“How did you manage that?” Eagle asked. “You didn’t kill someone, did you?” His tone was only half joking.
Hammer looked amused. “This enforcer was killed three days ago, chasing fringers from the empty zones.”
“They fought back?” Reese asked. Because from what she’d seen of the enforcers today, they didn’t give the rebels any chance to fight back.
“No, a building collapsed on him,” Hammer said. “But Jaxon is the only one who ever worked with him, back before the man transferred to Special Forces. We found the invite in Jaxon’s enforcer messages this morning after Dani was taken, so that’s where I got the idea. I know, I know,” he held up a hand, “you hate anyone reading your mail, but that’s what you signed on for. Besides, your enforcer files are never really private, you know that. With the hacking codes Dani provided, we adjusted a few work dates to make him overlap divisions with Eagle and had the system send an invite. Then we adjusted online posts about his dating Reese six years ago and had her request a belated invite from the family.”
Brogan nodded. “So you’re all expected, or at least invited. In addition, Lyssa will see the dispatch manager at HED about a possible job opening. Cover story is that she’s not thrilled with life in Dallastar and is seeking other options. This is probably the most important of our plans because she can request a tour. The manager may be a little confused about the scheduling, but we put her on his calendar tomorrow at noon.”
“So we’re assuming Dani will be held at HED?” Reese asked.
“We’re reasonably certain,” Hammer said. “We did have positive identification that her brother was seen there, days after he was captured, though we didn’t know where they’re keeping him. But while you were gone, Lyssa set up some commands on the HED’s TAD-Alert, and we think we’ve identified a potential location within HED.”
Lyssa picked up the story. “I know we think of our TAD-Alert as being separate from the TADs in the other divisions, but they’re all connected ultimately to each other and HED, who controls them all. The commands I put in yesterday resemble the mirroring program Hammer used when we were tracing the Teev clean spots in our search for the missing scientists.”
Which had led them to Dani and the Newcali fringers. Reese leaned forward eagerly. “So instead of searching for something that’s there, you recorded the locations of where it was not.”
Lyssa gave a self-satisfied grin. “Exactly. I told it we needed to search for humans who didn’t have implanted CivIDs. The cameras have always recorded people who weren’t carrying cards, reporting that back to the TADs, but now that implantation is mandatory here, whoever programmed the TADs added all kinds of updates and alerts.” She gave another smirk before adding, “They just didn’t expect me to use those at HED. The TAD came back with a list of everywhere it had checked. And of course there were places it didn’t check, even though I told it to check everywhere.”
“Which means if it didn’t check certain places, it had primary orders not to check or give out information on those locations,” Jaxon said. “But that could be dozens of places. I visited HED when I was thinking about joining Special Forces. It’s a maze.”
“Guess again,” Lyssa said. “I got back only two places it didn’t report on, one on the fourth floor and one on the fifth, which are the top two stories at HED. Cross-referencing that with the office assignments, we know that one of those belong to the Controller himself. Not even his Special Forces captain’s office was off-limits to that search, though I’d tried other searches that it did block.”
Hammer reached to help himself to some of Eagle’s pretzels. “This could change, of course. The information was correct as of this morning, but I’ll double check before you do anything. Keep in mind if they discover our search, it’ll be over before it starts.”
“Look, I don’t mean to put a damper on this discovery,” Eagle said. “But they’ve had plenty of time to implant Dani’s brother, haven’t they? Would they risk not implanting him in case someone did attempt a rescue?”
Brogan frowned. “There is that, but since the CORE was established, there has never been a Fringer attack in New York. Ever. They won’t be expecting any rescue attempt.” He paused and added thoughtfully, “While we’re on the subject of Dani’s brother, we don’t know if he has any kind of ability. Dani’s been closed-mouthed on that. But he does have information on Newcali, and while Dani says he’d die before disclosing anything, we don’t know that’s true.”
“He might not do it to save himself,” Jaxon added, “but what about saving Dani? We already know she’s willing to risk her life to save him.”
Silence fell over the room as they all digested this idea.
“So what’s the plan?” Jaxon asked finally. “The prisoners aren’t going to be in the Controller’s personal office, so obviously they’d be in the second location, if they’re still at HED, but getting in and out of there, even knowing where Dani might be, is next to impossible.”
The hope that had been building in Reese plummeted. He was right. HED would be near impregnable to any but enforcers, and they didn’t have the manpower to go in with guns blazing. Not without a lot more planning.
Brogan exchanged a glance with Hammer and then sighed. “Exactly. The intel is good because we know the location of something they’re hiding onsite, and it’s probably where Dani will be, but we don’t know much more than that. There are too many variables. I think for now, you need to do reconnaissance and see if anything stands out.” He nodded at Jaxon. “Maybe once you’re closer, you’ll have a premonition, or Reese”—his gaze shifted to her—“will see an important sketch. Or Lyssa might learn something on her tour of HED.”
“And if we find a way?” Reese asked.
A smile tugged at one corner of Brogan’s mouth. “If the opportunity presents itself, get in, get Dani and her brother, and run like Breakdown.”
Reese felt a little surge of anger that Dani had allowed herself to be caught, risking even more than was at risk before. Did love make them all crazy? Apparently, because they were risking exposure going to HED, especially without an end plan.
“I have connections in the New York underground,” Brogan continued. “They can lend a hand with transportation if we come up with a plan. Hammer will make sure the T-links can’t be traced by Dani’s unit in case you need them. While he’s working on that, you can load up on new CivID cards, ammo, and other supplies we brought, then Hammer will take you all to the sky train.”
Hammer took that as his cue to add, “There’s an express sleeper train coming in within the hour, and it’ll be faster than any shuttle. I need maybe thirty minutes for the T-links. Can you be ready by then?”
Reese nodded with the others as Brogan said, “Don’t worry. This time Nova will not be following you.”
Eagle arose, taller than Brogan and far leaner. “Captain,” he said, his voice low. “That kid we told you about? Just wanted you to know that Nova seemed close to him. She’s been different since it happened.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Brogan said.
Reese, Jaxon, and Eagle followed Hammer into the C-lodge’s third bedroom where bags of supplies littered the floor and bed. Reese had already checked her guns and ammunition, but she was happy to add another uniform and civilian clothes to her bag. And a full med kit.
Jaxon also found clothes to pack, but Eagle stood in the middle of the room, as if seeing nothing. “I let him die,” he said into the silence. There was no trace of humor now.
Reese shook her head. “You couldn’t have known. And you saved Namon and the others. You did your job.”
Eagle picked up a box of rounds and didn’t reply.
Jaxon moved toward him, his mouth open to speak, but he’d taken only two steps when he stopped, clutching his head.
“Jaxon?” Reese rushed to him. “What is it?” No response.
Eagle dropped his bag. “Is it a premonition?”
“Has to be.” She steadied Jaxon
so he wouldn’t fall. “Jaxon, you need to snap out of it. Jaxon?”
“Maybe he’ll see something about Dani,” Eagle said.
She supposed he might. “Help me get him onto the bed. Saca, it keeps getting worse and worse.”
Eagle cleared a few bags and together they wrested Jaxon to the bed. “Well, he didn’t fall to the ground,” Eagle said. “That’s good, right?”
“No, but he’s checking out of reality altogether. He doesn’t seem to hear me. I’m—” She broke off as a sketch appeared in her mind, the image waving instantly to life. “Wait. I see a sketch of Dani with your nyckelira case. She’s wearing some kind of white body suit. The case is sitting on a desk, and she’s opened the secret compartment and has removed that big temper laser you took from the men at the train station in Amarillo City.” In the still image, Dani’s face was turned, as if looking at someone who was with her.
Reese caught Eagle’s stare. “Did Dani know about the hidden compartment in the case?” she asked. “She wasn’t there this morning when you gave it to Jaxon.”
“I showed it to her last week. She helped me with the security sequence. I ended up changing the original code, but she was a lot of help.” Eagle looked thoughtful, and a hint of eagerness entered his voice. “If we could get the case to her, Dani could break herself out. She’s fast enough and strong enough. I’d change the code back to the one we were experimenting with so she’d be able to get inside. We’d only need to be nearby, ready to run interference and hide her once they mount a search.”
For the first time since Dani’s capture, Reese thought they might all have a chance to walk out of HED alive. “We’d have to find out where that room in Jaxon’s vision is. I’ll draw it for us.”
“What about him?” Eagle motioned to Jaxon, whose hands had fallen from his head and who now looked peaceful as if he were simply sleeping.
“You start loading the stuff. I’ll wake him up.”
“Good idea.” Hefting her bag and his own, Eagle started for the open door.
“And Eagle?” she said.
He paused. “Yeah?”
“Don’t tell the others about Jaxon, okay? Not yet.”
“But you said he’s getting worse.”
“I know. But he can handle it.” She hoped. Jaxon hadn’t checked out anytime they’d really needed him. Yet.
“So am I,” Eagle added. “Getting worse, that is. It’s taking more time for me to filter and organize everything I see. Especially close to the desolation zones where there are so many more stray emissions.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
His smile reminded her of the boy with the thick-glasses back in the Coop—engaging, knowing, yet somehow innocent. “I’m telling you now. I’ve been taking off my glasses at night because at least that way I can’t see the colors or the dimensions of things, which helps. But we’re going to need a cure soon.”
“We need a sample of whatever they gave us,” she said. “Maybe we can find one at HED.”
Eagle shrugged, his right shoulder lifting slightly before the left as it always had. “That’s not likely. We don’t even know who’s behind this yet. Or if it’s all of them. We have no idea where a sample might be. Or even what the drug is called.”
Reese looked down at her hands as something niggled at her memory. Something about her great-aunt. She’d had this same feeling before, once when they had visited Colony 6, but there had been other times, usually at her aunt’s. It was as if something lingered just out of reach. Something important. What did it mean?
Then all at once she knew.
“By the CORE,” she said, sinking to the bed, feeling her heart starting to pound erratically. “What kind of sample?”
“Water would be the best, naturally, since that was the delivery system, but maybe we could test other things. Clothes, furniture. Even if the drug was only put into our water, people would have excreted it.” He sighed. “But finding a strong enough concentration after ten years isn’t likely.”
“Maybe not so unlikely.” She stood again and paced to the door. “I took a bag when I left the Coop. My extra pair of clothes, my drawing pads, my dad’s empty sauce skins that I kept under my bed filled with water. When I ran from the Coop, I took it all with me. Whatever’s left is still in my aunt’s attic.”
“You think there might be water?” Excitement spilled from his voice, and for the millionth time, Reese wished she could see his eyes.
She shook her head. “That I can’t say. I found a lake and at one point I took the sky train, and it had plenty of water, but I don’t know what I arrived with. I do remember that my aunt put all my clothes in the bag and put it away. She didn’t think any of it was proper for me to wear. I’m assuming even if she kept the skins, she might have dumped out the water.”
Eagle’s shoulder slumped just a little. “There could be some residue on the clothes.”
“She could have washed them.” Reese sighed, discouragement overtaking her again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have started thinking out loud. It’s probably nothing we can use.”
“It’s still worth a try. You’re the only one who has anything from that time.” He sounded sad now. He’d become an orphan like the rest of their crew shortly after he’d left Colony 6, and he rarely mentioned his family. She didn’t know if they’d been killed or had died from exposure in one of the colony’s manufacturing plants, but she understood that he regretted leaving them.
“Maybe you can tell Brogan while I take care of Jaxon,” she said. She didn’t like the intimacy of anyone going through her childhood treasures, whatever they were, but if there was any chance to help Jaxon and the others, she had to let Brogan try.
“Will do.” With a nod, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Reese turned back to Jaxon. “Wake up,” she said.
He didn’t move. In the empty zone, he’d passed out for fifteen minutes, and they really didn’t have that much time now. He looked peaceful though, almost happy. She wished she could let him stay that way.
“Jaxon!” She tried slapping his face gently. When that didn’t work, she shook his shoulders.
She’d barely let him go when an image leapt into her mind. The two of them were in bed together, their mouths locked in such a passionate kiss that she felt the heat and movement, though the sketch was motionless in her mind, vivid and clear, as if it had happened only minutes ago. Her pulse raced and all the sensual thoughts she’d ever had about Jaxon threatened to break through the barriers she’d created.
She slapped him harder. “Wake up!”
His hand shot out and grabbed her. Then he was pulling her toward him. “Reese,” he murmured. His eyes were open, but was he seeing her?
He tugged at her, and she fell over him, feeling his strong arms wrap around her body. His lips came closer, stopping just short of touching hers. Tension sizzled between them until she felt that if she didn’t kiss him, the ache that had appeared inside her would grow and grow until it ate her completely. He’d seen them together in a vision, which meant it was going to happen. Why should she fight it when deep down she knew this was what she wanted? She’d loved him as a boy and loved him more as a man. Loved him so much that losing him would be the end of her.
Her body was afire with want and need. They didn’t have time for this, and yet what better time when they were headed into uncertainty? They’d both been through a lot today, and a few minutes wouldn’t hurt.
“I love you, Reese,” Jaxon whispered against her lips. He rolled, pulling her with him until he was on top of her. He kissed her nose, her cheeks, and tasted her neck with his tongue. Reese arched against him. Her hand ran down his back along the tight fit of his uniform.
Finally, he brought his mouth to hers in a slow, sensual kiss that made her close her eyes. This was exactly how she’d felt at their first kiss over six weeks ago, and she’d imagined repeating it ever since. Her hands went up around his neck, pulling him closer.
>
Satisfaction spread through her as their kiss deepened. His lips moved against hers as if he knew exactly what made her want him more. Every centimeter of her skin was alive with his closeness. The moment seemed to last forever. It was just the two of them alone, as it always should have been.
All too soon voices in the next room reached them, and she pulled away as duty kicked in. She released him and pushed at his chest. “We have to get to the sky train,” she murmured. “We’ll talk about this later.”
He froze on top of her, and she opened her eyes to see something akin to horror on his face. “What did you say?” he asked.
“I said we have to go. The others are waiting.”
He rolled off her, jumping to his feet by the bed, staring down at her uncertainly. “This isn’t a premonition,” he said.
Understanding dawned on Reese. He’d come out of his reverie, only to find her there, and he’d thought it was another vision. He wasn’t really kissing her, but a dream woman.
“No,” she snapped, standing and pushing past him. “It’s not.”
He touched her shoulder. “But you . . . you didn’t want . . .”
“You said it was adrenaline the last time you kissed me.” She turned to face him. “You said it was because I’m beautiful.”
“You looked so afraid. I didn’t want to scare you off.”
“Well, that didn’t mean there wasn’t a chance.” A chance that at some point she could believe that loving him wouldn’t mean losing him.
He smiled without mirth. “You’ve been with Alex. That’s a pretty strong message.”
She stepped toward him, jabbing an aggressive finger at his chest with each point she made. “We’re friends. We work together. We eat together. We do pretty much everything together. You should have told me about the premonitions.” The ones about them, she meant, but she could tell he understood.
His head shook back and forth. “You’re seeing Alex.”
“That makes no difference. Not if you saw the future. If we’re going to be together, why would I waste time being with Alex?”
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