Chapter Fifty-Two
“What in the blazes is going on?” Imara said as she and Hawk scurried through the war room’s door.
Christian explained as much as he knew—as much as Gemma had been able to tell him—until Rami arrived, the Kaizen on his heels. At the sight of her, Gemma exploded.
“This is your fault!” Gemma leapt up with more strength than she’d ever been able to manage. She threw herself at the Kaizen, knocking them both to the floor. “If you hadn’t tortured me until I agreed to spy for Rami, they wouldn’t have taken my sister!”
Gemma smashed her fist into the Kaizen’s face before Christian could get his arms around her. He lifted her off the captain.
“If she’s hurt, I’m gonna fucking kill you!” Gemma screamed at the red-haired woman, but the Kaizen simply stared at Gemma with wide eyes.
“Stop,” Christian said calmly, his breath tickling her ear.
Gemma struggled against him so she could rip off the Kaizen’s face, but he was too strong, and the words he kept quietly saying in her ear were soothing. Her body couldn’t help but relax, even before her mind did.
“Christian,” Hawk said, nodding toward Gemma. His eyes were tight, unlike the Kaizen’s. The captain continued to stare at Gemma, pale-faced, her large brown eyes almost circles.
Gemma stilled, noticing the warmth trailing down her upper lip. Oh, no.
She ran the back of her hand beneath her nostrils—it came away with purple blood. Everyone else had seen the color change already. But now the Kaizen knew there was something wrong with her too.
Christian turned her to face him and frowned before brushing Gemma’s jawline with his thumb. He wandered toward the war room’s lavatory.
Rami stepped forward with his hands raised. “What’s happening to Gemma needs to take a backseat, I’m afraid. Right now, we need to focus on finding Colton and determining how Gemma’s sister is involved, and if they truly do have her.” He motioned to the hologram table for Gemma to sit.
She obliged, and a second later, Christian returned with a wet cloth for Gemma to clean her face. Her stomach in a knot, she wiped furiously at her upper lip. Figures a side effect of my disease would be random nosebleeds.
“What did Colton say exactly?” Rami asked Gemma once her face was clean.
She blinked slowly, shoving her anxiety as deep as she could manage. “He said Nadine wanted to talk and to come alone. He showed me where to meet and told me to go there at ten.”
“That’s in less than an hour,” Imara spouted.
Rami spoke over his shoulder at the Kaizen. “How many troops can you have mobilized in an hour?”
“Twenty,” she said. “Maybe twenty-five.”
Gemma stood. “No. He said for me to come alone. I’m not risking my sister’s safety because you want to catch him.” She squeezed the cloth in her hand so hard that diluted purple fluid dripped onto the floor.
“We’re not going to risk your sister’s safety,” Rami said. “You will appear to be alone.”
She shook her head. “Colton’s too smart. He’ll expect that.”
“I can track him,” Christian interrupted, coaxing Gemma back into her seat. “I’ll follow Gemma at a distance and keep connected with you on comms. The minute he mobilizes, I’ll let you know, and I won’t let him out of my sight.”
The Kaizen shook her head. “Too risky.”
“But what other option is there?” Imara asked. “If he gets a whiff that you’re onto him, he won’t show. I’ve done enough con jobs to know.” Hawk raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. Not all of us were born rich.”
Rami held up a hand. “How do you think our spies stay undetected in Perileos? Technology.” He turned to Gemma. “You wear your hair braided often, do you not?”
She nodded.
“Phoebe will weave in a hidden mic through which we can listen and track you at the same time. Only the most sophisticated anti-bugging systems could detect it, and we would detect that if Colton were to bring one inside.” Rami turned his attention to the group.
“We allow Gemma to go on her own. The three of you will stay close by, hidden from sight and far enough away that Colton can’t detect you.
We will wait until confirmation that Nadine is safe before Phoebe moves in with her team. Understood?”
Gemma and her friends nodded.
Rami spoke to her once again. “Give them a code word or phrase that lets them know it’s safe to arrest Colton.”
Gemma lifted her chin, determination setting in. “ ‘City of Lights.’ The moment you hear that, you’ll know my sister’s safe.”
Gemma took a deep breath, and at exactly 09:45, she left her room—alone—and headed for the spot where she was to meet Colton. It was on the ground level, toward the back of the tower and through a maintenance shaft similar to the one she and Christian had found.
“Identification,” one of the guards said as soon as she’d stepped out of the lift, pretending to not know whom Gemma was headed to meet. Though secretly part of the Kaizen’s team, Rami had instructed the guards to remain at their posts and perform their roles as usual.
Gemma turned her head so he could access the biochip embedded in the skin behind her ear. He scanned it with a datapad.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Imara hovering on the staircase, her body covered from head to toe in white.
Even her black hair and russet face had been covered by a mask—only her dark brown eyes were visible.
If Gemma hadn’t known to look for her, she would’ve blended in seamlessly into their white surroundings.
No wonder she’d been so popular for thieving and snatch-and-grab jobs.
“What’s your reason for being down here, Miss Proctor?” the guard asked.
“I’m retrieving a file from the history room for Rami.”
The guard stared at her for several moments then grumbled, “Fine. Get your file, then head back upstairs.”
Gemma nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
Following their carefully devised plan, Gemma stopped at the door to the information center, looked both directions, and continued to the removable wall panel.
Like the one Christian had shown her, a tiny lever sat behind the piece of metal. Gemma pushed it, and the panel popped off. Slowly and quietly, she lowered the piece of wall to the floor and slipped inside the maintenance shaft.
She glanced at her comm after replacing the panel. 09:55. If Colton was watching, hopefully he’d think she was alone.
Gemma crept down the maintenance shaft toward the small alcove where she knew Colton would eventually meet her. She was early, so maybe she’d have the upper hand. Maybe they’d even catch him before he came in here.
Though that wouldn’t bode well for Nadine. Gemma had to face him first.
Despite the knowledge that her teammates were listening via a clever device, her heart pounded uncontrollably. The last time she’d been with Colton, he’d nearly killed her. If he found out she was bugged . . .
Gemma swallowed, shaking her head. Focus. You’ll be fine. The moment she heard Nadine’s voice, she’d talk about their city, and help would come. All would be okay.
She rounded the bend into the alcove and froze. Colton was already there, picking at his nails with the point of a dagger.
He smirked. “I figured you’d show. Your sister wasn’t so sure.”
“Where is she?” Gemma asked, trying hard to keep her voice from shaking.
Colton nodded toward a homemade radio. “Pick it up.”
Her knees felt like they’d give out as she crossed the tiny room to grab the mouthpiece of the device. Her stomach already churned. Stars, help me.
Gemma spoke into the device. “Nadine?”
Nothing.
Colton snorted. “You have to press that little button on the side, idiota.”
Gemma ground her teeth but followed his instruction. Again, she called her sister’s name.
One second. Two seconds.
“Hello, Gemma.”
A sob burst out of her. She pressed the button again, her hand shaking violently. “Are you okay? Please, tell me you’re okay.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you—” Gemma froze. There’d been no fear in her sister’s voice. No pain, no sadness. Only indifference, like she didn’t even care that she hadn’t spoken to Gemma in over three years.
“You disappoint me, Gemma,” Nadine continued. “I thought I could count on my sister, more than anyone in any universe, to want change for our people.”
Gemma’s heart stopped. “You’re with the Dissent.”
“Of course I am. How do you think we afforded to live as well as we did after Mom and Dad died? The Dissent’s our family.”
Tears streamed down Gemma’s face. “No. You’re lying. You’re my only family.”
“Who do you think sent Reymond to you? How do you think Reymond knew the best way to motivate you to murder Rami? You were always the kid who’d follow the rules and never cause a problem. You never willingly would’ve joined us, even if you did want a better life for your people. You needed a push.”
Gemma was going to faint. The edges of her vision darkened; her breaths came too quickly. “It was your—your idea to pretend you were dead?”
“Yes.”
Gemma turned to the side and vomited. Her own sister sent her after Rami. It was Nadine who’d used Gemma’s love for her as a weapon. Why? Why?
“I cried over you!” Gemma screamed. “I nearly killed myself because of you! I was tortured because of you! Why would you do this to me?”
“Because I need my sister at my side, and the person you were was never strong enough to do what it’ll take to get freedom for our people.
But you are now—look how far you’ve come!
You see now the lengths the Systems will go through to protect their own.
You’ve heard the Kaizen’s ‘speeches.’ You’ve seen all the technologies they willingly keep from us, leaving us in poverty.
It’s not too late, Gemma, to stand with me.
Colton will help you get to Oranos, and together, we will change the fate for everyone in Perileos. ”
Gemma shook her head, her tears dripping off her chin. “You murder people, Nadine. Innocent people. Our people.”
“A few casualties for a greater plan.”
Gemma didn’t respond. How could she? Nadine had grated her heart until it had become dust.
There was nothing left in her, no more will to fight.
But she wouldn’t help Nadine kill people who didn’t deserve it. Their mother had raised them to heal people, not hurt them.
“Family always comes first, Gemma,” Nadine said.
Gemma swallowed. “Then why are you spitting on Mother’s memory? She taught us how to save lives, not end them.”
A long pause, and for a moment, Gemma thought Nadine had disconnected. But then Gemma’s sister spoke one last time. “Colton, you know what to do.”
Gemma turned toward him, but he was already at her side and cracked her in the face with his elbow. With a scream, she flopped to the ground, purple blood running from her lip.
“Your sister says you’re coming with me, no matter what,” Colton threatened.
Grabbing Gemma’s braid, he yanked her onto her feet.
With a yelp, she clamped onto his wrist and twisted, trying to break free of his hold. But Colton blocked the kick to his groin and tugged on Gemma’s braid until she was on her knees, stars swirling in her vision.