the time.
Niall enters, lugging that same exhaustion. Although his eyes spark with humor when he notices that I’ve rearranged the furniture.
Plopping down next to me, he says, “Nice.”
“Not near as nice as what you did for me.”
“You liked it?”
“Of course. The paintings are fantastic. Thank you.”
Niall tucks me close. “They certainly brightened your room. Except now that pencil drawing I drew for you looks—”
“Just as fabulous. Don’t diss King Toad and Queen Mouse or I’ll have to hurt you.” I framed Niall’s gift and it’s the last thing I see before I turn off the light. Its very presence helps reduce my nightmares.
He lifts his hands as if surrendering. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good.” I snuggle closer.
“So what’s with meeting here?” His tone is casual. Too casual.
This is gonna be fun. “I’m thinking of doing some worming and—”
“Are you insane?” His grip tightens.
I laugh. “Do you really have to ask that question?”
A sigh. “No.”
“Don’t worry, Officer Radcliff. I needed some one-on-one time with my mom. I think I’ve convinced her to lift the restrictions.”
“Restrictions?”
Pulling away, I study his face. “Wow you must be really tired. You’re usually a better actor.”
He runs a hand through his black hair, leaving spikes. “I’m the lowest ranked officer, I’m not privy to everything.”
“You had to guess my parents must have given your father conditions about me.”
“Yeah. And before you get mad, I knew you’d figure it out.”
“Took me long enough,” I grump.
Drawing me against him, he says, “I wish it took you longer. You’d have been safer.”
“It’s a temporary illusion. No one’s safe until Jarren’s stopped.”
A shrug. “It helps me sleep at night.”
That’s actually very sweet. I squeeze him. But he mentioned the S-word. Sleep, people!
“Come on.” I break away and stand, hauling him to his feet. “It’s twenty-two thirty. You’re only going to get three hours of sleep. Time for bed.”
“You’re being sensible.” He squints at me in suspicion.
“I can be sensible.”
“No. You’re up to something and trying to hide it by being sensible.”
“So being sensible is a bad thing?”
“No. Yes. No.”
“Which one is it?” I wait, suppressing a grin.
“In your case, it’s a bad thing.”
“All right. Then I won’t be sensible anymore.”
“That’s not…” He sighs.
We hold hands on the way back to the officers’ housing. When we reach the corridor that runs along the training room, I ask Niall about the brightness. “Is there a reason?”
His gaze grows wary and the silence lengthens. Confused, I’m about to prod when the doors of the training room open. The entrance is about a few meters ahead of us. Niall stops, releasing my hand, as Elese and Officer Zaim back out into the hallway. They point pulse guns at a group of people wearing neon green jumpsuits—and I thought the light was intense. The group are paired up in a line and each pair is shackled together at their wrist and ankle, causing them to walk in step. Their expressions range from defeated, bored, hostile and neutral. Officers Ho and Bendix follow the slow parade. They’re also aiming pulse guns at the vivid group.
It clicks. They’re the looters. Security captured sixteen of them during the attack—four women and twelve men. I peer at them. It’s easy to see their faces in the brightness—oh, that’s the reason for the daytime conditions. Do I recognize any of them? No. They wore jumpsuits and masks to hide their identities. Niall puts his arm out, stopping me from getting closer.
“Wait,” he says. Niall rests his hand on my shoulder. Is he worried I’m going to do something? Jarren killed Menz, not these thugs.
“What were they doing in the training room?” I ask.
“Exercising, stretching, moving around. Those detention cells are small for one person, but six of the units have two people.” He frowns. Probably remembering the few hours he spent in one with Officer Morgan. “It would be inhumane to keep them in there all day.”
Oh. I didn’t think of that. In fact, I’ve been avoiding the topic altogether. Denial in all its glory.
At the sound of our voices, a few of the prisoners glance at us.
“Hey. It’s her,” one of the women cries. “That little worm The Boss was so keen to capture.”
Uh oh. I step back as the prisoners all stop and stare at me. Maybe I should have cut my hair short. Grins and delight now shine on their faces even though Bendix is yelling at them to get moving. Niall blocks me from their view, but the damage is done.
“She’s alive,” a man says. “Which