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X Cole

Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

Did I want hi?

I would have asked him, but he never ?

As the day eked by, I thought about calling hi hiainst it I was a mess of uncertainty by the tied into my work clothes and stuffed a few necessities into a backpack My favorite weapons, a change of clothes, my cell and a little of the money I’d saved I liked to stay prepared I donned loves and left the house

The air was bitterly cold, rass,fast When I cleared the neighborhood, I caht and the convenience store and began to shiver And yet the exposed skin on my face burned as if I’d crawled inside an oven I frowned

Sensitivity to the sun was a zoer as I searched for the reason An unfamiliar sedan with dark-tinted s parked at the curb

A door in back opened "Get in," Dr Bendari commanded

I stepped toward him, froze If I did this, I would be late for work, maybe even missin--would he let me call in or threaten to bail if I tried?--I could lose the job But could I really pass up this opportunity?

Anticipation, nervousness and dread filledthe blade hidden but at the ready Dr Bendarime space Even before I’d shut the door, the vehicle was speeding away

War me as I buckled my seat belt

Dr Bendari studied me "Face-to-face at last, Miss Bell"

"I’uests I know" He looked to the driver "Alert me if there’s even a hint of a tail"

"Yes, sir," the driver said

"How did you know?" I demanded "How do you always know?"

"I told you," Dr Bendari said, reaching for so on the floorboard "My source"

"I’er "Sudden "

Dr Bendari straightened without grabbing anything and, looking at ently said, "You need me too much to dispose of me, Miss Bell"

"Yeah? And why is that?"

"I told you I have the answers you seek"

"If that’s so, ould you want to help ame? Why the veil of secrecy? Who do you work for? Do you have so it? I want to know!"

He rubbed his te to ward off an intense ache "Are you always this inquisitive?"

"Always"

"It’s quite off-putting"

"Well, I’m quite desperate"

He studied , he very slowly reached forwhatever it was A pile of folders He settled them in his lap "I’m sure you will be less than thrilled to learn this, but I worked for Anih I’d suspected, I foundhis eyes on the road, the driver extended an arave you a chance to put that thing away You didn’t Now I’ainst irl, I’ll end you"

"No," Dr Bendari chided "Let’s calm down, everyone I said I worked with Anima, Miss Bell In case you missed it, that’s past tense I have since left the co for theets his intel Whatever I know, they know, too They are, apparently, watching you closely"

I relaxed, but only slightly, considering what I’d just learned I set the dagger onincreasingly upset with theirbusiness practices, I guess you could say," Dr Bendari continued "Lately, they’ve been using cancer patients as lab rats, and I couldn’t take it anymore I left the company, but you see, no one with my security clearance leaves Ani just fine"