After a minute, she glanced back to find the men. They quickly averted their eyes, lowering their faces. Obviously, they were watching them, but for who? Did Fetu rat them out?
The line moved forward, and Ari and Reed followed, stepping up on the ramp. Fetu had told them a couple of lazy security guards would check them in. Instead, they found a team of agents in keen blue suits managing the check-in and even searching bags. From the crisp tone of their voices down to the razor-sharp haircuts, something felt off.
The line separated then, one for males and one for females.
Something Fetu didn’t warn them about either. She turned to Reed, her chest tightening with fear. Behind them were thugs and in front of them, security obviously on high alert.
“It’ll be okay.” He gazed into her face as if memorizing it. “It’ll be okay.” He repeated before they separated, each going into their own line.
Once separated, the lines sped up as they ushered people through. Maybe it would be better to not be together, Ari thought. VisionTech would be looking for a couple. Except now the two men in the back were even closer to Reed, and he was outnumbered. She kept them in her peripheral vision, waiting for any sign of attack.
The guard spoke, pulling her focus forward. The computerized translation coming through her ear piece. “Hurry up.”
Stepping up, her stomach tightened into a mess of nerves and fear. She slipped off her backpack and handed it over to the guard. While one guard pawed through the backpack, another guard waved her forward.
As she stepped into the metal arch that scanned her entire body, she held her breath. What if the pads on her fingers showed up on the scan? Hands shaking, she jammed them into her pockets. Not until he waved her through, did she finally breathe out.
Someone handed her bag back to her. She avoided their gazes in case they’d seen a picture. She threw the bag over a shoulder and turned to watch Reed go through the scanner.
His ball cap was pulled low to cover the bruises, but it didn’t help. His gaze flicked up to Ari and the edge of his mouth pulled up. It helped melt the tension inside of her. The scanner beeped at completion.
Reed stepped forward, but an arm intercepted him. “Excuse me, you’re not cleared.”
Confusion flash across his face. “What’s wrong? I have my—”
Two other guards hurried to the scene, weapons drawn. “Stand down!”
Before Ari could rush to his side, someone grabbed her from behind and lifted her into the air. Struggling against their hold, she screamed. “Re—”
A hand slapped over her mouth as her captor pulled her back away from Reed and the guards. Panic rose up in her as she slammed her head backwards. It hit a rock-hard chest.
“This way,” a familiar voice from the island said. It sent a wave of anger through her.
They dragged her into a small room. Her captor loosened the hold on her mouth, and she bit down, hard, until she tasted blood. He swore and threw her to the floor.
Pain shot through her body as she connected with concrete. Looking to the side, she realized she was in a bathroom, inches away from a toilet. Turning she wasn’t surprised to find Niomi standing over her. Granted, the familiar bodyguard from the island didn’t surprise her either.
For a moment, neither of them spoke but just glared at each other. Ari’s eyes focused with all the hate and loathing she could manage, yet Niomi remained a blank slate.
Niomi turned to the man. “Give me a moment.”
Holding the bite mark on his arm, he spit on the ground by Ari’s feet and left the room.
Ari scrambled up. If it was just Niomi, she may have a chance.
Her trainer must have sensed her plan.
“If you fight me, I’ll drag you out and hand you over to the authorities myself. You’ll have no chance in hell to save Reed.”
Ari blinked and pulled back. Save Reed? Her mind played through the last couple minutes. “What are you doing here?”
“You read your file.” Compassion showed in Niomi’s eyes.
The loathsome compassion of a murderer, Ari reminded herself. Grabbing her bag off the floor, Ari shook with the anger and betrayal. “Must have ruined your dream job. How much do they pay you to slowly drive me insane?”
“It wasn’t like that. I—”
Not able to listen to Niomi’s lies while Reed was being taken away, Ari charged forward. Niomi side stepped and brushed Ari’s attack aside. In mere moments, Niomi had her pressed against a wall, hands pinned behind her back.
“Bury the rage, Arianna.” Niomi leaned against her, her words urgent in her ear. “You need to think. VisionTech is crawling all over this island. I’m supposed to be helping them secure you and bring you back. They have Reed and will now be searching the whole boat for you. They want you.”
Some part inside of Ari knew she was right. Ari wanted to scream, to fight, to cry that there was nothing she could do. “I won’t go back there. I won’t be other people until one day I don’t know who I am anymore. I can’t lose myself for them.”
“I don’t expect you to.”
“What are you doing here then?” Ari assumed her trainer would drag her back to the island, but if so, what are they doing in a bathroom?
“I didn’t want to hurt you. Why do you think we trained so much? I put off your trips inside as much as possible. But I knew you were too weak to survive on your own.”
“I hate you,” Ari spit out between a clenched jaw. It didn’t make sense, but she felt so helpless and to be called weak on top of it all stung.
“Fine. Hate me. But don’t be stupid. You won’t get another chance to escape and you won’t get out of your contract for years. You need to leave now and without Reed.”
Her heart tore at the thought. “No. I won’t. I can’t leave him.”
“Why? They will keep him well fed and working on the island for another year or two in hopes you’ll return. We can reunite him with his mother and they both will be watched carefully. He will at least be safe, unlike you.”
“I need him.” Tears fell down her face at the selfishness of that statement. She would drag him all over the world because she wanted him by her side.
“If you go to him now, you’ll both be trapped on that island until you can’t remember him anymore. You’re a smart girl. Don’t be selfish and for once think of what’s best for him. Let him go now, and you can get him later.” Niomi stepped back, releasing Ari. “I promise I’ll keep an eye on him.”
She wiped at her face before turning around. “How can I trust you?”
“Despite what you think, I tried to help you. When they approached me about a young untrained warper, I knew if I didn’t take the job, they would just go to the next person who may not feel the way I do. I trained you to fight and to become anyone. Not just inside the system, but out as well.”
The hurt inside of Ari wasn’t ready to forgive her in the littlest bit, but Ari knew she was right. Joining Reed wouldn’t help him at this point. Getting strong enough to rescue him would. She knew what she had to do, but it didn’t make the decision any easier. Lowering her eyes, she nodded in defeat.
“Okay.” Niomi pulled out a device. “I’ll make sure to put you in a section that has already been searched.”
Unable to face Niomi, to face herself for abandoning Reed, Ari focused on the floor in front of her.
“Ari.”
She lifted her head as Niomi handed over a small bag.
“Take this. The money’s untraceable, and with a couple IDs and proper documents you should be able to start over. Keep your head down, okay?”
She felt empty and cold as she accepted the bag, like a traitor for leaving Reed behind.
“Once I leave, I’ll empty the hall for you. Count to twenty and go to your right. Room 101 will be yours.” Niomi stepped towards the door. “I wish I could have done more for you. I really tried.” She left without another word.
Ari stood there, struck dumb for a moment, trying to t
hink back to all her interactions with Niomi. Was she training her for the VLEX or for this? Move, idiot. Think later.
Not sure of how long it had been, Ari placed a hand on the door, a manual door which she hadn’t seen since she left home. With one more deep breath, she pushed through, heading towards the unknown.
Chapter Forty
The pain of loss hung with Ari through her voyage. She ended up sharing a room with two other women, but early on turned off her translator. The sway of the small boat brought on a new wave of sickness and Ari welcomed it.
Even though Niomi’s advice was logical, Ari couldn’t help the aching in her chest. Thoughts of Reed, of what he was going through plagued her. Even her own family seemed worlds away. The hope of a normal life had been shattered. Isolation was the only way to keep her family safe. Though the idea brought upon a new wave of darkness and despair.
The journey took three days. She never left her room except to go to the bathroom. The women would bring back food for her, which was probably for the best. By the morning of the last day, the fact she hadn’t showered for three days didn’t even bother her. Niomi’s voice haunted her, shouting that Ari couldn’t give up. Keep running, keep fighting, until there was nothing left to give.
She realized she couldn’t check out of this life. Not yet. Not until those she loved were safe, and she made amends for those she hurt, if that was even possible. Then after that… well, her life would be hers to do with what she might. Until then, she needed to get off her butt.
Exiting the boat in a small port in Acadian, Ari rubbed her arms as she maneuvered off the docks. The temperature had dropped considerably as they made their way north. She’d need to find some warm clothes.
Walking into town, she rehearsed her identity one more time. I’m Tara Phillips, running away from my abusive husband, Dan. At least Ari didn’t have to act to much. She was a runaway with a new identity, a new skin, a new life. Pushing away the past, she focused on the task ahead of her.
While the town was large, it held a quaint fairytale feeling with fresh paint, smiling faces, and flowers dotting the storefronts. A night and day difference than where she left Reed. Her heart ached at the thought of him. He would have loved this place.
She found a clothing shop and searched for a warm jacket. Niomi had given her plenty of money, so she also picked up gloves, a hat, and a couple of extras that fit in her bag. The shopkeeper, an older woman, was happy to help Ari check out. Her accent was thick, but they communicated fine through Ari’s translator.
As Ari packed her bag, she wondered how much she could trust this woman. With few choices and even less time, she hoped she was making the right decision. “I’m meeting a friend.” Ari then repeated the address of the restaurant where she was meeting Antoine.
“It’s a day’s ride to the north. You’ll have to take the tram.”
A day. It took a minute to remember what day of the week it was and realized that Antoine was expecting Kari tomorrow. She’d need to move fast.
“How can I get there?”
“The station is two miles down the road. Is he someone special?” The woman smiled and winked at her.
Lowering her eyes as if embarrassed, Ari nodded and thanked the woman before leaving. The station was loud and crowded but offered a lot of different ride times. She ended up purchasing an overnight ticket which would save her from renting a room.
Once bought, she wandered aimlessly, waiting to board. Her movements became robotic and without feeling. If she started thinking about what she left behind, she couldn’t do what she was about to do.
The growling of her stomach awakened her for her need to eat. She grabbed a small meal and boarded the tram. The countryside flew by as the sun set behind mountains of glistening snow. Exhaustion set in and she slept sitting up.
She woke to the sun rising on similar mountains yet now more grandiose. The morning flew by as she stared out the window, only getting up to take care of her body’s needs. She fell into numb trance as the tram raced towards what came next: Antoine. The idea filled her stomach with ice cold dread.
In the afternoon, the overhead speaker announced her stop. She freshened up in the small bathroom, trying not to look as ragged as she felt. Her brown eyes looked lifeless accompanied by dark circles hanging underneath. The red hair still bothered her, like a stranger staring back at her. She finished brushing her teeth, spat in the sink and left the room.
Back in her seat, tall heavy trees flashed by, growing in number. The view opened, and the tram slowed. A mountain resort sat nestled in a small valley.
Zipping up her coat, she exited the tram and headed to the wood fashioned building. It looked like it was constructed from the nearby trees. Ari had never seen anything like it before.
A pretty woman greeted her at the door. “How can I help you?”
“I’m meeting a friend, Antoine, for dinner.” She bit her lip as she scanned the room.
“Of course, let me take your coat.” The attendant helped her out of her coat and led her into the dining area.
Ari spotted the table first, the one with a large bouquet of lilacs. A bottle of wine with two glasses also waited for her. No, not for her, for Kari.
As they approached, Antoine pushed up from the table, dressed in black pants and a nice button-up blue shirt. He looked similar to his VLEX profile. An extra ten pounds or so rested in his middle section and face. His jaw wasn’t as chiseled as inside VLEX, but he was still attractive. His kind gray eyes greeted her with excitement.
Her stomach ached with dread and guilt. She had hurt this man maybe more than anyone. Would her next step help or hurt him more?
Reaching for her, he wrapped her up in a big hug. “You look nothing like I imaged but still so beautiful.” His heavy accent laced his words, but he spoke in English.
Uncomfortable with his embrace and not able to hide in the program, she stepped back. Even though he felt like a good friend after all the time they spent together, he was still under the notion she was someone else.
She motioned to the table. “Sit, please. We need to talk.”
His brow furrowed in confusion. “What’s wrong, Kari?”
Guilt felt heavy in her stomach, and Ari didn’t want to answer to that name.
“You are Kari, aren’t you?” His confusion turned to apparent concern quickly.
She was surprised he connected the dots so quickly, but also grateful. Motioning to his seat, she waited until he was seated. “I’m not Kari. I’m sorry, but I thought you would want to know about her.”
Bewilderment flash across his face. “What about her?”
Glancing down, Ari noticed his restless fingers picking at a napkin on the table. “There’s no easy way to say this. Kari hasn’t been inside VLEX for months.” Before he could react, she continued with her story of how she was hired by a company to impersonate Kari, and how Ari didn’t know where Kari was or what happened to her.
By the time she finished, Antoine strangled the napkin in his hands, staring at Ari with a strange mix of rage and concern. Finally, he poured himself a tall glass of wine and drank half of it. Looking up at her, his expression was hard to read. “Did they kill her?”
“I was told that she was alive, but I don’t know if that is true. I had a friend check Kari’s house, and she was no longer living there.”
He glanced away, quiet. Ari recognized that painful ache deep in his eyes, because it mirrored just how she felt. Maybe she did deserve to be alone after all the pain she caused this man.
“Why?” His words came out as a whisper barely heard over the roar of nearby conversation.
“Why what?”
“Why are you here telling me this? Why did you keep up the whole character with dating me inside the VLEX? And how did you pull it off? The skins are permanent inside VLEX.”
“Not for someone like me.” For the first time, she wasn’t afraid of what she was, but ashamed. “I’m telling you now because I wanted to make it
right.”
“The only way to make it right is to bring me Kari.”
The thoughts that had been swirling in her mind formed into the start of a plan of how to find Kari and take care of what she needed for Emil. “I don’t know if I can, but I’m willing to try.”
She gave him a moment and resisted the urge to comfort him. Hugging him would be natural as she thought of him as a friend at this point. But he didn’t know Ari, he only knew Kari.
His gaze turned steely. “How can you fix this? If she’s not home, where would she be? She may be dead.”
“I’m hoping I can find someone else that knows her, family, friends that would know where she would be. Thing is, I don’t have a way to get back inside.”
He glared at her under his long lashes. “Is this some sick joke? You tell me my girlfriend’s possibly dead, and the only way you can save her is by using my credentials to get inside.”
“No.” Looking back at the conversation, she had to admit he had a point. It didn’t look good. But getting inside would give her the resources she needed. “I just… look.” She leaned forward, elbows on the table. “I don’t need your credentials, I just need a way inside. I left the company I worked for. They, along with a government or two, are searching for me. My skill set is… very unique inside. Give me twenty minutes, that’s all I need.”
He finished off his glass of wine. “How dumb do you think I am?”
“I’m sorry. I’m trying to make this right. I’m caught up in something bigger than I imagined. But believe it or not, I care about her. Always wondered about her. That’s why, I couldn’t break you two up. I have access to her files and hope they have some information on her family and loved ones. If you want to find her, I will help. I will do whatever I need to make this right. And I can give you my personal information or whatever you need to trust me.”
He stared at the empty wine glass in his hands for a minute, the heavy silence full of unspoken pain and emotion. Shame ate at her as she watched his empty expression.
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