A few hours earlier

Was it a trap?

It most definitively is a trap, Eva thought.

But she had nothing to lose. If she didn’t bring Fenn back to Ted Weatherspoon, she was as good as dead. She had been questioning Rex Zeckrin all night. It had taken a while but on the fourth fingernail pulled, he had finally talked. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being set up. For that reason, she had decided to go at it alone. If no one from the administration was there to watch her fail to secure Fenn, then there was no failure: only another set back.

Also, she didn’t want anyone to scoop her lead. She knew that the military would be right on her tail, so she had to get there first. She had to talk with Fenn. She had to convince him to come with her. She could then turn him over to Ted. And that should be enough to turn her luck around. To make Ted look at her like he used to.

s for the others, they were disposable. Evian wasn’t there to save them, this time. Yuki and Doran were probably still feeling the pain of the signal’s destruction. Meyer wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight. Eli and Fiori were the only real threat. She’d have to play her cards well to get pass these two.

She arrived at the Fairfax’ cottage just after breakfast. There was sunlight breaking low on the horizon but the trees around the house offered her the protection of their shadow. She pulled up in the driveway blocking the escape car. She loaded up two guns and added a wireless long-range electric shock weapon to her arsenal. Last, she grabbed two small ET-MP grenades. Her mind was set, she was going to walk out of there with Fenn or else they could all die together.

She opened her door and assumed a shooting position. It wasn’t long until an unidentified male stepped out of the house with a riffle in hand. Before he could ask any question, she shot him twice in the head. Doran appeared on the doorstep, but quickly ran back inside when he realized what had just happened.

Eva couldn’t help but smiled. “So, it seemed my lead was right after all. Hunting season is on.”

She stood up and carefully started walking toward the house. Fiori appeared on the porch and grabbed the dead man’s riffle. Her first instinct was to shoot him dead, but she wouldn’t be able to torture a dead man, so she withheld.

“I am not going to shot you.” She screamed at him. “I just want to talk. I came alone. I am here to make a deal.”

“Don’t come any closer,” Fiori yelled back.

Eva didn’t stopped walking. She lowered her gun and reached the bottom of the steps. Yuki appeared in the doorway behind Fiori.

She couldn’t see the three teenagers anywhere. She tsked.

“There is nowhere for you to run. All Antarticum is looking for you. Give me Fenn and I can offer you safe passage to Orkney Island.”

Fiori lowered his gun and fought back a smile.

“So simple,” he said under his breath.

“I know this is where you intend to go. I can get you there safely.”

“And what does Ted think of your offer.”

“He doesn’t know.”

Fiori heartedly laughed.

“Ted knows everything, you silly girl.”

Eva ignored him.

“I am not going to offer again. Give me Fenn and you can…”

“… if you want Fenn you are going to have to get him yourself,” Fiori interrupted her.

Eva wavered for a second but pulled herself back together. With her free hand, she swiftly pulled her long-range electric shock weapon and shot at Yuki. They dropped to the ground in a loud thump. Fiori’s smile disappeared.

“Come in,” he said.

Eva’s brow furrowed.

This is a trap, she thought. This is all too easy.

She chased the thought away.

I have nothing to lose. Patience, she reminded herself.

Still holding a gun in each hand, she took a deep breath and followed Fiori inside the house.

The room she walked into was crammed. The lights were so dim, it was hard to see anything. Doran was there, holding on to a sobbing woman. Meyer and Fenn were nowhere to be found. But in the middle of the room stood Eli.

Eva felt a shiver go down her back. Was she as powerful as her brother? Did she know her full potential? How much training had she received since her escape from Nova Cibus?

Patience, she told herself again as excitement filled her up.

She raised her gun and pointed it at the sobbing woman. “If you try any foul moves on me, I will shoot her.”

Fiori spoke first: “Ted doesn’t know you’re here. How did you find us?”

“It took a while, but Rex eventually talked.”

“And he told you we were here?”

“He told me, you wanted to get out of Antarticum. You want to go to Control Island B. I can make it happen.”

“You have no power. You are just a pawn playing Ted’s game. How do you expect to get us to Control Island B?”

“Ted only wants Fenn. As long as I bring him back, they’ll stop running after you. I get Fenn, you get to peacefully retire to Control Island B. Seems like a great deal to me.”

“Ted will never let us walk away.”

“Rex is still alive. I already gave him directions. With one phone call, he can set things into motion for you. He will help you.”

Fiori smiled.

“Rex is already helping us. He sent you here on my command.”

Eva froze.

Eli readied herself.

“It’s my turn to make you an offer!” Fiori was back in command. “You go back to Ted and be a good little daughter. You help Evian escape and help us get to Control Island B.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“Nothing. Ted no longer needs you. Your father is dead. You will never get Fenn to go with you. You are already dead. This is your last chance to be a good person. I know you care about Fenn. I know you hate Ted. Revenge. That’s what’s in for you.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind!” Eva exploded as she discharged her gun on poor Mrs. Fairfax. “I am not about to throw away everything I’ve worked for! I might be already dead, but I will not let you make a fool out of me!”

“Then I suppose we have no choice!”

“Where is Fenn! I want to see him! I want to talk with him!”

“Over my dead body.” Fiori answered as Eli pounced forwards pushing Eva off balance. As she fell over, Eva managed to pull the trigger on her long-range electric shock weapon. It hit Doran in the stomach.

Eli wasn’t holding back. Eva knew that one punch would send her flying. She had to evade every single one of them. Thankfully, she too, had been trained. And although her Heighten Characteristic was no use in hand-to-hand combat, there was still a way out for her. But first she had to get to Fiori. She had to stop him.

“I didn’t know you could fight like that,” Fiori exclaimed without any real surprise.

“I’m not a little girl anymore. I know exactly what I am doing! I don’t need you to play the hero and come save me from Ted Weatherspoon,” she answered.

“I have no intention to save you. I told you! You are already dead. The day you refused to come with us, you sealed your fate. That was your chance! That was your way out! But you couldn’t break free from Ted! You couldn’t stand being a bad daughter! We were there to rescue both you and Fenn. But you stayed behind. You made your choice. That’s the day you died.”

“I died long before that!” she screamed in rage.

The distraction was working. Eva was having a hard time enough warding off Eli. She didn’t need Fiori taunting her.

But it was too late, Eli landed a jab into her ribcage. She grunted in pain and narrowly avoided the next jab. She took a chance and spun to her left while lowering her body under the upcoming right swing. That was just enough to throw Eli off balance, giving her a few seconds to recoup herself. Fiori was all the way across the room. With Eli behind her, that was her chance. She leaped unto the couch and sprung herself forward. All she needed was to make contact, no matter how brief, any contact would do. As she took flight into the air, Eli grabbed her foot, bringing her abruptly to the ground. Eva smashed her face on the floor but did not let that stop her. Pushing herself forward, her hand grabbed Fiori’s ankle.

“Gravelling at my feet, are you, now!”

But soon the man regretted his words.

Eva did not have Evian’s keen ability at manipulating people’s perception of reality. Nor did she have the ability to connect her mind over far-reaching distance. But there was one thing she could do best, and that was triggering extreme emotions. She could target the limbic system, overstimulating it with memories of fear or despair playing in an infinite loop. The same way she had turn Fenn into a coward. She would make sure Fiori spent the rest of his days in torments.

Eli punched her in the back, sending jolting pain down both of her leg. But she didn’t care. Fiori had shut up. Fiori was trap in his own mind reliving his worst fears. Eva rolled on the floor avoiding Eli’s next punch.

“Wait!” Eva screamed.

Eli froze.

“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to fight anymore,” Eva gibbered.

Eli was listening.

Eva sat up.

Eli readied herself to throw another punch.

Two meters to her right was her long-range electric shock weapon.

“Fiori won’t be giving you any orders for a while. It’s ok. You can stop now.”

Eli flinched but kept her stance.

“I bet you could be as great as your twin brother. Perhaps if you trained with him…” Eva purposely let her sentence hang.

Eli’s fist slowly dropped to her side.

“He misses you. Your brother, I mean. You’re his only family left… Imagine how happy he would be to see you…”

“My brother…” Eli said as her heart tightened.

“Your brother is alive! Your brother is well!”

“My brother?”

“Fiori knows your brother… Did he not tell you?”

“My brother is alive?”

“You don’t have to run anymore Eli, come with me. You can be safe. You can be with your brother. Have you ever eaten cake, with fresh strawberries and whipped cream?”

Eli frowned as she took a step back nearly falling over the body of Mrs. Fairfax.

Eva seized the opportunity to grab her taser. Eli didn’t move as she seemed completely lost in her mind. The place was suddenly airily quiet. For the first time Eva noticed the sound of a running shower coming from the hallway.

“Eli, where is Meyer? Where is Fenn?”

Eli seemed surprised by the question.

Eva got up carefully and peeked into the hallway. There were four doors. In front of one stood Meyer, holding a knife.

Eva laughed.

“A knife! That’s what Fiori gave you??? A knife.”

“Don’t come any closer!” said Meyer in total panic.

“Don’t worry! I won’t,” Eva said as she raised her weapon and sent a discharge straight into Meyer’s chest.

“Down goes the genius,” she mocked.

Fenn is taking a shower, she thought. We’re at war and what does the kid do… he takes a god damn shower.

Eva sighed in discouragement.

“Eli! What will it be?” Eva walked back into the living room.

Eli looked up; she was holding a gun. Eva wondered if Eli knew that gun had an empty cartridge.

Probably not, she thought.

Eli looked so frazzled. She wasn’t taking the news well.

“How do I know you are telling the truth? How do I know my brother really is alive?”

“You don’t. I have no proof to show you. You need to take my word for it.”

Eli laughed. “Your words? Your words mean nothing to me!”

“Of course, they don’t. But that’s all I can offer you right now.”

“I want to go with you. I want to meet my brother. I want to stop running. I want to be safe,” whimpered Eli. “But you are not giving me any assurance. It’s not enough Eva!”

“Come with me, Eli.” Eva’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. But Eli was too weary to notice. “You have nothing to lose. I could have shot you already. That gun you are holding… the cartridge is empty.”

Eli threw a side glance at Fiori and bit her lip.

“This is one of those moment Eli. A leap of faith. What I am asking you to do is take a leap of faith. You can save yourself. Come with me. Be Free! And it is not only you, you will be saving. This is your chance to save Fenn and Meyer. I can put in a good word for Yuki. Fiori, I don’t know that I can help him. I can try. You could too.”

“Fenn… is in the washroom,” Eli finally said as she lowered her gun.

“I am proud of you Eli. You are a smart girl. You are a strong girl. You will go far. Take Meyer, Yuki and Fiori back to the car. I’m going to go have a few words with Fenn,” she said as she walked away concealing a smile.

“This is my moment to shine. I am done being patient!” she mumbled on her way to the washroom leaving the conflicted teenage girl behind. A few steps away, a wooden door stood between her and Fenn. She took a deep breathe and kicked the door open.

A flow of cold air rushed in, dissipating the steam. Eva stood in the doorway with her gun aimed right at Fenn’s head. Behind her, a path of destruction.

“I found you!” she cheerfully exclaimed.