“Your name is Rosabelle, right? Or is it Rosa? I heard someone call you Rosa just now.”
No one but my family ever calls me Rosa, I answer in my head. Sebastian lost the right years ago.
“Look, I realize you’re in a bad place right now, but if we’re going to save your sister we really—”
“There is no saving her,” I say quietly.
“What? What do you mean?”
“This is a small island with highly developed surveillance technology. If I try to save her, I’ll be easily caught and executed for treason. When I’m executed Clara will die.”
James slackens, his feet slowing on the pedals for the first time. “Oh,” he says, deflated. “Damn.”
I nod, taking the moment to dissolve inside myself. Feel nothing, taste nothing, be nothing.
Die.
I glance out the open door.
James’s efforts have earned us a slight lead, but a swarm of aircraft is gathering in the sky above us, soldiers’ footfalls thundering toward us. James tries to shoot back but the effort is short-lived; the magazine is empty. He shakes his head before rifling through the glove compartment, chucking something angrily out the door as he mutters, “Seriously, Jeff? A fucking diet milkshake but no ammo?” and I choose not to ask him what he means.
Sebastian didn’t share the details of the program with me; as with my first encounter with James, Klaus felt it necessary that I participate in the mission as organically as possible. All I know for certain is that I’m not supposed to kill James; in fact, I haven’t been instructed to kill anyone yet. My job is to remain close enough to James to get the two of us off the island and into the heart of enemy territory in order to initiate a broader offensive.I’ll receive communications about the next steps of the operation only after I’ve touched down in The New Republic, where an undercover agent will find me.
This is phase one of six.
Each phase must be completed within a prescribed time period. Right now, for example, I have as long as it takes to get out of here before someone kills me.
If I fail at any phases of the operation, I’ll be executed.
I glance at the cracked screen in the dashboard, the flashing demand for biometric verification. Soon, we’ll be surrounded. Soon, I’ll be on my own to manage all aspects of this situation, which means, for Clara’s sake, I need to do my job and get us off this island as soon as possible. The trike appears to be working, at least a little, which—
“All right.” James sighs, giving up the ammo search. “Get out.”
I go suddenly still. “Excuse me?”
“I said get out.” He nods toward the door. Circles a finger above his head, gesturing to the helicopters above us. “I have shit to do.”
“I don’t understand.” I hesitate. “I thought you were trying to save me.”
Now he looks annoyed. “You really thought I was trying to save the serial killer who murdered me? Honestly, I’m offended. Get out before I push you out. You can fucking save yourself.”
A feathery sensation moves inside me at that, something akin to joy.“You wanted to save Clara,” I say softly. “Youonlywanted to save Clara. You don’t care about me at all.”
“Look, are you okay? Like, I get that you’ve had a bad day, so it’s cool if you haven’t noticed the ten pounds of blood all over my body, but I’m kind of having a bad day, too, and I’ve got two new bullet wounds to deal with—”
“Three,” I say, glancing at the encroaching masses. “You were shot at least three times.”
“Okay smart-ass, I’ve asked you twice to get the hell out of this vehicle, and now you’re starting to piss me off—”
“Can you swim?” I ask.
At this, he hesitates. “Yeah, but—”
“The only way off this island isoff the island. Do you understand what that means?”
He glances away from me, toward the sea. “You’re suggesting I jump off the cliff? Thanks for the brilliant insight. I already thought of that. Get out.”
“Driveoff the cliff,” I clarify. “And I’m not getting out. I’m coming with you.”
