I stopped rocking. “Why do they need to be kept secret? I don’t understand.”
Russ waved his hand again to change the picture. “It’s political. You can’t kill someone you don’t know. Why does one try to take another down?”
“For power,” I mumbled under my breath.
Russ’s gaze moved back to the screen. “These representatives not only guide the councils, they are spies and trained to protect.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“Influence, bribery, blackmail ... you name it. It all happens and has happened in the past. It’s to keep everyone safe. It keeps our world in order and running smoothly. The councils want to reassure the people they’re doing their jobs. That’s why you don’t see homeless people sleeping in the streets anymore. Everyone has a roof over their head. People have enough to eat. Crime rates are low.”
“What’d he do, or what’s the reason to terminate him?” My words came out so uncaring—like he was an object, not a person.
“You’re not authorized to know that kind of information.”
I drummed my fingers on the arm of the chair. “You’ve already told me this much. Who am I going to tell? Mr. Novak?” I was pushing it, but curiosity hammered my mind. “I’m going to be assigned to kill him—at least give me a reason so I can feel somewhat good about it.”
Russ shook his head and pressed his lips together. I batted my eyelashes and pouted to convince him. A heartbeat later, he reconsidered.
“Okay. But don’t say a word. We think he’s talking to the other reps, organizing a group to take over the councils.”
Holy shit. “Why not just bring him in instead of taking his life?”
“Like I said, there are other reasons. Other reasons even I’m not privy to. Sometimes matters have to be given special attention. I would like to close this conversation.”
“Okay.” I’d heard enough. It didn’t matter anyway; Thomax Thorpe’s life would end soon, either from my team or someone else’s. “You know, I lived on the streets. So, the system can’t be perfect.”
“That was different and you know it. You chose to run away instead of finding shelter. They would’ve taken you in.”
I shrugged and twisted my lips. “Maybe.”
“It’s different now.”
I didn’t believe it, but I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Sometimes talking about my past gutted me.
“When do I get to meet Thomax Thorpe?”
“Tomorrow night.” Russ poured two glasses of water and slid one to me. “Want a drink?”
“Is this going to be another test? Or that better be alcohol.”
Russ almost choked taking a sip. He wiped the drops trickling out of his mouth. “You can drink in two weeks when you turn eighteen.”
“How wonderful for me,” I said sarcastically, waving a hand. “I’ll be able to drink whenever I want, except I’m not allowed to drink here. And, oh yeah, I can finally have a place of my own, but I’m stuck here, not allowed to leave ... ever. What else?” I drummed my fingers on his desk, as if thinking. “I’ll be eighteen and have never been kissed, and since I can’t date, I’ll never get married or have kids. And the best part ... I’ll never have sex.”
I took a sip of water to cool my rising anger. Russ flushed the brightest red I’d ever seen. He blinked rapidly. The clink of ice when I placed my cup down sounded too loud at that quiet moment. As always, he would listen but be terse with his advice.
“Be grateful, Ava. You’re alive,” he said gravely.
His words slammed into my chest. Goosebumps rose on my skin. A feeling of déjà vu spiraled through me. But I blinked it away.
“Am I?” I lowered my head down in shame and peered at him under my eyelashes. Russ was the one who had taken me out of juvie; albeit I had special DNA ISAN sought, but I should be grateful he had come to my rescue. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” His lips softened their hard line, and the sparkle came back into his eyes.
Russ had a kind heart. I couldn’t remember how we’d become close, but I recalled we’d just hit it off. It wasn’t an overnight kind of friendship, but more like a progression. But I did question why he had opened up to me.
Russ waved a hand to close the images. “Do me a favor. When you’re on this assignment, just get in and out as fast as you can. Remember your training. Don’t look at their faces. Don’t make eye contact.”
I ran a finger across the rim of the glass, soaking in Russ’s words. The reality of the danger hit me again, but I had another question nagging at me. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. I’ll do my best to answer it.”
“Do you or anyone else send out private messages on our TAB anonymously?”
I didn’t know how to ask the question without getting myself in trouble. I didn’t know where the line crossed from Russ being my superior and friend. And I was sure I had reached my limit.
“What do you mean? Did someone try to contact you?” Russ sat taller and his shoulders tightened.
“No.” My pulse raced as the lie left my lips. Sinking into my seat, I wanted to take back my question.
Russ’s jaw relaxed, and he pulled back his shoulders. “If that ever happens, don’t reply. ISAN will find out and you’ll be sent back. I don’t want that to happen to you, got it?”
“Sure,” I murmured.
The reality of Russ’s words hit me, and my worries about ISAN finding out what I had already done knotted my stomach so thoroughly I couldn’t untie it. But if it wasn’t ISAN, well, that bothered me, too.
“Your team will be directed to Kendrick before you begin your assignment tomorrow. He’s new to ISAN. He’s built some interesting gadgets. You’ll be amused.” Russ stood and gestured for me to do the same. Placing his hand behind my back, he led me to the door and stopped. “Be safe, Ava. Follow your instincts, and don’t be afraid. It will only cause you to shut down. Pretend you’re on the mental mission. Block everything out.”
“I failed, remember?” I cocked my brow.
Russ gave me the biggest smirk; his lips practically reached his eyes. “Yeah, you did.”
He caught my hand easily when I swung at him. It would’ve been a light punch to his arm. I would never hit him hard, even though he deserved it.
“I’m still mad at you for taking away my second.” My nostrils flared. “You owe me a second. You ...”
My tongue stopped working when Russ tenderly rubbed the back of my hand. He had never shown this amount of affection before. Tingles ran up my arm and in places they shouldn’t. With his other hand, he pushed my hair away from my face, his fingers feather lightly caressing my cheek in the process. My breath caught in my throat and I closed my eyes to fight the heated sensation leaching onto me.
What the hell is he doing? My fault for acting like a lovesick fool. My instructor. My friend. Friend. Friend. Friend. I repeated to chase away false hope.
“Good luck tomorrow, Ava.” His voice sounded more like a whisper when his lips brushed my face.
The scent of musk and lavender spiraled up my nostrils, coaxing me. Heat infused my body, sending quivers through me. Oh, God. Had he just kissed me? Slowly, I fluttered my eyes open. When his eyes caught mine, his lips inched closer, and I thought he was going to kiss me, but he pulled away.
He couldn’t kiss me even if he wanted to. ISAN frowned upon any romantic relationship, especially between a superior and student. I wondered if he had a wife or a family, but that thought was ridiculous and impossible since he lived there. Then I recalled how Russ used to be out in the field, too. From that alone, I was certain he had no family to call his own.
“Thanks,” I managed to say finally, then left, dazed and a bit flustered.
“Good afternoon, ladies.” Kendrick stood from his chair behind his desk when I entered his office.
I’d imagined someone older, but he appeared young and amicable.
“It’s nice to
meet you.” Tamara’s eyes rounded.
Justine lifted an eyebrow and surveyed him silently while Brooke offered a quick smile.
“Hi, Kendrick.” My nose crinkled from the scent of burnt metal and something else I couldn’t detect. No doubt he had a lot going on.
I’d marveled at the various inventions filling the room. The open cabinet on the back wall shelved steel, iron, bronze, wires, and tools. Bright light from the ceiling concentrated on the tables, strewn with half built or dismantled objects, varied in size.
Kendrick took his hand out of his white lab coat pocket and adjusted his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. “Come. Let me show you my designs.”
I followed behind Kendrick and weaved around some chairs and standing gadgets with wires and metal dangling.
“Here they are.” Kendrick’s tone matched the excitement in his eyes, but Justine squashed it.
“What the hell are these? It’s a lipstick, a compact mirror, necklace, hair clips, and earrings. What am I going to do? Kill them with a makeover?”
Justine had a way with words, and most of the time it was the way of pain. She needed to be taught manners, or maybe she needed extra classes with Diana. I probably should have said something, but I didn’t want to make a scene, and I didn’t want to cause a rift between us with a mission around the corner. Besides, Kendrick seemed like he could put her in place.
Kendrick’s smile froze. He ruffled his dark curly hair and pressed his lips together tight. With his level of intelligence, probably no one spoke to him that way.
“You didn’t let me explain.” He held up the lipstick. “After you apply it, blow out air. The carbon dioxide and the chemicals from the lipstick will bond together. It will put the person facing you to sleep.”
Justine’s eyes grew wider. She clamped her mouth shut and gave him her full attention. As did the rest of us. Russ had mentioned gadgets, but I had no idea they were one of a kind.
Kendrick picked up a fake—I assumed—solitaire diamond necklace from the table and continued. “If you press the center, it will disperse a toxic chemical reaction into the air. They will feel intense pain and will wish for a quick death.” He pointed to the compact mirror and the brush. “Use the brush to grab the powder. When you dust it off, you’ll be able to see any hidden laser beams.”
“Is that all we get?” Brooke asked. “What are we supposed to protect ourselves with?”
Her concern was warranted.
Kendrick pointed to the shelf behind him. “You’ll each get a Taser. Remember, these Tasers incapacitate the person for thirty minutes or so. You’ll either have to tase them again or make sure you’re out of there.” Kendrick shifted his attention solely to me. “You get the gun, too.” He took it out of his drawer. “It’s small, and it will fit inside your pocket or wherever you’d like to keep it safe. Keep in mind, this will do the job. I was told to show it to you, but Mitch will give it to you on your mission. Nothing like assassinating someone the good old-fashioned way with one bullet to the head.”
“You make it sound so simple,” Brooke chimed in. “Have you ever—?”
“No, I haven’t. I would suck at it. At least you’ve got HelixB77. It doesn’t work on me.”
It doesn’t work on me. His statement, as if it was conclusive, piqued my interest. “Why?” My gut instinct told me there was more to tell.
“You should know that answer. I don’t have special genes like you.” He busied his hands by adjusting a pen inside his front pocket, as if to distract me.
I sighed in disappointment. I should have known if there was information to hide, he would keep it to himself.
“What if I’m locked with my hands behind me and I can’t get to the lipstick, or the necklace, or any other gadgets?” Tamara asked. “Do you have something for that?”
“Good question,” I said.
“What would you do, Ava?” Kendrick’s eyes met mine.
I wasn’t expecting that. Glancing at the items on the table, I thought of the possibilities. “Well, according to my morning training class, I guess I could throw my head back and hit his chest or his nose. It would be better if it were the nose. He’ll let go, and then I can swipe my leg to knock him down, or punch him where it would hurt him the most.” I raised my chin with the confidence of my answer.
Tamara gawked. “It sounds like you’ve done it before.”
I went around Tamara to Brooke. “Brooke and I were on a couple of assignments before, but we never assassinated anyone. Unfortunately, I didn’t have these gadgets with me. Our assignment was to bring our subject in, not to kill.” I picked up several pairs of the clip-on earrings and handed them to my team.
“Be careful with those.” Kendrick flickered his hand as if to stop me, nearly hitting me in the process. “Do you know what they’re used for?”
I gave Kendrick an evil stare and almost shoved him into the wall. Steady, Ava. I did not appreciate his condescending tone. And I was sure he read my expression well when he cleared his throat and twisted away from me.
After Justine put them on, she picked up the small hand mirror from the table, admiring her reflection. “I don’t know, but these fake diamonds are gorgeous on me.”
Tamara placed a finger in her mouth, pretending to gag. I spat out a laugh and blocked Tamara from Justine’s view so she wouldn’t get caught.
“Anyway ...” Kendrick coughed lightly. “You can communicate with each other using these earrings, even if you’re in the next room. They also double as small bombs, so don’t drop one in front of you. You won’t be able to blow up a house, but you can knock out a door.”
I bared my teeth, blood draining to my toes. “You should have warned us first.”
Kendrick shrugged, schooling his face into a portrait of innocence, and turned his back to me. Brooke took them off her ears immediately and placed them gingerly on the table with shaky hands.
“That’s pretty clever and dangerous, Ken.” Justine carefully handed hers to Kendrick and headed to the next table. Not an ounce of fear in her blood. “What are those?”
Kendrick bolted to Justine, bumping into her in the process. “My name is Kendrick and don’t touch anything.” He grabbed hold of Justine’s arm, and some kind of metal wire came out from his watch and coiled around her wrist.
Justine arched her eyebrows, and leaned into her hip. “Trying to get kinky with me, Ken? You don’t need to tie me up. Just tell me it’s none of my business.”
Oh, please. Her sultry tone made me nauseous.
“Awesome,” Brooke exclaimed. “I want one.”
“Me too,” Tamara added.
Kendrick pushed a button on his watch. The wires flew back inside. “You’ll each get one when I’m done making them. Now, take the things you think you’ll need. You’ll be seeing Lydia next.”
“Why?” I asked. “Russ didn’t tell me about Lydia.”
Kendrick moved his glasses back up into place and touched his mini TAB screen on his desk. “Those were my instructions. I guess Russ forgot to tell you.”
“Why Lydia?”
Brooke must have had the same reservations I did.
“To get dolled up, ladies. You’re not going to catch anyone’s attention looking like that.” Kendrick lowered his glasses again, gawking at each of us. “But she”—he glanced at Justine—“might need more makeup.”
Yup, I knew it. Kendrick could hold his own, and he’d made sure to insult Justine when offered the opportunity.
Justine’s eyes darkened. She curled her fingers, no doubt ready to punch him.
I grabbed Justine’s arm. “Don’t. You’ll get suspended and won’t be able to join us for Friday night.”
Kendrick pressed a button on his desk before Justine could lunge at him. A sliding door opened in front of us. For a second, I considered letting her punch Kendrick, just so she could experience what it would be like to be reprimanded. Maybe it would do her some good. And also, because I wanted to do it myself. But I n
eeded her for the mission. Replacing her in such a short time would be out of the question.
“Lydia will see you now.” Kendrick flashed a grin fake. His narrowed eyes said, get the hell out.
* * *
“Ladies.” Lydia smiled warmly, her dimples deepening.
She wore a silky lavender blouse and tight black pencil skirt. Her hair surrounded her face with soft curls. Earthy makeup complemented her brown eyes. If I hadn’t known I was going to her office, I wouldn’t have recognized her.
“Hello, Lydia,” we all greeted in unison.
“Come in and have a seat.”
Lydia’s office was three times larger than my bedroom. Two brown leather sofas faced each other, separated by a small steel table. A clear vase set to the left of her desk held peonies of varying colors, filling her room with a sweet scent. As I sat and waited for her instructions, I admired the beautiful flowers and wished my room smelled and looked like hers.
I also admired her back wall. It projected a garden with various types of colorful flowers with a fountain in the middle. Then it switched to a white sandy beach and a rowboat softly rocked near the shore. Quite different from Russ’s office.
Locked up in the compound, I didn’t have the opportunity to be surrounded by Mother Nature or breathe in the fresh air, though perhaps not so fresh ever since meteors had struck the world. Ironically, the meteors had enhanced technology and medicine, helping humanity advance centuries ahead of schedule.
“You’re probably wondering why you’re here.” A wall slid open at the touch of Lydia’s hand, revealing a rack of clothes. “We’re sending you on an assignment full of men. We can’t have you dressed like that.”
I gazed down to the comfortable workout clothes I wore every day, which were branded with the ISAN symbol. The four of us wore the same outfit—black jersey pants and white T-shirts. Yeah, not attractive—at least not compared to what Lydia wore.
“I get to dress like you?” Tamara’s eyes sparkled with excitement.