The Operator

“Now, why would you say that?” he said as he lifted his phone to take a picture of her.

“Because I don’t care,” she said, laughing sloppily and making a peace sign as the camera clicked. “You deserve it, Michael. If anyone does, it’s you. But you’ll never get it. She ended the program. Just like that. The thing is, I think you knew you’d never get it. That’s why you’re pissed all the time.” She squinted one eye shut. “Caught in her web. The bitch.”

“Where is the accelerator you stole from Bill?” he said tightly. “Does WEFT have it?”

“What, and have you kill me if I tell you?” she said, smiling cattily as the beginnings of a plan formed. She didn’t want out of her cage until keeping her alive was a priority for him. “Tell you what, though. I’ll take you to it. It gives me a fair shot. If you’re the best, then I won’t be able to slip you and you’ll deserve to be accelerated and I deserve to die.” Snuggling into Helen’s coat, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the fencing again. “And if I escape, which I will, you’ll spend the rest of your life getting cats out of trees.”

Peri gasped at the sudden pain, never having seen the slap coming. Scooting back out of his reach, she put a hand to her face. The adrenaline cleared her mind for an instant. “Is that a no?” she said, thinking she’d won some points. Trying to hit her through the chain link had probably hurt his hand more than he’d hurt her face.

“I’m not letting you out. Tell me where it is, or that is the last Evocane you get.”

There was that, and she pulled the air into her, feeling it swirl in her lungs. Damn, I am so high right now. His threats meant little. She was a dead woman talking unless she could get herself out of here in the next twenty-four hours.

Seeing her pantomime zipping her lips shut, he stood, clearly confident things would be different when withdrawal set in. A fear born in self-preservation slid through her as Michael sauntered to the door, icing her mild buzz away. She had to keep him there, engaged. If that door shut, she was sure he wouldn’t open it until she was in withdrawal.

“You’re never going to get it, Michael,” she said, feeling drained as the words passed her lips. “Helen is holding your leash now instead of Bill. Kill me, and your chance for acceleration is gone. I can give you what you want, but you’re too scared to take it,” she accused, and he turned stiffly. “You’re afraid. Just like those old men you hate so much. You hear me? I got what you want, and nohow are you going to get it unless Silas is safe. Never.”

He pointed a finger at her, a lifetime of being told no on him. “I’m not letting you out.”

Because he was afraid of her. “Send Silas for it,” she said, concentrating on making the words come out right. Please stay alive, please. “He knows where it is. He can put it somewhere only I know about.” She forced her wandering gaze back to him. “And when I’m sure he’s safe, we’ll go collect it and see just who is the better agent, Mickie.”

Michael didn’t move, poised in the center of the room, thinking. Scared he wouldn’t go for it, she blew him a kiss and eased herself all the way down to the cold floor, pillowing her head on the wadded-up WEFT jacket. She had no intention of getting Silas involved other than getting him free. But the seed had been planted. It would fester until he pulled it out or it grew into full paranoia.

“I don’t have access to Silas,” he said. “I’ll send Harmony instead.”

Tension zinged through her. “No.” She rolled over onto her back, feigning indifference as relief swept through her. There was a grate in the ceiling, too tiny to fit through. “I’m not getting her involved anymore.”

“Harmony tried to kill me yesterday and got herself caught.” Michael ambled back to her fencing. “She’s involved up to her cornrows.”

Shit. Peri turned her head, a wave of dizziness blurring her vision. When it cleared, Michael was swiping through his phone, smiling as he turned it to show her a picture. Peri’s eye twitched as she took in Harmony’s anger and frustration in what looked like an Opti cell. Damn it all to hell and back.

Silas was bad enough, but Harmony? Harmony hadn’t asked for this. She had not only helped her stay out of Steiner’s cage but had risked her career doing it. Peri didn’t care Harmony’s motive had been to bring in Michael and save her career—she had trusted Peri to remain true to her word when she had every reason to think otherwise. That this trust had put her in danger, a cage like the one she’d gotten Peri out of, was intolerable. Peri never abandoned those she worked with. Jack didn’t count. He had turned his back on her first.

Michael turned the phone and studied the photo. “She’d be fun to play with.” Smiling, he closed out the app and tucked the phone away. “Here’s the deal,” he said as he crouched before the fencing and Peri sat up. “You stay right here. I send Harmony and Jack—”

“Jack!” she blurted, and Michael grinned at her sudden flash of anger.

“He was with Harmony. I’m guessing they were aiming for you? But Jack is good backup. He’ll continue to play both sides of the fence,” he said smugly. “You gotta love Opti conditioning. They collect the accelerator. Bring it to me. And if it works, I let you all go.”

Fat chance. Even higher than a cirrus cloud, she knew better than that. “They collect the accelerator, call me, and I tell them where to drop it. Once I know they’re safe, I’ll take you to it,” Peri countered. I’ll get you out, Silas. I promise.