felt the need to escape.


    ¡°Sarah? Are you alright?¡±


    Mom!


    Sarah whirled towards the voice. Mom looked startled at first, then concerned as she came closer.


    Sarah took an instinctive step back, wiping at her eyes to get rid of the tears. She wanted to wake up, and she desperately wished she didn¡¯t have to. She didn¡¯t want to have all this taken away.


    ¡°Sarah, honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Unable to answer, Sarah shook her head over and over again. Salt from her tears spread along her tongue. Dreams shouldn¡¯t feel this real, should they?


    She latched onto her mother and cried. It had been a dream, just a dream.


    There was no locked room, no blood on the wall.


    This was real.


    This was real¡­


    * * *


    Sarah¡¯s eyes snapped open, finding only darkness.


    Had she fallen asleep? She didn¡¯t even remember going to bed. Did she pass out?


    She reached out for the light switch. If she were in her own bed, it should be on the right. From Robyn¡¯s bed, it would be to her left. But there wasn¡¯t even a wall on either side of the bed.


    Frantic, she found the wall behind the headrest. She felt around the wall until she finally came to the switch.


    The light blinded her for a second.


    When she could open her eyes, the air was knocked out of her as if she¡¯d been punched.


    The white walls, the locked room¡­


    No! This was wrong, this was so wrong!


    It couldn¡¯t be real.


    This was only a dream.


    She had to wake up. That¡¯s all she had to do to go back to the place where her mother was holding her. The lingering sensation of an embrace was still there if she tried.


    Warmth, and the smell of laundry detergent.


    But with each breath, it was getting lost in the haze like everything else.


    Sarah clasped a hand over her mouth. There was blood on the wall.


    Ignoring the pain when she moved, she ran to the bathroom to wash her face. The image in the mirror was even more frightening.


    She screamed at the image, but her own bloody face screamed back. The sound of running water overtook the silence, but was no more comforting.


    Sarah went for the outer door, but it was locked.


    Of course it was. She was sobbing now.


    Robyn¡­


    She was sure her sister would be in this place, in this nightmare.


    Sarah pounded on the door, screaming Robyn¡¯s name regardless of whether anyone outside could hear her. She pressed random numbers on the panel by the door when she couldn¡¯t think of a code.


    A piercing pain shot through her brain and she squeezed her eyes shut. Numbers flashed through her head. Something with seven?


    Sarah turned her attention to the intercom instead. She tried all the buttons and, when that didn¡¯t work, she started hitting it with the palm of her hand.


    ¡°Hey, Sarah? Stop that, please,¡± a man¡¯s voice came through.


    She didn¡¯t recognize the voice, but she stopped. ¡°I wanna talk to Robyn. Where¡¯s my sister?¡±


    ¡°Robyn had to go out, remember?¡± the voice said slowly, as if he were talking to a child¡ªor maybe a crazy person. ¡°She said she told you about it earlier today. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    She swallowed back another sob. The haze was clearing. Yes, she remembered.


    Robyn had left and she had died¡­


    Mom was dead. So was Dad.


    And there was blood on the wall. She turned to look at it with an involuntary whimper.


    Whose blood was it? She couldn¡¯t remember.

 Book I - ch 10. Rulebreaker

    * * *


    Sarah shut her eyes tight, refusing to see the blood.


    The voice asked another question, but she wasn¡¯t listening. The voice, no matter how calm, was unfamiliar and without a face to it. She didn¡¯t want a stranger on the other side of the wall.


    Her mind struggled with sorting out everything that was real and dream. ¡°Where¡¯s Robyn?¡±


    Whoever the voice belonged to gave up trying to calm her down and disconnected the call.


    Sarah tried the lock again with more of the numbers that came to mind, but the door didn¡¯t budge. Screaming, at the door or maybe the faceless voice on the other end of the intercom, she pounded on the door until she wasn¡¯t sure what she was doing anymore.


    Only the pain flaring up in her chest stopped her. She focused on it as if it were a lifeline away from all the madness. The pain was real. And if the pain was real, so was her fall inside that abandoned building.


    Like a string being pulled, it unraveled the sequence of events, setting reality apart from what had been the dream.


    Crying, Sarah withdrew from the door and sank into the corner. She¡¯d wanted so much for that other life, that other place, where everything kept going as it was, to be real. She drew in a deep breath and pain spiked somewhere in her chest again.


    Yes, the pain was real.


    She steadied her breaths, and soon it didn¡¯t hurt as much. Everything started separating in her head, even if the feelings weren¡¯t so easy to sort out.


    Dream and reality both felt so very much alike. Rationally, though, it was a piece of cake telling them apart¡­ the good things were the dream and the bad things were real.


    Of course the bad things would be real.


    She pressed the palms of her hands against her closed lids, hoping to shove back into the dark corners of her brain all the things she wished she hadn¡¯t seen.


    The cold from the tiles seeped through her pajamas, leaving a cold trail along her skin. Her chest and head were competing to see which could hurt more. Now that her panic had subsided, everything was reduced to pain.


    Invading her darkness and the silence dominated by her shallow breaths came the click of her lock.


    She opened her eyes, shifting her gaze without moving her head.


    The door inched open, blocking her view of whoever it was. A hand appeared from the threshold, fingers waving. ¡°Are you gonna attack me or can I come in?¡±


    It took her a moment before she recognized the voice. Pegasus, Robyn had called him. He didn¡¯t wait for a reply before coming inside and letting the door close behind him.


    ¡°You look horrible,¡± he said when he saw her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look so good yourself.¡±


    If at all possible, he looked worse than she felt. Pale skin and sunken eyes gave him an air of exhaustion. It didn¡¯t help that his hair was a mess and his clothes were wrinkled as if he¡¯d been sleeping in them.


    He shrugged a shoulder, gestured at himself. ¡°This is what you get when you start screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night.¡±


    Sarah wiped at her face to get rid of any tear stains. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°I breathed in when I should¡¯ve not breathed at all.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It turns out I can¡¯t hold my breath for more than three minutes.¡± He gave her a wry smile. ¡°And the gas mask had a bullet hole in it.¡±


    Was he trying to shock her?


    But if he was in this state¡­ Robyn¡­


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Your sister¡¯s fine.¡±


    Sarah rubbed her sore eyelids. ¡°You a mind-reader now?¡±


    ¡°I wish. That would be so helpful. I could know when the cook was planning on making pizza and get there before it got cold.¡±


    Sarah turned to stare at him with wide eyes, a laugh escaping her before she noticed.


    Pegasus smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s understandable to be worried. This time, Robyn wasn¡¯t there when we were playing with poison gas.¡±


    But she might be in the future.


    He tapped his fingers against his leg. ¡°But my being like this is to blame for her current absence. So I guess I should say sorry for the inconvenience.¡±


    Sarah scrutinized his face. It was more than exhaustion. Something was wrong with his eyes as well¡ªother than how red they were. The rim of blue was thinner than she thought it should be, as if his pupils were dilated. And now that she looked closer, the paleness of his skin had a sickly quality to it.


    All in all, he was the one who looked like he belonged in a hospital bed.


    The fog all but disappeared from her brain, a twinge of guilt joined the embarrassment abut having a meltdown in the middle of the night. ¡°Sorry I bothered you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was going crazy cooped up in my room. At least your little tantrum gave me an excuse to get out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome? I guess.¡±


    ¡°You wanna tell me what happened? Cypher said you were hysterical.¡±


    ¡°Is that the name to the voice on the other end of that thing?¡± she asked, nodding towards the intercom.


    ¡°And now you¡¯re avoiding the question.¡±


    She twisted the corner of her mouth. Avoidance was as good a reaction as any.


    ¡°Personally, I think he was too scared to come down here himself and that¡¯s why he woke me up,¡± Pegasus said during her silence. He settled himself in the corner opposite from her, mirroring her position.


    Maybe she should offer him her bed.


    The sentences formed on the edge of her mind and lingered on the tip of her tongue, but it sounded so stupid now that she was fully awake.


    Tired, bloodshot eyes continued to watch her expectantly. He looked about ready to collapse. And yet he was there.


    ¡°I had a bad dream,¡± she muttered. ¡°I thought I was home and when I woke up, I didn¡¯t remember they were dead¡­ my parents, I mean.¡± It was hard to keep the words from bringing forth more tears, but she managed.


    ¡°Everyone has those types of dreams,¡± he whispered. ¡°They¡¯re worse than the nightmares in a way, because they trick you.¡±


    ¡°Do you have them?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No home to dream of.¡± Without explaining, he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.


    ¡°I wanna get out of here,¡± she said.


    Pegasus scoffed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not happening.¡±


    ¡°I want to go see their graves,¡± Sarah explained. ¡°Right now, it doesn¡¯t feel real¡­ Maybe if I see the place where they¡¯re buried and say a proper goodbye, it¡¯ll help.¡±


    He opened his eyes and looked at her. ¡°Did you talk to Robyn about this?¡±


    ¡°I just thought of it. And it looks like no one¡¯s gonna tell me where she is.¡±


    ¡°That happens.¡±


    ¡°Can you ask someone to take me, please?¡±


    ¡°So you can see that it¡¯s real?¡± There was something in his voice. It sounded almost like amusement.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered nonetheless, hardening her tone.


    He laughed. ¡°Well, how do you know we won¡¯t show you a couple of headstones standing on an empty lot or something? There¡¯s about as much veracity in a piece of stone as there would be in a photo of a gravestone with your name on it¡­ and don¡¯t get me started on the issues with that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He shook his head, dismissing her confusion with a wave of his hand. ¡°Sorry. Everyone says I¡¯m weird when I haven¡¯t slept.¡±


    She remembered Robyn saying something about it. It was good to know her sister hadn¡¯t been making stuff up as she went. ¡°I¡¯m even sorrier I woke you then.¡± Though maybe she should be sorry to the other people he¡¯d have to interact with.


    ¡°That makes two of us.¡± He let out a long, tired breath and pushed himself back up. ¡°Look, this isn¡¯t going anywhere tonight, just like you, and just like me¡­ You¡¯re apparently safe and reasonably sound, so I¡¯d better talk to you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± she asked before she could stop herself.


    He stopped at the door and looked back at her, pausing as if to give the question much more consideration than she deemed necessary. ¡°Yeah, tomorrow¡­ If I remember this conversation.¡±


    * * *


    Pegasus shut the door behind him and stopped for a moment, letting his eyes drift closed. It took a lot more effort than he expected to keep from collapsing on the spot. He really was so tired.


    He took a few steps before opening his eyes and almost ran into Scorpion. She was coming from the infirmary.


    ¡°How¡¯s Bear doing?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Doc says that depending on how she does over the next few days, she¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯re gonna transfer her back to the Lair in the morning.¡±


    ¡°And how¡¯s your leg?¡±


    ¡°Meh. Doc¡¯s trying to scare me into thinking it¡¯ll get infected.¡±


    They hesitated, each seemingly trying to look away from the other and failing.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Forgot my meds. Doc Green made me go get them.¡± Scorpion glanced towards Sarah¡¯s room. ¡°You didn¡¯t waste any time getting cozy, I see.¡±


    Cold replaced any hint of warmth in him. ¡°I figured it was worth a shot. What¡¯s wrong? Were you hoping I¡¯d be headed the other way?¡± The tinge of malice coated his voice quite naturally.


    Scorpion sucked in a breath, obviously forcing herself to hold her tongue. But she couldn¡¯t school her expression even if she tried. Her anger only made him more incensed.


    ¡°You started this. You shouldn¡¯t get to be pissed at me,¡± he whispered, but instead of angry, he realized he sounded hurt.


    Scorpion ran a hand through her hair. It was a habit of hers when she was trying to remain calm. She didn¡¯t look like she was up for fighting today. Neither was he. It was late, they were tired, and he was obviously not himself.


    Scorpion moved away from him. ¡°All we have are the rules sometimes.¡± It was something she¡¯d said to him many times before.


    Pegasus started laughing uncontrollably. Yeah, he was definitely far from okay. ¡°Do you know how twisted it is that you, of all people, have to keep telling me that?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make it any less true.¡±

 Book I - ch 11. An Empty Grave

    * * *


    The next morning, or what Sarah assumed was morning from her windowless point of view, there was a light tap at her door.


    She rubbed her eyes and tried to sit up, then gave up halfway through.


    Note to self: hysterically trying to break down doors with still-healing ribs, not good.


    The door inched open. ¡°Can I come in?¡±


    It was Pegasus again.


    Sarah grumbled a reply.


    He was still pale and the circle around his eyes a little too dark, but his mood was visibly better compared to last night. His appearance as well. His clothes were neat and his hair looked like it had seen a comb.


    ¡°Come on, get up,¡± he said when she didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°This early? Why?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the day.¡±


    Windowless room: one. Internal clock: zero.


    She struggled to sit up, unable to get her breathing under control.


    Pegasus offered her a hand. ¡°Are you fine with my help?¡±


    Sarah nodded. Not like she had options.


    He moved her legs to the side of the bed, pulling her forward until she could stand. Sarah clenched her jaw. The pain in her chest was back to what it had been a week ago. And why were her legs giving out? Did she kick the door yesterday or something?


    Pegasus gave her a once-over. ¡°I guess we can take the wheelchair.¡±


    Sarah was still frowning at him when he handed her a pair of pants and a shirt.


    ¡°They¡¯re Robyn¡¯s,¡± he said. ¡°You look like you¡¯re the same size.¡±


    ¡°You looted her things?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re focusing on?¡±


    Was it just her or did he sound like Robyn?


    She stopped right before trying to shrug, just in case it hurt. Robyn hated people going through her stuff, but if he wanted to live dangerously, she wasn¡¯t going to complain. ¡°Where am I going?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the cemetery.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said there was no point in going.¡±


    ¡°You said it might help you. Your sister¡¯s not here to object¡ªor beat me to a pulp¡ªand you are not a child. We¡¯re not sure how safe it is for you outside,¡± he warned. ¡°But if you¡¯re stupid enough to want to go, I¡¯ll be stupid enough to take you.¡±


    ¡°Never mind stupid, are you well enough to go anywhere?¡± He looked like he needed the wheelchair more than she did.


    He shrugged. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    Sarah clutched the clothes tighter. ¡°I wanna go.¡±


    ¡°Get changed then. I¡¯ll go get the wheelchair back.¡± He paused. ¡°Should I get someone to help you change?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll manage.¡±


    Beads of sweat forming on her temples from the effort of changing her clothes, Sarah was glad for the wheelchair. She wondered if Pegasus was playing a trick on her, but he¡¯d gotten her out of her room and now they were on an elevator going up.


    He rolled her out into a slightly larger hallway. ¡°This is where we keep our regular vehicles.¡±


    When they stopped at a closed door with a panel next to it, Pegasus parked her next to a monitor and stood to the side, facing away from it.


    ¡°Press the green button,¡± he instructed.


    Sarah did as he asked. A small combination of letters appeared on the screen in front of her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to memorize that for when we come back. Don¡¯t tell me or speak it aloud at any point, and don¡¯t write it down anywhere.¡±


    Sarah frowned at his back.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of our security precautions. Everyone going out and coming in has to do this.¡±


    She kept frowning. ¡°Can¡¯t you use blood, or fingerprints, or even iris scanner thingies like in the movies?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°All that can be thwarted. Memory is harder to fake.¡±


    ¡°What happens if I forget?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    She turned back to the screen and tried running it through her mind a few times. She resorted to using mnemonics.


    Building a box out of chickens is fun. She tried changing the chickens to cards or cardboard immediately after she thought of it, but the phrase was stuck in her head by then, and chickens it was. The most she could do was try her best not to think of a box made of chickens. ¡°Okay, got it.¡±


    ¡°Now use the pad to type in some sort of password.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Just do it.¡±


    She did as he asked, picking something she¡¯d easily remember. Once she was done, she stepped aside. Pegasus repeated her actions, except he barely looked at the screen before he shut it off.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°You guys afraid of a clone invasion in the near future?¡±


    ¡°Guess so.¡± The look he gave her made her slightly uncomfortable. Then he smiled, leading her through the large doors.


    What awaited beyond was sadly not the outside. It looked like a regular underground parking garage.


    Sarah hadn¡¯t really considered where they were, geographically speaking. They had to be still in the city or close enough if they were driving over to where her parents would be buried.


    Pegasus had barely started the car when a voice came through the speakers. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    It was the same voice that she¡¯d heard over the intercom.


    ¡°Cypher, we talked about this,¡± Pegasus responded calmly.


    ¡°No, you talked, I disagreed.¡±


    ¡°And look where we are.¡± Pegasus glanced at Sarah, his smile filled with mischief. He reminded her of one of her little cousins when they were up to no good.


    ¡°Fine, you have five hours, tops. I¡¯ll monitor you along the way,¡± Cypher said. ¡°But when Dragon comes back, I¡¯m throwing you under the bus.¡±


    Pegasus laughed. ¡°Noted.¡±


    Sarah was right. They hadn¡¯t been too far from the city. The short drive to the cemetery was filled with empty lots overtaken with weeds and half-finished constructions. Uneventful. Sarah almost wished it hadn¡¯t been.


    The sun was still shining. Along the city streets, people were still walking around, smiling, laughing. Her friends were probably in class right now, feigning attention while Professor Wyle drew calculations on the board. Regardless of her, the world went on.


    The cemetery was no different. The sun shone brightly. People were here as well, though they were dealing with their own loss.


    She hesitated getting out of the car when she saw Pegasus check his gun. She hadn¡¯t noticed he had it.


    ¡°Just in case,¡± he said when he caught her looking. ¡°Do you need the wheelchair?¡±


    She shook her head. It wasn¡¯t so bad that she couldn¡¯t walk. He helped her out of the car and down the first few steps towards the grounds.


    They walked past mourners and workers on their way. It always struck her as a contrast how natural everything seemed to the people digging the holes and filling them up. Were they immune to all the sadness around them? Or had they¡¯d gotten used to it?


    Dig a hole, fill it up¡­


    Wasn¡¯t it just dirt and flesh and bones with wood in between? Nothing more, nothing less.


    Pegasus suddenly stopped walking and she almost ran in to him.


    Sarah redirected her attention to what was in front of her. The lines of patched grass were still obvious where a hole had been recently filled in. All around the gray stones, water droplets hung on blades of grass, shimmering in the sun.


    Thankfully, Pegasus wasn¡¯t looking at her. He watched their surroundings instead. Maybe he was expecting someone to come for them at any moment. Or maybe he was trying to give her some space.


    Sarah struggled with the dissonance she felt at seeing the graves. The sense of real she¡¯d been expecting wasn¡¯t there.


    But that¡¯s where her parents would be, names etched in stone as if that was all they had ever been: Margareth and Mark Owens.


    Her eyes started filling with tears, and she struggled to control her breathing.


    A third headstone caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She wiped at her eyes and read the name again.


    Dazed, she turned to Pegasus.


    There was pity in his eyes. ¡°Robyn was never going back.¡±


    With some effort, Sarah kneeled in front of the headstone with Robyn¡¯s name on it. She now understood Pegasus¡¯ weird comment about what type of closure she might find from empty graves.


    Should she laugh or cry? Another lie Robyn had told, if only by omission.


    ¡°It¡¯s policy. After an attack of that nature, we¡¯re declared dead and hidden away for both our sake and the sake of all those around us.¡±


    Sarah wiped at her eyes even though the shock had dried up her tears. ¡°Who the hell are you people?¡±


    ¡°What did Robyn tell you about us?¡± he asked, nothing but patience in his voice.


    Sarah looked up at him, a hand shielding her eyes from the Sun. ¡°That you¡¯re using the crisis center and the whole W.R.O. as a front for the war you¡¯re waging against the New Nation.¡±


    He seemed amused by her reply. ¡°The W.R.O. isn¡¯t the front. We are the W.R.O. Our public face is the front, but it does a lot of good on its own. Essentially, though, it¡¯s a recruiting center. Not only for the people it helps, but for the people who are willing to help.¡±


    ¡°So you sorta grab people off the streets?¡±


    ¡°Most of us have a law enforcement or military background, but not all of us. Some come to us like Robyn. They¡¯d seen one too many bad things happen and they didn¡¯t want to watch anymore.¡±


    How could she never have heard of anything like this?


    Everyone said that the government had been fighting a war against the New Nation for years. But this wasn¡¯t even close to what she imagined that war was like. People faking their deaths, hiding underground, recruiting ordinary people to be turned into soldiers.


    ¡°The people you saw down at the compound are what would be the front line. We¡¯re the ones who track down suspected members of the New Nation, investigate prospective targets, and fight them head-on when necessary. We try to keep ourselves hidden, but every once in a while they come after us.¡± He gave the surrounding area a cursory glance. ¡°They find us with such ease sometimes. And when they do, they seem to care little about anything but killing us. That¡¯s what the ghost program¡¯s for.¡±


    Sarah frowned at the last part.


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s a lousy name. I think it has an official name somewhere, but nobody uses it. Basically, once there¡¯s a target on us, it¡¯s policy to make us disappear. We¡¯re supposed to relocate to the compound. When convenient, we declare the person dead.¡± He nodded at the headstone as if to make his point.


    ¡°Convenient?¡± Sarah scoffed. She resisted the urge to trace her sister¡¯s name on the stone. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she tell me?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t be that easy, telling the people you love that you¡¯ll never see them again.¡±


    ¡°Did you also have to do that?¡±


    He kneeled next to her and brushed a clump of cut grass from the edge of the stone. ¡°I had anyone to say goodbye to.¡±


    He¡¯d said something odd before as well. Sarah wanted to ask, but didn¡¯t want to intrude any more than she had.


    ¡°My graves are over there.¡± He pointed towards another section of graves past the walkway and a few benches. ¡°I¡¯ve been with the W.R.O. for a long time. Most of my life, in fact.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The corner of his lips lifted, almost a smile, but it failed to reach his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just another war orphan.¡±


    ¡°They recruited you straight to the W.R.O.?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°When I left the orphanage, I spent some time in the military, then I got moved up to our own training facility.¡±


    ¡°Did anybody give you a choice?¡±


    A genuine laugh startled her. ¡°It¡¯s not brainwashing, Sarah. Everyone can do what they want with their lives, but several of us decide to help out in some way. We¡¯re all over the place. Doctors, police, firefighters. Scientists, too, and teachers¡­ But some of us wind up back there, underground.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me all this? What happened to not knowing will keep me safe?¡±


    His gaze hardened. ¡°Has it so far?¡±


    Beneath the warm sun, her skin went cold.


    ¡°Besides, I haven¡¯t told you anything that the terrorists don¡¯t already know.¡±


    She nodded absentmindedly. A stray thought snuck in, telling her to go home and complain to her mom about Robyn lying to her. Her throat seized, her eyes burning. Mom would hug her while complaining about her daughters being childish. Then Dad would scold Robyn and Robyn would grumble a complaint about being the least favorite child.


    Now there was none of that left, only cold stone speckled with freshly cut grass and dirt that had been picked up by the wind.


    ¡°We should head back now,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be in enough trouble as it is.¡±


    Sarah said a silent goodbye to her parents, ignoring the empty grave next to them.


    Pegasus helped her up, holding onto her hand until they reached the walkway again.


    ¡°How much trouble will you be in?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    On their way back to the car, Pegasus once again offered her a hand when they came to the stairs. Sarah stopped where she was.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    She widened her eyes, covering her mouth with a hand. ¡°What happens if I forgot the letters I was supposed to remember?¡±


    It was the first time she saw him look concerned. She never expected that she was such a talented actress. Unable to keep a straight face, she laughed. ¡°Just kidding.¡±


    He took back his offered hand. ¡°That was mean.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure what got into her.


    He took her hand, lips curving upwards. ¡°You know, you¡¯re as bad as your sister.¡±


    When he was distracted, Sarah looked back towards the cemetery. A couple of workers walked by with shovels, talking excitedly about something. Sarah watched them for a moment.


    There was no death, no tears.


    Just grass and shovels and flowers.


    Dig a hole, fill it up.

 Book I - ch 12. Clipped Wings

    * * *


    Pegasus expected there to be no end to the yelling.


    As soon as he brought Sarah back to compound, before they¡¯d even made it back to her room, they¡¯d been ambushed by Scorpion. Her face looked as red then as it did now.


    Sarah was quickly escorted back to her room, but he hadn¡¯t been as lucky. A limping Scorpion led him back to Command, voice echoing along the hallways and scaring some of the support staff.


    Especially in the elevator, her voice resounded particularly well. Knowing he was in the wrong this time, Pegasus resisted the urge to cover his ears.


    When they stepped onto the main area, she paused long enough to locate Cypher. As if sensing the ominous energy, Cypher looked up from his screen as soon as they saw him.


    Pegasus waved at him and Cypher started rolling his chair away as if he could hide behind November.


    Scorpion hobbled over. ¡°Get over here.¡±


    Pegasus fell into an empty chair nearby. The outing had taken more out of him than he¡¯d like to admit.


    Cypher rolled his chair to Pegasus¡¯ side, looking very much the part of a co-conspirator in some childish prank.


    ¡°I have stuff to do,¡± Cypher protested. His eyes flitted away from his desk though, suggesting whatever it was wasn¡¯t actually that urgent.


    Scorpion inhaled deeply, eyeing both of them as if storm clouds would manifest above her head any moment.


    Pegasus coughed into his hand to hide a smirk.


    Scorpion flipped her hair back and set her glare on Pegasus first. ¡°Never mind that you shouldn¡¯t be going anywhere until the doctor clears you, what the hell were you thinking taking her along?¡±


    He leaned back in his seat, letting his body relax. ¡°Well, I was thinking she¡¯s been locked in a cage for a while now and maybe it would do her some good to remember what sunlight looks like. We keep saying we¡¯re sending her back when everything is settled, but when is that? ¡®Cause I¡¯m not seeing it on any timetable.¡±


    ¡°Robyn hasn¡¯t complained,¡± Scorpion said.


    ¡°Of course not. The minute she okays it, she¡¯s likely never going to see her sister again. Are you telling me you would¡¯ve already signed the papers? I don¡¯t think I would. Sarah¡¯s basically our prisoner, and since no one seems to be even listening to her, I figured I might as well. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve got anything better to do.¡±


    ¡°You put her in danger by taking her outside, you know that, don¡¯t you? You of all people should have thought of that. Haven¡¯t we put her life at risk enough already?¡±


    ¡°Like when we almost got her killed?¡± Pegasus asked.


    ¡°None of that would¡¯ve happened if they¡¯d let me take the tranq guns like I wanted to. But no, they said. Unnecessary, they said.¡±


    Cypher raised a hand. ¡°Can I get back to my station now, because, you know, I really don¡¯t think this is my fault.¡±


    Scorpion turned to Cypher. ¡°Did you authorize his leave of absence from the compound? Did you authorize the use of a car? Did you authorize him the use of whatever weapons he took? Did you okay the codes for him and his escapade companion?¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Cypher shrunk in his seat. ¡°I see where you¡¯re going with that¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, grow a spine.¡± She pressed her fingers to her temple. ¡°Why would you even call Pegasus in the first place? He¡¯s supposed to be grounded because he almost died!¡±


    Cypher averted his gaze.


    ¡°Might¡¯ve been your comment on the tranq guns,¡± Pegasus said, unable to stop from smiling.


    She looked about to throttle one of them, but some of her anger seemed to have dissipated.


    Pegasus laughed. ¡°Belle¡­¡±


    Her gaze became cold, but before either could say anything else, Zeus¡¯ presence diffused the situation.


    Zeus scrutinized each of them, then fixed his gaze on Scorpion. ¡°Griffon¡¯s team is coming back with cargo. Could you go get everything ready?¡±


    She nodded and disappeared with a glance towards Pegasus.


    ¡°Cypher, get back to your station.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± And he too was gone.


    Zeus turned to Pegasus at last. A long sigh came. ¡°You¡¯re grounded.¡±


    Pegasus gave him a humorless smile. ¡°I thought I already was.¡±


    ¡°If we didn¡¯t need you so badly, I¡¯d keep you grounded until the end of time. Cypher is always complaining he needs an extra pair of hands, so I could gift you to him permanently.¡±


    Pegasus watched him without a word. There was no way he would set aside a field agent when they were shorthanded as it was.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be grounded and working with Cypher until the doctors discharge you or until we need you again, whichever comes first. Dismissed.¡±


    Pegasus frowned. He was expecting at least as long a lecture as he¡¯d gotten from Scorpion. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Zeus smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll let Dragon take care of the rest when she gets back. You have about an hour of peace left. I suggest you enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    There was exactly forty-five minutes.


    Pegasus was lying on his couch, exhausted, an arm draped over his eyes.


    He¡¯d been considering trying to crawl into bed when the door opened without warning.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Robyn shouted at him as a greeting. ¡°Did those toxic chemicals scramble your brain even more?¡±


    ¡°Scorpion already yelled at me,¡± he replied calmly.


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged. ¡°We can¡¯t keep her locked up forever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not gonna be forever.¡±


    He cocked an eyebrow, but otherwise let it go. Robyn could have some more time to deal with her decision.


    ¡°Did you get anything useful today?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Two dead bodies and a live one. They¡¯re all locals.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Cypher¡¯s sending law enforcement over to check their addresses, but that what it looks like. There wasn¡¯t much where they were that might be clues, and they burned the computer when we were coming in, so I doubt Cypher¡¯s gonna get anything. That leaves us the live one.¡±


    ¡°Is he talking?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, he¡¯s unconscious. Doc Green is still looking him over. I figure I¡¯ve got some time before Griffon and Scorpion have everything ready for the interrogation.¡±


    ¡°And you came to yell at me?¡± He held her gaze. ¡°Go talk to your sister, Dragon.¡±


    ¡°And fix whatever it was you screwed up?¡±


    He breathed out slowly. ¡°She¡¯s not alright. Maybe you should get her to talk to Athena. She should be back from Center by now.¡±


    ¡°Given what¡¯s going on, she seems well enough.¡±


    ¡°Robyn, she almost hurt herself last night. She woke up from a nightmare, I guess, and freaked out.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± She hesitated, staring at her feet like she did when she wanted something. ¡°But could you talk to Athena about Sarah for me? I don¡¯t wanna get roped into anything. You¡¯re supposed to go down there anyway, right?¡±


    He groaned. ¡°Yeah, to discuss my problem with sticking to plans.¡± He might as well use his session time for something productive. ¡°I can ask her.¡±


    The com sounded.


    ¡°Pegasus?¡± It was Griffon¡¯s voice.


    Pegasus got up to answer it. ¡°I¡¯m here. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°If Dragon hasn¡¯t permanently maimed you or otherwise incapacitated you, are you free to join us in interrogation room three?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s still out. We¡¯re also following up on what we found at the scene. Uniforms haven¡¯t given us a confirmation on his ID, yet. I think it¡¯ll be an hour or so. Is Dragon still there?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± Pegasus said.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let you both know when we have him conscious and ready.¡±


    ¡°Okay. She¡¯ll be heading over to talk to her sister.¡±


    Robyn¡¯s eyes widened at him in silence as Griffon signed off.


    ¡°Robyn, stop stalling.¡± He walked her out the door, pointed her towards Sarah¡¯s room, and made sure she had at least taken five steps in that direction before he went back to get some rest. It was the best he could do.


    Hopefully, Robyn wouldn¡¯t have any regrets when it came time to say goodbye.

 Book I - ch 13. Bleeding Through

    * * *


    Whenever Sarah closed her eyes, the headstones were waiting for her. But something had been lost when she saw Robyn¡¯s fake grave.


    It didn¡¯t feel like closure. It didn¡¯t feel like anything except pain.


    The door opened, and the sister in question stepped into the room. Robyn looked appropriately guilty, like the time she¡¯d been caught selling Sarah¡¯s colored pens to her classmates in third grade.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± she asked as soon as Robyn closed the door behind her.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t something I could tell you, not like that. I wanted to tell you when the time was right.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s too late now.¡±


    ¡°I know. Pegasus shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    ¡°He was the only one who told me the truth, Robyn! You were gonna throw me out and be done with it!¡± Sarah shouted, curling up when her chest hurt. ¡°Were you gonna leave me out on the street near the house? Or was I gonna wake up one day and find myself at aunt Ruth¡¯s like nothing happened?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. We¡¯re getting a story together.¡±


    ¡°And then you¡¯ll get rid of me.¡±


    Robyn sighed. She seemed to understand the problem now. ¡°You have a chance I don¡¯t, can¡¯t you see that? You¡¯re alive!¡±


    ¡°So are you.¡±


    Robyn shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not the same. I can¡¯t go with you.¡±


    ¡°You were planning on ditching me and you weren¡¯t even gonna tell me. If you think I¡¯m gonna let you do this, you couldn¡¯t be more wrong.¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t go with you. Even if I did, we¡¯d have to hide for a very long time, maybe forever.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not going anywhere without my sister.¡±


    Robyn winced. ¡°Don¡¯t throw away your only chance at a normal life because you¡¯re stubborn.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m going back home, I¡¯m not doing it alone. You sure as hell are coming with me. And if you¡¯re not going anywhere, I¡¯m not either.¡±


    Robyn shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t leave here, Sarah. I wish things were different, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Was this what you meant when you said your biggest flaw was following through even if you changed your mind along the way?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I follow through no matter how I feel about it.¡± Robyn took a deep breath and let it our slowly. ¡°I want to get whoever did this. I wanna make them pay.¡±


    ¡°Robyn¡­¡±


    ¡°We got someone from the local New Nation cell that attacked our house that night. Depending on what he tells us, you¡¯ll be closer to going home.¡±


    Sarah glared at her. ¡°Is there a home left?¡±


    The question visibly shook Robyn. ¡°I need to go¡­ look at some stuff. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    Robyn left like she was making a hurried escape, but Sarah didn¡¯t object. They would have continued to argue if she¡¯d stayed.


    Sarah also didn¡¯t want to think about the cemetery anymore, much less about Robyn¡¯s lies. There seemed to be way too many of those.


    But now that Robyn was gone, Sarah realized she should have asked again for something to pass the time. She was sure they wouldn¡¯t allow her access to the internet, but a book would do. Hell, a coloring book would do at this point.


    Unwilling to count the tiles on the floor again, she walked around the room instead.


    A flash of motion as she passed the wall opposite her bed caught her eye. If she didn¡¯t know any better, she¡¯d swear she¡¯d seen her reflection, but the wall was bare. The only mirror in this place was the one above the bathroom sink.


    Intrigued by the illusion, she repeated her movements to replicate the effect. Nothing.


    She sat on the edge of her bed and examined the empty wall. There was nothing there, not even a cobweb that might have caught the light with the airflow her walking could have caused.


    After countless minutes, the wall seemed to shimmer¡ªor maybe her brain glitched. Her vision blurred, and she blinked repeatedly, but she found she couldn¡¯t look away from the wall. As if it held the answers, as if it would share them.


    A rap at the door startled her.


    Sarah guessed who it was before Pegasus came into view. No one else knocked.


    ¡°Hey, can I come in?¡± he asked from the threshold.


    ¡°Sure, why not? Not like I have a say in anything around here.¡±


    He shrugged, stepping inside. ¡°True.¡±


    Sarah slid further onto the bed. ¡°What brings you to this lovely prison today?¡±


    ¡°I ran into Robyn on my way here. Are you two okay?¡±


    ¡°Are you checking up on me?¡±


    ¡°Actually, no. I got you an appointment to go talk to our shrink.¡±


    Sarah cocked an eyebrow. ¡°And why would I wanna do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll get you out of this room.¡± He smiled like he was offering her a treat.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    If it was treats they were talking about, she¡¯d rather have a chocolate cake. ¡°Is this one of those things where I don¡¯t really have a choice, but you¡¯re gonna pretend I do?¡±


    His smile widened. ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    He offered her a hand to help her down from the bed, which she politely refused.


    As she followed him down the now-familiar hallway towards the elevator, she wondered if the shrink would have a window. She always imagined a shrink¡¯s office should have a window.


    ¡°How did you get out of your room the other day?¡± he asked.


    She¡¯d told her sister already. The codes had even been changed since then. ¡°Didn¡¯t Robyn tell you?¡±


    ¡°No, but that suggests it was her fault.¡±


    Sarah laughed. She realized the ease with which she interacted with him had largely gone unnoticed until now.


    The elevator doors closed.


    His question about leaving the room lingered in the small space. It was a simple enough answer, but she was suddenly reluctant to give it.


    Why should she tell him anything at all?


    She knew nothing about any of these people except what Robyn told her. Even the person she¡¯d spent the most time with¡ªPegasus. She knew nothing about him other than that he acted cranky in the middle of the night, liked to smile a lot during the day, and had an odd sense of humor.


    The way he talked and joked with her as if he knew her as well as he knew her sister didn¡¯t bother her. Maybe his behavior was an extension of his smiles, something to make him seem friendlier and non-threatening. At least that¡¯s what Robyn said of his smiles.


    He met her gaze with a quizzical look. Sarah pretended she hadn¡¯t been staring at him and focused on the little numbers roll past on the elevator.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, shifting to include himself again in her line of sight.


    Despite having decided not to say anything, she answered. ¡°I¡¯m trying to think of an ulterior motive.¡±


    ¡°For taking you to the shrink? I think that one¡¯s pretty straightforward.¡±


    ¡°No, for you being friendly to me, for telling me things you¡¯re not supposed to.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re searching for my evil plan.¡± The doors opened and Pegasus held his arm out into the threshold as he laughed. ¡°Let me know when you find it, because I¡¯m thinking I really should get something out of this.¡±


    Sarah stepped out into the hallway without a word.


    This area was different than what she¡¯d seen before. The walls were shades of pale yellow and beige.


    Pegasus led her past large double doors that cut off the hallway on either side.


    ¡°There¡¯s no ulterior motives,¡± he whispered as they came to another door. ¡°It¡¯s more a matter of difference of opinions. As for being friendly to you, I have no reason not to be. Also, I¡¯m temporarily banned from the rec room, so I¡¯m bored out of my skull.¡±


    ¡°So, you said you guys pretty much recruit anyone?¡± Sarah blurted out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I said anything of the sort.¡± He frowned. ¡°And that¡¯s not a complete non sequitur¡­¡±


    Sarah bit the inside of her bottom lip. ¡°If Robyn really stays here, could I stay with her? Could you find me something to do? Something so that I don¡¯t have to leave?¡±


    He led them to what looked like a waiting room, complete with a set of chairs and a couch.


    ¡°Your sister wouldn¡¯t want this for you. No one would want this for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t want this for her,¡± she said. ¡°But I¡¯m not abandoning her.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious. If I wanted to stay, would they let me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s gotta be something I can do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. You can¡¯t jump into this without thinking.¡± He sighed. ¡°You still have some time here. Talk it over with Robyn. Think it over carefully. If it¡¯s only so you won¡¯t be separated, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s reason enough.¡±


    Sarah took a seat on the couch. ¡°And why didn¡¯t Robyn bring me?¡±


    ¡°Most people try to avoid Athena if they haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you did something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But if you¡¯re occupying her time, that means I¡¯m free.¡± He straightened suddenly, snapping his fingers. ¡°There¡¯s the ulterior motive!¡± He grinned. ¡°You were right all along.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I need the shrink more than you do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention. Don¡¯t call her that, she doesn¡¯t like it. I have something I need to go do right now. When you¡¯re finished, wait here until someone comes to collect you back to your cell¡ªI mean, room.¡±


    She glared at him.


    Pegasus knocked on the door.


    ¡°Did you get in trouble for taking me to the cemetery?¡± she asked.


    He shrugged, but the smile was no longer the same.


    ¡°How much trouble?¡±


    He leaned against the wall. ¡°Maybe a little more than I was in before. I¡¯ve been breaking more rules than I should lately.¡±


    ¡°So why¡¯d you do it?¡±


    ¡°All we have are the rules, but sometimes the rules aren¡¯t enough.¡± He smiled. ¡°And sometimes¡­ sometimes we just do stupid things.¡±


    * * *


    A paper ball hit Sarah square on the forehead and plopped down onto her statistics book. She looked up to find Robyn yawning.


    Sarah tossed it back at her. She aimed for her forehead as well, but it hit her right on her nose. Robyn swatted at the air, yawning again.


    Yeah, sure. In what world would Robyn ever be some type of secret agent? Why was she even bothered by such a weird dream?


    Sarah chomped on the last slice of apple and crunched along as she read her study notes. One of Jeremy¡¯s notations on the corner of the page reminded her of their earlier chat. ¡°Hey, Robyn, did anybody call me on the landline yesterday?¡±


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    Sarah propped her elbows on her book and blinked at her sister. ¡°Are you sure nobody left a message with you because my phone was dead?¡±


    Robyn started nodding, stopped halfway through another yawn. ¡°Oh! Right, sorry. Jeremy called. He wanted you to call him when you got home.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks.¡±


    Robyn grinned. ¡°No problem.¡±


    Sarah bunched up her napkin and tossed it at Robyn¡¯s head.


    This time, her sister dodged it. ¡°Be nice to me or I won¡¯t get you a birthday present.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve still got an entire month to be nice to you before then.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then you won¡¯t get the really cool present I¡¯ve been thinking of.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you not messing up Mom¡¯s baking this time as a heartfelt gift.¡±


    ¡°So I put in a little too much cinnamon.¡±


    ¡°The recipe didn¡¯t call for any cinnamon, you lunatic.¡±


    ¡°Nobody appreciates my creative genius.¡±


    ¡°And please don¡¯t cram the top of the cake with a million candles.¡±


    Robyn laughed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll settle for the proper twenty.¡±


    Sarah rubbed at her eyes.


    ¡°Going to bed?¡± Robyn asked.


    ¡°After this one last problem. But I need my notes.¡±


    Sarah realized she really was tired when her hand missed the light switch on her way into her room. Thankfully, enough light was coming in through the window.


    Her notebook sat on her bedside table, propped open with a pencil. Curious whether she¡¯d added anything new, she looked at the marked page. Though mostly illegible for having been written while she was half asleep, she could make out some words.


    ¡°A corridor,¡± she whispered to herself. ¡°Running.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t remember anyone running. An image flashed in her mind of a locked room. That was what she remembered from the last dream.


    ¡°Scorpion,¡± she read. She didn¡¯t remember any scorpions around. That should¡¯ve made some lasting impression, she was terrified of those things.


    A man¡¯s voice called her name, and she startled, dropping the pencil. There was no one there. There were no monsters or moving shadows. Certainly it wouldn¡¯t be a scorpion.


    Struggling to calm her breaths, she felt around the floor for the pencil, but the floor had been dipped in darkness now. She grabbed the pencil as soon as she found it. With shallow breaths, she pulled the curtain open all the way.


    Her reflection stared back at her with dead eyes.


    Sarah let go of the curtain and stumbled back, almost tripping over Robyn¡¯s sneakers. Her hand was shaking.


    She remembered now. There was a locked room and she was trapped inside. There was shouting, and something on the wall.


    Rushing to get to the light switch, she hit her knee on the corner of Robyn¡¯s bed. She swallowed the pain, throwing herself on the bed as she hit the lights.


    Brightness flooded the room. A crimson flower blossomed on the empty wall. Sarah sucked in a breath, burying a scream deep inside her throat. There was blood on the wall.


    Was she dreaming? She couldn¡¯t tell.


    Covering her mouth to stop from screaming, she forced her eyes tightly shut, wishing it would all go away.


    Could it even be a dream if she was awake?

 Book I - ch 14. Veiled Truths

    * * *


    Pegasus looked up from the screen when the door to the observation room opened behind him.


    ¡°We have confirmation,¡± Griffon said. ¡°He really is local. Family hasn¡¯t seen him since yesterday. Uniforms are questioning them now.¡±


    ¡°Anything useful?¡± Pegasus asked.


    ¡°Not so far. We found some New Nation propaganda at his house, but mostly harmless. He comes across as a lowly supporter. One of those people who rants and raves online about how foreign powers have infiltrated our government.¡±


    Pegasus nodded to himself. ¡°Did we get anything from the two that died?¡±


    ¡°Also locals as far as we can tell. Wolf and Hydra are looking into their connections.¡±


    ¡°Did Zeus say anything about the New Nation¡¯s upcoming attacks? I heard Unicorn mention another place was tagged with their graffiti.¡±


    Griffon shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t them. It said ¡®Thanks for your sacrifice.¡¯¡±


    And the New Nation always spelled it out as ¡®thank you¡¯.


    ¡°We¡¯re to continue investigating the attack on Dragon¡¯s family until they need us,¡± Griffon said. ¡°Zeus suspects Dragon was targeted because they thought she knew something related to the bomb threats.¡±


    ¡°It would be great if she did,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°That would mean we have something.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what we have if she doesn¡¯t know what it is. And she came up blank when we were brainstorming earlier.¡±


    On the screens in front of them, Robyn stepped into the interrogation room. Her movements were steady, but there was a moment of hesitation as she closed the door, before she turned to face their prisoner, Rupert Gellman.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure interrogating one of the men that killed her parents isn¡¯t too personal for her?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Griffon leaned in closer to the screen. ¡°She seems fine. You, I¡¯m not so sure of.¡±


    Pegasus spared him a glance. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Griffon rolled a chair over and sat down without looking his way. ¡°That you got a death wish all of a sudden.¡±


    He laughed. ¡°Is that why you sent me to Athena?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s protocol.¡± Griffon ran a hand back and forth along his own close-cropped hair, trying to mess it up. An exercise in futility, but it was a habit that displayed his frustration. ¡°I¡¯d settle for knowing what¡¯s gotten into you lately.¡±


    Robyn started reading a list of minor crimes the man was suspected of having committed. Pegasus kept their com off so they wouldn¡¯t bother her.


    Nothing of importance was being said yet, so he allowed himself to divert his attention back to Griffon. ¡°What are you worried about?¡±


    ¡°You. You were never this troublesome, and suddenly¡­¡± Griffon made an explosion gesture with his hands, though he was nice enough not to try for the sound effects. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d be having you tested right now.¡±


    On screen, Robyn smiled at Gellman. Pegasus recognized that smile. She was getting closer to the real subject.


    ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± he asked Griffon.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been going off on your own a lot lately. When it was Scorpion, it was understandable.¡±


    ¡°Understandable¡­¡±


    ¡°But then you ignored mission parameters to save Bear,¡± Griffon continued. ¡°And now taking Dragon¡¯s sister outside when you were both supposed to be locked in a room.¡±


    Pegasus smirked. ¡°I think if we locked ourselves in a room that might¡¯ve been a bigger problem.¡±


    Griffon glared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be cute. You know I hate it.¡±


    Pegasus gave him the most mischievous smile he could muster. ¡°Can¡¯t help it. I was born this way.¡±


    ¡°Nonsensical and annoying?¡± Griffon asked.


    It was definitely too much fun to tease their team leader.


    ¡°I¡¯m tempted to have you tested if only to make you stop.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. If I really were a spy, I¡¯d be keeping a low profile, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Or you would reason that¡¯s what we¡¯d think, and cue all this inane behavior.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to get tested?¡± Pegasus asked, only half serious. If anyone were thinking he was some kind of impostor, he wouldn¡¯t be standing there.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Griffon waved him off. ¡°I want Jekyll back, I¡¯m tired of Hyde.¡±


    On screen, Robyn mentioned the plans they¡¯d discovered for an upcoming attack as she paced behind Gellman¡¯s chair.


    ¡°Can¡¯t help you with that,¡± Gellman answered, looking amused.


    Robyn shrugged as if it mattered little to her either way. She sat down on the other side of the table from him. ¡°I figured as much. But you know what? That¡¯s okay. In fact, we can sit back and watch it all burn. All I care about is you.¡±


    His eyebrows twitched in an aborted frown.


    ¡°Congrats, he¡¯s unsettled,¡± Pegasus whispered.


    ¡°On the fifteenth, you entered a house on Chester Road,¡± Robyn continued. ¡°What were your orders?¡±


    He gave her a disgruntled look.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, you can tell us. What¡¯s the harm? Tell us how specific the orders were. Did they tell you to kill me, or was there something else on the list?¡±


    Gellman clenched his jaw.


    Pegasus turned on his com. ¡°Dragon, did you see that?¡±


    She gave the slightest nod. ¡°Your orders weren¡¯t to kill me?¡±


    Gellman stiffened.


    ¡°Everybody¡¯s dead now, you can tell us the truth. Were you sent there to capture someone?¡± Robyn straightened in her seat, narrowing her gaze on him. ¡°No, you were shooting too many bullets for that. You don¡¯t capture anyone if everyone¡¯s dead. So you were there to kill someone¡­ Was it a man? But why now?¡±


    ¡°Dragon, something¡¯s wrong,¡± Pegasus said as soon as he saw the man relax. ¡°We¡¯ve got this all wrong.¡±


    Robyn pushed herself up and leaned forward across the table. ¡°You know, those people you killed were my family. So you see how it might look to me that it would be okay for me to go find yours¡­ I could set them up at one of our facilities and you can roll the dice on whether it¡¯s the place your people are planning to bomb next. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    Gellman said nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll even let you be held at another facility. That way, we can gamble which one gets blown up first.¡± She laughed. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I mean, we already know you¡¯re targeting the university.¡±


    ¡°We do?¡± Pegasus asked Griffon.


    ¡°There¡¯s about eighty-percent chance it¡¯s the target, so we¡¯re guessing to an extent,¡± Griffon said. ¡°We¡¯re down to five locations last I heard, not counting the one that said ¡®thanks¡¯¡±


    ¡°Maybe we could arrange for a surprise tour for your son,¡± Robyn continued.


    Gellman looked ready to murder her.


    ¡°Does he really think we¡¯d do that?¡± Griffon asked.


    Pegasus shrugged without looking away from the screen. ¡°I believe her and I actually know her.¡±


    ¡°Or you could tell me who you were supposed to kill,¡± Robyn finished, smiling.


    A staring match went on for several seconds, but Gellman blinked first. ¡°Sometimes orders will come in like that, with a bull¡¯s eye on someone who doesn¡¯t seem to be anybody. We don¡¯t ask anything¡­ It¡¯s better not to.¡±


    Robyn nodded as if she agreed. ¡°Tell me who.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Am I supposed to start talking or something?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°If you feel comfortable enough,¡± Athena replied with a smile.


    The woman looked to be in her late forties. She was short and somewhat frail-looking, but there was something very intimidating in her dark eyes. It was unsettling, and Sarah found it easier to focus her attention on the room.


    This place was a striking contrast to the colorless walls she¡¯d been staring at every single day. Maybe the pale shades of blue were supposed to be relaxing. The couch and chairs all looked comfortable enough to doze off in. But there were no windows. And no houseplants in sight¡ªsomething else she¡¯d expected to find in a shrink¡¯s office. Not even a plastic one.


    ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re here?¡± Athena asked, either tired of her silence or wishing to recapture her attention.


    Because you¡¯re a shrink and I¡¯m going nuts locked up in here, Sarah thought, but she wouldn¡¯t dare say it. Instead, she shrugged.


    Athena smiled, leaning back in her seat. ¡°I heard you went outside today with Pegasus.¡±


    Sarah nodded slowly. She didn¡¯t think she could possibly make things worse for herself, but she wouldn¡¯t get Pegasus in even more trouble, would she?


    Maybe Athena wanted to know what Pegasus had told her, if he¡¯d said things he shouldn¡¯t have.


    As if the woman saw something in her face, her expression softened.


    ¡°Everyone here has suffered some kind of loss. We all understand what you¡¯re going through to some extent.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a question, so Sarah didn¡¯t say anything. She wasn¡¯t sure what she was supposed to say. So much for an excursion. She might¡¯ve been better off staying in her cell.


    ¡°I was hoping I¡¯d get a chance to talk with you before you went home,¡± Athena persisted.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve come to my room. The door¡¯s always open from the outside.¡±


    Athena smiled again. It was the same smile. Calm, but not warm.


    She thought again of what Robyn said about Pegasus smiling to appear friendly. Athena could take some lessons from him.


    ¡°Why do you think your door is always locked?¡±


    Sarah frowned at her. Because this is a secret government facility and I shouldn¡¯t be wandering around on my own, she thought. But again, she shrugged.


    ¡°How are you dealing with the fact that your sister¡­ works for us?¡±


    Sarah half expected her to say Robyn belonged to them. Maybe she¡¯d watched way too many movies.


    ¡°She¡¯s your older sister, isn¡¯t she?¡± Athena asked.


    That seemed a harmless enough question. ¡°Yes. By almost four years.¡±


    ¡°Do you miss your friends?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± She hadn¡¯t spent much time thinking about it. It was more like there were two basic compartments in her brain: one where her parents¡¯ death lived¡ªand that she¡¯d been avoiding; and the other where this place and its weird chaos existed. There wasn¡¯t much room for anything else.


    ¡°What do you think of all this?¡± Athena asked. ¡°About this place and your time here? What do you think is going to happen with you?¡±


    Sarah went back to shrugging as a response.


    ¡°Are you worried? Are you afraid of us? Do you think we¡¯ll harm you?¡±


    ¡°Can I say I don¡¯t really spend that much time thinking, and then we can move on?¡±


    Athena tried for another smile, but whatever she was about to say was cut off by a knock on the door. By the look on her face, that wasn¡¯t customary.


    Pegasus came in. ¡°Sorry, it couldn¡¯t wait. Griffon¡¯s orders. I¡¯m to take Sarah with me,¡± he said without further explanation.


    Sarah jumped to her feet, ignoring the slight sting in her chest. ¡°Is Robyn okay?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Despite his words, he looked concerned. ¡°There¡¯s some questions we need to ask you.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    He looked uncomfortable as he ushered her down the hall and into the elevator. ¡°I was instructed not to say anything that might interfere with what you have to tell us.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t meeting her gaze, watching the numbers on the display instead. They were heading up.


    Pegasus had always seemed relaxed around her, but now he was standing a couple of feet further than he normally did, back stiff as if he were at attention. The silence didn¡¯t feel good either.


    Uneasiness churned in her stomach. ¡°But Robyn¡¯s okay, right?¡±


    He finally graced her with eye contact. ¡°She¡¯s fine, I promise.¡±


    With fewer additional words and no explanations, Pegasus led her to a room that was the spitting image of what she imagined an interrogation room would be. A small windowless room with a rectangular table and a couple of chairs facing each other. She stopped at the threshold, weary of stepping inside. Maybe she really had seen way too many movies.


    ¡°No one¡¯s going to harm you,¡± he whispered right behind her. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Something about the way he said it made her believe him. Recognizing that she didn¡¯t have a choice, Sarah stepped inside.


    The door closed behind her, locking her in.

 Book I - ch 15. Duomaieusophobia

    * * *


    Robyn crossed her arms in front of her chest to disguise her nervousness as she glared at Griffon.


    ¡°This is idiotic.¡± Thankfully, she sounded calm.


    Scorpion was standing quietly out of the way in a corner.


    Pegasus came in, disrupting the ensuing silence. ¡°Alright, she¡¯s here, she¡¯s contained. Now what?¡±


    Robyn turned her glare on him.


    ¡°Did you get anything else from Gellman?¡± he asked when no one said a word.


    ¡°No,¡± Griffon said. ¡°Hydra and Python are having a go at him now.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s no longer my concern.¡± Robyn turned to watch the screen showing Sarah. ¡°Unlike the girl who happens to be my sister and who is locked up in the next room.¡±


    ¡°What did you think about Sarah?¡± Griffon asked Pegasus.


    ¡°She seems confused, upset. Looks genuine.¡±


    ¡°During the times you two talked to her, did she seem to have any knowledge of us or this place?¡± he directed to both Pegasus and Robyn.


    They both shook their heads.


    ¡°She was completely clueless,¡± Robyn said.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t even seem to know about the W.R.O.,¡± Pegasus added. ¡°Nothing obvious comes to mind about why she would be a target for the New Nation.¡±


    ¡°And genius here had to be nice.¡± Robyn punched the wall since she couldn¡¯t punch Pegasus. ¡°You had to take her outside and put her in danger.¡±


    ¡°In more danger?¡± he asked.


    Maybe she could punch him. Once should be fine. ¡°They could have gotten to her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s back and she¡¯s alive, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Robyn ignored him. ¡°Griffon, can¡¯t I go talk to her?¡±


    Pegasus pointed towards the screen and she turned to see Scorpion entering the interrogation room.


    Distracted, Robyn hadn¡¯t noticed when Scorpion slipped out of the room. That certainly wasn¡¯t a good sign. She was being overly emotional about this whole thing with Sarah.


    She recognized it, and it hardly came as a surprise, but recognizing it and doing something about it were not the same thing.


    Robyn hung back, letting Pegasus have a full view of the screens. She could still see them over his shoulder.


    On the screen, Scorpion shut the door behind her and Sarah stopped pacing the room like an injured, caged animal.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Scorpion ordered, taking the seat facing away from the main camera.


    Sarah stayed where she was.


    Scorpion threw a photograph onto the table. ¡°Do you know this man?¡±


    Sarah walked over to the table to look at the photo, but she remained standing. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Sit and look at the picture and tell me if you recognize this man.¡±


    ¡°Ease up, Scorpion,¡± Pegasus whispered over the com. ¡°Ask her.¡±


    Robyn glanced his way. It really was unnerving when he did that. But it was also unnerving that he was right.


    ¡°Sarah, please sit down and look at the photo,¡± Scorpion tried again, heeding his instructions.


    ¡°Tell her it¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really important,¡± Scorpion said, her voice softer.


    Sarah pulled out the chair and took a seat, drawing the photograph closer to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know him. Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯ve never seen him before?¡±


    Sarah leaned back in her chair. She looked angry. ¡°I have a terrible memory. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t recognize you if I saw you again in a week. Now, why should I know him?¡±


    Scorpion met Sarah¡¯s gaze straight on. ¡°This is one of the men who killed your parents. The thing is they had no idea who Robyn or Mark were. They were after you.¡±


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    Sarah looked up at her, shock clearly taking the place of anything she might have said.


    Robyn made a move for the door. Griffon was faster, blocking her path.


    Robyn had to stop herself from trying to push through. ¡°Is this really what you want? The crazy approach?¡±


    Griffon gave her a questioning look.


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, we all know you divided us up into categories. Pegasus is the good cop, I play the bad cop, and Scorpion plays the crazy cop who¡¯s gonna set you on fire at any moment.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do.¡± That¡¯s why she¡¯d been channeling Scorpion during her interrogation of Gellman. It seemed the best approach.


    Pegasus nodded without looking up from the screen.


    ¡°Even if I do¡­¡± Griffon ran a hand over his hair. ¡°Scorpion will behave. And you will stay here.¡±


    Robyn glared at him. She hoped she hadn¡¯t said too much.


    * * *


    Sarah stared at the man¡¯s sunken eyes staring up at her from the photograph. Should she recognize him?


    Could she have seen him on the bus on her way home? Or maybe at the corner store where they stopped for ice cream now and then? With her memory, would she even know?


    Scorpion hovered over her, watching. But that made no difference. She doubted she¡¯d remember anything even if she stared at that photo for hours.


    Was this payback for having asked Pegasus to take her to the cemetery?


    No, that would be too cruel a joke. Besides, they wouldn¡¯t play a trick like that on her, if for no other reason than Robyn wouldn¡¯t let them.


    She looked up at Scorpion. ¡°Why would the New Nation be looking for me?¡±


    ¡°We thought maybe you¡¯d know.¡±


    ¡°Do you not know what they wanted?¡±


    ¡°They wanted you dead.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Sarah pulled the photo closer to her. Nothing came to mind.


    ¡°We¡¯re working on getting more information.¡±


    It didn¡¯t make any sense. Why would anyone want her dead? ¡°Where¡¯s Robyn?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking to me right now.¡±


    Sarah blinked at the response, then hardened her expression.


    ¡°Would you like to tell me why an assassination squad would be targeting insignificant little you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, if I knew.¡±


    ¡°You realize this makes you responsible for the death of your parents, Robyn¡¯s injury¡­ It¡¯s all on you.¡±


    Scorpion¡¯s words washed over her like a bucket of icy water. But the cold was quickly replaced by something more fiery. Sarah latched onto the rising anger and pulled it to the surface. ¡°Where¡¯s my sister?¡±


    * * *


    Seeing the pain that flashed briefly in Sarah¡¯s eyes, Robyn gave Griffon a pleading look, which he once again ignored. Had Griffon always been this difficult to deal with?


    ¡°She¡¯s busy right now.¡± Scorpion¡¯s lie traveled over the speakers. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t like my company?¡±


    Robyn watched Sarah¡¯s face. She looked furious now. There was no way she¡¯d be cooperating if Scorpion continued like this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her close down, Scorpion.¡± Pegasus muted himself, turning to catch Griffon¡¯s attention. ¡°Do you want me in there?¡±


    Griffon shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Robyn kept her mouth shut. She didn¡¯t know whether it¡¯d be better to have Pegasus speak to Sarah.


    ¡°Can¡¯t this guy tell you what¡¯s going on?¡± Sarah asked, tapping a finger onto Gellman¡¯s photo.


    Scorpion relaxed her posture a little, glancing at the photo. ¡°He was following orders. It¡¯ll be almost impossible for us to trace where those orders originated. The New Nation fanatics are little more than puppets. So far, we haven¡¯t made much progress locating the people who pull their strings.¡±


    This would be new information to Sarah. It was a carefully guarded secret that the New Nation terrorists were nothing more than obedient dogs.


    Sarah looked at the photo again, confused. ¡°And you¡¯re sure they were there to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± Scorpion answered. ¡°We¡¯ve sent someone to check on your aunt in case the New Nation is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Sarah whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t get it, why would they be after me? It¡¯s not like I know anything. Could they have confused me with Robyn?¡±


    Scorpion shook her head.


    ¡°Could be something she doesn¡¯t know she knows,¡± Pegasus said as if he were talking to himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s not helpful,¡± Robyn said. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can go fishing in her head.¡±


    But that was more or less what Scorpion did. She started with things that might link Sarah to the New Nation, from places where she hung out to people she knew. Even what she did online.


    Minutes went by as the questions seemed endless. Scorpion¡ªwith an occasional prompt from Pegasus¡ªpressed on.


    Robyn could tell that Griffon had already given up on getting anything useful from Sarah. He¡¯d been skimming through other reports for the past five minutes. The only reason he was still there was probably to make sure she didn¡¯t do anything stupid.


    ¡°Anyone new in your life? Someone who started going to your classes or that you might¡¯ve noticed hanging around your house?¡± Scorpion asked.


    Sarah shook her head.


    ¡°Anything out of the ordinary happen that day? Any of your friends acting out of character, maybe?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything that would be important.¡±


    ¡°What were you doing that afternoon?¡±


    Anyone with eyes could see Sarah was getting frustrated. ¡°I went to the university, spent some time hanging around looking for a book I needed, then home.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been at this forever,¡± Robyn complained. ¡°It¡¯s not getting us anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯re looking at this the wrong way,¡± Pegasus said.


    Griffon set aside his tablet. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Pegasus glanced at Robyn, looking apologetic. ¡°What if they were trying to kill her so they could replace her?¡±


    Scorpion, having heard the exchange, adapted her questions to the new possibility. ¡°Did you love your parents?¡±


    Sarah hesitated for a second, clearly taken aback by the shift. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°What would make you leave them behind?¡±


    Sarah¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? In what way?¡±


    ¡°What might make you throw their lives away?¡± Scorpion rephrased, her tone sharper.


    Robyn held her breath for the answer.


    Sarah¡¯s mouth opened, moving soundlessly for at least two seconds before her voice followed. ¡°Are you saying I had something to do with this?¡±


    Pegasus turned off his com. ¡°Still, if that were the case, I don¡¯t see the point in an open assassination. And why kill the family, too?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I mean, you could kill the family to avoid recognition during a replacement. But in this case, when she was the primary target, I don¡¯t know.¡± He turned back to the screen.


    Scorpion was insisting, and Sarah¡¯s shock was gradually turning back to anger. Pegasus let Scorpion push this time.


    Robyn placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Pegasus¡­¡±


    ¡°We can fix it later with an apology,¡± Griffon said, once again invested in what was going on in the next room.


    ¡°If an apology is needed,¡± Pegasus added. ¡°I hope it is.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re you thinking?¡± Robyn squeezed his shoulder harder, but he didn¡¯t turn away from the screen.


    ¡°Something no one wants to.¡±


    ¡°Spit it out then.¡± Her tone was sharper.


    Pegasus turned to look into her eyes. ¡°What if she¡¯s not Sarah? Not your Sarah?¡±

 Book I - ch 16. Random-Access Memory

    * * *


    Startled by his suspicion, Robyn pulled her hand back before she could control herself. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Once stabbed, twice shy.¡±


    Right. They¡¯d had a previous infiltration attempt some years ago. She didn¡¯t know all the details, but she¡¯d heard the impostor made it into the compound. Maybe it would be helpful to do some research.


    Griffon was thoughtful. He signaled Pegasus to turn the com back on so Scorpion could hear them.


    Robyn shook her head. ¡°She¡¯s Sarah. She even knew about the accidental plant ingestion chaos when we were kids.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything,¡± Pegasus whispered. ¡°People will throw little details here and there so you don¡¯t pay attention to the big picture. Even we do it all the time.¡±


    Griffon took a seat at the corner of the table, facing away from the monitors. ¡°And you took her outside.¡±


    ¡°I followed procedure all the way,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°Cypher even had someone monitoring us, and she never left my sight. There¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve talked to anyone or left anything behind.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± She couldn¡¯t let them lock Sarah up for real. ¡°This is still my little sister we¡¯re talking about. The girl they tried to kill and failed.¡±


    ¡°Did they fail?¡± Griffon turned his calculating stare towards her. ¡°What if they already made the switch and it was all staged, so we¡¯d bring her here, exactly like we did?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, it would explain why they¡¯d have to kill Dragon and their parents. It gets rid of the two people with enough experience with this place to recognize a switch.¡± Pegasus held up a hand to stall her protests. ¡°But then why the undo attention towards her? And why would she have evaded us so hard?¡±


    Robyn¡¯s mouth opened to protest, but she got cut off by Griffon.


    ¡°A ruse?¡± he suggested. ¡°Something else to convince us she¡¯s for real?¡±


    ¡°Wait. Wouldn¡¯t we have believed it much more easily if we hadn¡¯t found this part out?¡± Robyn asked.


    Pegasus looked concerned. ¡°She asked me about staying here. If there was a way for her to stay with Dragon.¡±


    Griffon nodded. ¡°That would be a good way to infiltrate us. The plan could have been to seek us out at the W.R.O. and pretend to want retribution for the death of her family. Under those circumstances, we would certainly take her in.¡±


    In the other room, Scorpion laughed. ¡°You think you can simply decide to be someone else?¡± There was more than a trace of mockery in her voice.


    ¡°Is that a weird way to ask if I¡¯m lying?¡± Sarah asked.


    Robyn hadn¡¯t been paying attention to what they¡¯d been talking about before, but it seemed like Scorpion had suddenly switched gears.


    ¡°You wanna pretend that you can have a greater purpose?¡± Scorpion gestured towards the walls. ¡°You think you could adapt to this place? That you can be useful?¡±


    Sarah looked startled.


    Scorpion smiled, but it was not kind. Robyn knew that smile all too well. ¡°Yes, he told me.¡±


    ¡°Belle,¡± Pegasus warned.


    Scorpion visibly flinched at his use of her nickname.


    ¡°It was about Robyn,¡± he said. ¡°She wanted to be with her sister.¡±


    ¡°You really love your sister that much? Enough that you would give up everything you know for her? Just like that?¡± Scorpion snapped her fingers. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d be so quick to throw away your life.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s eyes were cold. ¡°You don¡¯t know me at all.¡±


    ¡°This is a mess.¡± Griffon sighed. ¡°What else did you tell her about us, Pegasus? About the W.R.O.?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her anything someone with a basic knowledge of this place wouldn¡¯t already know,¡± Pegasus said.


    Robyn raised a hand. ¡°I told her even less.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Sarah shouted in the other room.


    Robyn turned back to the screen at the outburst.


    ¡°Why are you asking me these weird questions?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to be sure of your role in all this,¡± Scorpion answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything else until you give me a straight answer. Are you thinking I had something to do with killing my parents and trying to kill Robyn? Is that really what you guys think?¡±


    ¡°Give her something,¡± Griffon instructed. ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens.¡±


    Scorpion¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Actually, we think you¡¯re not you, but someone impersonating you, and that the real Sarah was killed along with her parents that night.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Sarah stared at Scorpion for several seconds. She leaned her forehead onto the table. ¡°You know, that sounds very, very crazy. So, either you guys are sharing some kind of collective delusion, or¡ªand this is the simplest explanation¡ªI¡¯ve lost my mind.¡±


    Pegasus chuckled. Robyn turned to glare at him.


    He raised his hands defensively. ¡°Sorry, but there¡¯s something to be said for Occam¡¯s razor.¡±


    Robyn wanted to smack that smirk right off his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think logic stands a fair chance here,¡± Griffon said. ¡°Scorpion, leave her for now. We¡¯ll have her tested.¡±


    Without further explanation, Scorpion announced to Sarah they were done and left the room.


    Robyn swallowed her protests. Of course this was Sarah, but she would shut up and let them take her through the quizzes and whatever else they wanted. The end result was inevitable, and they would confirm this really was her.


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s a flaw in your theory,¡± Scorpion said as she came in. ¡°Her blood wasn¡¯t found at the scene.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have to have been at the house. The switch could have been earlier, or even after she ran away from the attack,¡± Griffon said. ¡°What do you think, Pegasus?¡±


    ¡°The few times we¡¯ve seen them replaced people, it was done discreetly. So I don¡¯t think they were after replacing her. They could do it at the university, or when she was on the move, or even home by herself¡­¡± Pegasus shrugged. ¡°So why such an attack? Why leave bodies all around? And what about the phone call she said they got before it happened? What was its purpose? If only to draw her away from the others, why? Why talk at all when she herself answered the phone? And assuming they wanted her dead, question becomes why.¡±


    ¡°The phone call separated her from the others at a convenient time. It could have been planned that way,¡± Scorpion suggested. ¡°To make sure she got away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unlikely,¡± Robyn said. ¡°It could¡¯ve just as easily been me picking up the phone.¡±


    ¡°Who usually answers the phone at your house?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°Me or Sarah, or Mom. But Sarah and I usually got the short straw.¡±


    ¡°Could someone have predicted who would be answering?¡±


    Robyn shook her head. ¡°Only if there was no difference between me and Sarah. When it rang, I told her it was her turn. I was tired, and I didn¡¯t feel like it.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have made a difference, except maybe she¡¯d be dead,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°If she is Sarah.¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± Robyn said. But she knew why they wouldn¡¯t readily believe her. She wouldn¡¯t believe a grieving sister either.


    ¡°But why send someone to kill her?¡± Scorpion asked. ¡°That¡¯s what we keep coming back to. It doesn¡¯t make any sense, especially if she is the real Sarah.¡±


    ¡°They might have known about her connection to this place through Robyn, but then why go after her at all? If some sort of warning or threat, any of them would have been enough of a target,¡± Griffon said, softening his tone as he met Robyn¡¯s gaze. ¡°No one would have needed to single Sarah out.¡±


    Pegasus spun his chair around, looking away from where the monitor showed Sarah looking at Gellman¡¯s photo. ¡°Either they know something about her we don¡¯t, or they think she knows something she doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe they think she was already replaced,¡± Robyn joked.


    ¡°And they¡¯re trying to get at the replacement?¡± Pegasus asked, giving her suggestion more thought than she intended. ¡°What for? It¡¯s theirs. And if it¡¯s not¡­ Then we¡¯re in worse trouble than when we started.¡±


    ¡°Too much speculation and very few answers won¡¯t get us anywhere,¡± Griffon said, putting an end to their brainstorming session. ¡°Hopefully, we should have some leads after she¡¯s tested.¡±


    ¡°Can I do the interrogation?¡± Robyn asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°She could get her cues from you without you noticing.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Griffon said. ¡°Dragon will go back to Gellman. Scorpion, you¡¯ll help her. Let¡¯s check everything he told us. See if Python and Hydra have anything new. Pegasus, you¡¯re in charge of Sarah¡¯s interrogation since you¡¯ll be out of the game for a few more days.¡±


    Pegasus nodded, looking not too happy with his assignment.


    ¡°We¡¯ll call if we need you,¡± Griffon promised. ¡°Send the report over to Athena when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Robyn didn¡¯t want to give up yet. ¡°Can I at least watch? Please? She¡¯s my sister.¡±


    ¡°I can get started by myself,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°I¡¯ll call Robyn when I¡¯ve finished compiling everything and making an initial assessment.¡±


    Griffon nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tell Cypher to prep the other room.¡±


    Pegasus squeezed Robyn¡¯s arm gently. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡±


    Robyn resisted the urge to pull away. ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    * * *


    Sarah looked down at the last of the little wires Pegasus had connected. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d tell me the truth if you were planning to shock me with a thousand volts or something?¡±


    Sarah hadn¡¯t been expecting a reaction, but Pegasus¡¯ lips twitched.


    ¡°No. But I would¡¯ve strapped you in.¡±


    Emboldened by the response, she refused to let the silence settle again between them. ¡°Is this gonna prove I¡¯m telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not foolproof.¡± He checked the screen on the device, then tapped something on the console. ¡°But it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    There had also a sizable amount of anger directed at Pegasus occupying her mind. She admitted she had no right to feel betrayed, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    She was also angry at being interrogated and at not having seen Robyn for a while, but she believed Pegasus when he said Robyn was fine.


    Sarah tried her best not to fidget. Nervousness and outrage had battled for a while, and now nervousness was winning. Maybe it was the exhaustion.


    When Pegasus explained they planned to test her using something like a polygraph, worry replaced whatever emotions were there. How reliable were polygraphs anyway? What were the chances it would identify a truth as a lie?


    Not that she had a choice in what they did to her. And if playing along stopped them from suspecting her of murdering her own family, then she could play along. Reminded of the unfairness of the accusations, anger threatened to return to the forefront.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Pegasus pulled his chair over and sat down facing her. He opened a thin folder he¡¯d carried into the room, flipping over the first few pages. ¡°When¡¯s your birthday?¡±


    ¡°I thought the point of polygraph tests was answering yes or no.¡±


    ¡°This is not a polygraph test,¡± was the only explanation he gave.


    Sarah really was thinking this was all madness.


    Likely unaware of her thoughts, Pegasus smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s try again. How old are you?¡±


    What was the date again? Were they in May already? ¡°I¡¯m gonna be twenty in about a month.¡±


    He kept looking at her and didn¡¯t write anything down.


    ¡°And when is your birthday?¡±


    She gave the wires a suspicious glance. ¡°June second.¡±


    ¡°What was the first word you ever said?¡±


    ¡°This is important?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t that prolific as a baby, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Yeah, madness. If not hers, then definitely theirs.


    ¡°My first word was bear. Apparently, I thought it was Robyn¡¯s name.¡± Neither her parents nor Robyn understood how that happened.


    Pegasus still didn¡¯t write anything down or type anything into the machine. He barely looked at the blasted thing. He watched her, nothing more.


    ¡°What time did you wake up the day your parents died?¡± His tone was softer, the only consideration she was to receive for being reminded of that horrible night.


    She¡¯d rather not think about it. But these sorts of questions were easy to answer mindlessly. ¡°Probably seven forty-five. That¡¯s when I usually get up.¡±


    ¡°What classes did you have?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Scorpion already ask me this?¡± She was sure they¡¯d gone over that during the five or six hours she¡¯d spent with Scorpion. Well, she¡¯d felt like it¡¯d been five or six. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised to find it¡¯d been a couple of hours instead.


    ¡°Humor me, please. Which classes?¡±


    ¡°Introduction to Economy. And the other professor forgot about us and didn¡¯t show up.¡±


    ¡°And the day before?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

 Book I - ch 17. The trouble With Being a Gemini

    * * *


    Pegasus glanced at his watch, readjusting his posture. He was getting tired. His endurance was still at a low.


    Sarah was showing more than obvious signs of her annoyance. But this was supposed to be grueling. That was when people showed their true selves.


    ¡°How should I know if it was raining or not when I was born? It¡¯s not like I checked the weather that day to make sure it suited me.¡±


    He ignored her exasperation. ¡°What was the name of the woman who thought you were her daughter?¡±


    Sarah stared him down. ¡°I didn¡¯t bother asking her name, I was too busy screaming for my mommy. I was three years old!¡±


    ¡°Four, actually,¡± Pegasus said with a glance at the paper.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Sarah muttered.


    ¡°What year did your parents get married?¡±


    Sarah crossed her arms. ¡°And I would know this¡­ because?¡±


    He pointed at the page with the remaining questions. ¡°We still have to finish this.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± Sarah pushed her chair back, almost disconnecting a wire when she moved. She glanced at the wire and readjusted her position.


    The wires were serving their purpose well. He¡¯d always found that when people were given something else to worry about, they usually paid less attention to what they should.


    ¡°How¡¯s anyone supposed to know all this?¡± she asked. ¡°I mean, do you know what your favorite baby food was? I¡¯m pretty sure it wasn¡¯t steak and that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but we have to go over all these questions.¡±


    ¡°Is this like a secret government experiment where you¡¯re going to clone me but you need detailed info first?¡±


    Pegasus laughed. That was some imagination. Completely off the mark, but still some imagination. And the reasoning behind it wasn¡¯t that far off. ¡°Pretend it¡¯s all part of a self-awareness program if it helps.¡±


    Sarah relaxed a little, though she didn¡¯t return the smile. ¡°Why are you asking me this?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know the answers.¡±


    She rolled her eyes at his misinterpretation. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Scorpion keep going then? It¡¯s more questions.¡±


    ¡°She had to be somewhere else. And you seemed unwilling to keep talking to her.¡±


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you do the entire interrogation? That¡¯s why you¡¯re here now, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked coldly. ¡°Because you can get me to talk?¡±


    ¡°I rarely do the questioning.¡±


    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Ready to get back to it? Just a few more questions left.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you at least tell me why this is so important? I mean, really? You think I¡¯m someone pretending to be me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to be sure.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the daytime soap opera fan? I think you¡¯re taking this fear of identical twins a little too seriously. Can¡¯t you guys test my DNA? Dental records, fingerprints, stuff like that?¡±


    Pegasus could almost feel her frustration. He couldn¡¯t blame her.


    The truth was they¡¯d already checked all that, and everything matched down to the last tooth filling. Physically, there was nothing to suggest she wasn¡¯t exactly who they thought she was.


    That would normally mean the chance that she wasn¡¯t the real Sarah was null, but they didn¡¯t deal with normal. And the slightest chance still seemed great when there were lives at stake.


    It¡¯d been his theory initially, but he wasn¡¯t sure what he believed. He suspected that the puppeteers behind the New Nation had been trying to replace Sarah with one of their own agents. But if the girl sitting in front of him was the real one like he thought, then they¡¯d failed.


    It wasn¡¯t far-fetched to hope that the attempt itself or the steps they¡¯d taken towards that attempt would yield some information. The previous spy had been killed before anyone had got anything out of him.


    Pegasus rolled his shoulders, trying to relax his muscles. He¡¯d been feeling progressively worse throughout the interrogation, but procedure had to be followed. Until she was cleared, they couldn¡¯t trust anything Sarah told them.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost done,¡± he promised both of them. ¡°Who was your best friend in second grade?¡±


    ¡°Wait, I know this,¡± she said with fake enthusiasm. ¡°Amy. I think.¡± Apparently, she was back to being uncooperative.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Ever break anything? Arm, leg?¡±


    Sarah shook her head. ¡°Does mom¡¯s vase count?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not doing this to annoy you,¡± Pegasus said patiently.


    Sarah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°Fine, what¡¯s next?¡±


    Pegasus went through the remaining questions. They ranged from personal history that she barely remembered to recent events like the last time she¡¯d gone to the mall, which she was worse at remembering. A few she flat out refused to answer, like the ones about her ex-boyfriend.


    Sarah sunk down in her seat, careful not to disturb the wires. ¡°Might as well been tied down for all the freedom of movement this gives.¡± She poked at a wire attached to her wrist, distracted. ¡°There can¡¯t possibly be anything left to ask, right?¡±


    He closed the file. There was nothing more to ask from the script.


    ¡°Really? We¡¯re done?¡±


    ¡°One last question,¡± he whispered. ¡°Were you serious when you asked me about finding a place here?¡± This question wasn¡¯t on his list. He wanted to know.


    ¡°Yes, I was. You didn¡¯t have to turn it into a joke.¡± Anger flashed in her eyes. It was obvious she hadn¡¯t liked that he told someone about that.


    He believed she was sincere, but he¡¯d been fooled¡ªor plain wrong¡ªmore than once. He might not be as good at reading people as everyone seemed to think. Or maybe they all saw what they wanted to see, including him.


    * * *


    Robyn turned off the sound, but left the image on the screen in the observation room. All in all, nothing horrible had happened during the interrogation.


    ¡°She¡¯s very spirited,¡± Zeus said from behind her.


    Robyn almost jumped out of her skin. She¡¯d been so focused on Sarah and Pegasus¡¯ talk and her own thoughts that she hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d come in.


    Twice in one day. That certainly wasn¡¯t a good sign.


    ¡°She reminds me of you when we first met. Do you remember?¡±


    Robyn smiled, unsure if he was thinking of a specific event. ¡°Was I really that much of a pain?¡±


    She handed him the file where she¡¯d been marking Sarah¡¯s answers and Zeus started looking them over.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked as he read.


    ¡°She¡¯s Sarah.¡±


    ¡°There are over two hundred questions here. It looks like she couldn¡¯t answer at least half. Several questions took her too long to answer and in several she changed her answer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so sloppy it has to be true type thing?¡±


    Zeus¡¯ expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°That¡¯s her alright. The behavior is hers, down to the last grin and glare. That¡¯s Sarah, I know it is.¡±


    He met her gaze. Gone was the friendly father figure. ¡°But is she your Sarah?¡±


    Robyn looked at him evenly and nodded. ¡°She¡¯s the real thing.¡±


    ¡°Alright. You should get back to work.¡±


    Robyn glanced at the screen. Sarah was still sitting in the room. Pegasus was removing the wires. ¡°What about Sarah?¡±


    Zeus unmuted the com. ¡°Pegasus, take her to a room on five until we discuss her results.¡±


    Pegasus gave a subtle nod towards the camera as he finished packing everything up.


    * * *


    ¡°What now?¡± Sarah asked. Her nervous system had apparently decided she hadn¡¯t been nervous enough before.


    Well, it was too late now, but welcome to the party, sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach.


    Pegasus set aside the folder and turned off the screen on the machine that he¡¯d ignored the entire time. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡±


    Sarah followed him out without protest. Even going back to her cell sounded like a good idea after all the time spent in this other locked room.


    At the end of a hallway, where it split in two, Pegasus went right when she was turning left. He stopped in his tracks, preventing them from running into each other.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going back to my cell?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are.¡± He gestured to the right, not bothering to correct her use of the word.


    She could swear they should have gone left. ¡°Did I get turned around?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Was he having fun being cryptic? ¡°Am I getting a new room that really looks like a cell this time?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. But you are getting a new room.¡±


    Despite his words, Sarah was expecting a real cell.


    The hallway they wound up in was on a different floor. The darker shade of gray on the walls gave it away if nothing else. Nothing else looked different. She couldn¡¯t tell any of the doors apart despite how closely she looked.


    It wasn¡¯t until they went inside her new room that she noticed the difference. This was as different from a cell as she could hope for in this place.


    A bed that didn¡¯t look like it had been stolen from a hospital was the first thing she noticed.


    Two comfortable-looking armchairs sat in the opposite corner¡ªa half-finished reading nook someone forgot to add books to. A full-length mirror hung on the wall facing the bed. The door on the other side of the bed, standing ajar, led to a small bathroom.


    Pegasus stopped at the outer door. ¡°Someone will bring your clothes over later.¡±


    She nodded absentmindedly. Nothing here was hers. She¡¯d been living off of Robyn¡¯s borrowed clothes so far. Her sister had a whole other wardrobe in this place. It explained why some of her clothes would vanish from their closet for a while and then miraculously reappear. Had that been the fate of the flowy blue shirt she let Robyn borrow last year?


    ¡°Sarah? How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you need something to fill in the last two pages of your report?¡± She regretted snapping at him a second after the words left her mouth. But she didn¡¯t take it back.


    ¡°Just checking. Try to get some rest.¡± He pulled the door closed as he left.


    Sarah didn¡¯t bother checking the lock. She recognized the sound by now. This was a nicer cell, but a cell nonetheless. She glanced at the ceiling. How many tiles would this room have?


    Her reflection caught her attention as she walked towards the bed. There were circles that were too dark under her eyes, and hair that hadn¡¯t seen a comb or brush in days. But what bothered her most was her gaze.


    Her eyes were hollow.


    Was there nothing left of her?


    Tears rolled down her cheeks, but her reflection remained unaffected.


    She slammed a hand against the mirror as if it were at fault, but all that did was send a spike of pain along her side. Holding in a scream, she cursed herself.


    She wanted out of this nightmare.


    ¡°I wanna go home,¡± she whispered to her reflection. As soon as the words escaped, she clamped her hand over her mouth.


    It wasn¡¯t home she wanted, it was her family. She turned her back to the mirror, holding in her sobs.


    Whatever version of herself the mirror showed, she couldn¡¯t bear to see.


    * * *


    Pegasus hesitated at the end of the hallway. Exhaustion and embarrassment were currently playing a tug of war within his mind.


    He shouldn¡¯t have reacted poorly and walked out when Sarah snapped at him. There was no one else she could talk to since Robyn was still avoiding her.


    As of now, she wasn¡¯t considered a huge security risk. They had cleared her as best they could under the circumstances, and there wasn¡¯t a lot of damage she could do from inside a locked room. Even if she killed him, that would be on him.


    He took a step towards the elevator, stopped again. There was nothing urgent he needed to deal with.


    What should he do?


    As usual, what he should, what he could, and what he wanted to do were conflicting.


    He turned on his heel, heading back to Sarah¡¯s room.


    Wasn¡¯t that always how he got in trouble?

 Book I - ch 18. Spun Around

    * * *


    Sarah almost missed the knock. She wiped at her eyes as the door edged opened.


    ¡°Can I come in?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Of course it was him. No one else knocked.


    She straightened herself, though she remained seated on the floor. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± She was proud of herself for sounding unaffected.


    Pegasus took her state in without a word before sitting down next to her. He ran a hand along his hair, looking slightly uncomfortable. ¡°I asked how you were feeling because I was wondering how you were feeling. This isn¡¯t part of my job. It¡¯s just me.¡±


    Sarah refused to look at him. She stared at the floor instead, afraid she¡¯d start crying again if she said a word.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember my parents much, but I remember what it felt like when I lost them.¡± Pegasus said. ¡°I took you to the cemetery because I wanted to. I talked to you because I wanted to. And nothing personal you told me had been repeated to anyone, including Robyn.¡±


    Sarah looked at him then.


    ¡°But the moment you became a possible threat, I had to tell them everything. I¡¯m sorry if it feels like I was disrespectful.¡± He met her gaze. ¡°I can¡¯t gamble anybody¡¯s life but my own.¡±


    Sarah was somewhat pacified by that explanation. She¡¯d obviously never considered herself a threat. She wouldn¡¯t be the villain of her own story.


    Besides, she wasn¡¯t that angry about Pegasus telling the others. She was upset at the way Scorpion had talked about it. She¡¯d felt embarrassed. No, mortified was a better word.


    Staying in this suspicious place had been a last resort in her mind, her only shot at still seeing her sister. And Scorpion trampled on that last hope. Sarah leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. Scorpion had been doing her job as well, hadn¡¯t she?


    Silence embraced her, but it wasn¡¯t comforting. It only caused her mind to wander towards darker, lonelier thoughts.


    It was so quiet that she opened her eyes to check if Pegasus had left her.


    Contrary to her assumptions, he hadn¡¯t moved at all. He was staring at the floor as if his own thoughts were miles away.


    She shifted in her seat, realizing her right leg was falling asleep. ¡°Don¡¯t you have somewhere to be?¡±


    ¡°If they need me, they¡¯ll call.¡± He frowned. ¡°Or do you want me to leave you alone?¡±


    Did she want to be alone? Just her and her own thoughts¡­ and the reflection in the mirror?


    She rubbed at her arms to dispel a sudden chill. ¡°No.¡±


    His only acknowledgement of her response, Pegasus leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes.


    Sarah watched, bewildered. Was he going to take a nap?


    A pen slid out of his pocket. Pegasus picked it up, balancing it between his index and middle fingers.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Robyn? Is she avoiding me again?¡±


    The pen swayed back and forth, speeding up, and then it slipped. Or it looked like it slipped, but it flipped over his thumb instead.


    ¡°She¡¯s looking over some information we got. It¡¯s important, otherwise she¡¯d be here.¡±


    The pen continued to move, dancing along his fingers. It flipped and spun with increasing speed, as if his hand were remembering the motions as it went. The fluidity in the pen¡¯s movement was oddly hypnotizing.


    Would she be able to learn that if she tried? Her fingers weren¡¯t as long as his. She¡¯d even struggled with piano lessons once upon a time.


    Dad took her for ice cream when she came home crying from class and they went for a walk at their favorite spot near the park. This was after the teacher said she shouldn¡¯t bother learning the piano since she¡¯d never be able to reach an octave. Mom got so angry, she didn¡¯t even stop Robyn from cursing until she got a couple of f-bombs out. It felt nice being in that protective bubble when she was little.


    She wiped at her eyes, glad that Pegasus¡¯ eyes remained closed, no sign of life from him except the pen spinning in his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s gonna happen to me now?¡±


    The pen paused, balancing on the back of his hand for a moment before being tossed into the air and caught. ¡°We haven¡¯t figured that out yet. The ones who directly attacked your family have been captured. But someone ordered them to do it, so we¡¯re not sure you¡¯re safe. We won¡¯t be until we know why they targeted you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of why anyone would want to kill me. I mean, I¡¯m annoying sometimes, but not that annoying. I think.¡±


    Pegasus sprung forward, grabbing the pen mid-motion and offering it to her. Surprised, Sarah took it.


    Reaching for her right hand, he adjusted the pen between the tips of her index, thumb and middle fingers. ¡°I know you got angry when Scorpion asked you what you would trade your parents for. But think about that for a second¡­ What would you trade for them?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He slid each of her fingers into position along the pen shaft as he saw fit.


    ¡°If your parents¡¯ lives were at stake, what would you give to keep them safe?¡± He moved her index finger out of the way, pushing her middle finger forward. His eyes followed the pen instead of her. ¡°Your own life?¡±


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    ¡°Sure.¡± Sarah¡¯s gaze flitted between his downcast eyes and the pen being moved around her thumb.


    ¡°Your sister? Your friends?¡±


    Were they thinking she¡¯d been threatened into doing something?


    ¡°Would you trade a random stranger off the streets for your parents?¡± He repositioned the pen between the first three fingers. ¡°A building full of strangers?¡±


    ¡°What does it even matter now?¡± Her parents were gone. What would it matter what she would have traded for their safety?


    Her fingers twitched when she couldn¡¯t clench her fist. The pen slipped, but Pegasus caught it before it reached the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯d have given a lot to save my parents, but I wouldn¡¯t have killed anyone for it. Not unless they had it coming.¡±


    He waved the pen at her, so she grabbed it again. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± But she recognized she didn¡¯t sound sure. Could anyone be?


    ¡°Sarah, I know this sounds like a pointless thought exercise, but it¡¯s a very important question. We need to understand how much you would have been willing to risk, who you would have been willing to risk, for your family.¡± The pen rounded her thumb again and was replaced into its starting position. ¡°No one¡¯s going to judge you for it, no matter what you say.¡±


    Again, she watched as the pen was pushed to rotate over her thumb, but she watched his fingers instead. A scar on his index finger caught her eye.


    ¡°Just think it over. You can tell me later.¡±


    ¡°I thought you caught the people who killed our parents.¡±


    ¡°We caught the ones who pulled the trigger, but the order came from somewhere else, and we¡¯re still short a motive.¡±


    Right. Scorpion said something about orders they couldn¡¯t trace.


    He guided her middle finger to push the pen and released it. It spun around her thump and off her hand, straight into his waiting one.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t find the motive, am I gonna be stuck in this room forever? ¡¯Cause if so, I want a TV.¡±


    ¡°No, not forever. If everything you told us checks out, we¡¯ll start planning for you to go home and go from there.¡±


    Sarah took the pen, positioning it herself as he¡¯d been doing. She left the issue of Robyn¡¯s future whereabouts aside. That was something she should discuss with her sister¡ªwhich would be why her sister was avoiding her.


    She clung to his first words instead. ¡°If everything checks out?¡±


    Pegasus slid her index finger forward, edged her thumb back. ¡°We¡¯re still waiting on a couple of things to finish confirming you¡¯re who you say you are. It shouldn¡¯t take long now.¡±


    ¡°Well, when you guys decide who I am, by all means, please let me know. The suspense is killing me.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I imagine it would be.¡±


    He barely touched her middle finger, and she followed through the motion, pushing against the pen. It flipped over her thumb and fell.


    This time, she caught it with her free hand and offered it to him. ¡°Can I ask what you think?¡±


    Pegasus took the pen and flipped it over his thumb.


    ¡°We¡¯re mostly sure you¡¯re you.¡± Though not a proper answer to her question, it was a reply.


    ¡°And if I¡¯m me, then I¡¯m still in danger?¡±


    Pegasus tossed the pen towards her. ¡°Depends on why they wanted you dead. If it¡¯s something you know, they won¡¯t give up that easily.¡±


    She stared down at the pen. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also possible they know something about you we don¡¯t.¡±


    She placed the pen between her fingers. ¡°What could they know about me that I don¡¯t?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°They may think you know something, but they could be wrong.¡±


    She flicked the pen without thinking, and it went flying. Pegasus caught it with ease, immediately going into a complicated sequence of flips and spins. Sarah struggled to follow the motion.


    ¡°Sorry we don¡¯t have all the answers. But we¡¯re not giving up.¡± His voice sounded so drained.


    Despite the energetic motion of his fingers, he was leaning back once again against the wall, eyes drifting closed as if he were going to sleep.


    Sleeping, but not peaceful.


    Now that she paid attention, he looked worse than she¡¯d initially thought. His eyes had seemed less irritated, but that was pretty much it.


    It made her feel bad about having given him such a hard time when he was trying to question her. He probably needed more rest than she did. Sarah reached out and grabbed the pen when it stilled.


    Tired eyes opened and fixed on hers.


    The intercom sounded with a much too loud warning in the silence.


    ¡°Pegasus?¡± a voice on the other end called out before Pegasus had made it halfway there.


    ¡°How do they know where you are?¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time.


    ¡°Cameras in every hallway.¡± He pressed a button on the intercom. ¡°What is it, Cypher?¡±


    ¡°Griffon asked me to tell you that Doc Brown said you haven¡¯t gone to see him today, and asked him to order you to go see him.¡±


    ¡°Was that you relaying that order?¡±


    ¡°No, but this is: Griffon said you¡¯re ordered to go see the doctor. Now.¡±


    Pegasus chuckled. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that was easy,¡± Cypher mumbled before disconnecting.


    Sarah offered him back the pen. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±


    Pegasus hesitated before taking it. ¡°Not as good as I hoped.¡±


    ¡°Are you gonna be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, fine. Doc said the worst was over.¡±


    Sarah wasn¡¯t sure why, but it felt like he was lying.


    He smiled, flipping the pen one more time before it went into his pocket. ¡°I should go. I¡¯ll come talk to you later, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Sarah nodded. She wanted to ask him about the albums Robyn had promised her, but now she didn¡¯t feel right about bringing it up.


    When the lock fell into place, Sarah moved over to the bed. It didn¡¯t take long to find a comfortable¡ªmostly painless¡ªposition. She felt herself drifting off, but there was nothing she could do to stop it.


    * * *


    ¡°Not on your life!¡± Robyn shouted, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m not lending you my favorite sweater!¡±


    Sarah threw another pile of clothes onto her bed. ¡°Robyn! C¡¯mon, it¡¯s the only green one we have.¡±


    ¡°No, you know I hate lending you my stuff. It always ends badly for the stuff.¡±


    ¡°That accident with the pen was not my fault.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, it was on your watch.¡±


    ¡°On my watch?¡± Sarah smiled, thinking back to the unfortunate pink watch she¡¯d had as a kid. ¡°You wanna talk about watches?¡±


    ¡°That was one time, and Bobby pushed me. We glued the plastic thingy back on.¡±


    ¡°And it never worked like it should again.¡±


    Robyn glared at her, and she glared back.


    After a few seconds, Robyn threw her hands up. ¡°Fine, choke on it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mom asked from the doorway.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°It better be nothing. Your dad and I are trying to have a quiet dinner. You¡¯re not children, stop acting like you are.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother,¡± they mocked in unison.


    Mom shook her head, but she was smiling as she closed the door.


    Robyn held out the sweater to Sarah. ¡°I¡¯ll let you borrow it, but you have to take over my chores for a week.¡±


    Sarah laughed. ¡°Forget it.¡±


    ¡°Three days.¡±


    ¡°Hah! No.¡±


    Maybe Jeremy had a green t-shirt somewhere. Sarah shoved the amorphous pile of clothes to the side, searching for the backpack and phone she¡¯d inadvertently buried underneath. This was all Professor Raymond and his weird color assignment¡¯s fault. Who the hell ever heard of assigning his students colors as if they were a rainbow?


    She found her phone underneath the last layer of clothes and pulled it out along with a dirty shirt that had gotten mixed into the pile. A pen fell, bouncing on her foot before rolling under the bed. Phone in hand, she felt around the floor until she found it.


    She sat back on her ankles, staring at the pen as it nestled perfectly between her thumb, index, and middle fingers. Her index finger slid away and the middle finger pushed the pen forward. It flipped over her thumb and landed with a thump on the floor.


    She stared at the pen as she picked it up and repositioned it.


    Robyn¡¯s voice reached her as if from far away.


    For a second, she wondered what Robyn was doing there. Robyn shouldn¡¯t be there anymore¡­


    A shiver ran through her, every hair standing on end. The pen slipped from her hand.


    Something green was draped over her eyes and she pulled it away. Robyn was smiling at her, the green sweater in her hands.


    ¡°Bring it back in one piece or you¡¯ll be doing my chores for a year,¡± Robyn said.


    Sarah stuck her tongue out at her sister, the pen forgotten. ¡°What chores? You never actually do anything.¡±

 Book I - ch 19. The Choices Within Each Consequence

    * * *


    Pegasus watched as the syringe filled with his blood.


    Doctor Brown hadn¡¯t stopped talking the entire time. Pegasus answered the questions when there was a pause, but otherwise couldn¡¯t tell if the comments were directed at him or not.


    ¡°No sign of jaundice so far. That¡¯s good. The irritation looks mildly better. Have you been using the eye drops I gave you? Any sign of blood in your urine?¡±


    When they started filling the third tube with his blood, Pegasus checked the nearby table. ¡°You¡¯re not planning to take what¡¯s left of my blood today, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, this will be quite enough.¡± The Doctor handed him a cotton ball. ¡°Any coughing? Trouble breathing?¡±


    Pegasus was more or less sure he was answering the questions, but everything was blurring together and he was struggling to focus. It could be because he wasn¡¯t feeling well. Or it could be that it was late enough that his brain was shutting down. He¡¯d rather believe the latter, but he¡¯d been feeling pretty bad towards the end of his talk with Sarah.


    ¡°How are you feeling today?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged. ¡°I was feeling better, but now not so much.¡±


    ¡°Have you eaten anything?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t felt like eating.¡±


    ¡°Nauseous?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°If it were solely up to me, I¡¯d have you restricted to one of these beds so we can monitor you. Some symptoms may show up now or even in a couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s still going to get worse?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure what to expect. From what we know of analogous substances, I had hoped that you wouldn¡¯t be showing any more signs.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s messing with you, Doc,¡± Scorpion said from the door. ¡°Everyone knows he¡¯s not that easy to kill.¡±


    But even she couldn¡¯t hide the concern in her voice.


    ¡°And how¡¯s your leg doing today?¡± Doctor Brown asked her.


    ¡°Feels better. I think the meds finally kicked in.¡±


    ¡°Did they change your bandage yet?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking I could do that myself since I¡¯m kinda tight for time¡­¡±


    Doctor Brown scoffed. ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    She let out an irritated sigh and leaned against the doorjamb, focusing on her tablet.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fire?¡± Pegasus asked her as Doctor Brown put a stethoscope against his back.


    The doctor shushed him.


    Scorpion¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°No fire. But I want to finish some of these background checks from the surveillance Wolf sent over before going to bed.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Cypher say he¡¯d take care of that?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Again, the doctor shushed him.


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯d feel better if I went over them myself.¡±


    Pegasus shook his head. He didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near the place when that particular argument started up again. Cypher hated feeling like people were double-checking his work.


    Doctor Brown started calmly making some notes in his chart, and Scorpion tapped her good foot loudly to show her impatience.


    ¡°Get anything else out of Gellman about why they might want Sarah dead?¡± Pegasus asked, trying to distract her.


    ¡°Nothing much. And we¡¯re still checking what we got from the site.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if they need an extra pair of eyes.¡± He might not be able to go outside, but this would be something he could help with.


    ¡°I heard they have another assignment for you.¡± There was a trace of mockery to her tone.


    What type of assignment would amuse her? They wouldn¡¯t have him cleaning the kitchen or anything like that¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t add her room to the surveillance cams and let them handle it upstairs,¡± she said. ¡°Or we could put her in an induced coma again, seemed to work well last time.¡±


    That earned her a look of reproach from the doctor.


    Pegasus sighed. ¡°This is about Sarah?¡±


    ¡°Griffon mentioned something about you babysitting Dragon¡¯s sister again.¡±


    ¡°Why would anyone need to?¡± he asked.


    Scorpion shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m amazed we even need a com system. The grapevine is working just fine.¡±


    ¡°Sarcasm doesn¡¯t do much for me, you know.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°Was that sarcasm?¡±


    She ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll be too busy making sure she doesn¡¯t accidentally kill herself to do any real work.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I wonder if she plays backgammon.¡±


    The contempt that had flashed in her face vanished. He could tell Scorpion had been expecting him to be angry. But there wasn¡¯t much to be angry about. He was expendable at the moment, he knew that. Still, he couldn¡¯t hide his disappointed about being sidelined.


    ¡°It¡¯s your own fault you¡¯re like this. You know they only asked you to conduct Sarah¡¯s test because you could either calm her or charm her into behaving¡­¡± She paused, narrowing her gaze. ¡°Or are you the one being charmed?¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡±


    ¡°Go shoot yourself.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking we might as well get a sample of your bone marrow,¡± Doctor Brown said, probably hoping to diffuse the developing argument. ¡°I¡¯ll give you something for the pain.¡±


    Scorpion crossed her arms. ¡°Must you, Doc? You know how he gets.¡±


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    The doctor stopped and gave her a serious look. ¡°You know I abhor pain.¡±


    Pegasus couldn¡¯t help laugh at the seriousness with which Doctor Brown replied.


    Scorpion pointed a finger at him. ¡°You¡¯re a chaos creator.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Doc. I can put up with the pain so it won¡¯t annoy her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make any promises you don¡¯t intend to keep.¡±


    Instantly seething from her words, Pegasus¡¯ smile vanished. ¡°No, that¡¯s your thing.¡±


    She gave him an icy stare. ¡°And you¡¯re not even dosed yet. See?¡±


    He kept his mouth shut that time. Saying anything at this point would only make it worse. He leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯d better get going if I still want to catch some sleep,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°I¡¯ll find someone to help me with my bandage.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really need to give me anything, do you?¡± Pegasus asked once Scorpion had left.


    Doctor Brown sighed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. And she¡¯s got a point, it does make you harder to handle.¡±


    Pegasus didn¡¯t argue; they were right.


    It took the doctor another hour to finish collecting samples and ask more questions. Pegasus did his best impersonation of tired patience and waited.


    ¡°How¡¯s it looking, Doc?¡± Pegasus asked when enough time had passed that he wondered if Doctor Brown had forgotten he was still there.


    ¡°Your red blood cell count is still low. Based on what we know of similar toxic substances, another few weeks should give us a better idea of your clinical evolution. But some signs could, in theory, show up even further down the line.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m hearing is you have no idea.¡±


    The doctor looked down at his notes, looking very focused.


    ¡°And how long am I grounded for?¡±


    ¡°At least two weeks, and then we¡¯ll see. Consider yourself lucky that you¡¯re alive and more or less unharmed so far.¡±


    True. It could¡¯ve been worse. ¡°How¡¯s Bear? I didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to her yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with the Lair¡¯s head physician. She¡¯s doing better, so they¡¯re hopeful. They estimate she¡¯d been inhaling the toxic fumes for at least ten minutes before you found her, so that explains the differences. If she could¡¯ve stopped breathing, she would¡¯ve been fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if she¡¯d died, she wouldn¡¯t have breathed in any harmful substances. Would¡¯ve been perfect.¡±


    The doctor scowled.


    Pegasus raised his hands defensively.


    ¡°I hear she¡¯s been wanting to thank you. She would¡¯ve died if you hadn¡¯t gone back for her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call her later. Maybe we can do a video chat from our sick beds to pass the time. I hear she likes chess.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t overdo it the next few days or I will have you confined to one of these beds,¡± the doctor warned. ¡°Now go sleep.¡±


    Pegasus gave the doctor a mock salute and left before they remembered any more tests they wanted to do on him.


    He refused to check his watch, but he was tired enough that he probably should have been in bed a couple of hours ago. Everyone said it was easy to lose track of time when there was no sky to darken or lighten in view, but not him. His internal clock not only worked, it had a mean streak when he ignored it.


    Scorpion had always teased him about it.


    He sighed. It wasn¡¯t like he was actively trying to upset her. He couldn¡¯t help feeling angry and he couldn¡¯t help blame her for it.


    Feeling as if the exhaustion from his body was finally reaching his mind, he let out another long breath.


    It was bad enough¡ªnot to mention embarrassing¡ªthat Griffon had called him out on it twice already. Thankfully, it hadn¡¯t reached Zeus yet. And no, he didn¡¯t want to talk to Athena about his personal life.


    Even he recognized he¡¯d been a handful lately, but Scorpion was being particularly infuriating the past few weeks. Especially about Sarah. He almost missed the silent treatment he¡¯d been getting before all this.


    True that Robyn had gotten involved in their fight, but what was her problem with Sarah? Or was he reading too much into it?


    He couldn¡¯t discard the possibility that he was worrying too much about Sarah. But both she and Robyn were already dealing with the loss of their parents. Sarah was also having to accept this entire world she didn¡¯t know about. Not to mention she still seemed scared of losing Robyn as well. If they¡¯d gotten there even five minutes later, it might¡¯ve been too late and Sarah would¡¯ve been all alone.


    He leaned his head against the cold elevator wall and closed his eyes.


    A lot was bothering him about that entire situation, starting with the fact that the assassination attempt had been so sloppy and public.


    They were missing something. They had to be.


    He only realized he¡¯d gotten out on the wrong floor when he walked right past Cypher¡¯s station. His friend was notably absent, probably asleep.


    Pegasus glanced at the monitors displaying the security footage automatically. There was always a constant feed from all over the compound, and the time of day could be gaged by how empty the hallways were. There was virtually no one out in the halls on the lower floors right now.


    After what felt like too long of an elevator ride, he finally made his way back to his room. He opened the door and stepped inside, his hand stopping short of the light switch. He felt something different before he knew what it was.


    ¡°Hey,¡± a voice greeted him from a dark corner.


    He took a step back, ready to press the intercom.


    Robyn turned on the overhead lamp, laughing at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think no one sleeps around here.¡± He closed the door. ¡°What¡¯s with the ambush?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Didn¡¯t know you were that jumpy.¡±


    He shrugged, taking a seat on the chair facing her. He untied his shoes, being incredibly patient about an explanation for why she was in his room. Or maybe he was confusing patience with exhaustion.


    She yawned. ¡°You sure took your time getting here.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You were spying on me?¡±


    ¡°What else are the security cameras for?¡±


    He rolled his eyes at her.


    ¡°I ran into Scorpion,¡± she said.


    Pegasus stopped unbuttoning his shirt. ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m not letting you punch me again. I¡¯m pretty sure the expiration date went out on that.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°No, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you about Sarah.¡±


    ¡°Did you get the results from the test?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s as clear as she¡¯s gonna be.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you then?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a meeting tomorrow. We¡¯re gonna be going over what we have from Gellman and what Wolf sent along. I think they¡¯re going to bring us up to speed on what they have for the bomb threats, too.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with Sarah?¡±


    ¡°The tests came through, and she¡¯s clear¡­¡± She stared down at her feet.


    Pegasus nodded in understanding. ¡°And that means she¡¯s one step closer to being sent back.¡±


    ¡°Cypher has someone checking any connection to Gellman¡¯s cell to see if there¡¯s anyone looking for her. So far there¡¯s been no activity around anyone in Sarah¡¯s life.¡±


    Pegasus nodded along, but his thoughts went in a different direction. If they had a reason for wanting Sarah dead, wouldn¡¯t that go beyond one small terrorist cell? If the order came from up high, like Gellman said, then shouldn¡¯t the order be given to others when the first attempt failed?


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really make sense,¡± he said.


    ¡°Which part of it does?¡±


    Pegasus leaned back, stretching his legs. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°Deacon¡¯s working on a story. We¡¯re going with the lack of identification at the hospital type thing.¡±


    ¡°That should work with her injuries.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve put in all the requests, but everyone¡¯s busy. Since Zeus is taking you out of the game on Doc Brown¡¯s orders¡­ I figured you could help me with this?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to get myself assigned to the fact checking.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going anywhere near the missions. Face it, you look like crap.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks. You look nice, too.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, will you help me with prepping Sarah?¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d want to do it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna be busy with Gellman for a few more days. Until we¡¯re sure he¡¯s given us everything he knows. And then there¡¯s the bomb threat.¡± Robyn¡¯s gaze lowered again. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s gonna be painful, I think, for both of us, to have to talk about never seeing each other again.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not going to take it well.¡± If the way her sister reacted when he first told her she¡¯d be separated from Robyn was any indication, it would be anything but a smooth process. He didn¡¯t want to be the one to tell Sarah she was being shipped off to her aunt¡¯s never to see Robyn again. They would probably hear the yelling all the way up in comm.


    * * *


    Robyn looked up when Pegasus didn¡¯t say anything else. Was he still thinking? She watched his breaths for a moment, the slow rise and fall of his chest. Was he asleep?


    ¡°Hey, you still with me?¡±


    He lifted a hand as a sign of life, his eyes opened into slits. ¡°Have you talked to her yet?¡±


    Robyn shook her head. She was being a bit of a coward.


    He sighed. ¡°Dragon¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± She threw her hands up, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling. ¡°I keep telling myself that I should go talk to her.¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡± His tone was gentle. ¡°But you¡¯re not listening to yourself. She needs to hear it from you if she¡¯s to accept it or at least understand where you¡¯re coming from. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s gonna listen to anyone else. And don¡¯t you want to talk to her? To explain why you¡¯re doing this?¡±


    Was there even an explanation she could give for all this? Robyn smiled, trying to dispel her sadness. ¡°I guess.¡±


    Funny how she¡¯d never thought of Pegasus as a close friend. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he¡¯d pulled a gun on her when they first met. She always thought her opinion of him was molded by that first impression. During her time with the W.R.O., she¡¯d been much closer to Scorpion, but this wasn¡¯t at all an unwelcome change. If nothing else, it was coming in handy.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you have a weird look on your face?¡±


    ¡°Has anyone ever told you you¡¯re smarter than you seem?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you. Now get lost. I feel as bad as you say I look.¡±


    He waved her off without moving from his seat, but he was smiling.


    Yeah, she really hadn¡¯t expected this. Just like she hadn¡¯t expected to find it so hard to say goodbye to Sarah.

 Book I - ch 20. Game Plan

    * * *


    Pegasus wished he could disappear into a corner, but there were no corners to disappear into. The main area largely known as Command, or comm for short, was currently standing room only. The security monitors above Cypher¡¯s station confirmed that there was no one moving around in the hallways.


    The bustle died down as Zeus stepped out of his office. ¡°As some of you have heard, we¡¯re still on alert for a chemical attack.¡±


    There was no need to explain who from. The New Nation was the only foe important enough to warrant this much attention. Well, the only known foe. There was something bigger out there, but so far, they were nothing but shadows, giving commands without leaving trails that might lead back to them. It was frustrating, to say the least.


    ¡°A chemical research facility was attacked less than twenty-four hours ago,¡± Zeus continued.


    Muttered complaints could be heard among the agents. More than a few of them looked at Pegasus¡ªor should he call himself case study number two?


    Did he look like an appropriate cautionary tale?


    ¡°Do we know what¡¯s been stolen this time? Or is it another off-the-books project?¡± Griffon asked, failing to keep the annoyance from his voice.


    ¡°All the information we have on the stolen chemicals and their effects will be on your computers by now,¡± Zeus said with no change in tone.


    Scorpion raised a hand from amidst the crowd. ¡°Sir, has there been any new information regarding their target?¡±


    ¡°Lore believes their target will indeed be the university. Our primary focus will be on the conference taking place there in a couple of weeks, on the nineteenth.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve spoken to the university about canceling the event,¡± Athena said. ¡°But we¡¯ve asked they continue to organize the event as if nothing¡¯s changed. We don¡¯t want to give them time to pick another target.¡±


    ¡°As it stands, we¡¯re going to be diverting all of our resources to this,¡± Zeus said. ¡°Most of you have already received your new orders. As of yesterday, all our other investigations are on hold or handed back to the primary authorities unless connected to the New Nation.¡±


    Several people straightened. While everyone was busy with other tasks and smaller investigations, their focus remained the same.


    ¡°What about the ones where a connection is still trying to be established?¡± Python asked.


    ¡°Have you anything concrete since our last update?¡± Zeus asked her directly.


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Toss it back then. If they still need our assistance when this is over, we¡¯ll be happy to help.¡± Zeus turned to Griffon. ¡°Your team has point in tracking down the chemicals. Cypher and Lore should have something to get you started.¡±


    Pegasus looked towards Cypher and saw him nod almost unperceptively. Griffon checked in with his team, which was spread out across the room. Pegasus¡¯ absence from their ranks was to be expected, but there were a few surprises.


    ¡°Unicorn will handle the follow-up on Gellman,¡± Zeus directed towards her. ¡°Athena has already set aside a few of you to help her. Check your orders. Anything not related to the bomb threat will also be directed to Unicorn.¡±


    Unicorn nodded, looking solemn. Pegasus was sure she¡¯d rather be heading out with the team. From the others¡¯ reactions, Mermaid would be taking her place.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say no one is getting any downtime,¡± Zeus said. ¡°If we do our jobs well, people don¡¯t die. So let¡¯s do our best.¡±


    Pegasus coughed out a laugh. That was as much of a pep talk as they would get. Zeus only did these speech things because Athena said it helped with morale.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for now. Get to work.¡± Zeus met his gaze. ¡°Griffon, Pegasus, Dragon, conference room.¡±


    Feeling like a fish going upstream, Pegasus made his way through the disbanding crowd towards the conference room. When he got there, Zeus was already inside, sitting at the table as if he¡¯d been waiting there for hours.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Maybe he had a hologram do the announcement.


    Pegasus made sure to switch his smirk to a more inquisitive expression before Zeus looked up at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s about our guest,¡± Zeus started as Griffon joined them. ¡°Pegasus will be aiding Dragon in coaching her sister.¡±


    Pegasus nodded. Griffon frowned at both of them.


    ¡°I recognize the timing is not ideal,¡± Zeus said.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we postpone sending her back out?¡± Griffon asked.


    The door to the conference room opened and Robyn entered.


    She stopped near the door as if intruding. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°We were discussing your sister.¡± Zeus signaling for her to sit down. ¡°In the grand scheme of things, it won¡¯t take much time. The report is practically done. And since Pegasus is still out of commission, there¡¯ll be no conflict for him.¡±


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t we hold off on sending her out?¡± Griffon insisted.


    Pegasus shrugged. ¡°We can have everything ready and still only send her out when we¡¯re sure.¡± He wasn¡¯t crazy about sending Sarah out into danger either, but there was no problem with starting the process now.


    ¡°Athena suggested this would be an appropriate time to get everything settled,¡± Zeus said with a glance at Robyn. ¡°Since you¡¯re cleared to go on the next assignment, there is that added concern.¡±


    In case something happens to Robyn. She wasn¡¯t instrumental to the process, but her presence would make things easier for Sarah.


    Pegasus shared a glance with Robyn. She didn¡¯t seem to be looking forward to it. He couldn¡¯t say he expected anything different.


    ¡°I understand Deacon has already forwarded you his research before he went over to help Lore,¡± Zeus said. ¡°Have you both reviewed his report?¡±


    Pegasus nodded. He¡¯d looked at it that morning.


    Robyn shook her head. ¡°How¡¯s my aunt Ruth? Still neurotic?¡±


    ¡°More to the point, as far as he could determine, was there any intervention with the aunt and uncle?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°No contact and no surveillance that he could find. He even checked for any signs that either of them had been replaced. He was very thorough, went through the entire process, from medical and dental to a basic memory questionnaire.¡±


    Robyn laughed. ¡°He managed to pull that off?¡±


    ¡°He used the info that we got for Sarah and his police ID,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°Everything checked out.¡±


    ¡°Get Sarah ready,¡± Zeus said. ¡°As soon as the smoke clears, we¡¯ll put her back.¡±


    Robyn shifted in her seat. ¡°Sir, I asked Pegasus to take point on this, since I¡¯ll be on Griffon¡¯s team. I know that should be my priority and I wanna focus on that.¡±


    Pegasus felt the childish impulse to laugh. She must really be going for it, calling him sir and everything.


    Whether he saw through her words, Zeus nodded. Pegasus expected him to at least question her, but Zeus simply turned to him: ¡°Have you anything so far on planning?¡±


    ¡°I started thinking about it after we spoke,¡± Pegasus said towards Robyn. ¡°Since there was the attack, we can claim she was still unconscious and recovering from her injuries. This would explain a delay in identifying her if we place her in a hospital the police didn¡¯t directly check. I contacted a couple of doctors earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Robyn asked.


    ¡°Former members of the W.R.O. Both from the Lair. They¡¯re on standby to provide us with the medical support on the outside. One of them works in a hospital the police didn¡¯t check because it¡¯s outside the city. But it¡¯s not impossible for Sarah to have made it that far.¡±


    Robyn nodded to herself, gaze faraway. ¡°Okay. How long does your setup take?¡±


    ¡°If we had all the time in the world?¡±


    Griffon crossed his arms. ¡°If we didn¡¯t have a terrorist organization breathing down our necks.¡±


    ¡°We could have her at her aunt¡¯s by next week, if that¡¯s really where we want her,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°Regardless of when, I think we should confirm the where first.¡±


    They all turned to Robyn. ¡°I¡¯m still worried about someone coming after her, but I can¡¯t think of anything better. I don¡¯t want her hiding halfway around the world, pretending to be someone else. So yes, I think we should send her to aunt Ruth. And I think we¡¯ve exposed her enough to this world, so the sooner the better.¡±


    Zeus nodded his approval. ¡°Dismissed then.¡± He raised a hand to stop Pegasus as the others left.


    Pegasus sank in his chair, feeling like a teenager about to be scolded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look,¡± Zeus said, adopting a more familiar demeanor.


    Pegasus tried to school his expression, but it was difficult when they were alone. Zeus might be his commander in the hierarchy of this place, but he was also the closest thing to a father-figure Pegasus had growing up. Every once in a while, it showed on both their ends.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m being completely left out of the investigation. You did ask me to help with Gellman¡¯s interrogation and Sarah¡¯s test.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you¡¯re still grounded.¡±


    ¡°What happened to my being grounded only until I was needed? Isn¡¯t everyone needed right now?¡±


    ¡°That was before both you and Bear took a turn for the worse. I¡¯ve been kept up to date on her condition, and you¡¯re not looking any better. Maybe next time you¡¯ll think twice before trying to be a hero.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather practice holding my breath for longer instead.¡±


    Zeus ignored him. ¡°I won¡¯t lose you because you think we can¡¯t survive without you for a few weeks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of pride,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°I don¡¯t like feeling useless, or being useless, when there¡¯s so much that needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°Someone has to coach Dragon¡¯s sister, and you¡¯re good at that, and that won¡¯t wear you down too much.¡±


    Pegasus laughed. ¡°Have you met her?¡±


    He saw the trace of a smile on Zeus¡¯ face. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can handle it. I¡¯d think anyone would be easier than Scorpion.¡±


    Pegasus resisted the urge to glare at him. He didn¡¯t like the change in subject much. ¡°When I¡¯m done with Sarah, can I at least help Cypher sort through all the chatter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave that decision to Doctor Brown. Take care of yourself and get better. Who knows, it might be weeks before the New Nation makes a move.¡±


    Pegasus scoffed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that. You should never say that.¡±

 Book I - ch 21. The Ways in Which We Part

    * * *


    Robyn knocked on Pegasus¡¯ door. She glanced at her watch. Pegasus shouldn¡¯t be asleep, it was the middle of the day. As far as she knew, he had the most obnoxious internal clock out of all of them. But maybe his current debilitated state had messed it up.


    She knocked again, louder. Would he find it strange if she tried the door? He hadn¡¯t complained when he found her waiting inside his room the other day.


    Her hand was already on the doorknob when the door opened.


    ¡°Sorry, I had the headphones on.¡± He gestured she come inside.


    Various files were spread out along his desk. He¡¯d obviously been working.


    She¡¯d always thought it weird that Pegasus preferred printouts of the stuff he had to look at.


    These all seemed to be related to Sarah. ¡°I¡¯ve got some time, so I was wondering if we could go over your plan for my sister.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let me pull up what the doctors sent.¡± He sat down at the computer. ¡°Have you talked to her?¡±


    Robyn shifted uneasily. She couldn¡¯t lie about that.


    ¡°You promised you¡¯d talk to her yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± But then she¡¯d gotten busy and then she¡¯d gotten scared again. And in the end, she hadn¡¯t spoken to Sarah in almost two days.


    Pegasus turned his chair to face her. ¡°Dragon, you asked for a day, I gave you a day. Now get over there and talk to her.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t let her postpone it any longer, she was sure of that. ¡°Did Unicorn find out anything else about Gellman¡¯s cell?¡±


    ¡°Last I heard, we have that cell mapped out, but the orders to kill Sarah seem like they came out of nowhere. It¡¯s what you¡¯d expect from their puppeteers.¡±


    Robyn nodded to herself. Some orders were like that. They came from somewhere so high up, it was impossible to follow them to their source. This would be such a case.


    Which meant there was no way for them to know if Sarah would be safe at her aunt¡¯s. She wished it didn¡¯t feel so much like a gamble, but she didn¡¯t know any more than they did of what would happen to Sarah.


    ¡°Do you still want me to go ahead with building her backstory?¡± Pegasus asked.


    They couldn¡¯t keep Sarah locked in a room indefinitely. Though that didn¡¯t sound like such a bad idea.


    There was a knock on the door. Mermaid popped her head in, smiling as she waved at them. ¡°Our schedule was pushed up.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°We think they¡¯re gonna be at the harbor. Might be moving the chemicals or the bomb, we¡¯re not sure. The info came through one of Python¡¯s old informants, but the guy isn¡¯t very trustworthy. The specifics are on your computer,¡± she said towards Robyn.


    Robyn nodded. They¡¯d been waiting for this.


    ¡°Briefing¡¯s in ten,¡± Mermaid said.


    ¡°Are we having trouble with the com again?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Mermaid laughed. ¡°Nah, Cypher was being lazy. He was talking to me while I was walking past.¡±


    Robyn turned to Pegasus. ¡°Could you start prepping Sarah? I¡¯ll tell her about it now before we leave.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can do that.¡±


    Nothing would have to be decided before she came back anyways. And this would give her some more time to think things through.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this, Robyn, none of this.¡± Pegasus reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Just focus on what you¡¯re doing. No one¡¯s gonna do anything with Sarah until you come back.¡±


    She nodded. If only her worries were that simple. ¡°Okay.¡±


    His eyes narrowed on her despite the smile. ¡°Now go talk to her. Or I will drag you down there and make you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t doubt he would, so she promised she¡¯d go straight to Sarah¡¯s room from there. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I get back.¡±


    Robyn changed her mind several times on her way to see Sarah. The thought of saying goodbye was troubling, but she couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate. If nothing else, the imaginary clock ticking away in her subconscious kept her moving.


    The last time she¡¯d said goodbye to her sister came to mind. It was also the last time she¡¯d gone to some strange place without knowing if she¡¯d come back.


    Her sister had been asleep then. Robyn remembered hesitating outside her room even though someone was waiting to drive her to the compound. She¡¯d turned the doorknob slowly, willing it not to make a sound, terrified her sister would wake up. Faint light crept in through the blinds. It wasn¡¯t until her eyes adjusted that she could see her sister on the bed, sleeping all twisted like she always did. Even then, she hadn¡¯t been sure if she should say something.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    The look on her sister¡¯s face had been so peaceful, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to wake her and disturb that fragile peace. In the end, Robyn had turned around and left just as quietly. Her sister never even noticed she¡¯d been there.


    Robyn hesitated outside Sarah¡¯s door. She paused with her hand on the doorknob. Would this be a repeat of that memory?


    If Sarah were asleep, would she let peace have its turn in Sarah¡¯s mind, at least for a little while? Or would she say what needed saying? Which one would be worse?


    * * *


    Sarah was wide awake, staring at the door as if she could make the thing open with the power of her mind. She didn¡¯t have much faith in it, but telekinesis felt like the only way she was ever getting out of there. Though she¡¯d never been claustrophobic, she would give anything to have that door at least left ajar.


    Were there footsteps out in the hallway?


    The steps halted right outside her door.


    Sarah stared at the door, expecting it to open, but she didn¡¯t move. Stillness felt natural, felt safe. She was afraid movement would disturb the delicate balance she¡¯d set within herself.


    Silence prolonged itself and nothing changed. Had she imagined those footsteps?


    Just like she¡¯d imagined the blood¡ªher gaze flitted to the wall, but there was no blood there now.


    Tricks of light should be fleeting, and nightmares shouldn¡¯t endure past the hours of waking, right? But then what did it mean that she¡¯d seen it when staring right at the wall earlier?


    Maybe being stuck in that room had caused her to lose her mind. She also hadn¡¯t completely ruled out the possibility that she was the subject of some sort of twisted experiment. If not for her sister, she would have placed that at the top of her list. But then she hadn¡¯t seen Robyn in several days.


    She¡¯d all but forgotten about the footsteps outside when the door finally edged open and Robyn appeared.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Sarah said, that simple action triggering the rest. Some of the tension went out of her, but she quickly protested when Robyn went to close the door. ¡°Can we leave it for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m developing claustrophobia.¡± Sarah got up and went towards the door.


    Nothing but the familiar empty hallway was out there. She rolled her shoulders and something in her neck popped. ¡°Robyn, what the hell?¡±


    Robyn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You ran out the other day without any sort of explanation and never came back. For all I knew, you¡¯d been abducted by aliens or something. And then I got carted off and interrogated! Where were you?¡±


    Robyn wouldn¡¯t meet her gaze. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s been kind of hectic.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Sarah forced herself to inhale and exhale a few times to calm down. The pain in her chest was bearable. ¡°Can you please tell me what¡¯s going on now?¡±


    ¡°Well, for one, you couldn¡¯t convince anyone you were you if you tried.¡± Robyn smiled, sitting down on the foot of the bed.


    ¡°I could¡¯ve told you that.¡± Sarah didn¡¯t bother hiding her irritation. ¡°But seriously, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t tell you the specifics,¡± Robyn said. ¡°But I¡¯ll explain as much as I can when I get back.¡±


    Sarah froze, a sinking feeling taking root in the pit of her stomach. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading out with some of the others. There¡¯s something we need to go check. It¡¯s important.¡±


    The vagueness was not reassuring.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Robyn¡¯s expression softened. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±


    Sarah stared out at the empty hallway again. ¡°Can¡¯t you not go?¡±


    The sinking feeling in her stomach was churning and morphing into something stronger. She didn¡¯t want Robyn to go anywhere. She didn¡¯t want Robyn out of her sight.


    There were enough genuine reasons for her to worry, but the rising fear was more irrational than she expected.


    It bordered on certainty.


    Her breaths became shallow. Was this because of Mom and Dad? Or could be an echo of those moments when she woke up and Robyn wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried,¡± was all she was able to say. But really, she was terrified.


    Robyn laughed, dismissing her concern. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. We¡¯re gonna go get some boxes, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Regardless of her opinion on the truthfulness of that statement, Sarah didn¡¯t contest it. She doubted her sister would tell her the truth about this when she¡¯d been hiding so many things.


    Robyn checked her watch. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go.¡±


    Sarah stood in her way, unwilling to let her leave.


    Robyn placed her hands on Sarah¡¯s shoulders and squeezed gently. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later.¡±


    Sarah held her ground. Those sounded like empty words.


    ¡°I promise,¡± Robyn added.


    Sarah placed her hands on top of Robyn¡¯s and squeezed.


    ¡°Pegasus will be by later to check up on you,¡± Robyn said, wincing a second after the words left her. ¡°To check if you need anything, I mean.¡±


    ¡°To make sure I haven¡¯t died of boredom?¡±


    ¡°There are some things he¡¯ll be needing to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°What things?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°More of those stupid questions?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that.¡± Again with the lack of explanations. ¡°Please be patient with all this.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t say a word. Her patience was long gone.


    ¡°At least try not to give them a hard time.¡±


    Sarah pressed her lips together.


    ¡°Okay?¡± Robyn insisted, pulling her into a hug.


    Sarah hugged her as tightly as she could. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have a long talk as soon as I get back, I promise.¡±


    With another glance at her watch, Robyn all but moved Sarah aside and rushed out with a wave. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    But Sarah couldn¡¯t help it. She sat down on the bed, the world slowing down around her as she imagined Robyn¡¯s footsteps gaining distance.


    The feeling of being cut off from the world suffocated her¡ªeven if the world right outside the door was an empty hallway. Somewhere deep inside, the fear grew.

 Book I - ch 22. Lies and Other Such Comforts

    * * *


    Pegasus set his headphones down as he again heard knocking. He opened the door, expecting to find Robyn. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯ll have to drag you.¡±


    Scorpion cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Depends on where you think you¡¯ll be dragging me.¡±


    His smile dimmed. ¡°I thought it was Robyn. Shouldn¡¯t you be upstairs?¡±


    ¡°I went to see Doc Brown. He signed off on me.¡± She handed him a file. ¡°Cypher said you wanted this printout.¡±


    Pegasus took it without even looking down. ¡°Did you change jobs now?¡±


    ¡°It was on my way,¡± she said. It was a lie, but Pegasus ignored it. ¡°Doc told me about Bear and how she¡¯s worse. Seems she hasn¡¯t been able to keep anything down. How¡¯re you doing?¡±


    Pegasus didn¡¯t want to lie, but he didn¡¯t want to tell her the truth either. Neither seemed a good enough answer.


    He turned his back to her with the excuse of placing the papers on his desk. ¡°So far, so good. Doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ll be rid of me anytime soon.¡±


    When he turned to face her, he was sure his expression was under control.


    Scorpion took a step back as if she were done, but stopped again. ¡°What in heaven¡¯s name were you thinking in the first place? Were you trying to make a point?¡±


    ¡°It had nothing to do with you.¡± Pegasus sighed. ¡°I was trying to save someone¡¯s life. Which I guess was the point to begin with.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve died.¡±


    Pegasus closed the distance between them, taking her hand. ¡°Belle¡­¡±


    She shook her head, clearly upset now, and pulled her hand from his grasp.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave like that,¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have to go.¡± Her expression hardened. ¡°And don¡¯t you have a special project or something to distract yourself with while Dragon¡¯s away?¡±


    He held back his instinctive caustic reply and even managed a smile. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Scorpion¡¯s only response was a slight nod as she closed the door behind her.


    Regardless of her puzzling animosity towards Sarah, Scorpion was right that Sarah was something of a distraction. As much as he told himself that it was work someone had to do, Sarah herself had been occupying too much of his mind lately.


    * * *


    Robyn finished checking her gear for the second or third time. She was having trouble focusing, all her thoughts returning to Sarah.


    She couldn¡¯t help it. Sarah was all she had left of a family and the thought of never seeing her again was killing her. Knowing her own faults in how things became this way only made it worse.


    But it wasn¡¯t her fault, right? It was the fault of circumstances. The circumstances that put her there, the circumstances that directed every course of action they took, every move they made. They were pieces on a board and they had about the same amount of free will.


    It was all actions and reactions, and it was whatever they needed to do to survive. Nothing more, nothing less.


    Struggling against it wouldn¡¯t change anything, neither would hiding. And yet she choked when she tried telling Sarah about sending her back out.


    ¡°Hey Dragon, you going out?¡± Sphynx asked as he came up behind her.


    She started, whirling around with wide eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked, laughing. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡±


    She laughed, finally breathing out. She forgot Sphynx would be there. ¡°I was lost in my own mind.¡±


    ¡°Is it that big of a place to get lost in?¡±


    She eyed the backpack slung over his shoulder. ¡°You leaving?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Going on loan to Center for a couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°What? They don¡¯t have enough reckless ops as it is?¡±


    ¡°Apparently not.¡±


    ¡°Good luck.¡±


    ¡°As if luck has anything to do with it.¡± He patted his backpack. ¡°I still have the knife you gave me, so I should be fine.¡±


    ¡°See you around. Robyn waved him off when she saw Griffon approaching.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Dragon, you all set?¡± Griffon asked.


    She nodded, gaze following Sphynx as he walked away.


    ¡°Mermaid should be here any second.¡± He stepped purposefully into her field of view. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    She schooled her expression as best she could.


    ¡°I know Athena and Doctor Brown cleared you, but I need you to tell me that you¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± She tried not to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded.


    ¡°Distracted?¡±


    ¡°No more than usual.¡±


    He opened her bag and started rummaging through it, rechecking everything she¡¯d checked. ¡°And how¡¯s your shoulder doing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you were whining about it almost constantly for the past couple of months. I figured it might be acting up again with all the training hours you¡¯ve been putting in.¡±


    She made a show of checking the motion of her right shoulder, then her left. ¡°Nah, hasn¡¯t started yet. I think it¡¯s gonna get me when I actually need it for something important. But if there¡¯s any sign of trouble, I¡¯ll get Doctor Green to have a look at it.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything to that, maybe deciding it was easier to pretend he believed her.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± he asked when she didn¡¯t say anything else. Then, in a mocking tone, he added, ¡°Tell me your troubles.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re really doing this here? Now? Did you channel Athena all of a sudden?¡±


    He responded with a shrug that reminded her of Pegasus. ¡°Blame it on Mermaid being late.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I will.¡±


    ¡°And now tell me what¡¯s bothering you.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about one of the times I left home. Not today, but when things were more or less normal. I never said goodbye. And then¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Now I¡¯m sending Sarah away and I don¡¯t know how to say goodbye.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll understand it¡¯s for the best in the end. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll have some time when we get back, before we send her out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. As always.¡±


    Griffon laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss her.¡±


    ¡°Are you having second thoughts about sending her outside by herself?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± Robyn realized her expression was grim and tried to force a smile. ¡°I mean, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to keep her locked up in here. She deserves a life.¡±


    ¡°You could always keep an eye on her like I do with my mother.¡±


    ¡°Hey, guys. Ready to roll?¡± Mermaid interrupted as she joined them.


    ¡°Waiting for you, Madeleine,¡± Griffon said.


    Mermaid winced as if the name had physically hurt her. ¡°Must you call me that?¡±


    Robyn zipped her bag back up since Griffon was done with it. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty name.¡±


    ¡°The others are waiting for us,¡± Griffon said as he started leading them out.


    ¡°Rock and roll,¡± Mermaid said with a wink. ¡°And so long, world.¡±


    The world offered no reply.


    * * *


    Sarah rolled her pillow up into a ball and was trying to tie the ends of the pillowcase when a knock sounded. She turned expectantly, forgetting all about her current attempt at a distraction by turning the pillow into a volleyball.


    Did Robyn not leave yet?


    ¡°Sarah?¡± Pegasus called as the door opened.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± She should¡¯ve known better.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m used to that reaction.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was Robyn.¡±


    ¡°A lot of that going on today.¡±


    Her clenched fists pulled at the pillowcase, and the knot she¡¯d tied earlier came undone. The more the fear tried to come back to the surface, the harder she squeezed. She lifted the pillow to throw it, but her ribs complained.


    Glaring at the pillow as if it were the thing¡¯s fault, she put it down.


    ¡°Robyn said you¡¯d check in on me.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to go ahead and get started on your story¡­¡± Pegasus trailed off. ¡°She didn¡¯t explain to you what we¡¯d be talking about?¡±


    ¡°No. She was vague and acting like the time when she overfed the fish and it died. I¡¯m assuming this time there are no fish involved.¡±


    ¡°If I run, I can probably catch her and strangle her.¡± But he didn¡¯t seem in any condition to be running anywhere.


    Sarah could sympathize. ¡°That¡¯s Robyn for you. She¡¯ll weasel her way out of anything that makes her uncomfortable.¡±


    Pegasus nodded as if he understood.


    ¡°Is there any news on the suspicions that I¡¯m a clone front?¡±


    Pegasus didn¡¯t say anything, gaze far away.


    Was he deciding how much he could share with her?


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Sarah asked, changing subjects.


    He shrugged. ¡°Just checking to make sure you¡¯re not learning how to use an old paperclip and chewing gun to make a bomb or something.¡±


    She laughed. ¡°Seriously.¡±


    He nodded towards the abandoned tray of food she¡¯d left on the table. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been eating?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t feel like it.¡±


    ¡°You really should eat.¡±


    Sarah crossed her arms. He really wasn¡¯t the best person to be enforcing healthy habits onto anyone. ¡°And shouldn¡¯t you be home resting? You don¡¯t look any better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling any better.¡± He plopped down onto a chair. ¡°I am home, and this is as much rest as I can handle.¡±


    ¡°You really live here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She walked over and pulled the food tray closer to her, examining its contents. ¡°What do you do here when you¡¯re not doing stuff?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s usually something to do. If by a miracle there isn¡¯t¡­ Well, I usually find something.¡±


    ¡°Like babysitting prisoners?¡±


    ¡°Comes with the job.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you stand it. I¡¯m half bored out of my mind and half out of my mind.¡± She looked at the mirror again, thankful she couldn¡¯t see her own reflection. ¡°I¡¯m restless and tired of only being outside in my dreams, and that¡¯s not even a good thing.¡±


    He looked confused. ¡°Your dreams?¡±


    ¡°Can they be nightmares if nothing bad happens?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t nightmares be bad things?¡± His voice reached her as if from a distance, but he hadn¡¯t moved.


    She shook her head mechanically. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re nightmares even if they¡¯re good because they¡¯re not real. Like dreaming of home when there is no home left.¡±


    ¡°I guess you could think of it that way.¡± He looked at his watch. ¡°Sorry, I have to go check something. I¡¯ll be right back. Try to eat.¡±


    Sarah was so distracted that she barely noticed he was leaving until the door was already closing. She rushed towards it, trying to keep it from shutting. She wanted to call out, but she choked on the words before she could bring herself to call him Pegasus.


    ¡°Hey! Wait!¡±


    She was a second too late, and the door closed despite her protests. She almost got hit with it in the face when it swung open again.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Pegasus asked.


    She stopped and frowned at him. ¡°Every time I¡¯m about to say your name, I picture a fairytale-style winged horse. I don¡¯t think I can do it. Could I please call you something else?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He was completely serious for almost two seconds before he laughed. ¡°Is that what you wanted to talk about?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What was it then?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me where Robyn¡¯s going?¡± she asked before she lost her nerve. ¡°She tried not to make a big deal out of it, but I figure everything you guys do here is dangerous. Or am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to worry you any more than you are, but I also don¡¯t want to brush aside your concerns. More often than not, what we do here is dangerous.¡± He came back inside the room and closed the door. ¡°But this is what Robyn chose to do. Partly because she¡¯s trying to protect you, she can¡¯t tell you the specifics. But what she¡¯s doing right now is important. It is necessary, and in the end, it will save lives.¡±


    Sarah nodded. She understood that. And she was trying not to seem unreasonable in her worries. If Robyn had chosen to be a cop or a firefighter, would she have objected? Or would she simply have pointed out that someone who lacked the necessary hand-eye coordination for volleyball shouldn¡¯t be using guns and left it at that?

 Book I - ch 23. Yellow-Bellied Dragons

    * * *


    Robyn looked out her window, watching the specs of distant lights as the plane settled into cruising altitude. The seatbelt felt like it was restraining her. Or maybe she was projecting her feelings of being trapped.


    She pulled up the mission maps on her tablet. She wasn¡¯t very familiar with this area, but it should be fine. They¡¯d already gone over their plan, and she had a good idea of where she¡¯d go once when they arrived.


    Her thoughts flitted back to Sarah every few seconds. This was bad. She couldn¡¯t afford to be this distracted.


    Python got up and came towards the back, taking the seat across the aisle from Scorpion. ¡°The last time I was this far from the Lair was when we were chasing down that small kidnapping ring, remember?¡±


    Robyn remembered reading about that mission, though she hadn¡¯t bothered with many of the details. Two years was long enough that it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Scorpion nodded. ¡°That was a while back. Whatever happened to that guy from Center who joined us? I don¡¯t think I saw him again after that.¡±


    ¡°He died last year. His codename got reassigned last month.¡±


    ¡°I always hate when that happens. When I got mine, the last person called Scorpion hadn¡¯t even been dead a year.¡±


    ¡°Why such a short timeframe?¡± Python asked.


    Robyn was about to joke that it had something to do with Scorpion¡¯s personality when she was interrupted by a warning signal.


    ¡°Griffon, we have a message from home,¡± Mermaid said.


    ¡°Priority?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°Null. It¡¯s Pegasus, for Dragon.¡±


    Robyn stiffened when everybody turned to her. She didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d been holding her breath until Mermaid read the message.


    ¡°Change of heart or yellow belly?¡± Mermaid relayed with a confused expression.


    Ah, so Pegasus went to talk to Sarah already. That was fast. Was he really that bored?


    ¡°Whatever you forgot, we¡¯re not going back for it,¡± Griffon joked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget anything.¡± Willfully ignoring something she was supposed to do was very different from forgetting it.


    ¡°Do you want to reply?¡± Mermaid asked.


    ¡°The reply is yellow. And tell him to stick to the plan.¡± She might as well pass along the difficult conversation to him.


    Mermaid sent over the reply. A second later, she chucked.


    ¡°What?¡± Robyn asked.


    ¡°He said payback awaits.¡±


    ¡°Enough playing around with the com,¡± Griffon said.


    Python turned around, poorly hiding a smile, and Scorpion pretended to be entertained by the flight plan.


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    Mermaid¡¯s laughter rang on in the silence.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Griffon asked, taking the seat next to her. ¡°Sarah?¡±


    Robyn nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you left it to Pegasus to explain to your sister about the plan to send her home? And you didn¡¯t tell him.¡±


    Sometimes, he was as annoying as Pegasus in how perceptive he was.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s not you stalling?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s alright to not want to let go.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been spending way too much time with Athena, haven¡¯t you?¡± She leaned her seat back, staring at the ceiling.


    Griffon sat on the armrest right across the aisle, no sign of leaving her alone.


    Robyn refused to look at him. Instead, she switched her focus to where Python started checking her weapons in the middle of the aisle.


    ¡°We were in a hurry, and I thought if I started trying to explain, it would be all truncated pieces and then it would be worse. And I don¡¯t really wanna be in on it. On the planning and everything. I¡¯d rather leave it to Pegasus. Besides, I¡¯ll have time to talk to her when we get back. We don¡¯t even have a timeline for when she¡¯s going back.¡±


    There was no hurry. No hurry in talking to Sarah, or anything else for that matter. Not until new orders came.


    Griffon nodded. ¡°As soon as this more immediate threat is dealt with, we¡¯ll have more people to allocate.¡±


    If they waited until some sort of resolution before deciding what to do about Sarah, would they ever decide? ¡°We never get to the bottom of anything, do we? It¡¯s just layers on layers.¡±


    His tired sigh was more of an admission than any words would be. ¡°Unicorn said she¡¯ll try her best to get something more on Gellman¡¯s cell before we get back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any rocks left to turn over. There¡¯s nothing else there.¡±


    Python looked up at that, then went back to checking her gun.


    Griffon leaned in towards her, lowering his voice. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we give up.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m not giving up. I¡¯m just tired.¡± She smiled. That was a truth she hadn¡¯t admitted to anyone. She¡¯d been tired for such a long time. ¡°But I won¡¯t give up that easy, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be you if you did.¡± Griffon smiled. ¡°It¡¯ll work out, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    Robyn nodded automatically. Was she allowed to wish for a happy ending?


    ¡°Mermaid?¡± Griffon called towards the front of the plane. ¡°What¡¯s our ETA?¡±


    ¡°Still twenty minutes to go.¡±


    ¡°Hey, could you guys keep it down?¡± Python asked. She nodded towards the corner where Hydra was sleeping.


    ¡°How can he sleep?¡± Scorpion asked.


    ¡°No one ever knows.¡± Python pointed her sheathed knife at him. ¡°But he could probably sleep through the end of the world.¡±


    ¡°Well, that would be boring,¡± Mermaid said. ¡°He¡¯d miss all the fireworks.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Robyn! Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were doing something else?¡± Sarah asked.


    Robyn rolled her eyes. ¡°I really don¡¯t get why you¡¯re so upset.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t show! I waited two hours for you.¡±


    Robyn waved her off as she walked around her into their bedroom. ¡°Stop being such a brat. We can go tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. Today was the last day the movie was playing. I told you this.¡±


    ¡°If you wanted to go that much, why didn¡¯t you go without me?¡±


    ¡°Because I promised you I¡¯d wait. I promised, Robyn! Do you even know the meaning of the word?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is your problem? It was just some stupid movie. Allison called me over to her place and I figured you¡¯d go with Jeremy.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯d made plans with you.¡±


    ¡°We can go see another movie tomorrow if it¡¯s such a big deal.¡±


    Sarah clenched her fists so she wouldn¡¯t grab Robyn by the shoulders and shake her until her brain cells rearranged in an acceptable pattern. ¡°You¡¯re missing the point.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am. You wanted to go to the movies, so you should have gone. Jeremy would have gone with you, wouldn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°You said you were going with me and you always complain when it¡¯s just the two of us and Jeremy because you say it makes you feel like a third wheel.¡± Sarah threw her hands up in exasperation. ¡°I¡¯m not getting through to you, am I?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not apologizing because of some stupid movie you wanted to see.¡±


    ¡°For the last time, it¡¯s not about the movie! It¡¯s about you deciding things and not telling me.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I can¡¯t deal with you when you¡¯re being irrational. I¡¯m going back out.¡±


    ¡°Fine, run away! That¡¯s what you do, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sarah shouted after her. ¡°You always run away!¡±


    Sarah heard the front door slam shut and she locked the bedroom door. It was a good thing Mom and Dad weren¡¯t home yet.


    She wiped a hand across her cheek, frowning down at the tears she hadn¡¯t noticed she¡¯d been crying.


    Deep inside, she knew it wasn¡¯t about the movie. It was barely about the broken promise. The tears she didn¡¯t want came from her dreams.


    The dreams where she was left behind. And where blood colored the walls.

 Book I - ch 24. Out of Place

    * * *


    Sarah heard Robyn¡¯s voice and rushed out of the room.


    Robyn barely glanced her way as she spoke into the phone. Sarah waited until she finished her call, but Robyn kept walking away.


    Sarah trailed behind her. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°What do you care? Weren¡¯t you mad at me?¡±


    Was she? Should she be?


    ¡°Girls?¡± Mom called from the kitchen. ¡°Can I get some help here?¡±


    Sarah whirled at the voice, fear seizing her insides as she rushed to the kitchen.


    The world spun, and she bolted upright.


    She clutched her side when it hurt, panicked shallow breaths echoing in the silence.


    Just a dream.


    Or a nightmare. The type that wasn¡¯t bad until she woke up. She should be immune to them by now, or at least numb to their sadness because of the repetition if nothing else. But it made her angrier that she still believed.


    Tears stung her eyes. This cursed room felt more like a horrible dream than anything she could dream up of home. It was a cruel trick for her mind to play.


    In that sense, she preferred the illusion of the blood on the wall. Horrifying as it was, at least there was no false sense of security there. It scared her and that was that.


    She stared at the light coming from the bathroom. Whether it was day or night, she wouldn¡¯t know. She¡¯d forgotten to ask Pegasus for a watch, and Robyn had ignored her.


    The intercom sounded, echoing in the silence.


    Sarah wiped at her eyes, disturbing unfallen tears.


    The com insisted again, and she got up to answer it.


    ¡°Hello?¡± How was she even supposed to answer that thing? ¡°Cell number five here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually number twenty-three,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The sinking feeling returned. ¡°Is there news on Robyn?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    There was nothing in his voice that suggested she should worry. She leaned against the wall to support herself. ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in an hour so we can start going over our plans for your future.¡±


    She stood up straight, whatever was left of sleep leaving her. ¡°Our what now?¡±


    ¡°Remember when I mentioned a cover story last night?¡± he asked, patience and calm never leaving his voice.


    ¡°Not really, no.¡± She had a vague memory of it. ¡°I¡¯m not having this conversation like this.¡±


    She stepped away from the com, heading to the bathroom.


    She felt a little guilty about being difficult, especially because she¡¯d promised Robyn she¡¯d behave. But then if Robyn wanted to make sure she kept her promises, she should have stuck around.


    The com insisted once, twice, then it surrendered.


    What Sarah assumed was an hour later, Pegasus arrived at her door.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked. ¡°And what is this cover story you mentioned? Why do I need a cover story? Is Robyn back yet?¡±


    He seemed willing to patiently wait as she tacked on question after question, but she paused when she noticed he was carrying a container. She pointed at it as her question.


    ¡°Cold pizza.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Nothing quite like it when you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Taking advantage of her stupefied state, he stepped inside.


    She cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you have pizza delivered to your top secret facility.¡±


    ¡°Of course we do, even use our real names.¡± He set the pizza on the table and took a seat. ¡°We have a couple of cooks on staff as well, gotta keep everyone fed. Every once in a while, they make pizza.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, that¡¯s not weird at all.¡±


    Pegasus responded with another shrug.


    ¡°So what is that thing with my future we¡¯re gonna be talking about?¡±


    ¡°You better sit down,¡± he said.


    She didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Sarah, please take a seat.¡±


    ¡°All I do is sit down, or lie down, or pace this room from one side to the other.¡±


    He shrugged, and she resisted the urge to throw the pillow at him. She stopped just in time. Her ribs would have complained.


    ¡°Is Robyn still away somewhere?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s say she¡¯s on a stakeout. It¡¯ll take however long it takes. Meanwhile, we have to discuss what¡¯s going to happen to you once she gets back.¡±


    Sarah sat down then.


    ¡°Robyn asked me to get started on the arrangements to get you sent back.¡± He paused as if waiting for her reaction.


    Sarah stared back at him. Her ideal response would be yelling at her sister, but that wasn¡¯t possible at the moment.


    ¡°We¡¯re planning to make use of your injuries to explain why it took so long for you to be identified,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll be playing up your head trauma.¡±


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    ¡°Is that gonna work?¡±


    ¡°The plan is to place you in a hospital where we have some contacts. You¡¯d have to stay there for a while until your aunt finds you. We¡¯ll make sure she does within a few days. You¡¯d be surprised what people will attribute to luck if they don¡¯t see any other explanation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all so I¡¯ll go home?¡±


    Pegasus nodded. ¡°We¡¯re working under the assumption that the threat against you, if still present, will be eliminated by the time we have everything set.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s not?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll consider more drastic measures if we have to.¡±


    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t wanna go?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter at this point,¡± he whispered.


    She scoffed. ¡°If I¡¯m not going to have a say in this, spell it out.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a say in this,¡± Pegasus said in a calm voice.


    ¡°Explain to me why not.¡± She lifted a hand before he could open his mouth. ¡°Wait, no, it doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t care what you think we¡¯re doing, I¡¯m not going anywhere without Robyn. You wanna pack us in crates and send us to Tokelau? Fine, I¡¯ll go, but she¡¯s coming with me. This¡ª¡± She choked on her words, her throat suddenly dry.


    The world became dull and distant.


    She¡¯d fainted a few times when she was little. This was not it. It felt more like the second in which she¡¯d start falling asleep, only to wake up holding on to her desk at school. But she never actually fell. And there was nothing to wake up from this time.


    Her eyes moved behind Pegasus, staring at her reflection in the mirror.


    The image shifted, but she never moved. It wasn¡¯t her anymore, but it still was. A chill ran through her, a piercing spike of ice.


    The room vanished from the reflection, but she didn¡¯t dare look behind her to check. There was no reason to believe the world would have abandoned her.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Her voice sounded muted. Had she even spoken at all?


    The figure in the reflection stared back, her lips parting as if to speak as well. And then the imaginary world dissolved, and it was only her staring at her own frightened eyes.


    She felt cold. ¡°Did you see that?¡±


    Pegasus turned to look at the mirror. ¡°See what?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Me¡­¡± The reflection was her again, the real her. The illusion was gone, buried away wherever it had come from.


    Pegasus did a poor job of concealing his amusement. ¡°Yes, I see you.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡ª¡± She forced herself to look away from the mirror. ¡°I think I¡¯ve been cooped up in this place so long I¡¯m imagining things.¡±


    She kept watching the mirror, half expecting it to try to catch her off guard.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Pegasus jumped to his feet. ¡°That¡¯s it, we¡¯re getting out of this room.¡±


    Sarah looked at him with obvious suspicion. ¡°Is this you trying to get into trouble again?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°No, this is me being concerned about your mental health.¡±


    Sarah sank in her seat. ¡°I really don¡¯t wanna go talk to the shrink again.¡± That might be the only place she didn¡¯t want to go other than the interrogation room.


    Pegasus opened the door and stepped aside. When Sarah didn¡¯t move, he gestured for her to come along.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he insisted. ¡°And bring the pizza, I skipped breakfast.¡±


    Sarah grabbed the plastic container along as requested, but she couldn¡¯t help examine his face. Had he lost some weight in this short time since she¡¯d known him?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be taking care of yourself?¡±


    He gave her an amused look. ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret this.¡±


    Sarah decided to shut up and follow him, trying not to feel ridiculous about walking down the empty halls of a secret facility carrying cold pizza. Would it be less ridiculous if the pizza were hot? And in an actual pizza box instead of a container? Probably not.


    They didn¡¯t run into anyone on their way to the elevator. Again, Sarah entertained the absurd thought that this place was in reality an abandoned complex designed during the war to ensure the survival of an entire civilization. And then it was left in the care of about ten people, and that¡¯s why it always seemed deserted.


    She laughed at the silly thought, and Pegasus gave her a questioning look. She said nothing. No point in removing any doubt he might still have on whether she¡¯d lost her mind.


    Another empty hallway later, Pegasus brought them to a stop. The doors that led them to their destination, while as plain as the others, were much wider.


    Pegasus took the pizza from her and stepped aside with a rather smug-looking expression.


    ¡°Is this a trap?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°Go ahead. Open the door.¡±


    If this was a trap, it was a remarkably weird one.


    On the other side of the door was an underground garden.


    Trees and flowers were carefully arranged around four tables. A couple of benches sat against the wall, facing the trees. The tables and the walls were all a lighter shade of gray, much like the outside hallways. But the plants gave that place a sense of life she hadn¡¯t expected to find in this underground complex.


    ¡°There¡¯s a TV room, too,¡± Pegasus said when she didn¡¯t say a word. She could tell he was smiling even without looking. ¡°But I figured this would be better.¡±


    Sarah nodded, breathing in deeply.


    A certain calm infused itself into her mind. It could be her imagination, but the atmosphere here was different. Maybe they were pumping something into the air.


    Like the hallways they walked to get there, the garden was also empty.


    Had they ordered an evacuation while she was sleeping? Or maybe this was the dream. She wouldn¡¯t trust herself to know.


    There was a small rack in the corner containing books, both old and new by how worn out some covers were. Next to it was a shelf with what looked to be board games.


    On the nearest table, there was a forgotten game of chess. Check, she observed absentmindedly.


    Pegasus led her to the table closest to the trees and set the pizza down between them.


    Sarah found her gaze drawn to one particular tree. She¡¯d never learned what it was called, but they had that same tree in their front yard. Robyn liked to say it was planted the year she was born. Sarah wasn¡¯t sure if that was true, but she never questioned it.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    Sarah smiled. She¡¯d forgotten he was there for a second. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you guys have gardeners down here, too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on a volunteer basis. Athena mostly takes care of it in her spare time. Sometimes it becomes part of her sessions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why you run away from her. Manual labor.¡±


    Pegasus popped open the lid and grabbed a slice of pizza. ¡°Dig in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really gonna eat pizza for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t want any?¡± He slid the plastic container away from her with his free hand.


    She reached out and grabbed a slice. ¡°Not what I said.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t think she would¡¯ve been hungry, much less enjoying cold pizza. But the plants had lightened her mood. And Pegasus had a point, there was something to be said about eating left-over pizza.


    Sarah picked out an olive from her slice. ¡°So, are you going to tell me your name at some point?¡±


    Pegasus ignored her, content to finish his slice.


    ¡°What am I supposed to call you?¡±


    ¡°Pegasus.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with you guys? As if names would give away something your faces won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. At least your first name.¡± It was a matter of pride now and she was not giving up.


    Pegasus shook his head, laughing.


    ¡°What if I guess? Charlie, Tom, Jack, Christopher, Zack, Daniel, Ryan.¡±


    Pegasus almost choked on a bite of his pizza.


    ¡°Did I get it?¡±


    He coughed and laughed until only laughter remained. ¡°You still managed to leave out a letter.¡±


    She grinned. ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun if I hand you the answer?¡± he teased.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s only fair. You got to question me on everything about my life. What¡¯s wrong with telling me your name?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°That depends.¡±


    ¡°On what?¡±


    ¡°Whether you¡¯re a spy.¡±


    She thought he was being serious for a second, but then he smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re messing with me, right?¡±


    He ate his pizza with a grin, not a word as a reply.


    There¡¯s no way he¡¯d be sitting here eating pizza with a spy. At least, she was reasonably sure no one would.


    She picked up another olive and popped it into her mouth without realizing she was doing it, and then it was too late. Trying to delay the inevitable chewing, she rolled it around in her mouth. She glanced to see if Pegasus had noticed, but he was looking at the plants.


    For some reason, he was no longer in any hurry to talk to her. If anything, he was helping to distract her.


    ¡°Are you gonna tell me about how Robyn¡¯s planning on getting rid of me or not?¡±


    ¡°Not right now.¡± He met her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m kinda tired. I think we¡¯ll have to do the serious stuff later.¡±


    He laid back in his chair and closed his eyes. As much of a procrastinator as her sister, she was content to delay it a little longer.


    Sarah stared longingly at the tree, searching amidst its large leaves for signs of flowers.


    When she turned to grab another olive, she caught Pegasus staring at her.


    ¡°Do you play chess?¡± he asked.


    She shrugged, starting on another slice of pizza instead of the olive. ¡°I know the moves, but I¡¯m not really known for planning ahead.¡±


    ¡°How about backgammon?¡±


    ¡°Is this some sort of test?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s me being bored and not liking TV. Plus, I¡¯m still banned from the rec room.¡±


    She laughed. Her gaze followed the branches towards the ceiling, thinking again of the tree¡¯s faraway cousin back home and the sister that tree reminded her of.


    Did Robyn really expect her to vanish from her life?

 Book I - ch 25. Glimpses of Something More

    * * *


    Sarah gulped down the last of her coffee, putting the cup down on the only empty spot on her desk.


    The door flung open as Robyn sped into the room, a tornado disturbing everything in its wake. It was like watching a storm from what was barely a safe distance. Any sudden shift, and it would be on you.


    Robyn tossed aside a pile of clothes that had been sitting on the bed, lifting the bed sheets. ¡°Have you seen my glasses? I have a test today and I need to be able to see the board.¡±


    Sarah pulled her backpack onto her bed, checking what was already in there. ¡°You don¡¯t wear glasses.¡±


    Robyn tossed a shirt at her. ¡°Sarah! My glasses.¡±


    Sarah threw the shirt back onto her sister¡¯s bed. Why did she think Robyn didn¡¯t wear glasses?


    She reached behind one of her old math books and grabbed Robyn¡¯s glasses. ¡°Here.¡±


    Robyn deposited the random pile of junk she¡¯d been sifting through onto her bedside table before accepting the glasses and checking it for spots. ¡°Are you ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Almost.¡± She wanted to find an extra pen. ¡°Hey, can we stop to grab some pizza on the way home tonight?¡± She had a sudden craving, and it¡¯d been a while since they¡¯d had any junk food other than movie night popcorn.


    ¡°Are you gonna be fighting dad for the olives?¡±


    Sarah ignored her, searching under her bed for her blue pen.


    ¡°Leave that and let¡¯s go. I can¡¯t be late today.¡± Robyn headed out the door without waiting for a response.


    Sarah stood up, and the world spun for a moment. Maybe she got up too fast.


    Robyn was calling her name from far away.


    It was another few seconds before she could move, but then momentum carried her forward. She tossed her cell phone and the only pen she¡¯d found into her backpack along with her notebook. The notebook still had a pencil as a place marker¡ªmore nightmares she¡¯d forgotten.


    She stopped on her way out to turn off the bathroom light. Her fingers slid along the wall, but as she glanced at her own reflection, she froze. The sickly face staring back at her seemed as surprised as she was. Dark circles stood out against an unhealthy pale skin.


    Was that really how she looked?


    The reflection¡¯s lips moved, disconnected from her own. A chill ran through her. A choked sound she didn¡¯t recognize as her own escaped her.


    Sarah blinked.


    The image of her tortured self was gone.


    * * *


    Pegasus slowed his steps to keep from making a sound as he approached Cypher¡¯s station. Not that his friend would notice anything with the incessant clacking and clicking of his keyboard.


    Unnoticed, Pegasus got close enough to read what was on his screens. Cypher forwarded a request to Lore, sent a message with new search parameters to his helpers, and sent a quick update to Zeus. He then checked another incoming message and forwarded that information on to Athena. The next message that popped up on one of his screens was a long stream of data. Cypher finally stopped everything else to read it.


    Pegasus leaned in over his shoulder, his shadow falling over the desk.


    Cypher glanced up, returning to his reading the next second. ¡°Are you done with Dragon¡¯s sister yet?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t started yet.¡± Pegasus leaned against his desk, turning slightly to watch the security monitors overhead. ¡°We¡¯re taking a break.¡±


    Cypher snickered. ¡°A break from the picnic in the garden?¡±


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    Pegasus ignored his teasing. ¡°Any news on Griffon¡¯s team?¡±


    ¡°Nothing new so far.¡± Cypher replied to a couple more messages before spinning his chair around to face him. ¡°Seriously, what are you doing? Checking up on us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only asking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like I¡¯ll buy that. If you¡¯re not gonna work on Sarah¡¯s story, go lie down. You know Zeus isn¡¯t gonna let you do anything. And don¡¯t even bother protesting while you look like something that crawled out of a zombie movie.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I was looking for Unicorn.¡±


    Cypher laughed. ¡°So you can check up on her instead?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where she is?¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s in the conference room.¡± Cypher spun his chair back around and started scrolling through some newer messages. ¡°She should be done with her call to Center, so now would be a good time to talk to her. She¡¯s got another outside call scheduled in about thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, master of many minions.¡±


    Cypher waved him off, already paying attention to something that came up on another screen.


    Pegasus knocked on the door to the conference room, waiting until Unicorn answered before going in.


    Unicorn was leaning against the edge of the conference table, looking up at the various reports displayed on the main screen.


    When she turned to look at him, her normally cheerful expression had been replaced with a tired smile.


    ¡°You look as bad as I feel,¡± she said.


    He¡¯d been hearing a lot of variations on that theme lately. Didn¡¯t bode well for him. He took a seat across the table from her. ¡°You seem comfortable in this role.¡±


    Tired, but comfortable.


    ¡°Zeus keeps asking me to head up the investigation division full time.¡± Her upper lip curled. ¡°And I keep telling him I have no interest in climbing up the ladder.¡±


    Unicorn was one of the longer-serving field agents, so it wasn¡¯t unusual for Zeus to place her in charge of investigations from time to time. Technically, she was still a part of Griffon¡¯s team. Probably a good thing, too. Scorpion liked to joke that Unicorn was the stable force that kept them all from killing each other. He wondered how they were doing right now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like responsibility and I hate paperwork even more. I¡¯m happy to keep shooting people for as long as they let me.¡± She rubbed at her eyes. ¡°And this investigation is doing nothing to change my mind.¡±


    ¡°Not going as expected?¡±


    ¡°Everything we think may be a lead only leads to a dead end.¡± She pointed at the screen, where they had a schematic showing connections they¡¯d traced from Gellman¡¯s cell. ¡°I really wanted to find something before Dragon got back. She¡¯s been so off with worry lately.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it too hard. If it¡¯s not there, it¡¯s not there. I know you¡¯re doing your best. You always do.¡±


    A hint of a smile surfaced, only to vanish again. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen her when I took her back to the house. She looked devastated when she came back out. I hate that there¡¯s nothing I can do to help.¡±


    Pegasus joined her on the edge of the table, staring up at the screen. ¡°There was nothing useful?¡±


    ¡°Not really. We tracked down three other cells that had contact with Gellman¡¯s recently. We captured most of another cell today.¡± She flattened her dark curls onto the top of her head out of habit. ¡°From what we¡¯ve gathered so far, they seem unaware of which cell had been responsible for the attack on Dragon¡¯s family or why. Cypher has one of his minions checking it out.¡±


    ¡°But? What¡¯s worrying you?¡±


    ¡°Even if we bring down twenty cells and they all claim to not know about those orders, there¡¯s no guarantee that there won¡¯t be one cell out there that still has a hit out on Sarah.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a gamble.¡±


    They could improve the odds with time, but odds were always odds.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be bait,¡± Unicorn corrected.


    Pegasus nodded. Even with all their precautions, it would be inevitable.


    Unicorn put down her tablet and met his gaze. ¡°If that¡¯s what it comes down to, we could use it to our advantage.¡±


    ¡°You can be the one to talk to Dragon about that.¡± Pegasus wanted no part in that.


    ¡°Do I look suicidal?¡± Unicorn asked. ¡°I¡¯ll let Zeus decide what he wants us to do. How¡¯s the coaching going?¡±


    Pegasus sighed dramatically for effect. ¡°Slowly.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s being difficult?¡±


    ¡°No, but she¡¯s been under a lot of stress ever since she got here. I imagine she¡¯s worn out. I didn¡¯t want to push her.¡± Except for his hopes of getting assigned further work when he was done coaching her, they were in no real hurry.


    He was content with giving her a few more days to process everything and hopefully recover some more. It also gave him an excuse to spend some more time with her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone is in a rush to send her back out, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Unicorn said. ¡°But what are we going to do when we do send her back out? I imagine we¡¯d leave surveillance on her for a while.¡±


    They might have to, whether for her protection or because they¡¯d be using her as bait, but that would require more planning. They would also have to see what resources they had available in terms of personnel.


    ¡°We have enough bridges to cross in the distance, I say we set that aside until we confirm the where and when. We¡¯re not lacking in immediate problems either.¡±


    The com sounded as if on cue.


    Pegasus smiled. ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°Unicorn? Your call¡¯s in,¡± Cypher said. ¡°And Pegasus, Doc Brown¡¯s waiting for you downstairs.¡±


    Pegasus tried not to make a face as he headed out with a mock salute towards the com.


    ¡°He¡¯s on his way,¡± Unicorn answered for him. ¡°Put the call through, please.¡±


    Pegasus went straight for the elevator. As he selected the floor, he had an odd moment when he almost pushed the wrong button, his actions tainted by his thoughts of Sarah.


    He considered stopping by to check on her, but he could do that after his talk with the doctor. He suspected Doctor Brown was keeping him in the infirmary an extra hour for every ten minutes he was late in showing up.


    It was probably fine to wait a bit longer to go see her. Sarah had seemed better when he walked her back to her room after the garden.


    The look in her eyes when she¡¯d been looking at the mirror earlier still troubled him. It looked too much like fear to be nothing.


    What could she be so terrified of in a mirror?


    Distracted, he almost followed his train of thoughts back to Sarah¡¯s room despite having decided to go straight to the infirmary.


    Sarah had been on his mind a lot lately. He¡¯d already noticed it, but he¡¯d attributed it to having been asked to plan her return home and work on prepping her.


    True that she was a distraction, but if he were being honest, it was a distraction he¡¯d been growing increasingly fond of. Unexpectedly, he was not looking forward to the day when Sarah would leave them.

 Book I - ch 26. Catch and Release

    * * *


    Sarah stared at the door. It should have opened by now.


    The knob should be turning¡­


    Maybe now¡­


    Or now¡­


    Now?


    She blinked. The world remained still. And the doorknob never turned.


    Sarah was sure she heard them announce that Robyn¡¯s team had returned a while back. Without a watch, she could only guess, but it had been at least half an hour. Robyn should be walking in any moment now.


    Robyn had promised she¡¯d come talk to her as soon as she got back, and Sarah wanted to trust her on that.


    Fear had been growing inside her for a while now. It had started as nothing more than a nagging feeling, but it settled easily in the back of her mind. And it was still there, latched on tight as if it had found itself a home. It enjoyed occupying her thoughts, and Sarah couldn¡¯t make it go away.


    If Robyn were fine, her fears insisted, she would have seen her already. She would be standing right there. And the door would be opening.


    Sarah clenched and unclenched her fists nervously.


    Maybe now¡­


    Her eyes started stinging. But silence itself wasn¡¯t an indication that anything was wrong. If something had happened to Robyn, someone would¡¯ve told her by now.


    If no one else, she believed Pegasus would have said something. Whether that belief was justified or wishful thinking, she didn¡¯t know.


    A knock on the door startled her even though she¡¯d been hoping for someone to come. She was still afraid. She didn¡¯t even want to move.


    What was she afraid of?


    Another knock, louder this time.


    ¡°It¡¯s open,¡± she said, her voice struggling to be heard.


    Only after she¡¯d said the words did she realize how silly they were. They could always open the door from the outside.


    She held her breath as the doorknob turned and the door opened slowly, much too slowly. Over ten excruciating seconds had gone by before Pegasus finally stepped into the room.


    Sarah¡¯s fears laughed at her, they¡¯d been right all along. Hadn¡¯t she said it herself that if anything happened to Robyn, Pegasus would be the one to come tell her? Well, there he was.


    Why did she think it would be Robyn?


    She felt the cold rush that drained all the blood from her face. Pegasus seemed to notice and, with a touch of amusement, stepped aside to reveal her sister.


    Sarah didn¡¯t say a word. She ran over and threw herself at her sister, hugging her as tightly as she could. Robyn tried to pull away, but Sarah refused to let go. For once, her healing ribs let her do as she pleased without hurting.


    Robyn¡¯s laughter reverberated along her chest. ¡°If I knew I¡¯d be getting this type of welcome after a few days, I would¡¯ve stayed away longer.¡±


    Sarah pulled back enough to glare at her. It was easier to breathe now that Robyn was standing right there, safe and sound. The fear ebbed, but she didn¡¯t want to think about what would happen the next time Robyn would go away.


    Sarah laughed at herself, releasing her sister.


    Everything was fine. Worrying was acceptable, but she really should try to be less paranoid.


    ¡°Were you really that worried about me, silly?¡± Robyn ruffled Sarah¡¯s hair, laughing. ¡°I told you it was a simple routine mission.¡±


    Did she? Well, Pegasus said it was a stakeout, but he¡¯d made it sound a bit more dangerous. Maybe she¡¯d read too much into his expression.


    Robyn took a step back towards the door. ¡°Come on, we gotta go or we¡¯ll be late for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Dinner?¡±


    Robyn stopped with hand on the doorknob. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot.¡±


    This was the first she was hearing of any dinner. This would also be the first time she¡¯d leave the room for a meal¡ªcold pizza with Pegasus notwithstanding.


    Robyn took her by the hand and Sarah stepped forward out of inertia. ¡°Mom and Dad are waiting.¡±


    Sarah stopped in her tracks. Her hand went limp in Robyn¡¯s grip, but her sister didn¡¯t let go.


    Sarah refused to move further and pulled her hand away.


    What sort of new madness was this?


    Sarah whirled to face Pegasus. He was settled in the armchair, leisurely reading a book as if a cozy background for that scene.


    Her mind protested, and she backed away further from Robyn and towards him.


    Both couldn¡¯t be real. If he was there, her parents couldn¡¯t possibly be.


    ¡°Sarah, what¡¯s wrong? They¡¯re waiting for us,¡± Robyn insisted impatiently. As her sister would.


    But Sarah couldn¡¯t go with her, not while Pegasus was sitting there as if he belonged in her room. Sarah stopped right in front of him, but she couldn¡¯t find her voice to utter a single word.


    He closed his book and looked up at her with his usual smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to dinner?¡±


    If the fear that settled in her mind had a will, it would surely have laughed.


    Sarah shook her head, holding back her tears. This was wrong. It was all wrong.


    Adding to the travesty, Pegasus took her hand in his and tugged her gently forward until their knees touched. ¡°Are you staying here then? With me?¡±


    ¡°You had her to yourself all week,¡± Robyn grumbled.


    Sarah closed her eyes, but she made no attempt to pry her hand away from his.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen your parents since last month, so you should go even if you¡¯re not feeling well,¡± he said.


    The tears streamed down her face freely. Could she really go see them? Was this¡­


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Sarah?¡± Robyn asked.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Pegasus slid to the edge of his seat to get a better look at her face. ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°The good things are dreams,¡± she repeated to herself, squeezing his hand harder. ¡°The bad things are real.¡±


    Sarah woke up, choking on a sob. She coughed and wheezed until the crying stopped.


    The only light came from the open bathroom door, and there was no sign of anyone else being in there.


    She wiped at her eyes.


    The book that Pegasus had been reading in her dream was also conspicuously absent. But she vividly remembered hearing that Robyn¡¯s team had returned. Was that real?


    It could be she¡¯d fallen asleep while waiting for Robyn to come see her. She was reluctant to let go of that.


    There was no way to tell though. It might also be part of the dream along with the dinner with Mom and Dad. Wishful thinking conjured up by her mind.


    But if it was all wishful thinking, then what of Pegasus?


    What the hell was her mind even doing with that?


    Was that the role her subconscious had attributed to him because he was spending time with her? Because he was being nice?


    Sarah tried not to dwell on it. He was nice. She was lonely. And it wasn¡¯t like she was blind.


    It wasn¡¯t that much of a stretch for her mind to create such a scenario.


    Wondering what time it was, she went to the com. She hesitated, out of spite towards her dream if nothing else. But who else could she ask?


    Defeated, she called up Pegasus¡¯ room over the com like he¡¯d taught her.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± she asked once she heard him respond.


    ¡°No.¡± His tone suggested there was no reason for him to be asleep at this time.


    Her internal clock had never been worth much.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asked when she was silent for too long.


    His words summoned her dream again, inadvertently poking her wound.


    Eyes closed, Sarah leaned her forehead against the cool wall. ¡°Is Robyn back?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Last I heard, they were still in the same place.¡±


    ¡°The stakeout?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of sorts, yes.¡±


    Sarah shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they be back by now?¡±


    ¡°These things are like this. We never know how long it¡¯ll take or even if it¡¯ll produce any results. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re alright. If something had gone wrong, we¡¯d know about it.¡±


    Not only the happy reunion, but the announcement that Robyn was back in the compound had also been a lie. Her brain really wasn¡¯t being fair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be over in thirty minutes, is that okay?¡± Pegasus asked, snapping her out of her miserable thoughts.


    ¡°Am I allowed to say no?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°This is really not what I had in mind when I asked for food.¡±


    Sarah glared at Pegasus with all her might, but he remained undisturbed. He dangled a pastry in front of her as if she were a trained animal.


    ¡°What was the nurse¡¯s name? The one who was always checking up on you?¡±


    ¡°Why would I know the nurse¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Because I told you her name twelve minutes ago.¡± His voice didn¡¯t show a hint of impatience.


    Sarah reached out for the cinnamon roll, only to have it pulled further away from her grasp. ¡°Twelve? Really? You can¡¯t round up the numbers?¡±


    He shrugged. She swore he was doing it on purpose to annoy her.


    ¡°Okay, but why would I know the nurse¡¯s name?¡±


    He set down the cinnamon roll barely out of her reach. ¡°Because she would¡¯ve been the person you had the most contact with, and she¡¯s a chatterbox.¡±


    ¡°I think it starts with a C.¡±


    ¡°What would you have called her?¡±


    She shrunk in her seat self-consciously. ¡°Nurse?¡±


    ¡°And do you remember what she looked like?¡±


    Sarah wasn¡¯t sure she should laugh or cry about both of them pretending she had seen the woman in anything other than photographs.


    ¡°Dark hair, round face. And she always checked in on me in the middle of the night. I really didn¡¯t like it when she turned on the lights. Annoyed the hell out of me.¡±


    Pegasus chuckled.


    ¡°You said she turned on the lights when she did the late night checks.¡±


    He slid the cinnamon roll closer to her.


    She took a bite out it. It was sweet and every bit as delicious as it looked. Had they kidnapped a pastry chef as well?


    ¡°I feel like a seal doing tricks for snacks.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking more along the lines of a puppy,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°Puppies are cute.¡±


    She gave the cinnamon roll a suspicious look. ¡°How come the leftovers you bring me are always better than the actual food I get?¡±


    ¡°These aren¡¯t leftovers.¡±


    ¡°Neither¡¯s the food I normally get, I hope.¡± Sarah rolled her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re still better.¡±


    ¡°Better, maybe, but not healthier.¡± He unceremoniously studied one of the cinnamon rolls as he turned it over in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s all part of my evil plan, I think.¡±


    Sarah choked on a laugh. ¡°You still trying to figure out what it is?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    She tore a piece of the cinnamon roll off and stuffed it into her mouth. She took her time chewing, glancing at the chessboard on the other table. The pieces had been moved.


    ¡°What was the doctor¡¯s name? The one who operated on you?¡±


    She turned her attention back to him and finished swallowing. ¡°Doctor Brown.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it was Doctor Green, but you know how you¡¯re supposed to answer.¡±


    Yes, she did, but she was tired of this game already. They¡¯d been at it for hours, and she was pretty sure her brain was long saturated with things and people she was supposed to pretend she knew.


    ¡°Where was the bathroom inside your hospital room?¡±


    ¡°Near the TV.¡± She remembered that much, but only because of what he¡¯d told her next. ¡°People kept thinking it was a closet.¡±


    ¡°And what was your doctor¡¯s name?¡±


    She stuffed the last of the cinnamon roll into her mouth, eyes drifting back to the chessboard. She didn¡¯t remember the doctor¡¯s name, and part of her didn¡¯t want to.


    The moment she memorized all she was supposed to¡ªor enough to pass, as Pegasus put it¡ªshe was sure they¡¯d send her home. Though there was no home to go back to.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to think that you¡¯ll have to go through with this, but you¡¯ll have to do this sometime.¡± He offered her a smile as he picked up a cinnamon roll for himself. ¡°So can you please try?¡±


    ¡°Is that how you get people to do things? A bat of lashes and a smile?¡±


    He chuckled, coughing and sputtering as he almost choked on his food. Sarah held in her laughter as best she could.


    ¡°I don¡¯t bat my lashes. Nobody bats their lashes.¡± He coughed some more, eyes tearing.


    ¡°You just use pastries as a bribe?¡±


    ¡°Basically, yes.¡± Wiping his eyes, Pegasus pushed the box of cinnamon rolls closer to her. ¡°I have to get you to memorize this. Do you want me to get into trouble?¡±


    ¡°Blackmail is so not fair.¡±


    ¡°But it is effective.¡±


    Yes, it was. She didn¡¯t want him getting into trouble because of her. He was the only one actually being nice to her. Whether it was an act didn¡¯t really matter at the moment.


    ¡°Can we keep going?¡± he asked.


    Sarah picked at another cinnamon roll. She might have to go on a diet if this sort of bribery continued for too long.


    ¡°What was your doctor¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re pretty pushy about names for a guy who won¡¯t use his.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still on about that?¡± He couldn¡¯t hide his amusement though. ¡°I thought we were going back to work.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, couldn¡¯t help it.¡±


    Pegasus lifted his arms up, stretching. ¡°We can take a break for seventeen minutes.¡±


    Having gotten a temporary reprieve, Sarah sat back to enjoy her snack. She wasn¡¯t even hungry anymore, but the cinnamon rolls were just too good.


    When she straightened her legs, she bumped into the duffel bag Pegasus had brought along. She glanced underneath the table. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s more stuff I have to memorize in there.¡±


    ¡°Considering you almost failed your test, that wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea.¡±


    He pulled the bag onto the table and opened it. Inside were the photo albums Robyn had promised her.


    ¡°Sorry it took so long.¡±


    Sarah reached for the one on top and paused. ¡°Did you steal these from her room?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered, unabashed.


    ¡°She must love how you go into her room and rifle through her stuff.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°You want them or not?¡±


    She pulled them towards her. ¡°Was this the backup bribe in case the pastries didn¡¯t work?¡±


    His would-be answer was cut off by the com on a nearby wall. Pegasus had barely moved when an unfamiliar voice came through.


    ¡°Pegasus? You said you wanted to know as soon as Griffon¡¯s team made contact.¡±


    The insidious little voice inside her insisted that something was wrong, but Pegasus seemed unaffected by the news.


    ¡°Thanks, Michael, I¡¯ll be right up.¡± He started packing up the folders he¡¯d brought.


    ¡°How come he uses his real name?¡± Sarah asked, trying to distract herself.


    Pegasus smiled. ¡°Who said that¡¯s his real name?¡±


    His response relaxed some of the tension in her, and she tried to breathe the rest of it away.


    ¡°You have something of a one-track mind,¡± he said.


    His being unaware of the turmoil her paranoia was causing inside her head helped.


    Sarah grabbed the albums, hugging them to her chest. She supposed it wouldn¡¯t be anything serious if he was acting completely unfazed. Surely he couldn¡¯t be that good an actor.


    She ventured one last glance at the chessboard as she followed him out, taking note of the king¡¯s position. Checkmate.


    ¡°What does contact mean, exactly?¡± she asked when they were halfway to her room. ¡°Does it have anything to do with Robyn?¡±


    ¡°Robyn is on Griffon¡¯s team, yes.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°It means they found who they were looking for. There¡¯s no reason to worry.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­ Victor, Dean, John, Jeremiah, Tristan, Lucas, Chase?¡±


    His smile was pure mischief. ¡°How are you still missing a letter?¡±


    Sarah tried to recall¡ªwith no luck¡ªall the names she¡¯d randomly used so far.


    Pegasus tossed the files with the hospital information onto her bed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave these for you to study.¡±


    She doubted she¡¯d be able to focus on anything, but she didn¡¯t object. It would be a reasonable alternative to the failed pillow volleyball experiment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be by later when I can,¡± he promised.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± The fear crawling up from the depths of her mind refused to release its grip on her. ¡°If there were something wrong, they would¡¯ve told you, right?¡±


    Pegasus hesitated a second too long to sound comforting when he finally said, ¡°Probably.¡±


    The fear laughed.

 Book I - ch 27. Down the Winding Path Into Darkness

    * * *


    Sarah threw some more cold water on her face, taking a deep breath before opening her eyes. In the mirror, only her reflection remained. And it was herself, she was sure of it.


    Her own eyes, tired from a sleepless night and red from crying, confirmed it. She watched as the water dripped from her chin, waiting for a change that never happened.


    Reluctant to blink, she was afraid she would lose sight of herself and find something else waiting for her in the mirror. She steadied her breathing, holding out until she could no longer endure before allowing her eyes to close.


    She wiped her tears and the water from her face with her hands. Nothing had changed.


    Was she being paranoid? What was she even expecting?


    She stared into the darkness of her own eyes, trying to see anything beyond the distorted reflection of the world around her.


    Movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, there was nothing there.


    It was a small blessing that there was no one else in that bathroom to see her freaking out.


    Come to think of it, it was a bit weird that there was nobody in here. Was it time for the next class?


    She checked her watch and realized she¡¯d already missed half of her Introduction to Economics class. It had been a struggle to pay attention even before all this. There was little point in going back now. She might as well go find Robyn.


    Her sister had been strangely silent today, not having replied to any of her messages. She hadn¡¯t even picked up when Sarah called during lunch.


    Out of stubbornness, if nothing else, Sarah tried calling her one more time. The ringing insisted, over and over again, until the mechanical voice informed her to leave a message that Robyn would never check.


    Sarah finished wiping her face with the edge of her sleeve. Her reflection didn¡¯t look too bad now. Schooling her expression, she pressed a fingertip against her swollen eyelids. It had gone down a bit. Not perfect, but well enough that random strangers wouldn¡¯t be compelled to ask her if she was alright.


    When she finally started moving, she had to consciously slow her pace so it wouldn¡¯t match the rhythm of her racing heart. Panic was trying to start up again on its own, and she did her best to calm down.


    The feeling¡ªthat strange, horrible feeling¡ªthat had been eating away at her for most of the day was still there. She¡¯d tried to ignore it, then she tried to conquer it. Nothing worked as she wished. But at least she knew what it was now.


    Fear.


    At first, she thought she was afraid that these foreign sensations and visions were all some hallucination concocted by her own mind. But what she realized now was that the fear itself was also a foreign thing, without cause or reason.


    She was afraid, she was so very much afraid. But of what?


    Something related to Robyn was her guess by how anxious she was at her inability to find her sister.


    Now she was also afraid that whatever was behind that unwelcome fear was also real. Wasn¡¯t that ridiculous?


    She forced a laugh. Nothing had happened to Robyn. Nothing was going to happen.


    She took a left turn down the corridor, headed towards Robyn¡¯s classroom.


    It wouldn¡¯t hurt to check.


    * * *


    Not for the first time, Sarah thought she heard footsteps outside in the hallway. Probably more tricks her mind was playing on her. There seemed to be no shortage of those lately.


    Even though she knew that, she couldn¡¯t help trying to hear something more. She held her breath for as long as she could¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t that long at all¡ªbut it was no good.


    More than once, she imagined a faint sound interspersed with the silence, but her own heartbeat drowned it out.


    There was no knock on her door. She expected as much, but she couldn¡¯t help be disappointed.


    She slid one of the photo albums towards her, pushing aside her bunched-up bedsheets. Her hand lifted a page before she¡¯d thought about it. Almost by inertia, she flipped through the pages, but she wasn¡¯t looking at any of the photos.


    She kept glancing at the door instead, intermittently imagining she heard footsteps right outside. Her glances lingered longer with each turning page. It wasn¡¯t until she¡¯d reached the end of the album that she forced herself to stop staring at the door.


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    Flipping the pages back to the beginning, Sarah focused on the images this time. The first photo that caught her attention was from her birthday, maybe seventh or eighth judging by her short hair.


    Sue, her best friend at the time, spent the night. There was a dark, blurry photo of Robyn¡¯s face lit up by a flashlight as she entertained them with a ghost story.


    Sue asked her to stop so many times. Sarah only remembered laughing¡ªshe¡¯d never believed in ghosts. When Sue went to the bathroom, Robyn tied a string to the doorknob. At the end of the night, when Robyn got to the end of her last ghost story, she pulled on the string, the door creaking open with perfect creepiness. Sue screamed and tossed the pillow at the door.


    Mom was so angry, they got their TV rights revoked for two weeks.


    Even after they explained the trick and showed Sue that it was nothing more than a string, the girl kept her wide eyes on the door until she dozed off.


    Sarah glanced at the door. Sue would be the one laughing right now. There were no ghosts, but she was afraid of things that weren¡¯t real, so what was the difference?


    A sudden knock on the door made her jump. Maybe it was a bad sign that she could recognize the knock now. Then again, there weren¡¯t many options.


    Sure enough, it was Pegasus. She tried to hide her disappointment that it wasn¡¯t her sister.


    ¡°Is Robyn back?¡± she asked.


    Pegasus shook his head. ¡°But they¡¯re done, so they¡¯re starting back now. I thought you¡¯d like to know.¡± He gave her a concerned look. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Being terrified out of her mind didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t okay, right?


    Pegasus looked less than convinced by her reply.


    Scared as she was, she wouldn¡¯t accept that everything was fine until she saw her sister.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried, that¡¯s all,¡± she confessed. She could at least get away with downplaying her true emotions. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡±


    ¡°A few bumps and bruises from what I heard, but nothing major. A couple of hours and they¡¯ll be home.¡±


    Home. What an odd way to describe these lifeless gray hallways.


    What made up a home anyway? She rubbed her temple, wishing she could disperse such thoughts. ¡°Did they do what they wanted to do? Their mission or whatever¡­¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Things didn¡¯t go exactly according to plan.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She watched his eyes settle on the albums. He came closer, smiling when he saw the photos she¡¯d stopped at. A teenage Robyn was sticking her tongue out at the camera.


    Distracted or stalling for time, he flipped a few pages, the smile never leaving his face.


    ¡°If you¡¯re hoping to test me on the stuff you left here the other day, I haven¡¯t actually done any studying.¡±


    ¡°No, I just stopped by to update you on Robyn.¡±


    ¡°Were you bored?¡± Not that she was complaining, but he could¡¯ve told her via the intercom.


    Pegasus chuckled, not looking up from the photos.


    Sarah pulled the pillow closer, hugging it tight. ¡°What went wrong with their mission?¡±


    ¡°They got what they were looking for, in part. We¡¯re still working on the rest.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t insist, sure she¡¯d get another cryptic reply.


    Pegasus turned the album towards him and rearranged a photo that had been slipping from its plastic pocket. ¡°But their job is done for now.¡±


    She really hoped she wasn¡¯t dreaming this time. Her mind couldn¡¯t play that many tricks on her, right?


    * * *


    Sarah watched her feet as she hurried along towards Robyn¡¯s classroom. Judging by the number of students cluttering up the hallways, several classes had ended early today.


    She tried calling Robyn again as she wove through the crowd, but the same mechanical voice demanding a message was heard on the other end. Sarah ran up the first flight of stairs to the second floor. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be out of breath this quickly.


    There was no actual emergency. She could afford to slow down.


    Robyn was okay, of course she was. There was no reason to think otherwise.


    Nothing was wrong.


    What was she even expecting to find?


    There was no cloud of dust and debris, no smoke in the distance, and no crowd of screaming bystanders.


    Sarah couldn¡¯t think of any other disasters. It wasn¡¯t as if this side of the country had ever seen a hurricane. And they were far enough inland that a tsunami would never reach them.


    She forced herself to calm down before she started thinking of alien abductions and the like. Racing up the next flight of stairs, she almost ran into a couple of fellow students who¡¯d stopped on the steps to copy notes.


    It was a few minutes before the hour when she made it to Robyn¡¯s class. She didn¡¯t even bother trying to catch her breath before she looked inside.


    It was empty.


    Nothing on the white board suggested class had been moved elsewhere.


    Sarah hurried back out, heading for the staircase opposite the one she¡¯d taken. She spotted one of Robyn¡¯s classmates further down the hall.


    Unable to remember his name, she couldn¡¯t call out to him, so she ran to catch up with him instead.


    The boy came to a startled stop when she touched his shoulder.


    It took her a moment to catch her breath. ¡°Hey, have you seen Robyn?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°She left with Tim, April, and the new foreign student¡­ I can¡¯t remember his name.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know him,¡± Sarah said impatiently. She didn¡¯t remember his name either, but she knew Tim and April.


    ¡°I think they went to get some food.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where?¡±


    ¡°No, sorry. But I think Robyn¡¯s going straight to her internship later.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Sarah glanced at her watch. Robyn¡¯s phone had to be dead or buried somewhere inside her bag. She¡¯d tried calling enough times.


    Unfortunately, she had neither Tim nor April¡¯s contact. She could call Melissa¡ªTim¡¯s ex¡ªand ask for his number, but that would be an awkward conversation considering the shouting match they¡¯d had last week. Maybe she could call Jenna and get April¡¯s number, they both were in soccer together, but that would only work if April was still with Robyn at this point.


    She placed a hand on her chest as she steadied her breathing.


    Was it really that important that she reach Robyn? Or was the fear and worry only in her head, like so many things seemed to be lately?


    Sarah squeezed the phone in her hand, staring down at her lock screen. Should she go back home and wait for Robyn there? Intent on heading back to her class to grab her things, she turned back to the first stairway.


    That¡¯s when she heard the gunshot.


    The phone almost fell from her hand.


    Hanging on by a shred of control, she looked around.


    No one was running, no one looked scared or even startled. Laughter sounded in the distance. She breathed out a relieved sigh. She thought it was a gunshot, but she¡¯d never heard one before.


    Someone screamed.


    Sarah whirled towards the desperate sound.


    There was blood everywhere.


    She let out a muffled cry.


    Footsteps intruded from far away as people ran towards her. She thought she screamed, but maybe she hadn¡¯t. A shout echoed in the silence, but even that didn¡¯t make sense.


    Sarah¡¯s phone slipped from her trembling hands, landing painfully on her foot.


    She stumbled back, running into someone.


    Before her terrified gaze, blood and bodies vanished as if they¡¯d never been there.

 Book I - ch 28. Persistence of Fear

    * * *


    Sarah lingered on a photograph of a family vacation. Mom was sitting on a bolder, tying her shoelaces. Sarah was draped over her, hair covering half of Mom¡¯s view. Dad was pulling her back from the side. Robyn, who¡¯d been saying something, was in the middle of blinking and looked like a mix of drunk and asleep.


    It was a ridiculous, blurry image at best, but it was also one of the few photos they had of the whole family for that trip.


    A hiker was kind enough to take a photo of them on their way up to a something or other butte¡ªshe couldn¡¯t remember the name¡ªeven if good intentions hadn¡¯t translated into a good image. His other attempt had decapitated Robyn, if she remembered correctly.


    She wished more than anything that she could go back to that moment. But wishing for the impossible was nothing but an exercise in futility.


    Though there was a hint of annoyance, Mom was smiling brightly. And Dad was laughing. Sarah blinked rapidly, trying to stop her tears. She couldn¡¯t remember his laugh.


    How was that possible? How could she not remember?


    A tear plopped down onto the back of her hand and she wiped it quickly, afraid it would get onto the pages.


    What else was she going to forget?


    The door opened without warning and Sarah rushed to wipe the tears from her eyes. She looked up, expecting, or maybe hoping, to see her sister or Pegasus, but it was a nurse.


    The woman came into the room with barely a glance in her direction, and Sarah wiped her cheeks on her sleeve.


    The nurse, whether she noticed it or not, ignored it. That suited Sarah just fine.


    ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± the nurse asked without averting her attention from her tray.


    ¡°Meh,¡± Sarah replied. She felt as if she¡¯d been trying to get away with fewer syllables each time. Maybe Robyn was right. She might actually be a handful.


    The nurse set down her tray, containing a couple of syringes and tubes, onto the table. When she started putting on her gloves, Sarah closed the albums and set them aside.


    It was obvious the nurse was expecting to poke her with a needle regardless of her opinion on the matter.


    Sarah was sure the nurses had this private game going on between them where they kept trying to get their way without having to tell her anything. She imagined the winner would be whoever drew the most blood within the shortest timeframe while saying the least amount of words.


    To make her intentions clear, Sarah slid further down in her seat and tucked her arm closer to her side when the woman came towards her with the syringe.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°Doctor Brown wants to update your records before we forward your files to the outside.¡±


    Well, this nurse wasn¡¯t going for the prize then.


    Sarah resisted the urge to protest. The nurse wouldn¡¯t have a say in the matter, much like her. Sarah relented with a sigh, offering the woman her right arm.


    ¡°Do you know if Griffon¡¯s team is back yet?¡±


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    The nurse obviously hesitated. Was she surprised Sarah even knew which team her sister was on?


    The nurse didn¡¯t look like she was going to say anything. Sarah felt the prick of the needle and that thin accompanying pain.


    Sarah looked away as the little vials filled with her blood. It didn¡¯t take as long as last time to get both done.


    ¡°We¡¯re expecting them within the next hour.¡± She offered Sarah a friendly smile. ¡°You¡¯ll be glad to see your sister, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it will be go¡ª¡±


    An alarm sounded, overtaking her words. Sarah had heard that alarm once before. Pegasus said it meant there was a medical emergency.


    The nurse ran out before Sarah could utter a word, blood tubes and syringes stuffed into her lab coat while the tray was left abandoned.


    Sarah was on her feet before she noticed what she was doing, as if she too had been caught in the momentum created by the desperate sound. She reached out for the closing door, grabbing the doorknob in time to stop it from shutting and locking.


    A breath, two breaths. She then opened the door and peeked outside. The nurse had already reached the stairs¡ªshe was fast.


    Sarah stood there, clutching the door frame, staring out at the empty corridor as the sound continued. She searched for the cameras she knew were there, but they had to be embedded in the lights or something because she couldn¡¯t find any trace of them.


    Looking up, she waited for a reply to her silent question. She wanted to know what she should do. The sound continued as if calling to her.


    No answer came, though she was sure if it had, the reply would have been to go back into her room.


    The alarm was overwhelming her senses, making her feel like someone was screaming inside her head and driving a screwdriver through her forehead at the same time.


    It also reminded her, in no uncertain way, that her fears had been right all along. Something was wrong.


    It might not have anything to do with her, but sitting in that room without knowing would be agonizing. Leaving a sandal wedged in the doorway to keep it from closing and locking her out, she took the first bold step into the hallway.


    Then she hesitated.


    What was she doing?


    This medical emergency could have nothing to do with Robyn. The nurse said Griffon¡¯s team wasn¡¯t expected back for another hour or so.


    Was she really going to charge off like an idiot because of a bad feeling?


    She clenched and unclenched her fists, took another step forward, stopped again.


    Letting out a slow breath she hoped would be calming, she retreated to the room, careful to leave the sandal in place.


    Sarah called up Pegasus on the com, but there was no answer. She tried more than once, though she wasn¡¯t certain how many times. Her fingers were moving on automatic at some point. Every time, she hoped she¡¯d hear his voice. She wished it so hard, she could almost make herself imagine hearing him say Robyn was okay. And she needed to hear him say it. Because of the fear¡­ And the blood on the wall.


    When she thought of it, she glanced at the wall and mirror. There was nothing there to see.


    Giving up on calling Pegasus, she slipped out of the room again and started towards the stairs, following the path the nurse had taken. Fear, manifesting as a chill down her spine, pulled her further along.


    Everything around her took the form of a nightmare. Her footsteps sounded dulled in her ears. The walls felt like they were closing in. Only the cold tiles against her bare foot felt real enough.


    Each footstep led her slowly forward, though she didn¡¯t know where she was supposed to go.


    The alarm had stopped, but she wasn¡¯t sure how long the silence had been there for. Moving helped clear her mind of any thoughts; unfortunately, it seemed to clear most of everything.


    Moving was just movement, and each step was just that¡­ But the fear was still there, exactly where it¡¯d been all along. Lying in waiting. The fear that something was wrong.


    * * *


    Sarah blinked, and the tears that had been pooling in her eyes streamed down her face. Frozen in place, she still looked at where the blood had been. It was long gone, as were the bodies, but she still couldn¡¯t look away.


    The fear evoked by the image remained fresh in her mind. As was the ensuing despair. She wasn¡¯t sure it belonged solely to the nightmare.


    Should she move? Or would it be better to not risk disturbing whatever fragile balance may be keeping her nightmares at bay?


    Shots sounded again, and she flinched. Some were barely audible and others echoed around her like thundering blows. The sinking feeling twisted her insides.


    ¡°Not again¡­ please.¡± She thought she whispered, wasn¡¯t sure.


    It didn¡¯t matter, the nightmare ignored her. The images came as well, as did more tears, neither ceasing to torment her upon her will.


    There was blood on the wall, and she was covered in it as well. Lying on the ground, bleeding, as shouts crowded the world around her.


    Sarah forced herself to close her eyes. How many times must she see it before it would leave her alone? Before she believed it to be real¡ªbefore it became real?

 Book I - ch 29. Made Manifest

    * * *


    Sarah¡¯s steps slowed, a stark contrast with the increasing rhythm of her heart. Somehow, she was able to find her way to the medical area. The hallways were vaguely familiar from when she came to get some x-rays done some weeks back.


    Was the fact that she could tell these gray hallways apart a sign that she¡¯d been trapped too long in this place?


    Her heartbeats felt as loud as her footsteps in the silence, but soon she identified voices. A couple of nurses rushed past her, but they didn¡¯t even spare her a glance.


    It was too much to hope that she was actually invisible, but she¡¯d take being ignored. Especially since she had no desire to detract their attention from any actual emergencies.


    She followed the murmur of voices to an open door further down the hallway. Hiding herself right outside the door, she tried to listen in.


    Her hand pressed against the wall, sweating even though it too was cold. Her one bare foot was the same temperature as the tiles now.


    A conversation was taking place inside between several people, but Robyn¡¯s usual loudness wasn¡¯t among them. Sarah was about to move on when she recognized Pegasus¡¯ voice.


    ¡°How do you want us to proceed?¡± He sounded concerned.


    ¡°Griffon, did you get a good look before the explosion? Was it all there?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°We think so, yes,¡± an unfamiliar and strained male voice replied. Sarah guessed it would be their team leader, Griffon.


    And if Griffon was back, didn¡¯t that mean Robyn would be back as well? Her foot edged forward to take her out of hiding, but she caught herself in time. The last thing she needed was to go back to being suspected as a spy.


    ¡°At least the stolen canisters had been recovered before any of it was used this time,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°One less issue to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you suddenly optimistic?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°Well, the New Nation can still go ahead with their plans, but dealing with a conventional explosive is better than dealing with a device designed to disperse deadly gas. Anything that doesn¡¯t involve wind conditions is less complicated.¡±


    ¡°We change nothing then,¡± Zeus said. ¡°In case they decide to hit the conference as we suspected.¡±


    ¡°Do we have a casualty count yet?¡± Griffon asked.


    Sarah inched closer to the door. Casualties?


    ¡°They¡¯re still going over the debris,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°It¡¯ll take a while since a lot of it is in the water.¡±


    ¡°So far, the media is reporting it as an accident. Are we going to set them straight, sir?¡±


    ¡°Not unless we have to,¡± Zeus answered. ¡°Let us leave it alone for now.¡±


    ¡°Are we done with that then?¡± There was something in Pegasus¡¯ voice she couldn¡¯t identify. A long pause followed, and she was wondering if she¡¯d missed something when Pegasus once again spoke. ¡°What happened? Why didn¡¯t you go to a local hospital?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we needed to. She got thrown against a wall by the explosion and hit her head, but she said it wasn¡¯t anything to worry about,¡± Griffon said.


    ¡°Obviously, she was wrong,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°And one of you should have known better.¡±


    Sarah was caught off guard by the anger in his voice. She¡¯d never seen him angry before. She clenched her fists tighter. Was it Robyn they were talking about?


    ¡°It looked no worse than a bump,¡± Griffon said. ¡°Aside from Python and me getting shot, everyone else had minor injuries.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Blue explained they¡¯ll need to alleviate the pressure,¡± Zeus said. ¡°They¡¯re prepping her now.¡±


    Sarah willed herself to move, but she found her back glued to the wall.


    ¡°She did seem more or less fine,¡± another familiar voice piped in, though not the one Sarah had been hoping for. Scorpion¡¯s being there underscored Robyn¡¯s absence from the mix. ¡°She didn¡¯t collapse until we were halfway here, and then we were already halfway here.¡±


    Sarah pushed herself from the wall, leaning in enough to get a look inside.


    A man she didn¡¯t recognize was lying on a hospital bed with a bloody thigh being cleaned by the nurse who¡¯d run out of her room.


    Zeus was standing nearby with his back to her. Another unfamiliar man sat in a chair, sleeve rolled up to expose a few cuts.


    A woman lay on another bed across the room, her arm resting over her face as someone cleaned a gash right under her ribs.


    Sarah wasn¡¯t fooled for even a second, the blond hair told her straight away it wasn¡¯t Robyn.


    Pegasus was leaning against the far wall, looking almost at ease except for his expression. His sharp gaze met hers and, feeling like she¡¯d touched a live wire, she retreated from the doorway.


    She flattened herself as much as possible against the wall, wishing she really could be invisible.


    To her left, a body was lying in a pool of blood.


    Her heart skipped a beat. Unable to catch her breath, Sarah clasped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from making a sound. She shut her eyes, letting the cold from the wall seep into her back.


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    Placing her clenched fists over her closed lids, she attempted to ward off the unwanted images.


    She didn¡¯t want to look. She didn¡¯t want to see if it was real.


    A hand touched her shoulder and she startled.


    Pegasus broke through her panic, telling her to breathe. She tried shoving him back, but it was like trying to push away a wall. He removed his hand.


    ¡°Sarah?¡± His voice came from right in front of her.


    She focused on each inhale and exhale, trying to steady herself.


    ¡°Robyn¡¯s fine,¡± he whispered, as if he¡¯d known those were the words she¡¯d been wishing for.


    Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and met his gaze. She wanted to believe him¡ªthere was no reason not to¡ªbut she was afraid. The air behind him shifted, but she was too scared to look, so she kept her gaze on him instead.


    ¡°Robyn¡¯s fine,¡± he repeated. ¡°She has some cuts from a broken window, and she dislocated her shoulder again. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    The air went out of her in one long breath. The nightmares and waking fears had made her expect the worst. Her mind was still having trouble letting go of that.


    A tear rolled down her face and she wiped it away, but she was still too shaken to feel embarrassed. She tore her gaze away from him, choosing to focus on the ceiling.


    He took her hands in his, trying to undo her clenched fists. ¡°Sarah, can you look at me, please? Your sister is fine, I promise. Trust me.¡±


    Sarah looked at him then. ¡°Trust the guy whose name I don¡¯t even know?¡±


    Pegasus countered her glare with a smile and brushed a strand of hair from her face. ¡°Tobias.¡±


    She blinked at him. ¡°What?¡±


    His lips twitched in an aborted laugh. ¡°That¡¯s my name.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You don¡¯t look like a Tobias.¡±


    He spun on his heels, coming to lean back against the wall right beside her.


    Thankfully, there was no sign of blood or a body anywhere in sight.


    He lightly bumped his shoulder against hers. ¡°What does a Tobias look like?¡±


    Sarah shrugged. She wiped at her eyes again, but they were dry. Calmer now, she succeeded in disconnecting herself from the feeling eating away at her insides.


    ¡°Better now?¡± he asked.


    Probably. The embarrassment had finally shown up.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get here?¡±


    They¡¯d find out sooner or later, but she didn¡¯t feel like talking about it. Maybe she was being contrary. ¡°Can I see her?¡±


    ¡°They have to set her shoulder, and then she needs to be debriefed. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s not going anywhere.¡±


    Sarah must have shown some doubt in her expression, because Pegasus nudged her. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you back to your room.¡±


    Pegasus pushed himself off the wall, but Sarah refused to move.


    Smiling, he leaned in closer to her and very deliberately bat his lashes at her.


    Sarah snorted.


    When she still didn¡¯t move, Pegasus placed an arm around her and started leading her towards the elevator. For lack of viable options, she let him.


    Sarah glanced back towards the infirmary a couple of times, but she chose to believe him when he said her sister was fine. Hanging around here wouldn¡¯t do any good if she wasn¡¯t allowed to see Robyn. Besides, most of the fear had subsided.


    When they got to the elevators, he planted her in front of the doors as if to send her off.


    Distracted by the overhead lights that announced its approach, she was surprised when Pegasus followed her into the elevator. ¡°Don¡¯t you have better things to do?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Only way I¡¯ll be sure you make it back.¡±


    Sarah emulated his shrug. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    He stuck out his hand at the last moment to stop the doors from closing and peered back out. ¡°Did you lose a shoe?¡±


    She dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s back in my room.¡±


    When they returned to her room, Pegasus snickered when he saw what had become of her other sandal.


    ¡°I tried calling you when I heard the alarm,¡± she said defensively.


    He picked up the sandal as he ushered her inside and handed it to her. ¡°I have to get back up there. Will you be alright on your own?¡±


    Sarah nodded without meeting his gaze. Now that the despair had subsided, embarrassment really was all that was left.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Robyn comes by as soon as she¡¯s clear.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, if she doesn¡¯t avoid me so I won¡¯t yell at her¡ªthat seems to be her thing now.¡±


    There was a touch of mischief to his smile. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ll get her here.¡±


    Sarah pictured him tossing Robyn over a shoulder and bringing her over by force. She laughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Robyn¡¯s a handful when she wants to be.¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°I knew she needed managing the moment I saw her.¡±


    ¡°Was that before or after you pulled a gun on her?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°She told you I pulled a gun on her?¡±


    Sarah bit the inside of her lower lip. Maybe Robyn had said too much about her friends that time.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t really say much.¡± The last thing she needed was to get Robyn in trouble. Maybe this was more of the things she wasn¡¯t supposed to know. ¡°She didn¡¯t really tell me anything about how you met, just that. Can we pretend I didn¡¯t mention it?¡±


    Something changed in him with those words. ¡°Sure, no problem. Why were you talking about that?¡±


    Sarah shifted uneasily. She didn¡¯t know what would be an appropriate answer. ¡°It was nothing, really. She was trying to get me to trust you.¡±


    Pegasus frowned harder. Sarah didn¡¯t think she could explain. Robyn¡¯s logic hadn¡¯t made much sense to her either.


    ¡°When was this?¡± he asked.


    Sarah cocked an eyebrow. ¡°You wanna trust my memory?¡±


    He shrugged, his usual response to her questions, but she could swear there was a stiffness to the movement that hadn¡¯t been there before. Sarah felt as if an invisible wall had fallen between them, some of the ease with which he interacted with her suddenly gone. As if they truly were the strangers he¡¯d pretended all along they weren¡¯t.


    She tried to hide her unease with a shrug of her own. ¡°I guess it was my first week here. Correction, the first week I was awake for, I think.¡±


    He nodded, letting the air out as if he¡¯d been holding his breath throughout her answer.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± she asked.


    He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Was she imagining things? Again, it seemed like his manner was slightly disconnected from his words.


    Pegasus turned to go with no other explanation. Before Sarah could say something, he was gone.


    Her eyes, wide and haunted, found their reflection in the mirror. Just like that, the fear that had stopped squeezing her insides returned.


    * * *


    Sarah pressed her back against the wall, struggling to calm her breathing. The phone started slipping from her hand¡ªshe¡¯d forgotten it was there.


    A boy¡¯s voice on the other end called her name. It was only vaguely familiar, not enough to be comforting.


    She tried to speak, but nothing came out. A tear slid down her cheek and wet her hand.


    Lost in the nightmare her mind had showed her, Sarah was trying to pull her thoughts from the haze. It was hard to separate the present from the illusion.


    She gripped the phone tighter. That was real. Since she was holding the phone, had someone called her?


    No, she¡¯d called someone.


    The recollection pulled a conversation with Becca, from whom she¡¯d gotten some boy¡¯s number.


    Robyn!


    When the voice insisted again, she remembered. The boy¡ªTim¡ªwas with her sister.


    She clutched the phone tighter when Robyn¡¯s voice came next. ¡°Sarah? You still there?¡±


    ¡°Robyn?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sounding kinda distant. Are you in the library?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She looked around, only then recognizing where she was. ¡°Near the chemistry lab in the main building.¡±


    When she blinked, another cascade of tears fled from her eyes.


    Somewhere in the distance, there was a scream. She flinched reflexively. It was the same scream she¡¯d heard before. Her scream.


    ¡°Robyn?¡± She choked on a sob. ¡°Please come get me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t sound so good.¡±


    Blood was on the wall. She covered her mouth to stop from screaming. Any relief she felt from hearing Robyn¡¯s voice vanished at the sight of blood.


    ¡°Sarah? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The words echoed in her mind, half amused. What¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°I¡¯m bleeding,¡± she whispered, pulling the phone away without even noticing.


    She was bleeding, but it wasn¡¯t her.

 Book I - ch 30. Once Stabbed, Twice Shy

    * * *


    Pegasus closed the door to Sarah¡¯s room with forced slowness, replaying her words in his head. Such a strange thing for her to say about his first meeting with Robyn. And stranger still the way she acted afterwards, clumsily covering up her slip of tongue.


    Maybe it was bothering him more because he¡¯d let his guard down around her.


    He went through the motions automatically, checking the lock on her door to make sure it hadn¡¯t been tampered with or accessed recently.


    Sarah having left her sandal holding the door open would suggest she hadn¡¯t figured out the code to this room like she had the previous one. He made a mental note to request a change in the code.


    He was probably overthinking a simple mistake, but he couldn¡¯t let it go. The consequences of ignoring any inconsistencies could be deadly in this place.


    In his mind, he went over Sarah¡¯s behavior, starting with the day they tracked her down after the attack. She¡¯d certainly seemed heartbroken and lost. And when she woke up here in the compound, she¡¯d seemed angry, confused, distraught, and still lost. It felt genuine.


    Maybe those feelings were real to a certain point, and the rest of it were lies. It wasn¡¯t impossible. If that were the case, he would¡¯ve been played alongside everyone else. Even more, because he was the one spending the most time with her.


    Pegasus shook his head, disagreeing with himself. Sarah couldn¡¯t have been up to anything so far; she¡¯d been locked in a room for the better part of her stay. Her two escapades the only incidents of note.


    She didn¡¯t have access to any coms that would connect her to the outside world during that time. He was sure that she hadn¡¯t had anything with her when they went out to the cemetery.


    The memory of watching her face when she saw Robyn¡¯s gravestone intruded. He couldn¡¯t ignore how real her reactions were. Could someone really be that good at faking an emotion? Or could something be real and still a lie at the same time?


    Still unsure of what he had decided¡ªif anything¡ªhe called up Cypher¡¯s station from the nearest com. There was a familiar signal that indicated the call was being rerouted.


    ¡°Chaos central, how may I help?¡± Michael asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Pegasus.¡± He paused for a couple of seconds, still organizing his thoughts. Start with the basics. ¡°I need a change for the internal lock code and an alarm set up for Sarah Owens¡¯ room.¡±


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know yet. Something¡¯s bothering me, but it might be nothing.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Personal or general alarm?¡±


    ¡°Personal.¡± That meant the alarm would only warn him if anyone opened the door from the inside. It was enough to give him some peace of mind and it wouldn¡¯t add to the general chaos unnecessarily if it turned out that he was being paranoid.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Pegasus tapped a finger on the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll assume there¡¯s no one watching the cameras right now?¡±


    Michael laughed. ¡°They¡¯ll be running by themselves for a while. Everyone¡¯s glued to their data streams or reviewing footage. Do you need anything else?¡±


    ¡°Could you send me Sarah¡¯s verification questionnaire and interview recording, the logs for any outside calls made during her stay with us, and the footage from the university that we have of her?¡±


    ¡°You do know someone went over all that already, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°You think we missed something?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged to himself. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I think.¡±


    ¡°What do you want all that for?¡±


    ¡°Can you send it or not?¡± Pegasus tried not to sound as impatient as he felt.


    A moment of silence on the other end. ¡°I see you don¡¯t have your tablet with you.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll look at it from one of the terminals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can get. The logs will probably take a while because the request will have to go through Cypher. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna be anytime soon unless you wanna get them yourself from the mainframe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I know you¡¯re all busy. Send me what you have on hand and I¡¯ll track down the rest.¡±


    It would take forever, but he was probably better off accessing them himself. He could hear Michael typing away at his console in the background.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ve got a pile of requests from Zeus, and Center is breathing down our necks. Lore is really backed up and started sending her stuff over, too. It¡¯s madness up here.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure when was the last time I saw Cypher take a breath. Or blink, for that matter. I should probably go check his pulse.¡± The typing stopped. ¡°Okay, I can get you everything but the call logs.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I know, bad timing.¡± With the bombing threat looming closer, there was little time for anything else.


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    ¡°You¡¯re not really gonna sort through all that yourself, are you? Or are you gonna wrangle up some of your fellow wounded?¡±


    ¡°Why not? They¡¯re probably the only ones who aren¡¯t busy,¡± he joked.


    ¡°At least let them get stitched up first,¡± Michael muttered. ¡°Okay, sent! And I gotta go. We¡¯ve got a lead on the transport van¡­¡±


    Pegasus could hear a voice talking in the background.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, but Michael had already disconnected.


    As Pegasus made his way back towards the infirmary, he progressively felt he was making a huge deal out of nothing.


    He pulled out a pen from his pocket¡ªhe¡¯d forgotten he still had it with him. Spinning the pen between his fingers made him once again think of the time he¡¯d spent with Sarah.


    Saying his concerns were nothing was all well and good, but he wouldn¡¯t set his mind at ease until he went through the motions of investigating it.


    A misunderstanding wasn¡¯t out of the question. It could be a joke Robyn had played on her sister. Talking to Robyn before he got started sifting through countless hours of footage was probably the best course of action.


    He stopped at the first available station and logged in. Michael had sent him everything he¡¯d asked for except the call logs. His fingers tapped the side of the keyboard.


    There was another possibility he hadn¡¯t wanted to consider, but the thought had crept into the corner of his mind. To be thorough, he had to examine everything, even the possibility that Sarah hadn¡¯t misheard or misinterpreted Robyn¡¯s words.


    There was no obvious motive for Sarah to lie about what she¡¯d heard. And if Robyn hadn¡¯t been joking or making things up just for the hell of it¡ªwhich was also likely¡ªthen he had to consider that maybe Robyn wasn¡¯t who she seemed to be.


    He rejected that thought. Sarah claimed that conversation took place soon after she woke up after her fall, which would mean Robyn hadn¡¯t been outside yet since she¡¯d almost died.


    Even after that, there had been few opportunities to replace her. Robyn had only left on a couple of missions and once with Unicorn to her house. And on the day their parents were killed, Robyn almost died herself. A few more minutes and she would have. There wasn¡¯t much point in replacing someone only to try and kill the replacement.


    He didn¡¯t want to believe it, but now that the thought had occurred to him, he knew he¡¯d also have to check her movements, going back who knows how long. It was a nightmare.


    First, he placed a call through to the infirmary. ¡°Is Dragon done yet?¡±


    ¡°She finished her debriefing a moment ago,¡± the nurse who answered told him. ¡°We¡¯re about to sedate her so we can fix her shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    It would be a while before he could talk to her, so he might as well start sorting through the mountain of information.


    He stared at the prompt on his screen, deciding where to start, and who to start with: Sarah or Robyn.


    It would be easier to discard any abnormalities with Robyn. As for where to start looking, that was obvious.


    The hardest thing to fake was the random re-entry code, the one each person had to memorize every time they left the compound. The thing was as close to truly random as it could be and impossible to hack from any other terminal.


    The re-entry procedure hadn¡¯t always been that way. The passcode used to be rotated at random intervals, sometimes as much as three times a day, but it was the same code for everyone. A few years ago, an impostor returned with them from a mission. Panther, the operative in question, had been separated from the team and replaced. The impostor was able to enter the passcode to gain access to the compound by observing the team, so no one suspected a switch.


    He would have gone undetected if not for Scorpion. She¡¯d been needling him about his ex-girlfriend¡¯s wedding since before they left for the mission. The more she insisted, the more it became obvious that the man who returned with them had no idea what she was talking about.


    The impostor still managed to stab Pegasus and shoot Scorpion before Dragon and Griffon took him out. Unfortunately, dead people don¡¯t answer questions. But it was a lesson learned, and the current procedure was set in place.


    The re-entry log archives on the main computer held only the information pertaining to whether the codes had been correct and how many tries were needed. The codes themselves were kept only in an isolated system.


    Pegasus searched the re-entry logs for abnormalities, namely, people who had punched in the wrong code, even if they¡¯d gotten it right on a second try. After failing both tries, alarms went off, and a thorough security check was mandatory.


    There was only one abnormality recorded, from a few months back. He remembered that one. It had been Scorpion. It didn¡¯t raise any red flags since she¡¯d been pretty out of it at the time because of a mild concussion. She also got it right the second time, and she¡¯d never been out of Robyn¡¯s line of sight during the mission.


    Next, Pegasus pulled up the communication logs for outside calls. There weren¡¯t that many, but it would take forever to go through it all by himself. He did a quick search for calls using Robyn¡¯s ID in the last five months. There were a few earlier calls made to her house, her parents¡¯ and Sarah¡¯s cell phones, but there were no calls after the New Nation attack.


    Sarah wouldn¡¯t have been able to access any outside lines, and if she had gotten a hold of anyone¡¯s codes, it would have been her sister¡¯s.


    Pegasus checked his watch. He¡¯d have a few more minutes before the doctors were done with Robyn.


    Since there were no outside calls and no abnormalities with the re-entry logs, the next logical step was to check Robyn¡¯s mission logs, camera, and com. He should also check her computer for recently accessed files and watch the surveillance for her recent movements.


    Pegasus entered his personal code when requested by the system to access mission logs. As soon as the pandemonium subsided upstairs, he¡¯d likely get questioned about all the poking around he was doing.


    His hand was hovering above the keyboard, ready to type in a search. An irritated-looking cartoon face popped up on screen.


    For a second, he thought he¡¯d tripped some new security measure, but the message was obviously custom-made and intended for him: REST!


    He glared at the screen.


    ¡°What in the world do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Cypher¡¯s voice came as if from the irritated little face. ¡°We¡¯re busy up here.¡±


    ¡°So is putting a guard outside Sarah¡¯s room asking too much?¡±


    ¡°All hell broke loose. There was an explosion outside the mall. There¡¯s a huge traffic jam near city hall so that could be a target. And I get a blip on my screen because you¡¯re messing around with mission logs.¡± There was a pause. ¡°A guard, what for?¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to do anything?¡± Pegasus asked, latching on to what Cypher said about an explosion. Would the New Nation have made their move?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to do right now. We¡¯ll have footage for reviewing later. We¡¯ve got everyone and recruits out on the streets doing damage control and searches. I¡¯ll let you know if you¡¯re needed for anything. You know, if anything else goes boom.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so unblock my codes.¡±


    There was a long silence on the other end. Pegasus wondered if Cypher had gone off on some tangent and forgotten him.


    ¡°What do you want mission logs for? What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m checking something out.¡± No need to worry Cypher about it, especially since he had yet to find anything concerning.


    ¡°I guess that means you don¡¯t have permission to be sniffing around the logs?¡±


    ¡°I have the clearance,¡± Pegasus replied sharply, checking his tone the next second. ¡°And I can get the permission.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. No need to get testy. I don¡¯t have time for this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine not. So stop playing games with my access codes.¡±


    A grunt sounded on the other end, followed by a half-spoken sentence that sounded like an agreement and then Cypher was off.


    Despite Cypher¡¯s words, Pegasus considered going upstairs to see if he could help.


    The com sounded.


    It was the nurse he¡¯d talked to earlier about Robyn. ¡°I thought you¡¯d like to know that the doctor finished with Dragon. We¡¯ll be keeping her here a little longer until the sedation wears off, but you can talk to her if you want.¡±


    That made up his mind for him.

 Book I - ch 31. And Then There Were Two

    * * *


    Pegasus found the infirmary no less busy despite the notable absence of most of its patients. Griffon and Scorpion were long gone. A nurse was heading into the operating room, Mermaid was still in there. From the general feeling in the air, her fate was still unsure.


    Two other nurses organized the empty beds. Maybe they were preparing in case, as Cypher so eloquently put it, something else went boom.


    It was a while before any of the nurses even registered his presence. He considered it good news that he looked healthy enough to be ignored.


    ¡°Dragon¡¯s over there.¡± Nurse Able pointed him towards a corner bed, isolated by a curtain. ¡°She¡¯s still resting because of the sedation.¡±


    It was probably a good thing Robyn was sedated; she¡¯d be less likely to throw something at him when he started interrogating her for no apparent reason.


    He paused at the edge of the curtain opening. Could he get away with asking what he wanted to ask without asking it?


    Robyn was lying on the bed, eyes closed. There were several cuts and bruises visible on her exposed skin, and her right arm was in a sling.


    He knocked on the bedside table rather loudly. ¡°Robyn? Are you awake?¡±


    She stirred, stopping midway as she lifted her bandaged arm. It must have hurt because her eyes opened.


    Pegasus gave a sympathetic wince. ¡°Hey.¡±


    When her gaze focused, she offered up a meek smile. ¡°Hey yourself.¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Like I fell through a window¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Pegasus laughed at the joke.


    Her gaze wandered to the edge of the curtain. ¡°Is Mermaid out of surgery yet?¡±


    Pegasus shook his head. He hoped there hadn¡¯t been any more complications, but in this case no news didn¡¯t equate with good news.


    Robyn seemed to gauge the situation from his silence. Her eyes drifted closed and he watched as she struggled to open them again. After a few tries, she won the battle against the weight of her eyelids.


    She seemed annoyed when she caught him staring. ¡°I¡¯m really tired.¡±


    Pegasus smiled and nodded, but he didn¡¯t leave.


    Her eyes closed again. Pegasus dragged the metal chair from the corner closer to her bed. At the loud noise, Robyn¡¯s eyes fluttered open.


    ¡°How¡¯s the shoulder?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt much right now. Popped out, popped back in¡­¡± She was slurring. ¡°Popped out again, I think.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know what they say, once it¡¯s out, it doesn¡¯t want to go back in.¡±


    ¡°Nobody says that.¡±


    He pushed the chair a little to the side, pretending he wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose. Hopefully, she was out of it enough that she didn¡¯t notice. ¡°What did the doctor give you?¡±


    She frowned a little, then harder, as if she were concentrating on the memory. ¡°Dunno. It¡¯s gonna be a while before it wears off. Doc didn¡¯t want me to escape like Scorpion did. She¡¯s fast¡­ and smart¡­ and fast.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s also five kinds of crazy,¡± he whispered, taking advantage of the turn the conversation had taken. ¡°I remember the time she wanted to break down the door to the conference room.¡±


    Robyn shook her head. ¡°That was me. On my first day here. The day we met. Did you bump your head, too?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I guess I put it in her column because that¡¯s such a Scorpion thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Glad you think that.¡± Her voice lost strength. ¡°Because if you¡¯d said to, I would¡¯ve broken it.¡±


    ¡°Well, it all worked out fine and with a minimum amount of violence,¡± he added, wondering if it would trip her up and hoping it didn¡¯t at the same time.


    Robyn¡¯s eyelids were almost closing before she made visible effort to force her eyes open. ¡°What violence? It was the most peaceful fake takeover scenario I¡¯ve ever seen. Nobody even drew their weapons.¡± She giggled. ¡°Who knew Zeus had a sense of humor?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes he does.¡± He let out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding. Did his relief show on his face?


    Robyn¡¯s eyes closed again and Pegasus dragged the chair back to its corner. He held her gaze until he was sure she was listening to him. ¡°I want you to get some rest and call me as soon as you¡¯re lucid, alright? Before you do anything, even go talk to Sarah, got it?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Robyn. Did you understand what I said?¡±


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing to worry about now. But promise that you¡¯ll call me as soon as you wake up.¡±


    ¡°Promise. As soon as the room stops spinning.¡±


    This time, when her eyes closed, he didn¡¯t try to rouse her. She¡¯d passed the test.


    While that eased something in him, there was still something wrong with what Sarah had said. He hadn¡¯t ruled out a misunderstanding, but he¡¯d wait until Robyn was fully conscious before having that conversation.


    Just to be safe, it would be good to keep Robyn away until he¡¯d reviewed everything he¡¯d gotten on Sarah.


    Blood donors were starting to come in. Seems like they were replenishing their stock. Mermaid was still in surgery. As he was, he couldn¡¯t even help by donating blood.


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    He used a console in the corner of the infirmary to check the lock and alarm Michael had placed on Sarah¡¯s room. It was still in place. Unfortunately, he¡¯d forgotten to stop by his room to get his com, so he¡¯d have to reroute any warnings somewhere else.


    A shadow in dark blue scrubs stopped over his right shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not really planning on making this into a station, are you?¡±


    ¡°I had something I needed to check.¡±


    Nurse Able gave him a no-nonsense look. ¡°Unless you¡¯re planning to be useful by letting us drain you, which I¡¯m pretty sure Doctor Brown would object to, you really shouldn¡¯t be taking up space.¡±


    Pegasus gave the woman an apologetic smile, but she wasn¡¯t deterred.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you people have somewhere else where you can work from?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving in a moment, promise.¡±


    Expression loaded with disbelief, she moved on.


    Pegasus recognized it was probably not the best place to be. He wanted to go help upstairs, but he didn¡¯t want Robyn sneaking off first chance she got and maybe going to talk to Sarah by herself.


    As for the use of a com and tablet¡­


    Mermaid¡¯s stuff was abandoned on a nearby tray. He took it, redirecting the alarm on Sarah¡¯s door to Mermaid¡¯s com line.


    Twirling the earbud in his hand, he searched around for the nurse who¡¯d called him about Robyn earlier.


    One of Cypher¡¯s minions was sitting in a bed that had been previously empty. His first thought was that the man was one of the blood donors, but he seemed a more likely candidate for a transfusion.


    Pegasus approached him with a friendly wave. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    November returned a sickly smile. ¡°Food poisoning. I¡¯ve had trouble holding anything down. I¡¯m here for my meds and more fluids.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not getting called in to help?¡±


    ¡°Not unless Cypher wants me puking all over his keyboard.¡± He winced. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t use that word.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be staying here for a while?¡±


    ¡°At least a couple of hours, I think.¡±


    Pegasus smiled. ¡°Could you do something for me then?¡±


    ¡°Does it involve moving?¡± November asked.


    Pegasus noticed the IV he¡¯d seen the nurse set up earlier was for November. ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, I guess. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Dragon is in there. She¡¯s sedated because they had to pop her shoulder back in. I need to go do something and I also need to be sure she¡¯s not going to wander around while I¡¯m gone. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Just sit here and keep an eye out. If you see her stumbling her way out of the infirmary before the doctor releases her, call me.¡±


    November nodded. ¡°I can do that.¡±


    Satisfied with having someone watch Robyn, Pegasus left. He took Mermaid¡¯s tablet with him and popped her com into his ear, activating it.


    There was an annoying¡ªbut not unexpected¡ªloud beep.


    ¡°Cypher?¡± he called into the ensuing silence.


    ¡°Pegasus? What the hell are you doing on that thing? Did you steal Mermaid¡¯s earpiece?¡±


    ¡°I borrowed it.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡±


    Pegasus continued on his way, confident that there would be no more loud noises being transmitted straight into his brain. ¡°Are you spying on me?¡±


    ¡°No, but you activate a com that has an unconscious owner, I get a blip on my screen. Are you gonna tell me what you¡¯re up to now?¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯m on my way up, I¡¯ll talk to you in person.¡±


    Pegasus walked off the elevator and found exactly what he expected: mayhem. Strange that it felt so natural even when he was removed from it all.


    He spotted Unicorn across the floor, amidst a group dressed as police officers. They were probably headed out.


    Up on the monitors, the familiar security feed from the half-empty hallways had been replaced by more urgent scenes. A news channel showed a fire down by the docks, another replayed the aftermath of the explosion near the mall. Several other monitors had their external feeds up, focusing on the university, their suspected target for the next New Nation attack. The regular stream of updates scrolled by at the bottom of the screen.


    There was no sign of Griffon or Zeus, but Scorpion was going into the conference room. Cypher was, predictably, at his station.


    ¡°Griffon and Zeus are in a meeting with every higher-up they could find,¡± Cypher said as Pegasus approached him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were here to let them know what you¡¯re up to with whatever extracurriculars have you being a pain in my behind.¡±


    ¡°I figured Zeus would be busy, but I guess I was hoping to run something by Griffon real quick.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to wait a while, they went in a few minutes ago.¡±


    Pegasus sighed. ¡°Anything I can help with in the meantime?¡±


    Cypher got up, dragging Pegasus over to an empty station and pulling up some call logs. ¡°Here, filter emergency calls since you¡¯re gonna be loitering for a bit.¡±


    Pegasus sifted through almost fifteen minutes of calls before getting restless. It didn¡¯t help that so far there was nothing relevant to the investigation in any of them. Only cries for help from bystanders and people inside the mall who were having a normal day until the bomb went off.


    He divided up the screens between tasks as the mission logs came to mind again. Readjusting the headphones to not press too much against Mermaid¡¯s earpiece, he pressed play on another emergency call.


    On the other screen, he opened the prompt to access the mission logs and typed in his access code. This time, when the little angry cartoon face popped up, he turned to glare at Cypher. But Cypher was nowhere in sight.


    He caught the attention of India, who was using the station next to his. ¡°Where¡¯s Cypher?¡±


    She pointed towards Zeus¡¯ office.


    Pegasus skipped to another recording. He hated having irrational limits imposed on him. Needless to say, that had been a certain amount of headache for all involved when he was growing up.


    He returned his glare to the cartoon face, closing the pop-up to stare blankly at the prompt asking him for his access code¡­ or a code.


    His fingers tapped the side of the keyboard. Robyn liked to pick random numbers from things she¡¯d seen each week, like the time she got up or went to bed. Scorpion was even worse, changing hers at random hours of the day to things that followed no specific pattern. It would be easier to win the lottery¡ªand he didn¡¯t even play.


    He¡¯d long figured out that Griffon usually changed his at the start of every week, or after each new mission was assigned. The passwords themselves were usually variations of the mission IDs.


    Pegasus looked up what the last one had been and tried the number in full, then backwards. He was in. A smile came naturally as he shook his head. He really should have a talk with Griffon about that.


    He reviewed the logs for the missions Robyn had been on since her parents¡¯ death. Nothing had been flagged, so he¡¯d have to skim through them and see if anything popped up as unusual.


    Ironically, he was well on his way to getting flagged, what with walking around with Mermaid¡¯s com and tablet while looking over mission logs using Griffon¡¯s access code.


    No sooner had the thought formed in his mind, suspicion followed suit. The outside world became background noise.


    He searched for any computer access that had been flagged, for instance, when the person logging in was not supposed to be inside the compound. Nothing.


    Next, he pulled up all of Griffon¡¯s recent computer activity and searches. As he expected, there were too many to go through. He removed from the list all those made from Griffon¡¯s personal computer or tablet.


    Isolating the more suspicious-looking access times, he pulled up the security footage for each one. Time after time, it was Griffon he saw at whatever computer.


    Pegasus scrolled down the list, watching the dates and times roll by until one of them caught his eye. It was the day he inhaled a lungful of poison gas. Griffon was in the infirmary with him the entire time he was retching and struggling for breath. But the computer access had happened three levels down.


    He searched the system for the internal security feed for that location. There was no file to be found.


    He wanted to be wrong. Hoped for it.


    The log for which files had been accessed remained. It was only one file, an internal security file dated several years ago and classified as low priority.


    The date was unfamiliar to him, so he pulled up the recording. He didn¡¯t need more than five seconds to know what it was, and what it meant.


    He bolted to his feet, knocking his chair over with a loud bang. Cypher was nowhere to be found amidst the surprised faces that turned his way.


    His first call was to the infirmary. ¡°Is Dragon still there?¡±


    There was a moment of silence on the other end. ¡°Looks like she skipped out, as usual. It¡¯s been a while since I checked.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s November?¡±


    ¡°Might be throwing up in the bathroom again. Want me to page him?¡±


    Pegasus barely uttered an impatient ¡®no¡¯ before ending the call. He turned to the monitors out of reflex.


    Damn it!


    They were still showing nothing but the outside world.


    He needed help¡­ and he needed a gun, in no specific order.


    He cursed himself as he ran.


    How could he have been so blind?

 Book I - ch 32. Playing Favorites

    * * *


    The darkness receded a little, enough that Sarah was vaguely aware of her surroundings. The floor was hard underneath her, and the back of her head ached.


    At first, a single voice called her name. The voice then multiplied into several, all asking different questions.


    ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    ¡°Did anyone see what happened?¡±


    ¡°Sarah? Can you hear me?¡± That one was Robyn.


    Sarah hadn¡¯t noticed her sister was there. Was Robyn scared? Why would she be scared?


    The world phased in and out of darkness, and Sarah tried to steady herself.


    The blood was gone now. She wondered if this time it was done with her, if it was satisfied. Would it stop now? Or did she have to wait for it to become real, somehow, somewhere?


    ¡°Should we take her to the hospital?¡± a boy asked.


    Sarah shook her head, almost laughed.


    It was too late.


    She was already dead.


    * * *


    Sarah paced in her room much like a caged animal.


    She wanted to get out of there, out of that room, away from the silence and the bloodstained walls.


    She forced herself to stop. There was nothing wrong with the walls.


    A deep, shuddering breath. And there was no blood anywhere in sight.


    Her own reflection stared back at her from the mirror with wide, terrified eyes on a face that was way too pale.


    Sarah tried to even her breaths, fighting the panic that wanted to rise for no apparent reason.


    She thought she heard sounds from outside, but she was ready to discard it as more tricks from her own mind.


    The doorknob turned.


    Sarah held her breath, unable to move. The door edged open as if teasing her, until finally Robyn squeezed through the narrow opening. She¡¯d barely shut the door when Sarah threw herself on her and hugged her as tightly as her own healing wounds would allow her.


    Robyn joined in the embrace with her good arm. ¡°Ow.¡±


    Sarah eased the pressure, but couldn¡¯t let go, clenched fists bunching up Robyn¡¯s t-shirt.


    Her sister was finally there and obviously fine¡ªmore or less¡ªbut her mind had yet to catch up and let go of the fear.


    Smiling, Robyn pried Sarah away from her. ¡°Careful with the shoulder.¡±


    Sarah released her. The hug should be enough proof that her sister was real.


    Robyn practically collapsed on the chair closest to the bathroom. Her gaze unfocused for a while, then she frowned. ¡°Were you crying?¡±


    ¡°I thought something happened to you. I thought¡­¡± Sarah shook her head, unwilling to say what she¡¯d thought. It was probably obvious.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Robyn sighed, leaning back against the chair. ¡°You, on the other hand, look like a mess. Go wash your face. You know that wounded puppy dog look makes me uncomfortable.¡±


    Sarah glared at her.


    ¡°Go on.¡± Robyn closed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going anywhere.¡±


    Sarah wouldn¡¯t admit she was afraid Robyn would vanish once she looked away, but she left the bathroom door open.


    The cold water was soothing, but the mirror didn¡¯t help. It showed her nothing new except how red her eyes truly were. Sarah watched herself take a few calming breaths as she shoved her fears back to the corner of her mind.


    The intercom sounded.


    ¡°Sarah?¡± Pegasus¡¯ voice came through the com without any prompting. ¡°I¡¯m calling to see if you¡¯re feeling better.¡±


    She came out, still drying her face. Robyn was already at the com. She looked asleep on her feet as she watched the device, her finger nowhere near the button.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s him,¡± Robyn muttered half to herself. She smiled at Sarah. ¡°Checking up on you now, is he?¡±


    ¡°Sarah?¡± Pegasus insisted. ¡°It¡¯s not like you can pretend you¡¯re not there.¡±


    Robyn¡¯s finger hesitated above the button, still no closer to pressing it. ¡°He¡¯s got a point.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Sarah?¡± There was a hint of tension in his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you snuck out again.¡±


    ¡°Which again is he talking about?¡± Robyn asked.


    ¡°Robyn?¡± he called as if he¡¯d heard her.


    Robyn turned back to the com and this time she pressed the button. ¡°Yeah, hey. Sarah¡¯s in the bathroom. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were supposed to be resting.¡± There was a trace of reprimand in his voice.


    Robyn shrugged her good shoulder. ¡°I am¡­ here.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re out and about already, you could make yourself useful. We have an unusually large number of emergency calls to filter through. I could use your help.¡±


    ¡°Hang on a sec.¡± She turned back to Sarah with a tired smile. ¡°He never lets me have any time to myself. It¡¯s so annoying sometimes. Is a second to focus and get my thoughts straight too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going back to work, are you?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Never mind your shoulder, you look like you¡¯re half-asleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy. But I am really, really tired. And I think I was dreaming when I closed my eyes just now. I was at the park, down by the lake. I remember I had to beg Pegasus to let me go with you guys when Grandpa died.¡±


    Maybe the meds had messed up her mind or something. ¡°Robyn? We never went back to the park after Grandpa died.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know that.¡± Robyn pressed her fist to her forehead. ¡°Except you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but she was cut off by an alarm. It wasn¡¯t the medical emergency alarm she¡¯d heard twice already. She thought she also heard the lock on the door click open.


    Robyn scoffed. ¡°Fire alarm? Really?¡±


    Pegasus¡¯ voice came through the com again. ¡°Exit will be through the south end.¡±


    He sounded like he was running. Confused, Sarah nonetheless started moving towards the door. Robyn lifted a hand to stop her.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine right here,¡± she said into the com. Then she turned to Sarah. ¡°It¡¯s a training exercise. There¡¯s no fire.¡±


    Sarah still took a step towards the door with a doubtful look towards the com.


    Robyn feigned hurt. ¡°You¡¯re going to trust him over me?¡±


    ¡°Well, you look kinda out of it. And he sounds actually sane.¡±


    Robyn laughed. ¡°I guess he was doing his job better than Scorpion thought.¡± She pressed the com button. ¡°We¡¯re perfectly safe where we are.¡±


    ¡°Robyn, don¡¯t do this,¡± Pegasus pleaded.


    His tone gave Sarah pause. She felt she¡¯d missed something crucial to understanding what was going on.


    A chill ran through her. ¡°Robyn?¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right outside, aren¡¯t you?¡± Robyn asked into the com, ignoring her.


    ¡°Yes.¡± There was no trace of levity in his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯d stay back if I were you.¡±


    ¡°Robyn!¡± Sarah shouted, resisting the urge to throw the bath towel at her. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    Robyn blinked at her and Sarah thought maybe her sister was more confused than she seemed. There was clearly something wrong, but she had no idea what was going on between her and Pegasus.


    ¡°I need a moment of peace and quiet so I can focus.¡± Robyn¡¯s finger was still on the com button whether she realized it or not. She closed her eyes. ¡°I wanna go back to the park that day after the funeral and lay on the grass. Let the wind take away everything that was painful.¡±


    What was wrong with Robyn? Was it more than some fight she¡¯d had with Pegasus? Clearly, she wasn¡¯t fully lucid.


    ¡°We never went to the park after Grandpa¡¯s funeral,¡± Sarah insisted.


    They had planned to. It was the place he always took them to when they were little. But a call came in as they were about to leave the house. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? Susie had an allergic reaction, and we had to go stay with her in the hospital until aunt Ruth got back into town. We didn¡¯t go to the park. We haven¡¯t gone since.¡±


    Robyn¡¯s eyes locked on her with a familiar stubbornness. ¡°We did. We went to the park and Dad fried a couple of burgers for us, and we played Frisbee until you fell into the bushes and scratched your arm and the side of your face.¡±


    Sarah shook her head automatically. That never happened. Even when they had gone and played Frisbee, she¡¯d never fallen into any bushes.


    Robyn smiled, but it was a sad sort of smile. ¡°But you¡¯re right, you didn¡¯t go to the park that day.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t even know where to start. Did Robyn mean she went by herself or she imagined it?


    Robyn apparently realized she was still holding down the com button. ¡°This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen like this,¡± she whispered into it.


    ¡°And what happens now?¡± Pegasus asked.


    ¡°We start with you moving away from this door¡­ back all the way down to 1005. I¡¯ll call it up. You have ten seconds.¡± She released the com button.


    A churning started in Sarah¡¯s stomach. ¡°Robyn? What are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I just want them to run. But it¡¯s not like they can really get downstairs in ten seconds.¡±


    Robyn pressed her fingertips to her eyes.


    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± Sarah asked. Her sister was obviously not okay.


    Robyn started dialing up another com.


    ¡°Talk to me, please,¡± Sarah insisted.


    ¡°Did you make it?¡± Robyn asked into the com, ignoring Sarah but for a glance.


    ¡°We pulled back,¡± Pegasus answered. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on!¡± Sarah shouted, wondering if Pegasus would hear her.


    His answer came immediately. ¡°She¡¯s not your sister, Sarah. She¡¯s an impostor.¡±


    Robyn chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±


    Sarah took an involuntary step back. It was ridiculous, but there was a sliver of doubt in her mind. Robyn was acting weird ever since coming into her room.


    ¡°He¡¯s messing with you. He¡¯s up to something, can¡¯t you tell?¡±


    Part of her was hoping she¡¯d wake up from this nightmare soon. The other part wanted to scream.


    Could this be some sort of test? Maybe they wanted to see what she would do. But what part would Robyn be playing?


    The trace of amusement on Robyn¡¯s face turned into surprise. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re really not sure which one of us to trust, are you? Congratulations, Pegasus, you got inside her head.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not helping your case by acting all crazy.¡±


    ¡°The meds don¡¯t help,¡± Robyn muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t think straight.¡±


    ¡°Tell me something then. Something only we would know, something my sister never would¡¯ve told anyone.¡±


    Robyn let go of the com button and leaned back against the wall to face her. ¡°You mean like that little box with ten slivers of paper buried in the backyard?¡±


    Sarah breathed out slowly. That was a bit of childhood silliness she¡¯d all but forgotten about, but it was also something she¡¯d never told anyone. She was equally sure Robyn wouldn¡¯t say a word, if only because it was embarrassing.


    ¡°What¡¯s on the last piece of paper?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°Our blood,¡± Robyn answered without a moment of hesitation. ¡°And on the first one, there¡¯s a promise to stick together no matter what. I never told anyone that. I kept it to myself for a rainy day.¡±


    It really was Robyn.


    Sarah dropped onto the closest chair, feeling like her body had been sapped of strength.


    Of course this was her sister¡ªeven if she was acting crazy. Who else would she be?


    That meant Pegasus had been lying to her. From when? And if he wasn¡¯t trying to trick her, then that meant something had happened that made him think someone had taken Robyn¡¯s place.


    Sarah felt a chill. Where did he think the real Robyn was?


    None of this made sense. Not Robyn¡¯s comment about the park, not Pegasus¡¯ claim that she was an impostor, not the blood that was and wasn¡¯t on the wall¡­ and not the darkening shadow underneath the door.


    Maybe if they talked it over once Robyn¡¯s meds were out of her system, they¡¯d be able to find where this suspicion came from and straighten everything out.


    Sarah planted her feet steadily on the floor, ready to push herself up, but she froze when her eyes locked onto the door. Or rather, on the crimson shadow that was slowly forming beneath it.


    Was this another hallucination? She was sure she¡¯d felt the blood rush from her face and cold set in.


    She looked up and met Robyn¡¯s eyes. Robyn immediately looked towards the spot underneath the door, stiffening.


    The blood was real.


    Robyn punched something into the com and stepped away from the door. She pulled out a gun from her sling and pointed it at Sarah. ¡°I guess my time is up.¡±

 Book I - ch 33. Myself and I

    * * *


    Sarah was sure someone was dead right outside her door.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t faint,¡± Robyn whispered.


    Robyn¡¯s words would¡¯ve been funny under any other circumstances, because Robyn herself looked on the brink of passing out.


    Was that even her sister? What reason could Robyn have for threatening her?


    ¡°Robyn, can we talk about this?¡± Pegasus¡¯ voice surprised her.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I have a moment to think?¡± Robyn sounded both exasperated and angry.


    ¡°What do you need to think about?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Robyn must¡¯ve done something so she didn¡¯t have to continue pressing the com button.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Sarah asked.


    As soon as she asked the question, she realized the answer was easy if what Pegasus said was true. ¡°Are you really not my sister?¡±


    ¡°Robyn, the least you could do is tell her the truth.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Robyn shouted, stepping back towards the com as if she could reach in and pull out Pegasus by the throat.


    It was such a normal outburst for her sister that Sarah was even more confused.


    There shouldn¡¯t be a reason for Robyn to point a gun at her¡ªunless said gun contained water. This one wouldn¡¯t have anything as harmless. Water pistols didn¡¯t need silencers.


    Tears flowed from Robyn¡¯s eyes. ¡°I lied.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± There had been so many lies already.


    ¡°When they first brought you in.¡± Robyn gave her an apologetic smile. ¡°I told them you were my sister, my Sarah. You¡¯re not¡­ As much as I wanted you to be, you¡¯re not my sister.¡±


    Any possible response vanished into the turmoil of Sarah¡¯s thoughts.


    The gun, though no longer pointed directly at her, remained an obvious reminder of how insane it all was.


    ¡°You¡¯re not my Sarah because I¡¯m not your Robyn. But I wanted to be. I wanted so much to pretend that this could be real, at least for a little while.¡±


    It didn¡¯t sound like an explanation. It sounded like more nonsense Sarah couldn¡¯t wrap her brain around. Maybe it was the meds talking. Or maybe someone dosed her instead of Robyn and she was the one hallucinating.


    ¡°Why the charade, Robyn, even now?¡± Pegasus asked, intruding on her theories. ¡°Was it for our benefit? Or for hers? Was it for yourself?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying,¡± Robyn said.


    ¡°I know you¡­ At least part of you.¡± There was a gentleness to his voice that hadn¡¯t been there a second ago. ¡°I know this hasn¡¯t been easy. It can¡¯t have been. You can¡¯t be so different a person and still fit in so perfectly in someone else¡¯s life. Let us help you fix this. Please, it¡¯s not too late. Not yet.¡±


    Robyn laughed. At least Sarah thought she was laughing, her face was distorted like she was in pain. Robyn struck out and hit the com button with the butt of her gun.


    She cradled the gun to her and supported her good shoulder against the wall. ¡°Funny that they¡¯d send him to talk to me. But not unexpected when he¡¯s the one with the most hours in the crisis center.¡± She pressed the hand with the gun to her forehead, wincing. ¡°Or was that the other one? It¡¯s so hard keeping track of all this stuff, and the meds don¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°I think they sent him because he¡¯s your friend.¡±


    Robyn scoffed.


    ¡°He¡¯s not your friend?¡± If she could get Robyn to keep talking, would something eventually make sense?


    ¡°They might¡¯ve done better asking Gabrielle. But she¡¯d just as soon shoot us both and be done with it.¡±


    Confusion was feeling like a permanent state to her. ¡°Who¡¯s Gabrielle?¡±


    ¡°Scorpion, that¡¯s her name. It¡¯s weird, in my mind there was never any question who I was closest to¡­ And here I find I¡¯m supposed to have been torn between her and Pegasus. I don¡¯t get it. Why would he be my best friend?¡± The com beeped, and Robyn shot it a murderous look. ¡°It¡¯s my life and I don¡¯t recognize it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Sarah said.


    Robyn smiled, which looked strange because she was on the verge of tears. ¡°They chose poorly, that¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°And what about me? Am I the wrong person to talk to you, too?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the wrong version of you.¡±


    The com insisted.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t know when to quit, does he? Never did.¡±


    Sarah rose from her seat, but didn¡¯t move any further when Robyn repositioned the gun.


    ¡°You talk about all these people like you know them. You talk about me and things only we should know, but Pegasus said you were an impostor. Are you Robyn or aren¡¯t you? Are you my sister or not?¡±


    Robyn laughed, dabbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. ¡°I am Robyn, but whether I¡¯m your sister is debatable.¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡¯re saying one of us is adopted, I don¡¯t get it.¡±


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    Sarah should be more wary of the gun, but she still couldn¡¯t believe her sister would ever shoot her. And she couldn¡¯t see the person in front of her as anyone but Robyn.


    Even the way Robyn looked at her right now was exactly what she¡¯d expect of her sister.


    How could she be Robyn and not be?


    ¡°Lift up your shirt, show me your stomach,¡± Sarah said before she thought it through.


    ¡°Are you looking for the scar?¡± Robyn asked, pulling up her shirt to reveal what had once been a gash right above her navel. ¡°I got this that weekend we went to aunt Ruth¡¯s and that boy with the strange hair pushed me off the deck. You were almost six.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s mouth opened, then shut again. She felt like a broken record, saying again and again that she didn¡¯t understand. But she didn¡¯t.


    Another complaint from the com sounded and Robyn relented, pushing a couple of buttons.


    ¡°Robyn, please don¡¯t do that.¡± There was an edge to Pegasus¡¯ voice.


    Robyn looked like she was about to stick her tongue out at him. ¡°Fine, but we¡¯re having a conversation here and you¡¯re interfering.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± Sarah clenched her fists, squeezing the towel. ¡°Are you my sister or not?¡±


    Robyn shook her head. ¡°But I¡¯m close enough.¡±


    ¡°What does that¡ª¡± A memory of her questioning Pegasus about their excessive security measures came to mind. A place where fingerprints or iris scans could be fooled. Where proving your identity included detailed questionnaires about your life.


    Did they really have a reason to be afraid of doppelgangers? Where would one even come from?


    It hadn¡¯t escaped her notice that Pegasus kept calling the supposed impostor by her sister¡¯s name.


    Alien body snatchers, shapeshifters, evil twins, parallel dimensions, clones¡­


    If she was going into the realm of the impossible, what where the options?


    ¡°You were better than the last one, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Pegasus said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡±


    ¡°Are you working with the New Nation?¡±


    Robyn laughed. ¡°You do love that question. But you forget I know you. I know that stupid question is just that.¡±


    ¡°And what about the attacks going on right now, do you know anything about that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s chaos, isn¡¯t it? Bombs, fires, natural disasters, they¡¯re all the same in the end. And the New Nation is exactly what you take them for, narrow-minded little insects¡­ But they are great at chaos.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want? Chaos?¡±


    Robyn met Sarah¡¯s gaze. ¡°No. I want everything to be okay.¡±


    She muted the com again, cutting off Pegasus¡¯ reply before he¡¯d gotten more than a syllable out.


    Sarah wasn¡¯t sure which was worse, if her sister was a traitor, or if this woman was not her sister. She acted and sounded like Robyn even now, so how could she be anyone else?


    Sarah blinked away tears she hadn¡¯t noticed. Could her sister be on the side of the bad guys?


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Robyn sighed. ¡°You were never supposed to understand. You were supposed to be dead.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t think the words had the appropriate impact. Sure, she forgot to breathe for a moment, and she couldn¡¯t speak even if she tried. But she thought the words should have felt more like ripping her heart out in one fell swoop than the insidious sensation slowly squeezing out more tears.


    It felt surreal, like watching a storm on the other side of a window. Everything would be fine as long as the glass didn¡¯t break.


    Robyn was shaking her head, as if replaying her own demons in her mind. ¡°You¡¯d be dead, and I¡¯d be here. It wouldn¡¯t matter that I was heartbroken. And I would¡¯ve been perfect¡­ in the perfect position¡­ But you had to sit down on the couch, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That was you at dinner?¡± The sister who told her it was her turn to answer the phone? ¡°How long has it been you?¡±


    ¡°That was the day of the switch,¡± Robyn confessed.


    ¡°Before dinner? Before the attack?¡± Sarah wiped at her eyes. ¡°They said you almost died.¡±


    ¡°It was a necessary gamble. And you surviving did help. They were so focused on you being alive, on you being the target, that they took me in their stride. And I guess I was glad you survived. I thought it¡¯d be okay as long as I wasn¡¯t around you much. But you had to go and say something to Pegasus, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    What did she say?


    ¡°Why would you even tell him that much?¡±


    Pegasus started acting weird after she let slip what Robyn told her about how they met. Was that it?


    ¡°What is it about this one that¡¯s so special? There¡¯s not much difference from the one I know, but then how can he get under your skin so easily? I don¡¯t see it, I really don¡¯t.¡± Exasperated, Robyn tossed an annoyed look at the com when it beeped.


    Sarah stared at the gun. It didn¡¯t matter who this person was. It didn¡¯t matter that she¡¯d tried to kill her. There was something else there. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna talk to him, that¡¯s okay. Talk to me. Tell me what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stalling.¡± There was just sadness in her voice this time.


    ¡°Why are you stalling?¡±


    She smiled a little. ¡°Because it¡¯s the only thing I can do.¡±


    ¡°What are you getting out of stalling?¡± Sarah imagined some attack where Robyn would¡¯ve interfered with their defenses or maybe planted a bomb somewhere in the building.


    Robyn blinked and a tear ran down her face. She looked as if she wasn¡¯t going to answer, struggling to go through several words before something came out. ¡°You¡¯re so much like my sister.¡±


    Sarah tried not to falter in the face of another piece of incongruent information. It didn¡¯t matter, she insisted, taking the admission at face value. ¡°Tell me about her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna do that.¡±


    A short burst of interference came through the com.


    ¡°Robyn, don¡¯t shut us out again,¡± Pegasus warned. ¡°If you don¡¯t talk to me, how are we supposed to move forward?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t,¡± Robyn said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to find a way out of this? A way that doesn¡¯t end badly for everyone involved?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way out.¡± Robyn kicked the wall with the heel of her foot as if she¡¯d taken the words literally. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the point of building this place in a bunker?¡±


    Robyn focused on Sarah, apparently finding her confusion funny. ¡°You didn¡¯t think they¡¯d actually built this place to house a glorified paramilitary force, did you? This was designed for the military during the war. Alternate control center or something like that so they could pick up the pieces and carry on while the world above them burned. I always liked that idea.¡±


    Robyn waved the gun randomly at the walls. ¡°They modified the initial plans when the war ended and there was no end of the world in sight. The joke¡¯s on all of us, I guess. There¡¯s always some war to fight.¡± She pressed her head to the wall for a moment. ¡°What were we talking about?¡±


    ¡°About finding you a way out,¡± Pegasus answered.


    Sarah had forgotten he was listening in. ¡°You were saying there was no way out. But that can¡¯t be. There¡¯s always one.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure she believed that. Her current way out rested heavily on whether they¡¯d released hallucinogens into the vents about an hour ago and she was imaging all this.


    ¡°Sarah¡¯s right,¡± Pegasus said.


    Robyn shook her head.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°You can stop whatever it is you¡¯re doing. You don¡¯t have to do anything you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Robyn kept shaking her head. ¡°No way out. No way home.¡± Her gaze returned to the shadow underneath the door. ¡°I was never going home.¡±


    Sarah followed her gaze. She could no longer pretend that wasn¡¯t blood. Pegasus hadn¡¯t mentioned anything, but surely he knew about it if he¡¯d been outside the door.


    Was she a bad person for being relieved that it wasn¡¯t Pegasus dead out there?


    ¡°You must know something that can help us,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°Something worth it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know half as much as you¡¯d think.¡±


    ¡°If I ask you who you¡¯re working for, will you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a tricky one.¡± Her eyes drifted shut for a moment. ¡°Who do you work for?¡±


    ¡°The W.R.O.¡±


    ¡°And where else would I work? Where else would any of us work, and fight, and die?¡±


    But if Robyn was taking her orders from the W.R.O., how could they be on opposite sides?


    Sarah shifted her feet, trying not to draw attention to herself. Since Pegasus was getting some answers, she didn¡¯t want to get in the way.


    ¡°Did they tell you to infiltrate us?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Desperate times, desperate measures and all that crap. The puppeteers, as you so fondly call them, are no easier to beat when they stop hiding behind the New Nation.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me anything about them?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that would help.¡±


    ¡°Robyn¡­¡± There was a silence, as if Pegasus were holding his breath on the other end. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it, haven¡¯t you? You must have. The passageway?¡±


    Passageway? To where? Or from where?


    Robyn¡¯s eyes stared into the distance, unfocused.


    ¡°What does it look like?¡± Pegasus insisted.


    Sarah had given up on hearing a reply when Robyn¡¯s lips parted, her voice hoarse and filled with awe: ¡°It¡¯s the most beautiful thing I¡¯ve ever seen¡­ And utterly impossible.¡±

 Book I - ch 34. Conversations With the Abyss

    * * *


    Sarah flinched, the mention of a passageway tugging at some memory she¡¯d forgotten long ago. Like a dream that vanished upon waking, it turned to echoes when she tried to latch onto it.


    ¡°Do you know where the passageway is?¡± Pegasus asked.


    ¡°No. They made sure of it.¡±


    ¡°What was your mission?¡±


    ¡°What do you think it was?¡± Robyn rolled her eyes. ¡°Infiltrate, get your missions, see how much you know, eventually help others get in if needed.¡±


    ¡°Have you reported back yet?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t make a full report. Eventually, they¡¯ll try again¡­¡± Her gaze bore into Sarah. ¡°If they still can.¡±


    Robyn¡¯s expression suddenly felt more uncomfortable than the gun.


    ¡°Is the New Nation in on this?¡± Pegasus asked.


    ¡°No. They¡¯re the puppets. You¡¯re right about that.¡±


    ¡°Why tell them Sarah was the target?¡±


    Sarah turned a questioning gaze to the com before she remembered he hadn¡¯t heard Robyn say she was supposed to have died.


    Robyn leaned closer to the com. ¡°Because she was.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Mark be more likely to spot the switch?¡±


    Since Dad knew about this place, it made sense.


    ¡°It was a two birds, one stone kind of thing,¡± Robyn said.


    Sarah¡¯s gaze sought hers, but Robyn was looking at the com. Pegasus had a point. If the objective was killing the entire family, why single her out?


    One more misshapen puzzle piece, too many to keep track of.


    ¡°Robyn? Why are you there, in Sarah¡¯s room?¡±


    ¡°Done looking for sabotage yet?¡± Robyn asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°You said it yourself, it¡¯s a big place. Care to give us a hint?¡±


    ¡°I like the thought of everyone and the techs crawling through the air vents. Why should I make it easier on you?¡±


    Was there really a bomb somewhere in the building ready to go off and kill dozens of people? Sarah realized she had no idea how many people this place housed, or what might be above it.


    ¡°Robyn?¡± There was a deceptive calmness in his words¡ªmaybe it was caution. ¡°Are you done with your mission?¡±


    Robyn blinked, tears falling anew. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Care to tell Sarah what you¡¯re doing in her room? Or should we talk about your choices going forward?¡±


    Robyn wiped at her eyes, but another tear rolled down her cheek. ¡°I never had a choice.¡±


    Sarah felt her world spin again. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Because my mission isn¡¯t complete yet.¡± Robyn¡¯s voice broke this time.


    Sarah went cold. The gun left little room for interpretation.


    ¡°Why would anyone want me dead? I¡¯m nothing. I¡¯m no threat to anyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are a threat. This whole mess is your fault.¡±


    ¡°How can anything that¡¯s happened so far be my fault?¡±


    Robyn tapped the com. ¡°Care to guess, Pegasus?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you enlighten us?¡± he asked. ¡°Tell us what you¡¯d betray family for.¡±


    The anger in his words didn¡¯t go unnoticed. It seemed to sober Robyn somewhat.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Someone had to save the world¡­ and she¡¯s my sister.¡± More tears started coming down her face, but she didn¡¯t try to wipe them this time.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°What the hell does killing me have to do with saving the world?¡± Sarah shouted, unable to contain her outburst.


    ¡°You¡¯re dangerous.¡± Robyn met Sarah¡¯s gaze. ¡°You¡¯re the reason your parents are dead. The reason a lot of people will still die. If you die, it stops. It all stops.¡±


    How could she be the reason people were dying?


    Robyn, who now seemed to have no qualms about telling her things, continued: ¡°The orders were to kill you, but I don¡¯t know the specifics. I only know it saves my world, and that¡¯s good enough for me.¡±


    ¡°Your world?¡± Sarah echoed, somewhat in a daze.


    ¡°And what about this one?¡± Pegasus asked, taking the information in stride. ¡°Is it too late for us?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. If she dies, maybe you get to save yourselves.¡±


    ¡°By killing someone who hasn¡¯t done anything wrong? It doesn¡¯t even make sense,¡± Pegasus said.


    Sarah was glad she wasn¡¯t the only one that thought it.


    ¡°Explain it to me. Nobody else has to die today, Robyn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, the only reason you¡¯re still talking to me all friendly and whatnot is because you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll kill her if you try to get in here.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he admitted. ¡°But also because I don¡¯t want to have to kill you.¡±


    Sarah wiped cold sweat from her face with the towel. It was good that Pegasus took over the conversation. The calm in his voice allowed Sarah to remember how to breathe.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give us something more, Robyn? You don¡¯t honestly believe we want to see more people die, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, but I believe there are some prices you¡¯re not willing to pay, Anderson. You told me so yourself. Or you would have, eventually. It¡¯s a game of choices and consequences. You¡¯re familiar with that. But for a twist of fate and a detour, all you would¡¯ve been is some regular guy out there in the world.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give us all the facts to see if we can¡¯t think of an alternative?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have all the facts.¡±


    ¡°Who gave you your intel? Is that the part we¡ªI¡ªwon¡¯t like? Is there some pact with the devil among your orders? Was it a sell-out more than a defeat?¡±


    The laughter that came from Robyn didn¡¯t sound at all normal. She looked a little drunk, if slightly more functional than when she first walked into the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re always trying to be so clever, so insightful¡­¡± Robyn straightened herself. ¡°And I fooled you!¡±


    ¡°We see what we want to see,¡± he whispered in response. ¡°Even a troubled friend instead of an impostor.¡±


    Sarah sucked in a breath. That¡¯s what she was doing, too. Seeing her sister in the woman who was standing in her room with a gun pointed at her.


    Robyn hadn¡¯t given a straight answer to what she was doing in her room. But she said her mission wasn¡¯t done. And her mission involved Sarah¡¯s death.


    Sarah clenched her fists, vision swimming. Was she really gonna die like this?


    There was no way she was getting out of that room, except past Robyn. And it didn¡¯t look like anyone would be coming to the rescue. The entire world might as well be sitting around, waiting for Robyn to shoot her.


    ¡°So why haven¡¯t you?¡± Sarah asked, not realizing the rest of the associations had been voiced only in her head until Robyn gave her a questioning look.


    Even admitting Robyn was an impostor, Sarah still saw her sister. It was disconcerting to say the least, but it also made her braver than if she were faced with a stranger. ¡°You¡¯re here to kill me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Robyn didn¡¯t answer, but the look in her eyes was answer enough.


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you done it already? You could¡¯ve killed me at any time.¡±


    * * *


    Pegasus tapped his finger on the table, frowning.


    Sarah was right. Robyn could have killed her any time, including that first week when she was unconscious and still recovering from her wounds. She could have made it look like a result of Sarah¡¯s injuries from the fall and no one would be the wiser. Was she only spurred into action now because of him?


    ¡°I was hoping those orders would become irrelevant once I was in place,¡± he heard Robyn reply.


    A change in orders would require communication. During the missions would¡¯ve been difficult. The best opportunity would be when she went out with Unicorn.


    ¡°I was wrong,¡± Robyn continued. ¡°Your death is considered more important.¡±


    Pegasus froze at the use of the present tense. He didn¡¯t take a proper breath until Sarah¡¯s exasperated response came, demanding to know why she had to die. As long as Robyn was talking, they had some time.


    Scorpion came running over then, and he raised a hand in warning, pressing the mute button.


    ¡°Have they found any explosives yet?¡± he asked Scorpion when it was clear that Robyn wasn¡¯t going to answer.


    She shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough personnel as it is for a proper search. Zeus ordered everyone to start relocating to Center just in case. She picked one hell of a day. There¡¯s been another explosion.¡±


    There was enough to worry about without thinking of what was happening outside.


    Robyn was whispering something, so he turned up the sound.


    ¡°I thought if I proved I could handle you, if I could get rid of you, send you back out, then everything would be okay¡­¡±


    He turned to Scorpion. ¡°What did Michael say? Does Robyn have eyes on the hallway?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. Some of her mission equipment is missing, but Griffon thinks she wouldn¡¯t have had time after she killed Charlie. Wolf suggested breaching through the wall from the next room.¡±


    ¡°Without knowing where in the room Sarah is?¡±


    ¡°Our main concern is getting to Robyn and interrogating her.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s gone to all this trouble to kill Sarah, I think we should be a little more concerned with keeping Sarah alive.¡±


    They¡¯d been lucky enough that Robyn was still stalling. Not that he could blame her. Since Robyn¡¯d been hoping she didn¡¯t have to kill Sarah, she might still be looking for a way around it.


    If the mission was to neutralize by any means necessary, for example, it meant that if you found a way to neutralize without killing, the mission was accomplished.


    But they needed more information in order to come up with alternatives.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Scorpion asked.


    ¡°I want to get in there.¡±


    ¡°Orders are to keep your distance, don¡¯t pressure her. She could have a detonator.¡±


    ¡°Check with Griffon again.¡±


    She glared at him.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Just tell whoever it is that I¡¯m not a threat!¡± Sarah protested on the other end.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter.¡± Robyn sounded pained. ¡°I figured I could leave it to fate. When you went outside, if they still wanted to get rid of you, they could do it themselves. At least then¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be my finger on the trigger.¡±

 Book I - ch 35. Blood on the Wall

    * * *


    For once, Pegasus didn¡¯t know how to reply to that. Robyn had been wishing someone else could take on the burden of killing her sister. Was Robyn that much of a coward?


    Could she truly have looked the other way while someone killed Sarah as if it had nothing to do with her? If it were the Robyn he knew, would she?


    Oddly, it also made him angry. If you were going to kill someone for your higher cause, the least you could do was have the guts to do it yourself.


    But then, if the girl weren¡¯t a coward, would Sarah still be alive?


    There was a metallic tapping onto the com. ¡°You¡¯re suddenly very quiet, not up to something, are you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m being philosophical,¡± Pegasus answered. ¡°Maybe you can help me. Are you an impostor or should I call you a traitor?¡±


    ¡°Do my orders come from the same place as my intel, is that what you¡¯re asking? It doesn¡¯t matter as long as it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡±


    ¡°You have to do better than that.¡± What was right and what was wrong changed in everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°You know what I realized? Some things can be fake and still be real.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. The best lies are the ones that have a shell of truth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Sarah is, your truth. You can¡¯t make me believe you don¡¯t care about her or her parents. You can¡¯t convince me those tears were fake. And neither are the ones you¡¯re crying now.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. The mission is everything. You of all people should understand.¡±


    Scorpion scoffed.


    Pegasus gave her a warning look. ¡°Really? Is that what you know me as? Mission above all else?¡±


    He muted the connection. ¡°What did Griffon say?¡±


    Scorpion checked her weapon for the umpteenth time. ¡°We hold back.¡±


    ¡°You were gonna kill me? Just like that?¡± Sarah asked.


    She sounded closer, as if she were moving towards the door.


    ¡°Nothing simple about it,¡± Robyn said. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to choose between someone you love, even if a shadow of that someone, and everyone else.¡±


    Pegasus tapped his fingers on the table.


    Scorpion placed a hand on his to still the movement. ¡°If you wanna go, we go.¡±


    He glanced up at her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an invalid, but if you¡¯d prefer having IT as backup, by all means. I think Sierra finally managed to shoot a gun without popping the clip out.¡±


    Pegasus would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t want to go, but getting through to Robyn was better than bursting in, guns blazing.


    ¡°What if you don¡¯t have to choose?¡± Sarah asked.


    Was she even closer now?


    ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t have to,¡± Robyn said. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly know how hard this is. I keep telling myself you¡¯re not my sister, but my heart doesn¡¯t want to listen. So here we are, delaying the inevitable.¡±


    Pegasus tensed, finger reaching for the com automatically. ¡°Robyn?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to pretend for a little longer,¡± Robyn said, ignoring him. ¡°But I can¡¯t even do that.¡±


    Pegasus jumped to his feet. He heard it in her voice. She¡¯d made up her mind.


    ¡°Robyn! Don¡¯t do anything hasty!¡± They¡¯d already lost one sister, he was going to be damned if he was going to lose the other.


    There was a strange sound and then the com was dead.


    * * *


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Sarah came to a startled stop halfway across the room when Robyn shot the intercom. The lifeline to the outside was gone. It was just the two of them. And the gun.


    Something had gone out of Robyn¡¯s eyes. All that remained was defeat.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay once you¡¯re gone.¡± Robyn redirected her aim towards Sarah. ¡°They¡¯ll leave us alone. And our parents won¡¯t have to die over and over again.¡±


    Sarah clenched her fists, bunching up the towel in her hands. ¡°Robyn, please¡­ You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Remember what I said was my greatest flaw?¡±


    Robyn¡¯s breathing evened out. Her hand steadied. There were no more tears.


    Everything slowed in Sarah¡¯s mind.


    In that frozen moment, she realized she was about to die.


    As if it had already happened, and she was only now catching on.


    Sarah took another step forward, adjusting her footing. ¡°Robyn, please, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Robyn exhaled loudly, closing her eyes for a second.


    Sarah threw the bunched up towel at Robyn¡¯s face. She lunged towards the door, pulling it open with enough force that she felt she would¡¯ve ripped it from the wall had it not opened of its own accord. The shot hit the door instead of her.


    Good thing Robyn wasn¡¯t left-handed, her frazzled brain interjected as she stepped outside¡­ and onto the blood.


    Sarah almost tripped over the dead man right outside her door, slipping on the pool of his blood when she tried to change course.


    Her fall split into a thousand thoughts screaming at her simultaneously in that one second. Gibberish, all of it, about death and betrayal and having nowhere to run. She crashed onto the mess of body and blood, neither of which she wanted to be touching.


    She glanced back as she slipped when trying to get back onto her feet. Robyn standing in the doorway, gun pointed right at her head.


    The air went out of her, and she turned herself over into an awkward position to face Robyn. She was practically lying in the pool of blood, a leg still sprawled over the body, blood soaking through her clothes, sliding under her hands and feet.


    A gun was lying there, an island in a sea of red, probably the dead man¡¯s attempt at defending himself.


    Her eyes locked on Robyn, widening as the air was suddenly not enough to breathe. The wall was red with blood¡ªexcept it wasn¡¯t.


    Robyn was crying, gun still in hand and aimed at her.


    Sarah forced herself to not look away. A strange calm settled in her thoughts. As if it weren¡¯t her lying on the ground under aim. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    Her hands slid through the crimson liquid slowly as she adjusted her position, her eyes fighting the urge to close. She didn¡¯t dare look down, but she remembered where the gun was.


    ¡°A life for a world.¡± Robyn lingered in the doorway, hand trembling as if she¡¯d never held a gun before. As if she hadn¡¯t just shot and killed a man. ¡°The price shouldn¡¯t seem so high.¡±


    ¡°Robyn!¡± Pegasus shouted from the end of the hall.


    Robyn fired a couple of shots in his general direction to ward him off as she pulled back a step, removing herself completely from his sight.


    Sarah finally moved, hand sliding along the lukewarm liquid.


    Robyn¡¯s eyes widened when they once again met Sarah¡¯s gaze.


    Sarah ignored her own tears. Blood dripped from her hands and the gun she now held aimed at her sister. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have it in you,¡± Robyn said. ¡°You said it yourself.¡±


    Pegasus was shouting something from down the hall, but Sarah couldn¡¯t hear anything above the pounding of her heart and her own ragged breaths.


    The scene detached itself from her¡ªor maybe it was the other way around¡ªand she saw Robyn shoot her.


    Sarah pulled the trigger.


    Her eyes never closed, never looked away, drawn to the horror of it all. Not even as the shot came, the unexpected impact, and the pain she hadn¡¯t been prepared for.


    Sarah collapsed, unable to do anything else. She might¡¯ve blacked out for a second or the world chose to darken around her, but she blinked and suddenly Pegasus was there.


    He cursed as he tried to drag her away from the blood, but she was covered in it.


    Pegasus kept talking, but she couldn¡¯t understand a word. His voice seemed to be coming from the other side of a bubble.


    Sarah sensed movement around her. It was hard enough focusing on Pegasus, and he was right there, kneeling beside her. His hands were wrapped around hers, wrapped around the gun, trying to pry it away from her grasp.


    She hadn¡¯t registered that she was still holding it. Her fingers refused to obey when she tried to let go.


    Why was she holding a gun?


    She gave Pegasus a questioning look, but he ignored her, finally managing to tear the gun away from her and set it aside.


    He looked so worried, and she couldn¡¯t understand why. When he pressed his hands against her chest, the bubble burst in a sharp pain. The world came crashing into clarity around her.


    A faintly familiar voice was saying someone had been shot and asking if the doctor was out of surgery yet.


    Sarah wondered why a doctor would be having surgery¡ªit was very counterproductive.


    Pain pierced through her flesh, down to her core.


    Oh, she¡¯d been the one to get shot.


    Sarah tried to rise, but the pain interfered. With Pegasus supporting part of her weight, she was able to sit up.


    Scorpion was kneeling next to where Robyn was lying on the floor. Sarah watched as she closed her eyes with a pained expression and her heart constricted.


    Sarah shook her head, trying to deny the image. It had to be a dream.


    No, a nightmare. ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t die¡­¡±


    She struggled against Pegasus¡¯ hold.


    Her sister wasn¡¯t moving.


    Was it real?


    She tried reaching Robyn, but Pegasus held her back. She fought him, screaming inside her head.


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding,¡± Pegasus said.


    Maybe he thought she didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t care, there was a difference.


    Robyn was dead.


    And if this was real, there was no waking up this time.


    ¡°We need to get her to the infirmary,¡± an unfamiliar voice said.


    Pegasus held her steady. ¡°She wasn¡¯t really your sister.¡±


    Did that even matter? She couldn¡¯t not see her sister lying there.


    Sarah struggled, trying to reach Robyn.


    The world tumbled into a blur and she couldn¡¯t breathe. Voices joined the maelstrom that threatened to swallow her. Sarah released herself into its darkening chaos, letting herself fall.


    Pegasus squeezed her tighter. ¡°Sarah? Stay with me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t think she could. It was hard to focus on anything anymore. Her gaze found its way to the walls. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to look away.


    The wall was red with blood.


    Except it wasn¡¯t¡­ because the blood on the wall, she realized numbly, it was supposed to be hers.

 Book I - ch 36. Post-mortem

    * * *


    All eyes turned to Pegasus as he stepped into the conference room. Met only with silence, he swallowed back his apology for being late.


    A quick look around as he took a seat showed he wasn¡¯t the last one. They were still missing Cypher.


    Because of the bombings, this was the first real meeting they were having since discovering Robyn¡¯s impostor. The aftermath of the attacks were still occupying most of everyone¡¯s time.


    Unicorn leaned towards him. ¡°Were you with Sarah?¡±


    He shook his head. Sarah was in no immediate danger and there was little he could do to help. She was lucky that the bullet didn¡¯t hit anything vital so the surgery hadn¡¯t been too complicated.


    As for where he¡¯d been, this meeting hadn¡¯t been the only thing delayed due to the attacks. ¡°Autopsy.¡±


    Unicorn went back to staring at her tablet as if to occupy herself with something.


    Pegasus let his gaze wander over to the others. Scorpion was reading something. Griffon touched her shoulder to get her attention and she flinched when she turned towards him, a hand going automatically to her side. At the head of it all, Zeus was staring forward much like a statue.


    The table was a mess, but Pegasus didn¡¯t feel like doing anything about it even though it was his fault. He¡¯d been working out of the conference room since Robyn¡¯s death, figuring it would reduce the temptation to rest.


    Photographs and files were spread out across the table, marked and highlighted at certain points. Nearby screens showed paused videos of the inside of the compound.


    He¡¯d checked and rechecked everything he could.


    There was a knock on the door.


    Cypher edged into the room looking like a scared rabbit worried about the time. He muttered an apology when Griffon looked down at his watch and took an empty seat next to Scorpion.


    Zeus acknowledged him with a glance, a statue coming to life.


    ¡°Did we miss anything?¡± Pegasus asked, including Cypher in his question.


    ¡°No,¡± Griffon said, looking over at Zeus. ¡°Where would you like us to start, sir?¡±


    ¡°Start with how we let an impostor get inside the compound in the first place.¡±


    ¡°They exploited a flaw in our security procedures,¡± Unicorn said.


    Scorpion tossed her tablet onto the table. ¡°She was bleeding out, who the hell was gonna stop to do security checks?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely the point,¡± Griffon said. ¡°We brought her in. And we didn¡¯t test her later either.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Scorpion scoffed. ¡°She was bleeding out when we found her!¡±


    Pegasus expected Zeus to say something about her tone, but he let it slide. Everyone probably felt just as angry.


    He couldn¡¯t help a dry laugh. ¡°That was probably the plan all along.¡±


    ¡°To kill her?¡± Scorpion asked.


    ¡°To almost kill her.¡± Pegasus shrugged. ¡°We were so desperate to keep her alive, we weren¡¯t thinking about who it was we were trying to save.¡±


    Unicorn slid a pile of papers away from her, catching a pen that almost rolled off the table. ¡°A couple of inches this way or that and she would¡¯ve died. We estimated Robyn had been bleeding for minutes before we got there.¡±


    Pegasus picked up the pen she discarded, flipping it quickly over his thumb. ¡°It could¡¯ve been staged. She was bleeding to death, true, but we were meant to find her in time.¡±


    ¡°It would be one hell of a gamble,¡± Griffon said. But he seemed to be considering it.


    Pegasus watched the pen as he balanced it over his index finger. ¡°She couldn¡¯t be well enough for a check.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a consistent flaw in our entry protocols,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°We did the same with Mermaid.¡±


    ¡°How is she doing?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake now, but still suffering some confusion. Doctor Blue is hopeful for her recovery,¡± Griffon said.


    At least one good news to balance out the rest.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much we can do when we come in with wounded, but we could start implementing a security check once they¡¯re awake and considered well enough,¡± Pegasus suggested. ¡°We¡¯d have to keep them under security until then.¡±


    Unicorn took away his pen when he spun it again and placed it out of his reach. ¡°It would be easy enough to ask them for their re-entry codes, assuming they can still remember them.¡±


    Zeus nodded, turning to Cypher. ¡°Let¡¯s try it with Mermaid and see what happens. We can go from there.¡±


    Cypher typed the orders into his computer.


    ¡°I also want anyone who recently came in under similar circumstances to be rechecked,¡± Zeus ordered.


    Cypher nodded again, typing away. ¡°There haven¡¯t been that many, thankfully.¡±


    ¡°If the impostor is to be believed, she claimed she was to help them get other operatives inside,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°It didn¡¯t sound like they had any immediate plans.¡±


    Unicorn stood up, coming to attention. ¡°Sir, there was another grave mistake. That one¡¯s on me.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°The telephone?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Under the pretext of fetching some photo albums for Sarah, the impostor contacted her people from Robyn¡¯s home when Unicorn drove her over. Call logs for the landline showed a call that day to an unregistered phone that was no longer in use.


    Unicorn winced. ¡°Okay, two mistakes on me then.¡±


    ¡°What was the other one?¡±


    ¡°I questioned Gellman several times after our first interview. Each time, I took for granted what we thought we knew. I asked him about the plans, about how they had gotten to the house, when they had left¡­¡± She glanced at Pegasus. ¡°I never thought to ask him how many people they¡¯d shot.¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t occur to anyone,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°We got there and found three people shot. It was only natural to think all three had been shot by the same group.¡±


    Unicorn shifted her feet. ¡°I spoke with Gellman again. He swears they¡¯d only killed the parents. He claims the daughters were gone by the time they got into the house and they left when they heard cars arriving. Contrary to our initial belief, I don¡¯t think they heard us approaching.¡±


    ¡°Adding in the scheme to have the impostor wounded, it would make sense that there was someone else there between Gellman¡¯s team and ours. The second team would¡¯ve been the one to shoot the impostor.¡±


    ¡°We went back to the weapons and checked them against the bullets we got out of Robyn,¡± Unicorn continued. ¡°There¡¯s no match to the weapons we got from Gellman¡¯s cell.¡±


    Griffon nodded. ¡°And Gellman didn¡¯t think anything of seeing her here alive because he hadn¡¯t seen her at the house.¡±


    ¡°When we got Gellman talking about who the target was, that only distracted us further,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°I wonder if that was a contingency in case we found the cell responsible for the attack.¡±


    Scorpion pulled up the recording of Robyn¡¯s first interrogation of Gellman. ¡°We went over the entire thing again, there¡¯s no way to tell it wasn¡¯t her. She was damn near perfect.¡±


    Unicorn sat back down. ¡°She could¡¯ve killed us all and we never would¡¯ve seen it coming.¡±


    ¡°Do we know when they made the switch?¡± Zeus asked.


    Griffon nodded.


    ¡°Robyn told Sarah she skipped class to go to the library the day their parents died,¡± Pegasus explained. ¡°They were supposed to meet up and Robyn claimed she forgot.¡±


    ¡°Footage from the library showed no sign of Robyn,¡± Unicorn said. ¡°At first we couldn¡¯t account for her whereabouts until she showed up home for dinner later that evening.¡±


    Scorpion brought up a surveillance video on the main screen. ¡°It took us a while, but we found her.¡±


    Students went in and out of a bathroom at the university.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the one closest to her classroom, that¡¯s why we were having trouble,¡± Scorpion explained. ¡°Pay attention to the cleaning staff.¡±


    They watched as two women in uniforms went into the bathroom. A couple of seconds later, they saw Robyn going in. One of the women returned and placed a sign on the door, closing off the bathroom.


    Deathly silence fell as the seconds went by, then minutes. Finally, Robyn emerged and walked away.


    It wasn¡¯t his friend anymore, Pegasus was sure of it.


    The cleaning staff came out, took the sign and left the other way, pushing a cart with cleaning supplies and a rather large garbage container.


    ¡°We checked, those two aren¡¯t employed at the university,¡± Scorpion continued, trying to disguise the sadness in her voice. ¡°We¡¯re running facial recognition, but they don¡¯t match anyone in Gellman¡¯s cell.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re sure our Robyn¡¯s dead?¡± Zeus asked.


    Scorpion nodded, eyes teary. ¡°We combed over every inch of that place this morning. Someone cleaned it up on the surface, but they found blood¡­ and traces of brain matter in the drain.¡±


    When they first discovered the switch, Pegasus had been hoping against hope that Robyn would be alive, maybe being held for information or as leverage. Anything would be better than the alternative. But there was no more pretending.


    His eyes stung. Unicorn reached out and held his hand.


    Scorpion stopped the recording and placed her hands on the table, clenching them into fists.


    ¡°There was a double purpose to switching her before the attack,¡± Pegasus said beneath a breath. ¡°The phone call. She was the one who told Sarah to answer it. I think she was supposed to ensure that Sarah would be killed.¡±


    ¡°What went wrong?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°Remember the bullet holes? There were a number of them aimed exactly at where Sarah would¡¯ve been had she answered the phone where it was. But when she answered it, she pulled it along with her towards the couch, putting a wall between her and the front door. Saved her life.¡±


    Griffon nodded along. ¡°Sarah ran off, so they couldn¡¯t find her. With her gone, this Robyn decided to go ahead with the plan to infiltrate us. She would have figured they could always get to Sarah later.¡±


    Zeus scoffed. ¡°Then it¡¯s an accident that the girl survived.¡±


    Griffon nodded. ¡°Pretty much. And then we almost killed her.¡±


    ¡°I said tranq gun,¡± Scorpion grumbled.


    Cypher shifted uncomfortably in his chair.


    ¡°Did we get anything from the autopsy?¡± Zeus asked towards Pegasus. ¡°Any clues as to where she might¡¯ve been before coming here?¡±


    Pegasus shook his head, bringing up the coroner¡¯s report. He didn¡¯t need to read it, didn¡¯t need to see any pictures. He¡¯d watched enough of the actual autopsy to know he¡¯d have trouble getting the images out of his head at night.


    Zeus turned away from the screen.


    ¡°That was about as unhelpful as we expected it to be,¡± Scorpion said into the silence.


    ¡°We¡¯re still waiting on some toxicology and immunology results,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°But they¡¯re not holding out hope that we¡¯ll get anything useful.¡±


    Zeus acknowledged him with a glance. ¡°A dead body can only give us so much information.¡±


    Pegasus and Scorpion exchanged a look. For all intents and purposes, they¡¯d been the ones who failed in capturing the impostor alive. It was only slightly better than if they¡¯d shot and killed her themselves.


    ¡°Did they get anything from comparing it to our Robyn¡¯s medical records?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°The only discrepancies were a scar in her inner thigh we had no record of and no sign of a previous shoulder injury,¡± Pegasus replied. ¡°There was also a titer for toxoplasmosis.¡±


    Unicorn gave him a questioning look. ¡°She had contact with cats at some point in her life?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged. ¡°Or raw contaminated food. Sometime during her childhood is the estimate.¡±


    Scorpion made a face. ¡°Really not helpful.¡±


    ¡°No, but every discrepancy counts as proof,¡± Griffon said.


    ¡°Or cautionary tale,¡± Cypher said.


    True that the impostor had been very similar, but there¡¯d been several things that they all shrugged off as Robyn¡¯s normally odd behavior. He¡¯d chalked up her avoiding Sarah as her reluctance to explain that they had to be separated, and even Unicorn had said Robyn was not herself with worry.


    ¡°Could she have studied our Robyn for a while before the switch?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°Or they were alike enough in personality that it worked,¡± Pegasus suggested. ¡°But there were some serious discrepancies. She told Sarah I pulled a gun on her when we first met.¡± Later, she¡¯d had to watch the surveillance footage from their first meeting to correct herself.


    Scorpion frowned. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What about Sarah?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°I was there when she woke up from surgery. She was very agitated, talking about a park they hadn¡¯t gone to, and something about Robyn not being my friend, but Scorpion¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Add that to the list of gaping discrepancies then,¡± Cypher muttered.


    ¡°Our recent distance wasn¡¯t exactly my fault,¡± Scorpion objected with a look towards Pegasus.


    ¡°Stop it, both of you,¡± Griffon said, pointing at both her and Pegasus.


    Pegasus turned to him in silence.


    Griffon sighed. ¡°Never mind, force of habit.¡±


    ¡°Did Sarah give us anything else?¡± Zeus asked, expression clearly indicating he was losing his patience.


    ¡°No, she was pretty out of it. Doc Green decided to be slow about removing her sedation.¡±


    Zeus frowned at him. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He prefers comatose patients ever since he started helping out the coroner,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°And Sarah kicked him, I think.¡±


    ¡°I spoke with him on my way here,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°She¡¯ll be well enough to talk soon.¡±


    Which meant she¡¯d also be well enough to learn about what happened to her real sister.


    He shifted uncomfortably in his seat when the memory of Sarah, wounded and covered in blood while still gripping onto the gun, flashed through his mind. Her pain resonated with his own, clawing at his heart. He wished he could take her suffering unto himself. Unfortunately, the most he could do was share in it.


    His eyes stung, and he lowered his gaze. Did he have the right to help anyone when he hadn¡¯t even dealt with his own pain?


    Running around the compound nonstop, looking at every single clue he could think of while pretending it was someone else¡­


    He covered his eyes as unfallen tears gathered on his lids. Loss was not unfamiliar to him. Didn¡¯t mean it was easy to accept.


    His best friend was gone forever.

 Book I - ch 37. The Pieces That Remain

    * * *


    Sarah opened her eyes, and the darkness receded bit by bit.


    Someone squeezed her hand.


    Robyn!


    She pulled her sister towards her, wrapping her arms around her as tightly as she could as she started sobbing.


    Robyn tried to pull away, but she only held on tighter.


    ¡°Sarah, what¡¯s wrong? Does something hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go call the nurse,¡± an unfamiliar voice said.


    Sarah looked around. This was the campus hospital. She¡¯d been here a few times to donate blood.


    She wiped at her eyes, releasing Robyn from the hug, but still holding her hand trapped in hers.


    Robyn helped her wipe her eyes with her free hand. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡±


    Sarah nodded, swallowing back a sob.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I felt sick, and I couldn¡¯t move.¡± Sarah didn¡¯t dare tell her the truth.


    ¡°Well, congrats on freaking everyone out. I called Mom and Dad. They¡¯re coming to pick us up.¡±


    Sarah stiffened, fighting back another wave of tears.


    ¡°Are you sure you feel better now?¡± Robyn¡¯s voice was as gentle as she¡¯d ever heard.


    Sarah pulled her into another hug, her tears slowing as she listened to Robyn¡¯s heart beat. Was it fine now? Was the nightmare gone for good?


    Anxiety seeped into her happiness, twisting her insides. ¡°Robyn? Do you think you could ever kill someone?¡±


    Robyn laughed. ¡°Were you having a nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Wasn¡¯t nightmare too simple of a word?


    ¡°Well, next time, just remember that no, I wouldn¡¯t kill anyone. Geez, what have you even been dreaming? I told you to stop watching those murder shows.¡±


    Unfamiliar questions flashed like lightning in her mind. Would you trade a random stranger off the streets for your parents? A building full of strangers?


    ¡°If Mom and Dad¡¯s life were at stake, what would you give to keep them safe?¡±


    Robyn pulled away from her, meeting her gaze straight on. ¡°Stop being weird.¡±


    ¡°Just answer me. For my nightmare. Would you kill someone to keep us safe?¡±


    Robyn sighed, flicking her on the forehead. ¡°If I had to choose between you and some other person, of course I¡¯d choose you. Is that even a question?¡±


    Was if the other person was also her?


    * * *


    Pegasus rubbed his sore eyes. He automatically reached over for the pen that Unicorn had taken away from him, but she slid it further away without a glance in his direction.


    What were they talking about now?


    Cypher raised his hand without looking up from his screen. ¡°They¡¯ve finished the sweep, sir. There¡¯s no trace of any sort of sabotage. If there¡¯s anything we haven¡¯t found, I¡¯m the queen of hearts.¡±


    Unicorn rolled her eyes. ¡°I told you to stop with those nonsense comparisons.¡±


    ¡°I figured she didn¡¯t have the time to plant anything,¡± Cypher said.


    ¡°Maybe her plan wasn¡¯t to blow us all up,¡± Griffon said. ¡°But we don¡¯t know because she was interrupted.¡±


    ¡°My questions made her suspicious,¡± Pegasus explained. ¡°And I asked November to let me know when she tried to leave, but he let something slip in front of her.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, all she did was knock him out and stick him in an empty bed,¡± Cypher said. ¡°The nurses were too busy to notice he wasn¡¯t just sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Good thing he was useless enough to not be a threat to her.¡± Scorpion pulled up the footage from the hallway outside Sarah¡¯s room. ¡°The guard was a different matter.¡±


    On screen, the impostor made her way to Sarah¡¯s room. Maybe affected by the knowledge of what followed, Pegasus thought her smile looked forced.


    The power of hindsight.


    They watched in silence as Robyn tried to get into the room, playing up the sickly act, but the guard didn¡¯t budge.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    If the guard had known her better, he might¡¯ve thought something was odd when for once Robyn didn¡¯t make a fuss like she was prone to do when not getting her way.


    She turned around as if to head back from where she¡¯d come, then turned around and shot him.


    He unholstered his gun as he fell. Robyn shot him again, and he was dead.


    The silencer explained why Sarah hadn¡¯t noticed anything. Pegasus doubted she would¡¯ve recognized the sound.


    Unicorn was the first to break the silence. ¡°Killing the guard in plain view of the cameras wasn¡¯t exactly subtle.¡±


    ¡°I think she didn¡¯t care at that point. Her mission was over either way.¡±


    ¡°Why was the guard there?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°That was my fault,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°I¡¯d asked Cypher to put a guard on Sarah¡¯s room. At the time, I was concerned with Sarah being an impostor.¡±


    ¡°Roger normally works¡ªworked¡ªat the entrance. I redirected him downstairs,¡± Cypher added.


    Pegasus looked back up at the screen, expecting to see himself rushing down the hall any minute now.


    Zeus frowned at the screen. ¡°But she didn¡¯t shoot Sarah as soon as she went into the room. Do we know why?¡±


    ¡°Because it was her sister. Or close enough,¡± Pegasus whispered. ¡°She mentioned something about trying to change her orders. I think she was hoping for an alternative.¡± Then she gave up. ¡°She confirmed the passageway exists, but she claimed not to know where it was. She also said she didn¡¯t have anything to do with the New Nation, and agreed they¡¯re puppets. I think the term was narrow-minded little insects, good at creating chaos.¡±


    ¡°Whoever she worked for doesn¡¯t seem to have a good opinion of them either.¡±


    Pegasus made a face. ¡°She claimed to be working for the W.R.O.¡±


    For the first time, there was a hint of surprise in how Zeus¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s worrisome.¡±


    ¡°But she said her intel came from someone else, someone I wouldn¡¯t approve of.¡±


    ¡°You specifically?¡± Zeus asked.


    Pegasus nodded. ¡°I got that impression, yes.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think that would be?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°The puppeteers, maybe.¡±


    ¡°And did she share this intel?¡±


    ¡°She said she didn¡¯t know the why or how, but killing Sarah would save her world.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe her?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t kill someone I cared for¡ªor even a mirror image of that person¡ªwithout getting some proof.¡±


    ¡°Robyn wouldn¡¯t blindly accept it either,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°We barely know Sarah and even we wouldn¡¯t kill her on someone¡¯s claim that she¡¯s a threat. Not without proof. There¡¯s no way Robyn would unless there was something else going on.¡±


    Griffon nodded. ¡°They could have threatened her family, her sister. But that doesn¡¯t tell us why they would focus on Sarah.¡±


    Zeus watched the screen, where Roger was now bleeding out on the floor. He signaled for Cypher to fast-forward the recording.


    Cypher skipped it to when Sarah burst out of the room.


    She slipped on Roger¡¯s blood and tripped over his body. Robyn emerged from the doorway.


    Pegasus had already watched this part of the recording more than once, but he couldn¡¯t look away. It was so strange seeing it play out in silence. It was even worse than watching Roger get shot.


    The desperation on Sarah¡¯s face was painful to see. When Robyn fired a couple of shots down the hall, his own memories intruded and intertwined with what was happening on-screen. Sarah used Robyn¡¯s momentary distraction to pick up the gun.


    Pegasus hadn¡¯t watched this part of the recording before. He¡¯d always stopped it right there, unwilling to watch the girl who looked exactly like his friend die.


    Now that he was paying attention, though, he noticed the way Sarah grabbed the gun, the way she held it steady. He wasn¡¯t the only one. He caught several others sitting up, frowns matching his own.


    To avoid seeing Robyn¡¯s death, he focused all his attention on Sarah. He focused on her hands, on how steady they were, and the way she held the gun. When Sarah pulled the trigger, he couldn¡¯t help moving his gaze to Robyn as she fell.


    He already knew from the autopsy. She¡¯d been dead instantly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she could shoot,¡± Zeus said into the reigning silence.


    Cypher closed his mouth that had been hanging open. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to indicate she should know how.¡±


    Scorpion scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a lucky shot.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Pegasus didn¡¯t like her tone.


    ¡°Nothing, except that maybe keeping her alive is not such a good thing if there¡¯s any truth to that whole her death saves the world business.¡±


    ¡°At best it¡¯s an unsubstantiated claim from an enemy combatant and an unknown source. I don¡¯t think we should put much weight on it,¡± Pegasus objected.


    Scorpion waved him off. ¡°Oh, calm down. I¡¯m not gonna go slit her throat while she sleeps. I realize the fake Robyn could¡¯ve been messing with us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she was messing with us.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t have it both ways, Pegasus,¡± Unicorn said. ¡°Either you think she was telling the truth or you think she wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°If there were any lies, I don¡¯t think they came from her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she was lying. But someone could have lied to her. She had no motive for killing Sarah unless she believed it was necessary. Her cover was already blown. And it wasn¡¯t about revenge, you could tell she didn¡¯t want to do it. She never would have stalled for so long and let us carry on a conversation if killing Sarah was what she wanted to do.¡± He waited until they all could think about it before continuing. ¡°Robyn did things she didn¡¯t want to do kicking and screaming, I¡¯ll wager both versions of her had that in common.¡±


    ¡°You think she truly believed that killing Sarah would save her world?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°She had to believe it for it all to make sense.¡±


    ¡°How does killing Sarah save the world?¡± Cypher asked. ¡°What¡¯s the connection?¡±


    Scorpion threw a balled up report at Cypher, hitting him on the forehead. ¡°There¡¯s a distinction between saving our world and saving her world. I got the feeling that it was her world and hers alone she was gonna save. Ours was up for grabs in the whole thing.¡±


    Pegasus nodded.


    Cypher rubbed his forehead. ¡°Then why would it be our Sarah?¡±


    ¡°It makes little sense to target someone from our world,¡± Griffon said.


    Zeus turned away from the screen and signaled Cypher to stop the recording. There was nothing left to see but bodies being taken away.


    ¡°Cypher, check with Athena when she¡¯ll be back,¡± Zeus ordered. ¡°I want her talking to Sarah as soon as the girl wakes up.¡±


    Cypher nodded, typing something into his computer. ¡°Should the doctor sedate her again? Because he just sent me a message saying she¡¯s awake.¡±


    He pointed at the screen with a flair and surveillance from the infirmary appeared, showing Sarah speaking to Doctor Green. Or rather, the doctor was speaking to her, and she was looking as if through him, gaze unfocused.


    At least she seemed calm. If calm could be a word to describe catatonic.


    ¡°Do you mind if I try talking to her in the meantime?¡± Pegasus asked.


    ¡°See if you can get her to tell us anything that will help make sense of this mess,¡± Zeus said.


    ¡°Sir? What are we going to do with Sarah?¡± Unicorn asked. ¡°Surely we can¡¯t send her to her aunt¡¯s now.¡±


    ¡°I would like to know why they wanted her dead before sending her anywhere,¡± Zeus said.


    ¡°We should send her as far away as possible,¡± Scorpion suggested. ¡°Hide her with some of our contacts overseas or lock her up in our brig. At least that way she¡¯ll be safe and in no position to hurt us.¡±


    ¡°Whether she¡¯s a threat to us is far from certain,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°And I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll appreciate being shipped off or locked up anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Does she have a choice?¡±


    ¡°Well, technically, unless she¡¯s a threat, we can¡¯t make her do anything.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t,¡± Griffon agreed. ¡°If she¡¯s not a threat, it¡¯s up to her.¡±


    Scorpion crossed her arms. ¡°And what do you suggest we do with her?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged. ¡°Ask her?¡±


    Scorpion pointed at the screen. Sarah still hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°I don¡¯t think a zombie can have much of a say in anything.¡±


    ¡°Talk to her first, and then we¡¯ll decide,¡± Zeus said.


    ¡°And what do we tell her?¡± Unicorn asked.


    Pegasus shrugged again, his gaze returning to the screen. ¡°How about the truth for once?¡±

 Book I - ch 38. Empty Reflections

    * * *


    Sarah struggled to open her eyes as the last remnants of the dream drifted into oblivion. Robyn had been dosing off in the corner, and she¡¯d caught a glimpse of Mom and Dad rushing into her hospital room.


    Tears filled her eyes.


    She couldn¡¯t even get a proper look at them before she woke up. Couldn¡¯t get a hug or see them smile. It was gone too soon.


    The dream had been set at the campus hospital instead of this underground location, but it made sense that her mind would choose it. Not even her unconscious could picture her parents being in this place.


    She clenched her fists, fighting back her sobs.


    Yeah, it was an easier lie to craft. Stupid mind, did it think it was giving her any comfort? Did it really not know any better?


    Or maybe it was her heart that was the problem, refusing to let go.


    She wiped her eyes with a corner of the bedsheet as she glared at the door.


    How long had it been since anyone came in?


    The doctors and nurses wouldn¡¯t tell her anything no matter how much she screamed. Eventually, she gave up. It was better than being sedated again. She was finally awake.


    She refused to go back to sleep and her dreams filled with her family. Or worse, with that version of Robyn she barely recognized as her sister.


    A pool of blood came to mind. Swallowing back a scream, she pressed her clenched fists over her eyes. Movement and contracting muscles caused a spike of pain right below her collarbone, where she¡¯d been shot.


    She shirked away from the memory, from the feel of blood and her finger on the trigger. And of Robyn¡ª


    Breathe!


    Air went in. Air went out.


    Sarah focused on the tiles on the floor, counting them in her head. After every ten or so, she lost count and had to start over. It was infuriating, but it kept her mind clear.


    The tile in farthest corner was chipped. A clue that, while similar, this was not the same hospital room she¡¯d been in before.


    Everything in this place was similar, but not quite the same. The rooms, the hallways, even the people¡­


    The look in Robyn¡¯s eyes as she pointed a gun at her flashed through her thoughts.


    She pressed her fists over her closed lids, almost missing the knock.


    When she opened her eyes, Pegasus was already inside the room.


    Unwilling to move, she continued to stare at the floor.


    He stood at the entrance, as if trying to match her stillness. Despite his presence, there was still only silence and her own memories trying to suffocate her.


    It might¡¯ve been a few minutes before he came in and shut the door.


    ¡°Sarah?¡±


    ¡°Are you gonna ask me if I¡¯m alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not make you feel like you have to lie to me.¡±


    The corner of her lips twitched, and she was caught off guard by her own willingness to relax. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Athena isn¡¯t here right now, so I thought I might be an adequate replacement.¡±


    ¡°I hope she¡¯s not coming back for me, because I have no intention of getting analyzed.¡±


    ¡°I suspected as much. She will want to see you when she gets in. Until then, I¡¯ll be here for you.¡±


    Sarah looked up at him. He looked as upset as she felt. But she might be projecting.


    Had she done the same with Robyn? Maybe that¡¯s how she was fooled.


    The thought of blood flashed in her mind. As if in response, her fresh wound ached.


    ¡°Do you remember talking to me after your surgery?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Sarah shook her head. She didn¡¯t even remember the surgery. The stitches were obvious though.


    ¡°Do you remember what happened when you got shot?¡±


    ¡°My sister tried to kill me.¡± That part was difficult to forget, but it felt like recalling a nightmare and trying to peel away the emotions to leave only the events. Though she was unsuccessful, her voice only faltered a little. ¡°Robyn¡¯s dead, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Was it hope or denial that made her ask?


    Pegasus nodded.


    ¡°Part of me was hoping it was a bad dream.¡± But the bad things were real.


    He leaned back against the wall, deceptively calm. It reminded her of when she¡¯d seen him at the infirmary, right after Griffon¡¯s team came back. He¡¯d been upset then too.


    ¡°I have to ask you about what Robyn said to you.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°To some of it, yes. We¡¯re hoping you can help fill in some blanks.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re back to that?¡± There was no anger in her voice. ¡°Me locked in this room and you asking me questions I don¡¯t have an answer for?¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    She was ready to tell him to leave her alone unless he wanted to be the one being interrogated instead when movement caught her by surprise. She froze, trying not to look. There was movement, but there was no one in the room except them.


    Sarah closed her eyes, unwilling to see anything. Not dead bodies, not herself, not blood on the walls. Was this from the anesthesia? Or maybe when she hit her head from falling in that building, before all this. Maybe she was even still bleeding out on the floor of their living room, having been shot along with her family.


    She focused on her breathing and on the darkness of her closed lids, pretending it was all there was.


    It took her a while to realize Pegasus was talking to her. She opened her eyes and found him offering her a hand.


    ¡°Should we take a walk?¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t think that¡¯s what he¡¯d been saying before, but she took his hand without protest. She followed along, not caring where he was taking her. And then she didn¡¯t have to ask. The large doors were a dead giveaway.


    Pegasus held the door open for her. ¡°Is this better?¡±


    Sarah nodded. Entering the garden was like stepping into another world. Everything seemed more real here, more alive. It was a surprising and somewhat contradicting feeling for a place so devoid of people.


    The chess board alone suggested a past human presence. Unless of course the chess pieces had a habit of moving by themselves to stave off boredom. Today, the pieces were nowhere in sight, the board now sitting empty atop the table. Maybe the pieces had finally decided to make a run for it.


    She stepped out of the path, ignoring the dirt that got between her toes, and walked over to the familiar-looking tree. Sliding her fingers along the rough bark, she leaned her forehead against its sturdy frame.


    Tears started flowing down her cheeks.


    ¡°I killed my sister,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t your sister.¡± Pegasus¡¯ voice came from right behind her.


    Sarah straightened herself, making no move to wipe her tears.


    Pegasus reached out and placed a hand on the tree trunk, as if he too shared some connection with it.


    ¡°Would you like to hear a story?¡±


    Sarah turned to look at him, but he was looking up at the leaves.


    ¡°Is it something you¡¯re allowed to tell me?¡± She doubted he wanted to tell her a bedtime story.


    Pegasus walked back to the nearest bench without answering. ¡°The world isn¡¯t exactly what you think it is. You¡¯ve caught a glimpse of what¡¯s behind the curtain, but once you know the full truth, there¡¯s no going back. Are you sure you want to know?¡±


    Sarah nodded. She was long past the point of no return.


    He smiled. ¡°I had to ask.¡±


    Still, he said nothing more for several minutes.


    Sarah moved to join him on the bench. ¡°If you¡¯re waiting for me to change my mind, you¡¯ll need a coat for when hell freezes over.¡±


    ¡°It goes without saying, but whatever I tell you can¡¯t ever be shared with anyone else.¡±


    Would anyone believe her anyway? ¡°Tell me then. If the person I shot wasn¡¯t the real Robyn, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re both real. But one of them wasn¡¯t the girl we knew. Not my friend, not your sister.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think that the reason you don¡¯t explain things is because you¡¯re really bad at it.¡±


    ¡°You asked her if she was Robyn, if she was your sister.¡±


    Sarah focused on Pegasus, trying not to let her mind go back to that moment. ¡°She also didn¡¯t give me a straight answer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more of a philosophical question than a genetic issue.¡±


    She narrowed her gaze on him. ¡°Are you deliberately trying to make it worse?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Let me start over.¡±


    ¡°The beginning would be as good a choice as any.¡±


    ¡°Alright. From the beginning then.¡± He ran his hands through his hair. ¡°Please keep an open mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of everything from robot replicas to cloning and alien experiments. If you told me that Robyn had an evil twin raised by goblins in the forest, I¡¯d probably consider it at this point.¡± If she tried opening her mind any further, she¡¯d be risking brain damage. ¡°The truth can¡¯t be any crazier.¡±


    Pegasus met her gaze. ¡°There¡¯s another world out there connected to our own. A parallel world, very similar to this one, where another version of us exists.¡±


    Sarah rubbed her arms to dispel a sudden chill. ¡°If that¡¯s your attempt at humor, it¡¯s not working.¡±


    ¡°The girl who looked like your sister and tried to kill you was another version of Robyn, from another world.¡±


    Sarah wondered if she was still passed out in the infirmary. Was this madness another dream disguising itself as reality?


    ¡°A parallel world? A parallel world with a parallel version of my sister?¡± Repeating it did not make it any more believable.


    ¡°And in her world, there would be a version of each of us with slight variations.¡±


    ¡°She said Scorpion was her best friend,¡± Sarah blurted out, her mind connecting things without waiting for her to catch up.


    The thought of a parallel world was no crazier than robots or clones or goblins, but she¡¯d never believed any of those possible.


    And if the girl she shot was not her sister¡­


    In a flash, Robyn¡¯s dead gaze stared back at her from the past.


    She focused on breathing, trying to push the screams out of her mind.


    Screams? There¡¯d been no screams. Did she scream?


    Fear, familiar and cold, returned. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced the question out. ¡°My sister¡¯s dead, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Sarah felt herself adrift in limbo for a second or two, and then the wave hit, crashing against her with unexpected force. She clasped her hands over her mouth, trying to hold it all in, trying not to break down.


    Deep down, she¡¯d been expecting his answer. But she found she¡¯d been hoping, secretly even from herself, because Pegasus¡¯ confirmation crushed something in her.


    The image of Robyn lying in a pool of blood returned unbidden, her heart unable to make the distinction.


    ¡°Did the other Robyn kill her?¡± Anger lent some strength to her voice.


    ¡°She was involved. They got to our Robyn at the university. That¡¯s where they made the switch. We¡¯re searching every database we have access to for her killers, but they might not be from this world.¡±


    ¡°And what about the people behind it all? The ones who pull the strings?¡± Wasn¡¯t that what he called the New Nation¡¯s masters?


    ¡°We¡¯re more or less chasing shadows, catching glimpses of their activities.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re all useless.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡± He exhaled loudly, seemingly undisturbed by the insult. ¡°I could lie if you want.¡±


    She glared at him. ¡°Truth¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying we¡¯ll give up.¡±


    Sarah rubbed at her eyes. Her skin felt sore from all the crying and wiping. Her insides felt the same, frayed and exhausted.


    ¡°You knew something was wrong with Robyn when you tried to get us out of my room, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Remember how you said Robyn told you about the day we first met and how I¡¯d pulled a gun on her?¡±


    ¡°She said it was because she¡¯d said the wrong thing.¡±


    ¡°That never happened.¡± He picked up a wayward leaf from the ground and twirled it between two fingers. ¡°At first, I thought you were the impostor. Sorry.¡±


    Sarah accepted the apology. She¡¯d been in no position to receive his trust anyway.


    ¡°I also suspected Robyn.¡± A faint, humorless smile, flitted across his lips. ¡°I found that someone recently accessed the security feed from the day Robyn and I met. Do you understand what that means?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t know what had happened until she watched it?¡± Her mind once again processed the information without waiting for her to accept the circumstances.


    Pegasus nodded.


    ¡°Because in her world, some other version of you probably pulled a gun on her?¡±


    ¡°I suspect so. Why is anybody¡¯s guess.¡±


    Sarah ran her hands along her hair, tugging at a knot that looked like a giant spider. Should she be screaming? Or crying?


    Maybe there was something wrong with her. There had to be. Nobody just sat still when being told there was a parallel world out there, right?


    But then what would be an appropriate response? It wasn¡¯t as if screaming and crying would accomplish anything that sitting there numbly wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± She stopped short of saying that she didn¡¯t understand. She¡¯d watched enough movies to have a general grasp of what he was saying.


    Sarah drew in a deep breath, the smell of wet leaves hinting at a rain these plants had probably never seen.


    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ what?¡± Pegasus watched her expectantly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to understand, I guess. I know I don¡¯t want to believe it.¡±


    ¡°Nobody does. But if what sounds impossible made everything else make sense, was it really impossible or merely a logical conclusion?¡±


    She gave him a pleading look. ¡°Still¡­ A parallel world?¡±


    ¡°It was probably option number four hundred and twenty in someone¡¯s list of possibilities over at the think-tank.¡±


    ¡°Right after aliens, I¡¯d imagine.¡± But her fading disbelief was more a stubborn refusal than actual incredulity.


    He laughed, offering her the fallen leaf. ¡°Shall I tell you that story now?¡±

 Book I - ch 39. Parallels

    * * *


    Sarah slid her finger along the vein pattern of the leaf. ¡°Does this story start with once upon a time?¡±


    Pegasus stretched his legs, crossing them at his ankles. ¡°If you want it to.¡±


    Sarah tossed the leaf at him. It fluttered and twirled, landing softly on his thigh.


    Pegasus held it up against the light as if examining it. ¡°Once upon a time, there was the attempted murder of a general by his son-in-law. The general never liked the man to begin with and had no problem defending himself with deadly force.¡±


    Sarah turned in her seat to watch him.


    ¡°When the police is taking away the body, the son-in-law shows up. He¡¯d been with the general¡¯s daughter in full view of over twenty people the entire evening. He didn¡¯t have any twins, didn¡¯t even have siblings. A DNA test showed him and the would-be killer to be identical.¡±


    Like Robyn.


    ¡°Something similar had happened a few months earlier. A man married to a well-known physicist was accused of murdering her based on DNA evidence. He was a chemistry professor and had a hundred witnesses who swore he was delivering a lecture at the time. Someone with a few too many hours in front of a TV thought of parallel worlds.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to have heard that first conversation.¡±


    Pegasus smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine it was easy. But there was enough evidence that someone higher up the food chain decided to listen to what might¡¯ve been dismissed as insane ravings.¡±


    ¡°And the New Nation is involved in all this somehow?¡±


    ¡°They always seem to be involved in the execution, but never the planning. Like with the attack on your family, the orders come from some other organization. We have reason to believe it isn¡¯t based on our world. They seem to be trying to get themselves into positions of power. To do what exactly is anybody¡¯s guess. Taking over the world is such a general villainous goal, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Sarah nodded reflexively, clutching the hem of her shirt nervously. Robyn¡¯s shirt, she corrected, like everything she¡¯d been wearing in this place.


    ¡°The other Robyn said she worked for the W.R.O., how could that be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ve always assumed our worlds were similar enough. I figured their version of this place, their version of us, would also be fighting the New Nation and their masters. There¡¯s a chance we¡¯ve been wrong all along.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether to be scared or comforted by the fact that even you seem a little lost in all this¡­¡±


    He shrugged a shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s also the possibility that the W.R.O. or members within it would¡¯ve been forced to cooperate.¡±


    Sarah felt a chill run through her. If she could pick and choose what to believe in, she¡¯d prefer that option.


    Pegasus narrowed his gaze on her. ¡°Remember that we asked you to think about what you would betray your family for? What you would betray for your family?¡±


    Sarah nodded. No matter how many times she thought about it, the answers were still nowhere to be found.


    If she was offered her family back, Mom, Dad, Robyn¡­ would she betray these people who were helping her? Would she kill her childhood friends and everyone she cared about?


    She didn¡¯t want to believe she would, but she didn¡¯t know.


    Hopefully, she¡¯d never have to find out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe any version of your sister would have sold her loyalties cheap,¡± Pegasus said.


    Sarah latched onto his belief. She¡¯d rather not think that her sister¡ªor any version of her, as he put it¡ªwould sell out her family at all. Any version of her family. But the truth was unchangeable.


    Their fateful dinner came to mind, with Robyn laughing like nothing was wrong, while she was biding her time until someone showed up to murder them. Sarah couldn¡¯t imagine her own sister doing that, but there was so much about Robyn she hadn¡¯t known.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I knew Robyn at all.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did. She was your sister.¡±


    ¡°She told me to go answer the phone. That would¡¯ve been the last thing she said to me.¡±


    ¡°Sarah, you shouldn¡¯t feel betrayed. She wasn¡¯t really your sister.¡±


    Her eyes were starting to sting again. ¡°Somewhere there was a version of me she loved. And she laughed and sent me to die.¡±


    The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach came again. Accepting that all this insanity was real meant also accepting the things Robyn told her before trying to kill her.


    ¡°The price of a world would seem fair,¡± she whispered.


    Pegasus met her gaze. It seemed to be exactly what he¡¯d been thinking, but he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that.¡±


    Sarah gave him a doubtful look.


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    ¡°I¡¯m not not saying that either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really starting to think you talk like that on purpose.¡±


    He shrugged a shoulder. ¡°All I¡¯m saying is we shouldn¡¯t be drawing too many conclusions. We can¡¯t be sure it was the truth.¡±


    Sarah clenched her fists tighter, trying to counter the tightness in her chest. ¡°I¡¯d like to believe that any version of my sister would have cared enough about me to tell me the truth about why she was going to kill me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I think someone was forcing her hand. I think she believed it was her only option. Maybe it was as simple as someone threatening her family.¡±


    Thinking there was a reason for someone wanting her dead didn¡¯t really help. It only made her feel worse, like she¡¯d cheated, like she was supposed to be dead and her sister alive.


    The tree called to her again, summoning laughter that was now forever lost.


    Pegasus touched her shoulder, drawing her attention back to him. ¡°Someone could have tricked her. If she believed that your death would save the world¡ªher world and her family¡ªthen I think she would be desperate enough to kill you.¡±


    Sarah could see her sister placing an entire world above the lives of a few carbon copies of her true family.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s any truth to it? About me placing an entire world in danger?¡±


    ¡°Her world,¡± he corrected.


    Robyn made that distinction as well, but how big a difference was it to save one world and not the other? Wasn¡¯t a world worth saving just the same?


    ¡°Then¡­ What she said about my death saving her world, do you think it¡¯s possible?¡±


    Pegasus twirled the leaf between his fingertips, to one side, then the other. ¡°Have you taken up nuclear physics?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Infectious disease epidemiology and pathogen genetics?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She reached out to grab the leaf, but he was faster, pulling it away. ¡°Introduction to the Apocalypse?¡±


    She rolled her eyes at him.


    He offered her the leaf. ¡°Then what could you possibly do that would destroy an entire world, especially not the one you¡¯re living in?¡±


    She shrugged, trying to ignore the restless feeling squeezing her insides.


    His expression became serious. ¡°Don¡¯t go jumping off any bridges yet. Please.¡±


    ¡°Since you asked so nicely.¡±


    It seemed silly to think she¡¯d do anything that would lead to the destruction of a world. But a version of her sister had believed it enough to kill their parents.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try to figure it out, I promise,¡± Pegasus said.


    In the end, that was the only promise she could expect of him.


    Sarah stared out at the leaves, nails digging into the palm of her hand as she fought back against the tide that ebbed and flowed. It took away her anger, leaving emptiness where that had been. Sadness seeped in, slowly, filling her until there was nothing left.


    The leaf Pegasus had been playing with drifted into view, suspended on his fingertip. ¡°Focus on one thing at a time for now. First is getting better.¡±


    She squeezed her fists tighter, breaths speeding up. Tears were welling up again and she couldn¡¯t stop them.


    Pegasus moved to kneel in front of her, taking her hands in his without preamble. He carefully undid her clenched fists, insinuating his own hand into the fray as his fingers entwined with hers. When she clenched her fist again, all she did was squeeze his hands tight.


    Unable to look him in the eye, Sarah watched the soothing motion of his thumb along the inside of her wrist instead. The repetitive pattern took her mind with it, and some of the sadness went as well.


    Her breathing calmed. Holding his hand always helped¡ªeven in that weird dream where he was flirting with her.


    Robyn¡¯s laughter sounded in her head, poison lacing every word.


    Sarah stiffened, and it took some effort not to pull her hand away. ¡°What did Robyn mean when she congratulated you on getting inside my head?¡±


    The motion of his thumb halted. ¡°I think she was joking about my working over at the crisis center before. I mainly answered the phones and talked to people who needed someone to talk to.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure which part was weirder, that he had something that resembled a job outside this place, or that it involved answering phones.


    ¡°Sometimes it was talking, sometimes it meant convincing them not to do things they¡¯d regret. Either way, it was usually about getting them to trust me, even if only a little bit.¡±


    Did she trust him?


    No strength remained in her grip. Only their interlocked fingers held the connection in place.


    Sarah freed her hands with the excuse of wiping her eyes, but there were no tears to dry.


    ¡°Could I stay here for a little while?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Alone?¡± she added when he didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Take your time.¡± He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as he passed her.


    She didn¡¯t turn around. The doors opened, closed.


    Only the plants remained to keep her company.


    Covering her mouth to silence her sobs, Sarah cried.


    * * *


    Pegasus walked away from the bench even though he didn¡¯t want to. His hands felt chilly now. Maybe he¡¯d also been seeking comfort from her presence.


    He twirled the leaf between his thumb and index finger as he opened the doors to leave.


    There were still things to discuss, but there was no rush.


    Scorpion was waiting outside in the hallway. ¡°Griffon wants someone with her at all times.¡±


    Pegasus expected that. ¡°I¡¯m still here.¡±


    ¡°I thought you might need a break.¡± She didn¡¯t look any more rested than he did. Her eyes were red.


    He leaned back against the wall to show her he had no intention of going anywhere.


    Scorpion gave no indication that she¡¯d leave either. Instead, she mimicked his stance on the opposite wall. ¡°Unicorn mentioned you¡¯d spoken with Deacon. Have they decided where we¡¯ll be sending her?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I also haven¡¯t talked it over with Sarah yet.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you out here? Did she throw something at you?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m giving her some time to process.¡±


    Scorpion pushed herself from the wall. ¡°What did you tell her?¡±


    ¡°What I could.¡±


    ¡°You took the lessons in vagueness a little too seriously. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°And you slept through the ones about patience.¡±


    She lifted her hands in mock surrender. ¡°What do you think she¡¯ll decide to do?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure. Better to keep his suppositions to himself for now. He lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug.


    Scorpion scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re slipping.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help giving her an irritated look, but he bit back his reply. This was no time for fighting.


    ¡°She¡¯s not gonna want to go home, is she?¡±


    He narrowed his gaze on her. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were so concerned about what happens to Sarah.¡±


    Scorpion twirled a strand of her hair, a sign that she was uncomfortable. She stopped herself right away, but she saw he¡¯d caught her doing it. ¡°I know that things were weird between us¡ªbetween the three of us¡ªbut Robyn was my friend. And if for no other reason than that, I want to see her sister safe. If that¡¯s possible. Even if she does annoy me more than Robyn ever did.¡±


    Pegasus smiled. He should probably not remind her that she and Robyn had been at each other throats for months before they started getting along.


    ¡°I hope Sarah always dreamed of visiting distant countries,¡± Scorpion continued, the humor all but gone from her voice. ¡°It¡¯s the best option we can give her. Maybe not now, but in a few months, when things settle down.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have an idea about where to send her in the meantime.¡± Other than keeping her physically safe, his goal was to preserve her mental health. To that end, he¡¯d like to get her out of the compound as soon as possible.


    Scorpion¡¯s frown dissolved as realization dawned. Pegasus didn¡¯t bother explaining. She always could read him better than most.


    ¡°That would keep her away from us and out of harm¡¯s way while we figure out what to do with her.¡± Scorpion smiled, a wicked sort of smile. ¡°I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s not gonna like it.¡±


    Pegasus glanced back towards the garden doors. ¡°I think I can convince her.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t, there¡¯s always a vacancy down in the brig.¡±

 Book I - Epilogue: Point of View

    * * *


    ¡°Move!¡±


    Startled, Sarah froze as masked strangers clad in black ran towards her. She tried to step aside, removing herself from the path of their stampede, but one of them latched onto her arm and dragged her along in their wake.


    Gunshots reverberated in the walls around her.


    Her body moved on its own then, running at full power.


    But why were they running to the middle of the room? There was nothing there.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right. A mirror?


    The man holding her arm faltered with an unseen impact. She stopped to help him up, but was shoved ahead. ¡°Go!¡±


    He turned back, returning fire.


    There were at least ten people converging on them with military-style uniforms. Sarah didn¡¯t recognize the patterns.


    She followed the others that were also getting shot at, running for the center of the enormous dome. A cave?


    When she was about to reach the center, someone tackled her from behind. At the same time, she felt like she¡¯d been punched in the shoulder. She hit the ground hard, her hands sliding against the concrete.


    The person who tackled her covered her body with theirs, their hand on her head. ¡°Go on three.¡±


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    He released her and three loud pops sounded right next to her head.


    The man rose, dragging her to her feet and pushing her ahead at the same time. Something was soaking into her shirt, making it plaster against her skin.


    ¡°Nine!¡± the man next to her shouted.


    A woman cursed nearby. Sarah whirled around to search for the person¡ªit sounded like Robyn¡ªbut her companion forced her to speed up.


    Gunshots multiplied.


    Sarah hesitated for only a moment as she reached the center of the structure, afraid that she might find a physical barrier. But she didn¡¯t have a choice. She was shoved at it¡ªno, through.


    As soon as they passed the imaginary barrier, the man brought her to the ground again, covering her.


    ¡°Clear?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Clear.¡±


    Sarah flinched when the reply came in her ear.


    A sudden noise¨Can explosion?¡ªsounded for only a second, then cut off as if a recording someone had shut down.


    Despite the sound, there was no sign of anything that she would associate with an explosion. No running, screaming people. No shattered glass. No rubble.


    The man kneeled next to her as she sat there in a stupor. Very blue eyes met hers. ¡°You alright?¡±


    She nodded numbly.


    Her eyes drifted to the center of the dome. There was no sign of the people pursuing them. The place where she¡¯d come from a moment ago was covered by a transparent sheen that divided the structure in two. It gave her the impression that it was split down the middle by a mirror, if a mirror could reflect nothing.


    Why did she think of a mirror then?


    Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed a puddle of red was forming below her fingertips.


    ¡°You were shot!¡±


    Was she?


    ¡°Sarah!¡±


    How did he know her name?


    The translucent boundary shifted and shimmered before her eyes. She wanted to reach out and touch it. Like a forgotten memory¡ªor maybe a dream¡ªa whisper came in her sister¡¯s voice, filled with wonder: ¡°¡­beautiful¡­ And utterly impossible.¡±


    Sarah opened her eyes, immediately shielding them from the setting sun. Grass poked through her shirt, making her back itch. Cool air rushed at her throat, drawn in by each panicked breath.


    Out of sight, Dad complained that Robyn spread the new soil in the wrong planter, while Mom called Sarah to get up and help.


    Sarah stared at her fingertips, rubbing them together. Instead of bloody warmth, there were only drying flecks of dirt.


    Which was the dream? And which was real?

 Book II - ch 1: Fight or Flight

    * * *


    What was it about fighting losing battles that always made his mind wander?


    Pegasus glanced back. Griffon and Unicorn had fallen behind at the previous junction. He would¡¯ve preferred to slow down and wait for them, but they were already running late.


    He caught Scorpion glaring at him and tried to focus.


    They came to another junction.


    ¡°Left,¡± Cypher said over the com.


    The lights went out, immersing the hallway in sudden darkness.


    ¡°Cypher,¡± Scorpion prompted. Her pace never slowed.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Emergency lights came on a moment later.


    Pegasus signaled they should ignore the other rooms and keep going. They were out of time.


    Scorpion nodded.


    They came to another door at the end of the corridor.


    ¡°Seventeen seconds,¡± Pegasus whispered.


    ¡°Really not helping,¡± Scorpion said through clenched teeth. ¡°Cypher, we need that damn code.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think swearing will help.¡± Pegasus turned his back to her, watching the corridor.


    ¡°Cypher,¡± she growled over the com.


    ¡°Codes don¡¯t fall outta the sky. Give me a sec.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had several.¡±


    Pegasus laughed.


    Scorpion slammed her open hand on the door. ¡°You know, I find your overwhelming calm in all this particularly disturbing.¡±


    Pegasus shrugged, perfectly aware that she might hit him instead of the door any moment now. She probably thought he was doing it on purpose.


    Cypher relayed a sequence of numbers and Scorpion punched it into the waiting terminal.


    The codes worked, but they hadn¡¯t made it ten meters down the next hall before the lights came back on and a red light flashed in the ceiling.


    Scorpion clenched her fists. ¡°Second time this week!¡±


    Pegasus holstered his gun, stretching his neck muscles. ¡°Well, that¡¯s that then. Off we go.¡±


    She glared at him, only getting angrier when he laughed at her reaction. She really was too stressed lately. He should probably suggest Unicorn try to get her outside more. He should also probably stop teasing her.


    ¡°We were jinxed from the moment Cypher couldn¡¯t get past Lore.¡± He made an effort to school his expression. ¡°And the delay in getting the code didn¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go have a talk with him.¡± She pulled out the hairband that held her hair tied into a neat ponytail. Blond hair cascaded around her face and she pushed it back behind an ear with her free hand. The other hand stubbornly held on to the gun as if she still had a use for it. She might still be deciding whether she could shoot Cypher as a means of future encouragement.


    Pegasus waited until she started moving to follow her back. The game was over; they¡¯d lost.


    ¡°Hey, move faster!¡± Mermaid¡¯s voice came over the com. ¡°We¡¯ve got an actual job.¡±


    Scorpion grinned, her excitement almost tangible. The game wasn¡¯t over after all.


    * * *


    Books are only as good as the people who write them, Sarah thought in her best imitation of Professor Crane. And no good at all unless you read them.


    Digging into her backpack as she walked, she pulled out the two books she had to return to the library. She hadn¡¯t read either and, if she were being honest, she probably wouldn¡¯t in the foreseeable future.


    She was juggling the books and her open bag, looking for her library card, when she rounded a corner and spotted Professor Diamatto.


    Like a startled cat, she froze for a second before ducking behind the nearest barrier. Her barrier, a group of laughing students, paused and stared at her crouching figure.


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    Sarah smiled sheepishly. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m hiding from someone.¡±


    Thankfully, they ignored her after a few giggles. When Professor Diamatto vanished into the library, she started moving in the other direction. The books would have to wait until tomorrow.


    She didn¡¯t feel like getting scolded today¡ªthe only reaction she got from Professor Diamatto lately.


    Her shrink might know how she could deal with the professor. She should ask next time.


    For the past week, Professor Diamatto had been convinced that she had purposefully omitted another student¡¯s name from their report and would berate her for her lack of professionalism and the plain meanness of her character at every opportunity.


    She¡¯d already apologized more than once. There was no malice involved, she¡¯d simply forgotten to add the girl¡¯s name to their report.


    Well, maybe not simply. It wasn¡¯t that she¡¯d forgotten to add the girl, it was that she¡¯d forgotten the girl existed.


    She didn¡¯t tell the girl that, of course, especially since she still had trouble remembering her name. It was Anna maybe. Or was it Hanna? Suzanna? There was an A and an N in there somewhere.


    Whatever her name, the girl forgave her with a smile, but Professor Diamatto was still furious.


    Sarah could only endure so many undeserved scowls and sarcastic remarks before responding in kind. So now she resorted to ducking into any empty classroom or the bathroom whenever she saw him outside of class.


    Fortunately, the bus stop was the one place she was sure she wouldn¡¯t bump into him by accident. Unfortunately, she got there just in time to catch a glimpse of her bus moving away in the distance. She plopped down on the empty bench. Great day so far.


    Sarah rummaged through her bag for a snack¡ªshe was sure she had a cereal bar somewhere in there¡ªand only then realized her phone was ringing. By the volume it was currently at in its crescendo, it had been ringing for quite a while.


    ¡°What?¡± She held the phone up with a shoulder so she could focus on the wrapper. The cereal bar had been hiding under the phone.


    ¡°Did you leave yet?¡± a sleepy voice asked.


    ¡°Leave where?¡±


    ¡°The house.¡±


    She took a bite out of the cereal bar. ¡°I¡¯m at school, heading back home. Class was canceled.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She shrugged, almost dropping the phone. ¡°Power¡¯s out in the new building.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so does that mean I shouldn¡¯t get up?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still sleeping?¡± She squinted against the sun. ¡°Ooh, another bus, gotta go.¡±


    ¡°Was my classroom affected too?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯ll see you in a few minutes.¡± She laughed. ¡°Oh, and Robyn? Wake up.¡±


    * * *


    Wake up.


    As if the words had some sort of magical effect, Sarah¡¯s surroundings changed. The first thing she noticed was the darkness, then the feeling that her body weighed more than it should. Her eyes fluttered open, and she struggled to make out shapes. Light was sneaking its way into her world through every slit along the window and even from under the door. Sarah struggled to disentangle herself from her bed sheets.


    Just a dream.


    She should be used to the disappointment by now.


    Sarah noticed the sound then. Someone was knocking¡ªrather loudly¡ªon her door. She cursed under her breath. The knock came again, louder, more like pounding now.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re late¡ªagain,¡± Clay said.


    Yep, that¡¯s what she figured. She groaned loudly, forcing herself to sit up.


    He laughed. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡±


    No, it won¡¯t. No matter what she did, she didn¡¯t think it would ever be over.


    ¡°I thought the power was out,¡± she said, raising her voice. She ran a hand along her face, wiping the last of sleep away.


    There was a burst of laughter. He probably had his face scrunched up against the door by the sound of it. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t there be power?¡±


    Sarah stopped herself before the answer came out. This was not the place with the power outage. She forced out a slow breath. Just a dream.


    ¡°Are you awake now?¡± Clay insisted. ¡°Tell me you¡¯re awake so I can go bother someone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡± She sat up, sounding more confident than she truly was. ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± she repeated after he¡¯d walked away. If she said it enough times, maybe¡ªshe hoped¡ªit would be true.


    Sarah stared at the dress she¡¯d laid out earlier. It reminded her of the green one Robyn wore to her high school graduation. Maybe that¡¯s why she chose it.


    One of the girls had offered to come over and help her do something with her hair, but she didn¡¯t feel like being fussed over.


    She plastered on a smile to test it out in the mirror. She pulled it off well enough, but she looked away before she could see it wither.


    What was one supposed to say on such occasions? Happy graduation? Congratulations? That felt weird, but it was the closest thing she could think of. Everyone else was happy and excited, but she wasn¡¯t sure how she felt.


    How was she supposed to feel?


    Her hairbrush was nowhere to be found. It would be just like her to have packed it already. Most of her things were packed. Hell, she¡¯d had her bags packed and ready for weeks¡ªthough she hadn¡¯t known where she¡¯d be going until today.


    Nervousness and a little fear churned in her stomach, but in a way, it was natural to go back to a familiar place, even if she¡¯d never truly belonged there. Everywhere else had carried on without her.


    While tossing things around to look for a comb or brush, she almost missed her phone ringing. A knock came on her door as she grabbed the phone. She opened it while answering the phone.


    Clay stormed into her room, pulling his own phone away from his ear. He¡¯d been the one calling her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    He grabbed her jacket, pushing her out the door. ¡°Graduation¡¯s canceled.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°How¡¯s it looking, Griffon?¡± Pegasus asked over the com. ¡°I don¡¯t like being this close to Scorpion when there¡¯s no one else for her to shoot.¡±


    She glared at him.


    Griffon ignored him¡ªas expected. ¡°Cypher?¡±


    ¡°All quiet.¡±


    ¡°Mermaid?¡±


    ¡°No movement here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost visual on my target,¡± Unicorn said before Griffon could get to her. ¡°Who¡¯s got the south wall?¡±


    ¡°Echo 1 here,¡± an unfamiliar male voice replied.


    Scorpion groaned without muting herself. ¡°What? Were we all out of techs and lawyers?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged. Reinforcements had to come from somewhere.


    ¡°Could you repeat that?¡± Echo 1 requested.


    ¡°Do you have a visual on the target near the south entrance, Echo 1?¡± Pegasus tried to keep the amusement out of his voice.


    ¡°I see him, sir.¡±


    Scorpion rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±


    He muted his com. ¡°I know.¡±


    Scorpion had little tolerance for beginners, even their own recruits. She¡¯d only ever taken one under her wing, and she¡¯d begged Zeus never to ask that of her again under threat of quitting¡ªand maybe throwing someone out a window. He was fairly certain the latter was an empty threat, depending on the day of the week and how angry she was, but everyone figured it was better to not put it to the test.


    ¡°Move in.¡± The finality in Griffon¡¯s tone, more than the words themselves, brought him back to the moment.


    After exchanging a brief glance, Scorpion took the lead. He hoped she¡¯d have the chance to shoot somebody. It was that sort of day.

 Book II - ch 2: Echoes

    * * *


    Pegasus and Scorpion positioned themselves near the east-facing window and waited. Through the com, Pegasus heard Griffon guide the team¡¯s movements. The recruits were to provide assistance with surveillance.


    Once the first shots sounded, Scorpion broke the window and they climbed inside.


    Loud pops reverberated within the half-empty building, losing themselves in the darkness.


    Scorpion pointed right. Pegasus gestured left. They both nodded, separating.


    Pegasus pressed himself into a doorway when he heard footsteps coming his way. A shadow rounded the corner ahead, and Pegasus wasted only a second to confirm it wasn¡¯t any of their team before shooting. He sped towards his fallen quarry, keeping his aim steady.


    The man remained still until Pegasus was a few meters away, then he rolled sideways, gun raised. Pegasus pulled the trigger again and this time, when the man went down, he was dead.


    Damn it. He¡¯d wanted a live one to bring back.


    Overall, it was an uneventful incursion. They encountered mild resistance from the few guards inside the building. The final count was three New Nation members dead, two wounded and captured. Unfortunately, they were lowly guards, so the chance that they had any useful intel on operations and targets was slim.


    On the bright side, Scorpion got to shoot someone, though he didn¡¯t notice any significant improvement in her mood.


    At the moment, she was glowering at the Echoes¡ªthe recruits¡ªas they were having their tracking implants checked before being taken back to the compound. A precaution since no one knew whether their foes would grab a recruit to play a longer game.


    As far as the W.R.O. knew, the puppeteers behind the New Nation terrorists had only tried replacing operatives, like Robyn. Fueled by the memory, the accompanying pain of her loss snuck up on him.


    Someone laughed.


    Pegasus whirled, his breath caught in his throat. The laugh was so familiar. Robyn¡¯s memory was fresh in his mind now. Echo 2 removed her mask and pulled away from one of the other recruits. Dark hair flowed freely and, when she turned around, the ghost from his memory was replaced by another equally unexpected sight.


    ¡°Sarah?¡±


    She stared back at him, startled to find him there¡ªor maybe to have him call her name.


    ¡°Echo 2 for today,¡± she answered with a quick smile, already recovered.


    ¡°Are you coming with us?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure why he was asking, but neither Sarah nor Echo 1 found his question odd.


    ¡°Just for debriefing, sir, then back to the academy,¡± Echo 1 replied when Sarah took too long to answer.


    ¡°Echo 1, I have to check your tracker,¡± Cypher called.


    Echo 1 excused himself. He hesitated, clearly expecting Sarah to follow, but she made no move to do so.


    As soon as he was out of earshot, Sarah turned back to Pegasus.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± She sniggered. ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to call you that anytime soon.¡±


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    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±


    ¡°I think Clay spent too much time in a military academy for his own good,¡± she whispered.


    Pegasus smiled. He didn¡¯t have to turn around to confirm that Echo 1, Clay, was watching them.


    ¡°How are you? It¡¯s been a while since I heard from you.¡± Three months, to be precise¡ªthat¡¯s how long she¡¯d been ignoring his messages. The only communications he¡¯d gotten had been official reports.


    Her gaze lowered, embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Something in her voice sounded unsure, but a bright smile suddenly came to life. ¡°Did you miss me?¡±


    He shrugged, fighting a smile of his own. ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yay, she¡¯s back,¡± Scorpion deadpanned, not even slowing down as she walked past them.


    Sarah laughed. ¡°See, I knew she¡¯d miss me.¡±


    ¡°Do we have the babies tagged and the prizes bagged yet?¡± Scorpion asked loudly.


    Griffon turned to her. ¡°Take the recruits and our prisoners back to the compound.¡± He gestured towards Unicorn and Pegasus, signaling that they would accompany her. ¡°We¡¯ll join you as soon as we¡¯re done cleaning up here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Scorpion asked.


    He nodded. ¡°Wolf¡¯s team is four minutes away.¡±


    Pegasus nodded, directing Sarah and the other recruits towards one of the vans.


    Unicorn had already locked up their unconscious prisoners in the other van for transport, and Scorpion was more than happy to join her. Pegasus hoped this would give him a chance to speak with Sarah. There had been something in her voice when she said she was okay.


    He¡¯d tried checking in on her from time to time, fueled mainly¡ªbut not exclusively¡ªby concern. He¡¯d missed her.


    They¡¯d corresponded for a while after she went to the W.R.O. training facility, the arrangement being that she could hide out there while they investigated the death of her family. For some reason, her replies had become farther apart and shorter each time, until she stopped returning his messages altogether. Her behavior today didn¡¯t suggest any obvious reason for that. She looked glad to see him, if somewhat surprised for a fleeting moment.


    Sarah sat on the other end of the van, four other recruits between them, and Clay right next to her. They were friends, Pegasus realized¡ªclose friends. He couldn¡¯t help watching their quiet exchange, the smiles, the way they moved towards each other. Once or twice, a touch lingered between them. He shook his head. Just friends.


    Tango relayed their ETA in response to someone back at the compound. Sarah instantly tensed. He almost missed it¡ªwould have, if he hadn¡¯t been looking right at her. Clay noticed as well, drawing closer and speaking in hushed tones.


    Sarah hadn¡¯t been back to the compound since right after Robyn¡¯s death. He imagined it would be upsetting, to say the least. Once again, Pegasus struggled with wanting to say something, but this was not a conversation to have in front of her peers.


    They arrived sooner than he expected; he¡¯d been distracted. Scorpion and Unicorn took care of the prisoners, leaving him to deal with the recruits. They¡¯d been assigned codes from their training facility to access the compound.


    The entire process went smoothly enough, save for a few nervous mis-typings. For a moment, he thought Sarah might feign forgetting her codes as she once did. Her hand hovered a bit longer over the pad, but there was no trace of levity in her expression as she typed in the sequence.


    He escorted them to Comm, where they would wait to be debriefed under the watchful gaze of anyone and everyone who happened to be there at the time.


    Michael showed up soon enough to take the responsibility off his hands, but Pegasus hung around. Unicorn and Scorpion were getting the prisoners settled, and no interrogations would start until Griffon got back and spoke with Zeus.


    Pegasus watched the recruits¡ªwatched Sarah. Every once in a while, a movement or expression would remind him of Robyn. Odd how that felt more vivid now than when Robyn was still around. But he¡¯d never seen the sisters together. Sarah¡¯s sister had been dead by the time the other Robyn infiltrated the compound.


    Sarah was much quieter than she had been on site, almost subdued. It was a strange thing to see¡ªRobyn¡¯s sister being subdued. The only times he¡¯d witnessed it, something had been troubling her. He imagined this time was no different.


    A tablet lowered into his field of view as if materialized from another dimension. He took the offered tablet and read the first lines of what was apparently an assignment roster.


    ¡°Are you trying to get me reassigned somewhere where I won¡¯t bother you?¡± he asked Cypher.


    The man rolled his chair back around to his desk. ¡°Did you know about this?¡±


    Pegasus laughed. ¡°That this new invention called a computer works or that you like scouring our assignment registry in search of gossip?¡±


    Cypher didn¡¯t look up, but Pegasus saw him try to hide a smile. ¡°Did you know she was coming here?¡±


    Pegasus really did look down at the list then. There it was. Sarah would be joining them after graduation.


    ¡°Did you know?¡± Cypher insisted.


    Pegasus shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird?¡±


    He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant as he glanced back towards Sarah. ¡°Where else would they have sent her?¡±

 Book II - ch 3: Remembrance

    * * *


    Darkness and fire. Wasn¡¯t that a fitting end¡ªor beginning¡ªto anything?


    A flash of light momentarily blinded Sarah, and she raised a gloved hand to block it. And then it was gone.


    She blinked at the darkness, her eyes taking a second too long to adjust. Flashlights came to life around her, reminding her she was not alone.


    Loud pops peppered the edge of her awareness. A multitude of whispers and faraway shouts emerged amidst what she now recognized as gunshots.


    Something¡­ something was wrong. She froze, almost choking on a breath.


    ¡°Pegasus?¡± It was a whisper, but he was near enough that he heard her.


    He hung back, the rest of the group dancing shadows amidst floating beams of light. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had this dream before.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream.¡±


    She nodded, but the cold chasm in her stomach disagreed.


    He squeezed her hand. ¡°Are you okay to keep going?¡±


    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡±


    He shrugged, his usual annoying answer to everything.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± she insisted, though for the life of her, she couldn¡¯t figure out what. It was no more than a cold feeling twisting her insides. The whispers continued somewhere in the distance, in another world removed from this one.


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s something wrong. You think you¡¯re dreaming,¡± he said.


    She wasn¡¯t sure he could see her glaring at him, but she gave it her best.


    He obviously wanted to keep going, to catch up with the others as they were supposed to, but Sarah¡¯s feet wouldn¡¯t take another step no matter how hard she tried.


    ¡°Say you¡¯re dreaming,¡± he whispered. ¡°What happens in the dream?¡±


    She blinked at him. ¡°We die.¡±


    ¡°Okay, here goes nothing.¡± The whisper came from everywhere and nowhere, echoing in her ears. She remembered then how the dream went, but it was a moment too late.


    Sarah¡¯s eyes snapped open, and she choked on the air while drawing in a panicked breath. There was no fire, no explosion. She was still in bed, still in her room. And¡ªshe glanced at her watch¡ªvery much late.


    She was surprised Clay hadn¡¯t come pounding on her door as he usually did during his morning rounds throughout the training facility.


    He would be getting ready to leave as well, so she might not see him at all today. They¡¯d said their goodbyes the night before, after the naming ceremony.


    She closed her eyes for another moment, trying to use those real memories to wipe away the insidious feeling gnawing at her insides. Nightmares were no stranger to her, but some¡ªlike this one¡ªwere more vivid, more real. She could still feel the warmth on her skin.


    Sarah forced a smile and pushed herself off the bed, attempting to convince herself she was excited about this brand new day. Alas, dread was a poor substitute for excitement, but it was all she had.


    * * *


    Pegasus took a small detour towards Cypher¡¯s station on his way up to talk to Zeus.


    Cypher glanced up at him, unsuccessfully hiding a knowing smirk. ¡°She¡¯s late.¡±


    Pegasus nodded, glowering despite his best efforts. That much was obvious. ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here,¡± he lied, shameless.


    Cypher¡¯s smile grew wider, amused by Pegasus¡¯ reaction. Obviously, Pegasus was not as scary as Scorpion when he was annoyed¡ªfew people were.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be here in a few minutes. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Pegasus must not have looked convinced, because Cypher added, ¡°She¡¯s with the transport already.¡±


    Then it truly was fine. He whirled around before Cypher could see any trace of a smile and almost ran straight into Scorpion.


    She practically shoved a tablet in his face. ¡°You knew about this?¡±


    He spared the screen a glance, if only to confirm it was what he thought it would be, then walked around her. ¡°Why does everyone assume I knew?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was a temporary plan, you know?¡± Scorpion insisted, following him along. ¡°A good temporary plan, but with a heavy emphasis on temporary. Hide her out at our training facilities until we figured out what to do with her.¡±


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    ¡°We never did figure it out.¡± He shrugged. ¡°So we left her there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, for almost a year¡ªalmost! And she¡¯s done. How is she done with fourteen months of training in less than a year?¡±


    ¡°She made it through all the required training. There was no special treatment.¡±


    ¡°I know there wouldn¡¯t be. But is no one else concerned by the fact that she¡¯s progressed so quickly?¡±


    He shifted his expression into a neutral fa?ade. No need to fuel Scorpion¡¯s paranoia any further. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s a natural. Robyn didn¡¯t require as much training for a civilian either. Could be genetic.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m the only one concerned by this.¡±


    He hesitated near the steps to Zeus¡¯ office. ¡°What would you prefer we did? And don¡¯t say tranq gun.¡±


    She glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re not taking this seriously.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m tired. But it¡¯s not like there was an abundance of choices. We¡¯ve gotten no closer to finding out who wanted her dead and why.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that maybe placing her in the middle of all this isn¡¯t such a good idea.¡±


    He sighed. Good ideas were especially lacking these days.


    Scorpion flipped her hair back, displaying her annoyance. ¡°Let¡¯s pretend she¡¯s not suspicious and she is really just a fast learner. Never mind that throwing her deliberately into harm¡¯s way also gets her closer to being a target, she might wind up getting killed because of us, not despite what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°I know. But we had this talk with her a couple of months after sending her to the academy. We offered her the option of a new identity in a new country far away from here and the New Nation¡¯s influence. She didn¡¯t want it. She chose to stay there. I think mostly because of Robyn, but it¡¯s her choice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still not the best choice in the long run. We should have gotten her out, no matter what it took. Scared the hell out of her or tossed her bound and gagged on a plane and left her at the North Pole.¡±


    Scorpion could be extreme, but her motives were much more rational than her temperament suggested. It¡¯s not that they hadn¡¯t considered sending her somewhere else. But if they were only trying to protect her, then they couldn¡¯t disregard her choices.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen her scores,¡± she continued. ¡°I understand why no one would think about turning her down. She¡¯s good. With more training, she could be one of our best if she doesn¡¯t break down along the way.¡±


    ¡°And you think she will?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    That was a risk they always took. Sarah¡¯s unconventional introduction to this place had been anything but gentle. They wouldn¡¯t know how she¡¯d handle being here until they tried.


    ¡°And I¡¯m still not sure it was the right decision, letting her be a part of our world,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°Letting her come back here.¡±


    ¡°If nothing else, it means we can keep a closer eye on her. I guess that was the reasoning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it could also mean she¡¯s exactly in the place where she can cause the most damage.¡±


    Was she back to suspecting Sarah? ¡°What damage?¡±


    ¡°Just because we can¡¯t imagine what kind of risk she might pose, it doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s not any risk related to what the fake Robyn said.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t lock Sarah in a cage or kill her preemptively because Robyn¡¯s impostor said she¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not suggesting anything like that. There¡¯s also the possibility that she¡¯s not dangerous to us, but to the puppeteers. If Robyn¡¯s side or her version of the W.R.O. was in league with the puppeteers, that makes more sense. But I still have trouble believing any version of Robyn would side with them.¡±


    They always went around in circles. What could they believe about what the other Robyn told them? What should they believe? Who or what could have made Robyn act that way?


    He tapped at the doorknob, cold against his fingertip. ¡°If Robyn was forced to place the survival of her world above ours, she would choose her world. I think it¡¯s a choice most if not all of us would make blindly because of an emotional attachment.¡±


    ¡°Would you?¡±


    * * *


    Sarah looked down at the wet footprints her sneakers were leaving on the clean, smooth floor. The rain was oddly appropriate. It had been raining the first time she met these people. Hopefully, there would be no almost dying this time.


    The image of Pegasus, looking like some recent college graduate standing out in the rain with his hair plastered across his forehead, came to mind.


    She drew in a deep breath. How could it be that she remembered the feel of this place after a year? The compound felt like the closest thing she had to a home, though she¡¯d spent less time there than at the academy.


    Weird. It didn¡¯t make an ounce of sense, but there it was.


    Her escort, Sierra, was still talking. Hopefully, the woman didn¡¯t notice Sarah hadn¡¯t been listening since they got off the elevator.


    Sarah wiped down some of the water droplets from her arm and looked up to find Sierra watching her, clearly expecting a response. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Have they explained to you how this works?¡± Sierra pointed towards the larger Comm area, where they were now standing.


    Sarah nodded meekly, embarrassed to say she remembered little of it.


    ¡°Your supervisor will be here shortly to meet you,¡± Sierra continued, satisfied with the reply. Her brows furrowed when she looked down at her tablet. ¡°And it¡¯s going to be a surprise, because no one deigned to fill out the form.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I don¡¯t have a supervisor yet?¡±


    ¡°They could be busy, but they¡¯ll show up eventually.¡±


    ¡°Sierra, I need you,¡± a man called from across the room.


    Sarah snapped her head around, surprised more than she should have been by the somewhat familiar voice¡ªCypher. He barely registered her presence.


    Sierra started moving away, but gave her an apologetic smile. ¡°If you¡¯re still here when I get back, I¡¯ll help you track down your supervisor. They could be hiding.¡±


    Sarah wasn¡¯t sure how much of that was supposed to be a joke. She watched Sierra move out of sight on Cypher¡¯s heels, nodding at something he was saying very quickly.


    Scanning her surroundings, she met several gazes, but none engaged her. They simply stared. Maybe she looked suspicious standing there with a large bag containing half her personal belongings in the middle of their top secret facility, but she was starting to feel very uncomfortable.


    One person in particular stared so openly that she couldn¡¯t help stare back, daring him to keep looking.


    ¡°You remind them of your sister.¡± The comment startled her.


    Sarah was silenced by the sentiment betrayed in Scorpion¡¯s voice. She reminded Scorpion of Robyn as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you should be here.¡± There was no anger in Scorpion¡¯s voice. In fact, Sarah¡¯d never heard Scorpion so calm and collected. She would¡¯ve thought it wasn¡¯t possible. ¡°They were training you to protect you and keep you out of the way¡ªyou know that, right?¡±


    Sarah nodded. That had never been a secret. No one expected her to finish training, much less be any good at it. She surely hadn¡¯t expected it.


    ¡°Whatever the impostor said before you killed her doesn¡¯t make much of a difference. The facts speak for themselves up to a point. They wanted you dead. They wanted you dead badly enough that they sacrificed their way into this place.¡± She gestured towards their surroundings and again Sarah was met with several stares. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that tells you, but to me it says there¡¯s more to this than we know. And that yes, you¡¯re important, and therefore you¡¯re probably dangerous.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t react. She¡¯d had the same thought herself many times, usually after waking from another nightmare.


    ¡°Dangerous to whom is the only thing I worry about. Are you a targeted weapon? Or are you going to burn the world and take us all down with you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Could she even be dangerous to anyone on such a large scale? ¡°I don¡¯t want to get anyone hurt, least of all anyone here.¡±


    ¡°People always get hurt.¡±


    Sarah couldn¡¯t disagree with that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± Scorpion held her gaze for several seconds before pushing past her and walking away.

 Book II - ch 4: Phoenix Risen

    * * *


    ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± Pegasus asked when he got tired of waiting for Zeus to speak.


    Zeus had one of his poker faces on¡ªhe had several. Pegasus was pretty good about telling most of them apart. There was the one where he didn¡¯t want to give an answer he had, the one where he was trying not to look upset when he really wanted to strangle someone, the one where he held back his laughter when Scorpion was being contrary, and so on.


    Pegasus wasn¡¯t sure which one this one was, but he knew Zeus well enough to know something was going on. When Zeus shrugged, a hauntingly similar movement to his own, he was not deceived.


    ¡°I thought you might want to play guide when Sarah gets here.¡±


    Pegasus narrowed his eyes. ¡°And?¡± A note of challenge crept into his voice.


    ¡°And see what you think. Her test results all look good, but I hear she¡¯s tired a lot and often has nightmares.¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t she have nightmares?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Zeus met his gaze. ¡°You spent more time with her than anyone here. All I¡¯m asking is that you keep an eye on her, make sure she¡¯s okay.¡±


    Pegasus didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Okay or functional? Because, as most of us can attest, that¡¯s not entirely the same thing.¡±


    * * *


    Sarah drew in a shaky breath, but didn¡¯t dare get any closer. Her bag slipped from her hand. She wasn¡¯t sure why she was there. She¡¯d just started walking¡­ and there it was.


    The hallways all looked alike, but she knew this was it.


    She slowed her breaths, fighting against the unexpected tidal wave of emotion. It had been a year after all. She¡¯d fooled herself into believing it wouldn¡¯t hurt as much.


    Sarah glanced surreptitiously at the ceiling, sure the cameras would catch her if she broke down in tears. The emptiness of the corridor was nothing if not deceiving. The next second revealed how right she was.


    ¡°Sarah?¡±


    She almost jumped out of her skin.


    ¡°Cameras,¡± Pegasus said before she could ask if he¡¯d followed her.


    She turned back toward her old room. ¡°It¡¯s just a hallway, isn¡¯t it? A carbon copy of the rest. So why does this one feel different?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer.


    It was, after all, the place where Robyn had died. One of them.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± he said when she said nothing else.


    ¡°I was listening to the recordings from that day.¡± She didn¡¯t have to say what day. What other recordings would have occupied her mind than the ones from her last conversation with the other Robyn? ¡°Forgot to set the alarm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry the higher-ups didn¡¯t let you listen to them sooner.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t his fault. He¡¯d petitioned them to hand her a copy of the recordings and apparently even Zeus had agreed to it, but was overruled. Since she¡¯d been there in person, it never made sense to either of them that she hadn¡¯t been given access to them¡ªnot until she graduated.


    ¡°It sounds so different now that I know she wasn¡¯t really my sister.¡±


    ¡°I imagine it would.¡± He picked up her bag and slung it over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll show you to your room before we head back up.¡±


    Her gaze lingered on the spot where the blood had been. She could almost convince herself there was an enduring stain.


    ¡°How many times did you listen to it?¡± Pegasus asked once they reached another one of those similar grayish corridors.


    ¡°More than I care to admit.¡±


    There was something about hearing her sister¡¯s voice, even under the circumstances, even though it wasn¡¯t really her but some distorted duplicate. The recording had been done on Pegasus¡¯ end, which meant they only had the parts he¡¯d been listening to.


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    Sarah had already given them whatever it was she remembered of the rest, but it hadn¡¯t been much. Between the confusion and her sister pointing a gun at her, she was surprised she remembered anything at all.


    Thinking of some of the strange things Robyn had said, she slowed her steps. ¡°What did she mean when she said that was all you would have been?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged a shoulder. ¡°She called me by my last name.¡±


    By the ease with which he replied, it was easy to assume he¡¯d also listened to those recordings more than once.


    ¡°If my parents hadn¡¯t taken the bridge, they wouldn¡¯t have died and we would¡¯ve moved away from the city the following week. That was the plan. We were going out to the country. If not for their accident, I wouldn¡¯t be here. I wouldn¡¯t be Pegasus.¡±


    Why would the impostor have mentioned that? Was it part of some truncated conversation she had with her world¡¯s version of Tobias?


    Her thoughts were interrupted when he stopped in front of a door¡ªanother grayish door in that grayish hallway that looked like all the other doors in all the other hallways.


    ¡°Ah, there it is: home sweet cell.¡±


    Pegasus laughed. ¡°Hey, at least this time you get to pick the lock code.¡±


    ¡°Good point.¡± How much of a cell could it be if she was the one who could open the door? Or maybe this entire place was one giant cell and she just didn¡¯t realize it. That would mean they were all prisoners, locked up in this underground bunker even though they were the ones with the keys. Depressing, but probably more accurate than not.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    She shook it off. ¡°My mind was running away with me again. Nothing to worry about.¡±


    He opened the door and led her inside, leaving her bag on the center table. The room might have looked the same from the outside, but the inside was an improvement.


    It was slightly bigger, with a larger table, a desk in the corner, a couch and a couple of armchairs that didn¡¯t look that uncomfortable. She looked around a bit while Pegasus tested said chairs by slumping into one and closing his eyes.


    The bathroom was pretty much the same as in her previous room, but the bed was larger and nicer. She started when she saw the mirror hanging right in front of it, caught off guard by her own reflection. She checked that Pegasus still had his eyes closed before regaining her composure.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not creating an escape plan,¡± he said, still looking asleep. ¡°That¡¯ll be counter-productive since you can leave any time you want.¡±


    ¡°I can?¡± She feigned surprise. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that in the company brochure.¡±


    The corner of his lips twitched and he jumped to his feet, gesturing towards the door. ¡°Yeah, they don¡¯t make a big deal out of it. They figure the fewer people who know they can leave, the better. That¡¯s also why we don¡¯t have marked exits.¡±


    Sarah followed along as he gave her a quick tour of the normal places she hadn¡¯t thought of before, such as the kitchen and the recreation room. She remembered he had been banned from the latter during her last visit¡ªif she could call it that.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get a code granting you access to the garage as well within the next few weeks. You¡¯ll be able to take any of the regular cars out, all you need to do is log it in. It¡¯s procedure to review each trip you take outside, so just keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°No running any red lights then. Noted.¡±


    ¡°If you get any tickets, your driving privileges can get revoked unless you have adequate justification.¡± A mischievous smile emerged. ¡°Make sure you have a good story ready, just in case.¡±


    Sarah hid a smile.


    They encountered several other people on their way back, contradicting her previous illusion that there was nobody ever there. They must¡¯ve all been hiding in this particular area.


    ¡°A lot of us live here,¡± he said as if he¡¯d guessed her thoughts. ¡°Scorpion, Cypher, Unicorn.¡± He pointed at each respective door.


    ¡°How many is a lot?¡±


    ¡°A reasonable amount, but some have temporary housing, so to speak. They have a place to live on the outside as well.¡±


    Like Robyn did.


    ¡°That¡¯s Griffon, that¡¯s Mermaid, and this is me.¡± He knocked on his own door for effect.


    Sarah was sure she wouldn¡¯t even remember how to get there, much less which room was which. She was still replaying their path in her head when she found herself back at the Comm area.


    ¡°And there¡¯s your supervisor.¡±


    Sarah followed his gaze, hoping she wouldn¡¯t find a scowling Scorpion waiting on the other end. Thankfully, she was met with a much friendlier¡ªif slightly less familiar¡ªface.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the one who stole my newbie.¡± The woman scolded Pegasus, but the smile ruined it.


    Pegasus wasn¡¯t even fazed. ¡°You remember Unicorn.¡±


    Sarah nodded once. She¡¯d been introduced right after Robyn¡¯s death.


    Pegasus nodded towards Unicorn and stepped back. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to get better acquainted.¡±


    Sarah forced herself to smile. Unicorn was smiling so brightly. Such an odd fit for this place.


    ¡°Have you seen your room yet?¡±


    Sarah nodded.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re probably wondering how you got assigned to me.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Sarah didn¡¯t know anything about how supervisors were assigned or even that Unicorn was her supervisor until a few moments ago.


    ¡°Because familiarity is taken into account to ease the transition, I figured you might¡¯ve been expecting to be assigned to Scorpion or Pegasus. Though Scorpion would rather throw herself into an open flame.¡±


    Sarah suppressed a laugh. The feeling was mutual.


    ¡°I love her, but I know she has zero patience for¡­ several things. And I¡¯m sure Pegasus is shirking paperwork. By the way, please keep your shenanigans to a minimum, I¡¯m not that fond of paperwork myself.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I can definitely try.¡±


    Sarah wondered if the woman was always like this. She didn¡¯t fit the austere atmosphere of the place.


    ¡°I doubt Zeus pulled my name out of a hat though, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not sure if you know this,¡± she continued, the smile somewhat lost as if behind a patch of rain clouds. ¡°But I was your sister¡¯s sponsor when she started training.¡±


    Sarah let out a breath. One more thing to remind her of Robyn¡ªif there were ever the risk she could forget.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m chattier than usual today. It¡¯s a temporary condition, more or less. My niece was born today so I¡¯m just¡­¡± She laughed, sunshine once again brought to life on her face.


    Sarah couldn¡¯t help a smile. Unicorn seemed nice, if very talkative, but she liked it. And yes, it was better than Scorpion.


    ¡°Oh, and me yapping all over the place, I completely forgot.¡± She straightened herself, assuming an air of gravitas that made her look older and fitting for that place now. Unicorn smiled, a subdued version of her previous exuberant joy, but that was also more adequate. ¡°Welcome home, Phoenix.¡±

 Book II - ch 5: Stumbling Down Memory Lane

    * * *


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we set up on the third building on the left?¡± Sarah asked, looking up from the plans.


    Since the auto repair shop they suspected was housing New Nation members was a one-story building, they could use the three-story diagnostics lab nearby for surveillance. There wasn¡¯t anything high enough that would block their view on the maps, but it would be good to look over some satellite photos.


    Bothered by the silence, Sarah looked up at the rest of the group. As soon as she saw their faces, she knew she¡¯d said something wrong.


    Pegasus was frowning, gaze fixed on the map. Unicorn tilted her head, mouth half open as if about to ask a question. Mermaid was laughing. Griffon was staring at her as if he weren¡¯t quite sure what he¡¯d heard, and Scorpion¡­


    Scorpion jumped to her feet and took a deep breath. ¡°Remind me, why did she have to be assigned to us?¡±


    ¡°They said I¡¯d fit right in with the other lunatics,¡± Sarah replied, surprised at the ease with which the retort came. She even managed a smile. ¡°I¡¯m assuming they meant you.¡±


    Griffon raised a hand, preventing Scorpion from responding. His gaze burned through Sarah.


    She sheepishly turned back to Scorpion. ¡°Sorry, that was uncalled for.¡±


    Mermaid laughed harder. ¡°Wasn¡¯t entirely wrong though.¡±


    Scorpion threw her hair tie at Mermaid, who hid behind Unicorn.


    Pressing his hands to his temples, Griffon stood. ¡°Children, please.¡±


    Mermaid settled again, pressing her lips together as if that could hide her smile.


    ¡°Phoenix, make sure you review the plans again.¡± With a warning glance at all of them, Griffon collected his things. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with Zeus.¡±


    Apparently, the meeting was over.


    Scorpion stormed off right after Griffon left. Sarah blinked at the retreating figure. ¡°Is she crankier than I remember?¡±


    ¡°Please cool it with the jokes during official hours,¡± Unicorn said before leaving.


    Sarah nodded absentmindedly, looking back down at the plans. The third building on the left, which she¡¯d thought was ideal for setting up surveillance from above, was now nonexistent, replaced by a ground level parking garage next to a car wash. Had she counted the buildings wrong?


    She followed each street, counting the buildings again, but couldn¡¯t find any that had a clear view like she¡¯d been envisioning. Not only that, she couldn¡¯t find the diagnostics lab anywhere on that section of the map. Burying her head in her hands, she leaned forward on the table. How the hell did she make such a careless mistake? Had she mixed up surveillance footage from two different areas?


    ¡°Is it nap time?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Sarah groaned. She hadn¡¯t realized she wasn¡¯t alone. She looked up at him, even more embarrassed when he smiled. ¡°How bad do you think my first evaluation is gonna be?¡±


    ¡°No worse than it should be.¡±


    She cringed. ¡°That bad, huh?¡±


    Today¡¯s lack of composure would also not be a point in her favor. She didn¡¯t know what had gotten into her.


    Pegasus placed a hand on her shoulder while the other blocked her view of the map. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It takes more than that to get kicked out of this place¡ªnot much more, but a bit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not helping.¡± But she laughed.


    A trace of mischief to his smile made her think his teasing was an attempt at cheering her up. ¡°Everyone makes mistakes. Figure out what led to the mistake in the first place¡ªwere you tired, distracted?¡ªand focus on that. And if you need help, ask for it.¡±


    Surprised by the shift in his tone, she nodded.


    ¡°You have time to take a breather.¡± Turning her away from the table, he led her out of the room. ¡°It might help to come back to it with a rested mind.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll try.¡±


    They caught sight of Cypher waving him over. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    Sarah hesitated, unsure where she was supposed to be going now. Should she go sit in a corner and close her eyes for ten minutes and hope her brain rearranged itself properly?


    A touch to her shoulder interrupted her train of thought, and she turned around to find someone she didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°Hi,¡± the man said, looking very awkward for a couple of seconds. Unfortunately, Sarah wasn¡¯t sure what to do to rescue him.


    ¡°This was your sister¡¯s.¡± He handed her a knife. ¡°She loaned it to me forever ago. I thought you should have it.¡±


    Sarah took it, surprised that her eyes were stinging.


    ¡°She saved my life with that knife.¡± He smiled, looking fondly at the blade. ¡°She said it was the knife, not her, so she¡¯d give me the knife since she couldn¡¯t keep watching over me every second. Said I was more trouble than I was worth.¡±


    Sarah laughed. That did sound like Robyn.


    ¡°We all miss Robyn,¡± he whispered, squeezing her arm once before he was gone.


    Sarah swallowed hard. Dragon was dead, everyone in the W.R.O. called her Robyn now. Once deceased, the operatives reverted to who they were before this place. Someday there would be another Dragon, just as there had been another Phoenix before her. And one day, when Sarah was dead and gone, there would be another.


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    Self-conscious about staring at a knife with tears in her eyes in full view of everyone passing through Command, Sarah retreated to the conference room. It took all of her self-control to rid herself of the tears.


    Unwilling to part from the knife, she clutched it as she went over the mission maps again. Whether because her mind was filled with fragmented memories or simply wandering, she couldn¡¯t identify her mistake.


    She searched for the lab she thought she¡¯d seen nearby, but there were no records of such a building ever existing at that address. She couldn¡¯t even find a similar building when she searched for all the labs in the city.


    Feeling defeated, Sarah gave up. She¡¯d take up Pegasus¡¯ suggestion and ask for help if she still couldn¡¯t figure it out later.


    She grabbed her things and headed for the firing range as she¡¯d initially planned. There were still a few hours of practice she needed to log in for the week. Some repetition might also help her thoughts settle.


    The indoor firing range was oddly empty, and all the booths were free. Sarah left her tablet and notes in the locker area before putting on her protection gear. The knife she took with her, placing it in a corner of her booth.


    The constant humming of the ventilation system was oddly soothing.


    Muffled shots sounded between her own. Someone must¡¯ve claimed one of the other booths.


    Sarah cleared her mind, focusing solely on her own target. She aimed for the bullseye on the chest area, landing two perfect shots and another three that she considered acceptable.


    Switching her aim to the target placed on the head of the drawing, she pulled the trigger.


    Robyn¡¯s face flashed through her mind for a split second, eyes widening a second before she collapsed, dead.


    Sarah backed away, fighting the unwanted sight.


    Deep breath in. Deep breath out.


    The comfortable blanket of white noise was peppered with multiple shots.


    Another deep breath. The sudden smell of smoke intruded. Smoke, like from a fire.


    Sarah pulled back her respirator mask, one of the many safety precautions they used when shooting indoors. There was a hint of gunpowder in the air, but also of fire smoke.


    There were no warnings displayed on the nearby screens. She smelled her clothes and even the inside of her mask, but was unable to identify where the smell had come from.


    Just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was now gone.


    She readjusted her respirator, repositioned herself, and aimed again at the target.


    Her finger squeezed the trigger. The loud pop from her own gun startled her.


    The shot echoed back from her memories, reverberating through her as she shuddered.


    * * *


    Sarah flinched as the loud, repetitive pops resonated in the silence.


    Robyn laughed. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Her sister pried her hand from the handle and took over the task of stirring the little knob on top of the pan while the kernels popped inside.


    Sarah backed away until she hit the table.


    The pops continued, speeding up, getting louder.


    ¡°Are you asleep over there?¡± Robyn asked. ¡°Go lay down on the couch. Mom is picking out the movie. Make sure she doesn¡¯t pick anything older than us.¡±


    ¡°Too late,¡± Mom called from the living room.


    Robyn jumped up and down dramatically, shaking the pan as if the end of the world were upon them. ¡°No!¡±


    Sarah wanted to laugh, but her eyes drifted towards the living room, afraid to look. Would Mom really be there?


    But why shouldn¡¯t she be? Where would she have even gone?


    ¡°Did you guys pick a movie yet?¡± Dad asked.


    Sarah let out a long, deep breath.


    ¡°No!¡± Robyn shouted.


    The kernels popped unevenly now, the sound muffled by the popcorn already in the pan. Robyn turned the knob furiously, as if that would speed up the process.


    Sarah took a step towards the living room, drawn to the sound of Mom and Dad¡¯s laughter.


    When she saw them, her chest tightened. Wetness filled her eyes, but didn¡¯t manifest as tears.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sweetie?¡± Dad asked.


    Sarah shook her head. Nothing was wrong.


    She was just sad. And so very happy at the same time.


    * * *


    ¡°You¡¯re the reason your parents are dead. The reason a lot of people will still die. If you die, it stops. It all stops.¡± On the recording, Robyn¡¯s voice sounded more melancholy than accusing.


    Had it been that way as well when Sarah first heard it? It might be wishful thinking, or a kindness her mind had gifted her in exchange for all the cruel things it wished to replay.


    Sarah pressed the headphones tighter against her ears as she paced her room, avoiding the backpack sitting in the middle of her floor.


    ¡°The orders were to kill you, but I don¡¯t know the specifics. I only know it saves my world, and that¡¯s good enough for me.¡±


    Her own frightened voice came to life through the headphones. ¡°Your world?¡±


    She kicked her half-open suitcase aside, and it threw up a pair of bagged sneakers and a few shirts. Wrapped in a large sweater were two solid shapes. The photo albums.


    She unwrapped them, pulling them with her to the couch.


    The first picture she saw as she flipped through them was her and Robyn pretending to duel with a couple of French fries.


    The smile came on its own then, so did the tears.


    It was getting harder not to think about Robyn, but then what did she expect from being in this place her sister had been so much a part of?


    She¡¯d hoped it would get easier in time, as it had with Mom and Dad. She still cried sometimes when she thought about them, but Robyn¡¯s absence was almost a living thing in itself¡ªa contradiction perhaps, but that¡¯s what it felt like.


    Robyn¡¯s eyes stared back at her from the past, so sure, so alive. Not like the last time, when that vague stare wandered across the hall and found her own.


    Sarah tried to make the memory go away before it got to the part where she pulled the trigger. She tried to focus on the image before her instead of the version of Robyn that had conspired to kill her family.


    Her mind was still unwilling to separate them, but the photos helped. The smiling Robyn on its pages was the sister she loved, the one she missed more than anything. She stared at the image until the pain in her eyes made her blink.


    She wasn¡¯t sure when she¡¯d last seen her sister. That fatal morning maybe, as they shouted at each other across the hall while hurrying to class.


    In her ear, Pegasus intruded amidst what Robyn was saying. Sarah curled up on the couch, focusing on the pictures to use them as a barrier to separate her sister from the distorted version ranting at Pegasus in the recording.


    She didn¡¯t bother making notes, she¡¯d already written down everything she could remember from that day.


    At some point, she closed her eyes, letting herself get caught up in the voices.


    The door swung open as if thrown by a hurricane. Sarah looked up from the albums.


    ¡°Were you sleeping?¡± Robyn asked, a crooked smile playing on her lips.


    Sarah shook her head, putting the albums down. She went to take the headphones off, but they weren¡¯t there. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Robyn started playing with her shoelaces. ¡°Nothing much.¡±


    Sarah frowned at her, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes roved along the room.


    ¡°Griffon¡¯s team is back,¡± Robyn told her.


    She shouldn¡¯t be here.


    ¡°Any problems?¡± The words came out on their own.


    They shouldn¡¯t be here.


    ¡°He got banged up a bit from what Unicorn told me, and they¡¯re all covered in red.¡±


    ¡°Blood?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t home.


    Robyn laughed. ¡°Apparently, there were cans of paint being blown up. She said it looked like a murder scene.¡±


    The walls were red with blood. No, there had been no blood on the walls. On the floor, the blood had been on the floor. But it hadn¡¯t been hers.


    Sarah shut her eyes tight, focusing on her breathing.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Robyn asked, as if she could read her mind.


    Sarah shook her head dismissively and opened her eyes, trying for a smile. She found a gun waiting for her.


    For a moment, she flashed back to that day¡ªthe day the girl who was not her sister tried to kill her. Was this a dream then? Her mind tried to play back that moment over this one, but the room was not right, and Robyn wasn¡¯t injured this time.


    She didn¡¯t ask Robyn what she was doing. She knew that part already, but still¡­ ¡°This is not how it goes.¡±


    Robyn nodded, adjusting her aim. There were tears in her eyes. ¡°They warned me you¡¯d say something like that.¡±


    Robyn pulled the trigger.

 Book II - ch 6: Resonance

    * * *


    Sarah woke up with a start, hand raising as if she could stop the bullet.


    Something small and a lot less lethal hit her square in the forehead. Robyn laughed, tossing the next piece of popcorn into her mouth instead of at her sister.


    Sarah caught her breath, completing the motion with her hand to brush the imaginary stain on her forehead. Robyn only laughed harder.


    Mom shushed her, pointing at the TV. Robyn clasped a hand over her mouth, but wasn¡¯t able to stifle her laughter.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already watched this movie,¡± her sister complained when she got shushed again.


    ¡°But I like this part,¡± Mom said.


    Sarah sat there while her mind pulled away from the dream, returning to the moment. But had it been a dream? She hadn¡¯t been asleep just now. She couldn¡¯t possibly have been sleeping sitting up.


    The heat started to bother her. Mom and Robyn seemed fine. Should she get her fan from the room? She shifted uncomfortably, pulling at her shirt collar.


    ¡°Not that one! Idiot!¡± Robyn threw a piece of popcorn at the screen.


    ¡°That makes three,¡± Mom said from the other end of the couch.


    Robyn popped another piece into her mouth. ¡°Actually, it makes four. I threw the first one at Sarah before we even got started.¡±


    ¡°As long as you remember to pick them up before your Dad steps on them.¡±


    Robyn was still laughing when she turned to Sarah. ¡°Hey, you still with us?¡±


    Sarah blinked at her sister, trying not to flinch when the memory¡ªno, the dream¡ªcame to the forefront again. ¡°Sorry, I was thinking.¡±


    Robyn offered her the popcorn bowl. Sarah shook her head, reaching for her glass of water instead. Her throat felt dry. She frowned down at the floor. The glass wasn¡¯t there.


    Pulling her hair back, she tied it into a makeshift knot. The fan definitely needed to come out. She got up, but she¡¯d barely taken a step when the air got stuck in her throat.


    Her eyes were burning, and she couldn¡¯t breathe. Wheezing and coughing, she hurried to the kitchen for a glass of water, anything to wash away whatever was stuck in her throat.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Dad asked, following her into the kitchen.


    She nodded, not finding a voice with which to reply¡ªassuming the coughing would let her.


    ¡°If you choke, you¡¯re going to ruin the movie for the rest of us,¡± Robyn said.


    Their voices combined with the TV and became random patterns in the background, unintelligible words strung together in equally unintelligible sentences.


    There was something in the distance, crying, screaming¡­


    She didn¡¯t remember anyone crying in this movie.


    Her skin was so hot.


    The air itself felt warm and constricting.


    She couldn¡¯t breathe.


    She had barely poured half a glass of water before she pressed the cool glass against her chest, then her neck. She needed to cool down.


    Still the coughing didn¡¯t subside.


    Her vision was blurry and the world around her was immersed in fog¡ªno, not fog, she realized numbly.


    Smoke.


    Fires had smoke.


    * * *


    Sarah opened her eyes, sitting up as she coughed. The photo album, which had been balancing on her lap, fell to the ground.


    She bolted to her feet, catching the tablet as it too slipped off the couch.


    The coughing lessened somewhat, the burning in her throat only a distant memory, part of the dream as much as the movie and popcorn. She couldn¡¯t even remember what they¡¯d been watching.


    Her eyes were watering. She drank the rest of her water and another full glass, but it didn¡¯t help. Maybe if she got some milk or something more soothing.


    It was too late¡ªor too early¡ªfor the cafeteria to be running. She wasn¡¯t sure she remembered how to get to the actual kitchen, but the more she tried not to focus on her dry, sore throat, the more it bothered her. So off she went.


    Her path took her past Pegasus¡¯ room, but she couldn¡¯t tell if his light was on. They¡¯d all been keeping some odd hours lately because the last two missions turned into all-nighters. From what she¡¯d heard, Pegasus¡¯ internal clock was more opposed to the idea than her non-functioning one.


    Looking like the victim of some freak outbreak of tuberculosis, Sarah coughed her way along the halls, fully expecting to get lost at least twice. She didn¡¯t.


    By the time she reached the kitchen, however, the cough had subsided. Choking on a piece of imaginary popcorn will do that.


    She stopped at the doorway, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting inside the kitchen. No one would be happy if she stumbled onto a pile of pots and pans and woke up the entire compound.


    Sarah had hoped to find someone working there; she¡¯d assumed this entire place ran on shifts around the clock. Still, she was incredibly surprised that she found the place, empty as it may be.


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    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Sarah took a startled step back, almost choking on a breath for real this time.


    A small light came on under some cabinets.


    Pegasus was sitting on the counter in the near dark with a sandwich in his hands.


    ¡°You scared the hell out of me.¡± He really should fix that habit.


    He reached behind him to turn on a couple more lights. ¡°Looks like you found your way to the kitchen easily enough. Most newbies don¡¯t figure it out until their third or fourth month.¡±


    ¡°I thought this place was empty.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much until they start prepping breakfast.¡± He glanced over at the wall clock. ¡°In 23 minutes.¡±


    She laughed.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡±


    ¡°Just felt like a glass of milk.¡± She still wanted one despite the coughing and soreness in her throat being gone. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Lost track of time, didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d missed dinner until my stomach forced me awake.¡± He pointed to a cabinet across from her. ¡°Cups.¡±


    ¡°Got anything good over there?¡±


    ¡°Grilled grilled cheese sandwich.¡±


    She cocked an eyebrow.


    He shrugged, taking a bite out of said sandwich. ¡°Grill every part of the whole, and then the whole.¡±


    She looked around, unsure if she wanted the milk now. Massive refrigerators and freezers lined the far wall.


    ¡°How are you adjusting?¡± He frowned. ¡°Or should it be readjusting?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was here before, but I wasn¡¯t really here.¡±


    ¡°How are you settling in then?¡±


    Sarah shrugged, feeling like a cheap imitation of him. He was the one who shrugged everything off. She stared at the empty cup cradled in her hands, considering telling him about the dreams and the almost constant thought of her sister.


    Faced with his expectant expression, the words were ready to come out of her mouth, but she swallowed them back.


    His presence evoked a familiar sort of comfort she¡¯d been struggling with while she¡¯d been away at the academy. The doubts regarding his motives for approaching her and repeatedly reaching out to her didn¡¯t feel real now. And that in itself troubled her.


    Fearing he¡¯d see all those thoughts on her face, she turned away. ¡°I¡¯ll catch you later.¡±


    Pegasus didn¡¯t reply. He was probably used to her avoiding his attempts at a lengthier conversation by now. Contradictory as it may be, she almost wished he weren¡¯t.


    Sarah wandered back to the elevator, but when her hand hovered above the panel, she found she didn¡¯t want to go back to her room.


    She changed course, following her steps as if she had no control over her own feet. Only when she came to a set of familiar large doors did she stop.


    Of course this is where she¡¯d come. With a smile, she slowly pushed the doors open, afraid there would be someone there. She shouldn¡¯t have worried.


    Pegasus hadn¡¯t been the only familiarity she¡¯d been avoiding. Maybe she hadn¡¯t wanted to be reminded that there could be good memories in this place as well. And there had been.


    She let the doors close behind her, drawing in a deep breath. The garden didn¡¯t look any different from what she remembered. The books could have been moved, but she doubted it. She would swear the chess board was in exactly the same place as well. The pieces were there, playing their eternal game. A lonely black knight was charging forward amidst a sea of angry pawns, each king and queen carefully hidden away, safe¡ªfor now.


    She stepped off the path, drawn to the tree that could have very well have been the one in her yard. A smile blossomed before she noticed it. Placing her hand on its trunk, she closed her eyes. The trees very presence soothed her, her own private connection to the life she had before, the home she missed, and the people she loved who were no longer there.


    She pressed her forehead against the tree trunk, inhaling the earthy scent.


    The soft click of the door closing snapped her out of it. She hadn¡¯t heard it open.


    Footsteps drew near.


    She knew she¡¯d gotten away too easily.


    ¡°I had a feeling I¡¯d find you here,¡± Pegasus said.


    Smiling, Sarah turned to face him. ¡°I¡¯m sure the security cams had nothing to do with it.¡±


    He sat down on the nearest bench. ¡°Didn¡¯t need them this time.¡±


    She joined him on the bench, frowning at the plastic container he was carrying.


    He removed the lid, offering her the container. ¡°For old time¡¯s sake.¡±


    Sarah chuckled when she saw the contents¡ªthree slices of cold pizza. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to do this, right?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He grabbed a slice before she could pull the container away. ¡°Is this you telling me to get lost?¡±


    She hesitated at that. Did she want him gone?


    ¡°No.¡± Besides, she doubted he¡¯d listen. ¡°Just saying you don¡¯t have to babysit me.¡±


    ¡°Not what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    She settled back in her seat, grabbing a slice.


    Surrounded by a comfortable silence, Sarah ate her cold pizza while looking out at the trees as if enjoying a lazy day at the park. She didn¡¯t mind his company at all. It felt nice.


    It was so easy falling back into the familiarity they¡¯d had before. If for him this was a product of automatically extending the friendship he¡¯d had with her sister towards her, what was the explanation on her end?


    Maybe the feeling of instant rapport wouldn¡¯t bother her so much if it weren¡¯t for the jokes she¡¯d been hearing Robyn make over and over again in that damned recording about how he did a good job getting inside her head.


    ¡°If I ask you what¡¯s troubling you, would you tell me?¡± He didn¡¯t look at her, didn¡¯t even shift in his seat.


    Sarah held back a shrug; this time, she would have been mocking him. ¡°Sometimes I still can¡¯t separate it in my head, the girl who tried to kill me from my sister.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so simple when they are two versions of the same person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll ever have it completely separate. Maybe I¡¯ll just go crazy. Or maybe this is me having lost my mind already. You could be a figment of my imagination for all I know.¡±


    He tore the remaining slice of pizza in half. ¡°Your imagination is very hungry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my imagination can be blamed for that.¡± She grabbed the last half, resisting the urge to remove the olives.


    She took a giant bite and mulled over what to tell him as she chewed. Was this conversation like these olives that she¡¯d rather not have?


    She slid further in her seat, staring at the half-eaten slice of pizza in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s weird. I don¡¯t feel like she¡¯s been gone that long. I feel like I lost her just the other day. Sometimes, when I wake up, I have to remember that she¡¯s not here anymore, that none of them are. It should get easier, but it hasn¡¯t so far.¡±


    He took a deep breath as if preparing to say something.


    She pointed at him with the pizza. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to go talk to Athena.¡±


    ¡°How often have you been listening to the recordings?¡±


    ¡°Not that often.¡± Though she could probably recite that conversation while running laps around the compound. But the recordings weren¡¯t solely to blame. The nightmares should claim their share of the responsibility.


    He looked like he didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t keep doing that to yourself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her voice, even if it¡¯s not really her.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s a memory you want, pick a happier one. That¡¯s what I do.¡±


    Sarah nibbled on the rest of her pizza, watching him expectantly. How many memories did he have of her sister that she had no idea?


    ¡°You mentioned having bad dreams last time. Did you know Robyn had trouble sleeping?¡±


    ¡°She told me she¡¯d grown out of that.¡±


    He shook his head.


    Another lie her sister had told, even if a simple, purposeless one.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t admit it, but I could hear her throwing things around in the middle of the night. I think she did it on purpose, our rooms were next to each other back then.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t doubt it. When they were younger, Robyn used to have outbursts in the middle of the night sometimes when she couldn¡¯t sleep.


    ¡°I think it was my fault for pounding on the wall one day to quiet her down.¡± He laughed. ¡°She started pounding on the wall as if she was trying to use it for morse code. When that obviously didn¡¯t work, she showed up at my door and we¡¯d talk until she fell asleep or I couldn¡¯t hold on anymore.¡± Any trace of a smile vanished from his face. ¡°We should have seen it wasn¡¯t her. I should have seen it. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Caught off guard by the shift in subject, Sarah evaded his gaze. Loss encircled her heart and squeezed, but the anger was long gone. It had washed out of her with countless tears. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known. She was almost perfect.¡±


    ¡°Almost. But I should¡¯ve known better.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you.¡± Not that she hadn¡¯t. But most of all, she blamed herself. Despite her mind arguing that she could never have guessed her sister was dead without knowing about the parallel world, her heart wasn¡¯t convinced. Who should have recognized something was wrong with her sister if not her? ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    Pegasus let out a long breath as if her words had relieved him of a terrible burden.


    Wait. Did he think she¡¯d been blaming him this entire time? Had he thought that was why she hadn¡¯t answered his messages for the past months?


    The possibility of it being that way made her feel a little guilty. She was still deciding if she should say something about it when he spoke again.


    ¡°I imagine this place will bring back a lot of memories.¡± There he went, changing subjects again. ¡°It might never be easy being here.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d been hoping to hear, but she already suspected as much.


    ¡°You fell down a rabbit hole, but you can still climb back up if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡±

 Book II - ch 7: A Mild Zombie Invasion

    * * *


    Blue eyes stared back at her from behind a mask. Sarah stepped back, but something¡ªa familiarity of sorts¡ªmade her go no further.


    The man hung back from the others and came closer. A brief impulse to run away flashed through her brain, but never materialized into action.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Concern was clear in his voice.


    Feeling trapped in that dark hallway, Sarah struggled not to hyperventilate. ¡°I¡¯ve had this dream before.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream.¡±


    Sarah laughed, a panicked sound. Of course it was. Except¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t remember how it ends.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming this means we¡¯ll be staying here for the duration.¡±


    Where were they going? And duration of what?


    ¡°Phoenix is out,¡± he whispered as if not talking to her anymore.


    ¡°Do you need assistance?¡± a voice responded, sounding inside her ear.


    She suppressed a startled yelp.


    ¡°No,¡± her companion replied curtly. He then looked back at her. ¡°Do we?¡±


    She shook her head. Voices started again in her ear, turning into background noise. She reached out and grabbed a hold of his arm, surprised by how real he felt.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think we die,¡± she whispered. There was something so familiar about it all. Even the part where she was standing here with him, hearing voices that weren¡¯t there.


    ¡°First floor clear,¡± one of those voices said.


    ¡°Still ten minutes out.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have ten minutes,¡± she and her companion said almost in sync.


    Why did she think that? The disembodied voices continued, regardless of her.


    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she shouted, finally remembering how the dream ended. But it was too late.


    Sarah woke up, gasping for air as her skin burned.


    Arms flailing as if she could stop whatever it was from reaching her, she almost fell over her chair when she stumbled to her feet. She didn¡¯t fall, but her chair wasn¡¯t as lucky.


    A trembling hand reached down to right it. It was harder than she thought to leave the dream behind. The fear lingered, as did the odd familiarity of a recurring dream, but the events themselves were fading away.


    Sarah was still standing there like an idiot, holding on to the now righted chair with one hand and her open notebook with the other when her sister came into the room.


    Robyn stopped at the sight of her. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I was starting to doze off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I have this.¡± Robyn set the bowl of popcorn on the table and took a seat, flipping through her book to find her place. ¡°Any nightmares?¡±


    Sarah recognized the tone. They all sounded that way when asking her about what went on in her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually asleep.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Robyn shot back, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. ¡°Oh, you got a notebook?¡±


    Sarah nodded, realizing she still had the thing in her hand.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Robyn asked. ¡°A bird?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a phoenix.¡± The word brought back a flash of the dream, the name spoken as if it meant something more.


    ¡°I thought you were going with the amorphous swirly things.¡±


    That was the plan. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There was something about this one. I like it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Are you done?¡±


    She gave her sister a questioning look.


    Robyn laughed. ¡°Are you done or not? Studying.¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    * * *


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    Sarah turned with a start. ¡°Yeah, yes. Sorry.¡±


    The remnants of a dream swirled in her mind¡¯s eye.


    Dream? Had she really dozed off while sitting in the corner of a dark alley eating a granola bar?


    The echo of her sister¡¯s voice blended into the background along with faraway voices chanting for safety.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were sleeping. It¡¯s only been 23 hours,¡± Pegasus joked.


    Right. She was taking a break. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Who says I am? I¡¯m a very functional sleepwalker.¡±


    ¡°Are you two finished?¡± Griffon asked over the com.


    She stuffed the empty wrapper into her back pocket.


    ¡°Scan of our area is complete,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°Mermaid, how sure was your informant that the New Nation was going to infiltrate the protest?¡±


    ¡°Not incredibly,¡± Mermaid said over the background noise. She was closer to the action.


    ¡°Hey, guys?¡± Michael was manning the com so Cypher could get some sleep. ¡°Lore sent us some of the latest messages she decoded from the cell we¡¯d been tracking. They do mention the protest.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the New Nation playing with us,¡± Sarah suggested.


    ¡°When is Wolf¡¯s team coming to relieve us?¡± Mermaid asked.


    ¡°Sometime next year, I think,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°They were rerouted to help Center follow up some leads on the stolen weapons.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here until this thing is done,¡± Griffon snapped.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Right away, sir,¡± Mermaid said.


    Sarah stifled a laugh, which turned into a yawn she tried to hide from Pegasus.


    ¡°Locals report a skirmish. Anyone have a good view of the main street?¡± Griffon asked, still all business.


    ¡°I do,¡± Mermaid replied. ¡°Checking it out.¡±


    And just like that, they were back to work.


    Sarah pushed the door to her room open with the full weight of her body¡ªthat was better than saying she almost fell against it. She went to take off her shoes, mildly surprised to find they weren¡¯t there. Huh. Where had they gone?


    She hesitated for a second¡ªa shower would be nice¡ªbut she collapsed onto the bed instead, eyes closed before she had even reached the mattress.


    Semiconscious, she started edging her feet onto the bed. Wait, had she taken her shoes off? She had a vague memory of wondering the same thing a moment ago and wiggled her toes. After a second or two of repeated confusion, she remembered her boots had come off somewhere down the hall.


    She thought she heard a knock on the door, and she listened hard for any other sign of life in the room besides her own tired breathing. When there was no discernable sound, she drifted off. To be fair, as tired as she was, she would have drifted off regardless.


    * * *


    Unicorn set down Sarah¡¯s boots inside the room and slowly closed the door behind her, resisting the urge to tiptoe away. Halfway to her own room, she found Pegasus leaning against his door, eyes closed while he fumbled with the doorknob.


    Laughing, she reached over to pull his hand away.


    Pegasus straightened himself and opened his eyes, an embarrassed smile emerging from his tired expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with all of you? Griffon was stumbling to command, Phoenix literally fell into her room, and you look like you¡¯re sleeping where you stand.¡±


    ¡°I am, I think. Being awake for over thirty hours will do that.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t any of you get some sleep on the way back?¡±


    ¡°Just Hawk on the way there, but he can sleep anywhere. And then he was hyper on the way back and didn¡¯t let anyone sleep. I had half a mind to shoot him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t.¡±


    Pegasus¡¯s expression turned sour. ¡°Griffon took away my guns¡­ and my knife.¡±


    She accompanied him into his room, moving some stuff off his bed and pulling away the comforter. The floor was clear, so there wouldn¡¯t be any tripping hazards. ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°Sleep,¡± he deadpanned.


    Unicorn watched with a smile as he struggled to remove his jacket, feeling a bit like when she had to watch over her nephew.


    Pegasus had finally wrestled himself free from the last sleeve when the intercom sounded. He tossed the jacket on the floor and shuffled over, pressing the button down with his entire body weight. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a red ball.¡±


    ¡°Will you stop calling it that?¡± He closed his eyes for a couple of breaths. When he opened them again, he looked actually awake.


    ¡°Be right there.¡±


    Unicorn picked up his jacket and handed it to him. ¡°Sure you¡¯re good to go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± He led her back out into the corridor. ¡°But if this is a drill, I¡¯ll be killing someone in the next ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Promises, promises,¡± Scorpion said cheerfully as she joined them.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I usually keep mine.¡±


    Unicorn almost missed a step. Her eyes flitted to Scorpion just in time to see her smile vanish. Hoping to make each forget the other was there, Unicorn stepped between them. She pressed the elevator button that had been thus far ignored and, with a bright smile firmly planted on her face, turned to Scorpion. ¡°You look happy, what¡¯s up?¡±


    The woman ignored her, glaring at Pegasus as if through her.


    He didn¡¯t even pretend he didn¡¯t see it. Matching her gaze, he leaned in closer, encroaching on Unicorn¡¯s personal space when she didn¡¯t move out of the way. ¡°I thought I was supposed to laugh it off and move on. Isn¡¯t that what you said, Belle?¡±


    ¡°Now I know you¡¯re sleepwalking, calling me that.¡± Scorpion¡¯s tone was as angry as his was bitter.


    ¡°Trust me, if I were dreaming, this dream would be a lot more fun. At least one or two dead bodies around.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re twisted when you¡¯re sleep deprived, you know that, right?¡±


    He laughed, a strange harsh sound.


    ¡°Everyone knows it,¡± Unicorn said, once again deflecting their attention. ¡°That¡¯s why we don¡¯t usually give him more than a couple of missions on end. We try to avoid letting Mr. Hyde out of his cage.¡±


    Pegasus ignored her, but was done with provoking Scorpion. The door opened after what felt like a decade, and the three of them stepped out onto the main area.


    Zeus¡¯ brows furrowed when he caught sight of Pegasus. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡±


    ¡°He was summoned by that one,¡± Pegasus said, pointing towards Cypher with exaggerated motion.


    Zeus cast a glance at Cypher, who sat up in his chair, fingers pausing their rapid motion. ¡°Sir, you said all level 4 personnel.¡±


    ¡°Not the ones who have been up for over thirty-two hours. We might need them awake at some point.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, can I go sleep somewhere horizontal?¡± Pegasus asked with a slightly fading voice.


    Zeus nodded, but Pegasus had already turned back towards the elevator.


    Unicorn called over one of the trainees and pointed at Pegasus. ¡°Make sure he gets to his room. And disregard anything he might say if he sees you¡¯re following him. He¡¯s not armed.¡±


    The young man looked like a startled deer, but took off after Pegasus when the other reached the elevator.


    ¡°I hate it when he¡¯s like that,¡± Cypher muttered.


    Zeus didn¡¯t even spare him a glance as he led the others towards the conference room. Scorpion made a point of shoving Cypher¡¯s chair up against the desk as hard as she could, redirecting her frustrations from Pegasus to the one who summoned him.


    Unicorn pulled her away towards the conference room, glancing back to make sure Cypher was fine. Hopefully, Scorpion would forget her frustrations by the time Pegasus woke up. Unicorn was hoping for peace and quiet for a change. Unlikely as it was.

 Book II - ch 8: The Case of the Elusive Pillow

    * * *


    Sleep is for weaklings. Then again, Sarah might be one of those weaklings.


    She¡¯d lost about an hour when she blinked at some point during early dawn, and now she was struggling to wake up despite not having slept at all.


    The books and notes were still spread out over the floor in front of her, and the comforter was piled up behind her, as inviting as a real bed. But the sun was up now and she should start moving.


    Her eyes drifted to the clock, and she considered letting go for ten minutes, just ten lousy minutes so she could pretend¡­


    Laughter drew her awake as she was almost falling over.


    ¡°I told you that was a bad idea,¡± Robyn said from the door. ¡°C¡¯mon, breakfast is ready. I¡¯ll get you some coffee.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want coffee,¡± Sarah grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t want food.¡±


    ¡°Chocolate then,¡± Robyn insisted with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I gotta talk to Tim before class.¡±


    ¡°Five minutes, please.¡± She felt herself drifting away again, falling towards the comforter.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll come drag you away when I finish breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sarah whispered back, eyes already closed.


    * * *


    A loud bang sounded, and Sarah was shocked awake. She started to sit up, falling back down on her bed before she could get her bearings. Of course there were no books, no notes, and Robyn wasn¡¯t there telling her she was going to be late. She tossed an arm over her closed lids to keep the light at bay a little longer.


    Robyn was dead. She knew that beyond the shadow of a doubt, and her dreams trying to make her believe otherwise only made the pain of it more real.


    The noise sounded again. This time, she recognized it as someone pounding on her door.


    ¡°What?¡± she shouted, wondering how upset her supervisor would be if she murdered someone. Surely not too upset, it would have been justified because of the incessant pounding!


    ¡°Come on!¡± a responding shout came from the other side. ¡°We¡¯re gonna be late!¡±


    Robyn!


    It was Robyn.


    She ran to the door, her heart pounding as if it could escape her chest. All traces of sleep had fled. She opened it, both hoping and fearing someone would be waiting on the other side.


    The corridor was dark and empty. Was she awake? Her heart was racing, a sweaty palm sliding from the doorknob, feet very clearly against a cold floor, and then there was the taste of salt from her own tears. Wasn¡¯t that proof enough?


    Besides, the bad things were real.


    Robyn was dead.


    It was a strange contrast, being so exhausted and so completely awake. The two states battled within her, unable to coexist.


    She didn¡¯t go back to bed, didn¡¯t even step back inside her room.


    Still barefoot on the cold hard floor, she started walking along the hall.


    Her eyes closed more than once, and she spared a moment to wonder if anyone looking up at the monitors would think she was sleepwalking. Maybe that wouldn¡¯t be too far off the mark. She had just stopped in front of a door and knocked without having put thought to action.


    She quickly withdrew her hand. Whose room was this?


    The answer came as the door opened to reveal a very grumpy, and equally sleepy, Pegasus. He leaned against the doorjamb, a hand hanging limp at his side where it fell, disconnected from the doorknob.


    She struggled with producing any words, exasperation finding some more adrenaline¡ªshe thought she¡¯d run out by now¡ªto keep her awake. Something in her expression must have filtered through and he straightened himself, mimicking wakefulness with perfection. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°What? No.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He relaxed again, his eyes drooping. It was as if the remainder of his awareness had seeped out with that one sound. ¡°I knew telling you that story was asking for trouble.¡±


    Sarah couldn¡¯t understand what he meant. Her mind was probably not thinking straight. She smiled bitterly. The ¡®probably¡¯ must be wishful thinking.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Again at a loss for words and feeling like he was no longer listening, she quietly stepped back in case he was already asleep again.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Sarah.¡±


    He was still leaning there, eyes closed. She would have thought she imagined his voice, but then he stepped aside and gestured for her to come in.


    Sarah had expected a sterile copy of her own room, but his walls were decorated with a strange assortment of photographs, none of which she could figure out except for the one over his bedrest¡ªa bridge. She wondered if that was the bridge that had taken the lives of his parents, but she didn¡¯t dare ask.


    The other photos were more abstract, plays on light and color, as if each were a corner of some memory that had been amplified and given life on its own. A piece of a whole that no one would ever see.


    She was so distracted trying to make sense of one such black and white concoction that she didn¡¯t realize Pegasus had yet to say a word.


    He was already back in bed, asleep.


    She smiled at the sight, heading for the door.


    Pegasus shifted, eyes fluttering open as if only then remembering she was there. ¡°Nightmares?¡±


    She nodded, hoping that was all. ¡°For a moment, I forgot Robyn was gone.¡±


    His gaze filled with concern, more awake now. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    She took a step forward, hand still on the doorknob. ¡°Do you mind if I hide out here for a little bit?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, hide away.¡± He closed his eyes again, hand stopping halfway to the light switch. ¡°You can leave the light on if you want. And feel free to shake me awake if you¡¯d like to talk.¡±


    The smile lingered on his lips for a moment longer, then his breathing relaxed, his hand already limp on the mattress. Just like that, he was asleep.


    Sarah wished it were that simple for her, but the falling asleep part wasn¡¯t exactly the problem, it was what waited for her when she did.


    She all but tiptoed to the bathroom, cold water might keep her eyes from closing for a few more minutes. The mirror was an unwelcome sight, with red eyes ringed with dark circles staring back at her. Her face looked pale and worn, and the clothes she was still wearing were in a disarray. She looked like something alien to herself.


    There was the rustling of sheets and the bedroom light was turned off. She couldn¡¯t help but smirk. He probably forgot she was there.


    She turned off the lamp in the bathroom so it wouldn¡¯t disturb him and made her way slowly back to the couch. One of the pictures had come to life in soft neon highlights in the dark, giving the world a less dreary look.


    Curling up on the couch without ceremony, she watched the motionless figure on the bed until her eyes closed.


    Somehow, she felt reassured that Pegasus was there to hear the strange noises with her if her ghosts showed themselves. She was too tired to care that she had come knocking on Pegasus¡¯ door in the middle of the night when, not two days ago, she had been struggling with the feeling of familiarity she felt towards him. It was a moot point now.


    Sliding down to lean her head on the armrest, she drifted in and out of sleep as she mustered up the energy to go steal a pillow he wasn¡¯t using.


    She moved quietly towards the bed, focused on the discarded pillow right next to the Pegasus-sized lump. Her own shadow and the neon glow of the picture played tricks on her when she got closer, making it hard to see where the pillow was. She felt around the bed where she thought it should have been, but there was nothing there.


    Pegasus couldn¡¯t have done anything to it; he hadn¡¯t moved.


    No sooner had she considered a trick of light was disguising it in plain sight, it appeared right in front of her.


    She reached for the pillow¡ªagain, depending on what score was being kept. Grabbing it tight, she yanked it out of the bed, wrapping her arms around it until she was back at the couch so it wouldn¡¯t escape.


    She tried balancing it on the armrest, then beating it into submission¡ªas silently as humanly possible, but it was hard to find a comfortable position. She turned around and lost her balance, starting to slide off the couch. Her hand found nothing but air when she reached for the backrest to hold on. The world twisted and turned for one awful second.


    Her eyes fluttered open, confusion dissolving as she felt around for where she was. She was still on the couch. And the spare pillow was exactly where it had been, still on the bed.


    This was so not funny.


    Sarah focused on the sensations, the cold floor was as good an anchor as it could be, and she rubbed her eyes all the way to the bed. Nothing would have led her to believe she was dreaming, but she wasn¡¯t the best judge of these things. She grabbed the pillow, thankful that it hadn¡¯t vanished again.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    She sucked in a startled breath. She hadn¡¯t seen him move. Pegasus turned around to face her, looking no more awake than he had when he let her in.


    ¡°I¡¯m stealing your pillow,¡± she whispered, failing to sound appropriately embarrassed or even contrite about it.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just rude.¡±


    Sarah pressed her lips together to suppress a laugh, ready to proceed with the stealing of said pillow regardless.


    Pegasus pulled the pillow closer to him, but she didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°We should get some sleep,¡± she protested, though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she was protesting against.


    Pegasus gave her a dirty look. ¡°I never said we wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    She strengthened her grip on the pillow and slid it towards her ever so subtly.


    Before she knew what was happening, he¡¯d jerked the pillow towards him, causing her to almost fall face first on the mattress. Propped on her elbows and still holding on to the pillow, she blew the hair out of her eyes, unsure if she should laugh or beat him over the head with the disputed prize.


    Pegasus lay his chin on his corner of the pillow, clearly enjoying her distress. He brushed her hair aside, his touch lingering against her cheek as he gazed into her eyes.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked in a low voice, though his tone suggested a different question.


    Heart pounding against her chest, Sarah tried straightening herself, but she couldn¡¯t get her balance, couldn¡¯t pull away, her hand trapped in the sheets¡­ except it couldn¡¯t be the sheets.


    The mental image struggled with what her eyes were telling her and somewhere in the midst of that struggle, darkness became once again predominant.


    She opened her eyes.


    Lying in bed, Sarah buried her head deeper into the pillow with a groan and pulled the sheets tighter around her. Just a dream. One long, unending dream.


    Why her mind had insisted on dragging Pegasus into the mix or why it had made his couch so uncomfortable and a pillow so unattainable was anybody¡¯s guess.


    As tired as she had been when she first went to sleep, she wanted to sleep some more.


    The room was cooler than usual, not at all conducive to getting out of bed. She didn¡¯t want to relinquish the warm comfort of that moment, but she should go take a shower. If only she could will herself to move.


    She heard something then, close enough that it shouldn¡¯t have been there, but not so obvious that her mind could interpret it without a context. She pulled away the sheets to look and the first ridiculous thought she had was that someone else¡¯s jacket was draped over her chair.


    That this was not her room, nor her bed, was the next obvious realization¡ªthe pictures on the wall and many spread out files on the table were enough of a clue. She looked down at the bed, which she was now occupying entirely, spread out as if she belonged there, and edged towards the corner, more than a little embarrassed.


    She was still wondering if she should simply go back to her room or wait to speak with Pegasus when the bathroom door opened. The owner of the room in question emerged, wet hair tossed about as he dried it with a towel.


    Pegasus smiled brightly at her. ¡°Good morning.¡±

 Book II - ch 9: Afterimages

    * * *


    Sarah sat up on Pegasus¡¯ bed, otherwise frozen in place. ¡°Is it morning?¡±


    ¡°No, closer to 22:00.¡±


    He took a seat on the edge of the bed, brows furrowed. ¡°Not that I mind waking up to a nice surprise, but did you by chance inherit Robyn¡¯s custom of sneaking into people¡¯s rooms when they¡¯re away¡ªor unconscious?¡±


    It was her turn to be confused. Though she wasn¡¯t exactly clear about how she¡¯d wound up taking over his bed, she thought she¡¯d had the rest of it figured out. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡±


    The struggle to recall the events in question was visible on his face. ¡°Something about nightmares?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Did you manage to get some sleep?¡±


    Sarah shrugged. She might still be sleeping for all she knew.


    ¡°And you¡¯re alright?¡± he asked, reaching out to brush back a rebellious strand of her hair.


    The memory of him running his fingers along her skin¡ªwhether real or not¡ªintruded, and she pulled back, startled by the similarities.


    He retreated at once, edging away the next second as if it were a natural, unrelated, motion. Some of the humor had gone from his expression though. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.¡±


    She shook her head, hoping he wouldn¡¯t see anything more in her eyes and really, really hoping she wasn¡¯t blushing. He couldn¡¯t be held accountable for whatever dream version of him her own mind had concocted. And even then, uncomfortable was hardly the expression she¡¯d choose. She managed a smile, which worked to return him to his natural self.


    ¡°And you got some sleep?¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for letting me crash here.¡±


    ¡°Good. And no problem. Though you take up a lot of space.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I thought I was on the couch.¡±


    He laughed, back to being unconcerned with anything. ¡°I checked with Cypher when I got up, there isn¡¯t anything urgent. We¡¯re only expected at 07:00.¡±


    She yawned. ¡°Fine by me.¡±


    Pegasus placed the wet towel back in the bathroom and simply shook his hair some more, making it even more disheveled. It reminded her of the first time she¡¯d seen him, soaking wet in the rain.


    ¡°You can sleep some more if you want,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is there anything else to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m meeting Griffon in the game room after I grab a snack. You can join us if you¡¯re awake enough.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± She yawned. ¡°As soon as I make myself look like a human being again.¡±


    ¡°Doubt that¡¯s possible, but a shower would be a good start.¡± Laughing, he darted out before he could be hit by a flying pillow.


    * * *


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Robyn asked.


    Sarah stopped with her hand on the door, looking down at the towel in her other hand. ¡°Taking a shower?¡±


    Her sister laughed. ¡°I thought that¡¯s what you did not thirty minutes ago.¡±


    Sarah frowned down at the towel, puzzled. She remembered that she¡¯d already showered. In fact, now that she was paying attention to it, the towel was still damp. But then why did she feel like she should shower? Her hair wasn¡¯t even dry yet.


    ¡°Sarah?¡±


    She blinked up at Robyn, trying to make herself move. There was that tone again, the concern that was unwanted and unnerving, but not all that surprising. Things had been better lately, there hadn¡¯t been any episodes as severe as the time she freaked out at the university last year.


    Her parents believed her frequent therapy sessions were responsible for her improvement. She didn¡¯t agree, but she kept her opinion to herself¡ªit was safer.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Robyn asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She moved finally, strengthening her grip on the towel. ¡°I don¡¯t think I got all the shampoo out of my hair.¡±


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    Yeah, it was better to pretend there was nothing wrong.


    * * *


    Sarah finished braiding her wet hair right as she got to the game room. Despite the name, it wasn¡¯t filled with games, but had a small matted area for sparring. It wasn¡¯t as complete as their actual training room, but supposedly this was just for fun.


    The fun at the moment involved Pegasus and Griffon trying to outmaneuver each other. At least that¡¯s what it looked like to her. Mermaid was watching and cheering from the side, though Sarah couldn¡¯t tell who she was rooting for.


    ¡°Hey, Phoenix, do you want to take the loser or the winner?¡± Mermaid called.


    ¡°You could go a round with her, Mermaid. Take it slow,¡± Pegasus suggested after blocking one of Griffon¡¯s blows.


    Sarah would¡¯ve been insulted if she thought any better of her own skills, but she was not at their level yet. She suspected, however, that this was Pegasus¡¯ way of ensuring he wouldn¡¯t have to fight her. It hadn¡¯t escaped her notice that he did all that he could to get out of sparring with her.


    She knew he had no problem fighting girls. More than once, she¡¯d watched him and Mermaid try to beat each other to a pulp. Those two were unusually balanced in their matches, with one or the other winning as if they took turns. It made for a fun display, especially with all the goading and jokes.


    When Griffon joined the mix, it was much quieter. But the weirdest match she¡¯d seen had been the one time she saw Scorpion and Pegasus fight each other.


    They looked less than thrilled when their names were called, but neither complained. It was the one time she saw Pegasus fight without saying a single word. Even when he fought Griffon, he threw in the odd joke at the beginning of the match. But there had been a palpable tension when he faced Scorpion. Even their audience had been silent. Mermaid, who never shut up during matches, had sat quietly in the corner.


    The fight itself had been weird, but she couldn¡¯t deny that it was a spectacle. At some point, Pegasus landed a blow harder than even he had expected and that gave him a moment¡¯s pause which Scorpion exploited brilliantly. It looked like Scorpion had won, but he turned the tables on her and suddenly she was face down on the mat. No one jeered, no one clapped. Pegasus muttered something about being tired and walked out without another word to anyone.


    As if to accentuate the contrast between past and present, she was roused from her thoughts by Mermaid¡¯s shouting. Apparently, Griffon had been victorious. Pegasus walked straight past Mermaid towards his water bottle like he didn¡¯t see her, but he was laughing at her jokes.


    ¡°Are you joining us?¡± he asked. ¡°Might help distract you a little.¡±


    ¡°Will you go a couple of rounds with me?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°It would be best if you start with Griffon, he¡¯s got the most control out of the lot since Unicorn isn¡¯t here. Mermaid does okay, but she¡¯s inconsistent. Oh, and don¡¯t try to take on Scorpion unless someone makes you. She¡¯s known for fighting dirty.¡±


    ¡°And nobody minds?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the closest to real you¡¯re gonna get without having someone actually trying to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure she wouldn¡¯t.¡± Scorpion was about as fond of Sarah as she would be of actual scorpions. ¡°Are you too good for me, is that it?¡±


    Pegasus chuckled, almost choking on his water. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. It wouldn¡¯t be a good fit, that¡¯s all.¡±


    He turned away from her to look at the fight, the subject already done. She heard a hard landing on the mattress and turned around to see Mermaid laughing at a defeated Griffon.


    ¡°Thanks, Madeleine, keeping me humble.¡±


    Her response was sticking her tongue at him for the use of her real name.


    Griffon wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. ¡°Two out of three?¡±


    She laughed harder, looking back at the rest area. ¡°Do you guys mind waiting another minute while I finish this up?¡±


    Pegasus gave one of his usual nonchalant shrugs.


    Sarah resisted the urge to shrug as well. Maybe she was spending too much time with him. ¡°Go for it,¡± she answered aloud instead.


    Pegasus took a seat and gestured for her to join him. He never took his eyes off the match. ¡°What were you dreaming about?¡±


    She had a panicked moment thinking of the whole pillow saga. Of course, those weren¡¯t the dreams he was talking about. ¡°You mean the nightmares?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Whatever it was that landed you at my door.¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. Home. Robyn.¡±


    Mermaid landed an awesome kick, and Griffon struggled to recover before her next move.


    ¡°If you wanna talk about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Athena can be found on the south wing?¡± she asked, lips curling.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Unicorn would be willing to listen. And I¡¯m always here if you need me.¡±


    She was taken aback by the sincerity of his tone. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Griffon flipped Mermaid onto the mat, but she got up before he could pin her down.


    ¡°When was the last time you were outside?¡± Pegasus asked suddenly.


    ¡°Yesterday.¡±


    ¡°No, not related to a mission.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, a couple of months before graduation, I guess.¡± Had it really been that long?


    Pegasus turned to meet her gaze, something of a twisted smile coming to life on his lips. ¡°You really should go see the world. We have flying cars now and everything.¡±


    ¡°Funny hearing that from you. When was the last time you went on any walkabouts that didn¡¯t involve a mission?¡±


    He laughed, conceding her point with a quick nod. ¡°We have a day off in a couple of days. Where would you go?¡±


    She caught herself before she could say home. There was no longer any home she could go to out there. No one she would care to see¡ªeven her friends all thought she was dead. It¡¯d been over a year since she¡¯d vanished from their lives. Over a year since Mom and Dad and her sister¡­


    She blinked rapidly to dispel the stinging in her eyes.


    There was only one place that came to mind. ¡°The park.¡±


    It could be a planted suggestion, something stuck in her subconscious from her last conversation with Robyn¡¯s impostor. But the park where they used to go with their grandfather was the only place that still brought back good memories. Oddly enough, it had been important to the other Robyn as well.


    It might¡¯ve been a macabre choice, but her mind was still unwilling to fully separate the two girls who would¡¯ve been her sister, and she¡¯d found herself thinking of that park more and more lately.


    ¡°The one you and Robyn talked about?¡± Pegasus asked.


    She nodded.


    ¡°I can take you, if you want.¡±


    Someone would have to monitor her since she¡¯d be heading to a familiar place, mostly for her safety, though she suspected they were also keeping her under surveillance. That had been the agreement when she decided to stay with them indefinitely.


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t enjoy Pegasus¡¯ company. She could try to fool herself all she wanted, the distance she had been trying¡ªand failing¡ªto maintain was nothing but a poorly designed defense mechanism. Defense against what, she had no idea. Or rather, she wished she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Is nobody watching me win?¡± Mermaid complained, dragging Sarah¡¯s attention back to less complicated things.


    ¡°We could go Saturday,¡± she whispered, trying to sound unaffected.


    ¡°Saturday it is.¡±

 Book II - ch 10: Deviations From Normal

    * * *


    What¡¯s taking so long? Sarah checked her watch again.


    Wait a minute. Robyn had gone out with her friends, and Jeremy wouldn¡¯t be awake yet this early on a weekend¡ªanything before noon was too early for him. Her parents had just left for the grocery store. So what¡ªor who¡ªwas she waiting for?


    Someone screamed in the distance and she whirled around, searching. Sarah checked the TV to see if it was somehow on without any picture. A flicker of light appeared in the would-be reflection.


    Sarah sucked in a breath.


    The air burned her throat and lungs.


    Her legs gave out, and she fell to the floor, wheezing and coughing.


    The house was gone, hidden in a thick cloud of dust and smoke. An enormous wall had replaced her kitchen, a trail of blood leading towards where her room had been. Before she passed out, she saw patterns¡ªletters?¡ªcome alive in the scorched, darkened wall.


    * * *


    Sarah held in a cough as she choked on nothing. She reached for her water without looking away from the screen, which was suddenly very blurry. No, not the screen¡­ definitely her eyesight.


    She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. It hadn¡¯t been that long since she¡¯d started reading, she couldn¡¯t be tired already.


    Despite a nice start, her Saturday had quickly gotten sidetracked. Pegasus, Scorpion, and Mermaid had been urgently called away because of a suspected sighting of New Nation members at a robbery in progress that the local police had been called to. Of course, that happened about an hour before the start of Pegasus¡¯ scheduled down time.


    It was supposed to be a quick assignment, but she wasn¡¯t too thrilled with the timing.


    Now here she was, battling a growing sense of unease while going over reports in a flowery summer dress. One of Robyn¡¯s. Sarah no longer had anything that frivolous¡ªor pretty. She didn¡¯t think she looked like herself, but that was half the point.


    Cold fingertips clutched the skirt of her dress. She couldn¡¯t possibly be nervous about going outside, could she?


    It had been almost two hours since she¡¯d last heard anything about Pegasus. Not for the first time, she caught herself reaching for the com. There was no reason to call anyone. He was fine, she reminded herself, shivering at the odd sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    She¡¯d thought that once before about her sister. Look how that turned out.


    The alarm sent her to her feet with a start. It took her a moment to realize it wasn¡¯t that horrifying sound that signaled impending death, but the shorter bursts stating that wounded were coming in.


    Sarah rushed to medical, barely stopping herself from bursting through the open doors.


    Pegasus was lying on a stretcher as nurses cut his shirt out of the way.


    A sickening feeling churned in the depths of stomach, mixing with the cold. Sarah approached slowly, afraid of what she would find.


    And then it was as if the air wasn¡¯t so hard to breathe after all. He was conscious, if a little dazed. He was holding something to his temple with his right hand while another nurse cleaned up his left arm.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sarah asked.


    There was a moderate amount of blood around his temple, both dried and fresh, and his left arm had several small bleeding wounds.


    Pegasus waved off her concern with his free hand, which apparently hurt. That got him a scowl from the nurse.


    Sarah came closer, careful to stay out of the way. ¡°I told you not to get shot.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything about shrapnel.¡±


    Sarah couldn¡¯t even take the joke as a sign that he was fine; he¡¯d probably be making jokes on his deathbed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks,¡± he said, but the trail of dried blood she could now see down his cheek was difficult to ignore.


    One of the nurses asked Sarah to wait outside and she retreated¡ªalbeit reluctantly¡ªback to the hallway. Scorpion was there, nursing a sore spot on her arm. The yellowing bruise looked a few days old.


    ¡°What happened out there?¡± Sarah asked.


    Scorpion took in Sarah¡¯s attire with a long look. ¡°Something went boom.¡±


    ¡°New Nation?¡±


    ¡°Not that we can tell. All¡¯s pretty quiet on our front. You can still head out if you want.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d rather wait to make sure Pegasus is okay.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Muttering something about debriefing, Scorpion walked away.


    Sarah hung around for a couple of minutes while they prepped Pegasus. Once they¡¯d taken him into the O.R. to remove the shrapnel still lodged in his arm, she left to go finish her reports.


    She could come pick him up later. It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d be going anywhere any time soon.


    * * *


    Pegasus thought it would be very helpful if the floor and walls stopped moving. He stumbled along the corridor, finding it extremely difficult to walk and fold his jacket at the same time. A strange sort of stop and go motion reminded him of old-fashioned clay animations. He took a couple more exaggerated steps and laughed at his halting movements.


    ¡°Should they have let you wander off unsupervised?¡±


    He turned around very slowly so he wouldn¡¯t lose his balance, taking the time to school his expression before he had to face Scorpion. ¡°Don¡¯t I look okay?¡±


    ¡°You always do. That¡¯s the problem,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°Phoenix was worried.¡±


    He scoffed at the change in her tone. ¡°You don¡¯t think she should be?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not Robyn.¡±


    ¡°I know that very well.¡± His feelings were obviously capable of making that distinction as well.


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    ¡°Then you should be careful with your heart.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one could ever do as good a job at breaking it as you did. Or was that the lesson I should¡¯ve learned?¡±


    She reeled in her anger with obvious strain. ¡°I should know better than waste my time talking to you when you¡¯re like this.¡±


    Whether she meant to or not, she touched a nerve. He felt the words form, leaving an almost bitter taste in his mouth. ¡°I guess some things are more trouble than they¡¯re worth.¡±


    Scorpion stopped cold, unsheathed anger now clear in her expression. ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that to me.¡±


    He held his ground, trying for cold as he matched her glare. ¡°Why not, Belle? You said it to me first.¡±


    She had bridged the distance between them before he could react and grabbed him by the shoulders. The pain oozed past the haze created by the fading anesthetic¡ªmaybe that was the intention.


    For a moment, he thought she was going to hit him, but she shook him instead, as if trying to wake him from a stupor.


    ¡°You really, really need to get some sleep. Now.¡± She shoved him back and for the lack of a better option, he let her.


    Unsure how easy it would be to get up if he wound up on the floor, he was glad the wall was there to catch him.


    Watching Scorpion walk away, he cursed himself for still being so angry, so easily hurt by her words. He didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d ever done to make her hate him.


    When he was sure he had regained his balance, he resumed the trek to his room. Maybe he should have stayed in the infirmary a while longer like the doctor ordered, but now it was easier to keep going than head back.


    Besides, he¡¯d made a bet with Doc Green that he could make it to his room before giving up¡ªor collapsing.


    * * *


    Sarah stood further down the hall, glued in place. She didn¡¯t think Pegasus had seen her. Scorpion hadn¡¯t, distracted as she was with almost throttling him.


    When he started moving again, Sarah approached him with hesitant steps. ¡°Do you want help?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s right. I need some sleep.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t say anything about it, not wanting to ask about the argument.


    ¡°How is it they let you leave the infirmary?¡±


    An unrepentant smile came suddenly to life as he turned to her. ¡°Lack of options.¡±


    ¡°Well, sleep sounds like a good one.¡±


    He placed a hand on her shoulder, but put no weight on her. ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll let you tuck me in.¡±


    ¡°How long until the meds wear off?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? Wait, Doc Brown said minutes, hours. One or two maybe. And he said something about my liver.¡±


    ¡°What happened to your liver?¡±


    ¡°Toxic gas made a mess of it a while back.¡± He struggled with that. ¡°Or was that my kidneys? I¡¯m not sure right now, ask me when I¡¯m awake.¡±


    His movements were so slow when typing in the code to his door that she was caught off guard when he pulled her into the room the next moment, not even a hint of disorientation left.


    He smiled. ¡°You look really beautiful.¡±


    ¡°And they say you¡¯re mean when you¡¯re dosed.¡±


    He shook his head, then raised a finger to touch the bandage on the side of his head as if he¡¯d upset it. Scorpion probably hadn¡¯t helped matters. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I spoiled our outing.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± she said, resisting the urge to check if he was bleeding. Then she narrowed her gaze playfully. ¡°Unless¡­ Did you try to get blown up on purpose just to get out of it?¡±


    He laughed, swaying a little.


    Sarah took a step closer, preparing to catch him if necessary. ¡°Do you want me to stay with you until you¡¯re feeling better, or are you going to go to sleep?¡±


    He smiled at her with nothing but mischief. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sarah barely had time to register his answer before he pulled her closer and kissed her. She responded automatically, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her to kiss him back. Maybe she could blame her response on a few seconds of system malfunction, but finally she pulled away.


    She stared at him, unsure of whether he was conscious enough of what he was doing to give her an explanation.


    ¡°What was that?¡± She was surprised she¡¯d managed to pull away. She was even more surprised that her voice was steady.


    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do that ever since you came back.¡±


    He sounded sincere, but she kept some distance between them, perfectly aware that he was not functioning properly at the moment.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It never felt like the right time.¡±


    He appeared to be awake enough, but she¡¯d seen him overworked and sleep-deprived enough times to know he could be a second from being unconscious and still look lucid.


    The mask of normalcy he¡¯d been struggling to maintain finally slipped away, and he pressed a hand against his forehead, eyes closing. ¡°This wasn¡¯t it, was it?¡±


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t what?¡±


    Clear blue eyes met hers. ¡°The right time¡­¡±


    Sarah exhaled a deep breath, tried for a smile. ¡°What did the doc give you?¡±


    He started to shrug, but the movement never completed, pain flashing across his face.


    Sarah moved him towards the light. ¡°Let me check your bandage.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he protested, nevertheless allowing her to do as she pleased.


    The only blood there was from earlier. She made sure the bandage was firmly in place before releasing him again. His eyes were half-closed, though he was somehow still upright.


    She gestured towards the bed. ¡°You should get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll forget this happened,¡± he protested, but he didn¡¯t pursue her when she moved further away.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works.¡± How scrambled was his brain right now? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget.¡± This would take a while to forget, if ever.


    ¡°I will.¡± He climbed into bed with very slow motions. ¡°I always do.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help a sudden twitch of jealousy. Was that why Scorpion was upset with him?


    ¡°So you make it a habit of going around kissing random girls when you¡¯re like this?¡±


    Hopefully he was out of it enough that he wouldn¡¯t notice the trembling in her voice.


    He shook his head, burying it deeper into his pillow. ¡°Just the one I can¡¯t stop thinking about.¡±


    She froze at that, standing perfectly still until his breathing relaxed and she was sure he was asleep. Then she all but darted out of his room.


    She took a moment to catch her breath right outside the closed door, trying to contain the silly smile that had blossomed spontaneously from his words. She gave the end of the corridor a surreptitious glance, wondering what anyone looking at the cameras might think.


    His words kept coming back to her, inciting the smile back to its place.


    Work. She could focus on work.


    After a few more tries, she finally succeeded on wiping away her silly grin.


    At least she didn¡¯t have to worry about him anymore. Pegasus was fine, unbalanced as he may be at the moment.


    Right. Work.


    Sarah headed back up to Comm, where she struggled to finish reviewing the reports on New Nation activity she¡¯d been looking at earlier.


    ¡°Are you going undercover or something?¡± Mermaid asked.


    Sarah looked up at her, surprised. Contrary to Pegasus and Scorpion, Mermaid looked like she¡¯d been lazing around all day.


    Mermaid gestured to Sarah¡¯s dress, laughing.


    She¡¯d forgotten about the dress. ¡°I was going out.¡±


    Unicorn pulled her chair next to Sarah¡¯s. ¡°Pegasus put a damper on her plans by getting injured.¡±


    ¡°So thoughtless of him,¡± Mermaid mocked.


    ¡°I forgot to go change,¡± Sarah said self-consciously.


    Mermaid waved it off. ¡°No one¡¯s going to care. You¡¯re on down time, right?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically.¡±


    A tablet was all but smacked onto the table in front of them, getting even Cypher¡¯s attention a few feet away. Scorpion was standing there, fuming.


    Mermaid and Unicorn looked up at her with equally confused expressions, and Sarah tried very hard to pretend she wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Do I have to guess?¡± Mermaid asked when Scorpion said nothing.


    ¡°What does dosed, drunk, and sleep-deprived have in common?¡±


    ¡°Ds?¡± Cypher asked, snorting out a laugh.


    Scorpion glared at him and he went back to whatever it was he¡¯d been doing.


    Unicorn tapped her chin lightly. ¡°Is Pegasus not himself again?¡±


    Scorpion¡¯s expression signaled murder. ¡°He¡¯s himself alright, that¡¯s the problem.¡±


    ¡°They gave him something so they could remove the shrapnel from his arm,¡± Mermaid explained. Then she laughed. ¡°I suspect Doc Green gave him something long-lasting so he¡¯d get some obligatory rest.¡±


    ¡°Is he aware of what he¡¯s saying?¡± Sarah asked, trying to sound unaffected.


    ¡°Oh, he can function fine, he¡¯s just mean about it.¡±


    Sarah stared at Scorpion¡¯s retreating figure until she disappeared into the elevator before turning her confused gaze towards the other two.


    ¡°A while back, Scorpion and Pegasus had a thing,¡± Mermaid whispered as if that were an explanation in and of itself.


    Sarah couldn¡¯t disguise her shock.


    ¡°A thing?¡± Unicorn smoothed the curls atop her head as she leaned in closer. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna gossip, at least do it right. People were even expecting them to leave this place together, and then there was a hostage thing.¡±


    Mermaid shook her head. ¡°No, it was that raid at the New Nation propaganda machine.¡±


    ¡°Where there were hostages.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Sorry, go on.¡±


    ¡°Well, he deviated from the mission. It wound up saving Scorpion¡¯s life, but we lost an important lead. It created all kinds of headache because they were together at the time. Zeus had to smooth it all over, but nobody was angrier than Scorpion. I think that was sort of the beginning of the end for them.¡±


    ¡°She broke his heart,¡± Mermaid said with a knowing look towards Unicorn. ¡°Then stomped on it.¡±


    Unicorn nodded. ¡°He was in a foul mood for weeks, reckless and crazy.¡±


    ¡°Well, and then Robyn died.¡±


    They each gave Sarah a sympathetic look, apologizing for the pain carried by those words.


    ¡°And that sort of blended his bad days all together into a few months.¡±


    Sarah frowned. She didn¡¯t remember him being in any particular bad mood when they met. But then she hadn¡¯t been completely herself either.


    ¡°It took him a while to recover after that. Sometimes I¡¯m still not sure he has.¡±


    ¡°Well, with Robyn gone,¡± Mermaid said. ¡°I don¡¯t think he really had anyone he was that close to.¡±


    Sarah felt a sudden pang of guilt about the times she didn¡¯t reply to his messages. They had probably been as much for his benefit as they¡¯d been for hers. At the time, she¡¯d thought he¡¯d been only checking up on her.


    ¡°Did he say something to you?¡± Unicorn placed a hand on Sarah¡¯s arm, sounding as if she already knew the answer to that. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it too much.¡±


    Mermaid nodded. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s always that way when there¡¯s something wrong with him. He¡¯s harmless enough as long as you don¡¯t pay attention to whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sarah lied. ¡°I think he was just having some fun at my expense.¡±

 Book II - ch 11: Deepest Cuts

    * * *


    ¡°Argh! I don¡¯t get it!¡±


    Sarah looked up from her notes at Jeremy¡¯s outburst, pencil balancing between her fingers.


    He closed his book with a thump. ¡°I don¡¯t get how differentials work.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯m not taking calculus.¡± Distracted by the pencil, she tried spinning it over her thumb. It flew across the table, almost smacking Jeremy on the forehead.


    He rolled it back towards her. ¡°You¡¯re never gonna learn if you just mess around every now and again. Watch some videos if you wanna learn.¡±


    She placed her pencil down beside her notes. Whatever motions she attempted felt more like muscle memory, though she was sure that she¡¯d never learned it before.


    ¡°Jenna should know. She was top of the class last semester. Do you have her number?¡±


    Sarah nodded, pulling out her phone. The letters and numbers blurred a bit as she went through her contact list. Was she already that tired?


    She stopped at Jenna¡¯s name. ¡°Zero, zero, five, five, three, eight, nine, seven, five, nine, seven, two.¡±


    Jeremy laughed, running over to look over her shoulder at her screen. ¡°What are you even reading?¡±


    Sarah blinked at the screen. ¡°The phone number.¡±


    ¡°Sarah! In what world is that a phone number?¡± He wiped at his eyes. ¡°Did you read your phone¡¯s serial number or something?¡±


    He took her phone from her hands and copied the number himself before handing it back.


    ¡°I think you need a break.¡± He kissed her cheek before returning to his seat.


    Sarah stared at her phone. The numbers were still the same.


    Maybe she should take a break. Maybe ten minutes.


    Cold seeped into her body unexpectedly. Ten minutes wasn¡¯t enough.


    * * *


    Sarah checked the numbers again. ¡°Three eight nine seven five.¡±


    The numbers looked right, but she¡¯d sent Lore the wrong file twice now. It was even more ridiculous because she had double checked the file number both times.


    Did she really need supervision for pulling up a file?


    Lore, who was Center¡¯s main analyst, had a side project tracking down every single New Nation-related event they had ever recorded. Apparently, Lore thought that might somehow lead them to the location of the gateway between the two parallel worlds¡ªtheirs and the one hellbent on invading them¡­ or whatever their plan was.


    A few low-level personnel, such as Sarah, had been recruited to help out between missions. Because the old data repository was not linked to any system with access from the outside, they had to go over some of it in-house and send Lore the files.


    ¡°Three eight nine seven.¡± She looked down at her notes. ¡°Five.¡±


    So far, Lore had been amused by her inability to send the correct file. Hopefully, the third time would be a charm. Sarah started transferring the files to the main server, checking the problem file¡¯s number two more times just in case.


    From the dates on these files, Lore was looking at reports from the W.R.O.¡¯s early days, when they still hadn¡¯t discovered a gateway existed. She was searching for people who¡¯d been a part of the New Nation movement back then but that may have since left.


    Ten minutes remaining for the upload. Sarah stared at the timer, a chill running through her.


    * * *


    Sitting on the couch, Sarah stared at the clock.


    The seconds hand raced on mercilessly. Ten minutes wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    Jeremy plopped on the couch next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. ¡°You¡¯re freezing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine when I eat something.¡± Her eyes had still to come away from the clock.


    ¡°Are you zoning out again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, promise.¡± She leaned over to give him a kiss.


    He smiled at her, and she guessed he chose to believe her.


    But the clock still had ten minutes to go, always ten minutes¡­ and ten minutes were never enough.


    * * *


    ¡°They¡¯re ten minutes out.¡±


    The voice felt like it was right in her ear. Sarah started, slamming her back against the next row of processors.


    Calming herself, she first confirmed she hadn¡¯t disrupted anything. She then felt in her ears for a com even though yesterday had been her day off. There was obviously none, but some misplaced sound could still be heard.


    She cursed under her breath just so she could hear something real.


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly the reception I was hoping for.¡±


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    She whirled around to face the new¡ªvery real¡ªvoice. Pegasus was standing there looking fully awake and with a recently changed bandage.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    He tentatively touched his temple. ¡°Better.¡±


    She turned back to watch the timer so she could avoid his gaze.


    ¡°I guess I owe you an apology.¡±


    Sarah whirled to face him. ¡°So you do remember?¡±


    It was his turn to look embarrassed. ¡°Not really.¡± He raised his palm to show her scribbles that spelled out ¡®apolagizl 2 Srah¡¯. She held in an unexpected burst of laughter. ¡°Found it there when I woke up.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure whether she was upset or relieved, maybe both if that were at all possible. She wanted to turn away, afraid he¡¯d see either in her eyes.


    ¡°Mind if I ask what I¡¯m apologizing for?¡±


    She met his gaze, a little suspicious. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡± She cringed. Was that disappointment in her voice?


    He shrugged his good shoulder. ¡°Bits and pieces.¡±


    Sarah held her tongue, figuring she was better off leaving things as they were until she understood her own confusing reactions. Unfortunately, Pegasus wasn¡¯t onboard with that plan.


    Pegasus came closer, and Sarah felt suddenly cornered even though she had room to back up.


    His expression told her nothing of which bits and pieces he was aware of, but she remembered all of it. And it was more than enough to make her uncomfortable with their increasing proximity now that she¡¯d decided to run away. Cowardice was as good an emotion as any.


    She forced a smile and tried to move past him.


    Pegasus stayed where he was, blocking her path. ¡°Maybe you could tell me¡­¡±


    All she had to do was take a step back, but she merely stood there, letting him take her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re not messing with me? You don¡¯t remember what happened?¡± She focused on breathing¡ªand did her voice just waver?


    ¡°Some of it.¡± There was no trace of humor in his tone. ¡°Almost like a dream.¡± His fingers trailed up and down her arm in a caress.


    He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, thumb lingering against her cheek, an all too familiar reminder of the soothing motion he had traced along her wrist sometime in a previous life.


    He smiled, closer still. ¡°I was hoping this part was real.¡±


    His lips pressed softly against hers, a brief contrast with the intensity of the previous night until past and present merged when he pulled her into his arms.


    It felt wonderful for a moment or two¡ªshe couldn¡¯t be sure how many seconds had truly passed¡ªand then her world came crashing down.


    Untethered from any identifiable cause, terror, grief, and a sickening feeling that had no business invading that moment assaulted her, almost tearing her apart in agony. Struggling for air and reason, she shoved him away more forcefully than would have been required, surprising herself as much as him.


    He released her immediately, a startled look on his face which mirrored to perfection how she felt. There had been no need for that. He hadn¡¯t done anything she hadn¡¯t wanted him to. Sarah stared at him, a stilted apology still stuck in her throat along with whatever was squeezing her insides.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± He swallowed whatever else he would have said. There was a trace of sadness behind the surprise in his eyes, then he looked away. His reluctance caught her off guard more than anything. She couldn¡¯t remember ever having seen him that way, so unsure, no trace of amusement or mischief, nothing even close to a smile.


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll go.¡± He darted out the door before she had a chance to say anything.


    Not that she knew what she would say.


    And then it was too late.


    Sarah backed away until she reached the wall. She leaned against it, glad for the support, trying to remember how breathing was supposed to work¡ªsomething about air.


    He¡¯d kissed her again.


    She smiled despite herself, the smile turning to a grimace the next second. She¡¯d literally pushed him away.


    * * *


    Pegasus forced himself to let go of the door handle and walk away from the repository.


    What the hell had he been thinking?


    He really had gone to apologize, but then the memory became clearer.


    Idiot.


    It¡¯s not as if he were surprised by his own feelings¡ªhe¡¯d known it for a while now. He had, however, thought he¡¯d decided not to act on it.


    Well, it was too late now. Idiot. He¡¯d made a mess of things.


    It was a bad sign that he got himself into trouble whenever he did what he wanted to do instead of what he should do. Maybe he was selfish and didn¡¯t know it.


    He¡¯d be lying if he said he hadn¡¯t been surprised¡ªand confused¡ªby Sarah¡¯s reaction.


    She hadn¡¯t acted angry at him, and he hadn¡¯t imagined that she¡¯d kissed him back. Still, the way she pushed him away should leave no doubt of her feelings on the matter.


    And yet he thought she¡ª He shook his head. Maybe he¡¯d been wrong. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time.


    He could apologize later for the¡­ misunderstanding, and maybe irrevocably damaging their friendship, as well as also making a complete fool of himself.


    Speaking of which, there was another apology he should go make. He sighed, a resigned sort of sound if ever there was one. Some part of him had mended enough for that. The only things left there were pain and anger and maybe it was time to let those go as well.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised to find Scorpion in the game room, beating up a punching bag. She was the only one there.


    She stopped when she saw him approaching and started taking off her gloves. He figured that was a good sign, she would¡¯ve kept them on if she intended to hit him.


    Catching his thoughts, she pointed at his bandage. ¡°Doc won¡¯t forgive me if I mess up his work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Better get straight to the point. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep fighting. It was long enough ago, I should be over it by now.¡±


    The carefully worded sentence was as much of an apology as he could muster, but his words didn¡¯t have the desired effect. They only made her angrier.


    ¡°You know, you can give up the act. Stop pretending you¡¯re some kind of saint and I was the only one who screwed up.¡±


    ¡°You broke my heart on purpose.¡± He shrugged his good shoulder. ¡°How was that my fault?¡±


    ¡°I know about you and Robyn!¡± she exploded.


    Had he hit his head when he got out of bed this morning? ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    She looked around as if only then remembering to check if they were alone. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say anything after she died,¡± she said through clenched teeth. ¡°She told me.¡±


    ¡°And you people say I don¡¯t make sense.¡±


    She scowled at him. ¡°She told me about you and her. While we were still together.¡±


    ¡°Did you get a brain injury while I wasn¡¯t looking?¡±


    ¡°Stop! Just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nothing ever happened between me and Robyn.¡± He stopped, finally seeing everything in a new light. ¡°Is that why you were so mad at me? Why you¡¯re still so mad at me?¡±


    Scorpion narrowed her gaze on him. ¡°You¡¯re saying nothing happened?¡±


    ¡°She sucker punched me that one time I made you cry, but I doubt that was foreplay.¡±


    Scorpion struggled, visibly confused. ¡°Then why did she lie?¡±


    ¡°When was this?¡±


    ¡°Right after we broke up.¡±


    Pegasus wasn¡¯t sure if he should laugh. Leave it to Robyn to make such a giant mess while trying to help him.


    ¡°You told her then. About what I said to you. What I did.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to, but she saw you and Lion on the cameras. Besides, did you ever try not telling her something she wanted to know?¡±


    Scorpion conceded his point with a sigh. Robyn had been nothing if not difficult when she put her mind to it.


    ¡°She was getting back at me?¡± Scorpion asked. ¡°And then she died before she could come clean?¡±


    Pegasus nodded, though he doubted Robyn would ever have told the truth unless she¡¯d been forced to.


    Scorpion sat down on the bench, gaze far away as if re-examining everything. She clasped a hand over her mouth, wide eyes staring up at him. ¡°I was so angry at the two of you, and then she was dead, and I focused it all on you. Because maybe, if none of it had happened, I would¡¯ve still been close to her and¡­ maybe something would have been different. I might¡¯ve noticed the switch.¡±


    Pegasus took a seat, placing an arm around her. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have changed anything. She would¡¯ve still been dead.¡±


    For the first time since going their separate ways, she didn¡¯t shrink away from his touch.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was so horrible to you.¡±


    He released a deep breath, letting it draw out all the dark thoughts that had been festering within him this whole time. An odd chuckle escaped him. ¡°How did it get to this, Belle?¡±


    She leaned her head against his shoulder, wiping at her eyes. ¡°You disobeyed orders.¡±


    ¡°What was I supposed to do? Let you die?¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to follow orders.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Some orders can¡¯t be followed.¡±


    Scorpion laughed. ¡°I¡¯m always amazed you survived in the military.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there long enough. I don¡¯t think they noticed.¡±


    Silence prolonged itself again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt you,¡± she whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to react so badly.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you think I¡¯d take it when I saw you with someone else?¡±


    ¡°I did feel bad about it, but then when Robyn said¡­¡± She shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Well, I started thinking you deserved it. And now it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now it¡¯s done.¡±


    They sat that way for the longest time, in silence at first.


    And then they talked, really talked, about everything and nothing in particular, like they hadn¡¯t in over a year. It was like encountering a long-lost friend.


    Slowly, they found their way back to old jokes and common ground. And when it was time to go back to the real world, they found something they¡¯d been so badly missing all that time¡ªan understanding.

 Book II - ch 12: Unwanted Truths

    * * *


    ¡°Stop hovering, it doesn¡¯t make me go any faster,¡± Cypher complained.


    Sarah moved to the side. She looked up at the cameras, pretending she wasn¡¯t there only because she was waiting for him to finish whatever he was doing so he could give her a few minutes of his time.


    A real distraction came soon enough, however, when a familiar face emerged from Zeus¡¯ office. The smile came naturally as she hurried to catch him before he got to the elevator.


    ¡°Hey, Clay, what¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    He stopped, surprised to see her at first, but soon he managed an awkward smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re pulling you over.¡± He¡¯d been assigned to Center after their graduation. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for a change in assignments every once in a while, as had been Scorpion¡¯s case.


    He fidgeted. ¡°No, I was finishing up something from before.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything.¡±


    Her words had an unexpected effect¡ªhe winced. Sarah wondered if she would have noticed these things so clearly before, in her old life.


    ¡°I should probably tell you something.¡± Nothing in his face matched his words. He looked like he¡¯d rather take a stroll through the wrong side of a shooting range than keep talking to her.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He lowered his voice. ¡°I know you¡¯re going to freak out and get mad at me for this, but please don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good start. What is it?¡±


    He shifted uneasily.


    ¡°Clay, out with it.¡±


    He hunched over, unwilling to meet her gaze. ¡°Zeus asked me to keep an eye on you, as a favor.¡±


    ¡°Did you befriend me because he ordered you to? Were you even a recruit or were you a plant?¡±


    ¡°No! I really was a recruit.¡± He lowered his voice again with a surreptitious glance around. ¡°But I¡¯m a war orphan, so he knew he could ask me. He asked me to look after you, nothing more. He was worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Worried about me in what way?¡± She didn¡¯t even try to hide her suspicion.


    ¡°Not worried you were a threat or anything,¡± he corrected quickly. ¡°He said you¡¯d gone through some stuff and that you might need someone to¡­ well¡­ be a friend.¡±


    Sarah did her best not to show how upset she was by his words. By the look on his face, she didn¡¯t succeed.


    ¡°Your friendship was an unexpected surprise. A good surprise.¡±


    Sarah turned to leave. ¡°Yeah, sure, whatever.¡±


    He followed after her. ¡°You¡¯re really going to be like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be angry at you, but I can¡¯t help it right now.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Not really, no.¡± How many times had she shared her feelings with him? How much of herself had she exposed to him only to have it passed on to someone else?


    ¡°Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Sparrow.¡± She used his codename on purpose, figuring that would distance herself from him a little further.


    She walked away without a backwards glance. Her steps slowed when she saw Pegasus had been watching. He¡¯d probably seen the entire thing.


    A pang of guilt about how she¡¯d pushed him away earlier brought her fully to a halt, almost made her walk his way.


    Another insidious thought snuck its way to the forefront of her mind. Had Pegasus known about Clay? Had he known Clay was spying on her for Zeus?


    Was that what Pegasus had done as well? Had that been the reason he was always seeking her out? He was another one of Zeus¡¯ pets after all.


    Her feet moved on their own, taking her away from him towards the elevator.


    She didn¡¯t think she could deal with those answers right now.


    Pegasus intercepted her as she reached the elevator. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Sarah avoided his eyes, staring at the closed doors. The questions lingered on the tip of her tongue.


    The elevator doors opened.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about whatever it is?¡±


    His words, a perfect mirror to Clay¡¯s, felt like a slap in the face. ¡°I don¡¯t need to talk about everything.¡±


    He retreated, surprised.


    Ah, hell. She shouldn¡¯t have snapped at him.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t wanna talk.¡± She put all her strength into pressing the door close button, determined to make her escape.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t follow her into the elevator. She didn¡¯t think she could handle it right now.


    She could pretend all she wanted, but what Clay said hurt more than it angered her. He¡¯d been her friend, her only real friend, at the academy. No one was rude, but he was the only one who made an effort to spend time with her, to include her. To find out that he¡¯d been asked¡ªor maybe ordered would be a better word¡ªto monitor her¡­ Well, it was a blow.


    It might¡¯ve been out of concern for her, but she still felt betrayed.


    All in all, she could probably do without talking to anyone for the time being. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t last nearly as long as she would¡¯ve wished. It didn¡¯t even last two whole days.


    * * *


    ¡°Come on!¡± Jeremy tightened his grip on her hand as he ran down the sidewalk.


    ¡°Slow down. I haven¡¯t done any real running since the last soccer game my final year.¡±


    When they were almost at his house, he released her hand, coming to a stop in front of her. ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


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    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Sarah, just do it.¡±


    She reluctantly shut her eyes. His steps shifted behind her, and she could tell he was standing now between her and the scorching sun. His hands covered her eyes next as he leaned closer to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you,¡± he whispered into her left ear.


    Sarah stumbled forward in the odd reddish dark. It felt like they should be getting to his house soon. ¡°Can I open my eyes now?¡±


    ¡°Hang on, don¡¯t spoil the surprise.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± It wasn¡¯t her birthday or their anniversary.


    ¡°I have a surprise.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like surprises,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°I wanna know it¡¯s hell before I smell the sulfur.¡±


    He chuckled, hands shaking in front of her eyes. ¡°Where did you get that from?¡±


    ¡°I heard it somewhere.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Now what¡¯s the surprise?¡±


    He removed his hands all of a sudden. ¡°Ta da!¡±


    Sarah blinked her eyes open, adjusting to the brightness. They¡¯d arrived at Jeremy¡¯s house. There was an ugly olive-colored car in the driveway that looked mildly familiar.


    Jeremy turned to her, beaming. ¡°I got it off my brother. What do you think?¡±


    She really wanted to say something unkind about the color, but it was a car. ¡°Congrats!¡±


    ¡°Come on, test it out!¡± He brought her over to the passenger¡¯s seat, opening the door for her, then ran around to the other side.


    He turned on the car, turning knobs and pressing buttons. A kid with a new toy.


    The radio came on automatically.


    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t gotten anything set up yet,¡± he said.


    The president was speaking. Sarah checked her watch. Was it time for his weekly public address?


    His voice became louder, clearer, as he talked about the deaths. What deaths? Sarah went to turn the volume up, but her hand brushed the wrong knob and the station shifted to white noise. She quickly changed it back, but when the president¡¯s voice once more returned, it was calm, as if nothing happened.


    She turned to look at Jeremy, ready to ask him if he¡¯d heard it too. But Jeremy was testing out the windshield wipers, the same excited smile on his face.


    Despite the heat, a chill ran through her.


    * * *


    Sarah rubbed at her eyes, frowning down at the layout. She could have sworn there was another exit drawn there a moment ago.


    She counted the exits again: one, two.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right. There should be three.


    With a frustrated breath, she went through the layout again, tracing the outer lines with her finger like a child playing with a maze.


    Three exits, she confirmed.


    Pegasus was suddenly right next to her. ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding me.¡±


    Her mouth opened, but the reply changed at least a dozen times in her mind before it actually formed on her lips. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She wished with all her confused little heart that she had a proper answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the other night. I was supposed to be helping you deal with your difficulties, not add to them.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t thinking straight. And you already apologized for that. Sort of.¡± Right before he kissed her again in the repository. She felt again that odd mix of elation and misery.


    This time he was the one who avoided her gaze. ¡°I know my track record for apologies isn¡¯t exactly stellar. I¡¯m also very sorry for misreading the situation the second time¡­ and misreading you.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t say he had, not entirely. Not at all maybe. But then again, she had no idea what was going on in her head. Just thinking about it tossed her emotions into turmoil. Cold sweat formed on her palms.


    ¡°Sarah?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can talk about that right now.¡± She could try blaming it on Clay¡¯s confession and the paranoid thought that maybe Pegasus was there for the same reason¡ªto keep an eye on her¡ªbut her feelings were too messed up. She needed more time to sort through it all before talking to him.


    Unaware of her inner struggles, Pegasus nodded, offering her a smile. ¡°Alright, no talking about it.¡± As if it were as simple as that to pretend that none of it happened.


    Sarah wasn¡¯t sure she could, but Pegasus had accepted it easily enough. Maybe it didn¡¯t truly matter to him. She berated herself the next second for the accusation in her thoughts. It was what she¡¯d asked of him. Still, it didn¡¯t mean that she had to be happy about how easily he complied.


    ¡°If you still want to go to the park and don¡¯t mind my coming along, we can go next week.¡±


    Sarah nodded, trying to act normal, whatever that was for her.


    He hesitated a while longer, but said nothing more before moving away to where Scorpion had caught his attention with hand signals.


    Something had changed since that day she¡¯d seen them arguing in the corridor. What or how, she didn¡¯t know, but there was a camaraderie there that she hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    Sarah hated admitting to herself that she might be jealous. She had no right to be.


    Analyzing their private exchange, she felt more than saw someone observing her. She turned out of reflex and met Griffon¡¯s gaze. If he¡¯d noticed anything, she couldn¡¯t tell. But then she couldn¡¯t tell what Griffon was thinking most of the time.


    He directed her into the conference room. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    She took one of the first seats. Griffon followed her in, Unicorn, Pegasus, Mermaid, and Scorpion on his trail.


    Mermaid took a seat up front left of Pegasus, Scorpion pulled a chair over to the corner to their right and Unicorn settled behind them. Sarah thought that completed the set, but then Cypher came in and closed the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m uploading the new schematics,¡± he said, taking a seat next to where Griffon was standing.


    Sarah stared down at her screen and blinked at the image, trying to get rid of the strange feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. There were only two exits again.


    ¡°Hawk confirmed one of the exits was lost last week,¡± Griffon said. ¡°We can probably blow through it if necessary, but there¡¯s a ton of debris and flammables between the outside and the main area now.¡±


    ¡°Yay,¡± Mermaid grumbled.


    ¡°Their numbers haven¡¯t changed since this morning, so we¡¯ll be heading in to provide Hawk¡¯s team some support.¡±


    ¡°What? They can¡¯t handle twenty guys on their own?¡±


    Griffon didn¡¯t even crack a smile. ¡°We want as many as we can alive, but I don¡¯t want anyone on my team dead. Do you understand?¡±


    Mermaid raised a hand. ¡°Anyone dies, they¡¯ll have to answer to me.¡±


    Griffon fixed his gaze on her. ¡°Is it going to be one of those days, Madeleine?¡±


    She sunk back in her seat, looking appropriately subdued.


    Griffon brought an image up on the screen. Sarah had no idea what she was looking at. By the looks on the others¡¯ faces, she was not the only one.


    Scorpion whistled low. ¡°Whiskey¡­¡±


    ¡°Tango¡­¡± Pegasus joined in.


    ¡°Foxtrot,¡± Scorpion finished.


    Mermaid laughed. ¡°You know, Foxtrot really hates it when you do that.¡±


    ¡°So does Tango.¡±


    ¡°Whiskey doesn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Scorpion laughed. ¡°No, but she always thinks we¡¯re talking to her.¡±


    ¡°Foxtrot¡¯s the one you should be worrying about pissing off,¡± Mermaid said. ¡°Didn¡¯t he finish combat training before deciding he¡¯d rather work as an analyst?¡±


    Pegasus nodded. ¡°He switched over two hours before graduation, that¡¯s how he got Foxtrot as a codename. Still does his weapons training regularly.¡±


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t give him a gun, have you seen him at the gym?¡± Scorpion grabbed Pegasus¡¯ arm. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he uses those muscles for, but his arms are thicker than yours.¡±


    Everyone had stopped what they were doing and were staring at Pegasus and Scorpion.


    ¡°Something¡¯s changed, are you guys back together?¡±


    ¡°What? No,¡± Scorpion protested.


    Sarah was looking at Pegasus, all but holding her breath as she waited for his response, but he was laughing.


    Griffon leaned back against the table and glared at them. ¡°You two, behave.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Pegasus said.


    ¡°And it¡¯s not like you were saying anything important,¡± Mermaid said.


    ¡°Is it weird that I miss the fighting?¡± Griffon asked.


    But even Sarah could tell he wasn¡¯t serious. The feel of the room was different. It had been from the start and she hadn¡¯t been able to put a finger on it until that moment.


    ¡°Can we go back to the mission planning?¡± Griffon asked, tearing her attention away.


    Scorpion pressed her lips together, fighting back a smile. ¡°Whenever you feel like it, boss.¡±


    He glared at her and moved back to the center of the room. ¡°Hawk will hopefully have something for us later today.¡±


    ¡°What about the secondary cell we¡¯ve been monitoring?¡± Pegasus asked. ¡°Did that lead us anywhere yet?¡±


    Unicorn shook her head. ¡°Hydra¡¯s got the watch and Sphynx is taking over at 0200.¡±


    Sarah blinked at the screen, the words suddenly getting away from her. She pressed her eyes tightly shut and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, everything was normal, but the words were slightly different, and Cypher was sitting beside her as if he¡¯d been there all along. She wasn¡¯t sure if she actually missed an entire chunk of time.


    ¡°Lore should be here shortly,¡± Cypher said.


    Lore was coming over?


    ¡°And they still haven¡¯t told you anything?¡± Griffon asked.


    Cypher shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s supposed to take over November¡¯s work, I¡¯m not sure how that¡¯ll help. I mean, November can do November¡¯s work. Hell, the cook who likes baking pies could do November¡¯s work.¡±


    Mermaid laughed. Griffon complained.


    ¡°Now, you guys may not know this, and it hurts my pride a little to say it,¡± Cypher continued, ¡°but she¡¯s better than me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweetie, don¡¯t worry yourself too much. We¡¯ve always known,¡± Unicorn said, barely keeping a straight face.


    A loud bang from the corner of the room alarmed Sarah. She drew in a sharp breath, choking on the warm air that invaded her lungs.


    She struggled to suppress a cough, but her lungs and throat didn¡¯t want to obey. The smell of something burning invaded her nostrils. She almost knocked over her chair when she pushed herself away from the table. It was burning her.


    Sarah covered her mouth with a hand, but still it burned and choked her. She couldn¡¯t breathe anymore, tucked in the corner, coughing.


    ¡°Phoenix, do you have anything you want to say?¡±


    She blinked away the sting in her eyes, a couple more coughs lingering as she pushed her chair away¡ªit hadn¡¯t fallen after all.


    ¡°Sorry, I need some water.¡± She rushed to the door, glancing back to wave aside their concerned inquiries. Confused, she would¡¯ve paused for a moment longer if the coughing had let her. When did Cypher move back to the other seat?

 Book II - ch 13: Barely Gone and Not at All Forgotten

    * * *


    Sarah made her way through the southeast corridor, Mermaid and Scorpion were with her. Pegasus, Unicorn, and Griffon were at the north entrance. Wolf, Hawk and Eagle were waiting outside for their cue.


    They had already taken out the outside surveillance without exposing their presence. Only two more rooms between them and the stairs straight ahead.


    So far, so good. And she was being optimistic.


    Shots sounded. Griffon and the others had been discovered.


    Scorpion signaled they pick up their pace, stealth no longer a main concern. Wolf and his team should be coming in. The rest of them needed to make it to the second floor as quickly as possible. One of their targets came rushing out of the room on the right, weapon drawn on them.


    The world turned to slow motion in Sarah¡¯s mind. She pointed her gun at him, ready to take the shot. One of her teammates appeared behind him from the other side of the hall, gun pressed to his temple. Sarah¡¯s finger eased on the trigger just in time.


    The woman told him to put the gun down, and he was lowering it, his other hand already raised in surrender.


    Her mind struggled to make sense of it. It was Robyn¡¯s voice!


    The woman¡¯s mask stopped her from seeing her face, but how could she not know her own sister¡¯s voice?


    A shot sounded. Another shot. A shout followed suit.


    With a delay, she realized she¡¯d been the one to fire the second shot at their attacker.


    The man faltered.


    Her sister, or whoever it was, had vanished like a trick of light.


    The terrorist fell motionless in front of her.


    Behind her, Mermaid was on the ground.


    Scorpion was checking her, relaying what had happened back to Griffon.


    Sarah quickly confirmed the terrorist was dead before heading to Mermaid.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Scorpion shouted when Sarah approached.


    Sarah had no idea what had happened. ¡°Who was that?¡±


    ¡°Someone you were supposed to shoot!¡±


    ¡°Not now,¡± Griffon said as he joined them. Apparently, he¡¯d come to their aid.


    ¡°Phoenix, escort Mermaid back to the van. Scorpion, with me.¡±


    Sarah helped Mermaid up. The bullet had lodged in her body armor.


    Shots became more distant as they headed out of the building.


    Snake signaled them all was clear when they reached the van.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sarah said repeatedly as she helped Mermaid out of her vest to check the damage underneath.


    There was a bruise forming on the right side of her upper back.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt too bad,¡± Mermaid said, readjusting her shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll be good to go by the Foundation Day party.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Sarah didn¡¯t¡ªcouldn¡¯t¡ªoffer an adequate explanation.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Sarah nodded, but that was surely a lie.


    She¡¯d heard Robyn. Worse, she¡¯d seen her there, seen someone. Even if it were a trick of light and shadow, she could swear that the terrorist had lowered his weapon. But there wasn¡¯t anyone else there who could¡¯ve shot Mermaid. None of it made sense.


    The others came back sooner than she expected. There were no major injuries reported. No one asked her about her mistake, no one spoke to her, and she was satisfied with that.


    Although she knew it wouldn¡¯t last, she was hoping she could make it back to the compound without having to say anything at all. All she had to do was survive a thirty-minute flight. Of course, that was too much to ask for. The plane had barely taken off when the shouting began.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Scorpion asked. ¡°She froze up.¡±


    Sarah looked up to find them all looking at her.


    ¡°Phoenix, what happened?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take the shot?¡± Scorpion insisted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know I messed up, but I don¡¯t know what happened. I thought I saw him lowering his weapon.¡±


    Pegasus frowned at her. Sarah pulled away from his gaze, afraid he¡¯d see right through her. She knew she¡¯d have to explain herself, it was inevitable, but she wished she could put it off a little while longer until she understood it herself. Though an eternity would not be available anytime soon.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Sarah apologized again to Mermaid and excused herself, moving to the back of the plane when no one objected.


    She closed her eyes, and the images came back to haunt her in the darkness. Replaying in perfect clarity, as if there were no doubt in her mind, the man lowered his weapon and raised his free hand as the woman pressed her gun to his head.


    Sarah¡¯s fists gripped the armrest and squeezed. Had she really lost it?


    ¡°Sarah?¡±


    She opened her eyes to find Pegasus standing there, watching her. They hadn¡¯t had a proper conversation since she shut him down, but the awkwardness wasn¡¯t as bad as she expected. She moved to the window seat, and he took the vacated spot.


    He leaned back as if settling in to take a nap. Sarah opened the window shades and looked out at the clouds. She could see them just below the stars, forming a fluffy gray mattress under the plane. The moon was somewhere in the distance, bright and almost full.


    ¡°Thinking of jumping?¡± Pegasus asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Never mind the glass, I¡¯d get stuck halfway out that tiny hole.¡±


    He leaned closer to her under the pretext of looking out the window. ¡°Do you want to tell me the truth now?¡±


    Had he been the one selected to come interrogate her?


    She glanced over towards the front of the plane. Scorpion was focused on her computer, Griffon was talking with Unicorn, and she could barely make out the edge of Mermaid¡¯s boots where she¡¯d spread herself across a few seats.


    Illusory as it may be, the lack of attention allowed her to relax a little. She turned back to Pegasus, half-expecting him to be pretending to sleep again.


    He was looking at her. Patiently, but expectantly.


    She let the air out slowly. ¡°I thought I saw something, just for a second, out of the corner of my eyes.¡± It didn¡¯t sound so bad then. ¡°It caught me by surprise.¡±


    ¡°What did you think you saw?¡±


    She didn¡¯t want him to think she was crazy, if only because she was still trying to convince herself she wasn¡¯t.


    He lowered his voice even more. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to say something during the debriefing.¡±


    She let out a breath, the name escaping along with it. ¡°Robyn. I thought I saw Robyn. I know it¡¯s not possible. But it made me pause for a moment. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know why that happened.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s being back at the compound, back where you lost her, emotionally speaking.¡±


    Lost¡­ that was a new sort of euphemism for shooting your sister.


    The familiar pain came even though her sister hadn¡¯t been the one to die there. Her mind hadn¡¯t been great with separating the two Robyns so far. She shoved the thought away before her mind dove further into that misery.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t think I¡¯m crazy?¡±


    Mischief colored his smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°Are you incapable of giving a straight answer to anything?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe. I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Are you gonna make me go talk to Athena?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, but then you¡¯re not my responsibility, are you?¡±


    She glanced over at Unicorn and Griffon.


    The plane started descending and seatbelts clicked into place throughout the small plane. Out the window, Sarah could identify the buildings already.


    ¡°Would you meet me at the garden after the debriefing?¡± he asked.


    She was tempted to say no, but she didn¡¯t want to be alone with her thoughts. And, regardless of their confusing current situation, he was the closest thing to a friend she had here. He was the closest thing to anything she had left. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s pizza around?¡±


    He grinned. ¡°I bet I can get some.¡±


    The debriefing wasn¡¯t as bad as Sarah expected. She told them she thought she¡¯d seen one of their own in the hallway behind the target, maybe a shadow. And for some reason, her mind pictured that shadow as Robyn. As for not shooting, it might¡¯ve been a combination of being distracted by that shadow enough that she mistook whatever motion the terrorist was doing for lowering his weapon. It sounded much more plausible and slightly less insane than the whole truth would have. Either way, she was ordered to go see Athena the following day, and she was grounded pending Griffon¡¯s and Athena¡¯s evaluation.


    Going to the garden afterwards felt like an escape. There was something about those trees, about that place, that she adored.


    Pegasus was already inside waiting for her.


    ¡°Is this place always empty?¡± she asked.


    He placed his tablet down on the table and pulled a chair out. The motion made him wince.


    ¡°How¡¯s your arm?¡±


    ¡°Fine enough. The muscles aren¡¯t completely healed. Today didn¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for going back out so soon.¡±


    He waved off her criticism. ¡°So, how¡¯d it go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m grounded and I have to talk to Athena tomorrow.¡±


    He pushed a plastic container across the table towards her.


    She laughed. ¡°Pizza?¡±


    ¡°Cold pizza from two days ago.¡±


    She opened the lid and pulled out a slice. ¡°Won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright now?¡±


    She nodded, wondering if that was a half-truth if not a complete lie. ¡°Maybe this happened because I¡¯ve been dreaming of Robyn a lot lately.¡±


    ¡°Is she going on about how she hates the color white and how it¡¯s not even a real color? Because I¡¯ve had several nightmares that went like that.¡±


    Sarah laughed, trying not to choke on her pizza.


    Pegasus grabbed half a slice from the container. ¡°What do you dream about?¡±


    ¡°Being home. I don¡¯t really remember all of it. But I know my parents are there sometimes, and so is Robyn. And it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a perfect day in the life or anything¡­ but it always is, because they¡¯re there, you know?¡±


    She fought to stop the suddenly emerging tears, but she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes from watering.


    Pegasus was nice enough to pretend he wasn¡¯t seeing any of it while still looking right at her.


    ¡°Are you still going over the recordings?¡±


    ¡°Only a couple of times.¡± At least a little every day. Could that have played a part in causing her hallucination? ¡°Maybe more than I should.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    Sara stared at the pizza slice in her hands. He might wind up confiscating the recordings if he thought they were to blame for her mental mishaps. ¡°I¡¯ll set the recordings aside for now.¡±


    Pegasus looked relieved. ¡°Did I tell you about the time Robyn ran around in skates inside the compound?¡±


    Sarah¡¯s eyes widened. Surely he was joking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it started. She and Scorpion were talking about recreation for recreation¡¯s sake versus training in our spare time. I¡¯m sure you can guess who was advocating which.¡±


    Sarah nodded. Her sister would not be a fan of working during her down time, she was sure of that.


    ¡°Anyway, she started going around on these skates, even upstairs.¡±


    While she listened, Sarah was once again surprised by how natural it felt to talk to him, but something was different. What should have felt like enough to her, didn¡¯t¡ªnot anymore. Pegasus, on the other hand, true to his promise, had left the matter aside and gone back to how they interacted before. She was left to pretend it didn¡¯t bother her as much as it did. Perhaps it had been some whim on his part and nothing more. She realized she¡¯d missed part of what he was saying.


    ¡°She knocked him right into the recruits and we went around calling it a strike for a while after that. She was not happy.¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± someone said from the other side of the garden.


    Sarah whirled around, startled to hear another person¡¯s voice¡ªshe hadn¡¯t heard the door.


    She scanned the entire place. There was no one else there.


    A touch brought her back to the moment. She turned to face Pegasus, wondering what they¡¯d been talking about. She looked down at where he was touching her forearm, but made no move to pull away.


    He removed his hand awkwardly, placing it flat against the table. ¡°Are you still with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

 Book II – ch 14: Mirage

    * * *


    The grainy footage didn¡¯t help as much as she hoped it would.


    Filtering out the surrounding voices from everyone passing through Comm, Sarah tilted the screen down so she could rest her elbows on the table.


    She opened Scorpion¡¯s body cam recording from her¡ªshould she call it an incident? Mental hiccough? Full-blown hallucination?


    Her own body cam footage had been disturbing enough. She saw no hesitation in the target¡¯s movements. Nothing that could have been interpreted as him surrendering.


    Mermaid¡¯s camera hadn¡¯t caught anything useful; she¡¯d had her back turned the entire time.


    She¡¯d been hoping Scorpion¡¯s point of view would show her something more. Her own back was all she could see as Scorpion trailed behind her after stopping to check one of the doors on the other side of the hallway.


    She saw it then, a glimpse of a stilted scene before everything unfolded into chaos.


    She played it back again at half speed.


    Her memory of the event interfered with what she saw now from a different angle. It looked as if she¡¯d simply hesitated, allowing the man time to take his shot.


    There was nothing, no shimmer of light, no haze on the recording, no shadow that she could have confused for a person.


    What was she even expecting? All she saw was herself, frozen for a single second that had felt like forever.


    She stared at the screen as the rest of the recording played out, but she wasn¡¯t paying attention anymore. It wasn¡¯t until she heard familiar voices that she snapped out of it.


    She closed the window quickly as Pegasus and Griffon came to the station she was using.


    ¡°Phoenix, could you check the hangar for me?¡± Griffon asked.


    A glance confirmed that all the other stations were currently occupied.


    ¡°We need to see if there are any planes available,¡± Pegasus said when she merely stared at them like an idiot.


    She turned back to the computer, going through the options on the screen without knowing what she was looking for.


    ¡°They really should include basic training for mundane tasks in our training programs,¡± Griffon said.


    Pegasus came around the desk, making no secret that he was laughing at her ineptitude. ¡°You point with the pointer at the thing that says flight schedules and click.¡± He placed a hand over hers to guide the tasks as he described them.


    ¡°Did you check the airlines?¡± Griffon at least wasn¡¯t making any more jokes at her expense.


    Pegasus nodded, still taking her hand along for the ride. ¡°They only have a plane leaving at 23:59 tomorrow.¡±


    She pulled her hand away to allow Pegasus full control of the mouse. At least, she hoped that¡¯s what it looked like. She¡¯d rather they not see she was still embarrassed around him.


    He was still leaning over her shoulder and a little too close for her comfort. She glanced briefly at his face, but his attention was focused on checking fuel and schedules for their planes.


    Hyperaware of the awkwardness that seemed to exist only inside her head, she edged her chair away to give him some more space¡ªor give herself some.


    It was getting harder for her to pretend there was nothing there. She couldn¡¯t fool herself, no matter how much she wanted to, and she wasn¡¯t sure she was fooling him at all.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s only until Monday,¡± Griffon said, paying no more attention to her than she had to him, but it let her get unstuck from her own thoughts.


    ¡°Have you discussed this with Deacon?¡± Pegasus released the mouse, but had yet to move away¡ªor enough that she could get out of her chair.


    ¡°He¡¯s still taking care of that business with Bear¡¯s little cousin. Minerva was kind enough to give me a hand, but she¡¯s got about as much experience relocating someone as I do.¡±


    Pegasus smiled. ¡°Your mother will be fine.¡±


    Sarah looked up at that. How easy it was to forget that some of the people here still had a family, still had someone to protect.


    ¡°She hates planes,¡± Griffon grumbled.


    Pegasus laughed, tapping the screen. ¡°I knew there was a plane available. We can have you there in a few hours.¡±


    Griffon nodded. ¡°If you need me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s gonna need you,¡± Pegasus argued. ¡°It¡¯s Foundation Week. Everything is under control by some sort of miracle, and we¡¯re not on call tonight.¡±


    ¡°Calm before the storm,¡± Griffon said. ¡°Are you going this time?¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Pegasus shrugged.


    ¡°You might as well have some fun. Who knows when you¡¯ll get the chance.¡±


    Pegasus looked at Sarah, considering.


    Sarah had almost thought they¡¯d forgotten she was there.


    By the way Griffon suddenly straightened himself, he certainly had. ¡°Sorry, Phoenix. We¡¯ll let you get back to work now. Thanks.¡±


    Pegasus moved away more slowly, looking like he still wanted to say something more. ¡°See you later.¡±


    Sarah was so distracted watching them that she almost had a heart attack when someone pulled her chair away from the desk and spun her around.


    ¡°What are you still doing there?¡± Mermaid asked, crossing her arms.


    Sarah hung on to the armrests, afraid she¡¯d be spun around again. ¡°I was¡­ uh¡­ looking over some stuff.¡±


    ¡°Stuff can wait!¡± Mermaid declared. ¡°It¡¯s party time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not until at least another two or three hours.¡± And she wasn¡¯t exactly in the mood for it.


    ¡°Just enough time to get ready and head over! We¡¯re going out this time.¡±


    ¡°Is that really going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°We all need a break sometimes, Phoenix.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re supposed to leave our guns behind and go have fun?¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself, I¡¯m taking my guns.¡± Mermaid smiled brightly. ¡°The whole team is free this year. At the same time. It¡¯s like a miracle. Personally, I think Cypher did something naughty.¡±


    Sarah blinked up at Mermaid with a perplexed expression. In the strangest twist of fate, Mermaid had taken up the reigns of cheering Sarah up since she¡¯d been grounded.


    The weirdest part was perhaps that Mermaid was the person least worried about having gotten shot¡ªkinda¡ªdue to Sarah¡¯s stupidity. It was almost as if she felt bad that her getting shot had led to Sarah¡¯s suspension.


    ¡°Unicorn said I could have the honor of escorting you to your first Foundation Day celebration.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was Foundation Week.¡± She¡¯d heard several of the others saying they usually celebrated the foundation of the W.R.O.


    ¡°They spread out the festivities so we can take turns getting some time off. Normally we stay here, but this time since most of the team has time off, we figured we¡¯d do it properly.¡± Mermaid leaned against the desk and offered her a more contained, but infinitely more sincere smile. ¡°Please come along. There¡¯ll be food, drinks, music, silly games, anything you could possibly want in the realm of silly distractions for a night. It¡¯ll be fun, I promise.¡±


    Reluctantly, Sarah nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come get you in two hours, be ready.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you ready?¡± Robyn asked.


    Sarah looked down at herself, expecting to find herself ready to go out.


    No, still in her comfy pants and old t-shirt.


    Robyn yawned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Jeremy would be here any minute?¡±


    ¡°So you were listening to me.¡±


    ¡°I just pretend not to sometimes.¡±


    Sarah stuck her tongue out at her. What time was she going out again?


    ¡°That boy takes longer than any girl to get ready,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°If it¡¯s anything like last time, I¡¯ll be asleep by the time he shows up.¡± Robyn started braiding her hair.


    ¡°That¡¯s only because you stayed up until dawn studying for that test today.¡± Mom pulled Robyn closer to give her a kiss, but Robyn flailed, trying to get away from her. ¡°Stay still.¡±


    Robyn gave up, holding the separated strands of her hair up as Mom kissed her. ¡°Okay, let me finish braiding my hair now.¡±


    Sarah walked to her bedroom to get changed.


    Laughter reached her from the living room, becoming distant until it was gone.


    She suddenly felt so very lonely, and she didn¡¯t know why.


    * * *


    Back in her room, Sarah wondered if she had time for a quick nap before Mermaid showed up. She was tired, but not actually sleepy.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m too tired to sleep,¡± she whispered to herself.


    ¡°Want me to knock you out with that lamp? Because I will if you don¡¯t turn it off. I thought you were leaving. Get out of here!¡±


    She whirled around, almost choking on her own breath. Sitting there on her bed, half-highlighted by the moonlight coming in from the window, was her sister. ¡°Robyn?!?¡±


    ¡°No, dumdum, the tooth fairy.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re¡ª¡± She stopped before the word dead could escape her lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m what? Awake? Yes, I am. Are you?¡±


    Sarah turned to the window. There were no windows here. At least, there weren¡¯t supposed to be¡­ But¡­ this was her room, and her room did have a window.


    And why shouldn¡¯t Robyn be there?


    ¡°Hey, Sarah, you sure you¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered, uncertain.


    When she blinked again, her eyes fluttered open. A strange dizzying feeling consumed her when she wasn¡¯t where she thought she¡¯d been a moment ago.


    Sarah glanced at her watch, surprised to see how much time had passed. She didn¡¯t remember falling asleep. There were only a few minutes before she had to meet Mermaid. Sarah rubbed her eyes, holding back the urge to scream.


    When she went upstairs, she did her best to hide the fact that she felt like crying. Mermaid waved her over as soon as Sarah stepped out of the elevator. Long curly dark hair flowing down to her waist, one would think she was trying to impersonate her namesake.


    ¡°Where have you been hiding that?¡± Sarah asked.


    Mermaid laughed. ¡°Why do you think my hair is always in a braid?¡±


    Sarah shrugged. ¡°My sister did that when she was being lazy about brushing her hair.¡±


    Looking over her shoulder, Mermaid waved her arms in the air. ¡°Our new arrival is just in time for the celebrations.¡±


    Their guest seemed to be in her late thirties, light brown hair barely brushing against her shoulders. She was dressed as if she worked in an office, an obvious contrast to Mermaid¡¯s flowery dress.


    ¡°Phoenix, have you met Lore in person?¡± Mermaid asked once she¡¯d ushered them into the elevator heading to the garage.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Nice to meet you.¡± They¡¯d only sent messages back and forth, but never spoken directly or even chatted via video.


    The mention of her name made the woman smile. ¡°You¡¯re one of my helpers.¡±


    ¡°I try,¡± Sarah said. ¡°When I don¡¯t send the wrong file twice in a row.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it makes you feel any better, one of the files you sent over by mistake might be helpful.¡±


    ¡°Okay, great then.¡±


    ¡°There are still some things I want to check before I sound any alarms. Someone may have made a mistake back then. I need to confirm it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the useful things.¡± Mermaid tossed her arms over their shoulders. ¡°Tonight is not a night for useful things.¡±


    Lore brushed a strand of hair behind her ear awkwardly. ¡°Right. Tonight we pretend the world isn¡¯t there.¡±


    Sarah laughed, deciding she liked Lore.


    Mermaid wrapped an arm around Lore¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t be grumpy. You¡¯ll get to go to the theater another day, right?¡±


    Lore nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to go next Friday.¡±


    The process of getting a code and setting a password was now as familiar as logging into the computers.


    Stunted Flowers Leave No Leaves Carried, Sarah repeated to herself, pretending that made sense.


    Getting a car was also easy enough. All they had to do was log it out.


    ¡°I feel like I should stay and get some work done,¡± Lore objected, more reluctant than Sarah felt.


    ¡°You can work tomorrow.¡± Mermaid tossed Sarah the car keys.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to know.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll recognize hell by the smell of sulfur?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± Mermaid plopped down onto the passenger¡¯s seat. ¡°Come on! Rock and roll!¡±


    Sarah resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±

 Book II - ch 15: Living the Dream

    * * *


    Sarah guessed where they were headed once they got onto the highway. There was nothing much west of the city that would interest them except the main compound for the W.R.O. where the Crisis Center and orphanage was located. They called that entire area comprising the publicly visible divisions of the W.R.O. their campus, though there was no university or college there.


    Sarah had only been there a few times, and only at the orphanage. Her school had done a couple of events for the children there. Sarah wondered how many of those children would end up at the compound when they grew up. Like Pegasus.


    Past countless other buildings, Mermaid directed Sarah to drive to an isolated parking lot near the southern outer wall. Several cars were already there.


    Sarah stopped halfway to the door, turning back to the parking lot. ¡°Did I lock the car?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s gonna steal a car here?¡± Mermaid asked.


    ¡°If they do, I¡¯ll never hear the end of it.¡± Sarah pressed the lock button, satisfied with the responding beep.


    Impatient, Mermaid dragged Lore and her along to the main building, from where music was emanating.


    Guards were doing their rounds nearby. Apparently pretending the real world didn¡¯t exist only went so far. Mermaid seemed more than happy to go along with the pretense though, and Sarah figured she might as well try.


    Lore abandoned them as soon as they went through the door, saying something about talking to Cypher about work.


    Sarah spotted Scorpion and Unicorn dancing, and there were a few people there she didn¡¯t recognize. Unwilling to go hang out with Scorpion, she searched for other familiar faces.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Mermaid said. ¡°Want anything?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    Sarah was still deciding whether she should wait for Mermaid there or go sit down at a table when Pegasus suddenly appeared.


    ¡°How come you¡¯re alone?¡± he asked.


    Sarah instinctively backed away. He reeked of alcohol. ¡°Are you drinking or bathing in it?¡±


    ¡°Only water actually in me. Unless bourbon can be absorbed via skin.¡± He sniffed his shirt. ¡°At least I think it¡¯s bourbon. Why? Were you planning on getting me drunk so you could have your way with me?¡±


    ¡°Would I really have to go to all that trouble?¡±


    He looked as surprised as she was by her playful response. ¡°Not when you say it like that.¡± An added seriousness to the mischief in his eyes, he erased the distance between them. Before she could say anything more, he kissed her.


    Sarah responded, tentatively at first, but soon all her worries and inexplicable hesitation vanished. It felt so natural having his arms around her, as if they belonged that way¡ªtogether. And that¡¯s when it all came flooding back. The cold, strangling fear gripped her as if her heart were being ripped from her chest.


    She pulled away, struggling to catch her breath. ¡°I need a drink.¡±


    Making a beeline for where the bar seemed to be set up, she didn¡¯t dare look back as she ran away from him.


    What the hell was that?


    Hands shaking, she couldn¡¯t even control her breathing. It was a miracle she made it to the bar.


    She searched for a water, the last thing she needed was to take a leave of her senses¡ªshe was confused enough as it was.


    Water in hand, she refused to head back, avoiding having to face Pegasus. Had he noticed her reaction? She knew she¡¯d have to explain herself sooner or later, but where should she even start? It felt like she¡¯d been dying.


    She gulped down the water, trying to calm herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t drink that too fast.¡± Griffon held up his water bottle to toast her with it.


    Sarah touched the bottom of her bottle to his. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°With what?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you going somewhere? Something about your mother? You guys were looking for a plane today.¡±


    Griffon laughed. ¡°Who told you that? And who was looking for a plane? I spent the entire day over at Center.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen me today?¡±


    ¡°Does now count?¡± He took another drink of his water. ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m having you checked when we get back to the compound.¡±


    Sarah whirled, searching for Pegasus. That¡¯s when she noticed there was something wrong with the walls. They were blurrier than it should be.


    Cold spread along her skin and into her veins.


    This wasn¡¯t real.


    Just like that, the dream¡ªor whatever it was¡ªstarted unraveling, people and things changing in subtle ways every time she looked.


    She didn¡¯t remember falling asleep, but that had never stopped her before. Would she still be waiting for Mermaid? Or maybe she¡¯d dozed off as soon as they got to the party. She could only hope she wasn¡¯t still driving.


    Relief and disappointment battled within her as she found Pegasus sitting at a corner table.


    A dream. Just a dream.


    Disappointment edged forward.


    He laughed as Mermaid explained something with big gestures, almost spilling her drink.


    With a daring smile, she purposefully walked over to their table.


    There was at least one good thing about it being a dream.


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    Pegasus didn¡¯t even notice her until she literally stole him away from the conversation by capturing his lips in the middle of a sentence. His words gone, he gave up on speaking and kissed her back, following her lead.


    Mermaid complained about interruptions and Pegasus waved her off, pulling Sarah closer as if he had no intention of letting her go ever again. Sarah let herself enjoy the moment for what it was, uncaring of the consequences.


    It was a good dream, she decided, feeling sad that it was only that.


    And it was a dream, though there was nothing about that kiss that would have exposed it. His hands felt warm against her skin and his lips were the right amount of pressure against hers.


    He felt more real than any dream had a right to feel and, for a moment, she dared wish that she was awake. But only for a moment.


    The good things were dreams, and the bad things were real¡­ Right?


    Something cold slid down the back of her neck. She separated from Pegasus to find Mermaid standing beside them, grinning triumphantly.


    ¡°This is for the excessive PDA while I haven¡¯t seen my husband in four months!¡± Mermaid handed her the empty glass and walked away. ¡°Griffon¡¯s report is not getting lost this time.¡±


    Laughing, Pegasus started trying to dry the water on her neck with his shirt sleeves.


    Sarah watched him. ¡°I hope this was not how you got the bourbon thrown on you.¡±


    He laughed harder, stopping what he was doing long enough to run a finger down her arm, mischief clear in his downcast eyes. ¡°No, that was from fighting with Scorpion.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course.¡±


    He smiled at her, completely giving up on the water now. He rose from his seat and pulled her closer for another kiss. Having decided that she didn¡¯t care if this was a dream or not, she let him.


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s nothing scheduled for tomorrow.¡± He pulled her hair over her shoulder to wring the water out of it. ¡°We could go somewhere together.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Lore¡¯s words came back to her. When had the dream started? ¡°Have you heard anything about Lore¡¯s investigation?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re deflecting with work?¡±


    She tried for a smile.


    Was Lore part of the dream? Was there some important breakthrough right around the corner or had she imagined that as well? She scanned the surroundings for Lore without success¡ªnot that she thought she¡¯d see her unless her mind cooperated.


    ¡°Have you seen Lore?¡±


    ¡°Why would Lore be here?¡±


    There was still a chance that the conversation with Lore had been real. And if so, which parts? The conversation before they left the compound? The drive over?


    She tried to pull away from him. ¡°I have to go check something.¡±


    He held on to her, more than reluctant to let her go. ¡°You can¡¯t kiss me like that and leave¡ªagain,¡± he protested playfully, gazing into her eyes so realistically that it took her breath away for a full five seconds before she reminded herself that it was not real.


    She really was sad then, because she wanted this version of him¡ªof them¡ªto be real. She kissed him one more time, but only when she promised she¡¯d be right back did he let go.


    Outside, she went to where they had parked. The car would be a tell-tale sign, though she figured her mind could conjure it up if it wanted to.


    There was no car.


    She had been so distracted, she didn¡¯t even notice Mermaid until the woman tapped her on the shoulder.


    ¡°Are you making a run for it?¡±


    Sarah checked the woman¡¯s hands first. ¡°Are you gonna throw anything else on me?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning on it.¡±


    Sarah sucked in a breath of cool air.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t leave without us,¡± Mermaid said.


    Sarah¡¯s heart sped up. ¡°Us?¡±


    ¡°Lore and me. Or were you planning on ditching us here and going off with Pegasus?¡±


    Sarah turned back to the empty parking space. And there the car was.


    ¡°Wait.¡± This couldn¡¯t be real. For one thing, cars didn¡¯t magically appear and disappear of their own free will.


    It was her mind playing tricks again, but she wasn¡¯t sure where the tricks began and where they ended. Dreams within dreams somehow seemed like cheating. She turned back to Mermaid, about to ask the woman if this was a dream. She hoped her brain would at least afford her a truthful answer. And then there was no need to ask, not when Robyn was standing right there, waving a beer at them.


    ¡°Are you coming back inside or not?¡±


    Eyes snapping open, Sarah floundered, completely disoriented from being sprawled on the couch in a forty-five degree angle. She wiped at her eyes, struggling to get to the door so she could make the pounding stop. Hopefully, the noise was outside her room and not inside her brain.


    Mermaid was standing outside her door in a colorful dress, hair flowing free of its usual braid. ¡°Were you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I dozed off.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready to go? I already signed out a car.¡± She tossed Sarah the keys.


    The cold metal was obvious against her palm. Did that mean they were real?


    But everything in the dream had also felt real.


    The cold water along her back.


    And Pegasus¡­


    Mermaid all but dragged her out of the room. Sarah followed in a daze, unsure she was awake. When they got to the parking garage, she looked back, confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t Lore coming with us?¡±


    ¡°Why would Lore be here?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. I think I was having a weird dream.¡±


    ¡°On second thought, I¡¯ll drive.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t object. She wasn¡¯t sure she was awake.


    Sarah watched the streets go by in silence, feeling increasingly anxious as they retraced their path to the same building inside the W.R.O. campus. The drive felt shorter this time.


    Not this time, she corrected herself. This should be the first time they¡¯d driven over.


    But then, how did everything look so eerily similar? No, not similar. Identical.


    Had her mind adapted the memory to the place and pretended it was the other way around?


    Sarah stopped right outside the entrance. There was a queasy feeling in her stomach when she thought of running into Pegasus. True that he¡¯d also kissed her in real life, but the dream was still so fresh in her mind, she wasn¡¯t sure she was mentally prepared to face him.


    ¡°You¡¯re already here, no harm in going in.¡± Mermaid led her inside, misinterpreting her hesitation.


    Unlike the dream, Mermaid did not leave her as soon as they stepped through the door. Instead, she took Sarah over to a large table where most of their team was gathered.


    Griffon was conspicuously absent¡ªrelocating his mother, Mermaid told her.


    Like in her dream, there were a few less familiar faces around the room. Hawk was at their table, laughing as Unicorn tried to talk Cypher into dancing with her.


    Pegasus and Scorpion were sitting next to each other, engrossed in conversation. Almost palpable was that same closeness of late that she wasn¡¯t fully comfortable with. She didn¡¯t think she was a jealous person, but there it was.


    Sarah settled into an empty seat next to Hawk, trying not to look as if she were a million miles away. Between having her attention called to the conversation and catching herself staring at Pegasus more than once, she likely failed.


    ¡°Sarah?¡±


    She blinked the haze away and glanced up at Unicorn, who was laughing at her. Scorpion was standing at the foot of the table, looking as if she expected some sort of response. By the tone¡ªand the fact that they¡¯d used her name¡ªit wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d called her.


    ¡°What are you drinking?¡± Pegasus prompted.


    ¡°Oh, water.¡±


    ¡°Good choice,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°You don¡¯t need any less brain function.¡±


    Sarah nodded, fully in agreement.


    ¡°Did the scorpion dream of flying?¡± Hawk said as soon as she turned around.


    Scorpion tossed him a glare over her shoulder, not even missing a step.


    Sarah noticed the tattoos on Scorpion¡¯s back then, in full display because of the glittery backless shirt. She¡¯d seen the ones on her forearm before, but she¡¯d never seen those.


    There was a feather on her right shoulder, which had probably been what prompted the joke. But the one wrapped around her left upper arm, with its head laying on her shoulder was the one that took Sarah¡¯s breath away. A dragon.


    Sarah stared after Scorpion as the woman walked away to fetch their drinks. Distracted, she didn¡¯t notice Pegasus slid over until he spoke her name. She felt she¡¯d missed something again.


    ¡°You¡¯re very quiet tonight,¡± he whispered. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I believe you.¡± Pegasus gave her a crooked smile. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you came.¡±


    Sarah lost herself in his eyes for a moment, and she had to stop herself from leaning in the rest of the way.


    That dream had really done a number on her. It made her think it was fine for her to close the distance between them even though she¡¯d been avoiding him.


    It also didn¡¯t help that he was so close, close enough that she had to remind herself that the dream had been only that.


    She thought she saw something in his eyes, a doubt or a question. Should she¡ª She leaned in, and that strange fear grabbed hold of her and squeezed her heart.


    Trying not to seem as if she were pulling away, she straightened herself. ¡°My head¡¯s pounding.¡±


    ¡°Do you want someone to take you back?¡± he asked, seemingly unaffected by the previous moment. Maybe, like everything else of late, it had been only in her mind. ¡°There¡¯s also a place you can rest in the next building.¡±


    ¡°If it gets unbearable, I¡¯ll just go back by myself.¡±


    She drove, didn¡¯t she?


    And did Stunted Flowers Leave No Leaves Carried?


    No, that wasn¡¯t it, was it?

 Book II - ch 16: And When I Wake

    * * *


    Sarah stared at the walls, wondering if they¡¯d been painted recently. How long had it been since the last time she¡¯d come here?


    ¡°Do you want to talk about why you¡¯re here?¡± Athena asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Sarah didn¡¯t even want to be there.


    ¡°You needed a second try for your codes to get back into the compound two days ago, after the Foundation Day party.¡±


    Since that wasn¡¯t a question, Sarah merely stared at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an alarming issue because you were in a controlled environment and within view of your colleagues the entire time.¡±


    Good thing she hadn¡¯t needed to use the bathroom then.


    She got the re-entry code right the second time because she¡¯d been confused about which one had been real and which one had been the one she¡¯d seen in the dream. Thankfully, everyone thought she¡¯d been distracted.


    Athena leaned back in her chair, her expression suggesting a change of subject. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t feel ready to go back out into the field.¡±


    Sarah winced. That was something else she didn¡¯t want to talk¡ªor think¡ªabout.


    Initially, her dreams, while confusing, hadn¡¯t been dangerous. But thinking she¡¯d seen Robyn while she was wide awake and getting shot at, that was an entirely different story.


    If she couldn¡¯t trust herself, there¡¯s no way she could place anyone else¡¯s life in her hands. Still, that was also not a question, so she pretended to be distracted by the pattern carved into the wooden table in front of her.


    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Athena asked in a softer tone, her eyes no less piercing.


    Dying, going insane, getting someone killed, not necessarily in that order. ¡°Should I make a list?¡±


    Athena gave her a look that was not as patient as the woman seemed to think it was. ¡°What is your greatest fear?¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯ll never stop asking me questions.¡±


    ¡°Sarah¡­¡±


    Sarah couldn¡¯t help a smirk. ¡°I thought it was Phoenix from now on.¡±


    ¡°In here, you are all yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Like when we¡¯re dead?¡± The association was morbidly amusing.


    Athena drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°Sometimes I think you¡¯re a joke Zeus is playing on me. But then I always thought your sister was a test of my sanity as well.¡±


    Sarah smiled, feeling a little guilty about being difficult.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me what you¡¯re afraid of, I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t think there would be any helping her anyway. ¡°Isn¡¯t our time over? I have to report in.¡±


    Athena didn¡¯t disguise her annoyance, but Sarah hadn¡¯t been lying.


    She made her escape as quickly as she could, all but running away as soon as she made it to the hallway.


    Not that she didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with her¡ªthat ship had long sailed¡ªbut she wanted to try to understand what was happening before explaining it to anyone else.


    For now, it should be fine as long as she stayed at the compound and didn¡¯t get involved in any active missions. How dangerous could she be in here?


    The stray thought brought her to a halt as she reached the Comm area. Echoes of Robyn¡¯s words swirled in her mind: ¡°You¡¯re dangerous.¡±


    How dangerous could she possibly be?


    And dangerous to whom? Scorpion had asked.


    She was suddenly weary of getting back to work, afraid that even the simplest task would be unwittingly corrupted.


    Laughter rose above the background chatter. As if summoned by her thoughts, Scorpion was entering the main area with Mermaid. Pegasus trailed behind them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what he expected me to do,¡± Scorpion said. ¡°I hit all the targets.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why you got tossed out of the gun range more times than anyone else I know.¡± Pegasus came up behind Scorpion and hooked his arms around her waist, all but nuzzling her neck. ¡°You¡¯re only supposed to hit the target that¡¯s directly in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± With no motion to pull away, she leaned back against him instead.


    Sarah couldn¡¯t pull her eyes away. They were sufficiently engrossed in themselves to not pay any attention to the world around them.


    She ordered herself to look away to no avail. Unable to do anything else, she stood there, staring.


    Was this what it felt like right before one¡¯s head exploded?


    She didn¡¯t have the right to feel slighted or jealous, and the breathlessness that came from something squeezing her chest should be unjustified.


    Pegasus had kissed her. She¡¯d pushed him away, then, like a coward, she¡¯d avoided explaining herself to him¡­ So she had sort of brought whatever this was on herself. Was she hoping she meant more to him?


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    Had she really fallen for someone so fickle?


    There¡¯s no way Pegasus would be doing this to provoke her, right? Even if that were the sole reason for this display, she would have expected better from him. Maybe she expected too much.


    The all too recent memory of that imaginary kiss at the party was only providing more of a contrast with this nightmare of a present. She¡¯d hoped¡­ she wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d hoped¡­ that he would have been patient, that he would have insisted? She sure as hell hadn¡¯t expected this.


    Was she hoping for what she¡¯d had in the dream?


    Pulling herself from her daze, she took in the others¡¯ reactions. Apparently, everyone thought this¡ªwhatever this was¡ªwas normal.


    Mermaid glared at them with an expression Sarah recognized from when she¡¯d emptied her glass down Sarah¡¯s back in the dream. ¡°Will you stop that? You¡¯re gonna get cited. Again.¡±


    ¡°Stop what?¡± Scorpion asked as she started swaying to the rhythm of a song only they could hear.


    ¡°She means the public display of affection, Bella.¡± Pegasus wrapped his arms tighter around her¡ªif that were possible.


    Sarah thought she would have died if he had looked at her right then, grinning with such mischief in his eyes while pressing a kiss on Scorpion¡¯s neck.


    But his gaze never came her way. He was watching Mermaid instead, laughing as if the purpose of this was to annoy her.


    Mermaid rolled her eyes at them, throwing her arms up in surrender as she tried not to laugh. ¡°Fine, get cited. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Pegasus and Scorpion laughed, but stayed as they were.


    Sarah was still trying to figure out how to act normal. And maybe how to breathe.


    ¡°Red ball,¡± Wolf called from the other side of the room.


    Pegasus and Scorpion separated at once, rushing to an empty computer station.


    ¡°If you¡¯re finished with the unnecessary display, local police might have a location for the chemicals.¡±


    ¡°Is Griffon back already?¡± Robyn asked.


    Sarah gave up any pretense of trying to act normal.


    This was not normal.


    Her sister shouldn¡¯t be there.


    Not anymore.


    She took a reflexive step back, knocking over a nearby chair and almost falling over it when her legs insisted on escaping.


    Swallowing an exclamation, a gurgled sound escaped her. Robyn saw her and laughed at her disarray. Another step sent Sarah stumbling over the chair and she had to hold on to the table to keep from falling. She lost sight of her sister for that moment. When she looked back, Robyn was gone.


    Not only that, everything had changed. The moment she¡¯d been watching had been peeled away to reveal the real world. Scorpion was still there, though she wasn¡¯t laughing, and there was no sign of Pegasus or Mermaid. There was also no emergency.


    Sarah let out a shaky breath.


    Scorpion caught her gaze, and Sarah looked away, afraid some of her despair would be obvious.


    She turned to escape and ran straight into November.


    ¡°You okay?¡± he asked, more annoyed than concerned.


    Sarah nodded quickly.


    ¡°Do you want to get started on these to send to Lore?¡± He pointed at a list of files displayed on his tablet. ¡°It¡¯ll take a couple of weeks to track everything down, I think. You can keep on it until you¡¯re back on regular duty.¡±


    She pulled the chair back to her. ¡°When is Lore coming over?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything about that.¡±


    Cypher said it during a briefing, she was sure of it. She hadn¡¯t been dreaming then¡ªor had she?


    Her head was pounding now.


    That hadn¡¯t been a dream, she was sure of it. Or was this the dream?


    She clenched her fists, burying her fingernails into her skin, hoping the pain would be enough to confirm she was awake before she had to draw blood.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look too great. When was the last time you got a good night¡¯s sleep?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    The days were all blurring together, as were the dreams. How long did it take someone to start hallucinating from sleep deprivation?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing urgent. You could get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°I think I might already be asleep.¡±


    He laughed. Maybe he¡¯d been hanging around Pegasus too much.


    Sarah didn¡¯t bother explaining herself.


    ¡°I can get Whiskey started on this.¡±


    Sarah shuffled off to her room. It was a good idea to try to sleep. And if she were asleep, maybe she¡¯d wake up.


    As she passed Pegasus¡¯ room, it was a struggle not to knock on his door. She wanted to see him, but she was scared of what she¡¯d find. But surely, when she saw Scorpion and Pegasus together, that wouldn¡¯t have been real. If there was one thing she could rely on to tell her dreams apart from reality, it was the fact that both versions of her sister were dead.


    * * *


    Sarah pulled the cover tighter over her face as she heard the approaching footsteps.


    ¡°Hey, stop ignoring me.¡± Robyn pulled the blanket back from Sarah¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ignoring you. I¡¯m sleeping.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± Robyn pushed her bed aside, with Sarah still on it, to reveal the power outlet where her phone was charging. She let out a triumphant Aha! which made Sarah cover her ears.


    ¡°Please, can I sleep?¡±


    ¡°I knew you were hiding it.¡± Robyn disconnected Sarah¡¯s phone from the charger¡ªthe cause of this argument.


    They both had the same type of phone, and one of the chargers¡ªeach insisted it was the other¡¯s¡ªhad gone missing a couple of days ago, which left them to share a charger. As this long overdue temporary room sharing had taught them, they did not share well.


    Sarah rolled over. It would be useless to argue.


    ¡°What time are you getting your head shrunk tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Robyn, go to sleep, please. I have a class at seven.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking what time you have to go talk to Dr. Smiley.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Dr. Rutger,¡± Sarah corrected, perfectly aware that Robyn didn¡¯t care.


    Her sister insisted her therapist looked like a smiley face. Sarah didn¡¯t even try to figure that one out, but she thought maybe the wrong sister was going to these sessions.


    ¡°Are you gonna tell him that you¡¯re still spacing out?¡±


    Or maybe she was the right sister after all. Robyn¡¯s endearing euphemism notwithstanding, she was the only one of the two who saw things that weren¡¯t there.


    Unwilling to put up with her sister¡¯s attempts at keeping her awake simply because she couldn¡¯t sleep, Sarah buried her face in the sheets and closed her eyes. She was half expecting Robyn to put up more of a fight, but everything grew instantly quiet.


    Sarah could swear she only closed her eyes for a second, but when she opened them again, the room was pitch black.


    Well, if Robyn was asleep, she could steal back the charger tonight and then give it back tomorrow morning while Robyn showered. Her sister would never know.


    Smiling at her mischief, she kneeled on the bed, feeling along the wall for the outlet. She withdrew her hand when the texture underneath her fingertips turned rough and grimy.


    She rose, no longer able to find her bed.


    There was no bed, no window.


    A light swam a few inches from her face, blinding her for a second.


    She covered her eyes, resisting the urge to call out to Robyn. But if this was a dream, what would it matter if she called for her sister or not?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± a man¡¯s voice asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    She recognized that voice. More than that, as her eyes adjusted, she recognized the dream.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotta get out of here.¡± She grabbed the masked man¡¯s jacket, started pulling.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with Phoenix,¡± her companion said.


    ¡°What¡¯s she doing in the building?¡± a woman¡¯s voice asked inside her ear.


    ¡°Take her back to the van,¡± another male voice replied.


    ¡°How are we for time?¡±


    ¡°Still ten minutes out.¡±


    Her companion¡¯s piercing gaze met hers. ¡°Ten minutes isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± another voice said.


    Unwilling to see it happen again, Sarah screamed, drowning out all the other voices.


    The voices vanished the next instant. Nothing but darkness and fire remained¡­ Or fire and darkness, she wasn¡¯t sure.


    She opened her eyes, choking on a sob as she cried into her pillow.


    She didn¡¯t want to do this anymore.

 Book II - ch 17: A Nightmare Called Reality

    * * *


    Darkness filled the room. Sarah reached for the light, uncaring about Robyn¡¯s complaints, worrying only about not getting her hand stuck in the charger cord.


    Never mind the light switch, the wall wasn¡¯t where it was supposed to be.


    A familiar sinking feeling settled in her stomach. She pressed her eyes shut, trying to put the world back to normal by force of will.


    She was on a bed, but it wasn¡¯t her bed. She was afraid to search behind her to find the wall. It had been a while since she had that particular nightmare, with the sterile-looking room and the locked door.


    Sliding her hand against the cold tiles, she found the light switch.


    Tears overflowed onto her cheeks. Her head was pounding, making it harder to think.


    It wasn¡¯t the home she was hoping for, but it also wasn¡¯t the sterile room. It was a different, better room, but it was still the same nightmare.


    But why did this room feel so familiar? Was this where she belonged?


    She couldn¡¯t possibly belong here.


    Sarah bolted for the door, pulling at the doorknob to no avail. She kicked the door, pain spiking in her foot.


    Pain was real, wasn¡¯t it? So this was real?


    She stared at her toes, counting each one, focusing on where her feet touched the floor. It all looked so real. But if this was real and this was her room, the door shouldn¡¯t be locked.


    She wiped at her eyes, trying the door again. As if recognizing its earlier mistake, this time it opened.


    Sarah stepped out into the empty hallway.


    Home. She wanted to go home.


    Her feet started moving on their own.


    Home?


    Robyn! Where was Robyn?


    She sped up, all but running. Was Robyn here?


    But Robyn shouldn¡¯t be there¡ªshould she?


    A bloody scene flashed through her mind, Robyn lying dead before her. Memory or nightmare, she couldn¡¯t tell.


    She pulled away her collar, feeling around for the scar. If she¡¯d been shot, there should be a scar. And if that were real, then the rest of it would be too.


    She came to a stop at the end of the hallway, where it branched out into two. Hands that were too wet to wipe any more tears felt around, but found no evidence of a scar.


    How long did it take for scars to heal?


    She started moving again, looking back as if expecting to be pursued. Would this be when she died then? Was this when Robyn came to kill her? Or was she home, unable to wake up from this nightmare?


    It was impossible to rid herself of the conflicting feelings, but every step made this place more real and her home less so.


    Her fists clenched until fingernails were digging into flesh. But even the pain¡ªsharp and dull at the same time¡ªdidn¡¯t pull her out of it. Could her mind be tricking her into feeling pain?


    Her head felt like it was exploding.


    She needed a starting point. A single thread that was strong enough and real enough to pull everything else into place.


    Without knowing, she¡¯d come to a stop outside one of the many doors. All doors here looked the same, so why did this one feel special?


    She banged on the door, only remembering she looked like a mess when she heard the lock click.


    ¡°Tell me this is real,¡± she choked out, done with any pretense of being fine. ¡°Tell me you¡¯re real.¡±


    Pegasus wrapped his arms around her, no trace of laughter in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m real.¡±


    She clutched at his shirt as she cried. Could she trust this? Was this the thread of real she could follow? Was he that thread?


    ¡°I had a nightmare,¡± she confessed, finding comfort in his embrace. ¡°When I woke up, I wasn¡¯t sure I was awake. I¡¯m still not sure.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream.¡±


    His words, a strange echo from some forgotten dream, felt like a bucket of icy water.


    ¡°Do you believe me?¡± he asked when there was no reaction from her.


    Despite her lingering uncertainties, she nodded her head against his chest.


    It was a wonder Pegasus hadn¡¯t simply rolled his eyes at her and shut the door in her face, especially with the way she¡¯d been avoiding him lately.


    She hugged him tighter, closing her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, nothing to do with the present.


    ¡°Sarah¡­¡±


    She froze, blood turning to ice within her veins for the second time tonight.


    ¡°Sarah!¡±


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    She pulled away from him slowly, almost afraid to look. Whoever that was, it wasn¡¯t Pegasus. The boy was a couple of years younger, dark hair cut short and brown eyes the color of chocolate.


    ¡°Where were you just now?¡± He rubbed his hands up and down her arms as if to ward off the cold¡ªshe didn¡¯t think the cold could be blamed for her shivering.


    She stepped back until she hit the wall. The world shifted again in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Sarah? Are you alright now?¡± Pegasus asked.


    She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop from screaming, but she coughed out a sob. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to me.¡±


    Was she still dreaming? If this was all a dream, then what was real?


    Pegasus approached her slowly, as if she were a feral cat. He outstretched a hand to pull her closer, but she didn¡¯t dare separate from the wall¡ªit felt like a good enough constant for the moment.


    The boy with the chocolate-colored eyes furrowed his brows. ¡°What the hell is the matter with you? And don¡¯t say nothing, you walked over here in your pajamas!¡±


    Sarah wasn¡¯t planning on saying anything¡ªshe had this thing about not talking to strangers.


    The world shuddered, and the door opened to reveal Pegasus.


    A worried frown formed as soon as he saw her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    There were so many things so horribly wrong, she didn¡¯t even know where to start.


    Concluding there was no emergency, he stepped aside to let her in. Sarah entered his room with hesitant steps, all but expecting to be back out in the hallway, the starting point of this little momentary insanity.


    ¡°Start with whatever¡¯s troubling you. It¡¯s obvious something¡¯s wrong,¡± he said, reminding her of the other boy.


    Sarah swallowed back her first question about whether this was real, refusing to repeat the earlier¡ªimagined?¡ªconversation. Mouth opening as no sound came out, she wasn¡¯t sure if she should laugh or cry. Did it even matter if he told her this was real if he were a dream as well?


    Tugging at her collar, she felt around the intact skin below her collarbone. ¡°I can¡¯t find the scar.¡±


    No matter how much she scratched at the skin with her fingernails, she couldn¡¯t find it.


    Pegasus suddenly grabbed her hands, forcing her to stop. He led her into the bathroom, turning her to face the mirror as he stood behind her. ¡°Excuse me.¡± He drew her collar out of the way.


    The air escaped her in one short breath.


    There it was. A round, crater-like scar. She ran a fingertip over the irregular design. Fresh tears wet her eyelashes.


    If this was real¡­


    Then Robyn¡­


    Mom and Dad¡­


    Pegasus squeezed her shoulders gently. She looked up at his reflection, meeting his eyes.


    This was real.


    ¡°I wish I could say you don¡¯t have to talk about it, but that¡¯s not how it works.¡± Contrary to his words, his voice was gentle. ¡°Whatever it is has obviously gotten to you, so you need to talk to someone. If not me or Athena, someone else.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she was unwilling to speak to him. Everything had become such a mess. Staring at the scar as if it could be her focus point, Sarah felt her mind progressively settle.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having nightmares.¡± She could have laughed. How many times would she have to tell him? ¡°Sometimes I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m dreaming even when I¡¯m awake.¡±


    ¡°Is that what happened tonight?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Has it happened before?¡±


    ¡°Not like this.¡±


    ¡°Then it has.¡± He ran his fingers through his hair, a long exhale turning to warm air on the back of her neck. ¡°Have you been seeing Robyn like on the mission the other day?¡±


    She nodded, avoiding his gaze. She wished she could say it wasn¡¯t too bad, but she still wasn¡¯t entirely sure this conversation was real.


    ¡°This was something you should¡¯ve told us as soon as it happened. And you shouldn¡¯t be out in the field for now. Is that why you told Athena you weren¡¯t ready to go back?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this before. They were mostly dreams or stuff when I was still half asleep. Do you think I¡¯m crazy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you are.¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But maybe your brain got fried somewhere along the way.¡± He pressed his lips together, but he couldn¡¯t hide the mischief in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure anyone would¡¯ve noticed the difference.¡±


    ¡°You have a twisted sense of humor, you know that, right?¡± But she¡¯d smiled.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He reached for her hand, pulling it away so she¡¯d stop poking at the scar.


    ¡°Is there any possibility where I¡¯m not crazy?¡±


    He offered her a tissue. ¡°Anything¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not at all comforting.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve had too much on your mind. And being here is obviously its own sort of disturbing. But there¡¯s something that needs to be worked out and I don¡¯t think you can do that on your own.¡±


    She dabbed at her eyes gingerly. The skin already felt raw.


    ¡°Are you alright to move into the other room?¡±


    Sarah nodded. Most of the confusion in her mind had settled now.


    Pegasus took her to sit down on the couch and handed her another tissue. He then gave her a glass of water. As Sarah drank, she watched him search underneath papers and inside drawers for something.


    ¡°I thought I had chocolate somewhere.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°What am I, a kid with a skinned knee?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like chocolate?¡±


    ¡°I never said that.¡±


    Pegasus shook his bed covers in the air, but nothing fell away.


    She put the half-finished water down on the table. ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re already grounded. We¡¯ll inform Zeus of what¡¯s been happening, and Athena and Doc Blue will turn your brain inside out. Depending on what they find, it might be permanent.¡±


    ¡°And then what? If there¡¯s something wrong with me, will I have to leave here?¡± Fear snuck into her words. It surprised her how much she wanted to stay.


    Pegasus pulled a chair over and took a seat facing her. ¡°No matter what¡¯s going on, we¡¯re not abandoning you. You won¡¯t have to leave unless you want to.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the worst case scenario? I get permanently reassigned to the cleaning staff?¡±


    He tapped a finger on the armrest. ¡°I¡¯d think the worst case scenario would be a brain tumor.¡±


    ¡°Schizophrenia.¡± She didn¡¯t think of herself as particularly paranoid, but the seeing things that weren¡¯t there might fit. She wasn¡¯t an expert on these things. Hell, she could be having a nervous breakdown¡ªdid hallucinations come with those?


    ¡°Whatever it is, we¡¯ll help you figure it out. Nobody¡¯s just gonna throw you out onto the street or put a bullet through your head.¡±


    ¡°Why did I imagine that second one in Scorpion¡¯s voice?¡±


    Without warning, he kneeled in front of her. His smile dissolving, he took her hand, undoing the fist she hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d still been making. He didn¡¯t look up from her hand, massaging the marks her nails had left in her palm in silence.


    Sarah made no move to pull her hand away. She might not admit it aloud, but she found comfort in his touch. His thumb started tracing the all-too familiar rhythm along her wrist.


    ¡°I want to ask you if you¡¯re really alright, but I don¡¯t feel like getting punched,¡± he whispered, still not looking up at her.


    ¡°You can ask if you want to.¡± She made no promises about answering. She wasn¡¯t sure she knew the answer.


    As if he¡¯d guessed that much, he didn¡¯t ask.


    Sarah leaned back and closed her eyes, trying not to think about any of it. She wanted to let him help her, wanted to trust that he would. But was it even about trust? Her eyes snapped open.


    ¡°Do you report everything I tell you to Zeus?¡±


    What was that again about not being paranoid?


    There was only a slight interruption in the movement of his fingers against her skin. ¡°Everything you tell me that¡¯s not crazy?¡±


    She nodded, trying to resist the urge to pull her hand back now.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that coming from?¡±


    ¡°Clay told me he was asked to keep an eye on me at the academy and report back to Zeus.¡±


    He stopped, but didn¡¯t let go of her hand. ¡°And you wonder if that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Sarah couldn¡¯t bear to hold his gaze. She hadn¡¯t expected to see him hurt. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m tired of thinking.¡±


    He gave her hand a squeeze to get her attention back. Once she met his gaze, Sarah felt as if he held her there by sheer intensity. ¡°The only time I¡¯ll ever betray your confidence is if I believe you¡¯re putting us or yourself at risk.¡± Then his gaze softened, voice but a whisper. There it was, that same vulnerability from the other day, when she shoved him away. ¡°Is that good enough?¡±


    Sarah squeezed his hand. How could she say it wasn¡¯t when he was looking at her like that?


    There was so much she needed to find a way to put into words and couldn¡¯t. ¡°About the other day, when you¡­ and I pushed you¡­¡±


    ¡°Sarah.¡± A smile played on the edge of his lips as he kissed the back of her hand. ¡°That¡¯s not important right now. We have plenty of time to talk. For now, all I need you to know is that I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    She returned his smile, squeezing his hand tighter. What would she do without him?

 Book II - ch 18: Moving Forward in the Same Place

    * * *


    On the ground, Sarah stared at her hands.


    Shouldn¡¯t they hurt, scratched and bleeding as they were? But there was no pain.


    As if a trick of light, she blinked, and they were fine. There was an ink stain on her index finger, but no blood.


    A loud noise¡ªan explosion¡ªsounded in the distance.


    She inhaled sharply, expecting the air to offer resistance, but her lungs filled normally.


    Someone offered her a hand. She was about to take it, but the flesh that emerged from the burned sleeve was red and swollen, peppered with blisters of various sizes.


    The stench of charred meat invaded her nostrils. She gagged, closing her eyes as she folded unto herself.


    ¡°Sarah!¡±


    When she opened her eyes, there was no hand with scorched flesh anywhere in sight.


    The only other person in the room was still sitting where he¡¯d been before she dozed off. He stared at her, his pen poised over an open notebook. The lingering smell of the previous patient¡¯s perfume was still in the air.


    ¡°Sarah? Are you back?¡± Dr. Rutger asked.


    She nodded, unsure where she would be back from.


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    Her gaze drifted to the window, to the reflection of her own eyes.


    ¡°Sarah,¡± he insisted in a low, steady voice, as if afraid to break the spell. He moved closer to the edge of his seat. ¡°When you close your eyes so tight, what do you see then?¡±


    Sarah picked at a loose thread on the corner of the armchair. ¡°Things that I don¡¯t wanna see. Stuff that makes no sense, that I wish wouldn¡¯t be real.¡±


    Dr. Rutger smiled. ¡°But are they real?¡±


    They felt real to her, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to admit that she wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re the only patient I have who falls asleep during hypnosis and comes out of it all on your own.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t share his amusement at this extra oddity. She¡¯d love to be normal for once.


    He looked down at his notes. ¡°Last session, you mentioned your panic episode at the university last year. Is that similar to what happened a few days ago, when you thought you were sleepwalking?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She wouldn¡¯t even have known about the sleepwalking¡ªif that what it really was¡ªif she hadn¡¯t walked an entire block in the middle of the night to Jeremy¡¯s place.


    The only thing that came out of that was that now the door was going to be locked and the keys hidden away every night.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about what happened at the university last year?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Other than the sleepwalking, anything else changed? Are you still struggling with believing you¡¯re awake during your dreams and separating that from reality when you wake up?¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t answer, but he seemed to gage the truth from her silence.


    Dr. Rutger jotted something down on his notebook. ¡°Have you tried any of the tricks we discussed?¡±


    She glowered at him. ¡°They don¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of conditioning yourself to pay attention to the details and interpreting them.¡±


    ¡°I do pay attention! It doesn¡¯t make any difference. I can see my feet touching the ground, and count how many fingers I have. I can read a book and write an essay. I feel hot and cold and pain. Water feels wet when I touch it and I can remember the smell of that aseptic gray hallway. And I can taste the blood in my mouth.¡± She stopped talking then, trying to control her breathing. ¡°Whether it¡¯s simply my mind outsmarting me doesn¡¯t matter. The tricks don¡¯t work. I could be dreaming right now and I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell.¡±


    ¡°And what have you been dreaming about lately?¡±


    Sarah picked at the loose thread some more, then pushed it back against the fabric, worried that she¡¯d tear it.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve explained, it might be helpful for you to describe the dreams to me. I understand it may be unpleasant, but this is a safe place. You can tell me whatever you want. There will be no judgement.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± She glanced up at the clock. ¡°But ten minutes won¡¯t be enough for that.¡±


    Dr. Rutger followed her gaze. ¡°Sarah, what time does our session end?¡±


    ¡°Three-thirty.¡±


    ¡°Then why would we only have ten minutes left?¡±


    She looked back at the clock, confused when the image didn¡¯t match what she¡¯d thought she¡¯d seen a moment ago.


    ¡°We have time,¡± he said.


    Sarah still stared at the clock.


    ¡°Tell me about your most recent dreams.¡±


    She pressed her lips together to stop the answer that was on the tip of her tongue.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He looked disappointed by her silence this time. ¡°What are you so afraid of?¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯ll never stop asking me questions,¡± she answered reflexively.


    Dr. Rutger laughed. ¡°Besides that.¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here for you to be afraid of.¡±


    It was easier said than done.


    ¡°Are you still seeing your sister try to kill you?¡±


    She shook her head, then realized that was a lie. ¡°Once or twice.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s been more?¡±


    She nodded, comfortable with classifying her hallucinations as nightmares as well. ¡°I think there¡¯s some kind of explosion. I¡¯m always sort of confused. Sometimes I know it¡¯s a dream, and I know I¡¯ve dreamed it before. But that doesn¡¯t change anything.¡±


    ¡°Should it?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°There¡¯s always something happening out of sight. I get pieces sometimes. People screaming, smoke, I can¡¯t breathe. I¡¯m not even sure all of it is part of the same puzzle. I never know where I am or what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Have you tried asking someone where you are?¡±


    No, she hadn¡¯t. She hadn¡¯t thought it would matter. It was like the grayish corridors. They existed in her mind. It didn¡¯t matter where they were supposed to be. But maybe it would give her something to focus on during the dream.


    She was also curious to hear what her mind came up with as an answer to that question.


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked about the New Nation attacks and how that could have been what initially planted this fear into your mind. Have you asked your family about any incidents you may have been exposed to when you were younger?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They couldn¡¯t think of anything that would¡¯ve made such a lasting impression.¡±


    No one in her immediate circle of friends and family had ever been affected by any New Nation attacks. Not even any freak accidents.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt your fear is real,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re only trying to find a reason for it.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not complaining.¡±


    It was a good plan, the problem was she didn¡¯t think they were getting anywhere. The fear was there, that part was obvious enough. Several fears and foreign emotions, some she couldn¡¯t even name. Even when she looked in the mirror. In the dreams, she saw her own face, but not herself. If that made any sense.


    She realized she¡¯d been drawing a strange pattern on the inside of her wrist with her other thumb. It felt familiar and comforting, though she didn¡¯t know why. She did it again, on purpose this time, pulling at the sensation to draw the memory out.


    It was almost there¡­ like a name being sounded out until the brain got it right¡­


    Without warning, something grabbed her insides and squeezed.


    * * *


    ¡°Shoo!¡±


    Sarah looked up from the screen to find Cypher waving a hand towards her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°How is this not clear? Shoo!¡± He stopped, crossing his arms. ¡°I was told to send you back to your room if you tried to do any work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all low-level stuff.¡± She wasn¡¯t confident enough to deal with anything that might be really important. ¡°I was sorting through last week¡¯s emergency calls.¡±


    ¡°Go rest. That¡¯s the one good thing about being grounded, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I was bored.¡± Not to mention, she was afraid of being alone with her thoughts.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t go back to your room, I¡¯ll tell Unicorn. No, wait. She¡¯s still out. I¡¯ll tell Pegasus.¡±


    ¡°What are you? Five?¡± Unicorn was out since that morning, but she should be back soon. Pegasus was at the compound, but he¡¯d been pretty busy lately. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go be bored out of my skull in my room.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no shortage of work waiting for whenever you¡¯re good.¡±


    That¡¯s assuming she¡¯d ever be good. Maybe she should join the cleaning crew instead.


    Sarah waved at him, heading back to her room.


    The last couple of days since they¡¯d told Athena about some of her problems had been an odd mix of talking to the doctors, having any and every test imaginable done, and long periods of nothing. She hadn¡¯t gone into details, but she told them she¡¯d thought she¡¯d seen things that weren¡¯t there and that she was having trouble identifying whether she was awake or not.


    During all that mess, she¡¯d barely managed to talk to Pegasus, a result of their mismatched schedules. She found she wanted to see him. And despite not having any answers about how she truly felt about him, there was one long conversation she owed him still.


    A growing sense of anxiousness had been dominating her waking hours, and having so much idle time was not helping it at all. If Athena¡¯s theory that all this was a nervous breakdown, then feeling anxious was bound to be counterproductive. But well, she wouldn¡¯t be in this mess if she could simply tell her mind to cut it out.


    She got to her room just as the intercom sounded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t misbehaving,¡± was the first thing she said.


    Pegasus¡¯ laughter sounded clearly on the other end. ¡°That¡¯s not what I heard.¡±


    Cypher really had a big mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering how things went with Dr. Blue and Athena.¡±


    She pressed her forehead against the wall. ¡°So far, they haven¡¯t found anything wrong with me. Athena thinks it¡¯s a nervous breakdown. She wants me to go see one of the doctors over at Center tomorrow. Dr. Blue wants to run some more tests so he could see inside my brain, which I guess is fine unless he¡¯s into vivisection.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. Even we have rules about animal cruelty.¡±


    She stuck her tongue out at the intercom since he wasn¡¯t in sight.


    ¡°Any more nightmares?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not since our last talk.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Sarah heard a few voices in the background, but couldn¡¯t identify them. ¡°Are you still working?¡±


    ¡°I have 56 minutes. I was thinking of heading over to the garden. How about you meet me there?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡± It would give her some time to gather the courage to bring up the kiss. Kisses?


    She groaned, speeding up her pace down the hallway. She turned a corner and almost ran into Pegasus. ¡°Did you run here?¡±


    His sudden appearance did nothing to calm her speeding heart, but he was undisturbed. ¡°Heading to the garden?¡±


    She nodded, matching his pace.


    An intercom sounded as they passed it. Reminded of the cameras watching their every move, she pointed at herself with a questioning look at the ceiling before answering the intercom.


    ¡°Phoenix, you and Pegasus are needed upstairs,¡± Michael said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a call.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m grounded.¡±


    ¡°Not today apparently.¡±


    Pegasus shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll check it out.¡±


    When they arrived at Comm, Cypher was nowhere in sight. Michael directed them to the briefing room.


    Sarah trailed behind Pegasus. ¡°Should we be okay with this?¡±


    He paused. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried after what happened last time, but don¡¯t let that fear take over.¡±


    Sarah followed him into the briefing room. Without better options, she listened intently as Griffon went over the mission basics. Local police had pursued what they believed to be New Nation members into a department store and now hostages had been taken inside. Disguised as an emergency response unit, they were supposed to take over the situation from the local police.


    ¡°Capture them if possible, but no taking unnecessary risks.¡± Griffon turned to them. ¡°Any questions?¡±


    ¡°I thought I was still grounded,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°You are,¡± he answered impatiently. ¡°But we¡¯re shorthanded, so you¡¯ll have to humor us.¡±


    ¡°Just try not to get anyone killed,¡± Scorpion said.


    Sarah couldn¡¯t even protest. As Mermaid could attest, that jab was more than deserved.


    The group moved out, but Sarah lingered behind, struggling with her conscience.


    Would they really be better off without her if it meant they were one person short? The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach didn¡¯t really offer anything in terms of a reliable answer.


    ¡°You good to go?¡± Pegasus asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± Would that constitute a lie?


    ¡°Focus on the task at hand.¡± He winked at her, handing her a gun. ¡°And when in doubt, shoot the bad guys.¡±


    She laughed. ¡°Thanks. Very helpful. You should be an instructor.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Regardless of the truth in them, his words comforted her. In an automatic motion, she placed a hand on his chest, leaning in as if to kiss him. She hadn¡¯t realized that¡¯s what she¡¯d meant to do until he jerked away. Confusion showed in his eyes for a moment.


    Never mind not being able to blush, she was sure she was all shades of red now. She tried to still her emotions, pretending nothing had happened. Thankfully, Pegasus turned away. She didn¡¯t meet his gaze again, didn¡¯t even look at the others, afraid everyone would read her expression.


    Whatever the catalyst for this newest embarrassment, she really needed to get her act together. She didn¡¯t mean to be playing a game of hot and cold, and catching him by surprise in the middle of a mission was not what she wanted.


    She needed to have an honest talk with Pegasus. But right now, she needed to focus on the job.


    They could talk when they got back. There was no rush.

 Book II - ch 19: And All My Fears Come to Light

    * * *


    Sarah got into position on the roof of a neighboring office building with a view of the east-facing store windows, while Scorpion would take the west-facing ones. Griffon, Mermaid, Pegasus, and Unicorn had the ground. They were spread thin, but it had been a busy day.


    ¡°Locals have the perimeter locked down,¡± Cypher said, sounding in her ear. ¡°Are we moving them back?¡±


    ¡°Probably best,¡± Griffon said. ¡°Tell them we¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°Do we have access to any of the security cameras yet?¡± Unicorn asked.


    ¡°Give me a moment.¡±


    Sarah adjusted her weapon. ¡°Phoenix in position.¡±


    A plane flew by a little too low¡ªthey were only a few blocks from the airport¡ªand she missed part of what Griffon said.


    ¡°Sorry, could you repeat that?¡±


    ¡°What do you see?¡± he asked.


    The question gave her a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, though she couldn¡¯t place it.


    She looked through the scope, tuning out the reports coming in over the com. ¡°I see ten hostages against the south wall.¡±


    ¡°Any hostiles on your end?¡±


    ¡°I see one hostile moving around.¡±


    ¡°Two on the main floor,¡± Mermaid said.


    ¡°Unicorn, do you have a clear view?¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    The sun came out from behind the clouds and reflected off the building to her left, producing an annoying glare. ¡°I thought there were at least four hostiles.¡±


    ¡°Anyone have a shot of the one with the hostages?¡± Griffon asked.


    ¡°I can make it work,¡± Scorpion said.


    Sarah shifted, trying to escape the glare. ¡°I have a clear shot, but it¡¯s outside my comfort zone.¡±


    ¡°Better not risk it if we have options,¡± Griffon said. ¡°Scorpion, your call.¡±


    ¡°I can make it. But I don¡¯t have a view of the hostages.¡±


    ¡°Guys, I only see two in the main hall. With the one with the hostages, that¡¯s three,¡± Mermaid said. ¡°Locals said they saw either four or five.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t sure.¡±


    ¡°Keep your eyes open. This could be a distraction.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a runner,¡± Pegasus said, sounding as if he were in pursuit. ¡°Alley, north side.¡±


    ¡°Anyone close by?¡± Griffon asked.


    There was a moment of silence. Sarah glanced down from her ledge and caught a glimpse of a dark figure, probably Pegasus, running along one the back alleys. ¡°Just missed him. I¡¯d have to switch positions to get a clearer view.¡±


    ¡°Stay put, Phoenix. Keep your eyes on the hostages.¡±


    Sounds of a struggle filtered through the com. Sarah tried very hard to keep focusing on the rest of Griffon¡¯s instructions. It wasn¡¯t as if Pegasus had asked for help.


    ¡°I got him,¡± Pegasus said.


    Sarah wasn¡¯t prepared for the shot that came next. It echoed strangely between the buildings, propagating in the silence.


    She flinched. She couldn¡¯t help it.


    Two more shots finished the set. She found herself struggling to breathe.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Griffon asked, dispelling any hope she had that it hadn¡¯t been real.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get anything on Pegasus,¡± Cypher said.


    ¡°Pegasus?¡± Griffon called, maybe an automatic reaction.


    Silence.


    Sarah didn¡¯t think there could be such silence.


    She moved shakily to her feet, unsure what to do.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Unicorn said as if responding to some command.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got movement inside.¡± That was Scorpion.


    Sarah repositioned herself, trying to clear some of the haze from her mind. She didn¡¯t realize she was crying until her vision started blurring. She desperately wiped at her eyes, trying to calm down.


    Breathe.


    Just until this was over. A little longer.


    Her heart was pounding in her chest now.


    ¡°On my mark,¡± Griffon said.


    She noticed she¡¯d missed something.


    ¡°Phoenix?¡± Griffon again. ¡°Do you still see the hostages?¡±


    She counted them quickly. Ten hostages.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered curtly, trying not to let her voice waver.


    A deep breath and the world disappeared except for the end of her scope. Her hands were all but shaking, and she desperately tried to keep them steady. The gunman she could see was down before she¡¯d even reasoned that Scorpion would have pulled the trigger. In the quick burst of chaos that followed¡ªit was probably over in seconds¡ªthe other two hostiles were taken care of by the ground team.


    She watched as Griffon and Mermaid approached the hostages without further surprises.


    As soon as she heard the all clear, she rushed to the other side of the building and looked down. From her vantage point, she could see the bend in the alley, and near the corner, a body lying motionless on the ground.


    Her legs faltered, her mind trying to keep her afloat by insisting it might not be Pegasus down there. There was no way she could be sure.


    It was too far away, and a person in black was only a person in black. It wouldn¡¯t be him until she saw his face.


    She sucked in a breath, switching her com frequency to secondary operations. Unicorn was saying whatever terrorists remained had gotten away.


    Doubt crept in. If that were Pegasus on the ground, Unicorn would never have left him unattended if he were wounded, right?


    Sarah covered her mouth, trying not to make a sound, but she was sobbing now.


    Pegasus couldn¡¯t be dead, not like that. The desperate thought was a welcome defense for a few chaotic seconds.


    Griffon asked her for a report, but she didn¡¯t think she could speak.


    ¡°Phoenix?¡±


    ¡°All clear,¡± she choked out.


    ¡°Head back to the van.¡±


    She quickly collected her things and headed for the stairs. Enveloped in a haze, she started moving faster and faster, jumping down several steps at once.


    She should ask someone about Pegasus over the com.


    Another tear formed.


    But she wasn¡¯t ready for the answer yet, not if it was not the one she wanted to hear.


    Her feet took her towards him regardless of her will.


    Hitting an invisible wall, she stopped at the sight of the body on the stretcher. Despite the crowd, there was nothing but silence as she walked towards it, her own breathing resonating loudly in her ears.


    No one argued as she pulled the cover away, fists clenched on the plastic as if her body had convulsed.


    A tortured sound she didn¡¯t recognize came from her own lips.


    It was Pegasus.


    She stared at Pegasus¡¯ motionless body, fooling herself into believing she¡¯d see him move. He would get up and walk away, laughing about it as if nothing happened.


    The passing seconds diminished that hope, and the illusion was painfully stripped away by the sight of blood pooling underneath his head.


    Sarah fought for breath. There the feeling had been, waiting for her in that moment. She recognized it now, that awful feeling that had been plaguing her when Pegasus kissed her. It was her heart being ripped from her chest.


    She shook her head, unable to look away. This couldn¡¯t be real. ¡°Please,¡± she asked, unsure who she was asking¡ªfate, chance, or her own twisted mind.


    She choked on a breath, backing away when her vision started darkening. Oblivion might offer some respite, but she fought against it. She backed up until she slammed her back full force against the wall of the alley, hitting her head against a metal frame.


    She sucked in a breath at the sharp pain. The smell of rust assaulted her senses, too similar to the smell of blood. Moving without clear direction, she ran into someone. Arms closed around her firmly.


    ¡°We have to go back now,¡± Mermaid whispered.


    Sarah nodded, letting the woman lead her back to their van.


    Oblivious to the world around her, Sarah wished that she could wake up.


    The bad things were real. She pulled the wretched mask off, unable to breathe, and swallowed back another sob.


    Griffon sat solid like a statue, eyes staring out into nothing. Head buried in her hands, Scorpion was muttering something to herself.


    Unicorn sat beside her, a hand on her shoulder. ¡°The second one must¡¯ve snuck up behind him when he was dealing with the runner. I caught sight of two of them before they got away.¡±


    Scorpion turned a glare towards the woman, but did not try to shake away her hand.


    ¡°One shot hit the vest, one his shoulder.¡± Unicorn squeezed her eyes shut, pulling Scorpion into an embrace. ¡°And one was to the back of his head.¡±


    Mermaid sat on her other side, crying quietly.


    It was real then. Pegasus was gone.


    No more smiles filled with mischief, no more jokes, no more¡­


    The weight of that reality crushed her for a moment, stopping the air from entering her lungs. It was hard not to scream.


    When they got to the compound, they accompanied Pegasus¡¯ body upstairs. Sarah had never witnessed such a sight.


    Everyone had been waiting for them in Comm as they entered. People she would have thought had been as unshakable as the foundation of that place were in tears.


    The one that surprised her the most, but probably shouldn¡¯t have, was Zeus. She¡¯d heard someone joke that he was like a son to their leader, but to see it displayed in that moment put her own grief into perspective. She hadn¡¯t been the only one to love him.


    Her eyes widened. Was that what that feeling was?


    She swallowed back another sob. The answer should have been obvious.


    After a short goodbye, Zeus removed himself to his office without a word to anyone.


    A bizarre wake in the middle of Comm, people started going over to pay their respects. Sarah couldn¡¯t move though, unwilling to see him that way anymore. She¡¯d rather have the playful smile and piercing gaze.


    A hand squeezed Sarah¡¯s arm and she glanced up to see Unicorn. ¡°Will you come talk to me later?¡±


    Sarah nodded, all she could do at the moment.


    A loud thud woke her from her stupor. She wasn¡¯t sure what had happened for a moment, but then Scorpion proceeded to hit Pegasus¡¯ lifeless body again and again. No one stopped her. Not even Sarah dared move.


    ¡°You idiot!¡± Scorpion shouted when she finally stopped herself. ¡°How dare you?¡± Crying, she kissed him on the cheek before leaving.


    Sarah took a step back, then another.


    Her mind wanted no part in this.


    She ran.


    Chest feeling like it was being crushed under an enormous weight, she stumbled down the stairs and along the empty hallways until she made it to the garden. She collapsed before reaching her favorite tree.


    Pain blossomed, tearing her apart from the inside. She clutched at her chest, clenching her teeth to stop from screaming. The pain she felt when Pegasus kissed her was but a pale shadow of this. She knew now. This was what a broken heart felt like.

 Book II - ch 20: The Terror of Waking Life

    * * *


    Having cried until her eyes hurt and she couldn¡¯t properly draw a breath, Sarah lingered in the garden still. Despite the tree that reminded her of home, the perpetually empty garden she was so fond of and Pegasus were inextricably linked in her mind.


    More tears emerged from her puffy eyes. She was surprised she still had any tears left. She struggled to draw a deep breath, the mix of crying and suffocating incapacitating her for a few terrifying seconds. Her head was pounding. The horrible crushing feeling where her heart should be hadn¡¯t subsided in the least.


    She could still clearly remember the first time Pegasus had brought her there to look at the trees and eat cold pizza. A hand clasped over her mouth, holding back a sob as if her silence mattered. These plants and these walls were well acquainted with her grief.


    Minutes turned to hours as a procession of memories, both happy and painful, waded their way through her pain. That time when he finally told her his name, the look in his eyes right before he kissed her, and the sadness when she pushed him away¡­


    She should have talked to him, should have tried explaining even though she didn¡¯t have an explanation. She should have told him how she felt. There was no way she didn¡¯t know how much he meant to her, so why couldn¡¯t she say it? What was her fear worth now?


    Exhausted both in mind and body, Sarah wandered back to her room in a daze, feeling like a ghost condemned to haunt the empty halls. A long, warm shower abated some of the tension in her muscles. She didn¡¯t bother drying her hair before dressing and collapsing onto her bed.


    She didn¡¯t want to move. Didn¡¯t want to do anything, really. But she recognized the familiar trap; she¡¯d been through it before with her parents, then Robyn.


    Forcing herself to walk over before she could change her mind, she dialed up Unicorn¡¯s room. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes as she waited for an answer.


    A drop of water from her wet hair ran down her forearm, leaving a cold trail to her wrist. She rubbed her wrist, trying to reproduce the pattern Pegasus had drawn there so many times before.


    Failing to reach Unicorn, she followed the momentum and called up Cypher¡¯s station. She was mildly surprised when his wasn¡¯t the voice to greet her.


    ¡°What?¡± Michael asked.


    ¡°Are we busy? I¡¯m trying to get a hold of Unicorn.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re out of the loop. Griffon¡¯s team got called out just now. They got Hawk to take your place.¡±


    ¡°And who else?¡± Did it even matter? Her voice almost failed her. ¡°In Pegasus¡¯ place?¡±


    Michael snorted with laughter. ¡°Pegasus.¡±


    Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If Pegasus promised you some time today, you can kick him for it later.¡± He laughed again. ¡°I gotta go. I¡¯ll let you know when they finish.¡±


    Unable to say anything else before he ended the call, Sarah stood motionless and unblinking, water and tears dripping at her feet.


    Dare she hope?


    Had it been a dream?


    Cold churned in her stomach.


    It was more likely that this was the dream. After all, the bad things were real.


    She needed proof. Anything that would have been left over from the last mission.


    She ran to the hamper, tossing the pile of dirty clothes onto the floor. She tossed the uniforms against the wall. They all looked the same. How many had been there before?


    That wouldn¡¯t help with telling the dream apart from reality.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The image of Pegasus, his eyes closed and dark blood pooling beneath his head, intruded into her thoughts. It tugged at her insides, dragging forth the despair she recognized so well.


    She pressed the palm of her free hand against her forehead as if she could make the image go away.


    Should she stay there and wait until she woke up? Or, if this was not the dream, until she was sure she wouldn¡¯t wake?


    This couldn¡¯t be real, could it?


    The waiting silence offered no reply.


    More tears started clouding her vision.


    She was moving before she¡¯d taken a proper breath, tripping on the clothes hamper and almost falling to the floor.


    Please let it be real.


    Trembling hands struggled with the doorknob for a second before she headed to the intercom instead.


    She focused on the rhythm of her breaths, trying to stop crying. Testing her voice to see if she could pretend to sound normal, she called up Comm again. Her hand was shaking so bad, she almost got the numbers wrong.


    The seconds became a horrible eternity, wasting away in a silence that was only broken by her own rapid breathing. There was no answer.


    That was odd.


    Her heart sunk.


    Had that talk with Michael not been real?


    She dialed again, furiously hitting the numbers. Again, what followed was silence¡ªsuch long silence that she had to cover her mouth to make sure she didn¡¯t make a sound.


    Maybe everyone was busy. Should she go upstairs in person?


    She was about to give up when November answered this time. Were they rotating through the letters of the alphabet?


    ¡°Where¡¯s Pegasus?¡± she blurted out. Hopefully, she managed not to sound as if she were having a panic attack. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not an emergency, it¡¯s just¡­¡± I¡¯m losing my mind and the little bit of sanity I have left hinges on whether he¡¯s alive. ¡°Could you tell me where I could find Pegasus?¡±


    ¡°Right now, on his way to the hostage thing,¡± November said.


    Sarah hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d been holding her breath. She almost laughed. He was alive.


    Flooded with relief, it took her brain a moment to process what she¡¯d heard. Whatever happiness she felt was obliterated the next instant and relief was nowhere to be found. Fear squeezed her insides and it was all she could do to speak. ¡°What hostage thing?¡±


    Other voices, including Michael¡¯s, intruded with urgency in the background.


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± she heard Michael ask.


    November quickly apologized to her and said goodbye.


    Hostages¡­


    Was this one of those repeat dreams?


    It couldn¡¯t be the hostage situation at the department store near the airport. It definitely couldn¡¯t be that same day¡ªcould it?


    Trapped between hopefulness and fear of being disappointed, Sarah wanted to talk to someone in person.


    She quickly washed her face, but there was no way she¡¯d pass as normal. Hopefully, she wouldn¡¯t trigger any weirdness alerts.


    Her flip-flops clacking along as she raced down the hallway, she didn¡¯t stop running until Cypher¡¯s station came into view.


    Something was obviously going on. Cypher was nowhere to be seen, and Michael was busy talking to several people.


    There were no open stations from where she could log into the system and look at recent mission logs. She wouldn¡¯t have access to that from her room. Catching November¡¯s attention when he looked up from his screen, Sarah approached him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cypher?¡± she asked before anyone could question what she was doing there.


    November looked at her funny. It was probably the puffy, bloodshot eyes that betrayed she¡¯d been crying. She held his gaze. Crying wasn¡¯t some horrible offense, much less anything to be embarrassed about at the moment.


    ¡°He¡¯s out with Griffon¡¯s team.¡±


    ¡°And you said they were looking into the hostage situation at a department store?¡± She surprised herself with how calm she sounded.


    November nodded, probably not realizing he hadn¡¯t said anything about a department store over the com.


    Anxiousness scratched at her chest.


    If this was one of those weird recurring dreams where things weren¡¯t quite the same but were, what was she to do?


    She couldn¡¯t go through it again, couldn¡¯t have Pegasus be alive and lose him again. And without even seeing him¡­ That would be too cruel. Did her mind hate her?


    But if not a dream, what was the alternative she was hoping for? That she was getting some sort of do-over?


    November was still staring at her. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Near the airport?¡± she asked.


    November frowned. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    She shrugged it off, hoping it looked natural. ¡°I think I heard something on the way up.¡±


    ¡°Phoenix?¡± Michael asked. ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    She shook her head, tried to smile. Telling them she¡¯d had a nightmare about Pegasus probably wouldn¡¯t help. ¡°When did they leave?¡±


    ¡°Some minutes ago,¡± Michael said, handing a tablet to November. ¡°We¡¯re really busy. If it¡¯s not urgent, you should come back later.¡±


    She backed away with a wave, no longer able to hold the fake smile.


    How much of a coincidence could it be?


    Or was her mind playing one giant trick on her, filling in the blanks with the details as they were given to her now, pretending they matched the nightmare? She shivered at the familiarity of the thought, but still that didn¡¯t help her with the growing sick feeling devouring her insides.


    She could try contacting the team but she didn¡¯t even know what she would say. Would she tell them there were five terrorists instead of the three inside? Would she tell them Pegasus shouldn¡¯t chase one down on his own? It wasn¡¯t as if anyone would believe she¡¯d gotten some mystery intel from somewhere that she wouldn¡¯t be able to produce as evidence.


    And how sure was she?


    It¡¯s not like she trusted herself at this point.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t stand by and do nothing if there was even a miniscule chance that this was the same day.


    She hadn¡¯t realized where she was going until the elevator opened to let her out at the garage level.


    What else could she do?


    A miniscule chance was still a chance.

 Book II - ch 21: Miniscule Chances

    * * *


    Sarah moved quickly, going through the motions as if following a predetermined plan. She logged out the car and grabbed the keys without issue. It was a good thing that she¡¯d paid attention when she was leaving with Mermaid and Lore for the party¡ªbut hadn¡¯t that also been a dream?


    She memorized the exit code as fast as she could¡ªRainbows End Where They Return East Never Turning.


    The sound of her flip-flops echoed as she ran to the car. Thankful that no one stopped her, she raced out of the compound. Ignoring traffic signs and whatever red lights she could get away with, she sped towards the place where everything took place.


    Dream or not, real or not, it didn¡¯t matter at this point.


    Who was she kidding? Even if her heart came out crushed in the end, she¡¯d still want to see Pegasus again. Even if it were a dream.


    Her eyes started tearing up again.


    Stop it.


    She could be so calm during normal missions, but anything related to her dreams made her into a trembling, unfocused, panic-stricken mess. She hit the steering wheel, but she didn¡¯t slow down.


    From the dark corner of her mind, another thought crept forward. She¡¯d had this sort of feeling before, with Robyn, though she hadn¡¯t been able to pinpoint what it was. But the feeling had been right all along, hadn¡¯t it?


    Her sister had been dead and the other version of Robyn had been there to kill her.


    She couldn¡¯t ignore it, regardless of the odds.


    And if there was nothing here waiting for her and Pegasus¡¯ death was indeed a nightmare, she would lock herself up as soon as she got back to the compound. As soon as she made sure Pegasus was nowhere near this place and safe¡ªor as safe as he could be with his choice of occupation.


    Sarah turned into a narrower street and ran straight into a police barricade.


    ¡°Locals have the perimeter,¡± she remembered Cypher saying.


    She abandoned the car in the middle of the street.


    Looking up at the rooftops, she searched for anything she might recognize.


    Her heart was pounding in her chest.


    She needed to find Pegasus, needed to save him, even if only in her imagination.


    This was the place, but where was that alley? She¡¯d been too distraught at the time to register it.


    She needed to find the rooftop of that office building. Ignoring the officer yelling at her about the car, she took off running before the plan formed in her mind. It wasn¡¯t like she could ask the police politely to let her through.


    Sarah darted into a familiar-looking building when someone was coming out and barged into the first open office she could find, startling some guy in a suit and tie enough that he spilled his coffee.


    And just like that, she was out the window. Bare feet hit the pavement, her flip-flops having been lost somewhere along the way.


    She turned onto a side street. Now inside the perimeter, all she had to do was find the right alley.


    Running down one back street to the next, running between parked cars and over trash bags, she searched for the correct location. Her mind reexamined everything from where the sun had been up on the rooftop to where she was now in relation to the department store.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    A plane went by overhead, casting a moving shadow on the world, and she held back the urge to scream.


    She was so close now. She was sure she was almost there¡­ but time was not cooperating.


    The office building she¡¯d climbed up in the dream¡ªwas it a dream?¡ªcame into view between two smaller buildings.


    Sarah forced herself to speed up, ignoring her muscles¡¯ complaints as she remembered the configuration of how the back streets came to the alley where Pegasus was killed. There wasn¡¯t much time.


    A large, decrepit garbage container occupied the passageway between two buildings, blocking the way. Another route would cost her precious time.


    She scampered up over it, paying little attention to the sudden sting on the sole of her left foot. It didn¡¯t matter, and it would matter even less if she didn¡¯t make it in time.


    Sarah turned into what she thought was the right alley at a run. On the opposite end of the alley, two men were engaged in hand-to-hand combat.


    She almost tripped over her own feet, somehow surprised by what she¡¯d been searching for¡ªmaybe she hadn¡¯t truly believed she¡¯d find it until that second.


    But there he was. Pegasus.


    Despite the mask, she knew it was him. She recognized his fighting by now.


    She didn¡¯t slow down. She didn¡¯t think she could.


    Their fight was over before she¡¯d crossed half the distance between them.


    Pegasus had his quarry pinned against the wall, both their backs to her.


    Sarah kept running, wondering if she should cry out to him. Would that only distract him and make him more vulnerable?


    He had died almost exactly where he was standing now.


    Three shots¡ªall from behind.


    Her heart beat faster.


    Another figure came into view ahead, emerging from another alleyway not ten meters in front of her. Quietly, he raised his gun, aiming at Pegasus.


    Without slowing down, Sarah screamed. She barreled into him as the first shot was fired.


    They tumbled to the ground, struggling for the gun. She managed a clumsy jab at his throat, using the distraction to take his weapon.


    Falling backwards away from him, she barely had time to aim as he came at her with a knife. The shot echoed between the buildings, reminding her once again of that horrible day.


    She pulled the trigger again and again, shooting him until she was sure he was dead. Tears streamed down her face as she laughed. Regardless of whether it was real, she¡¯d lost her mind, she was sure of it now.


    But it had to be real¡ªright?


    She was still standing there, holding the gun aimed at the lifeless body on the ground even though there was no longer any point to it. Like a monster from a nightmare, did she expect him to rise again?


    The more rational part of her was still waiting to wake up from this. It might be a long wait.


    ¡°Phoenix!¡± The shout registered, and she realized it was not the first time Pegasus had called her.


    She turned towards him.


    He was alive.


    Pegasus had the other terrorist immobilized with his face turned away from her and pressed against the wall.


    She felt her own face then, remembering she didn¡¯t have her mask on. A mask? Hell, she didn¡¯t even have shoes on.


    Sarah looked up reflexively towards the office building, searching as if she expected to see herself up on the rooftop. The memory came then, of her looking down at the alley from above, but it was just in her head. There was no one there.


    ¡°Phoenix? Are you with me?¡±


    She nodded.


    Not a dream, she repeated, wondering if she believed it entirely this time.


    She looked down at the gun in her hand and the dead body lying at her feet.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it later,¡± Pegasus said, drawing her attention back to him. He¡¯d pulled the prisoner¡¯s shirt over his face so he wouldn¡¯t see her. ¡°Are you okay to move?¡±


    She nodded. Breathing was still difficult, but the knots in her insides were a different kind now. She couldn¡¯t look away from Pegasus, half terrified that he would vanish in the blink of an eye. If this was still a dream, she didn¡¯t want to wake up.


    For his part, Pegasus was looking at her as if she were a rare type of dotted unicorn you only saw when the full moon rose alongside the sun. He was, of course, the rational one of the two¡ªeven if he were a hallucination.


    She blinked at him after a moment. He was talking to someone over the com.


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing him back now. Can someone take care of the body?¡±


    Should she be worried that she¡¯d already forgotten about that? Well, she could probably worry about that particular disturbing nuance of her psyche later. First was the part where she might be insane.


    ¡°Cypher, are we clear? I have Phoenix with me.¡±


    There was a pause where she figured Cypher was having one of his fits.


    ¡°Are we clear?¡± Pegasus repeated sharply. Then he simply gestured for her to follow him. He shoved the prisoner in front of them. The man stumbled blindly ahead, shirt still covering his face.


    Sarah couldn¡¯t help one last look up at the rooftop.


    Her breath caught when she saw someone looking down, exactly where she had been in the dream. The masked person watched them for a second or two, then stepped back out of sight. For a moment, her mind imagined it had been her.


    Ahead, she could see the metal frame where she¡¯d hit the back of her head after seeing Pegasus¡¯ body.


    The pain of hitting her head had been so real, but so was the sharp sting on the sole of her foot now.


    There was no difference.


    So¡­ which was real?

 Book II - ch 22: Ripples Into the Unknown

    * * *


    Sarah drew in a sharp breath, eyes locked on the dead body lying in the alley. Her feet felt stuck to the grimy pavement. Add one point into the ¡®not a dream¡¯ column.


    If a dream, this thing was aiming for an outstanding prize in realism.


    A trembling hand clenched the gun handle tighter. The other wiped the sweat from her temple.


    ¡°Phoenix.¡± Hearing Pegasus¡¯ voice snapped her out of it.


    She whirled to look at him.


    Still there. Still alive.


    He had one hand keeping his prisoner steady, but now his free hand was outstretched to her.


    When she didn¡¯t react, he pointed at the gun.


    Movement unleashed, she caught up to him, handing the gun over without protest. She trailed behind him the rest of the way, no longer willing to take her eyes off him.


    They were met by Mermaid near the front of the building, who took the prisoner. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Pegasus waved her off, returning to Sarah. When he came close, Sarah reached out and grabbed his forearm, squeezing tightly. He tensed underneath her touch, but didn¡¯t pull away. She felt her eyes tearing up again.


    He said something to her, but she couldn¡¯t quite hear. She waited for him to repeat himself, but he gestured towards the vans instead.


    Sarah started walking. That was a simple enough direction to follow.


    All the while, Pegasus was talking on the com, likely to Cypher and Griffon, warding off questions about her by the amount of sharp ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯s he had to dish out before they¡¯d even taken ten steps.


    Coming from behind, Griffon intercepted them halfway to one of the vans.


    Pegasus directed her to keep going, tossing their leader another irritated-sounding ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    Under Griffon¡¯s scrutiny, Sarah didn¡¯t dare move.


    Yeah, +1 for not a dream again for that look right there.


    Pegasus walked on, taking hold of Sarah¡¯s arm and pulling her in tow when she was unwilling to brush past Griffon. Sarah went along with it for lack of options.


    Pegasus opened the back of the van, ordered someone out, pulled her inside, and closed the door behind them. When Sarah sat down, he took a seat facing her, pulling his mask off in one swift motion. His hair stuck out at odd angles, but Sarah didn¡¯t have it in her to laugh. He reflexively ran his fingers through the mess, but it didn¡¯t help.


    Frowning, he took in her disarray from the top of her disheveled hair to the bottom of her bare feet¡ªwhich he seemed to find particularly confusing.


    An icy blue gaze pierced her. ¡°Prove to me you¡¯re you.¡±


    Startled by the demand¡ªand it was a demand¡ªshe could have laughed. Of course that¡¯s what he¡¯d think with her showing up where she wasn¡¯t supposed to be.


    ¡°How far back?¡± She racked her brain for what a window of opportunity to switch her out for an impostor would have been.


    He scoffed, reacting to something he¡¯d heard over the com. ¡°You haven¡¯t been out of our sight until today.¡±


    Sarah nodded to herself, only mildly surprised. By his reaction, he¡¯d suspected as much.


    ¡°So anything will do?¡±


    He nodded, staring at her expectantly. His hand lay next to his gun, but under the circumstances, she didn¡¯t take offense. In fact, she was surprised he wasn¡¯t already keeping her under aim.


    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t mind waking up to a nice surprise,¡± she said, cursing herself for the choice the next instant.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    She caught the briefest of smiles and a hint of relief, right before he rolled his eyes at something over the com.


    ¡°It does.¡± A deep breath escaped him with a muttered, ¡°I need a minute.¡±


    He turned off his com.


    Sarah was fine with keeping quiet, her mind was still trying to process the entire thing. Or she hoped it was. She couldn¡¯t pick out one single coherent thought in the entire mess. It all felt like static.


    Was now when she¡¯d wake up and find it was nothing more than a do-over dream? Her eyes started watering again. Every passing second that she got to see him made her more terrified that this was the dream.


    ¡°You saved my life.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°Not that I¡¯m not grateful, but what in hell are you doing here?¡±


    Should she lie or tell the truth?


    It was hard to think of an explanation that didn¡¯t sound insane.


    But if this were a dream, did it matter?


    Honestly, if this was the dream, she¡¯d rather hug him. If this was real, she wanted to hug him even more. But dream or not, he didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d let her. His hand still had to come away from the gun.


    ¡°How did you know where we were?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, not really. At least, I hoped I didn¡¯t. Or I guess I hoped I did.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to sound like me on purpose? I need a better explanation for what you¡¯re doing here.¡± He waved a hand to encompass her appearance, stopping with a pointed look at her feet. ¡°And like that.¡±


    ¡°I was here last time.¡± She sucked in a breath. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna wake up.¡±


    She wiped at her eyes, the despair coming back full force.


    This had to be a dream. The bad things were real, and right now there was nothing worse than Pegasus being dead.


    ¡°You¡¯re not dreaming.¡± For the first time, he sounded concerned.


    Sarah laughed despite herself. If a dream told you you weren¡¯t dreaming, would you believe it?


    ¡°I promise you¡¯re not dreaming.¡± He reached out and squeezed her hands. ¡°You¡¯re here, in this horribly smelly van, with a very confused, but very real, me.¡±


    The van really was smelly. Another point for real. What was the score now?


    She wanted to pull a hand away so she could wipe the fresh tears, but he wouldn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Start at the beginning.¡± He asked it of her so calmly that she couldn¡¯t help try.


    ¡°You were dead.¡± It was so odd saying it aloud, but there it was. That¡¯s why she was there. That¡¯s why she thought this might be a dream. Why she was still so terrified it might be.


    He gave her hands a squeeze. ¡°Maybe start a little more at the beginning than that.¡±


    Sarah pleaded with her eyes, but it was useless. She didn¡¯t want to say it, but she probably couldn¡¯t sound any crazier if she tried. ¡°I had a nightmare¡­¡±


    The word nightmare had no visible effect on him. Maybe he hadn¡¯t realized where this was going yet.


    Sarah wet her lips. Her mouth felt dry. ¡°In this nightmare, we¡¯d been called to a department store where suspected New Nation terrorists had taken hostages. I was on a building top with a view of the hostages. A plane went by at some point and Mermaid was questioning how many terrorists there were. I heard you say you had a runner.¡±


    Pegasus¡¯ expression changed immediately. Sarah couldn¡¯t look away, trapped by the intensity in his gaze.


    Sarah almost jumped from her seat when someone banged on the door.


    Pegasus remained undisturbed.


    The banging came again, louder this time, as if someone were trying to break down the side of the van.


    ¡°I need a minute!¡± Pegasus shouted. ¡°Or maybe an hour,¡± he added beneath his breath, gesturing she continue.


    More tears rolled down her cheek, but she didn¡¯t want to pull her hands from his now, didn¡¯t want to let go of him. ¡°I heard you say you¡¯d gotten the runner, and then there was a shot. Three shots total. Cypher said you were down. I couldn¡¯t see you, but then when I went over and looked¡­¡±


    The horrible agony from that moment reverberated through her as if a fresh gaping wound where her heart should be.


    ¡°You were dead.¡± She drew his hands towards her, his warmth the closest thing to proof that it had all been imagined.


    Pegasus remained a statue, she couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. ¡°When was this nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Last night¡­ or this morning.¡± Except she hadn¡¯t been asleep.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you came here?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I know it sounds crazy.¡±


    ¡°Did someone tell you where we were?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Not exactly. ¡°Michael did say department store, and I asked if it was the one near the airport.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you know exactly where to find us?¡±


    ¡°I remembered from the nightmare. And I knew where you were because I remembered the alley. I looked for the building I recognized and tried to find the right alley.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°When I got here, it was just like my dream.¡±


    ¡°Except I didn¡¯t die.¡±


    The image came unbidden, seeing him lying there in her mind¡¯s eye, a perfect replay of the memory she¡¯d been trying to escape. The despair was still there, an echo of before. Pegasus sitting right there, holding her hands, went a long way to dull the feeling.


    Sarah brought his hands to her forehead, closing her eyes. ¡°I want this to be real.¡±


    ¡°This is real.¡±


    Some rational part of her brain disagreed. There¡¯s no way she could have known about this mission in such detail before it happened.


    Pegasus pulled their hands back, freeing one of his hands only to offer it back to her. ¡°Take my pulse, I¡¯m alive.¡±


    She pressed her fingers to his wrist and waited, hoping it would ease her worries.


    Her own pulse was distracting, pounding away until she could almost hear it. ¡°I can¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both dead then.¡± He smiled, unrepentant.


    Removing his bulletproof vest, he placed her hand on his chest, over his heart. She couldn¡¯t feel anything for a second, but there it was, strong and constant. Her breathing started slowing unconsciously to match his, but doubt crept in.


    Wasn¡¯t her mind more than capable of imagining a beating heart?


    Pegasus pressed her hand harder against his chest. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t think you can believe me, take it as real and it will be real.¡±


    It was so ridiculous, she laughed. But it was what she wanted to do.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming.¡± Taking that to be true, she allowed everything else to fall into place.


    If this was real, then he was alive because of what she¡¯d seen. However impossible, that would be the only explanation. The alternative would be living in a world where he was gone forever.


    She didn¡¯t want that world.

 Book II - ch 23: Define Real in Three Words or Less

    * * *


    Someone banged on the side of the van again, but Sarah didn¡¯t move or let go of Pegasus.


    ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you and your moment, I wanna go back to base!¡± Scorpion shouted. ¡°I¡¯m tired of babysitting the friggin¡¯ van.¡±


    Sarah didn¡¯t want to let go of his hand, not yet. There was a noise that sounded like Scorpion had banged her head against the door instead of her fists.


    ¡°Grunt if we can head back,¡± Scorpion said.


    ¡°We can, right?¡± Pegasus asked her in a whisper.


    Sarah nodded. There was nothing left here for her.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said louder. He still made no move to unlock the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± Scorpion replied loudly. ¡°I¡¯ll ride in front with the geek you threw out of his own van.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Pegasus moved to the seat next to hers, pulling her into a one-armed hug when she refused to let go of his other hand. Sarah leaned against him, placing her other arm around his waist. Slowly, as if to confirm he wouldn¡¯t disappear on her, she released his hand, wrapping both arms around him.


    Pegasus held her, hands drawing soothing motions along her back.


    The van¡¯s engine came to life, and soon they were moving amidst shouted complaints from Scorpion.


    The two stayed as they were.


    ¡°In case I forget later with all the madness that¡¯s sure to be waiting for us back at the compound, thank you.¡± Warm breath tickled her ear. ¡°However you did it, thank you for saving my life.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how that happened.¡±


    ¡°Start again from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°I already told you!¡± She pulled away to face him. ¡°Asking again isn¡¯t going to change that.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it would be good to organize your thoughts before we get back.¡±


    Would her room have vestiges of her mourning him?


    Fear still had her in its grasp, squeezing her insides as it did when she looked down from that rooftop. No dream should feel so real. Sarah shivered, but she couldn¡¯t blame it on the cold.


    Pegasus tried to pull her back into an embrace.


    She fought him, even though she still wouldn¡¯t let go of his shirt. Nobody said crazy people should be consistent. ¡°You¡¯re the sane one here, what do you think happened?¡±


    Brushing her hair back behind her ear, he offered her a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out later.¡± His gaze was faraway, as if his mind was already busy at work. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    She wanted to believe him.


    His thumb traced the familiar pattern along her wrist. ¡°Just breathe for now.¡±


    ¡°I am breathing. It¡¯s not helping.¡±


    ¡°You should be the one telling me that everything¡¯s gonna be fine.¡± He leaned his forehead on her shoulder. ¡°Hold me close and tell me to breathe.¡±


    No longer able to see his smile, she found no trace of it in his voice.


    ¡°I almost died today.¡± It was barely a whisper.


    Sarah suspected this was his roundabout way of getting her to do what he wanted her to, but she had almost lost him. No, she had lost him.


    A shuddering breath left her. For that terrifying eternity of not knowing what was real and what was not, she had lost him forever. Holding on to him didn¡¯t sound like a bad idea.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    She wrapped her arms around him tightly. Eyes closed, she focused on the rising and falling of his chest. Soon she found her own breathing slowing down to match his.


    The adrenaline rush that had been keeping her on edge was winding down, exhaustion starting to replace it.


    The van came to an abrupt stop that almost threw them from their seats.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡± She thought the van might have been intercepted and they¡¯d need to defend themselves.


    ¡°We¡¯re home,¡± Pegasus said, probably unaware of the effect his choice of words had.


    This wasn¡¯t supposed to be home.


    She was still coming to terms with that disturbing thought when Pegasus left her to unlock the door.


    Scorpion was standing there, fuming. ¡°Somebody wanna tell me why I had to deal with a dead body while the runaway needed hand-holding?¡±


    For once, Sarah was glad to be ignored.


    Pegasus wasn¡¯t fazed. ¡°That guy was gonna kill me. Sarah saved my life.¡±


    His bluntness got them barely five seconds of shocked silence as a reprieve, but Scorpion recovered promptly. ¡°Great, but what was she doing there?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged.


    Scorpion shifted her attention to Sarah like a laser beam. ¡°What the hell were you doing there?¡±


    Sarah froze in the midst of getting up, trying to come up with a better reply than Pegasus¡¯, but she didn¡¯t think Scorpion would like any answers she had to give.


    Pegasus waved Scorpion off with such apparent indifference that Sarah couldn¡¯t have been more surprised when the woman simply rolled her eyes and stepped back in a huff, proceeding to yell at Cypher instead.


    Sarah didn¡¯t move until Pegasus reached in and pulled her out of the van. She stumbled, cursing beneath a breath when she put weight on her left foot. By the trail of blood she was leaving behind, she¡¯d cut it pretty badly on something.


    Pegasus asked for the first aid kit when Scorpion was grabbing some of their gear from the other van.


    With a grumbled complaint, Scorpion threw the kit at him as if they were dodgeball opponents, but he caught it easily enough.


    Medical kit in one hand, he offered Sarah his other arm for support.


    He shrugged his way past Mermaid¡¯s cacophony of questions, exchanging a brief look with Griffon. ¡°She¡¯d better talk to Zeus first.¡±


    Whether the mention of Zeus or the seriousness in Pegasus¡¯ expression, Griffon let them pass without challenge.


    Sarah¡¯s hand hesitated over the keypad. If she got her re-entry code wrong again, she¡¯d be screwed this time.


    Pegasus gave her some space, more as a precaution than anything else, she was sure. She didn¡¯t turn around, afraid she¡¯d see him pointing his gun at her.


    She took a deep breath, trying to go back to the moment when she left that morning, hurried and terrified.


    Rainbows End Where They Return East Never Turning.


    To her relief, the code was correct.


    Pegasus typed in his code in a tenth of the time.


    As if afraid of being cornered if they stood still for too long, Pegasus got her moving right away. His concern was not unfounded. Guards intercepted them as soon as they made it through the second set of doors.


    ¡°I know,¡± Pegasus said before they even got a word out. ¡°We got the bulletin. I¡¯ve got it.¡±


    Were they here for her?


    They checked something over their coms and eventually let them pass.


    Regardless of the pain in her foot, she moved faster until they came to the elevator. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You abandoned a car in the middle of the road. Them doing a verification on you is the least hassle you¡¯re gonna have to deal with.¡±


    The car! She¡¯d completely forgotten about it.


    She leaned back against the wall, watching the numbers as they changed in the little display. ¡°Can I ask what you think?¡±


    His lips twitched. ¡°You can, but I don¡¯t have an answer.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe me about the dream?¡± She didn¡¯t realize how terrified she was of his answer until the words came out of her mouth.


    He held her gaze, any trace of humor gone as if it had never been there. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t think I¡¯m crazy?¡±


    The smile returned, filled with mischief as it usually was. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. But maybe we all are.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help laugh. ¡°That doesn¡¯t help with what I¡¯m supposed to tell Zeus.¡±


    ¡°Tell him the truth.¡±


    ¡°Even the crazy bits that don¡¯t make sense?¡±


    ¡°Especially the crazy bits that don¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Groaning, she stepped into the elevator. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like telling him anything that starts with ¡®So, I had a nightmare last night¡­¡¯¡±


    Once the doors closed, he placed a hand on hers. ¡°I know you hate it when I ask, but are you okay?¡±


    As well as she could be. ¡°How are you feeling? You¡¯re the one who almost died.¡±


    ¡°Not my first close call, not my last. Probably the only one with such a detailed account of an alternate outcome.¡±


    Alternate outcome. Could there be a more unfeeling euphemism for dying?


    ¡°Do you want to talk about the part where you emptied a gun into someone?¡±


    ¡°I did?¡± True that she¡¯d shot the man who was going to kill him and she vaguely remembered pulling the trigger more than once, but she hadn¡¯t realized.


    He nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll also have to talk to Athena specifically about that.¡±


    Sarah expected as much. After she was done talking to Zeus, she imagined she¡¯d have a long list of psychologists, therapists, and neurologists awaiting her. Dr. Blue might finally reconsider vivisection.


    Stepping off the elevator, Pegasus walked her over to Zeus¡¯ office at a fast pace. Pegasus exchanged a greeting with Tango, who was stationed outside and knocked on the door. Opening the door before any reply came, he went in. Sarah, who was still putting a lot of her weight on him, followed in his wake.


    Zeus looked up at them, fixing his gaze on her. Many people had squirmed under that gaze during the years. She found she was no exception.


    ¡°Thanks for seeing us,¡± Pegasus said, maintaining a professional demeanor.


    Zeus waved impatiently for them to take a seat.


    Pegasus directed her to a chair, but he didn¡¯t make a move to join her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear this.¡± Contrary to the words, Zeus sounded less than thrilled.


    Sarah turned to Pegasus, hoping he would rescue her one more time. He was distracted, rummaging through the first aid kit.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be worse than what I think,¡± Zeus said.


    Pegasus scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t count on it.¡±

 Book II - ch 24: Weird Doesn’t Even Begin to Cover It

    * * *


    Sarah looked down at Pegasus. He was kneeling in front of her, cleaning out the cut on the bottom of her foot¡­ right there in Zeus¡¯ office¡­ while Zeus stared at her expectantly, waiting for an explanation.


    What was the scoreboard again? Was it 5-4 that this was a dream?


    Because even with her crazy dreams, this felt surreal.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to begin.¡± She winced when Pegasus dabbed at the wound with a damp gauze. ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t using the ones with alcohol anymore.¡±


    ¡°Old batch, sorry.¡±


    ¡°Make it temporary. Just so she doesn¡¯t bleed her way to medical,¡± Zeus said, apparently distracted by the bandaging of her foot as well.


    ¡°Whoever¡¯s on cleaning duty will appreciate that,¡± Pegasus said over his shoulder as if nothing of greater importance had happened¡ªor was still happening¡ªthat day.


    If she sat really still, would they forget her and move on?


    Sadly, there was no such luck.


    ¡°Start at the beginning,¡± Zeus said, gesturing towards her.


    Even though she¡¯d already told her story aloud to Pegasus, she didn¡¯t feel comfortable saying it here under these bright lights.


    Pegasus, having finished placing a temporary bandage on the cut, took a seat, ready to join the conversation. Sarah wished he hadn¡¯t when his first words were the ones she was dreading: ¡°She had a nightmare.¡±


    Sarah tossed him a panicked look. Pegasus was supposed to be better at this than her.


    A slightly risen brow, Zeus gestured she continue. Having him react so calmly eased some of her nervousness.


    She found herself telling him about the first version of events she experienced, relaying it as a nightmare. She also told him about how she got there afterwards¡ªthe second time around. Nobody was laughing or saying she was crazy, so she confessed she still couldn¡¯t be one hundred percent sure that this was real.


    When she was finished, Zeus exchanged a look with Pegasus that she couldn¡¯t interpret. She was starting to consider that Zeus actually could read minds.


    ¡°Is this the first time that something like this happened?¡± Zeus asked.


    Sarah started nodding automatically, but that wasn¡¯t entirely true.


    ¡°Something¡¯s happened before?¡±


    Sarah gave Pegasus a side glance before answering. ¡°Not like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the reports. Athena thinks you¡¯re suffering from some kind of mental breakdown, and Dr. Blue requested an MRI since the CT came back clear.¡±


    ¡°I guess it started with the dreams. And sometimes when I wake up, I can¡¯t tell whether I¡¯m awake.¡±


    ¡°Like now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve also thought I saw things that weren¡¯t there, like Robyn, while I was awake. This is the first time where whatever I saw repeated almost exactly like I saw it.¡±


    To have most of a day play out in terrifying clarity¡­ No, nothing like that had happened before. ¡°And I have these bad feelings sometimes.¡±


    ¡°We all have bad feelings, hunches and such,¡± Zeus said.


    ¡°Could be. But it feels like more than that, and for no apparent reason. The last time I felt something like that was when the other Robyn tried to kill me, before she even got back from the mission where she was wounded.¡±


    ¡°And during these times when you¡¯re not sure whether you¡¯re dreaming or not, are you dreaming or are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s a dream, but sometimes it¡¯s real.¡± And once or twice, it felt like a dream within a dream.


    Zeus leaned back in his chair.


    Sarah felt like she was waiting for a verdict on her sanity.


    Finally, Zeus turned to Pegasus. ¡°You¡¯re awfully quiet all of a sudden. What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Ever since we found out there was a target on Sarah¡¯s back, we¡¯ve been trying to find a reason why someone would be so intent on killing her, why anyone would think she was so dangerous¡­¡± Pegasus shrugged. ¡°This could be it.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s eyes widened. She hadn¡¯t made that association. Well, that would have required believing she was seeing things that were real. So far, she¡¯d dismissed Robyn¡¯s claims that she¡¯d be dangerous to a world simply because it was too impossible to believe, and there was nothing about her out of the ordinary enough to make a difference. But this being real would change everything.


    ¡°So, first question would be: is it real?¡± she asked, realizing she¡¯d interrupted whatever it was Zeus had been saying. ¡°Did I really see something that hadn¡¯t happened yet?¡±


    He paused to consider her words, seemingly uncaring about the interruption itself.


    ¡°What¡¯s the risk if we assume it¡¯s real and it¡¯s not?¡± Zeus asked in turn.


    Pegasus scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s the risk in assuming it¡¯s not real if it is?¡±


    ¡°Do you wanna go with real or not real?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Or should we flip a coin?¡±


    Pegasus laughed, but Zeus didn¡¯t look amused.


    ¡°I call heads,¡± Pegasus said, getting a look from Zeus that would have made anyone but him shut up immediately. He shrugged. ¡°We need an assumption to start with. A theory, if you prefer, to prove or disprove.¡±


    ¡°Which one would you suggest, Phoenix?¡±


    ¡°Real.¡± If only because the alternative meant she had lost her mind somewhere along the way¡ªand Pegasus was dead.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Zeus surprised her by nodding. ¡°Real it is then, for the moment.¡±


    ¡°Then the question becomes: how do we prove it¡¯s real?¡± Pegasus asked.


    It was Sarah¡¯s turn to shrug. Was there any other way except waiting for her mind to give her something they could check?


    ¡°Not all my hallucinations are like that, though. Some just¡­¡± Some showed her the things she wanted, like her parents and Robyn. ¡°How far can my brain go to change my memories of these dreams in retrospect? Because everything happened like I saw in the dream.¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly.¡± Pegasus pointed at himself.


    A heavy silence fell on them.


    ¡°Are we saying Phoenix sees the future now?¡± Zeus asked.


    Sarah winced at that question. This was becoming crazier by the second, but if they were willing to play along, why shouldn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Future or not, what if she¡¯s seeing an alternate version of events?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Sarah turned to him. ¡°The other world. Do you think I may be seeing what¡¯s happening there?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Maybe things happen in a different order there, or maybe their world turns the other way.¡±


    ¡°The plane,¡± Sarah whispered, ignoring his joke.


    Pegasus smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t think planes would care which way the planet turned.¡±


    If she didn¡¯t live under the constant impression that he didn¡¯t take anything seriously, she might be offended.


    ¡°The plane you saw in your dream and then later, was it the same plane?¡± he asked the next second.


    ¡°I think so, but that doesn¡¯t help, does it?¡± There would be no way to prove it was the same plane.


    Was she taking this too far? Seeing the future of either dimension was such a gigantic leap from having hyperrealistic dreams. It also didn¡¯t help that half of what she dreamed couldn¡¯t possibly be real.


    ¡°So the next question is, if it is the future, is it our future or theirs?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged. ¡°Assuming you haven¡¯t lost your mind.¡±


    ¡°I like that assumption very much. Not that it matters what I like.¡±


    Zeus typed something into his console. ¡°Let¡¯s look at that option first then. I want Dr. Blue to have another look at you. I¡¯ll have him meet you in medical right away.¡±


    Sarah nodded. She figured they¡¯d humored her long enough.


    ¡°Keep a record of all these events,¡± Zeus said. ¡°We¡¯ll try to match whatever you see with actual events.¡±


    Sarah glanced at Pegasus. She so didn¡¯t want to have to write everything down.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to see if we can use it to our advantage.¡±


    ¡°What do we tell the others?¡± Pegasus asked.


    ¡°A version of this that doesn¡¯t sound insane would be nice,¡± Sarah suggested.


    ¡°Lying doesn¡¯t last very long down here.¡±


    Zeus nodded. ¡°Tell them Phoenix will have some more tests done before she can return to duty. That¡¯s after she undergoes the verification procedures. The main point should be that she¡¯s having a mental health crisis.¡±


    ¡°Should I use the word psychosis?¡±


    ¡°If you want.¡± She¡¯d thought worse.


    ¡°For today, tell them that Phoenix came upon intel that she thought was important, but couldn¡¯t verify in time. Being the impulsive and reckless creature she is, that¡¯s what we ended up with.¡± Zeus gestured towards her with a flourish.


    ¡°I¡¯m impulsive?¡± She conceded an argument could be made for reckless.


    Zeus gave her a look and she tried very hard to make herself invisible. It seemed she succeeded for a moment when he turned his attention to Pegasus. ¡°Have Unicorn take her to medical. She should be waiting outside.¡±


    Sarah would have to get used to being escorted everywhere from now on. It was surprising enough that they hadn¡¯t locked her up, even with Pegasus¡¯ interference.


    Unicorn was right outside the door. She hadn¡¯t turned in her gun yet. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised she triggered an alert, but I figured you had enough sense to deal with it properly, Pegasus.¡±


    In cases of suspicion, procedure dictated that she should have not only been kept under guard as soon as they returned to the compound, but Pegasus should¡¯ve also notified Unicorn¡ªher supervisor. He also should not have led her straight to Zeus.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Sarah said. This mess was all on her.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°I thought it better to go directly to Zeus before things got out of control.¡±


    ¡°Well, the running off and causing a weirdness alert to be issued wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± She pointedly glanced at Sarah.


    Sarah winced. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Unicorn waved it off. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Sarah limped her way to medical in front of Unicorn. The woman asked nothing of her, so Sarah didn¡¯t even have to use the simplified explanation that Zeus had provided for her. All for the best, she wasn¡¯t looking forward to lying.


    Sarah was also in no hurry to increase the number of people who thought she¡¯d lost her mind. Three seemed quite enough, and yes, she was including herself in that count.


    * * *


    Back inside Zeus¡¯ office, Pegasus grabbed a nearby box of tissues and started cleaning the mess he¡¯d made on the floor.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had blood in this office in a while,¡± Zeus reminisced.


    ¡°Was that when Wolf and Fox went at it?¡± Nobody ever did find out what the fight was about.


    ¡°I believe it was.¡± Zeus patiently watched him wipe the floor until he had gotten most of the blood. ¡°You can probably leave the rest for the cleaning crew.¡±


    Pegasus took a seat.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged, not sure how to answer that. ¡°It¡¯s not every day a pseudopremonition saves my life.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t lied when he told Sarah he¡¯d had more than his fair share of close calls. But the way she¡¯d looked at him, as if she could barely believe her eyes, that was the most terrifying part of it. Her belief made it real to him.


    ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s what it was?¡±


    A second too late to stop himself, he shrugged again.


    He didn¡¯t know what to think. He hadn¡¯t seen the other terrorist, hadn¡¯t even noticed him until Sarah intervened. Would he have died? Maybe. Probably.


    ¡°Say what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Zeus said after a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t really read your mind.¡±


    Pegasus smirked. He was the one who¡¯d started the mind-reading rumors back when he was still in the academy. ¡°Either she¡¯s the most perfect and hare-brained idea for an impostor they¡¯ve ever had, or she¡¯s telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°Could she have been switched out today?¡±


    Pegasus shook his head.


    As a precaution, Zeus had had someone monitoring her ever since she left their compound last year. Until recently, there had never been an opportunity. The only other option was if they¡¯d switched her out when they switched Robyn, which wouldn¡¯t even remotely make sense.


    ¡°I asked you to keep an eye on her.¡±


    Pegasus ignored the touch of reproach to the words. Without that, it was simply a stated fact. ¡°I did keep an eye on her.¡±


    He didn¡¯t like the look Zeus gave him then, but decided it was best to ignore that as well.


    ¡°I want to know your opinion. Is Phoenix an impostor or is she having pseudopremonitions as you call it?¡±


    Pegasus laughed. ¡°It might say something about my own sanity, but I¡¯m leaning towards the latter.¡± He still couldn¡¯t get past the terrified, haunted look in her eyes.


    ¡°I hope I only need me to ask you this once, but is your answer what you think is most likely or what you¡¯d rather believe?¡±


    ¡°She got the verification code right. And unless they switched her out when she first got here a year ago or before that to play some long game on us, then this is something else.¡±


    Zeus didn¡¯t say a word.


    Pegasus recognized this type of poker face. ¡°I¡¯m not being tricked. But I¡¯ll go through the motions and we¡¯ll check and recheck her as many times as needed.¡±


    ¡°But you believe her.¡±


    Pegasus reached for a pen sitting on Zeus¡¯ desk, but Zeus pulled it away before he could grab it. He threw his hands up. ¡°She believes it.¡±


    How difficult was it to believe in visions when a parallel world was involved?


    Zeus pressed his fingertips to his forehead as if trying to contain a headache. ¡°I know you haven¡¯t been very good about listening to me lately, but I mean it, I want this kept quiet.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of telling anyone.¡± He didn¡¯t like not knowing what would happen if he did.


    ¡°Keep it that way until we know what¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll be able to wait forever.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the simpler explanation.¡±


    ¡°That she set it up.¡± Pegasus couldn¡¯t say he hadn¡¯t considered it. ¡°But even so, there¡¯s no way to have predicted that I would be where I was, that I would have chased one of them down, that I would not have seen the other. As much planning as could have gone into it, there¡¯s no way they could have planned it so well without contacting her, and she¡¯s had no contact with the outside.¡±


    ¡°Make sure the checks are thorough.¡±


    Pegasus nodded, making his way to the door.


    ¡°One more thing.¡±


    Pegasus recognized that look as well¡ªand he didn¡¯t like it one bit.


    ¡°She trusts you,¡± Zeus started in a lower voice as if exchanging a confidence.


    Pegasus glared at him, he couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. I¡¯m stating a fact. She trusts you, and more importantly, she confides in you.¡±


    ¡°I think you got that the other way around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to do anything differently. Keep an eye on her and let me know if you think we should take more drastic measures. For now, we¡¯ll limit her access to non-essential systems.¡±


    Pegasus nodded briskly, opening the door to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to let you know the second Sarah starts scribbling nonsense on the walls in blood.¡±

 Book II - ch 25: Let’s Go with Hopefully Not Crazy

    * * *


    Dream or reality? Sarah had long lost track of her scoreboard. That might be for the best, she might not like the results.


    She stopped pacing around her room, the bottom of her left foot was starting to hurt even with the bandage. It was difficult to be basically confined to her room. Again.


    She¡¯d spent the last five hours letting the doctors poke and prod her as they pleased. They repeated the CT scan and did an MRI. She hadn¡¯t even known they had an MRI hidden somewhere in this place, but it made sense. Live¡ªget suspected of brain tumors¡ªand learn.


    Sarah tried not to think too much about what had happened. It seemed counterproductive when aiming for peace of mind or even sanity. But her mind insisted on returning to that rooftop of its own accord, triggered by the most random things.


    Unable to do much else, she held onto the belief that this was the real world, her world. The version of herself that had been atop that building, looking down at Pegasus¡¯ lifeless body, was just not her.


    Ignoring her will, tears formed in her eyes. No matter how much she insisted that he was alive, her fear had yet to subside. Her mind couldn¡¯t reconcile the feeling of having lost him with his being alive. She wiped her tears. That in itself might drive her insane.


    Sarah wanted to call Pegasus, needed to hear his voice. She forgot about her foot again when turning, almost putting too much weight on her left foot. An image shifted in the corner of her eyes, a trick of light. She looked up, and the air went out of her.


    It was her, and she was smiling. Sarah blinked at the image, at this version of her that felt so alien. She touched her own face, tracing her lips to make sure it wasn¡¯t her. The image followed along, a perfect reflection except for that smile.


    Was her mind mocking her now?


    The tears fell, forgotten.


    How could she still smile like that? How could she have lost everything and look perfectly fine?


    ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Sarah shouted.


    The hallucination laughed.


    * * *


    Pegasus hadn¡¯t had to bend the truth so hard since the time he was still volunteering at the Crisis Center and someone asked him what he¡¯d done over the weekend.


    He¡¯d so far had to dodge Griffon and Unicorn¡¯s questions, and even Athena had called him to get some insight about what had happened with Sarah during the mission.


    Telling the others whatever quick lies about Sarah¡¯s state of mind that best fit the truth¡ªshe was confused, had a lot going on, he wasn¡¯t sure what had happened¡ªwas a piece of cake compared to that conversation with Athena. She wanted details, and since she felt she wouldn¡¯t get them from Sarah, she¡¯d wanted to get as much as she could from him.


    Pegasus kept his lies as close to the truth as possible, but in the end he was simply glad Athena had to let him go because she had other things to do. Before they parted, she did tell him that she wanted Sarah to speak with a psychiatrist from Center. Pegasus tried not to grimace. That should be interesting.


    When he had gotten down to the lower levels, where the living quarters were, he hoped he¡¯d be free and clear. He should have known better.


    Scorpion ambushed him as soon as he stepped out of the elevator. She didn¡¯t even bother pretending she hadn¡¯t been waiting for him.


    ¡°You¡¯re too close to this one,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s how we screwed up with Robyn. We were all too close.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯m told,¡± he replied.


    She flipped her hair back impatiently. ¡°Fine time for you to start.¡±


    He shrugged. It wasn¡¯t the whole truth, Scorpion would be aware of that.


    ¡°You should take a step back and let someone else handle it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± And that was the truth, for various reasons.


    He tried to walk around her, but she extended her arm out, stopping him. ¡°And where are you going now?¡±


    ¡°To check on Sarah. Zeus told me to take point on this mess.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°And are you sure you should be doing that?¡±


    ¡°Orders.¡±


    The irritated look in her eyes clearly suggested that part was irrelevant. ¡°You¡¯re not the best person for this. Do you even realize what you did?¡±


    He nodded, resigned to the fact that she would not let him pass until she had finished saying everything she needed to.


    ¡°You walked her right past security and straight to Zeus.¡±


    ¡°I know. I kept an eye on her until the moment I handed her off to Unicorn,¡± he said. ¡°I know what I did. The decision wasn¡¯t made lightly.¡±


    She cursed at him, and for a moment he thought she¡¯d try to strangle him. Thankfully, that moment passed. She deflated. ¡°You¡¯re being stupid. You know you¡¯re being stupid. So why am I telling you things you already know?¡±


    ¡°Because you like the sound of your own voice?¡±


    Scorpion glared at him for a second, then threw her arms up in surrender.


    ¡°And because you worry too much.¡± He placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°And you know I need reminding. And you do have a point.¡±


    Scorpion sighed, no sign of triumph over having won the argument. ¡°I worry about you.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I know.¡±


    Scorpion reiterated her glare. ¡°It¡¯s disturbing that you enjoy worrying me.¡±


    His smile widened naturally, pure mischief now. ¡°I know.¡±


    When he walked away, she let him.


    By the time he got to Sarah¡¯s room, he had somehow managed to convince himself that things would at least settle down long enough for him to sort through it all. He should have known better.


    * * *


    Sarah¡¯s automatic response to the knocking was a loud curse.


    The door opened anyway, as she knew it would.


    ¡°Can I take that as come in?¡± Pegasus asked before he opened the door more than a crack.


    She looked up from the cuts on her hand. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Pegasus froze as soon as he stepped into the room and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s for writing on the wall.¡±


    Sarah ignored him. She¡¯d rather not tell him that she¡¯d lashed out at her laughing hallucination and hit her reflection, breaking the mirror¡ªbut thankfully not her hand.


    So why was she bleeding? Because she then stupidly cut her hand on the shards spread along the floor when she lost her balance after placing too much weight on her injured foot.


    The mirror fragments crunched and cracked under Pegasus¡¯ boots. ¡°How much bad luck do you still need?¡±


    ¡°If I count retroactively, there¡¯s only five or six more years to go.¡±


    He offered her a hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Pegasus took a hold of her elbow. ¡°Yes, I see you have everything perfectly under control.¡±


    Sarah held back her retort. Her hand hurt, and she might¡¯ve stepped on a shard with the foot that hadn¡¯t been bandaged. All she wanted to do right now was sulk.


    Pegasus pushed most of the larger shards away from her towards the wall, then unceremoniously lifted her over a shoulder and carried her to the bathroom.


    Sarah gave the wall a confused look at being treated like a bag of potatoes, but didn¡¯t protest.


    He set her down on the countertop and put her hand under the cold water.


    Sarah watched as thin slivers of red escaped down the drain. ¡°Do you want to tell me what happened?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Hasn¡¯t there been enough crazy for one day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hoped so.¡± He reached for the soap. ¡°Apparently there¡¯s always room for more.¡±


    Sarah focused on the cuts, unwilling to meet his gaze. It hadn¡¯t been too deep, and she didn¡¯t think she had broken anything, though the pain still made her uncertain.


    ¡°One of the docs will have to take a look at that.¡± Pegasus placed her hand on a towel, examining it. ¡°Maybe an x-ray just to be sure. Looks like it¡¯s gonna bruise.¡±


    Sarah groaned.


    Pegasus fished through her drawers, pulling out some gauze and a bottle of chlorhexidine. ¡°What did Doc Blue say earlier?¡±


    ¡°Did Zeus send you to check up on me?¡±


    ¡°I doubt Doc would have asked you that.¡±


    She glared at him, wincing when he dabbed at the edge of one of the larger cuts.


    ¡°Yes, he did, sort of,¡± Pegasus answered. ¡°But let¡¯s face it, I was going to check in on you regardless.¡±


    ¡°Beats my having to camp out at Athena¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°You might have to do that anyway.¡±


    Considering where they were now, arguing that she didn¡¯t need to see Athena was pointless.


    ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± he asked.


    ¡°I thought I saw myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mirror.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m not that far gone.¡± Or maybe she was. ¡°The thing is, it didn¡¯t look like me. Well, it looked like me, but not like my reflection.¡±


    He went back to what he¡¯d been doing, eyebrows scrunched together. ¡°I¡¯m gonna stop saying ¡®assuming you¡¯re not crazy¡¯ just because of time constraints.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my favorite assumption right now.¡±


    ¡°Then skipping that part and diving head first into wherever far-fetched theories come to life, do you think it could¡¯ve been the other version of you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. She didn¡¯t look like me.¡± She turned to face the mirror, meeting his eyes in the reflection. ¡°Like this.¡±


    Her eyes were red, vestiges of tears obvious in her damp lashes. The dark circles underneath her eyes seemed darker in a skin that looked sickly. There was a minor scrape above her left eye from the scuffle with the New Nation terrorist that would¡¯ve shot Pegasus. She couldn¡¯t look away from his eyes in the mirror. ¡°If she¡¯s me and she lived through today, a much worse version of today, she shouldn¡¯t seem so whole, so¡­ not like this.¡± Not broken.


    He leaned his chin on her shoulder, grinning. ¡°Maybe the other you isn¡¯t as fond of me as you are.¡±


    She returned the smile in spite of herself. ¡°You have your moments.¡±


    The memory of him on the stretcher came to mind again, unbidden, and a strangled sound emerged from her throat.


    How could any version of her have seen him dead and not feel as if her heart had been crushed?


    In the reflection, she watched herself reach over and touch his face with her free hand before she realized she was doing it. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him until the fear went away. The feeling of loss without having lost someone was disconcerting, but at least she recognized it now.


    Pegasus looked away first, focusing again on her injured hand. ¡°Well, you should appreciate me. Who else would help you literally wash blood off your hands?¡±


    She could only hope she truly hadn¡¯t lost him.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get you to medical.¡± He pulled back and looked her over. ¡°Or would you like to get any more wounds out of the way before we go? Maybe a broken clavicle or two?¡±


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯m done for today.¡± She slid off the edge of the counter, grabbing onto her hand.


    ¡°Alright, just checking.¡±


    He grabbed her flip-flops¡ªwell, her spare pair¡ªhers were somewhere near that alley where Pegasus had died.


    Sarah was doubly careful about not stepping on any of the glass shards. The last thing she needed was to continue this streak of mishaps.


    Pegasus punched in a code to get her door open. Once again, she was a prisoner in this place. ¡°Well, that¡¯s familiar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s temporary.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind my whining, I know you can¡¯t trust me right now.¡±


    His eyes sparkled. ¡°Be patient. We¡¯ll have you checked and cleared¡ªor locked up in a rubber room¡ªin no time.¡±

 Book II - ch 26: If Memory Serves

    * * *


    Be patient, Pegasus had told her, but it was easier said than done. Sarah tapped her head against the table again, a poor demonstration of her patience¡ªor sanity.


    ¡°If someone asks me the name of the boy who stole my yellow bear in second grade one more time, I will scream,¡± she said, perfectly aware that someone would be watching, and laughing, in the next room.


    She looked up at where the cameras should be. For a second, she¡¯d thought there was someone in the room with her, but the fleeting image vanished as soon as she blinked. If she wasn¡¯t crazy enough already, sitting around here would soon finish the job. She¡¯d been answering questions about her life for hours now.


    She was holding back the urge to scream in frustration when the door opened and her escort for the day, Foxtrot, came in. As usual, the man gave her a slight nod as a greeting.


    Pegasus and Unicorn had been taking turns ferrying her around the last couple of days, but they were out on a mission today. Nobody had given her any details, but she had overheard something about the New Nation.


    She wasn¡¯t sure whether she should be offended or happy that they didn¡¯t consider her enough of a threat to give her a field agent as an escort. Could be more of a formality at this point.


    Never in the mood for small talk¡ªor any talk at all¡ªFoxtrot took her back to her room and deposited her there without a word. The familiar sound of the lock clicking into place was grating to her ears.


    She kicked off her flip-flops¡ªit had felt so weird going to the interrogation room in those¡ªand was about to hurl herself onto her bed for a little more moping and grumbling when she saw a package waiting for her on the table about the size of a large book.


    There was a smaller envelope tucked halfway underneath it. There were no markings on the thing, not that she was expecting any mail in here. And if someone wanted to kill her, there were easier ways than putting a bomb on her table.


    It was also too early to be a birthday present.


    She opened the envelope first. The handwriting, a combination of odd swirls and crooked vowels, was obviously Pegasus¡¯. He started the note by apologizing for missing out on all the ¡®fun¡¯.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure you passed your checks by now (marginally)¡¯, he¡¯d written.


    Sarah smiled. That was the only way she¡¯d ever pass.


    ¡®This is so you can keep a journal of your dreams and such.¡¯


    By ¡®such¡¯, she figured he meant the hallucinations.


    ¡®Better to keep it out of Cypher¡¯s prying eyes.¡¯


    Curious, she opened the package. It was a journal and colored pencils. Cypher probably wouldn¡¯t know what to do with anything that doesn¡¯t have a keyboard.


    Sarah went back to the note. ¡®You can use the red for the dangerous stuff you see.¡¯


    She¡¯d likely run out of red sooner than the rest. She laughed at the words scribbled at the bottom of the note.


    ¡®P.S.: Yes, I am trusting you with pointy objects, don¡¯t make me regret this.¡¯


    Pegasus had truly decided to embrace the insanity of it all.


    But where to start?


    She curled up on the couch with the journal and a blue and a red pencil. Upon opening the first page of the journal, she burst out laughing. Pegasus had written in large letters:


    SARAH¡¯S PERSONAL DIARY


    CONTENTS MAY CAUSE PERMANENT BRAIN DAMAGE


    YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!


    Yeah, that sounded about right.


    Twirling the red pencil briefly back and forth between two fingers, she decided to write down the easy one first. Pegasus¡¯ death.


    * * *


    Sarah stared at the page containing her unfinished notes from the day before. Dr. Rutger had asked her to write down as much as she could remember from the dreams to bring to the next session.


    His reasoning wasn¡¯t that far off from what she¡¯d initially thought. That sorting out her dreams and nightmares would get her closer to finding a meaning behind them. And the meaning, in turn, would lead to resolution and peace of mind. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    So far that hadn¡¯t worked very well. Not because understanding the dreams hadn¡¯t brought any resolution, but because she had yet to understand the assortment of nightmare scenarios she¡¯d seen.


    Still unsure how to organize it all, she decided to add everything to the list, starting with the more familiar images, such as the white room with the locked door and the empty gray corridors.


    * * *


    Sarah tapped the pencil to her temple. She wasn¡¯t sure what else to put down.


    Part of the problem would be separating real dreams from would be visions and hallucinations. A glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye could be simply a glitch somewhere inside her brain.


    There was the time when she went to Pegasus¡¯ door and the boy with the chocolate-colored eyes was there. But it wasn¡¯t as if that were important. Neither was the time when she unsuccessfully tried stealing Pegasus¡¯ pillow¡ªif that was an actual thing.


    Then there was the Foundation Day celebration. She wasn¡¯t sure what to think about that one. And no, kissing Pegasus was definitely not going on the list!


    She wasn¡¯t sure about some of the things she saw that night, but Robyn had been there at the end. If nothing else, she could discard whatever contained her sister¡ªand by extension her home¡ªas a regular dream and nothing like the one that saved Pegasus¡¯ life.


    But during the party, some of the parts weren¡¯t matching up and things changed during the dream. Could it have been a dream within a dream? Or, in her case, a dream within a hallucination or vision?


    She decided to put that one on hold for the moment. Better to try working with the less confusing bits first. There had been something about a dark hallway, hadn¡¯t there?


    * * *


    Below the phrase ¡®Robyn shoots me again¡¯, Sarah wrote down ¡®Ten minutes¡¯. So ten minutes leading up to something? Or ten minutes while waiting for something.


    * * *


    ¡®A hallway, in the dark¡¯, she wrote. She¡¯d been going somewhere or maybe looking for something. She definitely wasn¡¯t alone.


    * * *


    ¡®I always know something¡¯s wrong, but I¡¯m not sure what. I know I¡¯m dreaming at this point. Or rather, I think I¡¯m dreaming, I¡¯m never sure.¡¯


    * * *


    Pegasus is there.


    * * *


    ¡®He always says I¡¯m not dreaming.¡¯ Sarah laughed. As if that would help. Whoever he was in the dream, she felt as if she should know him. As if she trusted him.


    * * *


    ¡®And then something happens.¡¯ Sarah glared at her own words. That was very helpful¡ªsomething. ¡®We die.¡¯ Still not helpful.


    * * *


    ¡®An explosion maybe.¡¯ Somewhere nearby, but out of sight. But then it had to be big enough to get them all, didn¡¯t it?


    Her hand hovered over the page. All of whom?


    * * *


    Coughing, maybe? Trouble breathing? So maybe a fire¡ªa bomb?


    They would¡¯ve been in the building somewhere, surely, but she¡¯d never seen any explosive device.


    * * *


    There had to be fire because there was smoke. She was sure there was smoke at some point. Maybe the explosion caused the fire.


    And she was sure there was an explosion. She stared at the page, at the line where she¡¯d tried to remember how many people had been with her in the hallway. She shuddered involuntarily. How many people had died.


    A knock on the door startled her.


    * * *


    Sarah looked up at the sound. ¡°Come in.¡± Then she rolled her eyes. Of course they can come in, they¡¯re the ones with the lock code now.


    Pegasus came inside, closing the door behind him. ¡°I see you found my present.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the verification going?¡± She tried for her best impression of a pleading puppy. ¡°Can I please get out of here?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of ground to cover, they¡¯re checking back to when you first came in.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to get out of here sometime before my twilight years. I guess I¡¯ll have to rethink my retirement plans.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a while, but it¡¯s coming along. A few more days and you¡¯ll be clear.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure of that, are you? That I¡¯ll be cleared?¡±


    He shrugged, lips twitching. ¡°Wishful thinking on my part.¡±


    ¡°Did you get anything from the prisoner?¡± She wanted to know if the New Nation really had been involved in Pegasus¡¯ death.


    ¡°Not yet. But we will. Scorpion is working on it right now.¡±


    ¡°And did you get anything today?¡±


    ¡°Dead end.¡±


    ¡°Mermaid¡¯s informant?¡±


    ¡°Still in place, but he¡¯s getting worried. We still have those other three locations to check. He hasn¡¯t been able to narrow it down. Zeus took it up with Center yesterday, and they think it¡¯s best that we move slowly.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t agree?¡±


    He shrugged as a response, but wasn¡¯t forthcoming with his thoughts. There should be some plan in motion that he wasn¡¯t allowed to discuss with her¡ªespecially while she was still under investigation. He already replied more than he should.


    Pegasus pointed at the notebook. ¡°Do you want to talk about that?¡±


    Sarah clutched it to her chest automatically, as if to keep the images she¡¯d put into words from escaping their new home. Suppressing her reluctance, she offered it to him. ¡°There¡¯s not much there.¡±


    Pegasus made no move to take the notebook from her. ¡°I meant do you want to talk about what this all might mean?¡±


    ¡°That the other Robyn may have been telling the truth? That I¡¯m dangerous?¡±


    He sat down on the nearest chair. ¡°Not exactly where I was going with that.¡±


    It was the obvious next step from thinking that this¡ªwhatever this was¡ªmight the reason for the target on her back last year.


    ¡°If this is real¡­¡± She tapped the notebook, a physical representation of all the things inside her mind. ¡°If even some part of what I¡¯m seeing is real, that means there¡¯s a chance that Robyn was right.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡±


    ¡°You said she couldn¡¯t be right because there was no way I could ever do anything to endanger a world, but¡­¡± Maybe she should start hoping that she was losing her mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting something. Even if this is real, even if you¡¯re dangerous for some reason, there¡¯s still one more thing that would make all the difference.¡±


    She sank back on the couch, Scorpion¡¯s voice coming to the forefront of her thoughts. ¡°Dangerous to whom?¡±


    At the moment, she couldn¡¯t really see herself being dangerous to anyone but herself and her friends, but the man she¡¯d killed when saving Pegasus would disagree. It sounded so far-fetched, thinking that this giant mess of fragmented images could be useful.


    And yet, Pegasus was alive, wasn¡¯t he? She was awake and he was alive.


    He smiled as if privy to the direction her thoughts had taken, but the smile was gone way too soon. ¡°I have to go. I just wanted to see you.¡±


    Fluttering suddenly manifested inside her chest, spread to her stomach. Silly, hyperactive butterflies.


    ¡°To make sure you weren¡¯t bleeding again for some reason,¡± he added as an after-thought.


    Sarah was still smiling when the lock clicked in place.


    She opened the notebook on a new page. This might work.


    This might actually work.

 Book II - ch 27: The Illusion of Freedom

    * * *


    This is not working.


    Sarah doodled an explosion on the bottom of the half-empty page of her notebook.


    Nothing more was coming out. There was also nothing new to add about the things she recognized, no hidden symbolism her mind had suddenly deciphered for her. She skimmed through the page.


    She¡¯d put down a couple of observations about the white room and gray halls with no windows.


    Below where she¡¯d described the nightmare where Robyn shot her, she drew a line, separating it.


    The next part had only the words smoke and fire.


    Putting the pencil down to mark the page, she closed the notebook before scratching at an itchy spot over her stomach. Was she bitten by a mosquito?


    * * *


    Sarah picked at the colorful adhesive on her palm, where several minor cuts were now healing. Only a larger cut still needed the bandage and it wasn¡¯t that bad.


    Suppressing a yawn, she checked the screen again. The computer was still listing the search results from the query she ran for Lore¡¯s project. After she was done with sending these over, she¡¯d take a break. She hadn¡¯t been sitting there for long, but her brain felt on the verge of giving up on her.


    It had been days since she slept properly, ever since Pegasus¡¯ near death. She brushed a hand over her forehead, wiping that thought away. It had been several very long days.


    She¡¯d finished all the tests Dr. Blue had requested, though Zeus did not clear her to go see the psychiatrist down in Center. Since neither Athena nor Dr. Blue had been told about the future-seeing hypothesis, they were solely focused on a medical reason for her issues. It was good that someone was, but so far the tests had yielded nothing of importance. She was apparently stressed, but she could¡¯ve just told them that.


    An added cause for her stress was the verification procedure. Thankfully, the seemingly endless stream of interrogations designed to prove that she was herself was also over. Upsetting as it had been to discover, the fact that Zeus had kept her under watch this entire time made the process slightly less painful. Slightly. It still went on for several more hours than she would¡¯ve liked.


    The overall conclusion of the investigation was that she was herself¡ªwho would¡¯ve guessed? She was allowed to go back to work in a non-essential role for the time being. With some added precautions.


    Sarah scratched at the spot where they¡¯d reactivated the tracker she¡¯d gotten as a recruit. That was one of the precautions, so they could keep track of everywhere she went inside the compound without keeping someone with her all the time.


    Was it always that itchy?


    She imagined a camera transmitting nothing but her activities throughout the day for Zeus to watch whenever he was bored.


    Maybe she was paranoid. But since they hadn¡¯t let her out of their sight the past year when she was only of questionable interest, there was no way they were going to take their eyes off her for a second now that she might be a threat. She was surprised they let her out of her room at all, never mind handed her any work.


    Considering the alternatives¡ªsome that weren¡¯t so innocuous¡ªthe constant surveillance, endless medical tests, and that itchy thing seemed like a small price to pay for the illusion of being free to do as she pleased.


    Not that she was doing much else at the moment other than sorting out reports for Lore¡¯s research. She was obviously not allowed near any active investigation or high-priority data.


    But having some work to do was still better than being alone in the chaos that had become her room as she tried¡ªand failed¡ªto organize her thoughts.


    A warning message appeared on the screen. Four of the files that Lore had requested weren¡¯t on this repository. Sarah made an annotation in the task and added a mental note to message Lore about it later.


    The memory of meeting Lore at the Foundation Day party¡ªor the illusion of it¡ªpopped into her mind.


    They¡¯d been talking about the files Sarah had sent over by mistake, and Lore said that one of them might be helpful, but she wasn¡¯t sure. Someone could have made a mistake, she said. But that was so vague.


    What kind of mistake?


    And had that conversation been a vision of the other world or simply a dream?


    If it had been a dream, there was no point in thinking about it, but if a vision¡ªthe word still sounded so ridiculous¡ªthen would both versions of Lore be doing the same project as a hobby? And would Sarah have sent her the same wrong files by accident?


    She should send Lore a message about that, but what would she say?


    Did you by chance run into something super important you might¡¯ve forgotten to share with the rest of us?


    It was entirely plausible that both versions of Lore were gathering archived files as their weird pet project.


    Sarah bolted from her seat, slamming her palms down on the desk. There was a twinge of pain on her hurt palm. She cursed, thankful there was no one in the repository but her.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Lore! Why didn¡¯t she think of it sooner?


    There was an obvious way to check if that conversation with Lore was a dream or not. She¡¯d never met Lore in real life, never even seen a photo of her. If Lore looked like the dream, then that part at least had been real.


    Sarah laughed giddily, remembering the cameras a second later. She glanced over at where one of them would be located. ¡°I hope you¡¯re having fun watching me.¡±


    ¡°I am, very much so.¡±


    Sarah whirled to find Pegasus laughing at her.


    She hadn¡¯t noticed him at all, but she was at least proud of herself for not being startled by his sudden appearance.


    Pegasus came closer to look at the screen. ¡°I take it work has been going well.¡±


    ¡°Well enough. I¡¯ve switched out being bored for being tired.¡± She stopped herself before she could scratch her stomach. ¡°Hey, is the tracker supposed to be this itchy?¡±


    ¡°It might be because they turned on the microphone function.¡±


    It took her a second to realize he was joking.


    Pegasus chuckled. ¡°Zeus asked me to fetch you.¡±


    ¡°Are you a dog? Wait. Am I a ball?¡±


    She turned back to the screen, closing the search logs from Lore¡¯s project.


    Pegasus pointed at the screen. ¡°You can put the rest back into the system. I saw Foxtrot eating an actual lunch, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯re too busy right now.¡±


    Sarah did as he instructed and followed him out. ¡°Do you know what he wants to talk to me about?¡±


    ¡°Your hopes and dreams, I¡¯d wager.¡±


    Sarah watched his unchanged expression, thinking there should have been more mirth in his tone. It was a bad sign that he sounded as concerned as he looked.


    She still felt weary of, not to mention upset at Zeus for several of his decisions, like having people report back on her.


    Clay.


    Even Pegasus was supposed to fulfill that role, though he promised her he wouldn¡¯t betray her trust unless lives were in danger. Would that promise still hold after all this?


    She couldn¡¯t entirely fault Zeus for keeping tabs on her. And she appreciated the fact that he wasn¡¯t immediately dismissing everything she¡¯d told him. Or locking her up in the brig and going from there.


    More nervous than she¡¯d admit, she made a conscious effort to not look like she was hiding behind Pegasus when they entered Zeus¡¯ office. His gaze went to her left foot, the bandage now hidden inside comfortable sneakers, and then to her hand. He likely couldn¡¯t see the small adhesive in her palm.


    He gestured at the chairs. ¡°How have you been?¡±


    Sarah waited for Pegasus to sit before she took the other chair for herself. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Nothing new then?¡±


    She shook her head, bracing herself for a verbal onslaught.


    Zeus watched her, transforming into a statue before her very eyes. A flesh and bone statue. Sarah was deciding if she should check first for a gorgon hiding under his desk or a basilisk in the vents. She couldn¡¯t even tell if he was breathing, but Pegasus didn¡¯t seem concerned. He, too, barely moved.


    Sitting there with two motionless companions, Sarah did her best to look as if she had some shred of patience in her.


    Zeus came to life from one second to the next. ¡°An oversight committee will be arriving soon.¡±


    ¡°What are they coming here for?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Zeus waved his question off. ¡°It should probably go without saying, but there is to be no mention of this dream business when they get here.¡±


    Sarah nodded. She wasn¡¯t in any hurry to disclose this to anyone.


    ¡°You¡¯ll remain on medical leave. Having you cleared for minor tasks should lessen any suspicions that something bigger is going on.¡±


    It sounded like he wanted to keep her and her hallucinations out of the oversight committee¡¯s radar. ¡°Should we be worried?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an efficiency evaluation of sorts,¡± he said, dismissive.


    But Sarah happened to glance at Pegasus as Zeus gave his answer, and she was sure Pegasus looked troubled.


    There was an odd beep, probably someone else requiring Zeus¡¯ attention. He checked his screen and Pegasus rose as if they had been dismissed. Sarah followed his lead, but Zeus called after him before they reached the door.


    A look passed between the two men. Sarah hadn¡¯t been able to interpret it, but Pegasus stepped back, holding the door open for her. ¡°Could you please wait for me outside?¡±


    Sarah hesitated, but it wasn¡¯t as if she were going to decline. She stared out at the corridor as the door closed behind her, wondering if she¡¯d be able to tell if they were talking about her.


    * * *


    Pegasus closed the door, but didn¡¯t return to his seat. Zeus¡¯ poker face remained unreadable. ¡°Are you going to tell me why we have an oversight committee coming down here?¡±


    ¡°I will as soon as I can cut through all the bullshit they¡¯re trying to give me.¡±


    Pegasus sat back down. They should be worried then. Not even the other Robyn¡¯s infiltration of their compound had warranted an oversight investigation, so why now?


    ¡°They haven¡¯t been very upfront about when they would get here, so when they do, I need you to keep Sarah out of their way and under control.¡±


    ¡°Under control? Really? That¡¯s possible?¡±


    Zeus was clearly not amused by the joke. ¡°Have you had a look at anything she¡¯s put together yet, about what she¡¯s seen during these episodes?¡±


    Pegasus shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound as if there¡¯s anything concrete. I also didn¡¯t want to place any additional pressure on her.¡±


    ¡°Is there any way we could trigger one of these¡­¡±


    ¡°Premonitions?¡± Pegasus suggested, trying very hard not to laugh at the word. He almost succeeded, but a twitch in the corner of his lips betrayed him.


    Zeus looked upwards as if asking the skies what he¡¯d done to deserve this.


    Pegasus did laugh then. ¡°Well, what do you want to call them? Psychotic breaks?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stick with episodes for now. Can we trigger them?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged. ¡°She wasn¡¯t with us the time when I almost died. I couldn¡¯t even contact her to tell her I was leaving. There might not be anything triggering it but the alternate event itself.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if the footage from the mission she interfered with¡ª¡±


    ¡°You mean the one where she saved me?¡±


    ¡°That might be enough of a trigger.¡±


    Pegasus tapped at his armrest. ¡°It might, but that¡¯s not my main concern.¡± He was worried about pushing Sarah too far, especially after what he¡¯d seen that day when she broke the mirror. It made his insides go cold just thinking about it.


    ¡°I know. But I would rather not have to wait indefinitely for something we could verify.¡±


    Pegasus did his best to keep his expression neutral. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about it.¡±


    Zeus nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t want her going anywhere in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Doc Brown to get her some vitamin D supplements.¡±


    Zeus glared at him, signaling he get out of there.


    Pegasus smiled back, resisting the urge to further provoke him. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later then.¡±


    Sarah was waiting right outside the door for him, which was mildly surprising. He¡¯d half expected to have to track her down.


    ¡°Did he say anything else about that oversight committee thing?¡± she asked as soon as he closed the door.


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not normal, right?¡±


    ¡°What is normal these days?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why they would be coming here. There shouldn¡¯t be any reason for it.¡± Unless it were coming from higher up. Even so, he couldn¡¯t think of a reason. ¡°Zeus told me to keep you out of the way when they show up.¡±


    ¡°Lest I have some weird episode right in the middle of Comm when they¡¯re here?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t have to.


    Sarah became silent as they walked down to the living area. He wanted to hold her hand and comfort her, but he was afraid of crossing the line any further than he already had. He led her to her room, though she didn¡¯t seem to realize it until they¡¯d stopped in front of her door.


    ¡°Can I have a look at your notes?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t anything that makes much sense in there. Nothing that seems useful, at least,¡± she warned, leading him into the room.


    Pegasus stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw her wall. Where her mirror used to be was now something out of a murder mystery.


    Sarah sat down on her bed. ¡°Right, I forgot to mention that.¡±


    He walked up to the conspiracy-board-looking collage of notes, diagrams, and random words taped to the wall facing her bed. ¡°Should I be worried?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not yet, there¡¯s something very wrong with you.¡±

 Book II - ch 28: Nameless Feeling

    * * *


    Sarah watched as Pegasus went through all the pieces of paper, from the disconnected words saying smoke, fire, corridor, and explosion to the more detailed list of facts from the day he would have died.


    No. An involuntary shudder ran through her. The day he had died.


    But for a world apart, that had been him.


    He stopped at the center of all the chaos, staring at the bits and pieces that didn¡¯t belong anywhere for sure. Some were represented by symbols and letters because she hadn¡¯t wanted to write it down.


    He pointed at that section of the board. ¡°And what¡¯s this chaos?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the part that might have been actual dreams.¡±


    ¡°What happens in those?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it seems like the rest. And maybe it is like the rest, maybe none of it is real and my mind is playing cruel tricks on me.¡± Sarah sighed. ¡°Can we go back to the part where I wasn¡¯t crazy?¡±


    ¡°Was there such a part? I don¡¯t remember that part.¡±


    Sarah resisted the urge to throw something at him, but having him treat it all the same way he treated everything else was oddly calming.


    He moved around, honing in on the random notes that represented the Foundation Day mishap. ¡°What¡¯s this one?¡± He tapped his finger on the note with Lore¡¯s name on it.


    ¡°I woke up and went to the Foundation Day party with Mermaid and Lore. Lore was here for some reason. We talked about some file I sent her by mistake. She said there might¡¯ve been something relevant there, I think, or it might¡¯ve been a typo, but she didn¡¯t explain. Nothing really happened after that.¡± Nothing relevant anyway. ¡°But that conversation with Lore and the entire party were probably not real.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Was Scorpion juggling ice cream cones? Because that happened once.¡±


    She kept forgetting that none of these people were normal. ¡°Robyn was there.¡±


    He turned to face her without a word.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder¡­¡± It was a stupid hope. She knew both versions of Robyn were dead. She knew it painfully well. But it all felt so real. It felt equally real with everything, even this moment, where Pegasus was watching her with worry. She looked away, uncomfortable being the sole object of his attention. ¡°I know it couldn¡¯t have been real, but I put it here in case there was something real mixed in. The dream changed halfway through, so it¡¯s possible part was real. I don¡¯t have a guidebook to these things.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice to have.¡±


    ¡°Never mind a guidebook. I¡¯d settle for a transcript. You know how crappy my memory is.¡± She waved at the rest of the board. ¡°It¡¯s all in pieces, random words or feelings. And I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s real or not.¡±


    ¡°I think the more you fixate on this, the harder it¡¯ll be to tell any dreams apart from anything else.¡±


    He touched a fingertip to one of the several question marks spread throughout the entire thing. There were too many of them, manifestations of her frustrations. Sometimes, when she closed her eyes, all she could see were floating words and question marks.


    And Pegasus had a point. She expected that the more she thought about what she¡¯d seen, she¡¯d also start having regular dreams that reproduced her own memories.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡­ I¡¯ve never met Lore and I don¡¯t know what she looks like. But since I saw her in my dream, would it be possible for me to see a photo of her? So I can confirm if that part of them dream was real or not.¡±


    ¡°What did Lore look like in your dream?¡±


    ¡°She was about my height, looked to be in her thirties. Short, light brown hair, cut in a shoulder-length bob. I didn¡¯t notice her eye color. Does that sound about right?¡±


    Pegasus shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she looks like either. You don¡¯t have the clearance for accessing personnel files from Center. It should be easy for me to get the permission, but given your current situation, I should run it by Zeus first. I¡¯m sorry if it feels like I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡± She couldn¡¯t ask him to disregard precautions to avoid hurting her feelings. He was trying his best to be supportive of her and follow procedures. ¡°It¡¯s not like it hurts me to wait longer for some sort of confirmation.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of confirmation¡­¡± The words looked like they tasted horribly coming out of his mouth. ¡°Zeus was wondering if we¡¯d be able to actively trigger one of your episodes. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s hoping for proof or even actionable information.¡±


    If she could get anything useful, it would serve as both proof and an advantage, wouldn¡¯t it? But where would she even start? Sarah followed the trail of notes on her wall, stopping on an aerial shot of the department store and its surroundings. ¡°How would we do it?¡±


    ¡°I promised him I¡¯d mention it to you, But I told him I don¡¯t think we should be putting any additional pressure on you right now, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I want to know if it¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Did you feel like there were any triggers before?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± She pointed at the photo. ¡°If we treat it like a memory, we could try jogging it with familiar places and things. But I¡¯m under house arrest, so maybe watching the recording from that mission?¡±


    Pegasus followed her gaze, letting out a deep breath when he saw which part of the board she was looking at. ¡°Will you be alright if you trigger that specific memory?¡±


    Good question. But that was her best bet. It was the clearest episode or vision or whatever they wanted to call it.


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    Whether it would trigger a vision of the other world or her memory of it, she wanted to try. ¡°Do you have the footage from that mission?¡±


    ¡°I can pull it up.¡± But he didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡± She was also terrified, but she wasn¡¯t going to admit that part.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Pegasus moved to her desk, sliding her notebook aside.


    Sarah walked over to her collage as he clicked and clacked away at her keyboard.


    If they did trigger a vision, would she find herself back on that rooftop, glare hitting her eyes when the clouds parted?


    ¡°Do you have a clear view of the hostages?¡± Griffon¡¯s voice sounded from the speakers.


    Her memory superimposed onto the photo, flashing in her mind.


    ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t there be at least four hostiles?¡± Mermaid asked.


    Sarah followed the streets in the photos, imagining the perimeter set up by the local police. Some things were the same. Some things were different.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a runner.¡± The ominous words broke through in Pegasus¡¯ voice. ¡°Alley, north side.¡±


    ¡°Anyone close by?¡± Griffon asked.


    Her eyes were drawn to the alley in the photo. She could still see him lying there as she looked down. Her mind added in the details of his lifeless face, blood pooling underneath his head.


    The persistent feeling returned, pressing down on her chest until she had to gasp for breath, fighting back tears.


    Of course Pegasus chose that moment to turn around. Sarah couldn¡¯t see his face¡ªshe couldn¡¯t look away from the photo, but his voice was grave. ¡°Let¡¯s stop.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Sometimes it feels real.¡±


    A shot sounded, and she startled. She clutched at her chest as if she could rip out the pain that refused to be silenced.


    Pegasus stopped the recording, but in her mind, the rest of the shots followed, undisturbed.


    He moved to stand in front of her, blocking her view of her board.


    She wiped her cheeks, refusing to meet his gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Pegasus reached out for her hand.


    ¡°I just¡ªI feel it as if it¡¯s real. As if you¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still here.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Having him there helped with separating the feeling from what she saw as real.


    This was real¡ªright?


    Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him. Part of her was afraid he¡¯d vanish if she closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m really happy you¡¯re not dead.¡±


    ¡°So am I.¡± His laughter resonated against her.


    She loved his laugh. Warm arms enveloped her. He placed a kiss against her temple, then another over her cheekbone.


    Unbidden and unwanted, the memory of him and Scorpion came again, his arms around her as they laughed and swayed.


    She pulled away, disentangling herself from him as if there were an escape to be made.


    ¡°Sarah, wait.¡± He held on to her hand. ¡°What was that just now?¡± His voice was a little deeper, the way it always was when he truly was serious.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she whispered, wishing it were true.


    How could she tell him all the jealous and petty thoughts that filled her mind when she saw him hugging Scorpion?


    She hadn¡¯t even thought about telling him her heart broke when she saw him dead. It was still breaking.


    Pegasus nodded to himself as if accepting her answer, but he had yet to let go of her hand. And she hadn¡¯t let go of him either. She didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I crossed the line again.¡± That uncertainty she¡¯d rarely seen was once again there as his eyes lowered to stare at their hands. ¡°I know you¡¯ve made your feelings on this¡ªon us¡ªpretty clear, but there¡¯s something I have to say.¡±


    Stupefied, Sarah wondered which part he thought was clear; nothing had been clear to her for a very long time now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been struggling to bring this up, and this is the farthest thing from the right moment.¡± He pointed behind him at the board. ¡°I don¡¯t know where all this is going or what¡¯s happening. But I¡¯m here for you, however you want me to be.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, let me say this.¡± He squeezed her hand, completely serious.


    She nodded, watching him struggle with his next words.


    ¡°You asked for distance and I tried to respect that, sometimes poorly.¡± A fleeting smile vanished too quickly. ¡°If I had died, I never would¡¯ve been able to tell you how much I care. I¡¯ve wanted to say something sooner, but I was being a bit of a fool and a bit of a coward.¡±


    ¡°Coward is not the word that comes to mind when I think of you, but an argument could be made for fool.¡± Sarah forced a smile, but making light of his words did little to control the feelings they evoked.


    ¡°I was afraid, I still am. Afraid of getting hurt, afraid that you¡¯d start avoiding me again if I said what I wanted to.¡± He looked into her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t think about me that way, but I wanted you to know I like you more than I can put into words.¡±


    Like a teenager talking to their crush for the first time, she wanted to hide her face in embarrassment. Gathering some courage of her own, she didn¡¯t pull away.


    ¡°When you died, I just couldn¡¯t¡ª¡± She couldn¡¯t breathe, she wanted to say, but she choked on the words. She couldn¡¯t describe how much it hurt. The intensity still frightened her. Thinking about it brought back an echo of that pain, and she squeezed his hand tight. ¡°I thought I¡¯d lost you and my heart broke,¡± she whispered, barely registering the words until he reacted to them.


    Startled for a second, he then laughed.


    Sarah lowered her head, wishing she could bury herself in the ground. She¡¯d never said anything more than ¡®I like you¡¯ to anyone before. But she was sure laughter was not the ideal response. Disgruntled, she stepped back, trying to pull her hand free. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re more unbalanced than I am.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Pegasus interlaced their fingers together, taking back the distance she¡¯d gained.


    Sarah stood her ground, giving up on hiding. She didn¡¯t want to run away. If she ran away, she might not be able to hold him ever again.


    Pegasus lowered his head, trying to make her look at him. ¡°When we kissed, I thought there¡¯d been something there. But then you pushed me away, and I figured I¡¯d imagined it.¡± A smile spread along his lips, shining in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t, did I?¡±


    Sarah shook her head.


    He took her other hand, his fingers tracing a familiar pattern along her palm. Whether intended for her benefit or his, it soothed her.


    The fear, that out-of-place reaction she¡¯d attributed to his death, was nowhere to be found as she watched the movement of his thumb. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I pushed you away like that without an explanation.¡±


    ¡°Was there¡ªis there¡ªsomeone else?¡± His voice was very quiet.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me why then?¡±


    ¡°There was this feeling. This horrible, agonizing feeling that came over me when you kissed me.¡± She realized what she¡¯d actually said and panicked. ¡°I think it was the fear and pain I felt when you died.¡±


    Pegasus said nothing, gaze drifting off to the distance before coming back to her. His thumb was now resting against her hand, motionless.


    Sarah edged closer to him. ¡°It¡¯s like the feelings are as out of place as the things I see.¡±


    He brought her hands to his chest. ¡°And now?¡±


    A faint echo of pain showed itself, nothing more. ¡°I think it¡¯s gone. I hope it¡¯s gone.¡±


    Mischief shone in his eyes again. ¡°Shall we find out?¡±


    Sarah laughed.


    He took that as an encouragement and pulled her into his arms, a hand gently caressing her cheek. ¡°Anything?¡±


    She shook her head.


    As if he were playing with her, he brushed his thumb against her lower lip, then placed a lingering kiss on her cheek.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she whispered. Nothing but her racing heart, that is.


    Pegasus seemed to take those words as a challenge rather than encouragement. Slowly, he leaned in towards her until their lips were almost touching. ¡°Let me know if you¡¯re uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she breathed out. She didn¡¯t think she could have formed an actual sentence.


    Sarah braced herself for that horrible feeling to assault her again as he pressed his lips against hers in a tentative kiss. She returned the kiss, hoping to take advantage of the temporary reprieve. She might even learn to deal with it now that she knew what it was.


    Seconds turned to minutes, and the horrible feeling never came.


    Pegasus parted from her almost reluctantly, gazing into her eyes. ¡°Anything?¡±


    Oh, lots of things.


    His grin told her she failed miserably to keep a straight face.


    ¡°No fear,¡± she whispered, slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°Good.¡± He kissed her again.


    When they parted, a seriousness had seeped into his expression. His fingers played with a strand of her hair, his thumb brushing against her cheek in a caress.


    She stilled under his touch. ¡°What is it?¡±


    He blinked away the haze and looked down at her. ¡°Sorry, I was thinking.¡±


    Sarah remembered Mermaid¡¯s reaction in both dreams. ¡°About how we¡¯d be in trouble for being in a relationship?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of added trouble.¡± His lips briefly touched hers, the familiar grin back in its place. ¡°But you¡¯re worth all the trouble in the world.¡±

 Book II - ch 29: The Games We Play

    * * *


    Sarah tested the weight of the gun. It was heavier than she expected.


    ¡°You can sit this one out if you need to.¡± Pegasus leaned his elbows on the table, looking up at her. ¡°How¡¯s your foot doing?¡±


    ¡°Good enough.¡± The healing cut on the sole of her foot was obnoxious, but it would be fine as long as she didn¡¯t run around too much. She made sure the others weren¡¯t within hearing range. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I¡¯m not dreaming this, am I?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± He deposited another handful of extra paintballs into her hands before moving on to distribute the rest of his stock to the others.


    Sarah shoved the paintballs that didn¡¯t fit into the gun into her jacket pocket instead. Hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t get squished in there.


    If this was a dream, it was a pretty harmless one.


    Her gaze wandered over to where Scorpion was checking her gun. She never thought she¡¯d see the woman using anything harmless.


    Scorpion matched her stare and shrugged a shoulder as if she¡¯d read her mind. ¡°They don¡¯t like it when I shoot my own team with real bullets.¡±


    Mermaid ran past her, waving two guns around. ¡°Yeah, no.¡±


    Sarah opened and closed her hand before putting on a glove. The larger cut was all but healed. There was only a small skin flap that still bothered her when it rubbed against her shirt.


    Mermaid hid behind Unicorn, complaining about having to surrender one of her guns to Griffon.


    ¡°Is this an excuse for you people to pretend you¡¯re killing each other or are bragging rights the goal?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mermaid asked, sounding¡ªnot too convincingly¡ªoffended. ¡°This is a team-building exercise. The goal is to build a team by having me beat everyone equally.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s competitive, in case you hadn¡¯t noticed,¡± Unicorn said.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get started,¡± Griffon called out. ¡°Team one: Scorpion, Mermaid, Phoenix. Pegasus, Unicorn, you¡¯re with me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s random,¡± Scorpion said.


    Mermaid pointed her gun at him. ¡°Did you assign all the unhinged ones to the same team? Because if so, Pegasus was misplaced.¡±


    Pegasus gave her a mock salute.


    ¡°Randomly selected, Madeleine.¡± By Griffon¡¯s tone, this was not the first time they had this exchange.


    Pegasus placed the container with a few leftover paintballs down on the small table near Sarah. ¡°Just so you know, Scorpion likes using people as bait.¡±


    Whether she caught what he said or not, Scorpion glared at him before signaling her team move into the starting position along the maze.


    Sarah stared at the paint-covered walls, waiting for the countdown to finish.


    Mermaid touched her arm to get her attention. ¡°Wake up. You don¡¯t get points for being the first to die.¡±


    Scorpion briefly outlined her plan. Sarah had never been in this maze before, but the others had it committed to memory. Mermaid would hold her position near the entrance to the maze, while Sarah tried to outflank the other team from the left and Scorpion took the right.


    The countdown came to zero.


    Sarah put on her goggles.


    * * *


    Sarah squinted at the white board, trying to make out the words at the bottom. She rubbed at her eyes. It wasn¡¯t as if she could have become nearsighted during the last couple of minutes¡ªright?


    * * *


    Sarah squinted. There¡¯s no way these goggles had been properly cleaned since the last time they were used. She could hardly make out any details other than rough shapes.


    The sound of a paint gun being discharged came from her right, closer to where she figured Scorpion to be. She was moving slower than she expected, hindered by the stupid goggles.


    * * *


    Sarah checked her eyes in the mirror. There was nothing in them. Could it just be that they were tired?


    She hadn¡¯t spent that much time on the computer yesterday. A couple of hours at most until Robyn started on about wanting to watch a movie.


    But then the movie also wouldn¡¯t have helped. A screen was a screen after all.


    A loud noise startled her from outside, a brief flash of light coming from the window behind her and reflecting off the mirror.


    She clenched her fists as flames rose in the reflection, refusing to turn around. Closing her eyes, she listened for screams.


    Nothing but the distant laughter of the other students on their way to and from class.


    It wasn¡¯t an explosion. It couldn¡¯t have been. She squeezed her eyes tighter shut. It was a car backfiring, that¡¯s all it was. A car was allowed to be real.


    Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. Despite the warm temperature, the mirror was covered in condensation, blurring her reflection. Sarah stepped back, unable to look away from the letters written there: WOLF.


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    How could that be her handwriting?


    * * *


    Sarah whirled around, surprised by the sound of an explosion. She stopped right as she was coming out of her hiding place, the thought of a car backfiring coming to mind.


    What the hell!?! That sounded nothing like a car backfiring.


    She crouched down lower, struggling to get her rapid breathing under control. There were no shouts from the others.


    Had there even been a sound? Or did she imagine it?


    Cursing herself, Sarah started moving again. Scorpion would have made it to the edge of the maze by now.


    She ran across a more open area, thankful her foot didn¡¯t complain, and took shelter behind a makeshift rock along the wall. Some of the other team might have made it across to their part of the maze already, where Mermaid was waiting for them.


    When she looked up to see if the coast was clear, something little more than grazed her temple. She lowered her head immediately, but there was now a trace of paint on the corner of her goggles. She touched a gloved hand to the side of her face and came back with green paint.


    ¡°I¡¯m out!¡± She raised her arms up before slowly rising from behind her cover. She had no desire to get hit with a couple more paintballs to the face while leaving the maze.


    She caught movement on the other side of the maze, a blurry figure gone too soon. At least now she could lose the goggles.


    Unicorn was already out and was trying to wipe her neck with a moist cloth while watching the screens displaying what was going on inside the maze. There were several cameras along the path, for later analysis¡ªor so they could laugh at each other.


    Sarah settled on the bench, putting away the paintballs she¡¯d stuffed in her pocket earlier.


    A flurry of popping sounds echoed along the walls.


    Mermaid was the next to be eliminated, leaving Scorpion to take on Griffon and Pegasus on her own. She took out Griffon right before Pegasus got her by doing exactly what he¡¯d said she did. Griffon had been the bait.


    As they exited the maze, Scorpion discharged all her left-over ammunition on Pegasus. That quickly devolved into a close quarters shoot out.


    Unicorn raised her hands up. ¡°I bruise easy!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t waste ammo,¡± Griffon said.


    Mermaid shot him in the back. ¡°My finger slipped.¡±


    Laughing, Sarah ducked out of the way of one lazily directed shot in her direction. She did not, however, escape Mermaid¡¯s hand when the woman slid it across her face, painting it a mix of green, blue and yellow.


    Sarah tried to use Mermaid¡¯s water bottle as a makeshift reflective surface to wipe her face.


    Pegasus joined her without a word, watching her. Uncomfortable under his unwavering attention, she offered him a clean wipe to try to distract him. It didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    He smiled at her. ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making me nervous,¡± she whispered.


    Pegasus took a step closer, seemingly enjoying his effect on her. ¡°I could try closing my eyes.¡± He took the water bottle from her hand and set it back down. ¡°But what¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    Sarah pulled him over to her the rest of the small distance. He went easily enough, wrapping his arms around her as he pressed his lips to hers.


    ¡°What?¡± Mermaid shouted.


    Sarah went cold the next second. She¡¯d forgotten where they were.


    Pegasus hugged her tight, allowing her to bury her face in his chest for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no secret.¡± An aborted laugh made his chest rise and fall quickly. ¡°Unless you¡¯re embarrassed to be seen with me.¡±


    Sarah laughed, pulling away from him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to make a formal report since Phoenix is technically still part of my team,¡± Griffon said.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Mermaid came hopping over, prying Sarah away from Pegasus. ¡°What were his exact words? Did he ask you to go steady?¡±


    Sarah frowned at her. What were they, teens?


    ¡°No? Then did he ask you to be his girlfriend? The wording is important, you know.¡±


    Laughter abounded all around, but Sarah was very much at a loss.


    ¡°Have you read the paragraphs on relationships between team members?¡± Unicorn asked.


    Sarah had briefly glanced at that section. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°The wording is¡­¡±


    Scorpion disentangled Mermaid from Sarah. ¡°What Mermaid is trying to get at is that without a confirmed, verbalized, official relationship, you don¡¯t need to report anything.¡±


    ¡°But we can still report you,¡± Mermaid said.


    Pegasus waved her off. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Just you wait and see next time you annoy me.¡±


    ¡°We need to stop letting Mermaid eat chocolate before any group activities.¡± Pegasus threw an intact paintball at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you have somewhere to be and someone to stalk?¡±


    Mermaid tossed the paintball back at him before addressing Sarah. ¡°We know they¡¯re moving the weapons, but we don¡¯t know where yet. My source hasn¡¯t been able to help.¡±


    ¡°Happy hunting then,¡± Pegasus said. ¡°I¡¯m off for the next couple of days.¡±


    Mermaid pointed at him and Sarah. ¡°Did you seriously get a vacation to spend time with your girlfriend because she¡¯s having a medical time-out?¡±


    Pegasus only shrugged as a response, but Sarah wondered. Had Zeus given him time off so it would be easier for him to watch her?


    When they parted ways, Pegasus followed her back to her room, scratching at the dry paint on his forehead. His skin was all red where he¡¯d pealed the paint off.


    He headed for her bathroom. ¡°I forget that I need to wash this off as fast as I can.¡±


    ¡°Will I be able to train with the team going forward or was this a one-off?¡± she asked over the sound of water.


    He gave her a shrug as soon as he came back into view. ¡°You¡¯re still scheduled to train with us, but we¡¯re gonna have to take this slow.¡±


    She pointed behind her at her collage. ¡°This?¡± Then she pointed at the both of them. ¡°Or this?¡±


    His lips twitched. ¡°Either, both. It¡¯s your call.¡±


    The com sounded. She gestured he go ahead and answer it. ¡°I doubt it¡¯s for me.¡±


    As she predicted, it was for him. She zoned out as Michael started relaying what sounded like a list of demands from Cypher.


    Her gaze wandered to the place in the wall where there should have been a mirror, captured by her makeshift board of clues and possibilities. There was a yellow sticky note in the corner that she didn¡¯t remember writing: Wolf.


    It was near the scribbled notes saying hallway, explosion, smoke, fire, but she didn¡¯t know how it had gotten there or why.


    * * *


    Sarah flicked the yellow sticky note currently stuck to her left index finger and flipped through her notebook. She¡¯d written the word she saw in the mirror on it.


    Wolf.


    But there had been no wolves anywhere. And where was it even supposed to go?


    She stopped at the page where she¡¯d been writing down some of her dreams.


    Those specific elements fit as a set of sort: fire, smoke, dark corridor, blue eyes, not dreaming.


    But where did the wolf come in? Was it supposed to be there?


    Was it a literal wolf or something like wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing?


    And if a literal wolf, was it friend or foe?


    She grabbed the pen and angrily scribbled a few more question marks around the word.


    Robyn looked up from her book. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    She closed her notebook in case Robyn decided to come check, but her sister had accepted the answer as easily as it¡¯d been given.


    Did that mean she was becoming a better liar or was everyone around her getting tired of insisting on the truth?


    * * *


    Sarah snapped out of it when Pegasus touched her arm. She suspected she¡¯d missed something.


    The world fell back into place, and the note with Wolf¡¯s name was no longer there.


    She walked over to her cryptic collage, running her fingers along the space where the note had been as if expecting it to be hiding in plain sight. ¡°There¡¯s not a note here saying Wolf, is there?¡±


    ¡°Should there be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought I saw it there, but I can¡¯t tell if it would be connected to the notes nearby.¡±


    ¡°Did you see anything related to it?¡±


    ¡°No, it was just here.¡± She touched the empty spot on the wall again.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°As much as I usually am.¡± That was close enough to the truth.


    ¡°Do you want me to stay with you for a while longer?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    ¡°Only for a little while.¡± He nodded towards the com. ¡°Apparently I have chores.¡±


    ¡°I thought you had time off.¡±


    ¡°Lies, cruel lies,¡± he said, over-dramatic, leaning in to give her a quick kiss. ¡°But I can have a word with Cypher if you want me to stay.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± They didn¡¯t need anyone else thinking he was slacking off because of her. ¡°I¡¯ll call you if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take too long to sort out. What are you doing next?¡±


    ¡°Grab a shower, then a sandwich.¡± She picked at the paint on her left hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t gotten an answer from Zeus yet about looking at Lore¡¯s photo.¡±


    Sarah shrugged. Nothing much they could do about that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can speed that up. And I¡¯ll also check if Wolf is scheduled for any missions, just in case.¡± He hesitated by the door. ¡°Wait until I get back before you have any sort of meltdown.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try very hard, but I make no promises.¡±

 Book II - ch 30: A Wayward Wolf

    * * *


    Coughing and wheezing, Sarah rushed to get away from the crowd of moving students. She sought refuge in one of the bathrooms, using the sink to support herself when she doubled over in a coughing fit.


    Damn it, she hated coming into this bathroom, it always made her feel uncomfortable.


    She gargled some water, but it did little to help. Her throat felt like it was burning. Eyes tearing up, she covered her mouth, trying to stop the coughs. The bathroom filled with smoke, making it harder to see.


    Why would there be fire in a bathroom?


    Was she dreaming again?


    Not that it mattered, but she didn¡¯t remember falling asleep. This did seem like a dream if only because she couldn¡¯t remember how she¡¯d gotten there. Her therapist had said that was another dream thing, disconnected order of things.


    A petite, short-haired woman came to mind, a vague memory she couldn¡¯t bring into focus. No, that wasn¡¯t right. Wasn¡¯t her therapist supposed to be a man?


    Sarah struggled for breath, unable to get her legs to move. The smoke became denser, blocking out any light from the windows.


    She needed a reference, something to tell her which threads were real and which ones were not.


    Her notebook!


    She reached behind her for her backpack only to find she hadn¡¯t brought it with her.


    The smoke shifted, and Sarah¡¯s legs gave out, another violent bout of coughing taking over. The floor was covered in dust and debris which coated her bleeding hands.


    She shut her eyes tightly, curling up into a ball until the air no longer struggled to enter her lungs. A few more seconds passed before she was confident enough to open her eyes.


    When she did, she realized where she was.


    That bathroom was where her sister had died.


    The door opened behind her and she jumped to her feet. And then she couldn¡¯t help cry, because the sister she¡¯d lost was standing right there.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Robyn asked as if it were the most natural thing for a ghost to ask. Concern instantly took over her expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Sarah shook her head. ¡°I wanna wake up now.¡±


    Robyn took a step towards her, and Sarah tried to move further away.


    Robyn grabbed her, squeezing her arms. ¡°You are awake.¡±


    Sarah laughed, tears streaming down her face. If she were awake, Robyn would be dead.


    ¡°I promise you this is real,¡± Robyn insisted.


    ¡°How can you promise me that, when you¡¯re not real?¡±


    * * *


    Sarah set aside the cold remnants of her sandwich to check the time.


    There was a knock at her door.


    His hair still partly damp and with flakes of paint attached, Pegasus was right on time.


    Sarah closed the door behind him. ¡°I managed to get a copy of most of the files I sent over to Lore.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hang on.¡±


    She paused, staring at him expectantly as he put down his tablet on her desk and came back. He took her hands in his, pulling her closer for a kiss as if they¡¯d been apart for days instead of a couple of hours.


    She was relieved that the horrible feeling didn¡¯t come.


    He gave her one last quick peck on her cheek before parting from her. ¡°Alright, continue.¡±


    Feeling like she¡¯d been disturbed from her previous state of equilibrium, Sarah could only laugh. ¡°Okay. I brought most of the files I got for Lore, but there¡¯s a few I no longer have access to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising. Send me that list and I¡¯ll get them later.¡±


    She grabbed her tablet and joined him on the couch. ¡°I¡¯d like to focus on the ones that I sent her by mistake. One of them is in the batch that I couldn¡¯t access.¡±


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°What are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say that I wouldn¡¯t make these mistakes, but it felt weird. I had checked it and double-checked. But I could¡¯ve been seeing things. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time. Maybe the other Lore asked for different files.¡±


    He pulled her tablet closer to look through the file numbers. ¡°Out of these, which ones are the mistakes?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s two.¡± Sarah opened the first one, leaning against his shoulder so they could more easily share the screen. ¡°It¡¯s a record of transfers and new assignments from about twenty-two years ago.¡±


    The file itself was a one-page document containing only unfamiliar names.


    ¡°How much did Lore say about her pet project?¡±


    ¡°What I know is that she¡¯s looking for someone who might¡¯ve been connected to the New Nation back then, but not anymore. From what I understood, she wants to map their connections starting when they might¡¯ve not been as cautious. But this list of W.R.O. personnel doesn¡¯t fit into it. Maybe it was just my mistake.¡±


    ¡°The Lore in your vision said one of the files you sent by mistake was helpful, right?¡±


    ¡°She thought so. But I don¡¯t know which one. And we don¡¯t know if that was real or not.¡±


    He turned his head, lips brushing against her hair in a kiss. ¡°Sorry I haven¡¯t been able to get us access to Lore¡¯s photo. I know it¡¯s got to be frustrating to have that uncertainty.¡±


    ¡°I mean, what¡¯s one more?¡± There were so many things that fell into that category, from things she clearly remembered, like talking to Lore, to the fragmented images that randomly popped up in her head. At this point, whether the Lore she saw was real or not was not her biggest priority.


    Pegasus placed an arm around her shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s the other file?¡±


    That one she was even less convinced would be important. ¡°It¡¯s a monthly report from medical, listing materials used, procedures performed, work hours¡­¡±


    ¡°Our best bet might be the file that¡¯s among the restricted access ones, so I¡¯ll work on that when I can.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can wait until we have Lore¡¯s photo before digging in too deep into that particular rabbit hole.¡± Sarah leaned her back against him as she stretched her legs up on the couch to face her collage wall. ¡°What about Wolf? Did you find anything there?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not scheduled for any missions right now. Cypher said he¡¯s had a cold the last few days.¡±


    ¡°So he might be going back out soon.¡± The placement of the sticky note was ominous. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen anything about Wolf specifically, having his name near clues like fire and explosion was bad.


    ¡°Did you remember anything else about why you wrote that?¡±


    ¡°I only put it there because I thought I saw it there already.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have Cypher monitor him without having to explain anything else, but I¡¯ll keep checking the schedule and let you know if he¡¯s assigned to any mission.¡±


    ¡°It would be great if my mind decided to be nice and give me something more. He might be in danger.¡± Or there could be something wrong with him. After what happened with Robyn, it was a valid suspicion. Robyn¡¯s face as she drew her gun came to mind. Sarah shuddered. ¡°Did anyone confirm he had a cold?¡±


    Perhaps hearing her voice crack, Pegasus placed the tablet onto her lap, shifting to wrap her within his arms. His warmth was always soothing. ¡°I spoke with Dr. Green. He really is sick.¡±


    Sarah relaxed against him. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I did a superficial check for any anomalies in his recent missions. There were no alerts for the past month. It¡¯ll take some time to check further back without it being obvious who it is I¡¯m checking up on.¡±


    ¡°If his name being here is a warning, what are the options? We either need to save him or stop him?¡±


    ¡°Or he knows something he doesn¡¯t realize he knows.¡± He hugged her closer, resting his chin on her shoulder. ¡°This sounds awfully like the conversation we had about you when the other Robyn said all those things.¡±


    She ruffled his hair. ¡°Any verdict on that one?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± He shook his head like a wet dog, making an even greater mess of his hair. ¡°You have a message.¡±


    He propped the tablet up on her stomach so she could see the screen. The message was from Clay. She¡¯d been ignoring him since their last talk, when he told her he befriended her only so he could report back to Zeus about her.


    ¡°How long are you going to ignore him?¡± Pegasus asked.


    Sarah took the tablet from him, laying it face down. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It hurt.¡± She felt like she was pouting. Was she being childish?


    ¡°I know it feels like a betrayal.¡± His grip loosened. ¡°I¡¯m also sorry that I can¡¯t promise you I won¡¯t ever do the same.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t entirely the reporting to Zeus part that bugged me. It was more the spending time with me because he was ordered to.¡± Free from his embrace, she turned around so they were facing each other. ¡°You said everything you did for me and all the time you spent together was on you. You weren¡¯t lying, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s all I need for now.¡±


    ¡°And my trust?¡±


    Could she ask for that? What if the things she said or did didn¡¯t make sense someday? Would he really share in that burden? Surely his being here meant he trusted her to some extent. Before, he¡¯d said he could only trust her with his own life. It was more like he was willing to risk his own life. ¡°Pegasus, do you trust me?¡±


    He brushed her hair back over her shoulder, his eyes following the motion as if it were the most serious thing in the world.


    She placed a hand on his, stopping him. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t need to answer.¡±


    He smiled, eyebrows lifting as his gaze found hers. ¡°You know, you made such a fuss about getting my name when you were first here, but have you ever used it?¡±


    ¡°Are you changing the subject?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. And you¡¯re still not using my name.¡±


    She could swear he couldn¡¯t be serious for more than a minute at a time. ¡°Tobias, it¡¯s okay if you still have some suspicions.¡±


    He grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips. ¡°I trust you, please don¡¯t doubt that. And I believe you.¡±


    The words filled her with unexpected relief. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to not act too suspicious going forward.¡±


    He shook with laughter, planting another kiss on the back of her hand. ¡°I imagine that¡¯ll be a struggle.¡±


    Indignant, she tried to pull her hand away, but he held it tighter.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know I can get confused sometimes.¡± An understatement, if she¡¯d ever uttered any.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re still you, it¡¯s fine. The girl I won over with cold pizza.¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s what it was.¡±


    The intercom went off.


    ¡°I think someone¡¯s just doing it to be a nuisance at this point.¡± Still smiling, Pegasus gave her a quick kiss before going to answer it.


    ¡°They¡¯re ready for you,¡± Cypher said. ¡°Scorpion is on her way.¡±


    ¡°Be right there.¡± He turned back to Sarah. ¡°We¡¯re having another go at the terrorist we brought back from the department store. We still haven¡¯t found a reason for them to have been in that area of town. Hopefully, it means the weapons we¡¯ve been looking for are somewhere nearby.¡±


    If they did get a location out of him, that would mean they¡¯d be heading out soon. Sarah¡¯s gaze drifted to her notes.


    Pegasus cupped her chin, gently redirecting her attention back to him. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself.¡±


    She nodded, unable to voice any such promise.


    ¡°Will you meet me at the garden later? Around 2100.¡±


    ¡°Look at you not being precise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to me.¡± He bent down to kiss her. ¡°But be sure to get there by 2100.¡±


    Sarah was about to ask him why, but the spark of mischief in his eyes was enough for her. Whatever it was, she¡¯d find out when she got there.