time and then shrugged his shoulders.
"We'll see," he commented mildly, but alarm bells started clanging inside my head.
"And how do you plan to do that?" I asked. Lena's hand started to softly squeeze my own in a show of support and understanding. Obviously she'd come to the same conclusion as me.
Always so quick to perceive new threats. Always so fast at seeing potential disastrous outcomes.
The woman was a rebel whether she believed it or not. She was one of us in every possible way.
"You think your security systems can keep the Cardinals out?" the President offered.
"What have you done, Tan?" Lena demanded.
"You're not making this easy, Lena," he stressed in return. "The rebellion is over. Finished. Yet you insist on remaining a part of his team. What would your father say?"
Oh, low blow.
Lena's hand jerked in mine; I held it securely, offering what comfort I could.
Then she laughed. That deep, throaty purr of a chuckle. She threw her head back, white hair flying over a supple shoulder, and lifted amused eyes to Tan.
"You think my father would agree with you?" she asked, and I stiffened. For God's sake, Lena, don't mention the fucking Shiloh unit.
Tan sighed. It was genuine, I think. He leaned forward and all pretence of the upright authoritative leader disappeared. And the Lee Tan we'd got to know in the rebel bunker stared across the small space at us.
"OK," he said, as if deciding something. Clearly he wasn't winning this round, he was changing things up a bit. I bristled, not wanting to let my guard down. I noticed Lena straighten her back, eyes narrowing, doing the same thing.
"We've had to turn the street-cams back on again. Sat-loc is going live at midnight, as well." He looked devastated. Torn apart. No one wanted to take control of a free nation and then push it back into the dark.
I almost felt sorry for him, but then he said, "You understand how precarious things are right now, don't you, Elite?" The way Tan said it, Elite , it might as well have been a pet name for her. And Lena's softening on hearing it said as much.
"It can't be easy," she commented. "Especially with these Masked people causing such chaos."
"In what way?" he pressed; all innocence; all friendly enquiry. Nothing else.
Lena answered before I could stop her. Before I could put an end to this farce.
"Well, it was clear the Civil Defence Force station doors were tampered with," she said. Alan growled. I just held my breath.
"And you think they did it?" Tan asked, ignoring the obvious. But Lena wasn't born yesterday. Maybe the day before, having fallen for a rookie trick like that. But certainly not yesterday.
She lifted her chin and stared down her very Elite-like nose at him.
"And what do you think, Tan?" she asked.
He smiled self-deprecatingly, just as an aide entered the room. He held his hand out without breaking eye contact with Lena, and a slip of paper was placed into it. The aide disappearing as silently and smoothly as he'd arrived.
Tan flicked his gaze down to the paper and then crumpled it. His head snapping up and dark eyes landing on mine.
I crossed my arms over my chest and smiled. It was part cocky, part amused, and a whole lot fuck-you!
"No masks at our place?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "Nothing to implicate us in this little witch hunt of yours? That must be disappointing for you, President . Perhaps, next time, you'll actually listen to us. To Lena . Perhaps you'll stop being a fucking jerk."
Again with the laser gun. I glared over at the Cardinal, daring him to fire it up.
"Fucking hell," I muttered. "You've got yourself a trigger happy one."
Tan blinked, then sat back in his seat and let out a breath.
"You're really not involved," he murmured.
What a fucking idiot!
Lena stood up, dusting herself down, although she didn't need it. She was Elite perfect. No... she was freedom fighter perfect.
"You've got a serious problem, Tan," she said softly. The words carrying so much more weight for the way
"We'll see," he commented mildly, but alarm bells started clanging inside my head.
"And how do you plan to do that?" I asked. Lena's hand started to softly squeeze my own in a show of support and understanding. Obviously she'd come to the same conclusion as me.
Always so quick to perceive new threats. Always so fast at seeing potential disastrous outcomes.
The woman was a rebel whether she believed it or not. She was one of us in every possible way.
"You think your security systems can keep the Cardinals out?" the President offered.
"What have you done, Tan?" Lena demanded.
"You're not making this easy, Lena," he stressed in return. "The rebellion is over. Finished. Yet you insist on remaining a part of his team. What would your father say?"
Oh, low blow.
Lena's hand jerked in mine; I held it securely, offering what comfort I could.
Then she laughed. That deep, throaty purr of a chuckle. She threw her head back, white hair flying over a supple shoulder, and lifted amused eyes to Tan.
"You think my father would agree with you?" she asked, and I stiffened. For God's sake, Lena, don't mention the fucking Shiloh unit.
Tan sighed. It was genuine, I think. He leaned forward and all pretence of the upright authoritative leader disappeared. And the Lee Tan we'd got to know in the rebel bunker stared across the small space at us.
"OK," he said, as if deciding something. Clearly he wasn't winning this round, he was changing things up a bit. I bristled, not wanting to let my guard down. I noticed Lena straighten her back, eyes narrowing, doing the same thing.
"We've had to turn the street-cams back on again. Sat-loc is going live at midnight, as well." He looked devastated. Torn apart. No one wanted to take control of a free nation and then push it back into the dark.
I almost felt sorry for him, but then he said, "You understand how precarious things are right now, don't you, Elite?" The way Tan said it, Elite , it might as well have been a pet name for her. And Lena's softening on hearing it said as much.
"It can't be easy," she commented. "Especially with these Masked people causing such chaos."
"In what way?" he pressed; all innocence; all friendly enquiry. Nothing else.
Lena answered before I could stop her. Before I could put an end to this farce.
"Well, it was clear the Civil Defence Force station doors were tampered with," she said. Alan growled. I just held my breath.
"And you think they did it?" Tan asked, ignoring the obvious. But Lena wasn't born yesterday. Maybe the day before, having fallen for a rookie trick like that. But certainly not yesterday.
She lifted her chin and stared down her very Elite-like nose at him.
"And what do you think, Tan?" she asked.
He smiled self-deprecatingly, just as an aide entered the room. He held his hand out without breaking eye contact with Lena, and a slip of paper was placed into it. The aide disappearing as silently and smoothly as he'd arrived.
Tan flicked his gaze down to the paper and then crumpled it. His head snapping up and dark eyes landing on mine.
I crossed my arms over my chest and smiled. It was part cocky, part amused, and a whole lot fuck-you!
"No masks at our place?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "Nothing to implicate us in this little witch hunt of yours? That must be disappointing for you, President . Perhaps, next time, you'll actually listen to us. To Lena . Perhaps you'll stop being a fucking jerk."
Again with the laser gun. I glared over at the Cardinal, daring him to fire it up.
"Fucking hell," I muttered. "You've got yourself a trigger happy one."
Tan blinked, then sat back in his seat and let out a breath.
"You're really not involved," he murmured.
What a fucking idiot!
Lena stood up, dusting herself down, although she didn't need it. She was Elite perfect. No... she was freedom fighter perfect.
"You've got a serious problem, Tan," she said softly. The words carrying so much more weight for the way
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