Oh crap.
She did it. She really did it.
I don’t know whether to be angry with her for putting her own life in danger or proud that she got rid of the man who has terrorized her and her family.
But now she’s a wanted criminal. And the government will not stop until they find her.
Frustration builds inside. She needs me. Screw Madame Neiman and her threats.
Jumping up from the bed, I grab my Lynk and dial Chaz’s number. “Hey,” I say as soon as he picks up. “Have you talked to Sienna?”
“Man, she’s looking for you. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. But I’m worried about her. I just saw the news about Radcliffe.”
“She didn’t do it. It was a setup.”
I sink down on the bed, ingesting this information. I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed. “But she’s okay?”
“For now. But those government pricks are on her ass like flies on doo-doo.” Chaz pauses. “Man, where are you?”
I can’t tell him, not when it makes me look like a coward who ran away with his tail tucked between his legs.
“Listen, Chaz, can you connect me with Trina and Jeb? I think they may be able to help Sienna.”
Chaz gives me a ten-four salute. “I’m on it.” Then under his breath, he mumbles, “But don’t say I never did anything for you.”
Trina is breathless when she answers her Lynk, her face flushed. “Zane,” she says. “I heard about Sienna.”
“She’s in trouble,” I say. “I had to leave Rubex, but I’m worried about her. Can you help?”
She grins. “Hell, yeah. I’ve been waiting for this call. Although, I thought it would come from Sienna, not you.”
“Sienna isn’t the best at seeking help, so I took it upon myself to involve you. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course! We’ll be on the road in half an hour,” she promises before hanging up.
I set the Lynk on my bed and pace the floor of my bedroom. I should be there. I should be helping her hide. I should be with her.
I’m about to look up the bullet train schedule when my Lynk buzzes. Certain it must be Trina calling back to go over more details, I snatch it up and mutter a cursory hello.
“Zane?”
I tighten my grip on the Lynk when I hear Sienna’s voice.
Her face pops up on the screen and her words rush out before I can get one in. “Are you okay? Where are you? Why haven’t you contacted me?”
“I’m fine,” I reassure her.
“I thought you’d been captured—”
“I was. But they let me go once they realized who I was. Didn’t you get my message?”
She shakes her head. “I lost my Lynk the night I escaped from the Marmet.”
My heart sinks. “So this whole time you thought I was…?”
Tears fill her eyes. “I thought they had you. That’s why I went to see Radcliffe, but they killed him. Right in front of me.”
“Oh, Sienna, I’m so sorry. I thought you’d gotten my message—”
She interrupts me. “Where are you now?”
I long to tell her the truth. But if she knew that her family was threatened, she’d probably go after Assistant President Neiman. “I’m in Legas, actually.”
It pains me to see her face fall, her expression changing from happiness to confusion. “I—I don’t understand,” she says.
“I needed to return to Legas—there was business to attend to. I didn’t want to leave, but it was necessary.” My eyes meet hers for the first time, and hers are so sad that they make my heart split wide open. “I’m sorry.”
She gives me a curt nod. “And my mom? Emily? How are they?”
“Doing well. I, uh—” I struggle to know what to tell her. She’s so perceptive that if I told her they were now at the house with me, she would glean the truth from it. Or, at least, tear it from my throat simply by giving me a Sienna-look. “I visited with them upon returning to Legas.”
“And they’re okay? You’d tell me if they weren’t, right?” She’s suspicious.
“Of course. They’re fine.”
I see her hesitate, glancing at something off screen. By the caw of gulls and the sound of the ocean in the background, I can only assume she’s on the boat I rented.
When she turns back, her eyes are urgent, maybe even a little wild. “Zane,” she says. “You have to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Promise that if something happens to me, you’ll take care of my mom and sister.”
I can’t bear to hear her talk like this. I close my eyes and tighten my fists. “Sienna, please come home.” My eyes open, pleading with her.
“I can’t. You know that.” She leans closer to the screen. “Promise me.”
“Yes, of course. I promise.” She starts to look away. “Hey,” I say, drawing her attention back to me. “I contacted Trina, and she and Jeb should be there in a few hours.”
Her face lights up. “They’re coming?”
“Yes. So please, don’t do anything stupid before they get there.”
“I won’t.”
“And stay hidden. Are you on the boat? Stay on the boat until they come.”
“I will.”
“And if something goes wrong, go to the Match 360 Headquarters. I’ll alert Steele and let him know to be on the lookout for you.”
Her lips purse. “You want me to hide out in the Match 360 Headquarters?”
“Only if you need to.” I want to beg her to come home, to give up this quest to bring Trey back. But instead, all I say is, “Please be careful.”
And despite her promises, when we hang up, I have a feeling that something’s about to go terribly wrong.
31
SIENNA
When the Lynk clicks off, it takes me a moment to breathe normally. The waves beat against the small vessel and the sun glares down from a cloudless sky, warming my skin and causing pink splotches on my arms. But the only thing I can think about are the three little words seared in my brain.
Zane left me.
32
SIENNA
On the boat, there is no shade, no respite from the heat. The sun bakes my skin and dries my lips until they’re cracked in multiple places. I’m now out of water, and my throat aches from being so parched. What I wouldn’t give for a sip, for something, anything that can wet my lips and quench my thirst. Here I am surrounded by millions of gallons of water and yet, there’s not a drop that’s drinkable. It’s torturous.
When almost six hours have passed, it’s time to meet Trina at the agreed-upon location. I spoke with her shortly after talking with Zane. She and Curly were already on their way.
The trip back to the beach is a little easier this time, maybe because the swells aren’t quite so high. I moor the boat at the same marina that has a sign saying they charge by the hour. I’m not too concerned because I don’t plan to come back for it. The Enforcers will soon be hot on my trail, which will only lead them to this vessel. I have to abandon it now before it’s too late.
Ever since I spoke with Zane, my mind has replayed scenes from last night’s encounter with Trey, when I kissed him. It wasn’t meant to signify anything; it was merely meant to be a distraction. But I can’t tear from my mind the feel of his lips on mine, the familiarity of his hands and his skin. And every time I try to forget, memories surge forth, refusing to let my mind still and my heart heal.
Dressed in Zane’s hoodie, his backpack slung across my back, I make my way down the streets of Rubex, pausing at each corner. With the hood pulled over my head and a pair of cheap sunglasses I managed to steal from a street vendor covering my eyes, I try to blend into the crowd of people on the streets. There’s a bald man with a graying goatee selling switchblades. I slide one off the table and hide it under my sweatshirt as I walk past.
My heart swells when I see Trina leaning casually against a building, her long legs clad in tight pants and a sleeveless top s
howing off her toned arms. Her face breaks into a grin when she sees me. I fling my arms around her. It isn’t until we pull away that I notice Curly standing beside her. He wraps me in a hug, his curls tickling the side of my face.
“I can’t believe you guys are here,” I say.
“The barn was getting a little old.” Trina rubs her hands together. “I’m ready for some excitement.”
“Me too,” Curly pipes in.
“So what are we doing first?” Trina asks. She pushes up on the balls of her feet as if she’s just itching to get into trouble.
All morning, I’ve been thinking about how I might get close to Trey, maybe even convince him about the computer chip stashed in his brain. I don’t want anything from him. He’s rejected me too many times for me to ever see a future with him, but he deserves to at least remember the Fringe. Curly, Nash, Trina—they’re all counting on him. Whether or not I’ll ever play a role in his life really doesn’t matter. I’m not doing this for myself—I’m doing this for them.
And I think there’s really only one way to do it.
“I need you to create a distraction.”
“Done,” Curly says, making a check mark in the air.
I laugh. “I haven’t even told you who you’ll be distracting.”
“Anything will be easier than breaking into a highly secure underground bunker,” Curly says, referring to the last time they helped me when I was trying to rescue my mother.
He has a point. “Follow me, then,” I say, starting toward the center of the city where the high-rise apartments overlook the ocean and the Four Corners—the main intersection of Rubex where giant statues rest on each corner of the intersecting streets. Erected shortly after the last war, each statue is a different color horse, representing the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. The white, red, black, and bronze horses depict Conquest, War, Famine, and Death, reminding the citizens of Pacifica of the horrors and trials that come when our nation is at war.
Using the coordinates Chaz sent me earlier, I find Rayne Williams’ apartment, a high-rise made completely of pink glass. It shimmers in the sun, reminiscent of a beautiful painted sunset. Just as I suspect, there are two Enforcers stationed right outside her building, their hands resting on the butts of their guns tucked into the holster around their waists. Their eyes scan the crowd, looking for something. No, looking for someone.
Me.
My pulse spikes, and I pull Curly and Trina to the side of the building before the Enforcers can spot us.
“I need to get into that building,” I say. “Do you think you can create a distraction?”
Trina gives Curly a flirtatious smile. “How would you like to pretend to be married?”
Curly slings his arm around Trina’s shoulders. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Trina shrugs his arm off and says, “Just follow my lead. Got it?”
I watch as the two of them hurry over to the Enforcers, who immediately grip their guns but don’t remove them from the holster.
“Please, sir, help me. I can’t find my baby! She was right here, but now—” Trina lets out a sob.
Curly gestures frantically with his hands. The Enforcers take a few steps away from the entrance to the high-rise. One has pulled out a handheld comscreen and appears to be taking notes. The other glances behind him before leaning in to hear Trina and Curly better. Now is my chance.
I stride past the four of them and slip into the building. Chaz is pulled up on my Lynk before I’ve made it halfway to the elevators. Once inside, I have no control over the buttons because residents must insert a keycard to gain access to the controls.
“Overriding system,” Chaz says, low in my ear. I’m grateful he thought to speak soft because I’m now sharing the elevator with two others—a man and a woman, who both eye me curiously. With my sweat clothes and hood pulled over my head, I’m sure I don’t look like the typical occupants of this building.
“Get off on floor twenty-six,” he says.
When the elevator dings on floor twenty-six, I maneuver past the others and step out.
“Which way?” I whisper.
“Apartment twenty-six twelve.”
One wall of the hallway is lined with stone and water trickles down over it creating a waterfall effect. It’s so pretty I almost stop to admire it.
Stay focused, Sienna. You have a job to do.
Rayne must have been paid off. This is an expensive apartment building. Her parents may be wealthy, but I find it hard to believe they’d be willing to support this lifestyle, especially for an eighteen-year-old girl.
When I find the apartment, I knock softly on the door and wait for her to answer. After a minute passes, I hear the unmistakable sounds of someone inside, unlocking the latch. When Rayne pulls the door open, she stops, her face a mixture of surprise and annoyance.
“What are you doing here, Sienna?” she asks, her voice even.
I push my way past her, ignoring her protests. “I thought we should have a little chat.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “I have nothing to say to you.”
As I pull the knife from the pocket of my sweatshirt and flip open the blade, her arms drop and her expression changes.
“Maybe not,” I say, “but I have plenty to say to you.”
She takes a couple of steps back. “None of this was my idea.”
“Then whose was it?”
“I—I can’t say.”
I take a menacing step toward her. “You will tell me.”
She swallows hard and glances around the room like someone might be listening. “It was Assistant President Neiman. She sought me out. Forced me to go along with this. Said they’d give me money and a condo in the city if I’d pretend to be this guy’s fiancée.” Her expression turns fearful. “How could I say no?”
The muscles in my neck tighten. “Were you expected to marry him?”
“I don’t think so. I told them I wasn’t willing to take things that far.”
“But you were okay making out with him, is that right?” I retort, my blood pressure rising, despite my best efforts to stay in control. “Trey had a life. He had people who cared about him, who loved him, even. And you took all that away.”
She shrugs, and I want to smack her. “If it wasn’t me, it would have been someone else. You know that as well as I do.”
I take a couple more steps toward her until we’re practically nose to nose. Her eyes widen.
“Well, now you can do something for me. Without anything in return.”
She smirks and tosses her long, blonde hair. “And why would I do that?”
I press the knife to her jugular, watching as she swallows hard. “Because I think you’d prefer not to have blood all over your pretty cream carpet. Am I right?”
She nods quickly, causing the knife to press further into her skin. I remove some of the pressure and nod to her Lynk, which is sitting on the table by the couch. “Call Trey and ask him to meet you at your favorite restaurant tonight.”
As she reaches for her Lynk, she asks, “What are you going to do?”
“Don’t worry about that. Just make the call. And put it on speaker but not view.”
I take a step back as Rayne dials Trey. She blows her bangs off her forehead as she waits for him to answer. When he does, her voice is sickly sweet, a false smile plastered on her perfect face. It takes all my willpower not to heave all over her floor. So disgusting.
Trey agrees to meet her at a restaurant called Timber tonight at eight o’clock, which is only two hours from now. My stomach rumbles at the thought of real food.
Once they’ve hung up, I grab a kitchen chair and drag it to the bedroom, one hand latched on Rayne’s arm. I plop the chair in the middle of the floor and force Rayne into it before searching for some rope or something I can use to tie her up.
“Come on, Sienna. Is this really necessary?” she asks, her eyes pleading with me.
I don’t answer her. I find a long, turquoise
scarf in a bottom drawer that turns out to be a great restraint. After the scarf is looped and tightened around her hands, which are pulled behind her back, I stand up and eye my handiwork. There’s no way she’s getting out of that.
Then I start toward her closet. I can’t possibly show up to this Timber restaurant wearing sweats. Sure, Rayne may be taller and more endowed, but surely, I can find something that fits me. I flip through shimmery skirts, cybergoth corset tops, rave bras, and dozens of other articles of clothing that leave little to the imagination.
“Don’t you have anything that actually covers your body?” I scoff.
She shrugs and turns up her nose. “Why should I cover a body that looks like mine?”
Rolling my eyes, I turn back to my search. The last half of her closet appears more fruitful. My hands run over a silky, off-the-shoulder top that ties at the waist with an oversized diamond belt. A super short skirt accompanies the ensemble.
I hold the skirt up to my waist. The hemline falls midway between my hip and knee, which means on Rayne, it probably barely covers her rear.
“Seriously?” I say.
She shrugs again and turns to stare out the window.
Grabbing the clothing, I head for the bathroom where I slip out of the old sweats and into Rayne’s clothes. The shirt is a little baggy in the chest area but once the belt is cinched around my waist, you really can’t tell. The skirt turns out to be a good length, even though my pale legs are on display. Once I’m dressed, I search the bottom of her closet for shoes. Despite her height, she wears a size seven, just like I do. I slide my feet into a pair of rhinestone-studded sandals, take a quick look in the mirror, and then I’m ready.
As I’m walking out of her closet, Rayne says to me, “Can you untie me now? I think I’ve been helpful.”
I laugh at her stupidity. “You think a little insider information is enough to get you a pass? I don’t think so.”
As I stride out of her room and to the front door, she screams after me, “Get back here, Sienna Preston! I mean it. If you walk out that door—”
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