Sector B

41

"I don't understand... I gave you all of what I know."

"How do you know so much about Generals? Our combat system, our history, our rules, all of it. The Brackets don't teach our curriculum."

Jamison sighed. "I know this because my brother was one."

Decha's eyes widened. "You're a Hybrid?"

"No. My half-brother is... was." Jamison corrected himself with a displeased tone. "My father was with an Astellian woman before he had me. They had my brother, but his mother died when he was born. So my father remarried a Bracket woman 6 years later, and had me."

"... I'll be darned." Decha looked away, not knowing what to say.

"I grew up admiring my brother a lot. He was very determined and stubborn, very similar to Rory." Jamison chuckled at the memory. "He grew up and moved to Sector A, and he would send me letters all about his training. But... then... one day... the letters stopped coming." His eyes began to water. "I found out that he..."

Decha felt very awkward at the long pause. He was still very weary of Jamison. A single sob story won't get him to let his guard down.

"He came down with IDS." Jamison forced himself to finish. "But because he was half Bracketer, they sent him back to Sector B and our technology wasn't good enough to save him."

"Shite." Decha spat.

"Shite is too mild," Jamison chortled sarcastically. "Imagine how I felt when I found out my daughter was born with the same disease. It's genetic. Passed down from my father's side. I felt like it was ironic."

And Rory was still stubborn and determined. Her persistence was a trait that Decha despised but was amused by. It also explained why she had so much respect for Generals. No doubt her father told her these stories based on what he heard from his brother.

"I don't want Rory involved in any of this. I turned myself in to protect her. Deliverance tricked me. I originally came to the Agency because I thought he took Rory. I thought he was the Director. So I infiltrated and bugged all your systems. But then I found her file."

Jamison glanced at Decha. "I saw that you were caring for her. So I reasoned that Deliverance must be someone else. I was after him, but he sent me a letter telling me that Rory would die if I continued to try and expose him."

"Do you still have a copy of his message?"

"It's in my bag."

"Your belongings have been confiscated and sent to the Council for closer inspection," Decha grumbled. "It'll take me a few days to get a peek."

Decha knew what he had to do.

"If you can, please give Rory her medication."

"I still don't trust you, by the way." Decha grimaced. "I'm trusting Rory. But if you're lying to me about everything—"

"You'll never let me see my daughter again." Jamison grinned softly. "I know."

Decha walked to the door but paused to say one more thing. "And..." Decha turned his head slightly. "Rory is... her body is rejecting the medication."

Jamison's face fell.

"I'm telling you because she's probably been hiding it this whole time from you. But I won't let her fall victim to her condition like your brother." Decha placed a hand on his waist. "She's got potential. Her engineering skills are impeccable."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm going to protect her, even if it means keeping her away from you." Decha spat. "I don't like liars. I don't tolerate them."