The Operator

“You want me to bring him in so you can jail him?” she asked.

Steiner’s lips curved into a smile. “You’ve done worse to those who deserve it less.”

She took a step closer, not liking that he was right. Harmony stiffened. Behind him, Jack set his coffee down and mirrored Peri, pinning the older man between them. “Not when my name was on the next cell over,” she said. Steiner probably had access to all her records, knew more about what she’d done than she did herself. Peri had no defense other than a paper-thin, plausible deniability. She might have been manipulated into her actions, but Michael liked hurting people. She’d seen it in his eyes in front of her coffee shop.

“Your help in the matter will not go unnoticed,” Steiner said.

“My cell will have a window. Gotcha.”

“Peri,” Allen whispered. “Will you give him a chance?”

“I’m listening,” she said, her thoughts on the stolen vials.

Steiner made a small noise as if she’d passed some sort of test, but he rocked back to glance behind himself, searching for whatever Peri kept looking at, the man oblivious to Jack frowning at him. “The alliance’s dewy-eyed idea that the drafters would come in when Opti fell apart was a poor one,” Steiner said. “They predictably scattered, most going into hiding as you did. We’re finding those who use their skills for monetary gain by reputation. That is, when a crime goes unsolved, we can figure out who did it by your quirks of methodology. WEFT has been tasked with bringing them in. I’m focusing on problem drafters first. It’s my hope to find you all before your abilities become common knowledge.”

“Yes, the world knowing about us would be a problem,” she said bitterly.

“How do you think the common man will react if it’s suddenly known that a small demographic can change the past?” Steiner accused. “You think they’ll listen rationally? Take you in as the next evolutionary step of mankind and celebrate you? No. They’ll believe whatever lie makes them feel justified in hunting you down. They’ll not only kill you but go after your parents, siblings, and anyone else they think you’ve infected.”

“Infected!” Jack exclaimed, but Peri didn’t like the hallucination giving voice to her outrage. Is he threatening my mother?

“It will be genocide, Agent Reed,” Steiner continued. “And you will be at the center of it. I’m trying to avoid that by bringing in drafters as they reach my notice. If a drafter’s actions don’t become an issue, I have no reason to bother them apart from the request that they remain childless.”

Her eyes narrowed. “And if we don’t like that last part?”

“We’ll insist.” He hesitated. “And why do you keep looking over my shoulder?” Steiner asked, anger finally reaching his voice.

“I’m watching the monster creeping up behind you,” she said cryptically, and Allen cringed, knowing she was talking about Jack.

Peri had never wanted a family, but to force the issue didn’t sit well, and when Jack began to pace, Peri sat down. “I’m still listening,” she said, and Allen exhaled, clearly relieved.

Steiner stiffly lowered himself into the chair across from her, the empty expanse of the glass table between them. “Bill Heddles sent Michael Kord on task this morning. They have abandoned the Detroit facility and Bill needs immediate funds to set up anew.”

I bet Bill is happy about that. “Okay.” Peri glanced at the photos that Harmony had taken from a shiny blue file folder and spread across the low table.

“His flight is for St. Louis,” Harmony said, pictures spinning to land in front of her where Peri stopped them with a quick hand. “We won’t know until he boards the plane, but he’s probably going to be there with this woman. Her name is Jennifer.”

She pointed down, and Allen bent at the waist, peering at the razor-sharp images. “She was in the van when they tried to snag me,” Peri said.

“You spilled coffee on her, too,” Allen said, clearly relieved that Peri wasn’t baiting Steiner anymore.

“Due to his current lack of resources, we feel Heddles might be on-site as well,” Harmony said. “If he is, we bring them both back. Think you can handle that?”

And then I’m in my cell until they need me again, she thought, jerking as her eyes lit upon a photo of Jack among the rest. Steiner cleared his throat knowingly at her reaction, and she slumped, settling back as if she didn’t care. But the damage had been done.

“You think Jack might be there, too?” Allen said as he picked up Jack’s photo.

“He was your last Opti anchor, right?” Harmony questioned suspiciously.

Peri nodded, her eyes lifting from the photo to Jack standing before the coffee urn. Setting his mug down, Jack crossed the room to peer over her shoulder. “I don’t remember that being taken,” the hallucination said.

Harmony’s head shifted back and forth. “Sir, her flight risk is too high. Reed stays here.”

“Excuse me?” Peri began to laugh, but it was bitter even to her ears. “You think I’m going to run away with Jack? Do your homework, Agent Beam.”

“You are a flight risk,” Harmony insisted. Frustrated, she turned to Steiner. “It’s bad enough I have to work with Swift.”

“You came to me,” Allen muttered.

“Seriously?” Peri pulled the photo from Allen’s hand and threw it in the trash. “You honestly think I’m going to trust Bill? Go running back to him? You think I like losing chunks of memory and being remade into whatever suits him? But I can see why you might be worried. Your great plan is to commit a slow and morally comfortable genocide on a new kind of human.”