Book I - ch 24. Out of Place

* * *

Sarah heard Robyn’s voice and rushed out of the room.

Robyn barely glanced her way as she spoke into the phone. Sarah waited until she finished her call, but Robyn kept walking away.

Sarah trailed behind her. “Where are you going?”

“What do you care? Weren’t you mad at me?”

Was she? Should she be?

“Girls?” Mom called from the kitchen. “Can I get some help here?”

Sarah whirled at the voice, fear seizing her insides as she rushed to the kitchen.

The world spun, and she bolted upright.

She clutched her side when it hurt, panicked shallow breaths echoing in the silence.

Just a dream.

Or a nightmare. The type that wasn’t bad until she woke up. She should be immune to them by now, or at least numb to their sadness because of the repetition if nothing else. But it made her angrier that she still believed.

Tears stung her eyes. This cursed room felt more like a horrible dream than anything she could dream up of home. It was a cruel trick for her mind to play.

In that sense, she preferred the illusion of the blood on the wall. Horrifying as it was, at least there was no false sense of security there. It scared her and that was that.

She stared at the light coming from the bathroom. Whether it was day or night, she wouldn’t know. She’d forgotten to ask Pegasus for a watch, and Robyn had ignored her.

The intercom sounded, echoing in the silence.

Sarah wiped at her eyes, disturbing unfallen tears.

The com insisted again, and she got up to answer it.

“Hello?” How was she even supposed to answer that thing? “Cell number five here.”

“It’s actually number twenty-three,” Pegasus said. “Did I wake you?”

“Yeah.” The sinking feeling returned. “Is there news on Robyn?”

“No.”

There was nothing in his voice that suggested she should worry. She leaned against the wall to support herself. “Then what is it?”

“I’ll be there in an hour so we can start going over our plans for your future.”

She stood up straight, whatever was left of sleep leaving her. “Our what now?”

“Remember when I mentioned a cover story last night?” he asked, patience and calm never leaving his voice.

“Not really, no.” She had a vague memory of it. “I’m not having this conversation like this.”

She stepped away from the com, heading to the bathroom.

She felt a little guilty about being difficult, especially because she’d promised Robyn she’d behave. But then if Robyn wanted to make sure she kept her promises, she should have stuck around.

The com insisted once, twice, then it surrendered.

What Sarah assumed was an hour later, Pegasus arrived at her door.

“What time is it?” she asked. “And what is this cover story you mentioned? Why do I need a cover story? Is Robyn back yet?”

He seemed willing to patiently wait as she tacked on question after question, but she paused when she noticed he was carrying a container. She pointed at it as her question.

“Cold pizza.” He shrugged. “Nothing quite like it when you’re hungry.”

“What?”

Taking advantage of her stupefied state, he stepped inside.

She cocked an eyebrow. “Please don’t tell me you have pizza delivered to your top secret facility.”

“Of course we do, even use our real names.” He set the pizza on the table and took a seat. “We have a couple of cooks on staff as well, gotta keep everyone fed. Every once in a while, they make pizza.”

“Yeah, sure, that’s not weird at all.”

Pegasus responded with another shrug.

“So what is that thing with my future we’re gonna be talking about?”

“You better sit down,” he said.

She didn’t.

“Sarah, please take a seat.”

“All I do is sit down, or lie down, or pace this room from one side to the other.”

He shrugged, and she resisted the urge to throw the pillow at him. She stopped just in time. Her ribs would have complained.

“Is Robyn still away somewhere?” she asked.

“Yes. Let’s say she’s on a stakeout. It’ll take however long it takes. Meanwhile, we have to discuss what’s going to happen to you once she gets back.”

Sarah sat down then.

“Robyn asked me to get started on the arrangements to get you sent back.” He paused as if waiting for her reaction.

Sarah stared back at him. Her ideal response would be yelling at her sister, but that wasn’t possible at the moment.

“We’re planning to make use of your injuries to explain why it took so long for you to be identified,” he said. “We’ll be playing up your head trauma.”

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

“Is that gonna work?”

“The plan is to place you in a hospital where we have some contacts. You’d have to stay there for a while until your aunt finds you. We’ll make sure she does within a few days. You’d be surprised what people will attribute to luck if they don’t see any other explanation.”

“That’s all so I’ll go home?”

Pegasus nodded. “We’re working under the assumption that the threat against you, if still present, will be eliminated by the time we have everything set.”

“What if it’s not?”

“We’ll consider more drastic measures if we have to.”

“And what if I don’t wanna go?”

“Doesn’t really matter at this point,” he whispered.

She scoffed. “If I’m not going to have a say in this, spell it out.”

“You don’t have a say in this,” Pegasus said in a calm voice.

“Explain to me why not.” She lifted a hand before he could open his mouth. “Wait, no, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care what you think we’re doing, I’m not going anywhere without Robyn. You wanna pack us in crates and send us to Tokelau? Fine, I’ll go, but she’s coming with me. This—” She choked on her words, her throat suddenly dry.

The world became dull and distant.

She’d fainted a few times when she was little. This was not it. It felt more like the second in which she’d start falling asleep, only to wake up holding on to her desk at school. But she never actually fell. And there was nothing to wake up from this time.

Her eyes moved behind Pegasus, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The image shifted, but she never moved. It wasn’t her anymore, but it still was. A chill ran through her, a piercing spike of ice.

The room vanished from the reflection, but she didn’t dare look behind her to check. There was no reason to believe the world would have abandoned her.

“What the hell?” Her voice sounded muted. Had she even spoken at all?

The figure in the reflection stared back, her lips parting as if to speak as well. And then the imaginary world dissolved, and it was only her staring at her own frightened eyes.

She felt cold. “Did you see that?”

Pegasus turned to look at the mirror. “See what?”

“I… Me…” The reflection was her again, the real her. The illusion was gone, buried away wherever it had come from.

Pegasus did a poor job of concealing his amusement. “Yes, I see you.”

“No, that’s not—” She forced herself to look away from the mirror. “I think I’ve been cooped up in this place so long I’m imagining things.”

She kept watching the mirror, half expecting it to try to catch her off guard.

“Okay!” Pegasus jumped to his feet. “That’s it, we’re getting out of this room.”

Sarah looked at him with obvious suspicion. “Is this you trying to get into trouble again?”

He laughed. “No, this is me being concerned about your mental health.”

Sarah sank in her seat. “I really don’t wanna go talk to the shrink again.” That might be the only place she didn’t want to go other than the interrogation room.

Pegasus opened the door and stepped aside. When Sarah didn’t move, he gestured for her to come along.

“Let’s go,” he insisted. “And bring the pizza, I skipped breakfast.”

Sarah grabbed the plastic container along as requested, but she couldn’t help examine his face. Had he lost some weight in this short time since she’d known him?

“Aren’t you supposed to be taking care of yourself?”

He gave her an amused look. “Don’t make me regret this.”

Sarah decided to shut up and follow him, trying not to feel ridiculous about walking down the empty halls of a secret facility carrying cold pizza. Would it be less ridiculous if the pizza were hot? And in an actual pizza box instead of a container? Probably not.

They didn’t run into anyone on their way to the elevator. Again, Sarah entertained the absurd thought that this place was in reality an abandoned complex designed during the war to ensure the survival of an entire civilization. And then it was left in the care of about ten people, and that’s why it always seemed deserted.

She laughed at the silly thought, and Pegasus gave her a questioning look. She said nothing. No point in removing any doubt he might still have on whether she’d lost her mind.

Another empty hallway later, Pegasus brought them to a stop. The doors that led them to their destination, while as plain as the others, were much wider.

Pegasus took the pizza from her and stepped aside with a rather smug-looking expression.

“Is this a trap?” Sarah asked.

“Go ahead. Open the door.”

If this was a trap, it was a remarkably weird one.

On the other side of the door was an underground garden.

Trees and flowers were carefully arranged around four tables. A couple of benches sat against the wall, facing the trees. The tables and the walls were all a lighter shade of gray, much like the outside hallways. But the plants gave that place a sense of life she hadn’t expected to find in this underground complex.

“There’s a TV room, too,” Pegasus said when she didn’t say a word. She could tell he was smiling even without looking. “But I figured this would be better.”

Sarah nodded, breathing in deeply.

A certain calm infused itself into her mind. It could be her imagination, but the atmosphere here was different. Maybe they were pumping something into the air.

Like the hallways they walked to get there, the garden was also empty.

Had they ordered an evacuation while she was sleeping? Or maybe this was the dream. She wouldn’t trust herself to know.

There was a small rack in the corner containing books, both old and new by how worn out some covers were. Next to it was a shelf with what looked to be board games.

On the nearest table, there was a forgotten game of chess. Check, she observed absentmindedly.

Pegasus led her to the table closest to the trees and set the pizza down between them.

Sarah found her gaze drawn to one particular tree. She’d never learned what it was called, but they had that same tree in their front yard. Robyn liked to say it was planted the year she was born. Sarah wasn’t sure if that was true, but she never questioned it.

“Do you like it?”

Sarah smiled. She’d forgotten he was there for a second. “Don’t tell me you guys have gardeners down here, too.”

“It’s on a volunteer basis. Athena mostly takes care of it in her spare time. Sometimes it becomes part of her sessions.”

“Oh, that’s why you run away from her. Manual labor.”

Pegasus popped open the lid and grabbed a slice of pizza. “Dig in.”

“You’re really gonna eat pizza for breakfast?”

“Does that mean you don’t want any?” He slid the plastic container away from her with his free hand.

She reached out and grabbed a slice. “Not what I said.”

Sarah didn’t think she would’ve been hungry, much less enjoying cold pizza. But the plants had lightened her mood. And Pegasus had a point, there was something to be said about eating left-over pizza.

Sarah picked out an olive from her slice. “So, are you going to tell me your name at some point?”

Pegasus ignored her, content to finish his slice.

“What am I supposed to call you?”

“Pegasus.”

“What’s with you guys? As if names would give away something your faces won’t.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Oh, c’mon. At least your first name.” It was a matter of pride now and she was not giving up.

Pegasus shook his head, laughing.

“What if I guess? Charlie, Tom, Jack, Christopher, Zack, Daniel, Ryan.”

Pegasus almost choked on a bite of his pizza.

“Did I get it?”

He coughed and laughed until only laughter remained. “You still managed to leave out a letter.”

She grinned. “Which one?”

“Where’s the fun if I hand you the answer?” he teased.

“I think it’s only fair. You got to question me on everything about my life. What’s wrong with telling me your name?”

He shrugged. “That depends.”

“On what?”

“Whether you’re a spy.”

She thought he was being serious for a second, but then he smiled.

“You’re messing with me, right?”

He ate his pizza with a grin, not a word as a reply.

There’s no way he’d be sitting here eating pizza with a spy. At least, she was reasonably sure no one would.

She picked up another olive and popped it into her mouth without realizing she was doing it, and then it was too late. Trying to delay the inevitable chewing, she rolled it around in her mouth. She glanced to see if Pegasus had noticed, but he was looking at the plants.

For some reason, he was no longer in any hurry to talk to her. If anything, he was helping to distract her.

“Are you gonna tell me about how Robyn’s planning on getting rid of me or not?”

“Not right now.” He met her gaze. “I’m kinda tired. I think we’ll have to do the serious stuff later.”

He laid back in his chair and closed his eyes. As much of a procrastinator as her sister, she was content to delay it a little longer.

Sarah stared longingly at the tree, searching amidst its large leaves for signs of flowers.

When she turned to grab another olive, she caught Pegasus staring at her.

“Do you play chess?” he asked.

She shrugged, starting on another slice of pizza instead of the olive. “I know the moves, but I’m not really known for planning ahead.”

“How about backgammon?”

“Is this some sort of test?”

“No, it’s me being bored and not liking TV. Plus, I’m still banned from the rec room.”

She laughed. Her gaze followed the branches towards the ceiling, thinking again of the tree’s faraway cousin back home and the sister that tree reminded her of.

Did Robyn really expect her to vanish from her life?