Page 7 of Sinner
Four
Mary calmly walkedpast reception where Lizzy smiled widely from her desk. Brown haired and impeccably presented, Lizzy had a mind like a vice. Her smile may have seemed innocent enough, but she was the Project’s first gatekeeper. If she didn’t recognize a face, a silent alarm would be tripped, and security personnel would sweep into the room to remove the threat for further questioning.
Mary nodded at Lizzy and continued down the east corridor to the Project room. When she was out of sight, she stopped and leaned against the cold wall. The temperature anchored her and gave her a moment to gather her senses. What had happened in the lift with Flint… Her eyes closed and she inhaled, attempting to wash the feel of him away. It wasn’t the brazen flirting, or the physical crossing of the line—that run of their joined hands down his front—it was the way he’d instantly rallied to her aid.
I got your back.
She was ashamed she’d flirted with him, but she needed that footage erased. Better one person be suspicious of her than many. Especially now. Flint was tangled in this as much as she was, she’dseenit in her recent vision.
Mary exhaled slowly. To remind herself of her mission, she went to retrieve her latest coded letter from the Sisterhood, but found it missing from her pocket. Only the pebble she’d picked up on her morning walk was there. Sweat prickled her scalp.
Was it a sign?
A missing communication from the Sisterhood, but the presence of a gift she intended for Flint.
The letter had given her the green light to extract the children, and failing that, eliminate them. The thought left her hollow inside, but the burden was her purpose and she alone had trained for it. Sacrifice a few lives to save billions. The future she’d envisioned if they turned bad gave her night terrors. But if there was a chance they could be good…
For the first time in years, Mary doubted her orders. Didn’t everyone deserve a chance to come back from evil?
Flint didn’t seem the type of man who would condone the Sisterhood’s mission. He didn’t even know the kids existed. He probably thought he was working for some great humanitarian project like most other employees. During their coffee breaks, he’d always gone on about how good it felt to be doing something right for the world. He’d be devastated if he knew the truth—that they were building human weapons of mass destruction.
With a start, Mary realized she cared what Flint thought of her, and shenevercared what anyone thought.
She shook her head. Two years caring for children had made her soft. It didn’t matter if the letter went missing. It wasn’t a sign her plan was doomed. It was a simple mistake. Now wasn’t the time to have second thoughts.
Mary continued down the hall and around the corner to a second corridor. This one ended with a heavily guarded door. Like the men in the lobby downstairs, these wore protective clothing. Unlike the men downstairs, these carried assault rifles and tracked her arrival until she flashed her ID in their faces.
“Morning, boys.”
“Morning, Sister.”
“Another quiet day at the office?”
They smirked.
“Another quiet day in—say, what was it you did in there again?” The dark-skinned man who spoke had “M.Redmond” on his name badge. Redmond was brown-skinned, in his forties, and muscled like a bodybuilder.
“Nice try,” Mary replied. “You know I’ve signed an NDA.”
“We have ways of making you spill your secrets,” teased the tattooed one with his sleeves rolled up. His name badge said “J.Preedy.” Preedy looked to be mid-thirties, had short dark hair, and a scar gouging his cheekbone. That kind of marking only came from stupidity, or ruthlessness. She placed her bets on the latter.
“I’d like to see you try,” she countered.
The men laughed, but Mary didn’t because she knew she could take them despite their military training.
“Good answer,” Redmond said.
Mary’s gaze flicked to his tattoo, same as Preedy’s. “That’s from the Marines, isn’t it?”
“Yes, ma’am. Means always loyal.”
“This is a far cry from a war zone. So who are you loyal to now?”
“Whoever is writing the check.”
Mary smiled. Good. Perhaps they could be bribed if necessary. If not, she’d been graced with ten years hard training in the Art of Warfare around the world, including a stint with the Marines. There wasn’t a person alive she couldn’t take down.
Being the Sisterhood’s Sinner would do that to you.
