Page 61 (1/1)

Truthfully, I still feel as though I’h flat rollers, stretched out and held to a hot iron My ribs itch and throb as the fractures knit in response to the medics’ treatment Every movement o to sleep

"I’m fine, sir," I say instead of the truth This, at least, is a lie I can deal with "Truly No long-lasting trau a secret facility that’s no longer there

The co a fraction "In that case, we can handle the official debrief process now" She reaches into her pocket, pulling out a recorder about the size of her index finger and snapping the top open so the green recording light flashes at me She sets it down on the medicine cabinet beside my bed "Debrief interview, post-incident with Captain Jubilee Chase, recording for transcript by TD-Alpha Base senior officer, Coin, Captain Can you tell ?"

I take a slow breath, testing the point at which e A boy named Flynn Corain I think of the firstco htly raised, hands still folded over her knees The clinic is quiet, the silence roaring in e voice says, "I don’t re ainst the blankets I’uy at Molly Malone’s, and he had a gun It all happened so fast, I didn’t get a good look at his face He knocked ot outside"

"Tellor weak? Any do the most har at all about who he was?"

My stomach lurches If I tell her that Orla Cor the Fianna, they’ll never stop searching for him "Not really, no" My voice sounds steady "He and the others were careful not to use names"

"Is the one who took you responsible for your injuries?"

My gaze wants to drag itself across to the winking green light on the recorder, waiting to catch me out I force myself to focus on Commander Towers "No, that was later I think I was in a cave One of them beat me" I move my arm so I can rest my hand briefly over my ribs "They kept me a few days, until they decided for soured that waset it as, and I walked the rest of the way"

"Slon Is the cave the next location you reically"

My head’s aching, and it feels like wading through syrup as I rifle through the options Every lie I tell carries ht be able to catchand knohich ent This is what I get for lying for a rebel "No, before ent to the cave he took ht forward in her chair, and I know I’ the fact that she’s more alert, focused on the s, and my ribs send a lance of pain up ht there was some kind of military installation out that way, but I didn’t know of any"

The risk of what I’ an air-drop without a chute But if there’s even a chance she’ll answer the questions churning in h ned patrol in that sector-- out there that I didn’t know about" I can alainst h

Commander Towers hasn’tto remember what polite inquiry would look like Am I too blank? Should I raise my brows? Smile? My heartbeat is too loud, and I’m nearly as dizzy as I hen I collapsed on the island Theatback

Abruptly she reaches out for the recorder, switching it off but keeping her eyes on her fingers

My heart stops; she’s caughtoff the recorder because she’s about to call for security to haul me down to lockup "Co into what’s clearlysh"

I blink, trying to sit up despite the dull, painful protest of ives the recorder a little shake, her half sher-ups You need rest more than you need a debrief" Her cheek twitchessoht to feel relieved No more questions, no more chance my actions will be discovered But Co as I have, and I know her well enough to see she’s troubled