I tossed aside a note requesting a meeting and picked up the envelope from my desk. It was yellow and blank. There was nothing on the outside to suggest the magnitude of what existed on the inside, but I already knew the few pages inside would change everything. Life was full of those moments, when seemingly mundane events changed the course of so much else.

The envelope didn’t come from Tardale. It came from someone far above him, someone who’s orders had to be followed by everyone. I didn’t want to break the seal because then there would be no turning back. But to be truthful, I’d lost my ability to turn back long before the envelope was delivered. I’d lost it the moment I laid eyes on Quinn. I had merely tricked myself into believing I could maintain the status quo.

I took a deep breath and opened the envelope. The black print held news that was even worse than I thought. The words blurred together as I read it over and over. Everything else faded out, and my chest clenched. I was out of time. I had to act.

So much had happened in such a short period of time, and I could barely keep up. But this development was different. Everything had changed. The new directives made my decision easy. I couldn’t allow that little girl to face the future Central had planned for her. Nor the one they had planned for Quinn—and once Kayla’s blood results were re-run, her also. I’d been able to cover it once, but I wasn’t going to get that lucky again.

I needed to act, but I had to be smart about it. It was all about timing, and somehow getting everyone lined up at exactly the right time. I needed help, but I had to be careful where I looked for it. I no longer knew who I could trust. Not that I ever had. My childhood in the system had been about survival, and when I looked back so much of it was a blur. I didn’t want to let Mason’s words influence me, but could he be right? Could they have messed with my memory? If so, there had to be a reason, and I knew I’d probably be better off to never know what it was. But Quinn and Bailey might not be. That small voice inside my head was new, but not entirely unfamiliar.

I picked up the discarded memo and checked my watch. It was late, but that didn’t mean everyone was sleeping. I slid the directives into the top drawer of my desk and headed back out into the hall.

The floor was silent. All I could hear was the familiar running of machines, and a few beeps every so often. The curtains to each room were drawn, temporarily hiding the inhabitants, but as the curtains were on the outside, it was a false sense of privacy. Everything about Central was false, down to its mission. How I had been clouded by the truth for so long galled me, just like the strange tugging at the corner of my mind suggesting there were things about myself I didn’t even know.

I hesitated a moment outside Quinn’s door, aching to go back in, but I couldn’t. Nothing would be gained from that. Instead I turned the corner, willing myself to stay focused.

I stopped in front of the last room on the darkened hall. After a moment of hesitation, I knocked softly on the door, hoping I wouldn’t disturb anyone else, and hoping Tardale was long gone for the night. Still, even if he wasn’t around there were always eyes and ears in this place. Luckily, I usually controlled surveillance.

“Come in,” Dr. Nevers called from inside. His was a name I’d heard plenty of times before, but I knew very little about him.

I pushed the door open, closing it silently behind me before turning to the occupants of the room.

“Hello Maverick.” Dr. Nevers sat in a high back chair next to the bed. His blazer was folded over the armrest of his chair, and he’d rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. The girl, patient #217, was awake and watching as I walked into the room. Her dark hair splayed on the pillow like a black halo.

He knew my name, but that might have been Tardale’s doing. “Hello. I heard you wanted to speak with me.”

“Yes.” Dr. Nevers nodded. “We did.” His use of the word ‘we’ wasn’t lost on me. He was more than protective of this girl.

“About anything in particular?” I tried not to stare at the girl, but her eyes were intense, almost haunting. Who was she? Had she willingly entered Central with Nevers?

He leaned forward ever so slightly in his chair. “About why the hell you’re helping the enemy.”

I couldn’t hide my reaction. “What?”

“You heard me.” His expression remained calm and relaxed.

I immediately thought back to Mason inferring he knew who I was. “Let me guess, you think you know me too?” Was this all one huge joke? Was Tardale in on it? Was I being tested? None of the possibilities were ones I liked.

Denver shook his head. “No. Why would you ask that?”

“No reason.” Now I was really confused. Was this all part of the head trick? Things had been so calm, so routine until Quinn and Bailey arrived. Now everything had changed.

“I’m not helping the enemy. I am helping humankind.” I gave the stock answer. If this was a test, I couldn’t slip up. There was too much at stake.

“No.” Denver shook his head. “You are smart enough to realize the truth.”

“How would you know I was smart enough?” I chose each of my words carefully, trying to listen more than I spoke, but I was nervous in a way I wasn’t used to being.

“You wouldn’t be in the position you’re in with the kind of power you have without being intelligent.” He twisted the watch he wore on his arm. It was an older model, probably an antique. I’d heard about men who held onto old items out of a misplaced sense of nostalgia and history, but Dr. Nevers shouldn’t have been the type. He was part of the system, not against it.

“I’m not in power.” I was seeing that more and more as I struggled to construct a plan to help Quinn and Bailey.

“You’re not?” Dr. Nevers raised an eyebrow. “So overseeing the main ward of confirmed breeders is not a high level position?”

“I work for many others.” Some I didn’t even know.

“Maybe it’s time you stopped.” He folded his hands in his lap.

“Stopped what exactly?” I started to sweat.

“Blindly following orders.”

“I thought you just told me I have power.” Although power was in the eyes of the beholder. I had more power than the patients under my care, but less than Tardale and his bosses.

“You do if you know how to use it. The trick is the knowing.”

“Would you try speaking in normal terms?” I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Maverick, you know what to do. There is no sense hiding behind feigned confusion.”

“Feigned? You think I know more than what I’m letting on?” I wished I did. All I knew was I had to protect Quinn and Bailey. Even if it put me at risk. That was a strange sensation. I’d never felt anything more strongly than self-preservation before.

“No, he knows it.” Patient #217 broke in. “We would appreciate your cooperation.”

Dr. Nevers smiled at her. “Thank you, Addison.”

“Addison?” I said her name out loud. I liked using patient names, but I’d heard so few others use them, especially not someone as high ranking as Dr. Nevers. But, Addison was his partner I reminded myself. That was the difference.

“Is there a problem with my name?” She narrowed her eyes.

I shook my head. “No, of course not. It is the first time I heard it.”

“Harder to treat a woman as property when she has a name.” Addison wasn’t asking a question, and bitterness permeated her voice.

“I keep hearing that. I don’t like using the numbers. I try to avoid it when I can.”

“When you can?” Nevers put his hands behind his head and leaned back. “Exactly. That implies you do have some power.”

“Look. I’m tired of this. I will not risk anyone’s safety for this game. Either you tell me what you wanted to talk to me about, or I leave.”

“How’s Kayla?” Addison sat up. “Is she safe?”

Kayla was her concern? I tried to hide my surprise, but I was reaching a point where I no longer cared. “Kayla is fine.”

“Don’t you mean patient #217?” She cocked her head to the side.

“No. I mean Kayla. Tardale knows how I feel about the numbers. I’m done pretending.”

“Aren’t you done with more than just pretending?” Nevers crossed one leg over the other.

“Yes.” I was done with everything but getting Quinn and Bailey out. But I knew I was being reckless. “With all due respect, sir.”

“You can drop the sir. You already know I’m not who you think I am.” Dr. Nevers winked.

“What?” My mouth hung open. Had he said what I thought he’d said? Had he really winked?

“Kayla is really alright?” Addison’s voice was softer now. There was a vulnerability there that was new, and she pulled me out of my shock.

“She’s okay.” At least I thought she was. I’d get her out too. But priority went to Bailey, even Quinn would agree with that.

“Can I see her?” Addison’s eyes were wide. “I need to see her.”

“Not yet.”

“Not yet? When?” She sighed.

“As soon as it is possible.” If it was ever possible.

“We are on the same side, Maverick. That is if you are ready to own up to it.” Denver sat stock still in his seat.

“Who are you?” A shiver ran up my spine. “You did tell me you’re not who I think you are.”

“That’s an interesting story for another time perhaps. Right now we have more important matters to deal with.”

“Why can’t I see her now?” Addison asked as if she hadn’t been listening to the exchange between Dr. Nevers and me.

“Because if we rush things, everything might get messed up.” I let the words slide out without editing them. I was too shaken to be careful. I was taking risks at every turn.

“Everything?” Nevers rolled his shoulders back. “Let me hear more about this everything.”

“First, tell me who you are.”

“I already told you I’m on the same side as you. That should be sufficient.”

“No.” I shook my head. “It isn’t. There is too much at stake.”

“Stop interrupting him,” Addison snapped. “He hasn’t answered me. When will I see her?”

“When the time is right.” I kept my eyes on Dr. Nevers, as if expecting a façade to fall away revealing another man inside. I was lost, and I needed to know who I was dealing with.

Slowly I turned back to Addison.

“You mean when the time is right for you.” Addison crossed her arms over her chest. “Isn’t that it?”

“I want what’s best for everyone.” My head was spinning as I tried to formulate my next steps.

“Sure you do. You work here. That says enough.” She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not a monster." I had never purposely caused pain. I was only doing what I had been taught.

"That’s debatable, but no more than I am. Or Mason.” Dr. Nevers crossed his legs at the ankles. “None of this is our fault, except when we keep the course despite knowing it's wrong— when we know the damage it will do."

"Who are you really?" I had revealed enough incriminating information already, being blunt couldn’t make things much worse.

"I am less than you are."

I thought over his words. On the surface they were off. He clearly had more persuasive power in Central than I did even if he claimed he wasn’t who I expected him to be, but I knew he was likely talking about something else entirely. "And that's supposed to mean something to me?”

"It will eventually." Dr. Nevers put his hands palms up on his lap.

"And until then?" What did he expect me to do with this riddle?

"Know our plan will fail without your help."

"Your plan?" I tried to stay composed, but I wasn’t expecting his words.

"You know exactly what the plan is, and you will help." Dr. Nevers rose to his feet.

"Your plan depends on me?” Yet he barely knew me. That was putting a lot of faith in someone who could have very different motives. Then again, I was putting faith in him too. “And what makes you think I'll help?"

"You've made eye contact with Addison. You've used Kayla's name. You will help."

"That's a big gamble based on very little evidence." There had to be more, and I was going to find out what. He said he didn’t know me the way Mason did, but he was hiding something related to me. I was sure of it.

"Everything we have to go off of is minimal. We live in a world where you can’t trust anyone. What did you expect?”

His words had some merit. "What do you need from me?" I was done wasting time. This whole group was connected, but I wasn’t sure how. The only thing I did know was Tardale didn’t know what Dr. Nevers was up to.

“We need you to get us information. How many women are in this ward? What condition are they in?”

“What condition? “I parroted back. “What are you implying?”

“Whether they can walk out on their own.”

“Walk out? You plan to remove them all from here?” Did this extend beyond Kayla, Quinn, and Bailey? Because Kayla was here for her sister, and they knew it. There was no question about that.

“Those words came from your mouth. Not mine.” Nevers smirked.

“I can’t help you if I don’t know where you stand.” Things were getting too serious too fast. We were working with very limited time. The night ticked away, and once Tardale returned we would have to pretend nothing was going on.

“I stand on the side of what’s right.”

“That’s quite the loaded statement.” Things were never that simple. Even I knew that.

“Is it? Is it more loaded than you telling us you won’t do what’s right unless you know where we stand?”

“You are misquoting me. I can’t know what’s right unless I know what I’m dealing with. How do I know you don’t have nefarious plans?”

“Nefarious plans? Worse than what’s happening here?”

“There are worse things.” I’d heard of many. In the beginning the knowledge didn’t bother me, but my conscious was growing far more concerned as the days ticked by. The directives were the last straw. “We all know that.”

“Why would I help then?” Addison shrugged off the sheets. “Why would I lead other woman into something like that?”

“You wouldn’t be the first.” I had seen it more than once. The worst of it was the women always thought they were buying their own freedom. Instead they were buying a prison for themselves as well.

“But I’m not.” Addison rose from the bed. “I’m not at all. The only reason I’m here is to help.”

“Not actually looking to reproduce?” Could I get them to admit that story was false?

“I’m not saying anything until you give me your word.” She straightened her shoulders.

“I’m surprised you are speaking openly. Even if you are being careful with your exact words.”

“I can control more than you think,” Nevers jumped in.

“I don’t know who or what you are. That’s the point. That’s why I’m hesitant to say or commit to anything.”

“Get me a list, and then we’ll talk.” He paced the room. “We don’t have much time.”

“You’re dismissing me? Is that how you think this is going to work?”

“It’s how I know it will work. You have too many questions now about yourself to sit back and blindly follow orders. I told you in the beginning you have power. Use it.”

“And what if I use my power to turn you in?”

“You won’t.” Nevers grinned.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I am.” Nevers walked toward me. “Because you don’t use numbers, and you make eye contact.”

“You already said that.”

“And that’s all I need to say.” He shrugged again. He seemed to do that often.

“Who are you really?”

He grinned. “You like to repeat yourself too.”

“Can’t you at least tell me that?”

“I’d probably be more concerned with who you are right now.” He nodded, and I knew our conversation wasn’t going anywhere.