I should have known. I should have figured it out. How could I let him of all people by me? I let him into my head. Axel must have known. This was all just another weave of their web.

"I shouldn’t have believed a word either of you said,” I tell Everett. "You knew what a starving person would do to find food, and you used my weakness against me. You’re disgusting human beings.”

"Life isn't always what you think," he says.

"You two were after me the whole time,” I say again. I tried to push those thoughts away so many times, debating between food, shelter and my freedom, but the necessities kept winning my thoughts over. They fooled me, though that doesn't explain why Axel has been beaten to a pulp, but nothing is surprising at the moment.

"No," Axel says. "We weren't."

Everett laughs, but he's still holding the gun up to Axel's head. "Put the gun down, Everett. Don't you think that's taking things a little far just to claim the win? He's your closest friend. You expect me to believe you'd kill him for some stupid information you probably wouldn't know how to use?"

Axel is looking at me with shock, which is all for show. It has to be.

"Look, I don't know the code, okay?” I say. "Kill me. Kill him. I don't care anymore. Whatever you're going to do, just do it already. I'm tired of this shit."

"Bro, I'm sorry," Everett says. "This isn’t what I wanted. I swear to you.”

"Of all people … " Axel says. "I thought we were brothers.”

"You two can quit it with the act. I'm not dumb," I tell them.

"Brothers?” Everett questions. "We were never brothers. We were both stuck in the same foster house, but I was only there as a method to obtain information for research. I have parents, you know that? I have fucking parents. My father made my mother into a bobblehead who stares out a goddamn window all day from a hospital. When she was no longer useful to him, he used me as a scientific tool from the time I was old enough to follow his demands and threats. Your parents might be dead, Ax, but you would have never considered that you were the luckier of the two of us, so I just let you think my parents were dead because they might as well be.”

Axel's eyes are full rage as he holds his focus solely on Everett as if there is a lot he wants to say but will probably leave this earth without speaking a word of it.

In a matter of seconds, Axel whips his arms around, flipping Everett onto his back, retrieves the gun and pins him to the cement.

Krav Maga training …

Axel has the weapon pressed against Everett's head, and my heart stops beating because I truly don't know what either of them is doing or thinking. Everything has been a lie in some form.

Muffled voices from outside of the cell are growing louder, and I'm sure they're picking themselves up after the ultrasonic waves disabled them. I was hoping it would cause a more permanent fix, but I don't have earplugs, and neither does Axel, despite not knowing whether he's one of them.

"They're coming," I tell them. I'm not sure what I should be saying or not saying now. All I know is, I haven't given up any information, and they have no way of knowing how to extract it.

"Axel,” Everett says through choppy breaths. "Do it. Please. You’ll be doing me a favor. Get Isabelle out of here—away from my old man. Get her away from everyone.”

"How could you lie to me all this time?” Axel hisses. "Your old man? What the hell are you talking about?”

Everett chokes. "I was mentally wired to be who I am. You don’t get it, Axel. If you don’t kill me, those men out there will. I’m not one of them, okay? I came after you two—followed their orders, and I’m playing by their rules so we don’t all get killed. One of us is giving them what they want, or we’ll all be dead. Everett reaches his hand over to Axel’s and hands him something inconspicuously. "Do what you have to—get rid of this—and … it’s time for our plan, Ax. Do it now. Please.” I don’t know what he’s talking about, and I don’t see how Axel would believe anything coming out of his mouth. I don’t know what the hell to believe right now.

"Everett,” Axel growls.

"Do it, Axel. Now,” Everett seethes.

With my sights set on the other side of the cell door, a groan bellows quietly, followed by a firing blast that reverberates through each one of my muscles. Life suddenly pauses, and everything around me is moving in slow motion as I try and glance back over to Axel and Everett.

It takes a long minute to evaluate what happened, but I spot a trail of blood dripping onto the cement floor, rolling off Everett’s shoulder. Axel shot him. "I never thought for even a moment I couldn't trust you. Never. All this time, you've been playing for the other side," Axel says through guttural pain and grief. "The plan wasn’t meant for this situation,” Axel says. "This fucking hurts, man. You were my friend, my only fucking friend. We may not have been blood brothers, but you were my only family. Jesus.” Axel sounds as if he’s on the verge of breaking down, and it’s tearing at my heart. Even being as unsure as I am, I know the sound of real internal pain, and a person can only fake that so much.

"Mason Phillips is my old man," Everett moans, gripping at his shoulder. "I let him down too. There was no winning. The only difference is, you’ll forgive me someday. He won’t.”

Axel has his knee on Everett's chest, and as the other men come within sight, Axel shifts his body, holding the gun up to them, with his hands still cuffed together. Three shots, each man receiving a bullet to the head. I don't know where Axel was trained, but he was trained well. "There are more of them," Everett rasps. "They'll find you."

"Why?" Axel asks him, placing the end of his weapon to Everett's head. Blood continues to spill out of his shoulder, and I'm watching as his face discolors with degrading shades of pale white.

"You were the experiment—both of you,” Everett says. "You were part of the research. I’m sorry. It wasn’t me, though. I didn’t want this.”

"What do you mean? I wasn’t part of the fucking research,” Axel argues.

"Yeah, you were,” Everett says with a groan. "Mason Phillips—my father, Agent Roberts, Chuck, and every other asshole you’ve dealt with—they’re all together with a private sector of the government. They needed this research and the related findings to conclude which method was best to hide their underground secrets. You’ve been helping them for years. You were told it was all about Isabelle, but she was only half of this. It was a fucking cock fight to see which interrogation tactic was stronger. Each of you were bred differently and taught with ulterior methods. Isabelle’s is the winning method, but you're mentally stronger than anyone gave you credit for, Ax. You don’t want to know how many mistakes you helped the government hide from the public.” Everett coughs, and I see the pain radiating through his face. "The bar fight … it was set up by Phillips. I made you sit where you were sitting because I was under his threatening orders. I went to the bathroom at the precise minute I was told to go, and that’s why you were the only one standing there after the fight was over. What was anyone supposed to believe?” Everett swallows hard, staring directly at Axel’s face with remorse. How can anyone forgive that kind of deception, though? I’ll be asking myself the same question for the rest of my life, I think.

For a minute, I see a weakness in Axel's eyes, but it doesn't last nearly as long as I thought it might. "You wanted to see the results from Darkest Perception?” Axel asks Everett. "Here it is—the plan we arranged if everything went to hell. The plan you came up with makes sense now. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself after all this either.”

"I’m sorry, Ax. I’m sorry. I’m fucked up because of my old man. He brainwashed me to believe what I was doing was right. It wasn’t. I know that now. I just wanted a normal life, and I wasn’t allowed to have that. I promise you, this isn’t what I wanted. I’m so sorry,” he cries out between gasping breaths. "Isabelle—”

"I’m sorry too—I’m sorry I was dumb enough to fall for this shit,” Axel says, cutting him off. Before he could finish his sentence, Axel releases the trigger, putting a hole through Everett's head. My breath lodges in my throat, and I'm not sure I know how to continue breathing while digesting the scene around me.

Axel drops the weapon and falls backward, hitting his back against the cell door. He leans his head down to his knees and runs his fingers through the sides of his hair. "He was my only family. For years, since we were teenagers. He was in foster care with me. Phillips put him there to find a soulless body? I’ve been a part of this damn freak show for probably ten years now.” Axel's words are mumbling together, and I can hardly understand what he's trying to say, ask, or who he's questioning.

As weak as I am from the sonic waves, I manage to push myself up to my knees and crawl across the space, reaching for Axel as I wrap my arms around his neck. "Axel." I have nothing to say. There are no words worthy of making a statement.

He reaches around me, sliding his hand into his pocket and pulling out the bobby pin he took from my hair. "Can you unlock the cuffs?" I pick the lock with an unsteady grip, so it takes me a couple of minutes to focus on what I'm doing, but I finally free the lock and remove the cuffs. "Let's go."

I take another look at Everett, trying to understand how my knowledge and assumptions went from a hundred to zero in a matter of minutes. I've done well, adjusting to situations faster than most people are capable of, but this feels like a heavy tar sinking through my bones, holding me still while I convince myself this is real. How the hell could any of this be real?

"I don't understand," I say to Everett. His chest stopped moving a long minute ago. I know he's gone, but I didn't think fast enough to ask him why, even though Axel did. Why us?

Axel pulls himself up against the bars and takes my arm. "Let's go."

The cell door was never locked after Everett entered. "What about Chuck?" I ask Axel.

"He told me to take care of myself when I took off to find you. He said people are placed into circumstances, unknowingly accepting a life sentence for something they never wanted,” he says. "I obviously don't know anything, though.”

"We're the same," I tell him. "I suppose you know that now."

We make our way into the alley, spotting a glow from the sun draping around the corner of the street.

Yeah, a life full of lies was what I was destined for. "This is why I was on the brink of being homeless."

"I spent my days looking for a place to sleep after I turned eighteen too," he says.

He seems dazed and out of it, probably like the way I'm feeling. I don't know how long it will take for my brain to process everything that went on in the last day, but right now, I'm in shock. So much shock. "Why did your parents do what they did? Do you know?”

"They were teenagers who tried to make it on their own. From what I heard, they had been arrested several times for dealing and abusing drugs. Child protective services threatened to take me from them many times, but they held it together just long enough so I could remember the life they gave me. They must have figured it was better to leave me with the memory of their deaths than trying to find me safety first.”

The chill of winter strikes me as if I didn't notice I was only wearing a thin dress. "What's your next move?" I ask him.

"What's yours?" he replies.

"Running." It's not like I have another option. This is all I've been doing for years. I just didn't realize I had been running in circles, and Dr. Phillips was the ringleader. "

Axel runs his fingers through his hair and then down the side of his face, touching dried spots of blood. He pulls his hand away, seeking evidence, then looks over at me. "If you didn't hate the shit out of me, I'd say I would run with you, but I'll assume that you won’t be giving me that type of invitation."

An immediate response floats to the tip of my tongue, but I keep my mouth closed, considering all things before I tell him my honest thoughts.

There doesn't seem to be any way I could trust him after he manipulated me into being his bait. However, he never turned me in, even though he had plenty of opportunities to do so. I would have chosen my life over his and probably turned him in, which makes him a better person than me.

There were feelings involved, but they were based on his lies.

"I don't know how to see you now," I tell him. "I don’t know you, Axel.”

"This is me," he says. "Stripped down to the bone with nothing."

"I don’t think I can—”

"Isabelle. I knew you before you became this woman. I was innocent before I became this man. Please, let me show you.”

"Axel—” I don’t know how to walk forward with him and feel like it’s a good decision.

"I can’t fake this,” he says, pulling me into him. His hands cradle my face, and the comfort is still there. It shouldn’t be there. I should be uncomfortable. I shouldn’t feel anything.

"Yes, you can fake this,” my voice cracks.

His lips touch mine lightly as he presses his nose against mine. "Not when I’m in this much pain. I was lied to, too. I know what you’re feeling and thinking; I deserve to be dead like Everett after what I did to you, but selfishly, I’d rather spend every minute necessary proving to you who I truly am inside.” His lips return to mine, and I feel a weakness seep throughout my limbs. I should be smarter than this. I don’t understand how I can feel so much for him, yet fear what’s in his head at the same time.

"I don’t know what to think,” I whisper. It’s honest.

"Isabelle, every time I touched you, it was because I couldn’t stop myself. I know I shouldn’t have looked at you the way I did, kissed you, or anything of that nature. I was fighting hard against breaking every rule, knowing how it could end, but you made me forget what I was fighting for.” His hands cup my cheeks as he gazes into my eyes with desire.

"I don't trust you, Axel,” I mutter.

"I don't blame you, but here,” he says, handing me the SD card. "Maybe this will help.” I look down at the card and close my fingers over it.

"Thank you,” I tell him, softly, "but I never trusted you, even before Everett took the card.”

"Maybe that’s what attracted me to you,” he says.

"Obviously, I have an attraction to trouble, so it would make sense, I guess.”

"So, what’s the problem?” he asks, gently.

"We're poisonous to each other,” I tell him, knowing both of us were bred to pluck thoughts from the human brain without leaving a trace of existence behind. As Everett said, we were manipulated to basically kill each other, but we came out on the other side still standing. I can’t help but think about how dangerous that makes us.

"We may be poisonous to each other because we can get inside of each other’s heads, but doesn’t that benefit eliminate the need for trust?” he asks. Axel has cornered me with my own fears and thoughts, and he's right.

"I’m leaving the country, Axel.”

"I want to go with you,” he says, pleadingly.

"Where I’m going—there are rules that must be followed," I tell him. "You’ll also need a good fake ID.”

"I have plenty of ID’s. Don’t worry about that,” he says with a wink. "Seriously though, if you let me go with you, I’ll follow your rules, Isabelle. It’s the least I can do."

I press my hand against his chest, making sure he understands I’m not just running away to hide again. "They aren't my rules that have to be followed.”

Seventeen Years Ago

Like so many nights, Dad comes into my bedroom and sits down on the edge of my bed as he tucks me in tightly. "I love you, sweetie, and in case I don’t see you tomorrow, remind me of what you can never forget.”

"Kulao,” I tell him, as I have since I was old enough to understand the meaning.

"Very good, Isabelle.” He leans forward and gives me a gentle kiss on my forehead.

I try to smile, but it hurts my heart when he reminds me of the same thing every night. "Why do you always have to say goodnight as if you’re leaving for forever, Dad? Nothing has changed, and everything seems like it’s okay and always will be.”

"Sweetie, you never know what tomorrow might bring, right?” he reminds me.

I know what he means, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the thought. "I know. People might find out you’re hiding Mom. It’s just been so long. I doubt anyone is looking.”

"We do what we must to protect the people we love, Isabelle. Your mother rescued me, and for that, I will forever protect her, and you, as well.”

I pull the covers up a little higher. "What if I disappear someday?” I ask him.

He narrows his eyes at me and smirks. "My Isabelle—you are such an adventurous little girl with the world at your toes—I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if you followed your heart too far someday, but—” he pokes my nose, "I would prefer it if I don’t have to worry about you disappearing from my life too.”

"I won’t disappear, Dad. We’re all each other has—you, me, and mom. We have to stick together.”

Dad smiles weakly as if he has secrets I still don’t know—ones I’ll probably never know. "Right, but you know if that ever happens, and one of us goes missing—”

"Kulao,” I tell him again.

"Kulao will make it so we’ll never have to worry about losing each other, Isabelle.”

His words and explanations give me the reassurance I need to fall asleep. Mom and Dad have always been honest about our situation—their secret. I suppose everyone has secrets that can cause trouble, so a backup plan is always necessary—or so Dad tells me.