In a four-star hotel downtown, the Council and its advisors gather after dinner on the main suite, waiting for the President of the United States.
“What do you think, Paddy? Isn’t the best view in town?” Aymee Ortiz goes near Padma, who admires the city. “What about this room? I decorated the entire building. It’s exactly like I imagined it. Beautiful!”
Padma turns her face to her left, noticing the proudness in Aymee’s eyes.
“I didn’t think you were coming to the meeting. You have so much work.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me of that, please,” she smiles. “Ikubor is quite pretty, too pretty, not exactly my type, but pretty. Isn’t he? What do you think, Paddy?”
Padma rolls her eyes and turns toward the view again.
“Too pretty,” Aymee comes closer and whispers, “he keeps acting out. Weird. You should do something about it, Paddy. Marianne and Saif aren’t pleased with the results so far. Two days of fieldwork and the outlook is grim. If things don’t work out, my head won’t roll. That’s for sure. But his…”
“Your head won’t roll?” Padma whispers too.
“Look around. Around the room and over the city as well. My back is safe. If my work isn’t enough, I’ll still be an advisor. I’ll still be on Marianne’s team. Ikubor… and you, I worry about you, Padma.”
“I don’t need you worrying about me. Surely you have more to concern yourself with.”
“Padma, please be smart. That’s all I’m saying.”
The President of the United States finally arrives, and they all take their seats.
“Everyone, I want a full report on the operation, how the protests are shaping the election, the searching for the terrorists, everything. Tonight, we’ll stay here until morning if we have to!” Edward says.
“I’ll start,” Laurence Pierce asks for permission, “the protests have shown a slight increase on pressure for the next election, we see that a lot of people have been calling their representatives and asking to push back the introduction of university that was supposed to be voted next year.”
“University… we want the bracelet approved wide…” the President of the United States sighs.
“One thing,” Madeleine says, “some of the protests are outside the Institute. This isn’t okay!”
“Why?” Edward asks.
“Because if people destroy things, we’ll have to spend money rebuilding it…”
“Money that we have.”
Out of my donations. Madeleine picks one of her fingernails.
“If the Institute becomes unsafe, people will take their kids out of there. How will we justify keeping it open? I’m just saying, Jessica, you are the one organizing the protests. Stick it to the Congress and whatever else, please.”
Jessica Miller shrugs and types on her laptop.
“About the operation, all that I can say is that the department handed Marianne and Saif the areas in which its most likely they are gathering. Still, it’s a big area to search through,” Laurence Pierce concludes.
“Status on the operation, Marianne?” Edward asks.
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“The mental controller, Aymee Ortiz,” she sits behind Marianne and smiles widely, “and the amplifier, Aminu Ikubor, have started the operation. The van with the machine has been on the streets for two days. All the other workers are working non-stop analyzing the data that the machine sends us. There have been some references to the terrorist movement, but when Aymee focused on the person, it was nothing.”
“120 members and we haven’t found anything in two days?” The President of the United States opens her mouth wide.
“120?” Thomas’ advisor laughs.
The President of the United States looks at him and Thomas closes his eyes. Edward takes several deep breaths.
“What the advisor means is 119. The Angel of Death’s mind can’t be read, Mrs. president. And that’s the one we know about,” Laurence Pierce says.
“That thing truly is evil,” the president replies.
Marianne checks her wristwatch, focusing on the seconds’ hand.
“We need better results. How can we improve the operation?” The president asks.
“The main problem is that Ortiz and Ikubor are only out there for four hours. That’s when they max their ability,” Saif explains.
“You could use drugs on them for performance enhancement, and have deviants with healing abilities helping them recover. That way, they’d be out for a lot more hours. I’d say the double, at least,” Laurence Pierce suggests.
They… can’t do this. Aymee Ortiz’s blood freezes across the room. Padma lowers her gaze, so it doesn’t cross with her.
“Do it,” the President of the United States orders.
“The boy will be useless if he’s dead. An amplifier is difficult to come by. Are we in such a rush? The elections in November will go smoothly without catching the terrorists. It’s not something we’ll advertise worldwide,” Saif says.
“The terrorists are a nuisance, the faster we get rid of them, the better,” Edward says.
“Ikubor is our only amplifier… and if he died, it would be such a shame. I’m sure Nigeria would make a big deal out of it. I agree that we should just keep the four hours a day, that seems like a good work day,” Madeleine says.
“It’s not just catching the terrorists. It’s all the pressure to bring the girls safe. How long until people start asking if we aren’t weak? How long until the protests turn against our inaction?” The president asks.
“And we want them safe,” Thomas adds.
“Find two healers. Run tests and see which dosage is safe. Improve your efficiency no matter the cost,” Edward says and ends the meeting.
As always, the President of the United States is the first to leave. Edward closes the door behind her, grabs his gun and goes near Thomas’ advisor.
“Edward!” Jessica Miller shouts.
“You idiot! Keep your mouth shut!” the boy starts crying with the gun held against his forehead. “She can’t know the terrorists are maybe five. Make yourself useful and stop talking or I’ll make you.”
Is my back safe? Aymee meets Padma’s eyes. Padma smiles at her.
Everyone around the room is in shock at Edward’s attitude. All but Marianne and Saif. Unlike the rest, they know, truly know, how explosive Edward can be when he thinks that his way can miserably fail in a second.
***
When Abigail returns to the bedroom, Emily is already fast asleep. She sits there for a while, facing her. Could she forgive her? Should she be understanding, like Rachel advocated? The thought that Emily was the one wrong, but she was the one that had to make it better made her blood boil.
Abigail gets up in the next morning and sees Emily standing by the window. She turns around and Abigail can tell that she has been crying.
“I won’t apologize for what I did to her, Abigail. I will never apologize for protecting you-”
“Emily.”
“Let me finish, please,” Emily wipes the tears that fall from her eyes. Abigail nods. “But I regret everything else that I said yesterday. I could say that I did it because I was hurt, because you hurt me when you said Jade doesn’t care. I know she doesn’t. No one does,” she sniffles.
Abigail comes closer to her.
“I thought that if I was the most powerful, that my parents would love me. But they don’t. I thought that if I was the most powerful that Jade would love me. But you are probably right, she’s happier that I’m gone. I thought that the world would love me if I was useful to them. I made an effort to distinguish myself from Moore every day. If I was the perfect deviant, people would love me.”
She smiles and takes a deep breath.
“You are not the one who doesn’t exist unless I’m around you. I’m the one that isn’t anything. I’m the fraud. Your choices brought you here. I’m here because I have nowhere else to be. My rotten can’t be an excuse. I can’t hurt you because I’m hurt. I don’t think I can do better now, Abigail, but I am deeply sorry for everything that I said. For everything that I’ve ever done, when I was too focused on my pain to realize you had yours.”
“Emily, you are my friend and I love you,” she hugs her and wipes Emily’s tears, “I ran away too. I was too afraid that my parents were somehow connected to all this. If they were around, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Yes, you would.”
“I wouldn’t. I couldn’t face General Lewis.”
“Abigail, I’m sure they have nothing to do with his. I’m sure.”