23 by Rosa Hernandez

Author:Rosa Hernandez [Hernandez, Rosa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pineapple Dreams Press
Published: 2023-10-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Several hours later, while the Five had what the military called "free time," which was just 30 minutes of heavily guarded time in a shared space before lights out, Shauna asked Lucy to freeze the guards and the hallway while she visited Michael. Lucy had agreed to help her.

Stepping down the narrow hallway of speckled grey tile and blue light, she stopped in front of Michael's door. She slipped the keys off the guard beside his door as Lucy stood at the end of the hall keeping an eye out. Turning the key in the lock, she slid inside closing the door behind her.

Michael sat up in surprise on his bed. He didn't have a shirt on, only his white pajama pants. Shauna turned away blushing crimson.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be," Michael's bed linen crinkled as he moved. "I'm glad you came."

Shauna peered at him from the corner of her eyes, and he was putting his shirt over his head. She took a second to look at his torso – defined but not overly muscular. She caught a scar just above his right ribcage. She looked away as his head popped through the shirt and he let it hang over his body. She turned back to him. The top was short-sleeved, and Shauna stopped for a second as she saw the scars from the needles he'd used over the years on his arm. Michael looked at where her eyes were. He crossed his arms and coughed.

"So, I'm guessing you want to know what I heard?"

Shauna flickered her eyes to his face trying to discern if she should be worried or not, but his eyes were blank.

"Yes," she stepped towards him until they were within a foot of each other. She saw the muscles in his neck flex as she stared up at him.

"I found Jaron's voice easy enough, but then I heard Richards," Michael kept eye contact with her. "I heard him say you were with us and training. Someone asked if having two of us would be hard for you to handle. Then…Richards said you were a Vindex, and two of us were no trouble."

"We're all Vindex except Jaron, who's a Bellātor."

"No. He said you were a real one. You've had your power for years."

Shauna was silent, holding his eyes.

Michael stayed quiet too, as he maintained eye contact.

After a few seconds, Shauna broke his stare.

"So, it's true," Michael stated. "Well, it explains some stuff. You're way too advanced, even if you woke up a few days earlier. Who all knows?"

"Some people in the military – Major General Richards and Sergeant Daniels, for sure. Dr. Lily. Greg."

"Greg? Why does he know?"

"He and I met when I was younger…I saved him when I was five."

Michael sat down and put his fingers to his head. Shauna sat beside him.

"I have – so many questions… I'm assuming it's your father since your mother is with Ryder. I mean, a human being captured by Ryder is way more plausible than a Vindex being captured by some mad scientist.

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