Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Immediately after the trial, Rissa had been returned to OutLink.
Sin hadn't even been given a chance to talk to her about the verdict.
Instead, Trent had returned her to the Enclave.
When he got back, he'd made a comment about how "that genius" said the good stuff would be on the web.
That was why Sin had looked online himself.
It seemed his rebuttal questions had been recorded, repeated, and published everywhere.
Day after day, the media focused on his questions about how to interpret the first precept, and yet the comment sections merely became more polarized.
People wanted to hate, and having an obvious set of people to group together made it easy.
Thankfully, the next week of Rissa's assignments were pretty routine.
The girl always solved her problems fast, which was normal.
That she refused to talk about leaving OutLink wasn't. Each time Sin tried to broach the subject, she reminded him the Legion had to come first. She was safe.
His church wasn't. Their few private minutes together were always spent talking about the problems he needed to deal with instead of hers.
At some point, he mentioned the likelihood the molecule she'd found had been stolen.
Rissa couldn't disprove Sin's theory, but she said it didn't matter.
History would be revealed in time, but the future all pointed at the same outcome, regardless of where the cure had come from.
The Legion wanted a miracle, and the Ingénue had been transporting it unknowingly.
As they reached the door to her latest contract, he reminded her that if someone was trying to hurt her because of what was in her head then it damned well did matter.
She was his responsibility, not the entire church.
Certainly not the whole city! But, like a switch had been flipped, Rissa instantly turned robotic, falling back to the same habits she'd used when he first met her.
Even worse, he had no idea how to talk her out of the act. She was a little too good at it.
And now, here he was, leaning against the wall outside the download room.
He was starting to think they made this one of the least comfortable places on purpose, but he wouldn't go any further from her than he had to.
Since he couldn't go in with her, this was it.
Sadly, even after the attempt on her life, Daniel Briggs didn't seem concerned about the lack of security during data transfers, so there was nothing Sin could do but wait for her.
Wait, and hope she was fine in there, out of his sight.
When the sounds in the room changed, he checked his weapons and pushed away from the wall, expecting to see his angel any second.
It didn't take long, but something was wrong.
She didn't bother waiting for him. Rissa staggered out of the room and kept going, forcing Sin to catch up.
Reaching out, she trailed her fingers along the wall for balance, her tiny feet moving quickly.
He rushed to her side, grabbing her arm so she wouldn't collapse.
Why was she in such a rush? She was never like this!
"What are you doing?" he demanded as quietly as he could.
She didn't say a word until they were in the elevator and even then her voice was a whisper. "You need to get me back."
"I thought you..." He looked down so no cameras could see his mouth. "Thought you hated that place?"
"I do, but the Legion needs you." She dared to look up at him just as they reached the first floor. "Not later. Now."
He didn't have to drag her off the elevator. This time, it was the opposite. Running on sheer willpower, Rissa glided through the lobby, turning right for the closest train platform. Sin felt like he could barely keep up.
"Damn it," he snapped, grabbing her arm to spin her around the moment they were outside. "What the fuck?"
"Trust me, Sin."
He nodded but refused to let her go. Instead, he supported her weight while they hurried to catch the next train.
She'd never spoken this much in a public place where she could be recorded, so whatever it was had to be important.
Her comment about the Legion made his skin feel clammy and he resisted the insatiable desire to drown her in questions.
When the train arrived, she beat him to the private car, turning to face him as the doors slid closed.
"Dyntek has a superior network, which includes access to the web," she told him. "Trying to distract myself from the download, I was reading current headlines when it came up."
He threw up his hands. Why was she being so damned vague? "When what came up?"
She lifted her hand, almost reaching out for him. "The Praetor has suffered an embolism, Brother Sin. He collapsed at the altar while we were making our way here. No more than a few hours ago. Now, he's being treated at Parkland General Hospital."
Sin's knees felt weak. There was a pounding in his chest where his heart should be.
His breath wouldn't quite fill his lungs.
When he started to lose his balance, he thought it had to be the motion of the train, but her delicate hands reached up for his shoulders.
Carefully, she steered him toward one of the plush chairs.
"Benedict?" he managed to ask.
Her reply was too quiet. "I'm sorry."
He nodded, one hand rubbing across his mouth.
This didn't make any sense. He needed to do something, but his mind felt like it wasn't keeping up.
How could Benedict be in the hospital? If he was, that meant the Praetor needed him, but Sin couldn't leave his angel.
He had to do something, and he couldn't do all of it at the same time, so he had to pick.
"I have to get you back," he mumbled.
"That's what we're doing," she assured him.
"But I'm supposed to protect you." He glanced through the window. "Is he going to die?"
She reached down for his hands, the sleeves of her robe swallowing her arms. "Yes."
Sin blinked quickly, shaking his head to make her words disappear. "He can't die, Riss. Benedict, he's..."
"God will find you another leader, but the Legion will need you. Especially now."
She stood in front of him, those silver eyes so understanding yet so innocent. She was trying to protect him, but that wasn't how this worked. When he tried to stand, she shook her head, holding him in place with the lightest grip on his hands.
"How can I help?" she asked.
"Can you save him?" he begged.
"No."
He pulled one hand away to wipe at his eyes.
"Then you can't help, Rissa." He sniffed.
"He's kinda like the only dad I've ever had.
Benedict took care of me back when I was a kid.
Helped me get out of trouble and into the Legion, supported me when I said I wanted to be a Legate.
" Sin tilted his head back and closed his eyes, begging the sorrow to wait until he was alone, but it wasn't working. "He's all I have left!"
She sank to her knees and looked at the ground. "How do I pray?"
He laughed sadly at her question. "You just do it, Riss. Dear God, and then whatever you want to say."
"Ok." She nodded and clasped her hands before her. "Dear God, please don't make my friend hurt any more, and show me the question so I can find the answer he needs."
He wiped at his eyes and leaned forward, his gloved hand sliding around both of hers. "That's a pretty nice prayer. It doesn't always work, though. Sometimes, God has bigger plans than what we can see."
When she looked up, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I don't know what else to do. I can't find a way to save him."
He squeezed her fingers. "This isn't something you can fix, Princess, but it makes me feel better to hear you call me a friend."
"You're my only friend." She turned her head quickly, her eyes looking through the glass. "We're almost there. If we cut through the Mitchel Corp. parking lot it will cut ten minutes off our walk back."
"I know you don't want to go back..."
Rissa shook her head and stood, as graceful and elegant as always. "My legs are tired, Brother Sin, and I would like to sleep. I am ready to return to the Enclave."
"Bullshit, but that's sweet of you." With a sigh he pulled himself out of the chair. He only had to debate for a moment before he wrapped his arms around the tiny sack of cloth he called a client. "Thanks for taking care of me, angel. I'll make it up to you next time."
"I just want to help, Sin. I'll try to pray again, and maybe it will work."
True to her word, Rissa rushed back to the Enclave.
He didn't get the chance to speak to her again before she was led away behind the cold white doors.
As soon as his duty was complete, Sin's facade of professionalism dropped away.
He ran through the OutLink lobby, bolted to catch the closest train and didn't stop until he was storming up the stairs of the hospital.
He never once doubted what Rissa had said. He'd seen her eyes. It was all the proof he'd needed.