Renegade

Chapter twenty

The vehicle waiting for them off campus was, in fact, a dark SUV with tinted windows. Much to Theo's relief, no agents stood anywhere near it. Jummal was already seated behind the steering wheel, waiting for them. Sarai opened the door to the back seats and watched them climb in before she jumped in beside her comrade.

The car was spacious enough to fit eight people, driver included. The dark leather seats were wide and comfortable and a small screen was fixed to the back of each seat, as well as to the dashboard between Jummal and Sarai. An elongated touch screen was installed in front of the teen. Theo assumed all the tech was used to localize and track rogue AWs.

Marcy scowled as she took the expensive interior in, but didn't comment, quietly buckling herself in. Jummal turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot, leaving a trail of curious onlookers behind.

As it turned out, CS vehicles also had radios installed in them. Half an hour into the drive, Sarai ended up turning it on, no longer able to stand the tense silence that filled the car. She had tried striking up a conversation with Marcy but had quickly been discouraged by her curt answers.

Jummal hadn't said a word since leaving the office back on campus, nor did he seem eager to do so in the foreseeable future. Theo had spent that time watching the campus grow smaller and smaller in the distance until he could no longer see any of its buildings. His heart constricted as they left the town, pulling up on a highway. This was his first time leaving since his arrival.

His parents had been so happy and proud when he'd been accepted into college that he had never dared to tell them about his manifestation. He didn't think they would come to fear or hate him, they weren't that kind of people, but they would be disappointed. Not in him, but by all the lost opportunities and the closed doors that would appear in his life because he was no longer normal.

His father had taught him to love basketball through all their games in the backyard since he was old enough to walk. His mother had come to watch every one of his games since he made his school's team, even though she had no love for sports. They have been nothing but supportive and he couldn't tell them the truth for fear of shattering them.

So instead, he lied. He told them he was on the team, but not yet good enough to play in actual games. He told them he had suffered a minor injury that forced him to take some time off, but "not to worry, I'm fine and will be back in top shape in no time".

When they asked if he would be coming back for the holidays, he'd answer that he couldn't, because he had too much work for school and too little time, or that he had a training camp with the team. They were sad but they understood.

His parents valued dedication and hard work, so they didn't hold his absence against him, settling for a long video chat on Christmas, New Year's and birthdays. Lying became easier the longer he did it, though it still made him feel as awful as the first time.

He truly was a disappointment.

~ ~ ~

It was nighttime when they finally reached the Civilian Security's headquarters - also known as Ixal. It was an imposing, ten-story building made mostly out of reflective glass panels with a large, covered entrance guarded by a pair of armed men.

It was surrounded by a wire fence with signs prohibiting the entry of unauthorized personnel planted at equal distance. The building was a ten-minute drive away from Landgate, one of the country's largest metropolises.

It used to be inside the city, until the infamous terrorist attack of Freakshow on it, which resulted in multiple CS casualties and some injured civilians. The CS's quick regrouping and relocation outside the metropolitan area to avoid further civilian implication had garnered the general population's favor and approval.