Read Online Office of Mercy (9781101606100) by Ariel Djanikian - Free Book Online Page A

know that Jeffrey adores you. He’d probably drain his arteries into your bloodstorage banks if you asked him to. But you should know that whatever special advantages he’s managed to wrangle for you, you haven’t earned them. You’re a rookie. Your record is average. You’ve done nothing to distinguish yourself among your peers. If it was up to me, you never would have been permitted—” Claudia stopped and shook her head, too full of loathing to continue.
    Been permitted into the Office of Mercy
, Natasha was sure she had wanted to say.
    As far as Natasha knew, she and Claudia were not enemies, exactly, but the older woman had made it obvious early on in Natasha’s career that she did not care much for Natasha at all. In general, Natasha tried to ignore it. From what she could tell, Claudia didn’t like anyone who was close with Jeffrey—and so, logically speaking, there hadn’t been any reason for Natasha to take Claudia’s feelings too much to heart. It still hurt Natasha’s confidence, though, and on some days made her more nervous and unhappy at work than she would have been otherwise. But what could Natasha do about that? As for the nature of the
original
antagonism, the one between Jeffrey and Claudia, Natasha had virtually no understanding of it at all. Both Jeffrey and Claudia were Gammas; they had a history within their own generation that was beyond Natasha’s awareness and general interest. It was not strange that it should be like that. Each generation contained its own nuances of relationships and hierarchies and rivalries that remained largely invisible to those outside—and especially to those farthest removed by age. The Gamma generation had eleven and a half years on the Deltas, and a full nineteen years on the Epsilons.
    â€œI don’t know what special advantages you’re talking about,” said Natasha, growing more curious by the second to know the cause of Claudia’s anger. “Unless you mean tracking a poor, suffering Tribe man for five hours and watching him die.”
    â€œCheck your mail then.” Claudia sneered. “I hope you’ll be satisfied.”
    Natasha stood rooted in place as the shower room door banged shut. Could this mean what she thought it meant? Had Jeffrey done it? Had he actually done this for her? The Alphas held him in such high esteem, and if he had fought for her, he may have been able to get her through. Her body, damp and steaming from the heat, tingled with excitement. Out of love, he would have made it happen, a quieter voice within her said, because Jeffrey understood her, because her happiness brought him happiness too. Several seconds had passed now, enough to ensure that Claudia would be gone from the hall, and Natasha burst out of the shower room and rushed to her sleeproom, the tie of her robe dragging behind her and her feet sloshing in her shoes.
    Min-he was dressed for work; she was hurriedly making her bed and stuffing papers into a file.
    â€œThere you are,” said Min-he. “I didn’t think you’d gone up to the Dome already. You missed Eric. He came around looking for you.”
    â€œDid he seem upset?”
    â€œActually, he seemed kind of giddy. Smug too, but that’s just Eric.”
    â€œYou didn’t see a message come in for me, did you?”
    â€œI hadn’t noticed—”
    But at that moment, Natasha’s wallcomputer began to flash blue. Only once had it done that before: when Natasha had received her assignment in the Office of Mercy.
    â€œNatasha,” Min-he whispered, her eyes widening with alarm. “A personal message from the Alphas.”
    â€œI know.” Natasha quickly entered her password. The text filled the screen, overriding the usual arrangement of icons. Min-he rushed to her side, reading over her shoulder.
    Natasha Wiley,
    You have been selected to serve as one of the six members of the Crane Recovery