On Halstein’s screen, Adam saw himself.

  A cold sweat beaded on his forehead. His hands gripped the armrests of the chair, and his amber eyes darted around, searching for a place to hide.

  The video showed him surrounded by a storm of electric fire, leaning out the window while dragging a helpless Simon by the neck. The camera zoomed in on his face, capturing it clearly. There was no denying it—it was him.

  “A well-placed hidden camera can be quite revealing, don’t you think?” Halstein said. “But you must already know that, considering Homam Enterprises provides this kind of equipment to agencies like Orbit. Or am I wrong?”

  No. He wasn’t wrong. But damn, how much better it would have been if he were.

  ‘…allowing us to determine its origin and prepare an observation post for future occurrences,’ Halstein had just said. That meant…

  “You’ve been spying on me!” Adam accused. “That’s a violation of my privacy. I’m gonna—”

  “—sue us?” Halstein interrupted. “What would you gain, other than exposing yourself? What you should do is commend my agents on their excellent work. Thanks to them, this is the only existing footage. If anyone within a two hundred yards radius tried to capture the fire in your apartment, I assure you, their signal was jammed instantly.”

  Well, that explained why Adam, searching for strange incidents online, hadn’t come across any footage of what had happened to his loft. But it didn’t make the situation any better. No matter how small the audience for this video had been, his secret was recorded—and in someone else’s hands.

  The aroma of coffee filling the office, mixed with the scent of varnished walnut furniture—normally pleasant—now churned his stomach.

  Halstein puffed out his chest like a tenor about to belt out a high note, then exhaled deeply.

  “Don’t worry, Mr. White,” he said, his tone more cordial but as fake as a mobster reassuring a debtor while pointing a gun at them. “This agency takes its work seriously. Your secret won’t be revealed. My purpose in showing you this is so you understand that we know what you’re capable of. All I want is for you to help us study the Ita-Hu—nothing more.”

  Vicky clenched her fists. This bastard knows exactly which buttons to push. Her partner wore the very image of doom on his face, squirming in his chair like a slug doused in salt. Adam was so resigned to whatever the Division Chief decided to do with him that it left both of them in a dangerously vulnerable position.

  “On the afternoon of October 10,” Halstein began, “my agents were near the nature reserve, anticipating one of your many energy expulsions, when they witnessed what could only be described as an epic battle. I should mention that we have deported your attacker to Markabian territory and handed him over to the appropriate military authorities.”

  The image of agents hauling Kitty away on that stretcher with laser restraints flashed in Adam’s mind. He couldn’t tell if Halstein’s words were true or just meant to offer a sliver of relief, but they planted seeds of doubt in his fertile imagination. How much did the Satellites know about him? Halstein hadn’t mentioned Juzo, but surely they knew of his existence and what had happened in Liberty Park. If the first energy detection occurred on Saturday, September 22, as Halstein claimed, it was clear they had been investigating ever since, just as Vicky and Adam had theorized earlier. Did the agents have other data on the Binary Project? And if so, how much? Could Rune Halstein answer his questions about the masterminds behind the project? Did he know about Broga or his intentions? Halstein had just announced Kitty’s capture—had they also caught the other mercenary, the one with the mustache who had destroyed his loft?

  Adam was about to ask one of these many questions, whichever surfaced first, but his twin’s voice stopped him.

  “Don’t you dare say a word,” Juzo warned.

  On second thought, pressing Halstein for answers about the project might not be the right way to satisfy his curiosity—it might be the misstep that landed him in a trap. ‘Play along,’ was a phrase Juzo might as well have said.

  “What makes you think my powers can penetrate the rock’s shield?”

  Halstein puffed out his chest and exhaled slowly, with the deliberate air of someone blowing out cigar smoke. His expression said, ‘I hate having to justify myself,’ but he elaborated nonetheless, “We theorize that quantum radiations of the same type can cancel each other out. A Tau charge cancels out another Tau, and a Kappa cancels out another Kappa. Since you and the rock emit the same kind of quantum radiation… If you’d like a more technical explanation, my scientists would be happy to provide it.”

  “Right, but if it’s just about similar radiations, couldn’t you neutralize the rock’s radiation using the emission from those Kappa Points?” Adam countered.

  “Mr. White, if you know how to drag a Kappa Distortion Focus to the Ita-Hu, or how to duplicate Kappa radiation, please enlighten us so we won’t bother you further.”

  Damn it! The guy had an answer for everything!

  “So? What do you say, Mr. White? Will you do it?” Rune Halstein demanded with the posture of a bull, clearly expecting an immediate—and positive—response.

  A very, very skilled negotiator, Adam thought.

  “Look, I’m honored, but this is a dangerous task,” Adam replied. “You mentioned the rock’s radiation reaches levels that even surprised your scientists. That sounds risky. What happens if it turns out to be harmful?”

  “We’ve conducted the necessary studies, and it’s no more harmful than the radiation you’re exposed to while sunbathing at the beach,” Halstein assured him, clearly unwilling to back down.

  No wonder he’s in charge, Adam thought.

  “Even so,” Halstein continued, raising an index finger as if to say, ‘Pay attention because I have something to offer,’ “since the amount of radiation emitted by the Ita-Hu remains a mystery, and we prefer not to take unnecessary risks, we’ll provide you with an insulated suit designed for high-risk radioactive and biological operations. Everything to make you feel safe!” His final words were accompanied by a hand gesture that practically screamed, ‘Who else could offer you a better deal?’

  And now he’s trying to buy me, Adam thought. At least, despite his nerves, he could still think straight. The tactic of buttering someone up while giving them the tools to achieve a goal they hadn’t sought in the first place was a ploy he himself had used countless times at work—or even to land a date with a woman who seemed out of reach.

  Unfortunately, this time, he was on the opposite side of the table. Here, he wasn’t the one on the offensive—he was the target. His lack of verbal artillery to defend himself against this web of proposals was pitiful. He needed to retreat, and he’d already seen hints of that very idea in Vicky’s eyes. Oh, yes, he had seen them!

  “I’m sorry, but I have to decline your proposal, sir,” Adam said, standing up. “I can’t do it. I don’t have control over my powers, you see? I lack the necessary training. I’d be happy to assist you with anything else you might need.”

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  Lack of training? Was that really the best excuse he could come up with?

  The burly man smiled again beneath his thick mustache. Was he amused by the whole scene?

  “No, Mr. White, I’m the one who regrets not being able to accept your refusal,” Halstein said, tapping the first file in the stack on his desk. “This is Miss Viveka’s dossier.”

  Adam and Vicky both held their breath.

  Halstein opened the document, flipping through it as he read aloud, “Victoria Marie Viveka. Twenty-seven years old… Entered the Military academy in the year 579 of the Imperialist Era… Graduated with honors… Decorations… Reconnaissance missions… Also served in the Markabian Army’s Breach Squadron under the alias Alioth, and here’s where things falter. I must say, I’m not impressed, Miss Viveka; your achievements as an intelligence officer are… scarce. I don’t know if you’re aware, but after your desertion, your former team’s success rate improved. Let’s just say they did better without you.” Halstein fixed his gaze on her. “I’d hate to think all those titles and honors you received were just because of your father.”

  Vicky clenched her fists. Her blue eyes burned as they locked onto the Division Chief’s dark gaze. This was nothing more than gratuitous humiliation before delivering the final blow.

  Halstein closed the folders and opened one last document—a letterhead sheet, stamped and signed—and slid it toward them.

  “This is a deportation order for you, Miss Viveka.”

  There it is! Vicky thought. I’m going to be deported! I’ll be deported and imprisoned!

  They would hand her over to the Army, and it wouldn’t matter how highly regarded her father was; she’d be condemned like any other traitor. In fact, her father himself might even be willing to throw her behind bars.

  Adam took her hand, and while she wished that small gesture could give her the strength she needed, it wasn’t enough.

  “You’ve left Markabian territory multiple times without authorization, Miss Viveka,” Rune Halstein pointed out. “That’s a punishable offense under your government’s laws. Those laws don’t apply in this country, but there are others I’ve invoked in this case, arguing that your presence here compromises the security of those who live on Chironian soil. If I give the order, my men will take you into custody—just like they did with the mercenary. However, I’m willing to drop those charges and grant you political asylum, along with a resident ID for this country, if Mr. White agrees to help us.”

  Vicky waited in silence, her gaze fixed on Halstein as Adam considered his options.

  As a negotiator, he’s clever, Adam thought, and as a division chief, he’s a cunning bastard.

  “Come on, Mr. White. All you have to do is shoot at that rock, extract a sample, and come back. It’ll take no more than five minutes,” Halstein insisted. The way he stroked his mustache gave the impression he’d almost hoped one of them would refuse just so he could flex his authority. “If you don’t cooperate, we’ll turn Miss Viveka over to her country’s authorities. And perhaps you don’t know this, but she’s associated with a group of rebels known as the Troublemakers, and the Imperialists are not fond of Troublemakers.”

  Well. The battle was lost.

  Adam shrugged. “I don’t see how I can refuse.”

  “Perfect,” Halstein said, smiling. “Miss Viveka will remain in our custody until the operation is complete.”

  “If you’re going to do something you don’t want to, at least set your own terms first!” Juzo’s voice echoed in Adam’s mind.

  “I have one condition,” Adam said. “Miss Viveka will not remain in your custody. She’ll stay with me and accompany me on the operation.”

  Halstein took a cigar from a box and, like a magician at a carnival, produced a silver lighter from the sleeve of his suit. With a flick, the flame appeared, igniting the cigar. He snapped the lighter shut and tucked it away again. Taking a long drag, he leaned back in his chair, the very picture of a mob boss.

  “Isn’t that asking a bit much?” he asked.

  “No,” Adam said, crossing his arms. It was his turn to show he could negotiate too.

  Without taking his dark, glassy eyes off Adam, Halstein exhaled a cloud of smoke, creating a ghostly curtain between them.

  “Deal,” he finally said. “Of course, neither of you will be allowed to leave this territory until the operation is complete. Otherwise, it will be considered an escape attempt. Not only will Miss Viveka’s file be reopened, but charges will also be brought against you, Mr. White.”

  “Relax, I’m not going anywhere,” Adam replied.

  “Very well.” Halstein took another deep drag. “The trip to Black Plateau will take place the day after tomorrow. I’ll personally accompany you.”

  “The day after tomorrow? Isn’t that a bit soon? That rock has been sitting there for years, maybe centuries. I doubt it’s gonna grow legs and run off if we wait a few extra days.”

  Halstein’s dark eyes pierced through the smoke.

  “I agreed to your terms, Mr. White. Now you’ll stick to mine. It would be irresponsible to leave a fugitive as elusive as Miss Viveka in your care for longer than necessary. Though we could reschedule for next week, as I’d initially intended, if Miss Viveka remains here in custody starting now.”

  Vicky gripped Adam’s wrist, signaling that she was willing to accept detention. “It’s fine. I’ll be okay,” she said, attempting a reassuring smile.

  Adam shook his head and took a deep breath. “The trip will be the day after tomorrow,” he conceded.

  Rune Halstein set his cigar on the edge of the ashtray. He smoothed the red tie peeking out from his black suit before standing, a towering figure of authority. Extending his hand as a gesture of farewell, he indicated the meeting was over.

  Adam and Vicky rose from their chairs, and the Division Chief escorted them to the door of his office.

  “I’ll see both of you on Wednesday,” he said. “It would be advisable to bring a change of clothes; you’ll be sweating a lot. As for you, Mr. White, I’ll be expecting you tomorrow.”

  Adam gave a puzzled smile. “Tomorrow?”

  Halstein responded with another smile, one far from puzzled, letting his arrogance flow once again like an exquisite perfume. “You’ll come first thing tomorrow so my scientists can run some tests on you.”

  Adam and Vicky exchanged looks.

  “What kind of tests?”

  “Standard clinical evaluations. We want to see what condition you’re in.”

  “That won’t be necessary. I had a full check-up recently, and everything’s fine,” Adam replied.

  “We know,” Halstein said with a nod. “At Central Hospital in Proxima, at the request of your personal physician, Dr. Kara Lieven. Ever since you were admitted to the ER after the accident at Liberty Park, I could recite your medical history point by point. I could even tell you the exact red blood cell count in your blood. However, the tests I want to run are a bit different. Or did you think the Ita-Hu phenomenon was the only thing about you that caught our attention? A research agency can’t overlook someone with abilities like yours.”

  The confidence Juzo had built up in Adam drained away in an instant.

  “You’re not planning to carve off a piece of me to study like you’re doing with that rock, are you?” he quipped, half-joking, half-serious.

  Halstein couldn’t help but let out a chuckle—deep, but very brief.

  “We considered that idea,” he said with a straight face, “but dismissed it for one simple reason: we’re not savages, Mr. White. You see, the Ita-Hu is a raw diamond, and you’re the tool that will help us refine it. Would you damage the chisel before using it?”

  “Then what kind of tests are we talking about here?” Vicky pressed.

  “Relax, Miss Viveka. We’re not going to dissect him like a frog, if that’s what concerns you. I need to know what’s in his genes to determine how accurate our assumptions about Mr. White’s capabilities are and ensure that the trip to Black Plateau won’t be a complete waste of time.” The Division Chief ushered them out of his office. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.”

  The heavy walnut door swung shut behind Adam and Vicky, brushing their heels. They hesitated, unsure whether it was worth going back in to ask Halstein to elaborate on one of the many topics discussed or simply leaving and trying to forget the unpleasant experience—at least for a little while.

  But two men in gray suits appeared, making the decision for them. With a simple gesture, they directed the pair down the same path they’d come and escorted them out of the building.

  The knot in Adam’s throat felt so tight it seemed to reach his stomach. It was over. His dreams, his hopes of reclaiming a normal life after everything that had happened… Gone. There was a recording that exposed him for the phenomenon he was, an agency that seemed to know everything about him—including how many steps he took each day—and an arrogant division chief who not only wanted to use him for some absurd task like breaking off a piece of rock, but also planned to hand him over to a team of doctors and scientists.

  What a fool he’d been, thinking that all this insanity—radiation, scientific projects, and all—would just vanish like a bad dream.