Lydia nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. But Mitch tilted his head and glared at me.
“Did they say anything to you?” he asked. “Did they tell you their names? Did they want something from you?”
“You’re asking me a lot of questions at once, but the answer is no.” I fashioned a quick smile.
Mitch fixed the lapel of his jacket and stood next to me. After a long pause, he drummed the back of my chair.
What the hell are you doing, Mitch? Trying to intimidate me? It won’t work.
“So, you’re saying they asked you to meet at the back, and they had nothing to say to you?” he asked.
Sniper kissed me and I liked it, I wanted to say, but I knew better. My memory took over, and warmth flushed through my body, as I recalled how Sniper held me, wanted me, kissed me. A part of me felt guilty and dirty for enjoying it. I couldn’t shake the hurt and joy in his eyes when he saw me. His expression followed me everywhere.
“Want to answer me?” Mitch leaned closer.
Having Mitch inches away made me nervous. I had to keep it together and continue the lie. I had never been in this kind of predicament before, and I never wanted to be in one again.
“They didn’t have a chance to tell me or ask me anything. The bodyguards started shooting at them.”
Mitch’s face pressed even closer, and he pierced his stormy eyes into mine. “You’re lying. I’m sure one of your teammates will tell me the truth if I beat it out of them.”
He wouldn’t dare. Would he?
“My team wouldn’t know. I’m telling you the truth. The others grabbed me, wanted me to go with them, but they didn’t give me a reason. Maybe they wanted to start an ‘I hate Mitch’ group. I would join them in a heartbeat.” I dug my nails into the cushion of my seat to suppress the urge to punch his face. How dare he threaten me.
From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Russ’s lips twitch, but when I faced him, his mouth was pressed into a thin line and concern filled his eyes.
Mitch’s hands pounced on the armrests. I flinched. My heart jumped out of my chest.
“You think you’re funny, Ava?” His nostrils flared. “You’re lucky your story matches with your team; however, one thing doesn’t add up. The bartender that the bodyguard, you, and your team described doesn’t exist. I had it checked out. In fact, the owner told me there were no male workers that night.”
“I have no clue.” I shook my head, pressing my lips together. “I didn’t do anything.”
Enough was enough. Tired, confused, and hungry, I had to end this meeting. I let the painful memory of my foster family come to the forefront of my mind. Forcing the tears to roll down my cheeks, I cradled my face in the palms of my hands and sobbed.
“I just wanted to have fun. I didn’t ask for trouble.” I shuddered a breath.
Tears kept flowing. It felt good to cry, but I also knew it would make them uncomfortable. Most likely, they would end the interrogation quickly.
It worked. Their expressions were all distraught. Russ rose from his chair to pour me a glass of water.
“Enough,” he said to Mitch. “You got your answers. Obviously, this wasn’t premeditated. How could it be, anyway? None of the girls knew they were going to Shooting Stars until they got there.”
“That’s not true. Ava suggested the restaurant.” Mitch casted a challenging glance at me.
“You didn’t have to make a reservation there. I didn’t force you.”
“She has a point there,” Lydia said.
I wiped my tears, my lips quivering. “I’ve never been to a nice restaurant like that in my entire life. I was happy to be out. Why would I ruin a pleasant evening? I didn’t even get to eat.”
Mitch’s expression softened. I didn’t know if my crying or my words convinced him. Hopefully he would stop hounding my team.
“Okay, I believe you.” Mitch sighed through his nose. “One got nicked from the gun. I have a sample of the blood. I’ll find out who he is soon enough.”
I leveled my stare at the wall, keeping my body still, trying to show no emotion as Mitch headed to the door and waited for Lydia to do the same.
Sample blood? Did I need to worry?
Lydia turned on her heels and gave me a small smile. “Mr. Novak will be happy to hear your team was not involved in any way. I’ll close this case.”
Mr. Novak can kiss my ass.
“Thank you.” I looked right at Lydia as I said those two deceitful words. Mixed emotions bottled up inside me, ready to explode, but I remained composed.
I realized my actions affected my team and how ISAN viewed them as well. We were a team in every aspect of the word. Not one, but all got punished. That wasn’t fair. And seeking out Sniper on my own had been a bad judgment call on my part. I sucked at being a leader.
“Can I leave now?” I relaxed my shoulders and sank into my seat from exhaustion.
Russ slid me the cup of water. “Drink. You’ll feel better.”
I drank and wiped the lingering tears. Though Russ was a friend, a fine line existed I couldn’t cross. Above all, he was my superior, the reason I would never completely trust him. And no matter how badly I wanted to tell him about what exactly happened, I couldn’t.
Russ leaned into his desk. “You may go.”
“Thank you.” I raised the empty glass to him and placed it down.
The glass always reminded me of the test he had used on me when he’d first administered Helix. It was that moment I had begun to trust and respect him. I headed to the door, but stopped when he called my name. I rested a hand on the wall and pivoted sideways.
“I’ll have dinner sent to you. Whether you want to eat is up to you. You’re going to have a hard day tomorrow. I suggest you eat and rest well tonight.”
I closed my eyes and opened them to smile. His unadulterated care sank into my heart, and warmth flowed through me. I treasured his friendship.
“Thank you, Russ.”
His smile let me know he felt the sincerity of my words. Satisfied, I bustled out the door.
* * *
Someone knocked on the soundproof door. When I opened it, Brooke stood there.
She stared and lifted her arms as if to give me a hug, then lowered them. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you? You’re not going to be sent out, are you?” She rambled, not giving me a chance to answer.
“Come in.” I gave her space to ease through. “I’m fine. And no, unfortunately I’m still here.”
“Well, that’s a fortunate unfortunately.” Brooke moved to my desk and saw the empty plate of food I’d just finished. “Wow, you got food in your room? What did you do?” She planted herself on my bed while I sat in my chair.
“I told them the truth. I told them I didn’t have a chance to eat.” I didn’t want to tell her Russ had done a favor for me. “Is everyone okay? Did you get grilled like me?”
“Pretty much.” She picked at her nails and pushed her hair back from blocking her eyes. “I mean, I had nothing to tell. I told them how it went. I hope you didn’t get in trouble because of us.”
“No.” I shook my head. “We didn’t do anything wrong. Well, maybe I shouldn’t have gone to the back and maybe I shouldn’t have asked you to flirt with the bodyguards. So technically, it’s my fault. I’m sorry for causing trouble.”
“Nah.” Brooke waved her hand flippantly. “It was fun. I got to stare at Mitch’s gorgeous face and have naughty thoughts while he asked me a bunch of questions.”
Shocked by her comment, I snorted.
“You can laugh all you want, but it’s true. You can’t deny he’s hot, and I’ll bet everyone dreams about him. Seriously, one day I might suck face with him and make it seem like an accident.”
I moved onto the bed next to her. “You’re too funny.”
Brooke leaned into me. “I’ll blame it on the serum. Helix made me do it. Or maybe I’ll do it when I get dosed. I’ll be stronger than him. He can’t push me away when I jump on top of
him and pin down his arms.”
I couldn’t help myself, my stomach hurt from laughing. “You’re killing me.”
Brooke and I laughed so hard, tears rolled down my cheeks. After I wiped them, I lay there in silence. The laughing and talking reminded me how my mom and I spent time together.
Brooke dabbed at the liquid lingering in the corner of her eyes. “I’m glad you’re safe. When the bodyguards realized you were out of their sight, they took off like the restaurant caught fire. They pushed people on the dance floor and held out both their Tasers and the guns. However, on a lighter note, I wish you could’ve seen how receptive they were to our flirting.”
I propped an elbow on my pillow and rested my head under my fist. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you guys to do something you weren’t comfortable doing.”
Brooke crossed her legs and teetered like she was on a seesaw. “I wasn’t uncomfortable. It was good practice. I have no idea what’s attractive to the opposite sex. I wasn’t sure what I was doing could be considered flirting.” She let out a snort. “But you should’ve seen Tamara. I don’t know where she learned how to sweet talk like that, but she was a natural. You’d think someone shy, quiet, and innocent looking like her wouldn’t know what to do, but I could learn a lesson from her. Actually, Justine could use one. Justine is all talk and no action.”
I sat up and dangled my feet, my legs lightly hitting the mattress. “I wish I could’ve seen it.”
“I wish I’d had more time. I didn’t even get to dance.”
I frowned. “That’s my fault.”
Brooke socked my arm lightly. “Please. It’s not your fault. It’s not like I had guys lining up to dance with me. The guys I thought were cute had dates. And it wasn’t like I could talk to them. So you can fool others, but you can’t fool me. I know you’re not telling the whole truth. What happened?”
I lowered my chin, guilt swimming in my gut. “I want to tell you, Brooke, but I think it’s best I don’t. I hope you understand. And don’t worry—this will never happen again.”
Brooke took a moment, tilting her head to glance at the ceiling. “Fair enough. As long as everything’s fine, I’ll forget about it.”
“Deal.” My tone rose excitedly.
Brooke slid off the bed. “Anyway, I’d better get going. I got permission from Lydia to come see you. I wanted you to know I’m not mad at you. I also wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Lydia let you come?”
“Yes, she said only one of us could see you. Justine didn’t care. Tamara wanted to come, but she knew you and I had been friends longer, so I won.”
I got off the bed and stood next to her, wishing I could give her a hug. But Brooke wasn’t the hugging type. “I’m glad. Thank you for checking up on me.” A sense of warmth enveloped me for the second time that day. I appreciated her effort to see me and for simply caring. “Russ said we’re having a hard day tomorrow. Rest up.”
“You know I’m ready for the challenge.” Brooke pressed the door open and smiled at me before she left.
Though my getaway had been short-lived, I’d had a chance to go out and have fun. I needed to be out of the ISAN environment, to know I still existed in the real world. It made a difference in my mood and my sanity. Surely my team felt the same.
But Sniper ... mysterious, hot Sniper. What the hell had happened? The incident boggled my mind. I had to investigate on my own.
Who the hell are you, Sniper?
Russ strolled in and picked up his TAB from his desk. “Good morning, ladies. I’ve asked Lydia to cancel your history class this morning so we can have extra mental mission practice.”
I shifted in my seat and waited for his instruction.
“Your mission is different this time. Not only do you have to find the exit in a timely manner, you have to find the blue ball. I’ve administered Helix at double the dosage. I’m monitoring your heart rates and your blood pressure. If your body rejects it, I’ll be taking you out of the MM. It won’t mean you’re off the team, though.”
I released a sigh of relief. Careful not to disturb my tags, I craned my neck to see Brooke lying comfortably on the black leather reclining chair.
She gave me a thumbs up. “See you on the other side.”
I leaned back into my chair and closed my eyes.
Zap. I was in.
My face thrashed to the right and I slammed into the wall. Pain sliced through me as my vision went hazy. Someone squeezed my neck. I jabbed the man’s chest and kicked him off me, but from the force of the impact, I crashed to the floor. I peered up, dazed to see my team surrounded by large men.
The same guy who had hit me picked me up effortlessly and drove his fist into my stomach. I jerked back, moaning. But I knew what was coming next. His actions seemed to be in slow motion. I caught his second blow like a baseball flying perfectly into a mitt. Then I slammed my head into his. The force of the impact threw him across the open space.
When the next man came at me, I took a couple of running steps up the wall and flipped over to land on his shoulders with his head between my legs. I pressed my thumbs into his eyeballs and jumped off just before he hit the wall, trying to escape my torturous grip. Another one came at me, and again, I had no trouble taking him out. I’d always felt alive and strong with Helix, but the double dosage had me on fire.
I became unstoppable. It appeared my friends were, too.
“This way,” I said over a dozen inert bodies.
“In your face.” Brooke kicked one in the stomach, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Tamara yanked Brooke’s arm. “That’s enough.”
“They’re not real.” Justine shoved Tamara. “It’s all in your head. Better get used to it if you’re going to stay on our team.”
“Hey.” I clasped my hands together to get their attention. “Stop bickering.” I was tired of their childish ways, especially during mental missions. “Let’s go.”
As the blueprint of the building appeared in my mind, I led them down the empty hall with more confidence than before. All the buildings in the mental missions were the same—gray walls, white laminate flooring, and a cool draft that stung to my bones, giving me the creeps.
Justine took long strides beside me. “We’re waiting for you, Ava.”
I halted and held out my hand. Footsteps pounded, and the red dots on my blueprint showed where they were located. The second time I had seen the red dots, and I’d not told anyone. I wanted to keep it to myself. So far, it had only happened with the higher dosage.
Brooke tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Shhh ... they’re coming from the left. Can you hear them, Ava?”
“What should we do?” Tamara squeezed her hands together, seemingly trying to stay calm. “How much time do we have left? We need to find the blue ball.”
“I say we stay and fight.” Justine gave a cunning smile. “Don’t you feel it? I feel like I can fly. I’m faster and stronger than before.”
“I say we stay and fight, too.” Brooke nudged me. “You’re our map. What say you?”
I took a moment to consider their wishes and calculate the odds. “Tamara, you open every door and search for the blue ball. We’ll stay behind here and fight. Once you find the ball, let us know.”
“Can you tell which room I should go into?” Tamara asked.
“Every room has a ball. I can’t tell what color they are.”
Justine threw up her hands. “That’s just great. Isn’t there a faster way?”
“We’re wasting time arguing about it. Go.” Brooke shoved Tamara to force her to move.
Tamara dashed to the nearest door.
Brooke examined her hands. “I have nothing to fight with. Are we supposed to find a weapon in a room?”
I didn’t answer. I had no idea.
A noise grabbed my attention, and I craned my neck to the sound. “We don’t have time. Take weapons from them. They’re here.”
Shiny silver objects flew by
our heads. I noted they were knives when I’d ducked. Blade after blade flew in my direction. When they stopped, I twirled to assess my team.
Justine had caught one, blade side in her hand. She winced, blood dripping, dotting the ground with crimson. Then she lit a wry smile and flung it back to the group of men coming toward us. It pierced one in the chest, dropping him to the floor. Fake blood pooled around him. A few men had long blades, and I had nothing to fight with except my speed and strength.
I knocked one down and stomped on his hand. When he loosened his grip, I picked up the knife and held it to his neck.
“Stand up,” I said.
Justine and Brooke held blades across their hostages’ necks, too. The fourth guy held a knife, ready to pounce at one of us.
“Don’t you dare. I’ll cut him.” I nicked the hostage to show the fourth guy I meant it. Blood trickled down and soaked into his shirt.
The guy didn’t listen. It was all computer generated by Russ anyway. Why should he care about his teammate? When he lunged at me, I slit the hostage’s throat, then pivoted to the right with a swing and speared through the fourth guy’s chest. He dropped, fake blood pooling around him. Justine and Brooke had done the same with their hostages.
“We have five minutes.” I looked down at my computer-generated wrist watch, my breath steady.
Usually, having so little time left made me panic, but today was different. Keeping my composure steady, I searched for one red dot in my mind. I located Tamara in the last room.
“Let’s go.” I led the way.
Tamara came out of the room with the blue ball.
“Here.” She handed it to me.
“We need to get back in.” I pushed her back into the room she had exited.
Tamara furrowed her brow. “Are you sure? I was just in there. I think—”
I went inside before she could finish her sentence, her words lost behind me. “You didn’t search for it. You were just looking for the blue ball. You wouldn’t have seen it. You don’t expect to have the exit door in the same room where the object is.”