“Bethany, I know it’s you.Please, it’s Melissa.I’m not going to hurt you, and I haven’t told anybody in the Organization where you are.But I need your help.”
Bree rested her forehead against the door.It had been so long since...everything.Since seeing Melissa.Since hearing anyone call her by her real name.
Since talking to anyone person to person at all.
“Crisscross, applesauce.Crisscross, applesauce.”Melissa kept softly saying it over and over against the door.
Shaking her head, Bree opened it again.
“Oh, God, thank you,” Melissa said before Bree yanked her inside.Immediately Bree started patting down her cousin, looking for a weapon.Not finding one didn’t make her feel any better.If the other woman was here to betray Bree, she wouldn’t be here alone.
“I don’t have any guns,” Melissa said as Bree finished the pat down.“And I don’t have very much time.”
“Why are you here, Mel?”
Bree stood stiff as her cousin threw her arms around Bree’s torso.She couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged her.Her mom had stopped long before she died.
“Why are you here?”she asked again.“How did you find me?”
Melissa stepped back.“I discovered you were in Kansas City a few months ago.But only recently did I find this place.”
Bree tried to focus on what Melissa was saying and not on the fear coursing through her system.If Melissa could find her, so could the rest of the Organization.
Melissa grabbed her hands.“Nobody knows but me.I promise.I need your help, Bethany.”
“Bree,” she said automatically.“I go by Bree now.”
“Bree.It suits you.”Melissa gave her a small smile, her hands wringing.“I don’t have much time.It won’t take them long to figure out I’m gone.They’re suspicious already.”
Bree watched her closely, still ready to run if needed.“What do you need?”
“I found out the truth about the Organization.I want to get out.I’ve wanted to for a long time, but now I think I have the means.”
Bree shut her eyes and shook her head.“I—”
“Things are so much worse now than when you were there.The things they can do now...”
Bree didn’t want to get drawn back into this.She was already going to have to run again.The thought of leaving this place hurt.“I can’t help you.Honestly, I’m not in any position to helpanyone.And if you know I’m here, the Organization does, too.”
Melissa grabbed Bree’s hand, and she fought not to flinch away.“No, they don’t know.They may know I’m here, but they don’t know it’syou.And I have a couple of allies on the inside now.People who can be trusted.”
The only person Bree trusted was herself.When it came to the Organization, the price on her head was too high to trust anybody.
The phone in Melissa’s hand pinged, and she let out a curse.
“I’m out of time.”Her features became more pinched.“There’s so much I need to tell you.Please, Bethany—Bree—please meet me tonight so I can explain everything.There’s so much more at stake than you could ever dream, thanIcould’ve ever dreamed.I have to make my move now or I’ll lose everything.”Desperation dripped from every word.
“Mel, I just don’t think—”
“Just meet me tonight,” Melissa cut her off.“At the downtown train station at midnight.I’ll bring the hard drive.It has everything we need to truly get our freedom.I’ll show you why it’s critical I make my move now.”
When the phone in her hand beeped again, Melissa bolted to the door.She turned, eyes entreating.“Crisscross, applesauce, Bethany.Please.”
All Bree could do was watch her go.
TWELVEHOURSLATER, at almost midnight, Bree sat in her car in a location giving her good visual access to the train station.
She was making a mistake.Sheknewshe was making a mistake, that this was all going to end badly...yet here she was.
