Raw emotions fly over Miranda’s features: disbelief, shock, anger, sadness, and then understanding. She stands from her desk and glares at Charlotte, “I’m leaving for ten minutes. When I come back, you better not be here.”
I watch in shock as Miranda stalks out of the room, leaving Piper and I alone with a crying Charlotte.
Piper stares in shock, not saying a word. Betrayal is clear across her face. I’m not sure what being a spy exactly encompasses, so I don’t know how to react.
Charlotte looks at Piper through teary eyes, “I’m so, so sorry.”
Piper whispers, pain etched into each word, “It was you?”
Two tears slip out of Charlotte’s eyes in response.
Piper’s eyes widen with desperation, “Dana was captured because of you? You were to one who gave us away? You were the one who ruined our escape?”
Charlotte desperately tries to wipe the tears sliding down her face.
Piper’s mouth slips open, “You didn’t…not Sienna?”
Charlotte slowly nods, pressing her lips together in attempt to keep the tears away.
Piper’s hand lands on her mouth, tears springing up in her own eyes. I have no idea who they are talking about, but I can tell they were close. Who was Sienna and what happened to her?
Charlotte chokes out, “Will you listen?”
Piper takes a seat behind the desk, where Miranda was sitting earlier. She wipes away her tears and sighs, “Fine.”
Charlotte takes a slow, shaking breath, “I didn’t choose to be a spy. When I was sent to the Unknown, an Official informed me that I was now their spy. I didn’t have a choice. Either I was a spy or they killed me. At the time, I didn’t know anyone here. I didn’t know how close I would get to Miranda or you or everyone else. I simply agreed because my life depended on it.”
Something in Piper’s eyes soften, but she doesn’t say anything.
“The first thing they did was inject a small…machine into my arm. If I’m ever caught lying or stop answering their questions, that machine will inject poison into my blood stream, killing me immediately. If I try to take out the machine or do anything to tamper with it, it will once again release the poison.”
Piper’s lips open in shock. I can’t help but feel bad for Charlotte. She didn’t have a choice in the matter and her life is at risk. She was simply staying alive.
At the cost of other people’s lives. Should she have scarified herself? But, even if she had, someone else might have given away the secret to the Heads? Are there any other spies here?
“I know what you’re thinking, why don’t I just lie? How would the Heads know? I tried lying before. When you left, they asked me what happened to you. I said I didn’t know. I got a message saying, ‘Liar, liar,’ before I passed out. I was unconscious for five days. The Heads told me that the only reason they kept me alive is because I’m such good friends with Miranda. By killing me they’d lose an important information source. The only problem, Miranda’s going to be a twenty year in a couple of days and die. I’ll lose the little protection I had on my life.”
YOU ARE READING
274 (Complex Series, #4)
Science Fiction-fourth book in the Complex series- Claire, known to most people only by her Complex number as 274, has always obeyed the Official's rules. You have to, unless you want to be sent away to the Unknown. Until, she meets Marie and everything changes. ...
