{Sergeant 49}

  I tapped my finger on my knee. Once again I looked over at the clock. Two hours. This meeting has been going on for two hours and there's two more hours left to go. I continued to tap on my knee and stared down at my half empty notebook.

  "Sergeant 49," I heard someone call out. I looked up at Lieutenant 32 but she wasn't looking at me. She was looking up at the projector screen behind her. "Now these sections here, here and here…"

  Her voice faded into static. She pointed something at the screen— a green laser pointer.

  Green eyes. The same green eyes that glinted in the light from the training area.

  Zoey was in the fighting ring in the training area for Boot Camp Cadets. Some guy was squaring up against her and strutting around the ring like a Peacock. A moment later, his back hit the mat. While he was panting and trying to catch his breath, Zoey hopped out of the ring. I walked towards her, closing the gap between us. A small breeze rushed past my face as Zoey brushed past me and she went towards Claire.

  Claire's jaw hung open when she saw that. "Do you know who that is that you just walked past?"

  Zoey paused and cocked her head to the left. "And?"

  Claire didn't say anything else as she walked up to me and held her hand out. "Hi, I'm Claire."

  I shook her hand. "Sergeant 49. I actually came to see Cadet Zoey."

  Claire's lips twitched. "Yeah I know."

  After that day I got Claire's number and started dating her.

  The night before the choosing ceremony, Claire lay on my chest in bed when I remembered the ring box that was in my sock drawer. Getting out of bed I went to it and brought it over to Claire. I fumbled with the box. My voice cracked on the most important sentence. "Will you marry me?"

  The corners of Claire's mouth curved up. "Yes, Finn! I'll marry you! A thousand times over, I'll marry you!"

  On the day of the choosing ceremony, I followed Claire down the hallway with a file in my hands. I paused when Claire grabbed Zoey's hand and pulled her into her arms right in front of everyone. Then she placed her lips to Zoey's. Zoey grabbed the back of Claire's neck pulling her closer. Their tongues danced in each other's mouths until they needed to breathe. Claire stepped back. Turning on her heels her footsteps echoed in the halls as she walked away.

  I put one foot in front of me but I froze. My knees locked into place for a moment. The file trembled as my fingers squeezed it like I was choking the life out of it. When I finally managed to move again I walked over to the nearest trashcan and threw the file away. The file landed in the trash can with a loud thud.

  "Sergeant 49!" A voice called out to me. "SERGEANT 49!"

  I blinked and my gaze snapped up. Heads turned in my direction. Lieutenant 32 furrowed her brows. "Okay that's it for this meeting. Everyone else is dismissed. Sergeant 49, you stay."

  Chairs scraped back as people stood up and grabbed their backpacks and left.

  After everyone cleared out Lieutenant 32 walked over and sat down on a chair across from me. "I called your name at least six times. You didn't even flinch."

  The hum of the computer went on in the background.

  Rubbing my temple I exhaled slowly. "My unborn child is out there somewhere." I glanced at the clock on the nearby wall. The ticking grew louder. "Elite 81…"

  Lieutenant 32's chin slightly dipped. She tapped her finger on the desk in front of her. "You can request an adoption."

  I swallowed hard. "But isn't it too early for that?"

  She paused her finger tapping. "No. It's close to her time to go through the first cycle. Think about it and decide fast. Got it?"

  Clenching my jaw, the muscle on the right side pulsed. "Yes ma'am!"

  "Good. You're dismissed!"

  My chair scraped as I straightened my back and stood up. My retreating footsteps echoed down the hallway.

  ***

  {Zoey}

  My feet pounded the pavement. The laps went by in a blur. Can't you at least pretend to be friends with her?

  I finished the last lap I was on and stopped to catch my breath. Just as I put one foot in front of the other my Coach blew his red whistle that hung in a black lanyard around his neck.

  "Good job, Zara!" My Coach said. His name was Mr. Collins. "You handle everything like a natural! It's like you were born to run!" Smirking, he jotted something down on the white papers clipped to his wooden clipboard. "I'm glad I discovered you when I did."

  I dug my nails into my palms. "Well thank you Coach."

  Mr. Collins looked up at the rest of the team and said, "Alright everyone, take a shower and then it's time to go home!"

  My teammates stopped stretching and let out relieved sighs. They picked up their grey duffle bags and left the track. I followed suit. Once I got changed into some clean clothes I headed towards my car.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  I paused when I saw Claire leaning up against it. "Is there some reason why you're leaning up against my car like that? Because last time I checked, you don't own it."

  Claire pushed off from the car. "Sorry about that I was waiting to see if you wouldn't mind going to lunch with me? I wanted to clear up any misunderstandings between us." One side of her mouth lifted higher than the other.

  Can't you at least pretend to be friends with her?

  I shook my head. "We don't have any misunderstandings. But I wouldn't mind going to lunch with you."

  I unlocked the car and opened the passenger seat and motioned for her to get in. Claire put her seatbelt on and I turned my key. The engine hummed to life. I put it in drive; the tires crunching the gravel as I pulled out of the parking lot.

  ***

  We decided to eat at Steak Hub. Once we entered the restaurant we were escorted to the VIP area and took our seats next to a window. Sunlight peeked in from the blinds that were semi-drawn.

  "So why are you so grumpy right now?" Claire asked.

  I tilted my head to the right and arched a brow. "I'm grumpy?"

  Claire snorted. "You answered my question with a question. Did something bad happen at work today?"

  I pressed my lips into a thin line. My gaze flicked towards the kitchen and back to Claire. Every time the kitchen door opened, the smell of meat and grease wafted into the room.

  When Claire picked up the menu she browsed through it for a moment. She put the menu down. Looking up at me she said, "I must say you look a lot like my ex-girlfriend."

  After a brief silence I said, "And you look exactly like my ex-girlfriend."

  Claire blushed. "I see. So it looks like we have something in common."

  I nodded.

  "Can I take your orders?" Someone asked. I looked up to see Amelia standing there with a notebook in hand. Her eyebrows furrowed and the corners of her mouth turned down.

  I curled my lips back flashing my teeth. Narrowing my eyes I picked up the menu. "Hmm I want six steaks cooked medium-rare, four orders of scrambled eggs and two large glasses of orange juice please."

  Amelia's stare locked on mine. I lifted my right shoulder up slightly and raised an eyebrow. She turned her gaze towards Claire and took her order. Then she turned on her heel with her footsteps stomping towards the kitchen.

  The food came; forks softly scraped the plates as we ate in silence. When it came time to pay the bill Claire's hand shot out, slapping her card down. "Let me… pay for this?"

  Picking up my card I slid it back into my wallet. "Okay."

  When we left the restaurant I dropped Claire off at her place. I waited for a moment until she went inside. The door closed behind her and the porch lights came on. Flexing my fingers on the wheel, I pulled out into the darkness.

  ***

  {Amelia}

  My gaze lingered on Zara and her friend as they walked out the front door. When I walked over to their table I smirked. Zara's plates were empty and licked clean with the silverware sitting on the edges of the plates. The plates clinked on the table as I slid them onto my tray.

  Carrying my tray to the kitchen I slid the dirty dishes in the sink. The soapy water splashed over the sink and onto the floor. With the dishes now in the water I walked over to the door pausing to take out my notepad.

  Ripping out a piece of paper I wrote: Dosage, one packet. Consumption confirmed.

  I tucked the piece of paper in my pocket. My fingers pressed a couple of buttons on the cash register. After a couple of beeps the printer spit out a new ticket. One of the cooks, whose name was Mikey, approached me. "Your Dad wants to speak to you in his office."

  I looked up at him. "Is that all?"

  Mikey wiped his hands on his apron and averted his gaze. "Well when are you going to go on a lunch date with me?"

  The corners of my mouth twitched. I shook my head once. "Sorry, Mikey, I'm just not interested."

  He opened his mouth and shut it. Without another word he turned and walked away.

  Taking the stairs up to the office I knocked on the door. "Come in!"

  I walked into the office where my 'Dad' was talking on the phone. The gold plated nameplate caught the light from the desk lamp on the corner. Etched into the nameplate: 64C. He clicked the receiver on the phone when he saw me. "Did you put the medicine in Elite 81's food?"

  I let out a dry laugh. "Yes sir. Six steaks, four orders of scrambled eggs and two large glasses of orange juice. Every plate was licked clean."

  The AC hummed in the background.

  Pulling the piece of paper out of my pocket I placed it on the desk and pushed it towards him. I tilted my head. "Anything else?"

  "Nope. You're dismissed."

  I straightened and turned. The door closed behind me with a soft thud.

  ***

  {Elite 55}

  It was after lunchtime when Elite 81 staggered into the apartment. She stumbled like a drunk person, bumping into the walls back and forth down the hallway. Her sweatshirt had been soaked through with sweat and her face was flushed red. Her gray duffle bag slid off her shoulder and onto the floor.

  I rushed to her side and caught her before she fell. "Shit! What happened to you?"

  "I'm… Fine," She croaked as beads of sweat ran down her forehead.

  I shook my head. "No. You're not fine. What happened?"

  Elite 81 coughed. "I just went to lunch with Claire…"

  My breath hitched. "Did she?"

  "No, I was watching her the whole time." Her eyes flew open and her pupils shrank to pinpricks.

  I clenched my jaw. The right side of my mouth jumped once. "Fuck!"

  "Amelia… was my waitress…" Elite 81 wheezed. "Revenge?"

  My lips curled back into a snarl. "Amelia wouldn't piss off her Dad's best customer…"

  Elite 81 grabbed her neck and went into a coughing fit. "Why do I feel like I can't breathe?"

  I eased her hands away from her throat. "Breathe. You're fine."

  Lifting her in my arms I carried her to her room. After putting her on her bed I went to the bathroom and filled a bowl with cold water. I grabbed a washcloth and put it on the nightstand beside Elite 81's bed. As I patted her head with the washcloth her breathing was now labored.

  There was a knock on the door. When I answered it two people dressed in black stood in the doorway staring at me. One of them was a woman. She brought out her badge from her pocket inside her suit jacket. Opening the badge she flashed it quickly— Agent 155.

  I bit my tongue.

  Agent 155's gaze locked with mine. "We're here to pick up Elite 81 to take her to the hospital."

  "I knew it!" I growled.

  Agent 155 rolled her eyes. "Where is Elite 81?"

  "She's in her room." I led them up the stairs. Agent 155 went over to Elite 81 and grabbed her hands, turning her palms down.

  Agent 155 nodded once. "Good."

  She hooked one arm under Elite 81's legs and the other arm around her back. Agent 155 and her partner stepped forward. Their footsteps thudded down the hallway as they carried Elite 81 out the door.