Page 28 of Captured Immune

Beep! Beep! Beep!A ten-foot section of the wall pushes itself inward, then slides to the left, allowing us inside.

My chest tingles as two security guards approach me, one from either side. One of them is the menacing-looking guy I saw the last time I was here. He’s got a scar down his left eyebrow and a scowl that would scare away all children. The other guy, I don’t recognize.

Together, they search my body for whatever it is they’re told to look for. When they don’t find it, they do the same with the Teleporter.

“Clear. You may proceed.”

The Teleporter offers the guards a friendlythanksbefore following me to the set of four elevators. We take one of the machines down from floor six to four.

Once the elevator doors slide apart, I step off.

“Do ya know where to go from here?” the Teleporter asks, keeping the elevator open with his arm.

“I got it.”

“Super. You were my last pickup for the day, so if ya see Big V, tell him I’ll see him later.”

“Hold on. How the hell am I gonna get back home?”

The guy shrugs. “All I know is that my shift technically ended at midnight. I just happened to still be around when you needed a lift, so I told Victor I’d do it. If you’re still here in the afternoon, I can take ya back then. That’s when my next shift starts.”

The afternoon?I cannot be here for that long. I have baby-preparation plans with Arella in the morning.

The elevator doors close as I trudge down the hall. With each step I take, my wet shoes squeak over the tile floors and my toes squish against my drenched socks. I fucking hate the feeling of wet socks on my feet.

Following the numbered signs, I make a left, then a right. I arrive at room 409, a small meeting room, to find a young woman in the corner, setting up a zoffee cart. From the back, she doesn’t look any older than eighteen. Petite frame. Pale skin. Long brunette hair tied up in a sleek ponytail.

A rectangular table with about ten rolling chairs around it separates me from her. An iPad and some manila folders lie on top of the table. A whiteboard is attached to the back wall, featuring the date Expo-markered in red.

The girl hums to herself as she plugs a coffee machine into the wall.

I knock on the door lightly as an attempt not to scare her. Total fail.

She jumps and flips around, slapping a hand against her chest. “Jesus. You scared me.”

I offer her a tiny smile. “Sorry.”

“Are you here for the mission briefing?” She’s got a soft, mousey voice. It’s not irritating to me like most people who talk like that. Hers is more soothing than anything. Like she’s teaching a meditation class or trying to relax a baby.

“I am.” I step into the room and take a seat in one of the rolling chairs.

“I was told the meeting doesn’t start until one thirty.” She checks her watch. “It’s just past one. You’re really early. Would you like some zoffee?”

I haven’t had zoffee in forever. It’s got enough caffeine in it for Zordis. The Ordinary kind does nothing for us, but it tastes good.

“Black, please.”

Steam rises from the mug as she pours a healthy amount of zoffee for me. As she sets the mug down in front of me, my zense activates.

“I’ve never seen you before,” she says with a bright smile that feels more friendly than flirty. I appreciate her for it. “You must be new or a field agent.”

“Field agent.” I hold my hand out for a shake. “Trey.”

“Katie.” She accepts my palm with her little hand. As we shake, her eyes go wide and blank. I know that look. It’s the same look Liz used to get whenever she touched my hand and my most painful memory invaded her mind.

A rush of anxiety radiates off Katie as she draws her hand back. As if practiced, she erases any evidence from her face that she just used her powers on me and is nervous about it. I’m not in pain, so I’m gonna assume she’s got an ability like Liz’s that allows her to see into my head. I wonder what she just saw. I’m tempted to ask, but I’m not in the mood to discuss whatever glimpse into my life she just got. None of it is good.

Instead, I feign ignorance. “What’s your role here?”

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