Limitless

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Chapter 36 - Harmony

My first instinct is to attack Alec. That's what I would've done if he hadn't caught me with so many soldiers around. Lunge at him with everything I've got, knock him unconscious, then reach Hope and make a run for the exits. But I can't win a fight against Alex and all these guards without the element of surprise.

So I decide to do what he says. 'Investigation?' I ask him. He tips his hat politely, as if in apology, then takes one of my arms and begins leading me away from Hope.

'Commander Jacobs asked me to detain you,' he says. We
round the corner and head for the stairwell. Two other soldiers join him. 'I have a few questions for you.'

I put on an air of annoyance. 'Ridiculous! Couldn't the Commander pick a less dramatic moment for this nonsense?'

Alex doesn't reply for a while. 'I came to your house last night and I was knocking on your door, but you didn't open it. Where were you?'

I hesitate. 'I was up at the roof. I couldn't sleep.'

'You forgot your microphone downstairs, didn't you? I tried calling you, but I only got static.'

'Really? I had it with me the whole time. The weather was pretty bad yesterday.' I decide to turn the question around at him. 'What were you doing at my house?'

'Same. I couldn't sleep either. Anyways, follow me down.'

He leads me down the stairwell. Two flights down, until we reach the basement where execution halls, electric grids, and storage chambers line the halls. (I know why we're down here now. They've discovered the missing electro bomb that I have to Justice. Normally, inventory check wouldn't happen until the end of the month. Alec must've had it done this morning.) I keep the rising panic off my face. Focus, I remind myself angrily. A panicked person is a dead person.

Alec stops is at the bottom of the stairs. He puts a hand on his belt and j see the gleam of his gun's handle. 'An electro bomb's gone missing.' The dangling lights overheard cast mean shadows on his face. 'Found it missing early in the morning. You said you were up on the roof last night. Do you know anything about it?'

I keep my eyes steadily locked in his and cross my arms. 'You think I did this?'

'In not accusing you of anything, Harmony.' His expression turns tragic, even pleading. But his hand doesn't move away from his gun. 'But I thought it was quite a coincidence, and everyone else was more or less accounted for last night.'

'More or less accounted for?' I say it sarcastically enough to make him blush. 'That sounds vague. Did I show up in the security cams? Did Commander Jacobs put you to this?'

'Answer the question, Harmony.'

I glare at him. He winces, but he doesn't apologise for his change in tone. This may be it for me.

'I didn't do it.' I say.

Alec looks unconvinced. 'You didn't do it,' he repeats after me.

'What else can I tell you? Did they do at least another pass on the inventory check? Are you sure something's missing?'

Alec clears his throat. 'Someone tampered with the security cams down here, so we have no footage.' He taps his gun. 'It was quite a precise job. And when I think of precise, I think of one person. You.'

My heart starts beating faster.

'I don't want to do this,' Alec's voice grows softer. 'But I did find it strange that you spent so much time questioning Hope. Do you feel sorry for him now that you know he didn't kill Raiden? Did you set something up to-'