Chapter Twenty-Five

Helena stared at the monitor with clenched teeth. After over an hour of torture, Laura now lay with her head in Myers’ lap. Gently, he stroked her hair, whispering non-discernable words in her ear. “Why must we let them stay together? It doesn’t make sense.” Helena turned from the monitors and glared at Harding. “Wouldn’t it make more sense and be much better in the long run to keep those two apart?”

“No, it wouldn’t. Though I do not owe you an explanation, I need them thinking as a single unit. Either they are both broken together or one will always rebel and try to free the other. And I can’t have that, now can I?” Harding nudged her from the chair. “Your feelings for this man are distracting, and honestly, super annoying.”

His gaze hardened. A vein pulsated on his forehead as his eyes narrowed. “I hope you haven’t forgotten the stakes here. This is not about you at all. Nothing here has anything to do with you. Myers will never be yours, even if he turns. Remember there is no fraternization in S.I.U., so get your mind right, or you’ll be joining them down there, chained to a wall. Do I make myself coherent in that insignificant brain of yours?”

Queasiness swept through Helena’s stomach. She felt ill. This mission continued to get worse. She had no delusions of regaining Myers’ trust, but maybe, somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she hoped.

Alicia pranced in wearing a low-cut top and tight, black jeans. She wrapped her arms around Harding’s shoulders and leaned to whisper something in his ear. A seductive smile played on his lips as he whispered something back.

“No fraternization, right,” Helena mumbled under her breath, moving toward the door. “I’m taking my break.”

They didn’t seem to hear her as she left. But who cares? Over all the years she had been with S.I.U., not once did any of the leaders appreciate her devotion or her sacrifice to the so-called cause. She gave this place more than just her physical being—every ounce of who she was seeped into this life. All the decisions and lies, they were all for what she saw as the perfect retribution.

Without any complaint, she buddied up to her father’s assassin. For what? To find out they weren’t even going to kill her? And to find out her friendship and entire cause with Alicia was just one big lie. That she would never experience love again. How much more could Helena take? Not that it mattered. Life with S.I.U. was “until death do we part”—a true marriage. It was no wonder the Black Squad chose to flee from this place two years ago.

Helena sighed as she neared the end of the hallway and pushed open the control room door. How stupid were Laura and Bryce back then to think they could escape all of this? There was no escaping the S.I.U.—not really. Everyone knew this organization would always come for their people, as was evidenced by the blood trickling from Black’s and Myers’ bodies onto the cement floor downstairs. If they couldn’t break them, they would kill them.

The long, dim hallway from the control room seemed to go on forever. This place was crazy hot. Sweat poured down her face and back as she reached the end by the boiler room. She lifted a small plate revealing a light panel and punched in the code. The wall slid to the right, exposing a service elevator.

She stepped inside and inhaled the cool rush of air, before punching the fourth floor button. The door closed, and the elevator rose. It stopped short and opened, revealing she was home. The hallway was flooded with teenagers gabbing about stupid stuff, messing around. Some were flirting, others studying. If someone didn’t know any better, it could be any college dorm or military barracks.

“Helena?” someone said behind her.

She spun around, coming face to face with Deshawn. Her heart skipped. She was the one who knocked him out in Mexico and saw when Alicia and another man took him. But she assumed he was dead. “Deshawn, you’re here. Why? I mean… What are you doing here?”

“Good to see you, too,” he said sarcastically with a raised eyebrow “Of course, I could ask you the same question.”

“Right. Of course. Good to see you, man. I was just surprised. That’s all.” Helena gave him an awkward smile, then glanced around the hallway, before stepping closer so no one could hear them. “I meant, why aren’t you with Black’s team anymore? What happened? How did you end up here?”

“Someone, I’m assuming an S.I.U. agent, grabbed me in Mexico, and brought me back here. I don’t know why I’m not locked up.” He scratched a small goatee forming on his chin. “Did the same happen to you?”

“Not exactly.” Helena leaned to one hip and crossed her arms. “I’ll admit, I don’t quite understand why you aren’t locked up either. After all, you’re good friends with the enemy.”

He looked at her sideways, obviously confused. “Aren’t you?”

Did she tell him the truth? A part of her wanted to tell him everything. To somehow gain his trust and have a friend again. But that isn’t what would happen. She knew it. It was better she got him in line with the program. “It’s important to know who the real enemy is, Deshawn.” She glanced up at a camera and made sure he saw it, too. “S.I.U. is your family now. Don’t forget that.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she didn’t wait for him to express his thoughts. Nothing he said would make her feel good. Besides, it was time to sleep. After over twenty hours awake, her bunk called her name.

At the end of the hall, she slid her barrack’s access open. When she turned to shut it, she noticed Deshawn standing outside the open doorway. She stared at him a moment, then closed the door without a word. He would not be easy to shake. Maybe she should speak to Harding about rethinking his decision to not lock him up. Once Deshawn realized her betrayal, he could become a huge problem. And worse, if he got wind of their captives in the basement, he would likely side with Laura and Myers. It was no secret Myers and he were good friends.

Sitting on a chair next to the small desk in her room, Helena unlaced her boots. Why was Harding keeping him out in the open? None of this made sense to her. In one swift motion, she tossed her body on the bunk and stared at the ceiling. Smoke rings stained the ceiling from years of smokers using this room. Supposedly, this station was the first S.I.U. outpost. Most thought S.I.U. started in Puerto Rico, but actually, it began on the border of El Paso, Texas and Mexico. It made it easy for Greenstone to get away with stuff, without having to travel so far from the U.S.

Her mind whirled with all that had happened lately. Harsh thoughts about Harding’s behavior drifted through her memory. She worked to piece all the weird decisions together. He had said something about wanting Laura and Myers to be broken together. Some of it started to make more sense. He was right. If one of them were still against S.I.U., they would be a hindrance to the other. Maybe Deshawn was there to remind them of what they had before and to make this place home again. Or maybe Harding wanted him to know about them and test his loyalty. If he failed, he would die as an example. One more nail to Laura’s psyche.

Deshawn may try to help Laura escape, but then, he would be where they were. If he passed and they were assimilated back into this place, then they would be a strong unit. But Helena didn’t want that. She wanted them all to fail. Better yet, she yearned for Laura to die trying to escape. Deshawn was just one more distraction to Helena’s end game. He had to go as soon as possible.

She rolled over on her bunk and squeezed her eyes shut. Visions of Myers holding her, caressing her, kissing her beset her mind. A part of those gave her warmth. But they were quickly replaced with how he would speak to her now. The few words they had exchanged had been bitter, full of disgust and fury. He would never forgive her, and if he did by some chance, there was no fraternization at S.I.U.

Her heart hurt. She needed to find peace, but that was long ago taken by Laura’s hand. All of this was her fault. All of it. A new rage flooded Helena’s system. She swung her legs to the floor and hopped up. She dropped to the floor and began pressing out push-ups. Every fiber of her body tingled with rile. She had to find a way to kill Laura that wouldn’t get her killed. Maybe then, and only then, would Helena finally find peace.