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The wohed and stripped her mask down "That’ll do it," she said "It’ll take tih I’m not sure she’s really rational at this point You’ll have to wait for her cognition to return"

Bryn hadn’t seen her come in, but there was another wo a suit Her name was … was …

Harte

"Keep her strapped in, just in case," Irene Harte said "I’ charts I’ll be back to question her in an hour Be sure not to give her toothis out for another entire week I need a few hours of lucid interrogation, and then you can put her back in the room until she’s finished"

"Yes, ma’am" The woman nodded She was a pretty lady, with shiny black hair bobbed around her jawline and a mobile, kind face

And she was faish brain back to action The wo Velcro restraint straps around her ar Irene Harte as the woman pulled out a cell phone and dialed on her way out of the room

As soon as the door clicked shut, the woth "Bryn? Bryn, are you with us? Can you understand me?"

Oh She knew her Flower, soirlfriend…

"Pansy," Bryn murmured "Pansy Taylor You shouldn’t be here"

"Yeah, no kidding Nobody should be here I know it hurts" Froathered that she wasn’t looking very good "You’re going to be all right I gave you boosters You’ll feel better soon"

"We can’t wait," the othertoward the door He also lowered his mask His face was pale and set, and she knew him, too Joe Joe Fideli

"You were shot," Bryn said

Joe laughed, but it sounded all wrong He glanced at her, then quickly away, and she saw ht jawline "I checked " He moved his shoulder a little, and winced "I’my ass like you usually do" He sounded like the old Joe, but his eyes were haunted and worried Not for himself, Bryn realized For her God, how bad was she?

Worse than she’d thought The blowtorch of pain was dialing down a little, but when she glanced down at her hands, she sa discolored they were, how … inhuman

"We have to move," Pansy said "We don’t have much time left" She nodded to the two security ish brain woke up enough to wonder why Joe wasn’t worried about their overhearing Pansy said, "Gentle your protocols Protect our escape at all costs; do you understand? Acknowledge these orders You first"

"Yes,Condition Diamond I will protect your escape at all costs," said the first man He was familiar, too; he was the one who’d taken Bryn to Harte’s office, and then to the white room His partner echoed the same words; then they moved as a teaot her on her feet

"Hold on to me," she said "I know it’s not easy for you to move fast Do your best, okay?"

"Gun," Bryn said, and licked her dry, desiccated lips "I need a gun" Her voice was hoarse and faint, but steady Joe reached under his surgical gown and came out with teapons He chambered a round in one and handed it to her

"Point and shoot," he said "Try not to get et up again so easy"

The guards Bryn’s brain kept chewing away at the question, and finally, she understood The guards had been killed and revived, probably under Irene Harte’s new corporate loyalty program; that left them open to protocol orders, if you knew the keys

Which Joe and Pansy did Condition Sapphireyou knew "What’s Condition Diamond?" she asked

"Not really the tied a quick glance with Pansy, as now holding a gun of her own "Condition Diaered, it can’t be countermanded, and the revived will follow that last order to the end, no ra the way, just in case we needed a back door; it’s supposed to be reserved for ot it, in case you ondering"