The suspense drove me crazy.

I stood on a yellow line in a giant circle while Russ and Lydia stood in the center. They wore their training outfits—dark gray pants with matching red shirts. Lydia had her hair tied back as usual, but for some reason, she and Russ seemed different—more tense.

In the center of the circle was the ISAN logo—a compass with the initials ISAN in the middle—the same symbol imprinted on the front of the guards’ vests and all outfits.

With my hands behind my back, spine stiff, eyes forward—ISAN attention stance—I waited for my training to begin.

“Good morning.” Russ produced a barely noticeable smile. “Hope everyone had a restful sleep. In a few minutes, the screen will display the schedule for your team, indicating when to report to the fitness workout with me, or self-defense with Lydia.”

Lydia stepped forward. “As I’ve mentioned before, the top two teams will go on a special assignment. As an extra incentive, the winning team will be allowed to go out on a Friday night for three hours to a place of their choosing.”

Cheers erupted but faded. Mr. Novak appeared and raised his hand to silence the crowd. His eyes—cold as a gravestone—fell on me, rooting me to the spot, singling me out. I bristled, heart racing. Despite the perfect temperature in ISAN, I shivered.

Look away. I couldn’t. His gaze held power over me, making me weak and stiff.

In addition to the fact he walked like he had a stick up his butt, he never smiled. His chiseled jaw clenched, his shoulders pushed back proudly, and his onyx eyes warned me not to mess with him. Sporting a black suit, his tie perfectly straight, he always dressed like he was going to a funeral. Too bad it wasn’t his.

Lydia squared her shoulders and cleared her throat. “We’ll give you some time to look over your schedules. Russ and I will be in our offices if you have any questions.”

With a nod, they ambled out together.

The room went silent. The hunger to contact the world outside the building fed my desire to win. I presumed everyone felt the same. Only two teams would go on a special assignment and one team for Friday night for three hours.

Did my team have a chance?

“Come on. Let’s go find out who goes first,” someone said.

As if the words were some kind of cue, girls jostled each other in the race to check the list. Brooke pulled my T-shirt, ensuring we would stay together, but someone rammed my shoulder in passing. If Brooke hadn’t grabbed me, I would’ve fallen flat on my face.

“What the heck?” Rage surged through my veins. I searched for the rude girl who didn’t apologize as I straightened my shirt.

Brooke narrowed her eyes. She had no shame in pointing her finger at the culprit. “The girl with the black T-shirt. The big mean one. Her team calls her Roxy.”

Roxy towered over me and bulged with muscles. I soon learned running into me wasn’t an accident when she glared at me. Her scowl promised there would be more trouble ahead. Guess she didn’t like Russ telling newbies we were the best. My assumption only, but I couldn’t think of any other explanation. I had never interacted with her before.

I ground my teeth, my fists hard as rocks. I wanted to rush over there and hammer her face into the ground.

Steady the anger, Ava. You’re a leader. You’re better than that. Think of your team. So I simply offered my fake charming smile and gave her the bird.

She schooled her face so tightly, her cheek muscles twitched. When she lunged forward, her team held her back. Roxy swatted at her friends to release the hold on her and then scampered away.

Good. You best scurry away. I lit a victorious smile for the win.

The crowd stopped and I rooted my eyes on the screen that ran the length of the wall.

“Do you see our names?” I asked Justine.

“Nope. Nothing so far ... can’t see the bottom. There’re too many people. But there goes Tamara.”

Tamara’s petite frame slinked through the throng. She found us a few minutes later with a bright smile. “Justine, Brooke, Ava and me—we’re Team Ten. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah.” She twirled her hips and her neck simultaneously.

I giggled at the hilarious display—her version of the happy dance—she had no rhythm, but I had to give her credit for moving to her own beat.

Justine leaned on her hip and crossed her arms, staring at Tamara, appalled. “Great. We get a clown.”

“You’re such a bitch.” Brooke shook her head, like a mother reprimanding a child. “You’re jealous because you can’t dance like her.”

I smiled, secretly thanking Brooke for sticking up for Tamara. Tamara didn’t say anything, although her lips parted and her eyes darkened. One day soon, she would be brave enough to fight back, once her newbie status changed.

Justine pushed her chest to Brooke’s and I prepared to step in the middle.

“Look.” Justine stabbed her finger in the air for emphasis. “I want to see the outside of this place. If any one of you messes up, I’m asking for a transfer, understand?”

Go ahead. That would make my day.

Brooke’s lips spread broadly. “No one is stopping you.”

Justine gazed up at the ceiling and scoffed. “I’ll meet you guys in fifteen minutes.” She pointed down. “Right here on this spot. You see those idiots, huddled together?”

I considered the group Justine pointed to.

“They’re Team Nine,” Justine continued. “We’re up against them. I suggest you get some rest and think of ways to beat those girls, or they’ll kick our asses. They look like they’ve been drinking steroids.” She stomped away.

Tamara gasped. Her eyes widened. “Maybe Justine is right. Maybe we should rest before—”

“Don’t worry. Justine is all talk. She’s just scared.” Brooke waved her hand as if she could dismiss Tamara’s anxiety.

Everybody headed to their rooms, except for me. Reviewing the list once more, I noticed all teams had five names. Tamara had failed to mention the fifth line read M. Just the letter M. Strange. Did I know someone whose name started with M? And why was she in all the teams?

Having some time left, I sprinted to my room, planning to check for another strange message on my TAB. I rushed through the door, powered my TAB, and checked the clock. Plenty of time.

Anticipation heated my blood. I waited, but no message appeared. Despite being suspicious of the unknown message sender, I was disappointed. Then after five minutes, three words popped up at the right corner like the last time.

I had a strong urge to peek over my shoulder when fear pricked my skin. I should ignore the message, but I couldn’t help myself. My heart drummed faster. I felt nervous and excited at the same time. Oh, what the hell? I hadn’t done anything wrong. I hadn’t reached out first. I typed back.

I hesitated. Had I just failed a test? I debated whether to shut down my TAB. If it was a test, I was already screwed.

I wrote back.

I thought about questions that wouldn’t cause suspicion, and I could only think of one.

My fingers paused as I debated what to type. The urge to respond before time to leave outweighed the consequences of being caught, so I continued.

A lie.

What? Had he just asked me out on a date? Was he some kind of psycho killer? He didn’t even know me. Wouldn’t a name like Adam put the brakes on? Maybe the stranger was female. Or maybe he was gay. I snorted and noted the time.

Crap. I had a minute left before I had to report to my station, so I typed as fast as I could.

I shut down my TAB and ran as fast as my legs would allow. I booked it down the hall, the echoes of my stomping tennis shoes reverberating loudly.

Why were there so many damn halls?

Justine glared at me, pointing at the digital clock on the wall.

“Sorry,” I mouthed.

Standing next to Tamara, I examined Team Nine. They were muscular, bigger, and their eyes held no mercy. In the dead center stood Roxy. Roxy’s face paled sickly against her black hair. Her nostrils flared like a bull ready to charge, and her lips twitched when she spotted me.

Roxy lifted a fist and smacked it against her palm, as her dark steel eyes, hard and cold, gazed straight at me with purpose.

I swallowed, but reminded myself this was like sparring. Something I had done many times, and the size of the girls shouldn’t daunt me. So I squared my shoulders and I glowered back. Challenge accepted.

Lydia stood in the middle of the yellow ring, looking young enough to pass for one of us. I wondered if she had ever been an assassin who had switched to a different department when her time expired. Curious, one day I would ask her.

In one hand, Lydia held a digital stopwatch. In the other, she held two black vests. While Lydia paced, she scanned the workout room, then each of us, and then stopped in front of me.

“Glad your team didn’t have to have one less. Keep the time, Ava.”

She turned her back to me before I could explain.

Explain what? Someone had contacted me and I secretly wished the stranger was a hot guy? I had to stop thinking about the message and get my head in the game or my lack of concentration would hurt my team.

“We’re doing something different today,” she continued. “I’m not going to teach you any tactics or self-defense. I’m going to dose you with a small amount of Helix. Keep in mind, unlike when you get a full dosage, you will feel pain. And your team will lose a point for face contact. So be careful and remember the rules. One person will wear the vest from each team, and the rest of you will need to protect it. The team that steals the other team’s red X from the back of their vest is the winner. Your timing is crucial. I rank by time. Good luck. Do you have any questions?”

I stepped forward without making eye contact.

“Ava?”

“On the screen, a letter M was added to our team. Will she be joining us?”

“No, not on this round.” She examined me, her eyes lingering longer than usual.

Was something up?

Oh God. Was she the stranger contacting me on my TAB? My face burned at the possibility. Then I realized she had been busy with the girls while I had been talking to the stranger. My suspicion died.

“Is that all?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Return to your position.”

I acquiesced and took a step back into the line.

My team voted Tamara to wear the vest. I would stay behind and protect Tamara while Justine and Brooke went for the other team’s X.

Helix spread through my blood after Lydia gave me my dose. The red X on the vest grew vibrant. My mind clicked in full alert, strategizing, and my eyes darted back and forth.

Everyone’s unique pheromones whiffed through my nose. Tamara, closest to me, smelled like jasmine. Justine and Brooke gave off wild flower scents. But, oh God, the odor from the other team, something between sweat mixed with bad breath, made me want to vomit.

I winced and tried not to inhale deeply, and failed.

Tamara grimaced. “What’s that smell?”

Clearly their tactic had worked, but I needed her to focus.

“Tamara, it’s their plan. They’re distracting us with their stench. Don’t let it get to you.”

“Okay.” Tamara’s voice sounded off, like she had a bad case of stuffy nose.

Clever, Roxy. Let’s see if you’re smart enough to beat my team.

As if Roxy knew I was thinking of her, she pointed at me with narrowed eyes, and mouthed, “You’re dead.”

I scoffed. The nerve of her. Instead of feeding my wrath, I did something she never expected, something that might flip her switch. I winked and blew her a kiss. Then I gave her my back as if she wasn’t worth a second of my time and swaggered away.

When I turned back, Roxy’s face blazed with enough rage to start a fire.

Team Nine charged when Lydia gave the green light. My heart pounded against my rib cage. Justine ducked a swing and rammed her fist into the gut of a fighter named Carol.

Carol’s head thrashed forward while her body curved around her stomach. She recovered and swung higher, smacking Justine on the left cheek. I winced. Justine swore. Team Nine had lost a point for making face contact.

The wicked side of me snickered. Justine deserved that. How many times had I wanted to punch Justine in the face? Justine would have a bruise, but Dr. Machine could make her look good as new in a matter of minutes.

I shifted my eyes to Brooke.

Come on, Brooke. Do better than Justine.

A redhead charged like a jaguar toward Brooke. Brooke effortlessly leaped upward and landed behind the redhead. She swung her leg around like a baseball bat and knocked the redhead to the floor, face down.

Atta girl.

When the girl lifted her head, blood trickled from her nose. The smell of iron came strong, thanks to Helix. Then, Brooke charged for the girl in the vest, Faya. I itched to help when I observed Justine struggling with Roxy. But the X couldn’t be taken. I had to protect Tamara.

I extended my arms in front of Tamara as the other team advanced. The redhead wiped her bloody nose with her shirt and came for me. When I threw a punch, she got a hold of my arm and twisted it behind me. I groaned.

With my other hand, I reached behind me and wrenched a fistful of her hair. I landed on my back with a thud when she flipped me over, but I popped back up. Rage rushed through me, and I swung my leg as Brooke had and knocked the redhead over. Not realizing she had a grip on my shirt, I fell on top of her.

I bit my lip when my head hit hers and I tasted warm metallic liquid. After tumbling several times, my body came to a halt with redhead on top. When her hand wrapped around my throat, I lost my concentration.

What’s wrong with me? I’m stronger than this. Get the hell up. Your team needs you.

Tamara yanked the redhead off me and tossed her to the side. Coughing relentlessly, I got up to protect Tamara again. The room spun and I stumbled forward a bit. I scrubbed my face and shook my head, hoping to clear my vision.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

I had no time to respond.

I pushed Tamara aside and dove for the redhead. I managed to get a grip on her T-shirt and shoved her across the polished floor. I’d predicted Roxy to be the troublemaker, but I’d thought wrong. The redhead charged, her eyes pinned on me with promise of death. Some people would do anything for a night on the town.

You can go with the black eye I’m going to give you, Red.

The redhead threw herself at me. Instead of blocking, I jumped over her. She stumbled, gripping only air, and fell. Growling at me, she got up and threw a sloppy punch. I moved faster, and she missed.

“We did it,” Brooke exclaimed.

Cheering and screaming erupted. Justine and Brooke gave each other high fives.

I glanced over my shoulder to the redhead as a cautious measurement, wondering if she would attack me. Though she didn’t, her gaze screamed bloody murder and held me on edge. I’ve learned through experience; some girls didn’t care about rules.

Roxy cursed under her breath, pacing the length of the mat.

I punched the air and gave Tamara a pat on her back. Justine and Brooke ran toward us. For the first time, I felt we were a unit. There was no yelling or bickering among my team. A sense of trust and sisterhood I’d never felt before wrapped around me; which I assumed was the reason for this specific training.

One step closer to getting some free time in the real world. I especially wanted it for Justine and Tamara. They deserved some happiness, too.

“Congratulations, Team Ten. Let’s see what happens to the other groups.” Lydia tapped the small TAB device she held. “Team Nine, you need to stay for round two. Team Ten, go get some rest and report to Russ in half an hour.”

Team Nine kept their heads down. The redhead’s bloody nose became worse and Lydia offered her a towel. I felt bad for them, but one of us had to lose. Better them than us.

I shuffled out and past the guards, then separated from my team to head to my room. I rubbed my still-throbbing throat and sucked on my small split lip. No biggie. The intensity of the pain would have been a lot worse had I not received the serum. Besides, months and months of physical training had made me tolerant to pain. Pain or not, I felt the strong need to punch the redhead.

As soon as I entered my room, I went straight to my TAB. I had about five minutes left. I waved my hand to wake it up. My eyes zoomed down to the corner, and sure enough, a message awaited me.

Stupid answer, but a believable explanation. Why was I apologizing?

I shut down.

I didn’t know what frightened me more, getting caught or exchanging messages with Sniper. Sniper sounded more like a guy’s name, so I pretended he was. My sensible half didn’t want to talk to the stranger anymore, but curiosity about the mystery person ate me alive.

How had he tapped into my TAB when ISAN had a highly classified system deemed untraceable? I didn’t want the blame to fall on me if the person broke through the main system and crashed everything.

Sniper said he was an old friend, but I didn’t have any friends. No explanation how the stranger had found me was fathomable.

Why had it happened to me? I’d always believed nothing happened by chance. I thought about asking Brooke, or maybe Tamara, but definitely not Justine. As those thoughts circulated in my mind, I noted the time. I sighed through my nose.

“Open. Door,” I said.

When the door whooshed, I stepped out.