“Damn straight there is. While they were interrogating her, Lucas let something slip about some ‘they’ who always got what they need out of people like Lena to test the limits of their abilities, and it was his turn.”
“He could’ve been talking about accelerating the experiments on the prisoners up there.” Thomas referred to the secret Council prison in Zone Four operating on the border of Council territory and the LDS Zone. They sent the strongest criminal Sparks there instead of to Madisonville. As far as the public knew, these most dangerous men were put to death. Thomas, as Councilor Five, received occasional briefs on the activities there that told him otherwise. The public didn’t want men running around who could start fires and blackout fragile relo-city power systems, but the Council wasn’t willing to give up the opportunity to figure out how and why Sparks worked.
“That’s what I thought. The thing is….” Alex paused. “I had the feeling all of the advances they were talking about, all of the interrogations Lucas referenced that I wasn’t supposed to hear about, they weren’t on prisoners we know about. Thom, I think they’ve got the girls they’ve been taking up there.”
They both had long since learned to pay attention to Alex’s feelings on investigations.
Thomas’s blue eyes narrowed now as he focused. “What gave you that impression?”
Alex cocked his head, thinking back. “Nothing concrete. Nothing overtly said.”
“When you look at it sideways and take into account our lost agents up in Zone Four, it adds up,” Thomas said. “Four is up to something.”
“In response to us?”
“I wouldn’t think so.” His friend growled in frustration. “Our support shipments are still coming in, testing safe. And Four sent his Wards last summer, same as every year.”
Alex could see Thomas’s frustration at not having the answers. He felt the same. They had too much coming together now for it all to fall apart.
“I’ll make certain we know more shortly. I’ve been considering sending an agent I think could slip under their radar. It’s time to move on it.” Thomas shook it off, shifting his shoulders. “We’ll return to that later. Finish with the girl—”
“Lena.”
“Yes, Lena. Anything else?”
Alex fell quiet. “There is, in fact.” His hand reached across his chest to rub at his ribs where her small hands had spread warmth easing out through his body, healing. And doing other things. “My ribs were broken in the collapse. She fixed them. And—”
“She healed you?” Thomas tried hard not to sound incredulous. At Alex’s slow nod, he said, “And there’s an ‘and’?”
He frowned, remembering, and continued the slow nod as Thomas’s expression urged him to answer. “And it did something to her. She started…glowing.”
“We all glow.”
“No, Thom.” Alex shook his head. “She was glowing. Casting shadows in the room because her skin or the Dust in her skin was a shining beacon of light, glowing.” He swallowed and finished quietly. “It was the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. She said it had never happened before. She didn’t know what caused it.” He shrugged. “It didn’t hurt her that we know of, and it faded over the next two hours, while we were in the tunnels under the city. We got out. Came here. And now she’s pissed. Welcome to Fort Nevada.”
Thomas digested the information in silence, as he usually did. It unnerved most of the people who had occasion to report directly to Councilor Five. But Alex had gotten used to it long ago. He sat back and waited.
After several moments of silence, Thomas spoke, and as Alex had expected, he had moved on. “I have a plan B. I didn’t know this would turn into such a production, but I figured you’d be due back in Azcon fairly quickly. So I’ve made other arrangements for her. Come with me.” Thomas stood and came around the desk. “You can meet him.”
“Him?”
Thomas nodded and strode from the room, his slight build somewhat incongruous when paired with his athletic grace. Alex followed him out of the administration wing and down two levels of stairs to the upper-level classroom wing. Thomas turned in to the Peer Assistance Center, where students who were struggling with their work could turn for help from carefully vetted Senior Wards.
The Senior Ward on duty jumped up when they entered.
Thomas pointed out a young man who looked familiar to Alex. The kid sat at a work station with his head bent down as he helped a boy of about twelve. “I require Senior Ward First Class Lee.”
When Thomas said the name, Alex had it. Lee was the kid he’d talked to in the cafeteria two nights ago. He must’ve done well on his out routes. The kid likely didn’t know yet, but Thomas would.