“Abbas, we got a problem.”

  Abbas turned to Spit-Take, who was looking over the molehills on screen. The cameras were becoming fuzzy and one by one, going black. He gave a blank stare.

  “When did this first begin?”

  “A few hours ago” Spit-Take motioned to the one at central park, which showed normal again. “It began with this one here. It’s fine now but before it showed the same signs.”

  Abbas’s head snapped to the monitor, he could see the cameras slowly un-fuzzing and reconfiguring themselves. He aimed his cane. “Shut it down Spit-Take.”

  The ski capped man gave him a concerned glance, “Abbas, if we do that we can’t see—”

  “I understand the risk but it must be done,” Abbas said taking out his Green Pass and flicking it. “Now do it, quickly!”

  Without another thought he yanked the cords out from the monitor and grabbed a flip phone with a wire coming through from the table. “This is Prime Hill, we have a code beta! Ya get that? Code beta this is not a drill I repeat NOT a drill! We’re going dark right now!”

  The glowing lights from the monitor turned dark, along with any lights from the keyboard. In an instant, the rest of the Groundhogs besides Snap filled the room.

  “Abbas!” Trix said. “What’s going on? Why did we go dark?”

  “Our reverse surveillance has been compromised, even the ones at the shelter,” he said. He took a seat on the couch, clasping his hands together above his cane. “I believe we’re no longer alone in this city.”

  “That’s impossible.” She folded her arms. “Does it have something to do with the family Melmar’s crew brought in?”

  The ski capped man tensed. “I’m a whole lot better screener than ya think, Trixie! Besides,” he then thought back to earlier when Xole claimed was grabbed. “Say, Abbas, is this why the entrance above the subway was sealed off?”

  “Hey, now dat ya mention it,” Salamander said. “We almost went SPLAT down dere cause o’ dat stunt!”

  “It wasn’t a stunt, Salamander,” Abbas said, “It was a precaution.”

  “Ta what, da Blues? Ya couldn’t’ve told us?”

  “No,” Spit-Take said, “You’re probably referring to the other thing, aren’t ya Abbas?”

  Patchwork watched everyone begin to eye each other. He felt a lump in his throat. “Abbas?” he asked.

  “We must keep a close eye on the three.” Abbas said, “Xole and the other two.”

  “Those ‘two’,” he repeated, “the minute they come in, things start getting ominous. You really think it’s a good idea to bring in more people with how compromised our security already is? We don’t even know anything about them!”

  Abbas watched the other Groundhogs begin to exchange glances at his words. However, he simply relaxed in his chair. “You could say the same for anyone who’s stepped into these chambers for the first time, Rivers.” He watched Trix sigh in relief as everyone else seemed to follow, “An unlikely bridge, but we’ll cross it if we get there.”

  Salamander took a smoke, “Hafta agree. Dem two ain’t goin nowhere ‘till dey finish dey job.”

  “True,” Trix said, “Mr. Washington and his friend have done far better than we expected, it would be foolish to let them go so soon.” She shot a look at Patchwork, “Especially when they weren’t our goal to begin with. They’re a nice little surprise.”

  “In the meantime,” Spit-Take said, cracking his knuckles, “I’m gonna run upstairs for a quick chat with our guest of honor.”

  “Any more of your ‘questions’ and we won’t have a guest anymore.” Patchwork said. “We should secure a line with the others immediately.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Abbas said. “I believe this time has come for the young one to prove himself.”

  Again the room was quiet. This time, it filled with uncomfortable shifting amongst each other. Abbas frowned. “Is something a matter?”

  Salamander sighed, letting a trail of smoke leave his mouth as he rubbed the back of his head. “Ya know I gotta keep it straight with ya Abbas and…I don’t know how ta say it but—”

  “Xole sucks,” Patchwork said. “He’s not good at anything.”

  “Oh you can’t say that!” Trix scolded him. “He’s just…challenged that’s all.”

  Spit-Take sighed, “I fear if any of you three ever have kids one day. The boy’s only had one training set so far.”

  “Its fine, Spit-Take,” Abbas said. “I understand the source of their worry. With a Talent like his, training him to draw on his latent potential should be a gradual yet easy feat.” He shook his head. “However there is something in the way. Perhaps he still lacks conviction.”

  Patchwork sighed, “Until we figure out what that is we can’t rely on him any further for our goals.” He tossed a glance at Trix and Salamander, “I’m not saying we get rid of the other two yet, but we should find someone more suitable for this besides Xole. Abbas, do you agree?”

  “No,” he answered, staring straight ahead, “I firmly believe we’ve barely scratched the surface with him. As difficult as the exterior may be, it only proves true the riches of the interior.”

  Spit-Take nodded.

  “I’ll bet ya barley got what he even said!” Salamander exclaimed. He rubbed his head, putting out his cigar, “But you are the boss.”

  The doctor shook his head, “Well I propose we still contact the rest of the Underground Network as soon as possible. Especially if you’re hunch is correct, Abbas.”

  The other Groundhogs groaned in protest, giving him weird expressions and shaking heads. He put his hands up, “Yeah, yeah I don’t like them either but they’re all we got. Trix, you can back me up.”

  “Honestly I’d rather rely on Xole than them,” She said bluntly. “All they do is get in the way.”

  “C’mon, ya know we don’t need dose chumps!” Salamander said

  Patchwork rubbed his head with both hands, “Are you two serious? At a time like this?”

  “Look doc’,” Spit-Take placed a hand on his shoulder, “You know those guys never take us seriously. It’s always ‘there too small’ or ‘serves ‘em right for being so cocky’ or some kind of other condescending bullshit.”

  The doctor shook his head. “Abbas, please just think a about it.”

  Abbas stood from the couch, “If you truly believe it to be so, then I shall take you up on it. However, in return you shall continue to participate in the young one’s training until completion. Is that understood?”

  Patchwork groaned, “Fine, fine.”

  “Good, I’ll have them notified,” Abbas said, “Also, where is Snap? It’s not like him to miss a meeting.”

  “Said he wasn’t feelin’ well,” Salamander said, “Ran off too quick befo’ I could press him dough.”

  “Oh no,” Trix said, “I hope he’s not sick.”

  Patchwork winced, “If he was sick, I’d know.”

  Abbas made a chuckle sounding noise again. Just then the door swing open, a panting woman in a rain coat leaned against it. “Abbas!” she said, “We’ve found Skinner’s location!”

  Trix’s eyes widened, “Where, where?!”

  “The Head precinct,” the woman replied, surprised by Trix’s sudden boisterousness. “Word on the street his he was hauled from some Amesworth owned building for loitering.”

  “Oh no,” Trix moaned, “He needs to stop running off without telling me!”

  Abbas motioned to the rain coat woman, “Thank you, Sunshine, that will be all. Well Trix, it looks like we’ve found your brother.”

  “Does he really gotta keep doing this?” Spit-Take complained, “One of these days he’s gonna get us all arrested, ya know?”

  Trix smiled, a temple present on the side of her forehead. “I’ll make sure to kindly remind him when he returns…”

  Sunshine eyed the room, “Uh, I know it’s not my place but…you guys don’t seem that concerned for some reason?”

  Salamander sighed, lighting a large cigar, “This routine for us at dis point.”

  “And we will retrieve him,” Abbas said, “But Skinner knows how to handle himself.”

  “Not to mention the man’s out of his mind half the time,” Patchwork added, “If his sister can’t get to him, I doubt even some Collared cops will.”

  Sunshine still looked concerned. “But your meeting and the code red could only mean it’s—”

  “And I just told you.” Patchwork rubbed the back of his neck. “When that man’s gone, no one, and I mean no one is getting anywhere with him.”

  …

  “Are we done yet?” Jacklyn asked. She was sitting against the wall in a chair next to Andre, whose head dipped into his phone. “Seriously,” she said, “it was kinda funny at first, but now you’re putting us to sleep here.”

  As the sound chamber fell quiet, the waterboarding station and the hanging box had wrapped up all their interrogations at the same time. Officer Strongarm, officer Bennis, and the Blue Collard cops hauled the inmates from the stations, tossing their incapacitated bodies back in the cells along with the rest. Officer Strongarm let out a breath, waving his police cap.

  “Whew! Takes ya back, doesn’t it Bennis?”

  Bennis grunted, throwing a large man in a beanie into the clear cell. “Well, at least back then it wasn’t nearly this many. Not sure how we’re gonna cover this up, heh.” He shot a glance to the other dark Blue Collars behind him. “Not to mention we had help from all parties involved!”

  Andre’s head stayed down. Jacklyn was on her own phone, blowing bubbles.

  “Like locks over here!” Bennis gestured in Andre’s direction, “Instead of doing his part, he just fell asleep! Just like you’d expect from some lazy, good for nothing—”

  “They’re called braids,” his voice cut in. He sat up, pushing his hair from his face, “I recorded all their testimonies but could barely hear jack cause you ran all the interrogations at the same time. But yeah, Bennis, I got all of it.”

  Bennis was silent, his face turning a beat red. Strongarm shrugged. “Well, what do we got here, son?”

  “Haven,” he answered. “That’s the only thing that was consistent amongst most they screamin’. Some place they kept calling to for some reason.”

  “Haven, eh?” Strongarm stroked his mustache, “You sure they didn’t mean Heaven?”

  “Nah it’s Haven alright,” Bennis said, looking away from everyone else. “I have a classified record upstairs we can—AHH!”

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  The man tumbled over something on the ground. Jacklyn pointed and laughed.

  “Ta, haha, dumbfuck!” she laughed gleefully, “Looks like you missed one!”

  Bennis adjusted his hat, mumbling something while getting up. Looking down he saw a red haired man in a plaid bathrobe with his ear to the ground as if he were listening. Andre’s eyebrow rose. He hopped off his chair and quickly went over to the red harried man, kneeling next to him. Jacklyn was off her chair now too, watching the two, a bubble on the edge of her lips.

  “Careful,” Bennis said, dusting himself off. “We found him hiding out in some old massage parlor. Caught him sleeping, surrounded by rats. Looks like he’s under the influence of something. Hell, even sounds like it.”

  “Yo,” Andre said, crouching over and picking the red haired man up by the top of his head. “What you up to?”

  “Shh!” the man said.

  Andre’s grip tightened, “Who you think you ‘shushing’?”

  He glared. “My friends need quiet if I want their attention, now shh!”

  Andre slammed the man face down into the ground. He brought it back up, “Ya wanna say that again?” he demanded.

  The man’s face scrunched. He grabbed the sides of Andre’s face with both hands and slammed it into the ground.

  ‘BAM!’

  “Andre!” Jacklyn exclaimed.

  Andre put his hand up to her. Getting up, he was smiling adjusting his hair again. “This guy’s got some fight, I like that.” In a flash he flicked his wrist, snatching the homeless man by the neck with his chain and pulling it tight. “Hey, white-bread, you wanna tell us where your homeless pals meet up? Like does a place called Haven ring a bell?”

  “My friends will never tell you!” the red haired man croaked.

  “I ain’t asking them, I’m asking you, stupid-ass!”

  “Well in that case I don’t know,” He said looking around. His eyes circled the room, finally coming back to Andre, “Hey, aren’t you that famous rapper?”

  He had to blink twice. “You said what now?”

  “Yeah that guy! I mean, I never liked his songs but I always thought he looked cool.”

  Andre looked the man up and down. He then threw him in the sound cell. “Hey, Blues!” he barked, “Make this boy deaf. I want his ass interrogated ‘till he’s screaming for his mama.”

  As the Blue Collars took him to the sound station, officer Bennis carefully made his way to him, “Do we really have to do this again? He probably knows just as much as the rest!”

  Andre shook his head, “Nah, this guy’s got some Gi to him. I’m getting a vibe from him.”

  He felt his face twist in annoyance, “This interrogation better not take long…”

  But unfortunately for them, it did.

  When attempting to throw the red haired man in the sound station, he was pleasantly pleased to hear something familiar to him.

  “My friends…my friends! I can hear you! Yes, I can FINALY hear you!” he cheered.

  “Is…deciphering that?” Strongarm said.

  “Let’s just use the box,” Jacklyn suggested quickly.

  Upon putting him in the box, he began to voluntarily feel around inside, calling for his friends. When they tried to open it, the man would angrily slam it back shut, demanding he needs more time.

  “…What,” Bennis said.

  Andre’s jaw clenched. “Drown his ass!”

  When dunked into the water, the collared workers were alarmed to discover he’d been drinking all of the water down through the bag on his head. A ‘burp’ could be heard as they pulled him out.

  “Fresh water, I—I can’t thank you enough!” he said, looking around. “Got anymore? I need it for my friends.”

  “Shut up!” Jacklyn yelled kicking him out of the cell. He slid across the floor, hitting the closest cell and falling back with his ear to the ground, listening. Andre’s eyes were in disbelief.

  ‘This boy’s actually braindead,’ He thought.

  As the Blue Collars hung him upside down for another round of waterboarding, officer Strongarm let out a hearty laugh, slapping Andre on his shoulder. “Ya know, son? You remind me a lot of myself when I was young.”

  Andre and Jacklyn both raised their eyebrows, “Eh?”

  “Oh why it’s true! I once interrogated a former doctor who thought it’d be funny to describe the events of childbirth in great detail in the middle of my lunch! Can you believe it? The food was supposed to make him give, not the other way around!”

  Even Bennis glanced at him. Andre felt his brow twitch, “Ay uh, just where you getting at?”

  “My point is interrogations may not always go your way, but the point is to remember you have power and they don’t. It’s real easy to forget that. You’re practically God to these crooks!”

  “So what’d you do about the doctor?” Jacklyn asked much to Andre’s surprise.

  “I hit that guy in the head so hard he’s still got whiplash to this day! Now he won’t even be able to see straight without a pair of glasses on dat jigsaw puzzle of a face of his!” the cop laughed winding his arm back. “Oh, those were the times.”

  Bennis slammed his hand on the wall, “We’re getting nowhere with this guy! We’ve been here since the afternoon and now it’s—” he checked his watch, “—three past midnight! What the hell are we still doing!?”

  “You really hit him that hard?” Andre said to Strongarm, to which the officer nodded.

  “Yup! Aw you should’ve seen it. Head made a ‘pop’ sound when it snapped. Heh, I thought I killed the poor man!”

  Jacklyn laughed, “That’s fucked up.”

  Bennis felt as if his head were about to explode; his cheeks puffed, the man even forgot to breathe. Before he could go any further, another Blue Collared officer ran down the stairs, panting profusely.

  “Officers! Blues!” he said, taking breaths between each word. “Officer Rickard’s returned, but he’s in critical care!”

  “What?!” Bennis said.

  “When we arrived to his location he was barely alive!”

  The cop could only squeak in anger. “Where in the hell was that woman, Rosa?!”

  “She was nowhere to be found, sir.”

  The officer could feel his hands begin to shake, his teeth grit tighter, and tighter.

  “Wow,” Jacklyn said, popping another bubble, “Who would’ve guessed she’d be so…unfit for this job.”

  “That’s it! We’re DONE here!” Officer Bennis yelled storming to the staircase. He shot his head back, “Once we’ve cleared Officer Rickard’s condition, I want every officer on every inch of this city until that Rosa bitch is found!”

  He turned back to see Anastasia right in front of him. The cop screamed and fell to his back again. She eyed him, then the other two.

  “Debrief on the fifth floor,” she said. “Now.”

  Jacklyn could feel a glare forming on her face, so Andre quickly stepped forward. “We’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

  Anastasia stared. She turned and left up the stairs. “Anything over five and I will find you two.”

  Andre grunted, muttering something under his breath. Strongarm followed her out. “Wow, she’s intense!” he looked over to the other officers. “Ay boys, toss the redhead back in with the rest, we’re out.”

  The Blue Collars quickly shuffled the confused man back to his cell and filed out with Bennis trailing them. Andre almost left before seeing Jacklyn still there, arms folded. He sighed. “She’s irritating but can we not be petty now?” he said. “This place’s stench is giving me a headache.”

  She didn’t say anything. Getting a better look, Andre saw her gazed was fixed on Bob, Left and Right.

  “Hey uh, Andre,” she said, “about earlier—”

  He put his hand up. “It’s cool, alright? I shouldn’t’ve popped off like that anyways.”

  “Huh?” Her face was in disbelief, “Wait, really?”

  “We got an assignment from Alastor. That’s what’s important right now,” he said, “besides I’ve known you too long to let that get to me.”

  “Oh!” her face flushed, “You didn’t have to say all—”

  “But,” he continued, “Why you ask now?”

  “I’m ‘my brother’s sister’ as you put it.” She took a brief pause. “To be honest I never thought of it like that until you said it.”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “So it got me thinking,” She said, “How do you really feel about me?”

  “What?!” Andre nearly jumped, “Where’d this come from? You know nothing’s changed since we were young. You’re the exact same person, that’s it.”

  The young woman snorted, then, started laughing. “Jesus Christ, Andre!” She said, wiping her face with the back of her hand. She turned and started up the stairs. “Let’s get back to miss mohawk bitch upstairs before she goes apeshit and kills someone.”

  Andre chuckled himself, watching her leave and following her out. Just then, a familiar yet annoying voice called out to him.

  “Hey rapper dude, you all going back to Haven already?!” the red haired man called out from the cell. “When you get there can you hook me up with some more strip-lash? But don’t tell my sister, she gets really, really, really—”

  “One sec, Jacklyn,” He said, turning back and pulling his chain out…

  “Both arms broken at the elbows, numerous fractured fingers, sixteen broken ribs, severe breakage on his pelvic and hip bones, shattered right kneecap, broken ankle on his left, three broken toes on his left foot and one on his right, torn ligaments on his neck and right shoulder as well as damage to his spinal cord,” The doctor said to officer Bennis. He placed a hand on the distraught man’s shoulder, “He may never be able to walk again.”

  Bennis could only stare helplessly at officer Rickard. He was bandaged head to toe with his eyes and nose with a tube coming through and another for his mouth.

  “It could’ve been—“ the doctor cut himself off and took a breath, “It could’ve been worse. The burns were only first degree and he could’ve had TBI.”

  “What’s even that?” Bennis said plainly.

  “Traumatic brain injury,” he replied, “Though we haven’t checked yet, I’m ninety-one percent sure—”

  “I really….really don’t want to hear it.” The cop waved his hand at the doctor, who nodded and stepped out of the room. Bennis sat next to the man. He shook his head and slammed the table with his fist. Throwing his cap to the floor, the man’s face fell to his hands. Then he heard slight movement. Bennis’s head snapped in Rickard’s direction in awe to see the man was looking out the window of the room. Looking out himself, the man’s stomach dropped to see Anastasia looking right at them. Her eyes met Bennis’s and she pointed at him, then to the ground before leaving. With a growl, the officer snatched his hat from the ground and stormed after the woman.

  “Hey!” he boomed, “quit running I’m talking to you!”

  “It’s convenient your medical facility is on the same floor as our debrief.” She said, staring ahead, “Otherwise you would’ve been late.”

  “Would ya shut up!?” Bennis snapped. “My partner’s in their fighting for his life!”

  “I was informed his condition is stable.” She continued to lead him down the hall. “I was also told it could’ve been much worse.”

  Bennis could feel his hands clench to quivering fist again. “Just shut up would ya!?”

  “You’ve already told me that.”

  The cop found himself stuttering from sheer anger, forcing his tongue to speak his thoughts, “W-why? Just why’d you have to leave him? Answer me now damn it!”

  Other people looked in the two’s direction, and then quickly trying to get as far from them as possible. Anastasia rolled her eyes.

  “I didn’t do anything he couldn’t’ve prevented.” She stopped at the door and looked Bennis in the face, her own head cocked slightly to the left. “Satisfied?”

  Without thinking, the cop swung his fist at the woman’s face as hard as he could. “I will be once your—!”

  ‘THWACK!’

  Bennis groaned, feeling pain on the front of his body. Looking up, he saw Anastasia’s knee on his back, his arms under them. She applied pressure, causing the cop to howl in pain.

  “Try that again and officer Rickard’s injures will look like a small papercut next to yours.” Stepping on his back, she opened the door to the room and stepped inside. “Now get up. If you want any more details read the report I left on your desk.”

  “I already did!” he grumbled to himself. Rubbing his back, the officer reluctantly followed her inside. It was a green and blue room with a whiteboard and projector at the front, windows lining the side opposite from the door and three tables lined up long ways. Bennis thought his eyes were still tricking him. “The hell’s the other two?” he asked.

  “That’s a good question…” Anastasia’s gaze covered the door. It swung open as the two came in laughing together. The shorter woman’s gaze persisted, “You’re eleven seconds late,” She said.

  “Bite me.” Jacklyn blew a bubble in her face. Anastasia’s hand went over the gum in a flash, snatching it from her mouth and throwing it out the window.

  “Bitch!” she growled, lunging at her. “That Gi was still sweet!”

  Andre caught her from behind, though had a little more trouble restraining her this time. Anastasia turned from the two and took a seat at the front table. Bennis took one on the other side, and Andre and Jacklyn did the same with each other. Folding her hands, Anastasia eyed the table. The whole room had gone quiet. Finally she reached into a zip lock bag and carefully pulled out the bandage from earlier.

  “Haven.”

  “That again eh?” Jacklyn’s head shook in disbelief, “And can you not bring any weird shit you find off the ground to the dinner table?”

  Anastasia’s eyes squinted. “Isn’t your Talent the epitome of taking ‘weird shit’ off the ground?”

  Andre could see the brunette preparing to pounce again. He quickly shuffled his elbows forward on the table. “So, you heard that name too?”

  “Yes,” The shorter woman’s eyes shot to Andre’s, “And judging by your unusual lack of obliviousness, you two do as well. I’m impressed.”

  “Heh, yeah, funny.” Andre’s eyes went to Jacklyn’s, both of whom now sharing the same offensive look.

  Bennis gulped, he could feel the Gi in the room start to ripple. “This ‘Haven’ place has roots in Empire city,” he said. “Allegedly it’s some secret cult of super-homeless who defend their kind from the ‘Collared evil.’.”

  Jacklyn threw her hand up, “If it was that obvious before then why didn’t you put a stop to it when your cop buddies kept getting folded by these guys earlier?”

  “Because it ain’t real,” he replied. “We ran an investigation some time ago, but everything led to a dead end. If anything, it could be some ‘boogey man’ they made up to try and scare us.”

  Jacklyn and Andre exchanged snickers.

  “…Hence for the city’s sake as well as the public’s,” Bennis said, trying to keep himself composed, “its best we chalk this up to sporadic random events. Like protests, marches, vandalism, the usual.”

  Anastasia blinked. She held the band aid up again, repulsing the rest of the table. “This band aid contains trace amounts of Gi. I want it sent to your forensics team for any possible links with any birth records, cards, or past work history.” She slid it across the table to Bennis, who flinched at the sight. The woman continued, “There’s a reason why a group so secretive left something this crucial behind.”

  The cop carefully placed the band aid into a larger bag with a warning label on it, “Say,” he said, “Your report stated that Talent enhancers where the reason Rickard…Rickard—”

  “Panicked and got himself injured? No that was all on his volition.” Anastasia said.

  The officer glared.

  “However, they were the catalyst for such an event.” She took something else out, making the table instinctively flinch. Though this time, it was green powder in a tiny clear candy wrapper. She held it up, “This is what they call, ‘Strip-Lash’. It’s a semi-potent enhancer used to temporary boost the Inner-gi of anyone.”

  Jacklyn leaned in, squinting. “Andre, was that it?”

  “Holy…” Andre said. “That’s the same mess brain dead bro in the holding cells was asking me to get, said if I was going back to Haven to grab some for him.”

  ‘As I thought, it all ties together.’ the woman thought, her gaze growing more demented.

  Andre avoided her creepy look, “Personally, I’m thinking he was one of them.”

  Bennis chuckled, “Heh, this again.”

  Jacklyn kicked him under the table causing the cop’s face to twist abruptly, much to everyone else’s confusion.

  “Anyways,” Andre said, “the guy down there grabbed me and slammed me to the ground. Of course I got the last hit on him, but his Gi spiked like really, really high in that moment. And he was quick too, faster than the other guy with the shoes.”

  “Yeah,” Jacklyn said, “Now that you mention it I did manage to attach some gum to him when he grabbed you.” She dozed off, smiling and running her tongue across her upper lip. “What a rush of flavor…”

  “Let’s hope you aren’t as high as our friend down there.” Anastasia said. “And good work, Andre. You two have impressed me twice now today. That’s a new record.”

  Again, Bennis could feel the Gi in the room come back, more intense than before. He shuddered, ‘Why do all these government workers always got to make a scene?’

  He slammed his hand on the table, “Well what’s the plan now? That druggie and the rest of his block are gonna be moved out of state tomorrow, and we can’t really hold them longer.”

  “That’s completely fine.” Anastasia said, much to the entire table’s surprise.

  “So then what?” Jacklyn demanded, “What does our leader have planned this time? Another cover up?”

  “Or failure,” Andre added.”

  “And you two were doing so well,” Anastasia sat up, displaying a small grin on the corner of her mouth. “He’s going to bring this so-called ‘Haven’ right to us.”