“We did it,” Tamara squealed. “Ava. Where are you?”

I moaned. “I’m fine.” I lay on my back with my arms and legs spread out, unable to move through the throbbing pain.

As my chest heaved, sweat trickled down the sides of my temples. I’d been thrown around during training before, and I’d been taught to relax my muscles on impact. With Helix in my blood, the hit should have been tolerable. Either the serum had worked out of my system or Russ hadn’t given me enough. I doubted he would make that mistake.

Tamara made her way down and hovered above me.

Mitch offered his hand. Prick. I had no right to be mad at him, but anger flared in my bones. To show my sportsmanship, I took his hand anyway. My head spun and muscles continued to ache as Mitch pulled me upright. Russ, Justine, and Brooke rushed over.

“You’re awesome.” Brooke gave me a high five, but I recoiled from the pain. “I saw the whole thing. I cheered for you on the other side.”

Tamara drew her eyebrows together. “You tricked me. In a good way, I mean. You sacrificed yourself so I—we—could win.” Her eyes dampened with tears. “Thank you. I’ve never won before at anything.”

I smiled, not knowing what to say. My heart softened a bit, knowing I had done something good, something selfless.

Mitch patted my back. “I have to admit, Ava, this is the first time any team has beaten me. And you managed to find the hidden slide. Well done.”

I didn’t know Mitch well, and I didn’t know how he would react to getting his ego smashed, but I was pleasantly surprised.

“Does that mean we won?” Brooke batted her eyelashes.

Russ input something on his TAB. “I have to add up the scores, but since you’re the only team to beat Mitch so far, I would say yes. But try to pretend to be surprised when I announce the winners. Shall we go?” He extended his arm.

Justine strode happily, matching Russ’s stride. “If we’re the winners, then we get to go out this Friday night, right?”

“Yes, but you’ll be escorted.”

My team sauntered out of the room behind Russ, but I lagged behind. A sharp pang in my right shoulder stopped me. Wincing, I placed my hand on it to rub the area.

“The hero who sacrificed herself. Some things never change. Are you okay?” Mitch stepped beside me.

Instead of an answer, I gave him a faint smile. Some things never change? I didn’t remember sacrificing myself for my team before.

“Let me take a look.” He extended my arm and then slowly rotated it back.

I held my breath when he stood too close for comfort. He gently massaged the muscles, moving his hand upward to my collarbone. My shoulders eased and his touch soothed me. I didn’t want him to stop.

“Let me know if it hurts.” Mitch continued to knead it. “Where would you like to go, Ava?”

My heart raced. “What do you mean, where would I like to go?” At first, I’d thought he’d asked me on a date. Such a silly thought.

Mitch gingerly guided my arm downward. “Does this hurt?”

I shook my head, but pressed my lips together anticipating a rush of pain.

“I meant Friday night. I’m making the reservation for you ladies. Assuming you are the winners.”

“Somewhere nice and fun, I guess. I don’t know too many places. How about Shooting Stars? I read on the net that it’s a fun place.”

Mitch guided my arm toward my back. “Perfect. I’ll arrange it after I check it out. You were brave back there. You could’ve been the person on the other end. Why did you let her cross?”

The answer sat on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t get the words out. “I knew ... I mean, I—”

“Let me answer for you. You knew she couldn’t do what you did. You sacrificed yourself for the team to win. It was ...” He moved closer. “Well thought out. But when you’re on assignments, don’t sacrifice yourself unless it’s the last resort. I don’t want to see you dead.”

I closed my eyes, trying to stay focused. My arms were still behind me, locked in his hold. When he let go abruptly, I opened my eyes to see Russ glowering by the door. My face burned, even though I had no reason to feel guilty. I wondered how long he’d been watching us.

“I’m checking her shoulder. We’ll be right there.” Mitch’s tone oozed authority and Russ left without another word. “You should ice that shoulder and let me know how you feel in the morning. Or you can go to the medics and get that taken care of right away.”

“I’ll be fine. It feels better already.” I meandered away.

Mental note to self: Ask Russ why Tamara acted so scared while on Helix and why the hell had I felt real pain?

* * *

Later that afternoon when I had free time, I excused myself to my room to power on my TAB. I had a couple of minutes left for the day. I tried to keep Sniper out of my mind, but I couldn’t. This person bugged the life out of me. I needed some answers.

I tried to keep my mind occupied as I scrolled through the net with no purpose. When that didn’t help, I started reading a novel about zombies, but my eyes kept moving to the right corner of the TAB’s screen. Ugh.

Just as my finger neared the power button to shut down, a message popped up.

He was either persistent or ... did he know where I was? He couldn’t know.

Sniper wasn’t getting the point. I pushed my hair back, set my elbows on my desk, and propped my chin on my fists. My mind raced on what to do, and then my fingers danced on the letters.

I immediately regretted what I had done. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

The TAB automatically shut down. Freakin’ hell. Time had run out. Or someone had enough evidence to report me. My back prickled with alertness. I prepared for the possibility of several guards rushing through my door and taking me to Mr. Novak for breaking rule number three.

I waited in silence, still as the cool air around me. Holding my breath, I begged for release. When the door remained closed after a long stretch of silence, I let it all out. No one had come for me ... at least not yet.

* * *

After dinner, I went to Russ’s office as instructed. Before I had the chance to knock, the door slid open, revealing Russ sitting behind his desk. Two brown leather sofas sat facing each other in the center of the room, separated by an ottoman. Behind him, nothing but blank, white wall. No paintings hung, and no photos lined his desk; no evidence of his life before ISAN.

Had he even had a life before ISAN?

Of course he had. Don’t be ridiculous.

Russ wouldn’t flaunt his personal life in his office. He was a professional in every sense of the word.

“Come in and have a seat.” His words were sharper than usual.

Warm air bathed me like the sun’s rays when I stepped in, and the scent of lavender permeated the room. In my chemical class, I learned lavender relieved stress, anxiety, insomnia, and agitation. Good choice of scent, especially in his position.

“You wanted to see me?” My steps were quiet as I moved across the impeccable white marble floor.

A black leather chair rose up from an opening in the floor; then the opening sealed shut as if the chair had always been there. Taking a seat, I placed my hands on my lap.

“Yes.” He sighed.

I’d known Russ long enough to know it wasn’t going to be a friendly conversation from his tone.

He exhaled again and rubbed at his temples. “Your team was chosen to go on assignment.”

It took me a second to register. “Great ... I think? Does my team know?”

His face held no smile, and his green eyes lacked their spark. “Not yet. I wanted to tell you first.” Russ pressed his chest to the desk, leaning forward. “This isn’t going to be easy. Your team will have to assassinate a political figure.”

Not bring someone in but to assassinate. To kill. I leaned back as blood boiled through me, not from anger, but from fear. Holy cow.

“I’ve never—”

“That’s right. This will be the first time for your team, too. You have to understand you’re assassinating a criminal. You don’t need to know the details. Just do your job. Get in and get out as fast as you can.”

I crossed my arms and legs, swiveling my chair from side to side, as I tried to grasp the purpose of it, the unfairness of what I had been asked. My life was on the line in many different ways and so was my team’s.

Building courage, I asked, “What if I said no?”

I didn’t have the right to question the authority of my superiors, but he was a friend, too. And I was going to take advantage of it to get some answers.

As usual, he showed no emotion. “Ava, between you and me, okay?”

“Okay.”

He knew I was good at keeping secrets, not that he told me many. It felt good he trusted me with highly classified information.

“I don’t like sending you on a dangerous assignment. This political figure will have bodyguards surrounding him twenty-four hours a day. It will be nearly impossible to kill him. But I know you can do this. It won’t be just your team. I’ll be sending the guards and Roxy’s team, too. You’ve all been training for this.”

“Roxy’s team?” I jumped out of my seat, my teeth grinding. “No.” With my fists on his desk, I leaned forward, challenging him.

“Ava, sit down. You don’t have a choice.” Russ arched his eyebrows, obviously displeased. But his tone remained calm.

“Sorry.” I sheepishly plopped back.

He scowled. “I don’t care if you don’t like Roxy’s team. Besides, they won second place, and with their help, you’ll be safer. Their job is to protect your team and nothing else.” He pointed at me. “Your job is to get into his house, eliminate him, and get out. You’ll have Helix in your system, so mapping out his house won’t be an issue.”

I narrowed my eyes. I wanted to tell him Roxy’s team had cheated, though I had no proof. “Why don’t you send Roxy’s team instead?”

“You know why.” His words drew out harshly.

“So, you’re just using me for my ability to project a blueprint of his house and intended to send my team along—test or no test.”

He scoffed. “Yes, I’m using you. If you weren’t so damn good at it, you would be picking up trash and scrubbing the toilets instead.”

“The toilet cleans itself. It does a better job than I could.” I smirked.

Russ shook his head and twitched his lips. “You know what I mean.”

“Do I?” I released a defeated sigh. “But what if I freak out, like I did on the mental training? I missed it by one second.”

He stiffened and shifted his eyes from mine. “That’s different.”

He was hiding something. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I’d take a chance. After all, what would he do to me?

“You took a second away from me, didn’t you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He folded his hands in front of him.

The second he wouldn’t meet my gaze, I knew I was right.

“You did.” I gasped and hid the hurt of betrayal, masking my face to neutrality. “Why? To humiliate me?”

Russ’s head snapped up. “Humiliate you? Of course not. I had to prepare you, make things more realistic for you. I knew your team would be picked for this assignment.”

I peered down at my legs and rocked my chair to calm my fury. “Did you give us less Helix when we were up against Mitch? Is that why Tamara was so scared and I felt more pain than I should have when I fell?”

“Tamara hasn’t had as much mental mission training as your group. I figured with your guidance, she could overcome it. I suspect she has a special ability, but I haven’t found out what it is yet. I know you don’t agree with some of the things I do, but I needed to push you and test your limits. You know damn well you won’t do it on your own. The answer is yes. I took away the second, and I gave you less Helix, but look what your team has accomplished anyway.”

I didn’t mention it to Russ, but even with the smaller dosage of Helix, my mind had mapped out the blueprint. Some secrets were mine to hold.

“You care about me?” I gave him a sweet smile to apologize for crossing the line. He was my superior, and I was surprised he hadn’t reprimanded me thus far.

Russ set his hard eyes on me, as if to decide what to say or do. After a brief moment, we exchanged a warm smile until he broke his gaze.

Sliding his fingers through his brown hair with a sigh, he leaned forward. “Let me show you something.”

Russ placed his hand on his desk and then raised his hand up. A large screen appeared in mid-air. When he waved a hand across the screen, a picture of a man in his late sixties, with clean-cut white hair, materialized. The wrinkles across his forehead marked his age.

“This is Thomax Thorpe, a representative from the East territory. Its urban population sustained heavy death tolls in the meteor and tsunami aftermath, and its agricultural regions have been hit hard with drought. Thorpe has been in office since the Remnant Councils of the Former United States were formed, but you won’t have heard of him. Each territory’s national representative has been kept anonymous to protect them and their families. Only the councils and a few trusted members know their identities.”

I stopped rocking. “Why do they need to be kept secret? I don’t understand.”

Russ waved his hand again to change the picture. “It’s political. You can’t kill someone you don’t know. Why does one try to take another down?”

“For power,” I mumbled under my breath.

Russ’s gaze moved back to the screen. “These representatives not only guide the councils, they are spies and trained to protect.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“Influence, bribery, blackmail ... you name it. It all happens and has happened in the past. It’s to keep everyone safe. It keeps our world in order and running smoothly. The councils want to reassure the people they’re doing their jobs. That’s why you don’t see homeless people sleeping in the streets anymore. Everyone has a roof over their head. People have enough to eat. Crime rates are low.”

“What’d he do, or what’s the reason to terminate him?” My words came out so uncaring—like he was an object, not a person.

“You’re not authorized to know that kind of information.”

I drummed my fingers on the arm of the chair. “You’ve already told me this much. Who am I going to tell? Mr. Novak?” I was pushing it, but curiosity hammered my mind. “I’m going to be assigned to kill him—at least give me a reason so I can feel somewhat good about it.”

Russ shook his head and pressed his lips together. I batted my eyelashes and pouted to convince him. A heartbeat later, he reconsidered.

“Okay. But don’t say a word. We think he’s talking to the other reps, organizing a group to take over the councils.”

Holy shit. “Why not just bring him in instead of taking his life?”

“Like I said, there are other reasons. Other reasons even I’m not privy to. Sometimes matters have to be given special attention. I would like to close this conversation.”

“Okay.” I’d heard enough. It didn’t matter anyway; Thomax Thorpe’s life would end soon, either from my team or someone else’s. “You know, I lived on the streets. So, the system can’t be perfect.”

“That was different and you know it. You chose to run away instead of finding shelter. They would’ve taken you in.”

I shrugged and twisted my lips. “Maybe.”

“It’s different now.”

I didn’t believe it, but I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Sometimes talking about my past gutted me.

“When do I get to meet Thomax Thorpe?”

“Tomorrow night.” Russ poured two glasses of water and slid one to me. “Want a drink?”

“Is this going to be another test? Or that better be alcohol.”

Russ almost choked taking a sip. He wiped the drops trickling out of his mouth. “You can drink in two weeks when you turn eighteen.”

“How wonderful for me,” I said sarcastically, waving a hand. “I’ll be able to drink whenever I want, except I’m not allowed to drink here. And, oh yeah, I can finally have a place of my own, but I’m stuck here, not allowed to leave ... ever. What else?” I drummed my fingers on his desk, as if thinking. “I’ll be eighteen and have never been kissed, and since I can’t date, I’ll never get married or have kids. And the best part ... I’ll never have sex.”

I took a sip of water to cool my rising anger. Russ flushed the brightest red I’d ever seen. He blinked rapidly. The clink of ice when I placed my cup down sounded too loud at that quiet moment. As always, he would listen but be terse with his advice.

“Be grateful, Ava. You’re alive,” he said gravely.

His words slammed into my chest. Goosebumps rose on my skin. A feeling of déjà vu spiraled through me. But I blinked it away.

“Am I?” I lowered my head down in shame and peered at him under my eyelashes. Russ was the one who had taken me out of juvie; albeit I had special DNA ISAN sought, but I should be grateful he had come to my rescue. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

“It’s okay. I understand.” His lips softened their hard line, and the sparkle came back into his eyes.

Russ had a kind heart. I couldn’t remember how we’d become close, but I recalled we’d just hit it off. It wasn’t an overnight kind of friendship, but more like a progression. But I did question why he had opened up to me.

Russ waved a hand to close the images. “Do me a favor. When you’re on this assignment, just get in and out as fast as you can. Remember your training. Don’t look at their faces. Don’t make eye contact.”

I ran a finger across the rim of the glass, soaking in Russ’s words. The reality of the danger hit me again, but I had another question nagging at me. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. I’ll do my best to answer it.”

“Do you or anyone else send out private messages on our TAB anonymously?”

I didn’t know how to ask the question without getting myself in trouble. I didn’t know where the line crossed from Russ being my superior and friend. And I was sure I had reached my limit.

“What do you mean? Did someone try to contact you?” Russ sat taller and his shoulders tightened.

“No.” My pulse raced as the lie left my lips. Sinking into my seat, I wanted to take back my question.

Russ’s jaw relaxed, and he pulled back his shoulders. “If that ever happens, don’t reply. ISAN will find out and you’ll be sent back. I don’t want that to happen to you, got it?”

“Sure,” I murmured.

The reality of Russ’s words hit me, and my worries about ISAN finding out what I had already done knotted my stomach so thoroughly I couldn’t untie it. But if it wasn’t ISAN, well, that bothered me, too.

“Your team will be directed to Kendrick before you begin your assignment tomorrow. He’s new to ISAN. He’s built some interesting gadgets. You’ll be amused.” Russ stood and gestured for me to do the same. Placing his hand behind my back, he led me to the door and stopped. “Be safe, Ava. Follow your instincts, and don’t be afraid. It will only cause you to shut down. Pretend you’re on the mental mission. Block everything out.”

“I failed, remember?” I cocked my brow.

Russ gave me the biggest smirk; his lips practically reached his eyes. “Yeah, you did.”

He caught my hand easily when I swung at him. It would’ve been a light punch to his arm. I would never hit him hard, even though he deserved it.

“I’m still mad at you for taking away my second.” My nostrils flared. “You owe me a second. You ...”

My tongue stopped working when Russ tenderly rubbed the back of my hand. He had never shown this amount of affection before. Tingles ran up my arm and in places they shouldn’t. With his other hand, he pushed my hair away from my face, his fingers feather lightly caressing my cheek in the process. My breath caught in my throat and I closed my eyes to fight the heated sensation leaching onto me.

What the hell is he doing? My fault for acting like a lovesick fool. My instructor. My friend. Friend. Friend. Friend. I repeated to chase away false hope.

“Good luck tomorrow, Ava.” His voice sounded more like a whisper when his lips brushed my face.

The scent of musk and lavender spiraled up my nostrils, coaxing me. Heat infused my body, sending quivers through me. Oh, God. Had he just kissed me? Slowly, I fluttered my eyes open. When his eyes caught mine, his lips inched closer, and I thought he was going to kiss me, but he pulled away.

He couldn’t kiss me even if he wanted to. ISAN frowned upon any romantic relationship, especially between a superior and student. I wondered if he had a wife or a family, but that thought was ridiculous and impossible since he lived there. Then I recalled how Russ used to be out in the field, too. From that alone, I was certain he had no family to call his own.

“Thanks,” I managed to say finally, then left, dazed and a bit flustered.