Chapter 17

OFFICER MAYER GLARED AT US FROM HIS DESK CHAIR, HIS face red.

"Sit," he ordered, and we did. "You." He looked at me. "That was the worst field assignment I've

ever seen from you. I swear sometimes I thought you were just standing there watching."

I swallowed, not sure what to say, as that was entirely accurate.

"You." He turned to Callum. "You disobeyed a direct order and took your com out in the shuttle. Was

there something you needed to say that you didn't want us to hear?"

"No, I was just tired of you yelling at me," Callum mumbled.

Officer Mayer slammed his fist on his desk. "You do not get to be tired! If I want to yell at you I will

yell at you! Did your trainer not tell you to get in line? Did she not say that you were to follow all

orders?"

"Yes," Callum replied.

"Then why shouldn't I eliminate you?"

"I don't want to kill anyone," Callum said quietly.

"I did not ask you to kill a person; I asked you to kill a Reboot. A crazy Reboot who killed two of

your friends. I would think you would be glad to do it."

Callum shook his head.

"Then we should eliminate you." He nodded his head, like it was decided, and I felt like someone had

just put their hand around my throat.

"No, that isn't—"

"I wasn't talking to you," Officer Mayer snapped at me before turning back to Callum. "You were

warned and you chose not to follow a direct command. I don't see any improvement, and unfortunately

there is no room here for Reboots who don't perform well."

"But he is better," I said, ignoring the glare Officer Mayer gave me as I spoke out of turn again. "He

was the one who completed the assignment tonight. If it weren't for him I'd probably be dead and the

assignment would have gotten away."

Officer Mayer pressed his lips together, looking from me to Callum, and I felt a tiny spark of hope

amid my panic.

"And I didn't prepare him properly for a kill assignment," I said.

"Why not?"

"I'm not used to training such a low number. I didn't realize he'd be so emotional about it." The lie

slid out of my mouth easily. Had I thought about it a little more, I would have known Callum wouldn't be

okay with killing. "It's my fault."

"It's not—"

"You be quiet until you're spoken to," Officer Mayer snapped at Callum. He turned to me again.

"Should I eliminate you instead?"

I swallowed, although that comment wasn't entirely unexpected, considering I'd just told him I'd

screwed up. "I think if we continue training, he'll get better at following orders."

"So you don't think I should eliminate you, then." Officer Mayer had the tiniest smile on his face, and I

was struck by the sudden urge to smack it away. He was enjoying watching me squirm.

"I would rather you didn't, sir."

He let out a long, exaggerated sigh as he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He

looked from me to Callum for several agonizing seconds, the only noise in the room the hum of his

computer.

Finally, he waved his hand. "Fine. Twenty-two, go to your quarters. One-seventy-eight, stay a

minute."

I breathed a sigh of relief as Callum trudged out of the room. Officer Mayer stood up, gathering a few

papers and his computer into his hands.

"I'm sending you two on a kill assignment as soon as we locate the other adult Reboot," he said.

"We've been tracking the other one for several days, so it shouldn't be long. If Twenty-two refuses to

perform the assignment again, you'll eliminate him."

A flash of rage hit me so hard I almost gasped. It burned so strongly in my chest that I clenched my

fists together and stared at my lap to keep myself from jumping up and snapping his neck.

I would eliminate him?

"You need to do it out in the field. This facility is . . . restless tonight after that crazy girl got herself

killed."

That crazy girl. My best friend.

I could hear the snap it would make in my head. Snap.

He gestured for me to stand and I did, my legs shaking. He opened his office door.

"We'll say a human did it. Last thing we need is another elimination. We've had too many lately."

Snap.

Snap.

Snap.

Officer Mayer gestured for me to follow as he strolled into the hallway. "You gave it your best shot,"

he said, turning to walk away. "But he's bringing you down, too. We need to stop this nonsense."

I watched his back as he strode off. I could do it so quickly. He'd be dead before he hit the ground.

Then I'd be dead a few minutes later. Perhaps only a few seconds later, depending on how far away the

guards were.

I forced myself to move in the opposite direction. I certainly couldn't help Callum if I was dead.

I opened the door to the stairwell and stopped next to Callum, who stood in the dark alone.

Pound.

Pound.

Pound.

I turned toward the noise, coming from one floor down. The floor where the Reboots slept.

"What is that?" Callum asked.

I descended the stairs, gesturing for him to come with me. I pushed the door open and stepped onto the

eighth floor.

Pound.

Pound.

Pound.

It came from my right, the girls' wing.

"Why are they doing that?" Callum whispered.

"Ever did that," I replied. "When she . . ."

When she went crazy.

Had they drugged them all? What good were Reboots if they were all totally insane?

"Get to your quarters," a guard barked.

I entered the girls' wing and stopped. In almost every room both girls were out of bed, methodically

pounding on the wall.

Their eyes followed me as I walked to my room.

They weren't drugged.

They were rebelling.