Chapter 37
Burdon perched on her desk, watching us. Kaleo lounged in one of the chairs, his feet kicked up on the table, looking pompous and bored. There were no traces of the side of him he had revealed in the tunnels.
“Told you I wouldn’t let you down,” Kaleo bragged lazily. “The others are going to the cells, but I knew you’d want to handle these two personally.”
Burdon’s eyes flew to him before coming back to us. She hadn’t lowered her weapon in the tunnel. Tristian had tried to step in front of it.
“Move another muscle and I’ll shoot. You two are going to come to my office. If either of you makes a single wrong move, I’ll let Kaleo here get back to whatever it was he was doing before you so rudely interrupted him, Hayes, and I’ll make you watch. Are we clear?”
“Clear,” Tristian had said immediately. Burdon had called for the two Force members behind her to cuff us. Tristian had gone willingly the entire way. I walked next to him toward our fates, those three words I hadn’t been able to say pressing against my skin.
“You did,” Burdon answered Kaleo, her gaze locked on Tristian. “Call them in, Kaleo.”
Kaleo’s boots hit the floor. “I hate when you use others to ruin our fun.” The door opened behind us and the two Force members entered.
“Search them,” Burdon commanded. Rough hands grabbed me, roving over my entire body. Thrusting into my pockets, up my shirt. I didn’t fight it even as disgust rose in my throat. Tristian was going through the same next to me.
“Nothing,” one of them grunted.
“Now him,” Burdon said, nodding toward Kaleo.
Kaleo’s brows were raised. “You wound me, baby. They can search all they want, as long as you promise to search me later”—he winked before adding—“with your mouth.”
Burdon said nothing as the two Force members searched Kaleo, who turned it into an elaborate production.
“Nothing,” they told her again.
“Fine, get out,” she barked at the two men, waiting for them to leave.
“The supplies exist?” Burdon asked as the door clicked shut. She zeroed in on Tristian.
“They do; they even have gems,” Kaleo confirmed, flashing his teeth. “They’d look so good on your pretty neck.”
“Go play with Unit Seven,” Burdon told Kaleo, dismissing him. She only had eyes for Tristian.
“You’re not going to let me watch?” Kaleo complained. “I do all that work, and I get to miss the entertainment.”
“I don’t want an audience for this,” Burdon bit out. “Don’t hurt them too much; I’ll lose my leverage if Hayes thinks his little unit isn’t safe.”
“Do I get to have any fun today?” Kaleo bemoaned.
“I’m done with you. Go,” Burdon told him, the conversation over.
Kaleo grinned as he approached her. “We both know you could never be done with me, baby,” he said, tracing a finger along her jaw. “You should hear the sounds I get her to make, Hades.”
“Out,” Burdon barked.
“Fine,” Kaleo grunted. He slammed the door on the way out. Still, Burdon didn’t look away from Tristian.
Tristian stood at perfect attention, his eyes locked on the map over Burdon’s shoulder.
“I have spent every single moment since your little scene in the holding box entertaining ideas on how to make you hurt for what you did,” Burdon started, leaning back on her desk. “The first thought was the obvious one: I could just kill you.”
My heart slammed into my ribs ruthlessly.
“It would be too quick, and you wouldn’t suffer enough.
I could wipe out your entire unit. But Command probably wouldn’t overlook the death of an entire unit, which would cost me my position, and I’m not willing to lose this.
” Burdon slipped off her desk. She approached me, grinning. “I could just kill your new Angel.”
Tristian’s head whipped toward me, his body trembling.
Burdon’s smile widened, her face victorious. “Now you’ll look. Maybe I still will.”
“Lyssa,” Tristian growled.
“But if I kill her, again it’s quick, and you’re so used to death.
Does she know how many lives you’ve taken?
Or have you fooled her into thinking this facade is the real you?
” Burdon asked Tristian, closing the gap between us until I could smell her sweet breath on my face.
“No, it would be more fun to watch you both suffer. So I got creative. You know how creative I can get. Someone went to the Ward, and they found some information in Kumar’s office. He’s dead, by the way.”
The wound reopened. Burdon grabbed two charts from her desk. No. My heart sank like a stone.
“You’re clever. I’ll give you that, Death’s Angel. Here, Tristian, why don’t you take a look.” Burdon held out the forms for him. “I forgot you’re in cuffs. Come, take a look,” she instructed, hopping back on the desk. She laid the forms in her lap.
Tristian didn’t move.
“You have to come closer to see,” Burdon beckoned sweetly.
Tristian’s shoulders went stiff as he complied, bending to read.
Burdon tossed her long black hair over her shoulder, her eyes finding mine once more, as she leaned into Tristian, whispering, “Notice anything about the two charts? Something off? Read the identification number for us.”
“ID 1323324,” Tristian read.
“Tell me, Death’s Angel, does your band match?” Burdon leaned into Tristian twirling one of his curls around her finger. “Read it out loud.”
“ID 1323324.”
Tristian stood abruptly, turning toward me. A million tortured emotions stared at me. I didn’t regret my choice, but the pain reflected in those green depths ripped me apart.
“Imagine my glee when I thought I would kick Levi out next moon at petitions. Sure, that would hurt, but she made it even better. Tampering with the charts is a serious offense, not to mention impersonating a Force member. I could report her, but I am merciful. Instead she can live with choices. Her new health score.” Burdon picked up the charts.
“According to this, Sasha Cadell doesn’t qualify for the Force. The Ward. The Kitchens.”
“What do you want, Lyssa?” Tristian demanded, panic seeping into his voice. “Whatever you want from me, you can have it.”
My stomach twisted at the sight. I had been helping Levi, but I had shackled Tristian instead.
“I have waited a long time to hear you say that.” Burdon grinned. “Sit, and I will tell you how this will go.”
“What happened?” voices asked as the door behind us closed. Everyone was there but Ingrid. I assumed she was checking on Bretta. We stood free of cuffs, but different ones chained us. We hadn’t spoken to one another as Tristian began to tremble—growing distant.
“You first,” Tristian barely got out. My heart was in my throat; he hadn’t even looked at me as we walked through the tunnels. I glanced around Unit Seven. My friends. My family.
Everything you are working for—you will lose.
Patrick sat in the chair, his eye swelling shut as blood leaked from it. A bottle lay before him and a deck of cards, and Isla sat on the sofa closest to the door. Damien sat, his swollen ankle propped up on the table. Levi stood in the doorway to the boys’ bunk, his right jaw and cheek swollen.
I turned to find Rumi here as well. She sat in the corner of the mat alone. But she had always been alone. Her eyes were closed as she meditated or whatever she did on the mats. I didn’t know anymore. Maybe it had always been spying. No one looked her way.
They told us how they got to the holding cells, to find them too full like we had planned. Two Heathens had tried to go after Rumi, but Patrick got between them still cuffed. Levi had jumped in to help. They had beaten them up pretty bad before Kaleo arrived.
My eyes flew to my partner; he simply shrugged at me. His lip was busted open. Patrick took a long drag from the bottle.
“He—you should have seen him. I’ve never seen Kaleo like that,” Isla said quietly. “One of them was still holding Rumi. He made them all stop, almost beat up his own unit. He released us, threatening it wasn’t over for us loud enough for everyone in the cells to hear.”
“Then we came back here,” Damien began, “then—”
There was a flush as the door to the restroom opened, and Henderson walked out.
“Oh, good. You’re both okay. They were all just filling me in,” Henderson said, sitting next to Damien. Damien grabbed his hand as Henderson stared at the mat. “It’s nuts. She actually just sits there meditating. I didn’t believe it when Damien told me. Nothing you guys do makes her move?”
“Nope.”
Patrick took a long drink. “But don’t worry, she hears everything.”
“Weird. What did I miss?” Henderson asked.
“We just told them about the cells and getting back here. I was about to tell them how you faked sick, trying to help us,” Damien told him.
“Oh yeah, it was chaos down here when you guys left. The doors were jammed, which you guys obviously know. You did it,” Henderson said, his cheeks red. “I faked sick, but the oxygen tanks were all gone, so I couldn’t get into my suit to help.”
When we ran from Haven…when we committed a mutiny together…when things were whole…when we were…My heart was breaking with each beat.
“I appreciate the effort,” Damien told Henderson, kissing him quickly.
“Of course. Also, Cadell, I’m sorry about your loss.”
My brow furrowed.
“Dr. Kumar. I found out he passed while you all were above. Damien had said you knew him rather well,” Henderson finished.
I could only nod.
“What’s happened, Hayes?” Levi asked from the doorway. Tristian hadn’t moved.
I glanced at my partner, but Levi wasn’t my partner anymore. Everything shattered in me. Tristian didn’t say anything, his fist clenched so tightly his knuckles were bone white.
“What happened to you guys?” Damien asked. Tristian stared straight ahead, rigid in a way I had never seen him.
“Hello, Unit Commander.”
“I’m not your unit commander anymore,” Tristian said, void of all emotions. The room went too quiet. I didn’t know if anyone breathed. My pulse hammered beneath my skin. Tristian finally looked at them. “Levi, Unit Seven is yours.”
“Wait, if you’re not unit commander, what are you?” Isla asked, coming to her feet.
Tristian’s numb facade broke. His pleading gaze finally found mine. He couldn’t say it. The shattered pieces of my heart turned to dust. “Tristian is second-in-command of the entire Force. He’s Burdon’s second.”
“Fuck,” Patrick exclaimed, slamming the bottle down.
“Hayes, what did she say? Why make you second?” Henderson asked.
“How?” Isla demanded.
“No,” Levi said, staring at me.
“Tell us what to do,” Patrick urged, coming to a stand. No cross lay on his chest.
“The seven of us can figure this out,” Damien offered.
“Six,” Tristian bit out. He tore his gaze away from me as the dust that had been my heart blew away, leaving me hollow.
“What do you mean six?” Levi asked, pushing away from the door gingerly, worry etched across his face. “My score? But you said…” Levi trailed off, his blue eyes wide as they found me.
Tristian turned to me; the hurt there, mingled with the helplessness, ripped me apart worse than the beast ever had, my mind unsafe and screaming.
“Not your score. Her score. Sasha’s health score doesn’t qualify for the Force. By next moon she won’t be a member of the Force.”
“What did you do?” Levi asked.
“I switched our charts and bands when I visited you in the Ward,” I said. “I took your place.”
The truth rang out in our living quarters. No one spoke. We had found the supplies…at the cost of our unit, our family. Haven had time, but ours had run out.
“We’ll figure this out,” Damien said from the sofa, determined, running his hands through his hair.
“We can use the supplies as leverage or we can—” Patrick started.
“Tell them,” Tristian choked out.
“Tell us what?” Isla asked, standing.
I took a shaky breath, all eyes on me, delivering the blow I’d bleed out from. “Unit Seven isn’t an Exploratory Unit anymore. All privileges above have been revoked.” My throat closed as their disbelief engulfed me.
“What do we…What’s our purpose?” Patrick demanded.
Burdon’s smiling face swam before me as I stared at Unit Seven, her words joining the ghosts I never stood a chance at defeating.
“Your unit will be made to watch as others go above while they rot in that guard shack. They won’t see the sky.
They’ll be trapped down here, and every time they watch you leave on my orders, they’ll know they are there because of your decisions. They’ll grow to resent you.”
The door to the room slammed shut, the sound reverberating in the broken parts of my soul. Tristian was gone.
“What do we do, Phoenix?” Patrick asked me.
“Unit Seven is now on guard shack duties,” I told them, breaking. “Unit Ten is the new Exploratory Unit. Jaxon is their unit commander.”
“She’s lost her mind. Tell me how I can help,” Henderson exclaimed, coming to his feet. “Unit Twelve has always been on Unit Seven’s side. On Tristian’s side. That woman has always been a snake. I said that when Tristian was with her.”
Levi stared at Henderson as Damien’s face screwed up, disgusted. “Do not use that term for her, Noah.”
“What?” Henderson asked.
“Snake, don’t ruin your call sign by tying it to her,” Damien said flatly, leaning into Henderson’s side. Henderson placed a kiss on Damien’s temple.
“What did you say?” I asked.
“Oh shit, sorry, babe. I shouldn’t have shared your call sign,” Damien said.
“Two people in your unit already know it. Hell, Levi gave it to me,” Henderson said, shrugging.
My pulse pounded in my veins. Snake. Find the snake.
“How’d you hear about Kumar?” I asked.
“I went to the Ward after I found the tanks empty,” Henderson said.
“You what? You could have actually caught the illness,” Damien exclaimed.
“I didn’t go near patients. I was desperate for any information to help. I went to the Kitchens as well. Anywhere you said your unit sometimes went.”
Time stopped. You have a spy in your midst. Kaleo had been right; a spy had infiltrated our unit. My heart went wild as claws scraped down my insides.
The pieces finally fell into place.
A bird brought it, with a message to use it to keep hope alive. Rumi had delivered the key to keep Mission Hope alive. I had done that.
Protect the dead. I wasn’t sure how to protect the Moles in Expansion, but I knew they existed.
Find the snake. If bird referred to a call sign, did snake as well? I had found the spy Kaleo had spoken about. Damien, trusting Damien, had told Henderson all about our unit.
I turned away from them as panic dragged me under.
Rumi sat on the mat but her eyes were wide-open, eyes that understood. They looked to Henderson and back at me. She nodded.
Find the snake and protect the dead, Death’s Angel.
Keep Hope alive.