by Adam Bender
“Ever hear of a band called Beacon?” he asked Talia suddenly. She was lost in the music and missed the question, so he repeated it.
Talia considered. “Sounds slightly familiar.”
“They were a local rock group from the Capital. I actually stayed with their singer for a short while when I was trying to figure out who I was.”
“Are you trying to tell me that you’re gay?”
Seven went on without acknowledging the comment. “His name was Adrian.”
“Isn’t that a girl’s name?”
“He was a good guy and an even better guitarist.”
“And where is this Adrian now?”
He stopped strumming. “The Guard killed him.”
Talia blinked. She looked taken aback but not entirely surprised. “Why?”
“He was on the Watched list because of something his dad did a while back. The Guard had him under close supervision, like they were daring him to say something traitorous. He kept himself under control his whole life. Then he met me.”
Seven shook his head woefully. “He had all this anger about the government bottled up inside of him. And then I show up asking him, like an idiot, why things are this way and that. I got him talking about things you can’t talk about when you’re on the Watched list, and guess what? Turns out I’m a walking voice recorder. The Guard listened to the files and shot him.”
Seven let the guitar fall forward into his lap and his face contorted into bleak sorrow. “They just shot him.”
Talia rested a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t have any stories like that,” she said eventually. “It’s not like I’m a fan of the Guard or anything–you’ve probably figured that out by now–but I don’t really–you know–have anything driving me to action or whatever. I don’t really know what I’m even doing here.”
“So how did you end up on the Watched list?”
She scrunched her nose. “I don’t want to tell you. It’s embarrassing.”
“Come on,” prodded Seven. “Are you really going to turn down a wandering minstrel?”
She laughed. “That’s true. Fine, it was something I asked in college…”
“You mean a professor reported you?”
“No, not exactly. The question was sort of directed to President Drake, and well, I guess the Guard didn’t get the joke.”
Seven opened his mouth to speak, but a murmur from the hall diverted his attention. Eve floated past the living room left-to-right and her eyes cut into him like razors. Ana followed close behind with a pistol aimed at his fiancée’s back.
“Does she have to stand there like that?” Eve asked Danny. They were in his office. Young leaned back in his computer chair while Ana stood to his side, once again aiming a gun at Eve’s skull. “I let you all capture me. Why would I run?”
“Trusting your enemy doesn’t get you ahead in this line of work,” Ana replied. “And don’t give yourself so much credit. We would have pinned you even if you had fought back.”
Eve raised her eyebrows. “You know what? I think I’ve changed my mind. She’s feisty. I like that.”
He grinned broadly. “You should see her in–”
Young caught himself before going any further. He stood and started pacing around the office. “We’ve been looking into the information you provided about where the Guard is manufacturing the surveillance implants. So far, it looks pretty solid. We’ve had teams down in Engine Valley check out most of the government factories there, but there’s one place we haven’t been able to get into because it’s too high security.”
“Let me guess,” Eve yawned. “Facility B?”
“Facility B,” he confirmed. “And we have reports–although hearsay mainly–that they have some kind of microchip in production. Given all the talk about Patriot ID, it seems logical that Facility B is producing the chips. It seems to me–to us–that this might be worth checking out, but we need a way in.”
Eve nodded. “I should be able to get clearance, but it’s not going to be as easy as me just asking for a tour of the facility. I’d need to give my bosses a pretty good reason.”
Danny bit his lip. “I was afraid of that. Any ideas at this point?”
A warm tingly sensation enveloped Eve’s heart as she realized suddenly that she had the perfect answer. “My mission was to bring Seven in so that we could restore his memory,” she said, making every attempt to control her enthusiasm. “It’s a procedure that can only be performed by top surveillance technicians. Well, Facility B has got them in droves.”
Young considered. “I think I understand. You’ll pretend to bring in Seven, and then the two of you will collect information on Patriot ID…”
“…and send it back to you.”
“Sounds brilliant to me,” he said. “What do you think, Ana?”
“It’s not bad,” she replied, shaking her head, “but I don’t trust her. I know we can trust Seven, but I’d still feel more comfortable if we had a more veteran Underground operative with them.”
Eve exhaled in frustration and shook her head. “We have to do it alone. Any other factory and I might be able to fake a clearance for someone else, but I don’t think I could even get Rodriguez into Facility B without fighting my bosses.”
Young began to speak, but the Elite Guard’s mind drifted to the living room where she’d seen Seven serenading Talia with ballads he used to play for Eve. He’d always been so shy about bringing the guitar out in public–who was this girl? Did he really think Talia was prettier than her?
“Eve?” prodded Young.
She looked up. “Sorry, what?”
“You mentioned your partner. Can he be of any use?”
“No,” she said. “He’s a rookie and lacks training. The only thing he knows at this point is how to be a Patriot. Keep him out of this.”
Young paced to the wall and back. “Then we’ll leave him here, down in the basement. After you help us in Facility B, someone at the Guard will realize Rodriguez is missing and track him here. We’ll just fill his food dish a little higher than usual.”
“You’re not worried Rodriguez will identify you when the Guard finally rescues him?”
“This building isn’t registered in any government database, and your partner hasn’t seen my face. Despite what the tabloids may indicate, I’m very good at covering my trail when I want to keep hidden.”
“So why didn’t you evacuate the Capital right away?” asked Seven. “I think you know now why I was still hanging around.”
She looked down at her feet and kicked them forward like a little girl. “I was in my dorm room when the bombs hit the Tower. I’d just had kind of a rough night, and now suddenly everyone was freaking out and running around. All I wanted was to be alone. I mean, like, the idea of leaving my bed to run with all those idiots? I couldn’t do it.”
“So you stayed.”
“I slept on it,” she replied. “Of course, a few hours of sleep and a little TV helped me realize who had been the true idiot. Suddenly it occurred to me that I was upset but not ready to die. So I grabbed some things and left. The building was completely abandoned, so I stole a gun from the security desk and headed for the car rental place. You know the rest.”
Seven nodded. “So…you’re still in college?”
“Was supposed to graduate in eight months,” she said with a grin. “Guess that’s not happening.”
“Huh,” he replied thoughtfully. “So you’re what, twenty? Twenty-one?”
Talia eyed him curiously before responding that she was twenty-one. “Why?” she asked. “Are you worried I might be too young for you?”
He shivered as a single finger ran gently up his thigh. There was another shuffling of feet in the hallway, but Seven felt no need to verify that it was Eve.
Pushed by Ana, Eve went careening back into the basement prison. The door slammed behind her. Rodriguez was sitting up against the wall that read PATRIOTS ARE THE TRUE HERETICS, stirring water in a plastic cup with his pi
nky. He looked up at her and smiled. “Welcome back, boss.”
Eve’s eyes narrowed. The rookie’s inclination was for the happy-go-lucky, but this particular grin carried a menace she hadn’t seen before. “Everything all right?” she asked.
“Fine and dandy,” he said. “But then, I’m not the one they dragged upstairs. Care to tell me what happened?”
She shrugged. “What do you think? They tried to get information out of me and I kept my mouth shut.”
He looked up and down her skin. “No bruises,” he observed. “They must not have tried very hard.”
Eve nearly accused him of insubordination but held her tongue. “They’re rebels, not…I don’t know…savages or something.”
She slipped into one of the olive-green sleeping bags the Underground had provided. It provided little padding atop the hard concrete slab, but at least it was snug. “Look, let’s just get some rest for now,” she said. “I’ll have a plan all thought out and ready to go tomorrow.”
But it was hard to fall asleep. Partially because she didn’t like lying to her partner, but mostly because of how Seven had behaved since she arrived. She hadn’t exactly expected him to run to her with open arms, but he’d just been so cold to her, she thought. He may have lost his memory, but love–real love–well, it had to be about more than a happy history, right? And what was that Talia girl’s angle anyway?
It was probably all in her head, she decided. She would talk to Jon about it tomorrow.
Eve’s neck suddenly felt hot, and she was overcome by the strange sense that eyes were trained upon her, watching every toss and turn with great interest. She peeked out from the covers. Rodriguez stared back at her.
In his first few seconds of morning delirium, Seven thought a woodpecker might be at his door. He blinked a few times at the maple-paneled ceiling and remembered he was lying in one of several guest rooms in Danny Young’s family vacation home.
“Jon–Seven!” The shouting voice on the other side of the door was Eve’s. “Can I come in?”
Seven, sleeping on the right side of the queen-sized bed, looked worriedly to the empty space on the left. Then another fear seized him and he shot upright. Eve should be in the basement.
“How did you get out?” he yelled at the door. “What have you done to everyone?”
There was a long pause. “I–I haven’t done anything to anyone…”
“It’s okay, Seven,” said another voice–it was Ana. “She’s on our side for the time being, but her one condition was that she’d get a chance to talk to you. If you don’t want to talk to her, then I’d say we’ve kept our word and given her the chance.”
“What?” yelped Eve. “That’s not what I…Seven, please!”
Seven fell out of bed in only his boxer shorts and considered the golden door knob. With a sigh, he pulled it open.
Eve’s cheeks were red but her complexion seemed to improve the second she saw him. “Hi,” she said meekly.
Ana glanced at Seven’s bare chest and burst, “Well, good morning!”
Seven turned to her. “I think I missed something. We’re working with her now?”
“I know, I don’t trust her, either,” whispered Ana as if she thought Eve wouldn’t hear. “But she gave us solid information about Patriot ID, and Danny says we need her to get inside the Engine Valley factory where they’re making the chips. We’re going to leave after breakfast.”
“Who’s leaving?”
“Everyone.”
“Except Rodriguez,” Eve interjected. “We’re ditching that loser here.”
Ana leaned in closer to Seven’s ear. “Do you want me to stay,” she whispered, “in case she tries something?”
He waved her off. “No, I’ll be fine. Thanks.”
Ana held five fingers up in Eve’s face. “This is how many minutes you have, bitch.” And she strolled out of the room.
Seven closed the door after her and turned coldly to his fiancée. “So what do you want?”
Eve’s face fell. “Jon–Seven–I’m here to help. I told you, everything’s changed…the president has gone too far, and–”
“No, I don’t believe you.”
She took a deep breath. “Well, why do you think I’m here?”
“I think that you still think you can reverse everything that’s happened and change me back into the man you knew. If you can capture a few Underground agents in the meantime, I guess that’s two birds with one stone, right?”
“It’s not about you,” she said. “And if I had wanted to round you all up, I don’t think I would have shot my partner and let myself be captured.”
He shook his head in aggravation. “How do I know you’re not wearing a microphone under your shirt? Maybe reinforcements from the Guard are on their way as we speak. Look, I don’t care what our relationship was or wasn’t before. I don’t trust you, Eve, and there’s nothing you can say that’s going to convince me otherwise.”
The air seemed to go out of the room. Trying to find something, anything besides his ex to look at, Seven turned left to consider a painting hanging over an antique butler’s desk. It depicted an autumn scene of orange, yellow, and red leaves. He didn’t like it.
Eve slumped. “I guess your point of view is fair,” she mumbled. “I should have listened to you before this all started.”
He looked at her blankly. “What do you mean?”
“You didn’t want to take the mission. I was the one who encouraged you.”
Seven paced toward the window and pretended to look at the conifers.
“I thought it would be good for your career,” continued Eve, “and I didn’t want to stand in the way of that. You were worried about exactly this happening–that you’d forget me. I promised you that it wouldn’t change anything…that we’d be able to turn you back. You didn’t think that was enough, so you…well…you…”
He turned and found Eve staring pitifully at the sparkling ring on her finger. The diamond had caught the sunlight from the window. Seven felt a sudden and strange desire to hold her, do anything he could to stop her from crying. But he chased the feeling with cold rationality. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” he gasped. “Maybe Jon loved you, but I…”
Their eyes met.
“But I…” Seven tried again.
“You’ve only lost your memory!” protested Eve. “What does your heart say?”
He turned away and cursed himself for letting this conversation go on for so long, for even allowing it to happen in the first place.
“Oh, my God,” Eve gasped suddenly.
Seven followed her frightened gaze to a pink lacy thing that lay discarded on the carpet. He tried to speak but couldn’t figure out what to say. His mind flashed to Talia’s warm skin and the way she had nibbled his ear. “I…”
“Oh, God!” cried Eve. “I have to go. I’m sorry…maybe we can…maybe we’ll talk more later…”
He was surprised to hear himself tell her to wait. But Eve didn’t listen, and she left him holding the door. For a long time, Seven stared down the hallway, bewildered. Then he turned around and considered the scandalous object on the floor.
Ana glanced up from her mug as Eve stormed into the kitchen. The Underground operative was by the coffee machine, leaning over a slate counter that separated the cooking area from the breakfast nook. She took a tentative, noisy sip before addressing the newcomer. “You didn’t try to escape. Good girl.”
“I have no reason to do that,” replied Eve. In truth she had thought about leaving just so she could get away from Seven. But there were too many of them and they were too far from town for escape to be realistic. Eve had no desire to hide out in the forest. Anyway, she had unfinished business.
“Well, don’t think that I trust you now. I was just thirsty and needing my caffeine fix.”
Eve sighed. “Does that mean I’ve got to go back to my room?”
Ana nodded. After taking another gulp of coffee, she slapped the mug on the coun
ter. “Let’s go.”
They walked side by side to the heavy metal door that led into the basement prison. Ana patted down each of her pants pockets and then finally withdrew a large key chain. She had to use three to pass all the locks and get the door open. The rebel directed the Elite inside with a point of the finger and a raise of the eyebrows, and then followed her down the steps.
Immediately, Eve sensed something was wrong–Rodriguez was missing.
“Hey!” exclaimed Ana. “Where the hell is your–”
She gagged suddenly, and Eve whirled around to see what had happened. Rodriguez had Ana’s neck in the crook of his elbow, squeezing so hard that the rebel’s face was turning tomato red.
“What are you doing?!” Eve yelled at him.
Rodriguez looked confused. “What does it look like I’m doing? We’re getting out of here. Help me.”
She blinked a few times. “No, dammit. We’re staying.”
Ana kicked a few times to no avail, and then her eyes rolled back and she passed out. Rodriguez let go and the rebel dropped like a marionette whose strings had been cut.
“Then you’re a goddamned Heretic,” he sneered. “Fine, stay here. But don’t try to stop me.”
Eve watched dumbstruck as her rookie partner bounded up the steps.
Talia bit her lip slightly when she saw Seven standing outside her door. She was wearing a long, white T-shirt that draped gently against her small frame. If she was wearing shorts, they weren’t visible.
Seven tossed her the pink bra. “You left this,” he said without expression.
“Thanks, I couldn’t see it last night. It was, like, really dark.” With two fingers she worked a tangle out of her jet black hair. “Where did you find it?”
“I didn’t,” he said. “Eve just stopped by for a visit. She found it on the floor by the bed.”
Talia gaped before bursting into hysterics. “Oh, my God that’s fantastic! Oh, and she totally deserves it, too!”