Chapter 21 James #2
“You only learned to cook because Kenji wanted to learn to cook!”
“Whoa, uh-uh,” Kenji says, laughing nervously. “Don’t bring me into this. Even though it’s true that I’m an excellent cook.
Definitely a better cook—”
Nazeera makes an exasperated sound.
“All right, that’s enough,” Warner says. “Nazeera is the daughter of a supreme commander. Her training and insight will prove
invaluable, and she’ll be more than capable of handling whatever comes her way.”
“But—”
“Take the win, James,” he says to me. “This is a good compromise. I’ll have to let Hugo down; but of the two, this is the
stronger option.”
“I think it’s a great idea, too,” Juliette says thoughtfully, considering Nazeera. “But are you sure you have the time, long-term, to take this on? It might end up being a bigger project than we anticipate. When do you need to get back home?”
“Not for a few months,” she says. “The timing is perfect, actually, because I was already planning for a leave of absence.
I’ve delegated responsibilities back home. Haider is prepped to handle most things while I’m gone.” She lifts a shoulder,
then drops it. “I was hoping to buy some furniture for my place anyway.”
“Excellent,” Warner says, the word decisive. “Consider this decision final. We’ll need a few days to make the arrangements,
but once you’re ready, we can talk about discharging Rosabelle from the hospital—”
“Wait, what?” I say, my agitation spiking. “A few more days? You can’t wait that long—”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re going to fucking kill her!” I explode.
Everyone stills, staring at me like I’ve detonated a bomb. Like I’ve lost my mind. Even Juliette looks shell-shocked.
I drag my hands down my face, hating myself.
A little mortified.
Nazeera shakes her head at me, eyes wide. “James. Seriously. What did we just talk about?”
I take a breath, try to calm down.
“I’m just— Look,” I say, struggling to keep my voice normal. Panic is surging through my veins like poison. “We’ve never run tests on her. We have no idea how her power works. She’s already been brain dead for three days—”
“Bro, maybe you should take a walk,” Kenji says, studying me with genuine concern. “Get some air.”
I look at him and say nothing, even as my heart hammers so hard against my ribs my vision dims at the edges.
The more I freak out, the calmer Warner gets.
“James,” he says. “You’ve tragically misunderstood me. I couldn’t care less whether the girl survives. Perhaps if there was
some guarantee she’d speak—that she might become a real asset—I’d be more inclined to inconvenience myself, but making arrangements
for her now is merely a hedge against possible disaster. It’s a contingency plan in the case we can’t solve the mystery of
the vial on our own. She’s already cost us time and resources we can’t spare. I’d decided days ago to kill her; I will not
go out of my way now to keep her alive.”
“But—”
“No.” He cuts me off angrily. “We have no idea whether she has an interest in an alliance, and I have no confidence that upon
waking she’ll tell us anything worthwhile. She was in prison for nine days and said nothing. Not a sound.” His eyes flash.
“Do you have any idea how difficult it is to remain perfectly silent for nine days? Do you even understand the mental fortitude necessary—the discipline required to keep yourself from saying so much as a single
word for nine days—”
“I’m not—”
“You don’t,” he says. “Because you don’t understand what we’re dealing with.
She appears to have the ability to physically shut off her brain and body, simulating a kind of death.
Why do you think I’m focusing on efforts to wear her down mentally?
Physical torture will not break her; traditional interrogation methods are useless to us.
If she decides to keep a secret, she’ll take it straight to her grave—”
“If you would just let me fucking talk to her—”
“You are not as powerful as you think you are,” he shouts at me, his composure finally breaking. “And she is not as vulnerable as you think she is.”
I look away, heat flaring up my neck.
“You seem to think that just because she didn’t kill you, she cares for you,” Warner says, pouring acid into an open wound.
“Let me be clear: you have not been chosen. She will not become pliable and cooperative at your behest, handing over her closely
held secrets simply because you asked nicely.” He pauses. “Or have you already forgotten that when it mattered most, she didn’t
hesitate to shoot you?”
I look away, equal parts angry and embarrassed. “Look, that’s not what I meant, okay? I don’t think I’m special. I didn’t
mean it like that—”
“You’re going to get us all killed,” Warner says sharply, “if you continue to believe you can take a wolf home and tame it.
Maybe the wolf chose to leave you breathing, but that doesn’t change the fact that it slaughtered your friends.”
I turn to the window again, flattening my hands on the frame, trying not to exhale loudly enough to betray the tremble in my breath.
I want to sink through the floor. I can’t argue with anything Warner is saying—he’s right about all of it—and yet I’m absolutely convinced that if he waits any longer to pull her out of this coma, she’s not going to survive.
“Right now,” Warner is saying, “my priority is figuring out what’s in that vial. Our team has been running tests, and so far
we haven’t been able to—”
A familiar, shrill ring sounds throughout the room, and this time it’s Warner’s pager going off. He reads the missive with
increasing levels of alarm.
“What is it?” Kenji asks, getting to his feet. “What’s wrong?”
Warner stands and slides the receiver out of his pocket, flipping open the razor-thin metal. An explosion of staticky sound
fills the room right away, the crash and clamor of chaos echoing. “She’s awake, sir,” comes a reedy, garbled voice. “She’s
awake but it’s not—it’s not normal— There’s something wrong with her. She’s out of control and we don’t know what to do—”
“Don’t sedate her,” Warner says sharply.
“But—sir—”
“Restrain her, but don’t sedate her,” he says. “I need to see this. I’ll be right there.”
Warner snaps the receiver shut.
My heart is suddenly beating so hard I don’t know whether to rip the fucking thing out of my chest or jump out the window.
“I’m coming with you,” I say.
“No way, man,” Kenji says, already reaching for his gun. He checks the magazine. “Sit down.”
“Don’t do this,” I say, my voice rising. “Don’t shut me out of this—”
“Nazeera,” Warner says. “Get things ready as much as you can. I’m not sure how this is going to end, but let’s try to be prepared.”
She nods, then walks out the room without a word.
“This is bullshit,” I say, hating the way I sound. Childish. Desperate. “You can’t just leave me here—”
“Kenji?” Warner looks at him, but Kenji’s already moving.
“I’m ready,” he says. “I just need to grab another—”
“Stay here,” Warner says.
Kenji rocks back on his heels. “What?”
“Please,” he says, glancing at his wife. Juliette offers him a bleak smile, squeezing his hand as he draws away.
“But— You should have backup—”
Warner turns to look at me, and my fists are clenched, my head crowding with pain.
“James,” he says. “Let’s go.”