Lily pulled up to the curb near the front steps of the hospital, and parked beside a beat-up Subaru. She stepped out of the car, took a deep breath, and entered the lobby. It was just past noon, and the hospital was oddly quiet. As she approached the receptionist's desk, a thin male nurse wearing scrubs walked out of the back room and stood before her.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"I need to speak to Dr. Davenport," she said as she flashed her NSA-issued badge. "Is she here? This is important."

He nodded and motioned for her to follow him.

He led her into the examination room and waved his hand over a small wall panel. The lights flickered, and a soft overhead light illuminated the room. Doctor Davenport sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen.

"Doctor, I need your assistance," she said.

"Yes, dear, what is it now?" she replied with a vacant expression.

"I need you to deactivate the chip in my head. Please, it's very important."

Dr. Davenport turned her chair and looked at her curiously. "Why do you need to deactivate your microchip?"

Lily sighed. She didn't want to lie to Dr. Davenport, but she also knew she was putting her life on the line if the truth were discovered. "It's classified."

"Oh, I see. Well, I'm afraid that we don't have the ability to deactivate chips in our patients. We don't even have the ability to read them."

"No? What about members of the NSA?"

"We have access to certain files, but not the capability to do anything with them. Oh, except for the group who have special permission."

"And who are these agents?"

Davenport hesitated. "Well, they're not part of the agency. They're just a bunch of hackers who like to mess with other people's chips sometimes. They call themselves the Cyber Police."

Lily frowned. "How do I get ahold of them? I need to talk to someone right away."

Davenport shook her head. "They don't normally deal with the public, especially not an NSA agent… but..."

"But?" Lily prodded.

"I can give you their secure number. If you dial it, it will connect you directly to someone."

"Thank you very much, doctor. You've been a great help."

She gave the woman a reassuring smile. "Don't thank me yet. Call the number and see what happens."

When Lily left the examination room, she found an old payphone on the opposite side of the hallway and dialed the number Dr. Davenport had given her. Immediately, a man answered.

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"Hello?" he asked.

"Um... hello," Lily stammered. "My name is Lily. I need to talk to someone about deactivating my chip implant? Is this the correct number?"

A pause followed in which she could hear muffled voices talking in the background.

"Yes, that's us. What is your name?"

"Uh... Lily Thatcher.” she used her now-retired pseudonym.

"Ah yes, the infamous Lily Thatcher from the NSA.” another voice spoke up. "We know who you really are, Agent Brandi Wilson. Let me guess, you were planning to meet up with us to expose our operation and kill us all?"

"No! No, I'm not here to hurt you!" she insisted. "I'm just trying to find a way to deactivate my chip implant.”

"Well, if you're not here to hurt us, then why are you calling?"

Lily sighed. "I’ve recently parted ways with the agency. I'm calling now as a private citizen. I need your help. Is there any way I can get your assistance?"

The voices on the other end of the phone fell silent. She heard the rustling of papers and breathing.

"Are you sure? You'll be giving up your secret identity."

"I understand, but I'm willing to take that risk."

There was silence for almost a minute.

"Okay, we believe you. Call us back in thirty minutes. And make sure you're alone."

Lily hung up the receiver and stared at the phone in disbelief.

Thirty minutes? That’s a long time.

The NSA would find her long before then. She had to keep moving. She had to put distance between her and her pursuers.

She took a deep breath and began making her way to the exit. She had no choice but to trust in fate. Or perhaps karma.

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She drove her car around the block and parked it in an alleyway behind a row of trees. She had just begun to wonder if it had been such a good decision after all when the NSA symbol appeared in her augmented vision. She quickly answered the call, knowing what the caller would say: that she needed to turn herself in to headquarters immediately.

"Yes?"

She opened the trunk and removed a large duffel bag. Inside was a black combat vest with armor plates sewn onto the chest and shoulders, a Kevlar helmet, and a pair of ceramic blades attached to elastic belts.

"Where do you think you're going?" Commander Arlington demanded.

"To find Allan, of course." her eyes narrowed, “I’m going to clear his name and prove his innocence."

The commander scowled at her. "You know better than to defy orders."

She closed the trunk of her car and crossed to the driver side door. "I've disobeyed orders before."

"This isn't some game. Your actions could cost innocent lives."

"I know." she said quietly. "But I can't ignore this anymore. I won't."

"What makes you so sure that we're wrong? How do you know Allan is innocent?"

It’s just a feeling, but I trust my gut instinct.

"I just do."

Her words were met by a deafening silence. Finally, he spoke.

"If you're right, Lily, I wish you luck. But I hope you understand that if we find you or if you show up here at headquarters, you will be arrested. We have enough evidence against you to put you in prison as a traitor to your country."

"I know," she whispered. "I understand completely."

Lily disconnected the call and started the engine. She waited until the car was rolling down the street and headed toward the interstate.

She stared straight ahead as her mind reeled. She was on the verge of getting caught, and the possibility of being locked away in a prison cell for the rest of her life terrified her.

As she drove, she pondered what she should do next. Almost half an hour had passed, and soon she would need to make her follow-up call to the hacker group who called themselves the ‘Cyber Police’. As much as she hated the idea, the only realistic option was to trust them.

Maybe I shouldn't have told Commander Arlington that I'm going to help Allan?

The thought of exposing the NSA's dirty secrets horrified her. Yet, she felt compelled to do something. She had always been a patriot and believed in the ideals of the United States. Maybe her feelings for Allan were clouding her judgment, but she couldn't ignore the fact that he was innocent.

But how do I know that the NSA hasn't set me up?

For the first time in her career, she doubted her superiors' intentions. The only thing she did know was that she felt guilty for betraying them, and she wanted to redeem her honor.

I’ll prove myself. They’ll see!

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