Part 16 (1/2)

I push off the wall. ”I'm fine. And I found the memo.”

I tell Yellow and Red word-for-word what it said. Both are silent when I'm done.

”My dad knew about a secret arm of Annum Guard.” Yellow says it very matter-of-factly, but I know inside she's trying to come to grips with the whole situation. ”I don't understand. That's a really dangerous thing to be playing with. Why would he do that to us?”

Red shakes his head. ”Not important right now. Let's focus on the facts. We've gotten our first bread crumb, but we're still a ways off from knowing the what. We also need to figure out the who-Cairo-and the why. Iris, what are you thinking?”

”Um . . .” I try to focus. Try to think of Red as my boss, because, let's face it, that's what he is now. I've trusted him with this, and now I have to let him lead. I concentrate on examining what I know. ”I'm thinking that our three prime suspects are related to the people sitting upstairs going through boxes of our sensitive information.”

”Exactly,” Red says. He looks from me to Yellow. ”We're going back to Phase One. I want the two of you to find out everything you can about our interns. Their pasts, their families, their political connections. There has to be a lead we can follow.” He looks back to me. ”If I can distract Bonner tonight, do you think Blue can hack into the personnel files and access the background checks we had to run on them?”

”Of course he can.”

Red nods. ”The vice president, the secretary of defense, a senator. One of them has to be behind this. I don't think I need to tell you both to tread very, very carefully. I still don't know exactly what this blackout team entails, but I think you're right, Iris. I think the team is alive and operational and highly uncomfortable with the fact we're getting closer to XP. And I think it's very suspicious that Bonner knows about XP and isn't following any leads. I'm not saying she's a mole-the mole, if there is one-but I am saying that for now, she's not to be trusted.”

And then we hear it. The sound of boxy heels stomping down a concrete stairwell.

I exchange a look with Yellow, then all of us whip around to see the Narc rounding the corner. Did she hear us?

”You're back,” Bonner says in a flat tone. If she overheard us, she's not giving it away.

”As of about thirty seconds ago, yes,” I say. I hope my voice is cool and collected.

”And? The DOT meeting?”

”It was a wash. I wasn't able to gain access to the meeting. It was held behind closed doors, and I couldn't come up with a cover that would let me inside. I failed. I'm sorry.”

”That's disappointing. I'll see to it this is noted in your file.”

I don't respond. Getting a bad grade on my report card is the least of my worries right now.

”Well, now that you're back, we could use the extra pair of hands on the new boxes that arrived this morning. You, too, Yellow.”

”Of course,” Yellow and I say at the same time, although her voice is way more chipper than mine.

She and Red exchange a glance, and then we leave Red in the hallway and follow Bonner up the stairs.

”Was my dad there?” Yellow whispers. ”In the past?”

”No.”

Both of us are quiet as Bonner holds open the door. I can see into the library. Abe sits at one of the desks and gives me a quick wave. More of a ”hi” than a ”welcome back.”

Yellow slows down next to me as Bonner enters the library. ”And what about me? You didn't see me, right?”

Those big black boots flash in my mind. The years of relentless teasing I could milk from this. But then I look at Yellow's bloodshot eyes. I remember how she gave up months of her life to help me when I ran from Alpha. She's the closest thing to a best friend I've ever had.

”Nope. You guys must have still been at camp.”

Bonner clears her throat from inside the library. She's staring right at me.

”Sorry!” Yellow calls. ”Coming!” She brushes past me. I haven't seen her look so relieved in months.

That night, we're all sitting around the dining room table-all of us except for Indigo and the interns-when Bonner's cell phone chirps on the table. She's the only one exempt from the no-phones-at-meals rule she set up when she arrived. Red is sitting next to her, and his eyes glance over at the screen, but Bonner grabs it out of view.

”Have to take this,” she says as she hurries out the door.

I'm still looking at Red. He puts a finger to his lips and stabs a green bean with his fork.

And then Bonner is back. ”I'm sorry, I have to run out for an hour or so. Let's try to make some more headway on those boxes before I get back, yes?” Technically it's a question, but her tone leaves no doubt it's a command.

In another second, she's gone. Out of the room, out the front door, out into the night. Red doesn't waste any time. He sets down his fork and stands. ”You three”-he looks from me to Abe to Yellow-”go. I haven't bought you much time.”

”What's going on?” Green demands, his fork still dangling a few inches from his mouth.

”Yeah, what is this?” Violet asks.

”I'm designing new missions for you,” Red says. ”For all of you. We have our top suspects, and I'm working on putting together missions that occurred when the three suspects were in Boston. I have a feeling that any blackout information is going to be found here, locally. Hopefully I'll have the missions ready to go when Indigo gets back. We can't delay on this.”

”I don't understand what's going on,” Green says, finally dropping his fork.

Red waves his hand in the air. ”I'll fill you in.” Then he looks at me. ”What are you waiting for?”

I spring up. Abe and Yellow do the same. We rush into the living room, then stop. Abe's shoulder brushes mine. He gives me the smallest, thin-lipped smile. I smile back. Trust your gut. That's my motto. And right now, in this moment, my gut is telling me that Abe and I are meant to be.

We'll fix us. We will.

Yellow jerks her chin toward the library. ”The computers in there?”

Abe shakes his head. ”Nope, let's go straight to the source.”

Yellow and I follow him to Bonner's office. Abe reaches into his pocket and takes out the rectangular metal box he's been tinkering with for weeks. The scrambler. He holds it to Bonner's keypad, and the lock clicks open. I guess he finally perfected it.

”Remind me that I need to loop over the security tape when we're done,” he says as he swings the door open, looking up to the camera aimed right at the door. He holds the door for Yellow and me, and as I pa.s.s, his fingers graze my knuckles. It sends electricity jolting through my entire body, and I flash back to freshman year-to the spark I'd feel every time he touched me. That spark has since settled into a flame, but it's still burning.

We'll fix us.

Abe shuts the door.

”What's our game plan?” I ask. ”There are three of us, so we each take an intern and start digging?”

Yellow picks the lock on the file cabinet in under five seconds. Honestly, why do people bother with them, especially here?

”Sounds good,” Yellow says as she takes out three files and plops one on the desk. ”I'll take Paige.”

”Colton!” I claim. Mostly because my curiosity is getting the better of me. I would love to go digging for Colton's dirty little secrets. Yellow hands me the file.