“The brig.”
I thought so. No choice. I agreed.
Anne-Jade removed the handcuffs and shoved my right arm into the vampire box. The pricks in my forearm just below my wrist stung more than usual. I wiped the blood on my shirt.
“A tracer has been implanted into your arm,” Domotor said. “If you stray from level three for any reason, we will be informed. Should you be tempted to remove the tracer, we will also be alerted. The device monitors temperature.”
Damn. He had read my mind. With access to the medical supplies, removing the device would have been easy. However, body temperature was approximately thirty-seven degrees centigrade while Inside’s ambient temperature was kept at twenty-two degrees centigrade.
The meeting ended and the Committee members either milled about or filed out. Returning to my seat, I had to wait for Anne-Jade to escort me to level three. She discussed the lock down with Takia. No one spoke to me. Jacy remained in his seat, studying me. I ignored him. Let him wonder.
After most of the others had left, Jacob Ashon approached me. By the uncomfortable stiff-armed way he stood, combined with his queasy expression, I knew this wouldn’t be pleasant.
“Trella, I…uh. I’m sorry things didn’t work out with Riley.” He cleared his throat, then his words rushed out. “It’s best if you make a clean break and forget about him. And that’s when the full realization of no longer being with Riley stabbed me deep into my heart. Unable to utter a sound, I reached behind my neck and unfastened the clasp. Hooking it back together, I handed it to Jacob.
“I didn’t mean…you don’t need…”
“Give it to him…please.”
Jacob’s fingers closed around it. The edges of my vision blurred as black and white spots danced in front of my eyes. I closed them and inhaled deep, calming breaths, concentrating on that simple act only.
When I opened my eyes, Jacob was gone along with Jacy. Anne-Jade tapped my shoulder, gesturing me to follow her. I did.
The trip back to the infirmary occurred without incident. Lamont spotted me, but she continued to wrap bandages around a patient’s hand.
“Do you want to inform the Doctor about your assignment or should I?” Anne-Jade asked.
“Feel free.” I kept walking.
“Where are you going?”
Annoyance spiked. “To my room. Do I need to file a request with the Committee first?”
“In triplicate.”
I turned and made a rude gesture. She laughed. I couldn’t help but grin. It lasted a microsecond. All memory of it was erased when I entered my room.
Sheepy was gone.
Sitting on the edge of my bed, I stared at the cuts from the vampire box. I ran my finger along the skin, but couldn’t feel the tracer buried inside. If I hadn’t been there, I would never have believed if someone told me that helping diffuse a bomb would send Riley and Sheepy away.
I lay in bed, curled under the sheet. Action was required. Plans needed to be made. A tracer to trick. I couldn’t let the Controllers or the Committee ruin what I had worked so hardfor. What Cogon had died for. I hadn’t wanted the responsibility. No. If I was being honest, I had been…or rather was still terrified of the responsibility. And despite what Anne-Jade had said, it wasn’t too late.
But for now, I needed to grieve for the loss of the world I had imagined with the Committee in charge. For the loss of Riley. And Sheepy.
Lamont woke me. “An ISF officer is here to check on you.”
“Why?” I blinked. Her presence had triggered the daylights.
“You haven’t moved in eighteen hours.”
An impressive amount of sulking time.
Standing behind Lamont, an ISF officer nodded to me. “Just making sure you’re okay,” he said.
“Yeah right. You’re more worried I’ve found a way to fool the tracer,” I said.
He dropped the pretense. “AJ warned us not to underestimate you.”
