Eve and the Faders

by Berneta L. Haynes

  This time, Gabriel stared at her with a venomous gleam in his eyes. His face was wet, but he was no longer crying. His nostrils flared as he pulled himself forward against the restraints.

  "Answer the question, Mr. Ellis," Doctor Thomas demanded.

  When Gabriel spit on the ground at her feet, she took a step away and turned to Agent Grobeck. "I think we're done here."

  Gabriel turned to his wife, fresh tears glistening on his cheeks. "Zo, I love you. I love you so much."

  Unable to watch another second, Eve ran out the room and down the hallway to the bathroom. She dropped onto her knees at the toilet, gripped both sides of the bowl, and vomited.

  She wondered if she'd ever be okay again. Would she ever be able to unsee that terrified, defeated look on Zoey's face again? Would she ever be able to forget the agonizing cries of Gabriel trying to protect his wife? She vomited again, her body convulsing and her chest burning as all her lunch seemed to come up at once.

  "Eve?" Niles said. He knelt and touched her gently. "Eve, are you all right?"

  "I did this to them. I got them involved. I called them. I never—I never should've gotten them involved." She pulled at her hair and rocked back and forth.

  Niles wiped her mouth with a tissue and flushed the toilet. "Listen, this isn't your fault. SPI did this. Not you."

  "If I'd never called them—"

  "Eve, you have to pull yourself together. We're going to find them. Remember the plan," he said, his palms cradling her face. "You can't afford to fall apart right now. They need you. We need you."

  "What they've done to her, Niles. To Gabe," said Eve, shaking her head and sobbing. "What they've done. I can't...I can't undo it. Oh, God. I can't fix it."

  He sighed and stood, pulling her up with him. He blotted her wet cheeks. "No, you can't undo it. But you can stop it. You can save them."

  ***

  "Turn it off," said Eve, emerging from the bathroom with Niles beside her. "Turn it off, now."

  Agent Yu closed the video and shut down the computer. A triumphant smile settled on her face. "I got him."

  "Liv, what the hell was that?" Ian Yu asked, gaping at his sister. "What is going on?"

  When she looked at him, her expression went from satisfied to apologetic in an instant. "I need to explain something—"

  He stood. "No, what was—"

  "Look, you two can finish this tender family moment later," said Eve. "Sit down, Ian."

  He continued staring at his sister and didn't move.

  "I said sit."

  With a wary glance at Eve, he sat.

  "All right," she said, looking at Agent Yu. "You're going to take us to AJ tonight, and you're going to get me that Galena address tonight. We're not waiting until tomorrow."

  Not wasting another minute, she laid out a plan.

  "Everyone has their assignment and deadline. Are there any questions?" She turned to Samuel and Niles. "Sam, you stay and don't let little Ian out of your sight. Meanwhile, keep your cell phone on you in case I need you. Niles, I'm coming with you and Agent Yu to the Chicago facility to get the Galena address. Once I have it, I'll leave you with her. Get AJ and make Agent Yu provide you the file. Do whatever it takes, and don't let her out of your sight. If she tries anything, shoot her. Kill her if you need to. I don't care. But not before you have the file and AJ. Got it?"

  "Yeah." For the first time that evening, he looked worried. "I got it."

  "Good. Ian, hand me that pack and the flash drive from Olivia's computer," said Eve.

  She pulled her laptop from the backpack, inserted the flash drive, and saved the clip of the torture. As a backup, she saved a copy on the hard drive of the computer. Then, she opened up her email, found the email addresses of the journalist contacts Zoey had provided, the journalists who had covered her story. She pulled out the business card from Landrien Moriset.

  Eve typed up a brief email that concluded with, "Can you run this tonight?" Giving a deep sigh, she cc'd Landrien, Zoey’s journalist contacts, and some local news reporters. She hit send and closed the laptop.

  "Sam, check social media and the news outlets, and keep the TV on. If we’re lucky, TV news networks might run that video this evening. Text me to let me know if the networks are showing it. It’s a shot in the dark, but let’s keep our fingers crossed."

  "I hope you're right," he said.

  Eve glimpsed the clock on the wall—5:50pm—and turned to Agent Yu and Niles. "All right, let's go." She handed him the flash drive. "Hang on to that."

  Agent Yu reached for her crutches and rose. As she approached Niles and Eve, Ian stirred.

  "Liv? You can't leave me here," he said in a small voice, his eyes darting from Samuel to his sister.

  She stopped but didn't turn to her brother. "Just do as he says. This'll all be over in a few hours."

  "But—"

  She caught Samuel's gaze. "Please don't hurt him."

  He glared at her. "I'm not like you."

  Niles scoffed at Samuel. "Well, you did try to kill Eve."

  "What?" asked Agent Yu, looking from Niles to Eve.

  Eve frowned. "None of your business. Let's go."

  With a look of increased concern, Agent Yu cast a glance at her brother. As she exited the apartment, Niles and Eve faded and followed behind her.

  14

  The setting sun cast a warm glow over the warehouse and the vacant parking lot. Squatting behind a bush, Eve peeked over the shrubbery to check that no one was near the entrance. After releasing some tension, she held up the cell phone to check for her reflection, happy to see nothing there other than the trees across the street and the cars behind her. All right. You got this.

  She pocketed the phone and set off toward the entrance of the warehouse building.

  There was a small box next to the door handle. She stared at the touchscreen on the box. As she placed her palm flat against the box, it lit up and two words appeared—"Not Recognized."

  At first, she groaned and stomped her feet in frustration. But as soon as the anger swept over her, it was replaced by an overpowering calm and confidence she'd never felt before. Just hop, silly. Why are you even tripping over this box?

  "Okay," she mumbled, closing her eyes for a moment and concentrating as she'd done before when practicing with Niles. I need to get in. She repeated this a few times, and just as she was about to give up, there was a familiar tug at her belly button.

  When she opened her eyes, she peered down the long hallway illuminated by a dim strip of light. As far as she could see, she was the only soul nearby. The place stunk of bleach, and she wasn't sure if it was the dingy navy-blue carpet or the beige walls, but something about the place felt outdated and old. It reminded her of the place where she'd been trapped so many months before. Indeed, the hallway was indistinguishable from the long hallways she'd been led through during her captivity. The stale odor, the coldness, the damp floor of her room, the four walls that seemed to be constantly closing in, suffocating her. It was all too familiar.

  Several moments passed before she realized she was leaning against the wall and covering her mouth, struggling to keep from vomiting. She bent over and dry heaved, sinking to the floor. As she brought her hand up to cover her mouth, she noticed her hand was visible and appeared to be floating in the air all by itself.

  The fade is wearing off. Shit.

  Panicking, she tried to steady herself and stand upright. She rested against the wall, her heart racing. The dry heaving lessened second by second, but her head was spinning. Keep it together. You have to keep it together. She stood there for a moment until the heaving ceased, and her hand faded. "You can do this," she whispered.

  Taking deep breaths and counting one to ten, Eve headed out.

  ***

  She stopped in front of a steel door at the end of the hall and looked at the small box. Once more, she closed her eyes and went into her mind until she felt the tingle in her stomach.

  When she opened her eyes, sh
e was standing in the middle of yet another long hallway. All these fucking hallways.

  "Go to the northern-most wing on the first floor," she whispered, recalling Agent Yu's directions. Room C120. She began walking, noting the room numbers. C101, C103, C115. She stopped for a moment.

  There were two guards standing in front of a door with a tiny window at the end of the hallway.

  Drawing closer, she noticed the men wore belts around their waists, a GLOCK and a Taser in each belt. Her eyes focused on the batons they were holding. She walked as lightly as possible, holding her breath as she got closer to them. The larger guard was playing a game on his cell phone, while the shorter guard seemed to be lost in his thoughts as his feet tapped against the floor.

  Barely breathing, she leaned between them and peeked through the window. In the empty room, sat a man strapped to a metal chair with his head hanging past his shoulders. He appeared to be asleep. The setting looked the same as what she'd seen on the recording. She tried not to recall the sound of Gabriel begging Agent Grobeck not to hurt Zoey. But she couldn't block it out. Something akin to fury rose within her as she stood there, staring at Gabriel.

  A movement from one of the guards startled her, and she covered her mouth. To her relief, they hadn't detected her presence. Get it together, Eve. Reminded of her objective, she backed away, pulled the gun from her pocket, and examined it. The silencer was on properly, but she knew it would still make enough noise to draw attention. She had to be quick. She turned off the safety, looked at the two guards, and inhaled. Here we go.

  In an instant, she let off two bullets into the feet of the taller guard, one bullet for each foot. He tumbled forward; his mouth opened in a silent scream before he hit the ground. The carpeted floor muted the sound of his fall. As he gripped his wounded feet, she snatched his gun and tossed it out of reach. The smaller guard's head swiveled around, searching for the assailant, and his hand went to his waistband. When she fired two shots into his feet, he collapsed next to his partner.

  She seized their weapons as the men thrashed and convulsed. "Shut up!" she whispered, afraid the noise would draw unwanted attention.

  To control them, she used the Taser on the men. The smaller guard fell unconscious after a few seconds, while the other guard twisted in pain, trying to pull out the Taser clamps. The moment he began to scream, she delivered a forceful kick to his head, and he moved no more.

  Heart racing and palms sweaty, she switched on the safety locks on the guns and stuffed them inside her backpack. She picked up the now heavy bag and slung it over her shoulder. "At least the fade is holding up," she muttered when she didn't see her reflection in the window. She glanced at the camera over the door.

  When she looked down, she was surprised to find no box next to the door. She turned the knob, and the door creaked open. The room smelled of sweat and something metallic. Blood.

  As she walked in, she saw her own fragile body naked and curled up on the floor, jerking about as Agent Grobeck Tasered her. She inhaled and exhaled. Keep it together. There was no time to waste.

  She ran to Gabriel, who was asleep, his snoring low and ragged. He reeked.

  "Gabe?" she whispered, making herself visible.

  He didn't stir.

  She slapped his face and cast an anxious glance over her shoulder. "Wake up," she said, slapping him again.

  He looked at her, and she froze, taken aback by his weary eyes. He looked nothing like the Gabriel she'd seen mere days ago. Where was the sparkle she'd always seen in his eyes? She remembered what her mother looked like during the last months of chemotherapy, how her mother had withered away, how her eyes sunk in and lost their light. In the end, Marie Cooper had transformed into a skeletal shadow of her former self. Gabriel's eyes similarly had lost their light.

  "We have to hurry, Gabe." She bent and untied the four ropes.

  "You're not here." His words were slurred and his voice barely audible.

  "Yes, I am," she said, untying the last rope and extending her hand so that he could lift himself up. "We need to find Zoey and get out of this place. Come on." She grabbed his thin arm and pulled him up. It was easier than it should have been.

  His knees shook, and he swayed like a drunk. "This isn't a dream?" he whispered, gazing at her.

  The rotten smell of his breath almost knocked her off balance. Cringing, she covered her nose. He stumbled, but she caught him before he fell.

  "You're really here?"

  "Yes. I'm here. Now stand up."

  With some fumbles and his arms extended, he stood upright at last.

  She handed him a Taser and a weapon. "Don't hesitate to use them. Let's get Zoey."

  ***

  The hallway was still empty and quiet. They stepped over the two unconscious guards, and Gabriel stared at them. Eve noticed that rage seemed to bring back some of the light in his eyes.

  "They're the ones. The ones who hurt her." His voice was cold enough to freeze boiling water.

  "You don't know that. There are lots of guards here, I'm sure—"

  "Yes, I do. The agent...he..."

  "Agent Grobeck made you watch them beat her?"

  No sooner than the words were out of Eve's mouth, Gabriel let off two bullets, one in the chest of each guard.

  Covering her mouth, she looked away. "Let's go," she said, wishing she could unsee what had just happened.

  He lowered the gun and spat on them.

  "Gabe," she said, tugging his arm. "We need to go."

  Nodding absently, he tore his attention away from the dead guards and followed her.

  They headed into the hallway, but the sound of a woman's screams cut through the quiet and halted them before they'd gone more than a few feet.

  "Zoey?" he called, going to the steel door and fumbling with the knob. The door didn't budge. "Zo?"

  Eve pushed him aside and turned the knob. Taking a deep breath, she applied as much force as she could. It swung open and clanged against the wall.

  "How did you—"

  "Not now, Gabe," she replied, darting inside the room.

  Zoey was sitting tied to a metal chair in the middle of an empty room, asleep and thrashing about.

  "Zoey, wake up. You hear me?" said Eve, trying frantically to untie the ropes around her wrists and ankles. "Wake up."

  Gabriel, all the while, stood at the door and looked on in silence.

  "Don't just stand there, Gabe! Help me," she hollered, trying to work out the knots in the rope as Zoey stirred and mumbled something incoherent.

  Gabriel appeared to be frozen in shock.

  "It's me, Zoey. Just hold still, so I can undo these ropes," she said, pulling at the final knot.

  "What's going on?" Zoey mumbled, opening her eyes. She looked at Eve as the rope dropped to the floor.

  Eve helped her stand, and she looked like she might fall for a moment. Then, she rushed into the arms of Gabriel, and the two sobbed uncontrollably.

  They threw their arms around Eve, who was staring at the door. At any moment, guards would come rushing into the room. "Not now. We need to go," she yelled, pulling them apart and pushing the extra Taser into Zoey's hand.

  Footsteps and voices came from the hallway. Knowing they were mere seconds from being discovered and killed, Eve brought her arms around them and shut her eyes. She concentrated on an image of Agent Yu's living room, focusing so hard that it made her head ache. Please. Please. Work. This has to work.

  The voices from the hallway grew closer and louder.

  She felt a tug somewhere deep in her stomach, and the voices became fainter until she could no longer hear them.

  In the next moment, she found herself staring into Samuel's eyes. She almost collapsed in relief. Trembling, she released Zoey and Gabriel.

  "We're safe now," she said, stumbling and falling against the comfy chair. She waited for the walls to stop spinning. "Every time I do that it feels like being held under water."

  "Are you all right?" asked Samuel.


  "I'm fine," she breathed. "What time is it?"

  "About twenty-five minutes after eight. Have you heard from Niles?"

  She shook her head. "No. That means he's doing fine, too. We have less than half an hour until we meet him at the facility." She looked at Gabriel and Zoey.

  "Where are we?" asked Gabriel.

  "At Agent Yu's house."

  "Agent Yu?" said Gabriel. "This is her apartment?"

  "Yes. I had Sam—he's a former colleague of mine at SPI—stationed here to watch over Agent Yu's brother. I'll explain later."

  They looked at the man on the sofa.

  "He looks just like her," said Gabriel, scowling and advancing toward Ian who retreated in fear.

  Eve stepped in front of him. "Gabe. Ian is innocent in all of this."

  "His sister did this to me. She was there. She helped them...do things to me."

  His eyes were fixed on Ian as he spoke. Eve saw in his eyes the same rage she'd seen in the hallway with the guards. She put her hand against his chest. "I know, Gabe." She looked over his shoulder at Zoey who seemed to be in a state of stunned silence. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I should've never involved you and Zoey."

  "They wanted you. Just you," said Zoey, her voice hoarse.

  "I know."

  "The Agent—she said your friend Mauricio did this. That he tipped her off."

  Eve frowned and nodded. "He gave us to them. In exchange for his freedom, so he could get back to his family."

  "The Post has published the video," shouted Samuel, jumping up and startling everyone. He was on his feet at the bar and running his finger over the touchscreen of the laptop. "They linked it to the previous article about the faders and the black sites."

  Eve looked at the clock on the wall. "Any news stations running it on TV?" She spun around, reached for the television remote control on the coffee table, and flipped through the news channel apps. She clicked on the CNN icon and turned up the volume. "They're not running it yet. Let me check something," she said, hurrying to the computer. “Nothing on their website either. I didn’t expect them to run it so fast, to be honest. But I had to try. They may run it days from now, who knows.”