My bedroom door opened, and my eyes closed shut.
"Sade?"
V had just gotten home.
He was probably wondering why I had not been waiting for him in the living room, eagerly waiting for our study session.
I remained immobile, feigning I was asleep.
It must have worked because he closed the door.
My eyes fluttered open again, full of tears. I released a long sigh of relief. I wasn't ready to face him yet.
What would I even say?
I shivered in fear, my hand coming over my mouth as I tried to control my sobs.
You have to obey!
I covered my face with my hands, pressing it into the pillow, hoping my brain would stop returning to this moment.
How could I ever tell him about what had happened at the library?
In any case, I will have to tell him his manager knew he had leased a machina. And he seemed to know the funds of V's research had been used to do so.
I'm your owner too!
He wasn't wrong. I belonged to the company. Not to V, not to myself. My life had been bought and sold.
I silently cried until I knew it was time to prepare for the mission.
At least, that will take my mind away from rewinding what happened.
I washed my face and checked that V was asleep before slipping downstairs. Just like he did the last time, I asked Poly to launch the mosquito mist.
And her voice echoed in the whole house.
"Mosquito mist..."
"Sshhhh!" I hurriedly shushed the tiny robot.
"...scheduled in 5 minutes," she finished in a whisper.
My heart raced in my chest. The fog thickened in the atrium, and after checking that V had not been woken up, I stepped out. Not knowing how long the mission would take, I instructed Poly to remain by the trapdoor, ready to release the mist again when I returned.
A few minutes before midnight, I climbed down the ladder. My legs trembled with every step. Why was I so anxious? I wasn't doing anything illegal.
For now.
What if V woke up and noticed my empty bed? How would I explain that?
I was just going for a walk. I needed some air. The oasis seemed like the perfect place. Nothing suspicious about that.
Not yet.
At the bottom of the ladder, I gulped the damp air of the tunnel. My fingers fumbled until I found the lamp torch V had used the last time. As soon as it flicked on, rats darted into the shadows. I shivered, scanning the tunnel walls for more. Nothing.
I continued forward.
Just like Firinne had said, a metal handle appeared at a curve in the tunnel. I hadn't noticed it the first time, too focused on V to do so.
Taking a closer look, I realized the door wasn't just large, it was massive. Big enough for deliveries, maybe even GlideCars.
I followed Firinne's instructions, and it recognized my authorization instantly. The handle gave no resistance, just a groan of rust. Dust fell from the frame as I tugged the door open. I ducked into my elbow, coughing as it cleared.
When I opened my eyes again, two enormous shipping crates waited on the other side.
Just like Firinne had warned.
They'd gotten stuck here when they had tested the way out for the shipment. Now I was the final link in the chain.
Open the door. Let the shipment pass. Close it.
Wait for them to return and open it again so they can escape back.
Simple enough, right?
And yet, my heart hammered in my throat.
Firinne and Kira would be here any moment. I stepped forward into this new path, directing my light to the pitch-black ahead. It was just as dark as the path to the oasis.
Where had these crates come from? I knelt beside one, brushing dust off the wood panel. Under the light, I noticed wheels beneath them, making it easy to roll them away.
I was about to stand tall again when I heard it.
A noise.
I turned off the light.
Silence.
I flicked the light back on, sweeping the beam across both directions of the tunnel. Nothing.
Replaying the moment in my head, I realized it sounded like the noise was coming... from the inside of the crates?
I looked down at the two big crates, as if fearing something might pop out of them.
But the crates remained still and silent.
I glanced toward the path where Firinne and Kira should be arriving. It was still quiet.
It wouldn't be wrong for me to check the contents of the crate. After all, I was putting my livelihood on the line for this mission. I was entitled to any information related to it.
I tried to pull open the panel of the first crate, but it resisted. I turned to the second panel, and this one opened easily.
Boxes. Dozens. No, hundreds of them. Neat white packages stacked like bricks. I grabbed one, turning it in my hands.
"Asthma..." I read aloud, unsure of the pronunciation. "Tuberculosis... Staphylococcus..."
A knot tugged at my heart, realizing I had been doubting Firinne until now. But there was no doubt anymore. These were medications indeed. I even opened a few little boxes to check their contents. Pills and tablets and capsules.
I couldn't understand their names or what they were treating, but I did understand the other words on them: antibiotics, vaccines, expiry date, doses... All were terms I was familiar with at the clinic.
I reorganized the boxes I had disturbed, feeling ashamed I had doubted the purpose of their mission. Indeed, Annie was right. We were probably doing something meaningful. Somehow, it appeased the drums in my chest.
How could this be wrong? How could this be illegal?
Everyone deserved care. Health was wealth. I knew that better than anyone, as they were always telling us how important our work was at the clinics.
I slid the panel back into place. I lit up the corners of it, making sure I had placed it back exactly how I found it, hoping they wouldn't notice I had been peeking around.
Then the panel on the other crate moved.
Adrenaline jolted up my spine.
I froze.
Then it was silent again.
"Hey!" I whispered loudly, hoping to deter anything in it to try to scare me.
I was about to reach out to place my ear on the crate when it moved again.
A sharp thump came from within.
The panel wobbled, then fell to the side with a crash, sending a cloud of dust into the air. I coughed, backing away, fumbling with the light.
A figure rose from the shadows, tall and dark.
I backed out even more and fell on my bum. The light slipped from my hands, and everything went dark.
Someone else coughed.
It was the figure itself, coughing just like me.
When I found the light and aimed it back, the man was already standing up, still inside the crate.
Tall and thin, he was drenched in sweat and dust. Long, tangled dark hair clung to his face. His beard had grown out in patches, forming a faint moustache over his lips. His shirt was torn and stained.
But none of that shocked me.
What shocked me was recognizing him.
Or at least, his features.
I scrambled back to my feet, the lamp torch and my eyes still fixed on the stranger. He looked weak and breathless. And still, a strong and quiet confidence emanated from him.
He wiped his eyes, squinting under the beam of my light. His nails were black with dirt. He raised a hand to shield himself from the brightness.
I aimed the light aside, just enough not to blind him. Maybe then he'd look at me.
I wanted to be sure. I needed to see more of him to believe it.
At last, his hands lowered and his gaze locked on mine. And in that instant, I knew he understood what I was searching for.
His eyes flicked toward the open door of the tunnel, then back at me. He considered my shock and surprise. His chin tilted toward the exit before returning to me.
"Are you..." his voice cracked, breaking into a cough, a wicked glint in his eyes, "...my brother's bitch?"
Before I realized, my hand shot out and smacked him across the face.
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