Caged (Talented Saga) (36 page)

“I’ll see you soon,” I said tiredly.
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye, but my eyes were starting to close.

“Call me whenever the Director lets you.
I’m doing everything that I can to be there ...at the sentencing. Either way, I’ll be there before you know it.”

“Okay.
I’ll do everything I can to convince Gretchen that I need something purple, see-through, and lacy,” I said.

“Don’t make promises that you can’t keep,” he playfully warned.

“I never do,” I mumbled, my exhausted body sinking deeper into the soft inviting mattress. After a week in the hospital, my old bed felt like heaven.

“Bye,
Tals. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Mac let me sleep late the next day before impatiently barging into my bedroom without knocking, Janet in tow.

“Morning, Mac,” I greeted him sluggishly.
I was still exhausted, and so not ready for his company. “Hey, Janet,” I greeted her more warmly.

“It’s afternoon, Natalia.
And I need you to give an official statement now. We really cannot put this off any longer. The sentencing is in a couple of days, and the Judge will need it. It’s protocol,” Mac insisted. I hated protocol.

“And you didn’t think that bribing me with breakfast might get me to talk faster?” I said sarcastically.

“I shouldn’t have to bribe you. It is your duty as a Toxic Operative to give a report when you are involved in an incident. Under the circumstances, I have let it go for longer than normal, but it cannot wait any longer.” Mac was definitely short on patience this morning, and I didn’t blame him. The whole ordeal had been a nightmare for both of us. He’d been making daily visits to Tramblewood to question Penny, but always made sure to return at a decent hour so that he could see me while I was awake. I was sure that he wanted the incident behind him almost as much as I did.

“Fine.
Where do you want me to start?” I replied shortly.

“At the beginning, please.
Mr. Kelley was interrogated before he flew back to Headquarters, but I would like to hear your version of how you breached protocol and forced a Crypto to access classified information instead of asking me.” Mac’s tone was pure disapproval.

“Erik’s not in trouble, is he?” I demanded.
I felt horrible; if he were, it would be my fault. Sanctions usually accompanied breaches of protocol. Crap, I
really
hated protocol.

“No.
Under the circumstances, I have excused Mr. Kelley’s behavior. He’s promised to exercise better judgment in the future.”

“Thanks, Mac,” I sighed.
“I really appreciate it.”

“You can thank me by abiding by the rules set in place.”
Mac rolled his eyes in a rare show of normalcy. He never did something so human. The gesture told me that he knew the chances of getting me to follow Toxic protocol in the future were slim. While I hated that people begrudged me his special treatment, I rarely let that stop me from taking advantage of it.

“Why don’t you start with how you discovered that Ms.
Latimore may have cheated on her Placement Exams?” Janet suggested gently, getting us back on track.

So, I started at the beginning.
Mac already had the tapes of my interrogation sessions with Cal and Jennifer, so I only reiterated the finer points. I glossed over what I’d learned from Grace and Rider. I explained how after questioning the four other Cryptos, I’d become convinced that Penny also must have known that there was something wrong with the encryption; I just hadn’t been able to figure out why she didn’t tell me.

All of the others had given assorted reasons for the omission, but none were applicable to Penny, particularly since it was my mission.
I considered that maybe she hadn’t really known, but I didn’t see how that could be true ...unless she wasn’t an Elite-level Higher Reasoning Talent.

I recounted Erik’s explanation of how the Placement Exams essentially worked.
I told Mac and Janet that I hadn’t realized that the Manipulator on my panel was actually a Mimic. I recounted how I hadn’t known what Erik’s Talent was because I’d never met someone like him, or at least I thought I hadn’t.

Mac actually smiled at that.
He’d hand selected Erik for my trials as a true test of my fighting abilities since he had known that I wouldn’t be able to control him the way that I had the others. At the time, I’d thought it was a dirty trick, but now I was glad that he had; it was my fight against Erik that had guaranteed my spot with the Hunters. Plus without it, I might never have met Erik.

Next, I explained how, if I’d been unaware that Erik and the panel member were Mimics, it might be possible that I had encountered others as well.
At that point, I still hadn’t made the leap to Penny being one, but I was suspicious enough to want a look at her Placement Exam results. I wanted to look at the others’ records, too, just in case.

Initially, I’d thought that I was wrong when I looked at Penny’s results; everything seemed on the level.
Both her written exam and her physical demonstration indicated that she was exactly what she purported to be – an Elite-level Higher Reasoning Talent. Despite that, the whole Mimic thing still nagged at me. I went back further and reviewed all the suspects’ intake evaluations. That was where I finally found the missing piece.

When Toxic first found Penny, she was at Mrs.
Gubbard’s Home for Orphaned Children, and she wasn’t the only Talented child there. Two other kids were collected at the same time – an eight-year old Light Manipulator boy, and a ten-year old Higher Reasoning girl. The Operatives who had collected Penny wrote down on her intake form that she was a Light Manipulator, but once Penny arrived at school and was formally tested, she was declared a Higher Reasoning Talent. At first, I dismissed the original evaluation as a clerical error. Then I remembered when we’d been in the city for Festivis someone had made Ursula’s chair disappear. I’d thought that it was Cadence, but that didn’t really make sense since she was the only one there besides Erik who was really friends with the girl. I’d dismissed it, thinking that maybe Cadence had a devious side, but the fact that Penny had originally been classified as a Light Manipulator made me wonder if it hadn’t been her. I didn’t understand how Penny could be a Light Manipulator ...unless she were a dual Talent. That theory didn’t feel right either, though, because there was no reason for her to hide being a dual Talent.

I explained that Erik’s imitation of my abilities and the whole Light Manipulator mistake on Penny’s intake form made me review all of the interactions I’d had with her since we’d met.
I described how I always felt safe around her and had told her things that I wouldn’t otherwise talk about; how I’d never read her mind because every time I considered doing so something stopped me; how Erik told me that he had used my Talents on me and I didn’t know it. I thought maybe that was what Penny had been doing to keep me from reading her mind. And if that were the case, it left only one option: Penny was a Mimic.

I shifted my position in the bed and took a deep breath before launching into an abridged version of how Erik frequently mimics my gifts and uses them on me.
Mac and Janet exchanged knowing glances.

“He doesn’t do it to get me to talk about, like ...confidential things,” I said defensively.
The last thing I wanted was for Erik to come under investigation.

“I think we all know exactly what Mr. Kelley uses your manipulation for,” Mac assured me dryly.
Janet gave me a sympathetic look.

“Right,” I stammered as heat rushed my cheeks.

The way he said it left me no doubt that he’d been privy to my personal conversation with Erik. I obviously knew that he would be; I just didn’t think he’d be so bold as to mention it. I should’ve known better.

I hurriedly started recounting how I’d realized that the chair incident at Festivis wasn’t the only time that Penny had mimicked someone else’s Talents in front of me.
I told them about the water glass she’d caught at Captain Alvarez’s dinner, and how she’d saved me from a broken leg when I’d tripped over the baton. These incidents further solidified my belief that she was a Mimic.

“When I confronted her in the Crypto Bank, she admitted that she was the reason that Crane knew I was coming,” I finished.

“Did she say anything else?” Janet asked. “We weren’t able to salvage any of the security footage.”

I looked guiltily at Mac.
He’d said that I wasn’t in trouble for breaching protocol, but he hadn’t mentioned the destruction of property ...millions of dollars’ worth of property.

“It’s been taken care of,” he assured me, answering my unspoken question.

I relaxed.

“No, Janet.
She just kept saying that Toxic was bad, that’s all,” I lied easily.

Mac looked unconvinced, but he didn’t press the issue.

“I still don’t understand exactly how the low-level encryption plays into everything,” I said. “Did she plant it?”

“Not exactly.
The intel did originate from the Coalition, but the encoding was purposely crude so we’d be sure to decipher it. As far as I can glean, she arranged to have the communication sent when she would be working, so that her team would handle all of the intel for the mission. She knew that you still hadn’t been assigned your solo Hunt and banked on my sending you because of your specific Talents,” Mac explained.

“But how did she know that the others wouldn’t say anything about the encryption?”

“She could not have known for sure. I am assuming after spending so much time with Mr. Simmons, she knew how ambitious he was. Likewise she knew how weak Ms. Eisenhower was. As for the verification team, I can only assume that she got lucky. Of course, she was in classes with Ms. Howard, and as a Mimic, she might have realized how low-level the girl’s abilities really are.” Mac gave me a pointed look. Apparently he’d figured that detail out on his own; so much for my promise to aid true love.

“There is nothing to indicate that she knew Ms. Howard and Mr.
Trindel would be working that evening, but she may have. It would not have been hard to know ahead of time which Crypto units would be on duty at School. Honestly though, Natalia, I may have done a few things differently, but I still would’ve sent you for him. The intel would have been scrutinized more closely and I would have sent an entire team, but Toxic had not had an opportunity to go after Ian Crane like that in years. I would not have let the opportunity pass.”

“I see,” I said.
“What’s going to happen to her?”

Erik had already told me, but Mac’s confirmation would make it real.

“She will be executed,” Mac said bluntly.

Apparently, he didn’t share Erik’s affinity for sparing my feelings.
Then again, Mac probably didn’t think that I should care about her impending demise; he probably thought that I should be advocating performing the deed myself.

“Right, of course.
I figured,” I replied quietly. I bit my lip to keep the tears at bay. I didn’t want them to see me cry for Penny. Neither of them would understand.

“You will need to be at the sentencing.
Technically, you are her accuser, and it is protocol for the accuser to be present,” he continued.

Man, I
really, really
hated protocol.

“What about Erik?
Are you going to let him be there as well?” I asked, practically begging Mac to do so.

Mac studied me for several long moments before answering.
“No, Natalia, I’m not. You may see him once all this unpleasant business is behind us.”

I nodded, the urge to cry becoming harder to suppress.
How was I going to face her without him by my side?

“However, you may continue to speak with him on my communicator.
And I do intend to grant his leave request so that he may come and stay here with you. There is one condition for that, though.” Mac paused, and I held my breath. I could usually handle conditions, and I’d do just about anything he asked if it meant that I could see Erik.

“Sure.
Anything.” I smiled tightly.

“While the
Cryptos might appreciate hearing about your and Mr. Kelley’s private affairs, I do not. In the future, it would be much appreciated if you kept your conversations less ...explicit.”

The color returned to my face, the fire under my skin so intense that I thought spontaneous combustion a real possibility.
Thankfully, Mac didn’t wait for my reply. He turned and motioned to Janet, and they left me alone with my humiliation.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Erik and I spoke frequently in the ensuing days.
We kept our conversation light and trivial, neither of us mentioning Penny, the sentencing, or the inevitable execution. Despite Mac’s warning, Erik continued to make sexual innuendos in an attempt to keep me laughing. I longed for him. As much as I dreaded facing Penny in court, the day couldn’t come soon enough; once it was done, I would finally see Erik.

Donavon kept me company in my room most days.
We talked and joked about people we had both come to know over the past few months at school. We mostly watched movies on my wall screen, but on my more adventurous days we walked around the campus grounds. He’d taken over training Kenly since I had neither the energy nor the desire to finish what I’d started. I observed their practice sessions, but usually grew tired midway through and returned to my room before they finished.

My relationship with Donavon would never be like it had been before.
I knew that whether I had Erik or not, I’d never love Donavon that way again. He’d hurt me so much when he cheated on me, but it was more than that. I still gravitated to him because he always comforted me and made me feel safe, without the complication of romantic feelings. I was close to getting past his indiscretion; after what Penny had done, Donavon’s infidelity paled in comparison.

We never talked about Erik.
He didn’t ask, and I didn’t offer. I figured that he preferred not knowing any details. However, every night when I talked to Erik, I told him about the time I spent with Donavon. After all of the lying and deception in my life over the past two years, I needed to have someone who I could be completely honest with.

Erik didn’t try to hide his jealousy.
He gently let me know exactly what he thought about my spending so much time with Donavon, but he never asked me to stop. He said that he understood why I couldn’t write him out of my life completely. Erik might not like the friendship, but he tried to be the bigger person. Despite that, I had a sneaking suspicion that Erik wouldn’t hesitate to flaunt our relationship in front of Donavon the first chance he got.

Dr. Wythe came to see me every morning.
Our sessions were as taxing and pointless as they’d been the last time he’d treated me. Sometimes I felt as though we were having a staring contest, each of not wanting to be the first to blink. Other times he practically interrogated me about what happened in the Crypto Bank. Even if I wanted to tell him the truth – which I didn’t – the memories had become like dreams, distorted and nonsensical. I could no longer recall the exact details.

Early on the morning of Penny’s sentencing, I was restless and agitated.
Today was the day that I would stand beside Mac while Penny’s charges were read in open court. The Judge would pretend to deliberate before delivering the punishment. Today was the day that I’d watch my ex-best friend condemned to die. Despite the fact that the sun had yet to rise, I called Erik.

“How
ya holding up?” Erik’s tiny holographic form asked.

“Not so good,” I admitted.
It was the first time that we’d talked about her since Mac had given me permission to call him.

“I wish that I could be there,” he said sleepily.

I envisioned Erik clad only in pajama bottoms, snuggled under his plaid comforter, his hair disheveled and eyelids heavy from sleep. I could almost feel his arms around me. When I inhaled, I swore that I could smell the woodsy musk and pine soap that was Erik’s scent.

I sighed heavily.
“Soon. Only a couple more hours until this is all over,” I assured him.

“I know.
Are you nervous about seeing her?”

I was nervous, but I wasn’t sure if I should admit that on the record, so to speak.
I found myself second-guessing everything that I said and did these days.

“Eh, not nervous.
Angry mostly,” I answered. Anger was a safe emotion. And I
was
angry - a little sad and very confused, but mostly angry. I wouldn’t need to fake any outrage or resentment in court. “What are you going to do today?” I asked, changing the topic.

“Same thing I do every day.
Sit around looking good,” he joked.

I laughed.
“Good luck with that.”

We bantered back and forth for another few minutes before I reluctantly disconnected.
I needed to get dressed unless I wanted Mac banging on my door demanding to know why I wasn’t ready.

Perversely,
sentencings were formal affairs. I would be expected to wear something decadent. I selected a long, black gown from the plethora of plastic encased dresses that Gretchen had ordered for me over the years. The silk cascaded over my skin as I pulled it from the bag. The bodice had a lace overlay, square neckline, and capped sleeves. I laughed almost manically as I ran my fingers over the lace, recalling Erik’s lingerie comment. The mounting anxiety over what was happening in a few short hours was making me crazy.

I took my time straightening my hair, and I dabbed small amounts of neutral-colored shadow on my eyelids.
After I was satisfied that the evidence of my sleepless night was hidden beneath the makeup, I decided that my hair should go up. First I tried sweeping it into a ponytail. Too casual, I decided. Next, I braided my long tresses down my back. But that wasn’t right either. Frustrated, I wound the pieces of now-wavy hair into a severe bun at the base of my skull. Finally gratified, I glanced at the clock.

Crap, ten minutes until departure.
If I didn’t hurry, Mac would come looking for me. I hastily stripped off my pajamas and zipped myself into the black dress. The material hung loosely on my too-thin frame. I stared at myself in the full-length mirror, and my stomach rolled in disgust. No matter how I felt about Penny and everything that she’d cost me, there was something inherently wrong with wearing a formal gown to watch another human being be condemned to death.
At least I am wearing black
, I thought to myself. It was somber, like my mood.

When I finally exited my bedroom and wound my way through the
McDonoughs’ house, I found Mac and, to my surprise, Donavon waiting for me in the foyer. Mac gave my outfit an approving once-over. Both father and son wore tailored black suits; Donavon had chosen a charcoal gray shirt and black tie to go with his, while Mac wore his customary white shirt and red tie.

“Ready, Natalia?” Mac asked, his voice lacking any emotion.

I nodded, unable to speak for fear of getting sick. Then I turned to Donavon and gave him a questioning look.

“Dad thought you might want a friend.
I know you’d prefer that it was Erik......,”
he sent.

“I’m glad you’re coming,”
I sent back. And I
was
glad. Donavon was no substitute for Erik, but at least I wouldn’t be alone with his father. Mac wasn’t exactly the touchy-feely type and provided little comfort; I expected that he would treat the entire event with the same cool indifference that he treated everything else unpleasant.

I followed the two men through the front door and into the waiting road vehicle.
Silently praying that no one would try to engage me in conversation, I clasped my hands in my lap. At the hover hangar, we boarded a luxury craft with Toxic’s logo emblazoned on the side. I quietly took a seat in one of the four cushy armchairs. A stewardess instantly appeared and asked if she could bring me a drink. I started to shake my head no, then decided that I actually did want a drink – a strong one.

“Vodka,” I said.

The stewardess nodded her bobbed auburn head. Mac arched his eyebrows in surprise.

“Really, Natalia?
You aren’t supposed to have alcohol, particularly not for breakfast,” he said mildly.

“Today, I think that I’m entitled to it,” I said to Mac.
Then, turning to the stewardess, I repeated, “Vodka.”

She glanced nervously between me and Mac.
When the Director nodded his acquiescence, she finally left to fetch my drink. She returned moments later with my drink, and coffees for Mac and Donavon.

The clear liquid burned my mouth and throat when I sucked hungrily through the small cocktail straw.
The instant that the vodka hit my empty stomach, it grumbled a protest. I didn’t care. The alcohol would dull my emotions, and just then that was all that mattered.

During the half-hour ride to the city, I stared glumly out the window and continued to down drinks.
I could feel Mac’s disapproval, but it meant little to me. I hoped that if I drank enough on the flight I would be numb by the time we arrived. My plan worked. When we landed, my head was spinning from the three drinks that I’d managed to consume, and my insides felt hollow.

Mac held firmly to my upper arm, guiding me down the slippery metal steps and toward the waiting car.
My mind buzzed and my legs wobbled from the combination of alcohol and anxiety. Mac helped me through the open door of a Toxic road vehicle with darkly tinted windows. Donavon clambered in behind me. He reached for my hand, and I gave it willingly. He squeezed my fingers gently.

“Hang in there,”
he sent.

I didn’t respond, just stared straight ahead.

Three armed bodyguards climbed into the row of seats behind Donavon and me while a fourth took the driver’s seat. Mac sat shotgun. The vehicle started moving through empty city streets. Numbly, I watched the passing Government buildings, wondering where all the people were.

“The city is under Martial Law today.
Citizens aren’t allowed to leave their homes,”
Donavon answered my unspoken question.

I nodded that I understood.

Mac and the driver spoke in low tones, but I didn’t pay attention. I didn’t really care what they were talking about.

The driver turned on Fifth Street and continued to a building with “National Courthouse” engraved in a marble slab that hung atop magnificent marble columns.
He brought the vehicle to a stop in front of the gleaming black steps. The bodyguards exited first. One held up a hand indicating that Donavon and I should wait. Their huge guns were drawn as they scanned the area surrounding the courthouse. I followed their line of sight and saw snipers perched on every building in view. I shuddered at the scene. Once the bodyguards were satisfied that there was no imminent threat, they motioned us out.

One offered me his gloved hand and helped me out of the car.
He stayed firmly at my side while we ascended the stairs. A second guard fell in step, flanking my other side. Neither looked at me; instead, their eyes darted warily in every direction.

“What’s going on?
Why are they so vigilant?”
I sent Donavon. Even through my alcohol-muddled brain, I felt disquieted and a little scared by all the security.

“Dad’s afraid that the Coalition will strike today.
Depending on how high Penny was in their organization, they might come for her.”

Great - another encounter with Ian Crane.
I really wished that Mac had warned me.

Once our group made it safely through the front doors, the bodyguards relaxed slightly.
Our footsteps echoed through the white marble corridor. The sterility of the hallway made my apprehension spike. The building held no warmth, and it was almost as if you could feel that bad things had happened here.

My right foot slipped, skidding briefly across the smooth floor, and I let out an involuntary yelp.
The bodyguard on my right grabbed my arm to steady me. I smiled gratefully at him. His large, square jaw spread into a thin smile and he gave me a small nod.
Focus, Talia,
I ordered myself.
Just another hour, and this will all be over
.

At the end of the corridor were double wooden doors with armed men on either side.
They pulled the gold handles as we neared, and I caught my first glimpse of the courtroom beyond. As my bodyguards dropped back, Donavon hurried forward and took my hand. Together we followed his father through the entryway.

A hundred or more faces turned in our direction when we entered.
A black-robed woman sat elevated behind a beautiful lacquered bench. Her eyes were a cold, steely gray when they fixed on me. I swallowed thickly. One person sat on either side of her, their platforms slightly lower. The rows of benches in the gallery were already filled with high-ranking government officials dressed in opulent finery.

Toxic hadn’t publicly convicted a traitor in years.
And the current of excitement that ran through the room was demonstrative of how much the practice had been missed. The occupants were like eager spectators at a highly anticipated sporting event, their eyes gleaming with eagerness that no one tried to hide. The charged atmosphere sent a wave of disgust rolling over me. I hated how much pleasure they were getting from the pain of others.

I stopped and met their gazes head-on, refusing to show how intimidated I was.
In truth, the courtroom terrified me; now that I was here, I wanted nothing more than to leave. I didn’t want to see Penny. I didn’t want to hear the charges against her, didn’t want to remember everything that she’d put me through. The alcohol was wearing off; a potent cocktail of fear, trepidation, and rage was taking its place.