Renegade

Chapter seventeen

"I called myself," Marcy retorted just as coldly. "Dr. Kiggins is expecting me as well."

Which wasn't necessarily true, but Marcy could be exceptionally convincing. She crossed her arms and stared the secretary down until the woman relented and let them both pass.

Theo stopped in front of the office and took three steadying breaths. He reached for the handle but before he could grab it, the door flew open to reveal a teenager. He blinked in confusion, staring at the short girl curiously eyeing him. 

She seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, skinny with olive skin, a shaved head, and piercing blue eyes. Her cheeks were puffy and her nose flat. Theo took a startled step back as he realized that not only was she wearing a red wristband like his but that she was also clad in the black uniform of the Intervention Squad. She smiled at his surprise, a sharp incisor peeking out between her lips.

"Finally. I thought you'd never come," she said, her voice surprisingly deep.

She stepped aside to let them in, revealing another person in the process. It was a man of average height in his mid-twenties with dark skin, brittle hair and a goatee. He was seated in a chair at the farthest end of the room and was intently staring at them. The girl closed the door behind them, rounding on them with a smile.

"What's this?" Marcy demanded, casting a suspicious glance between the strangers. "Who are you and where's Dr. Kiggins?"

"I'm Sarai and this is Jummal, we work for the CS," the girl said as she showed them a teapot. "Tea?"

"Where's Dr. Kiggins?" Marcy repeated, ignoring her offer.

The girl named Sarai shrugged and poured herself some tea in a cup without a handle. She wrapped her fingers around the recipient and blew on it before taking a careful sip. Jummal stood and slipped a black device to the middle of the table. 

It was small and built like a dome, a tiny hole on its tip. Theo recognized it a split second before Sarai turned it on: a holo-comm. He had heard rumors of their development – mainly from Marcy –but hadn't known that they were already being distributed. He wondered why the CS would have a need for them.

Sarai leaned forward and pressed something on the side facing away from them, bringing the device to life. A hologram of Dr. Kiggins appeared. The technology was clearly in its early stages, for the image was grainy.

"Hello Mr. Moore, Miss Abbatucci. If you're watching this then you have met agents Gerwitz and Latifi. As you may have noticed, they are both ability-wielders who are part of the Civilian Security's Intervention Squad." the hologram explained in a recorded voice.

"After giving our last meeting some thought, I have come to realize that my words as a scientist and a person without abilities wouldn't carry much weight. As such, I decided to hand the responsibility over to these two very capable agents. The next few days will be spent introducing you to the lifestyle of ability-wielders inside the Civilian Security and it would be much appreciated if you would comply. If afterward, you choose not to join our ranks, your wish will be respected and we will stop pursuing you. Until then, please give us a chance."

The recording reached its end and the image of Dr. Kiggins disappeared. Silence settled over the small office as Theo stared at the device. Even after everything he heard the first thing to cross his mind was how he still didn't understand what use the CS had for holo-comms. Luckily for him, Marcy was both more concentrated and driven than he was.

"So we're basically forced to follow you around?" she asked as soon as the feed was cut off.

"Well, the CS is only interested in Theodore here, so you're welcome to leave," Sarai said in a light-hearted manner. "And if you choose to stay, well, it's not that bad. It's basically just a quick tour of HQ with some explanations. And lotsa free food."