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  “No.” Cassie lifted her head fast. “So you can stop with the innuendo.”

  “I didn’t say anything.” Pip sat back. “So why all the chitchat then?”

  Cassie’s expression became reticent, closed off. He’d seen that look before. “Cass, seriously, what little secret are you and Dalton sharing?”

  Cassie pulled in a breath before she spoke. “Don’t lose it okay.”

  “No promises.” He watched her. “Spill it.”

  “It’s about Rosie’s implant and she didn’t want you to know, because if you did, you would have gone in guns blazing and made a massive mess of things before she had the chance to do anything.”

  “Cass …” Pip said.

  “Fine. Her implant is worse than you know. It’s not merely hurting her like you saw before, the nanos are breaking up. It’s disintegrating and they’re straying through her system. Short story is she could go blind, it could affect her breathing, her spine or any number of things. Worse case, it could kill her.”

  Pip couldn’t move. Something felt like it was falling straight through him, stealing his breath. Why hadn’t Rosie told him? He could see her face now: the way she’d avoided his eyes when talking about the implant. It bit deep that she hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him, but had told Cassie.

  “Pip.” Cassie’s tone softened. “She didn’t want you or anyone to know. Not even Essie knows. It’s one of the reasons she had to go to Helios. That implant is one Riley must have stolen from them. I think he altered it, but at its base it’s still Helios tech and I thought they would be the only ones who could take it out.”

  “And Dalton knew as well?” he said.

  “I think she told him as a way to get him to let her go – and to ask him to make sure you didn’t stop her.”

  Well, that had worked, hadn’t it? Bitter jealousy rose in his throat at Rosie confiding in Dalton and not him. Then his mind seemed to rewind and fix on what Cassie had said. “Wait, did you say Helios tech could take out the implant?”

  “Yeah,” she said slowly, “I did, but since then I’ve changed my mind, and I don’t think it can. The way Riley made it – I think he’s the only one who can take it out. Plus – and here’s the other reason I’ve been trying to get hold of Dalton – I’ve been running some projections based on the last time I saw Rosie and the implant could be disintegrating faster than I expected.”

  “Faster?”

  She put a hand on his arm. “Before you punch a hole in a wall, I think I might have something that could help.” She picked up the injector. “A serum I’ve been working on. I’ve figured out a way to slow the nanos down, maybe deactivate some of them. It won’t get them out of her but it might save her life until we can.”

  “So she needs to get this now,” he said.

  Cassie drew back, holding the injector against herself. “As soon as Essie can come up with a safe plan to get it to her, yes.”

  Pip focused on the injector. Safe plan. There were no safe plans.

  “Pip, I didn’t tell you this so you could do something stupid,” Cassie warned, “but–”

  “You should have thought of that. Give it to me.” He held out his hand. She got up swiftly, backing away from him. He let her go, not moving, but watching, keeping her gaze locked with his.

  “Give it to me, Cass, or I’ll just take it. I don’t want to hurt you, but you know I’ll get it off you.” He felt very steady now, very sure.

  “Don’t be an idiot. You’ll get yourself captured or worse.” She glanced at Fury who was paying them no attention.

  “Fury won’t help you,” he said. “She doesn’t give a crap about any of this. Give it to me Cass and tell me how to use it, or it’ll be on your head if I don’t do it right.”

  Cassie glared at him, mouth pinched and eyes bright with anger. “Why do you have to be so goddamn stupid?” she said, and he realised then it wasn’t anger, but tears in her eyes. She was scared for him. Who knew the ice princess had a heart. But it didn’t make a difference.

  He got up slowly. “Give it to me, Cass,” he said one more time and began to walk towards her.

  She swore, she tried to bargain, but in the end, she put it in his hand and told him what to do. He left the Game Pit on one of Fury’s bikes with the map, the injector and enough water and food for two people on the return journey. It was only as he revved out of the Rim that he realised he’d left behind the gun Inja had given him.

  CHAPTER 12

  The cell was cold. It had no windows, one narrow cot attached to the wall, a tiny bathroom with no door and a single light that was always on. Rosie sat on the cot pressed up against the rough wall, while Alpha watched her from a chair.

  “I suggest you cooperate, Miss Black,” he said quietly. “Hanto will return with the manacle very soon.”

  The idea of the manacle being put on her again terrified her, but she couldn’t tell him what she’d really been doing in the medibay. She clasped her hands between her crossed legs to control their trembling. “I told you – I was looking for stims. They help my anxiety and this place makes me anxious.”

  “I believe you would be anxious, since you’re part of some sad rebellion against the Pantheon.” Rosie blinked. Why was he saying that when he knew it was a sham?

  A tiny smile curved his lips and he shifted in his seat. “Yes, I know about it. I know that’s why you came to the Enclave, to try to join them and change things.” He laughed. “Poor little Rosie, so sad how desperate you’ve become since your Messiah Riley deserted you.”

  Rosie pressed her lips together to keep from blurting out anything he could use against her. That had to be why he was baiting her. He thought she didn’t know about his and Jebediah’s alliance, she had to remember that. If he found out she did know, she wasn’t sure what he would do. She sensed he was more volatile than his partner, more unpredictable. He might kill her out of annoyance.

  “I had the equipment in the lab checked,” Alpha said. “Seems someone had been using the orb machine and since one of the functions of that machine deals with cortex implants, I naturally thought of you. Anything you want to tell me, Miss Black?” His tone became scolding. “Have you been trying to tamper with your implant, Rosie? Is that what you were up to?”

  Rosie drew her arms in closer to her sides to stop her trembling and said nothing.

  Alpha made a tutting sound with his tongue. “Such a disobedient girl. But if you’d come to me, I could have saved you the trouble. I put you under that machine as soon as you arrived. Don’t you remember?”

  “No,” Rosie whispered. Her pulse was jumping, erratic, and the pain in her chest dug in harder as her breath shortened. It was as if the nanos were burrowing into her lungs.

  “Well, you were out for the count,” Alpha continued. “We’d been drugging your food and drink, of course. I put you under that machine three times, just to be sure. It didn’t work. Something Shore did to the nanos in that implant is protecting it. You can’t download, or upload any information to it, neither can you get the thing out. Believe me, if it had been possible, I would have succeeded. Unlike Gillian, I know how to use the machine. And I tried everything.” He flicked a piece of lint off his trousers. “Why do you think I resorted to the manacle? It’s a much cruder device, but sometimes a scraper works better than a scalpel, doesn’t it? But it could have the unfortunate effect of scraping out more than we need. I think it will eventually dislodge that implant. Not sure how it will leave you.” He smiled briefly. “I suppose we’ll find out.”

  A chill settled deep in Rosie’s bones. He didn’t care, he really didn’t care if she died. But surely Jebediah would. Surely, she was still worth something to him. “Won’t your boss be upset if you kill me?” Rosie said. “After all, you still work for the Pantheon, don’t you? They probably want me alive for more than one reason.”

  Alpha’s expression was pitying as he rose gracefully to his feet. He leaned down so his face was level with hers. “Oh, my dear,�
� he said, “you really don’t know as much as you think, do you?” And he held out his hand to her. “I believe we haven’t been formerly introduced. Lovely to meet you. My name is Tate Mills. How do you do?”

  Rosie shrank back. Tate Mills. That name was on the Pantheon list. Alpha was Pantheon and had been all along. He dropped his hand and straightened, chuckling quietly at her distress.

  “Had a shock have you, Miss Black? Perhaps a short break from reality will help.” He went to the door, opening it to reveal Hanto standing there with the manacle in his hand. She hadn’t even heard him knock.

  Alpha, or Tate, took it and closed the door again, turning back to Rosie. “Now, this might hurt a little, and I’m not quite sure what the effect will be, since your attempt with the orb machine. But we’ll just have to see, won’t we?” He approached her. “Now off the bed, Rosie, and on the chair, if you please.”

  Rosie couldn’t move. The implant was hanging together by a thread now. She could feel it – the pain in her body was a pretty good indication. Using the manacle to plough its way in again could damage the nanos beyond repair. It could kill her. Panic filled her and she pressed back against the wall.

  “No.” She shook her head.

  Alpha’s face hardened. “Then tell me what else is in the Pantheon file – the location and name of the last Pantheon member.”

  “But why? You are Pantheon – and Jebediah. You must know it already.”

  “Never mind why. Tell me everything that’s on that file.”

  But Rosie wouldn’t, couldn’t.

  Alpha exhaled and in two long strides was at the cot. He grabbed her arm and yanked her off.

  “No!” She fought him, twisting and pulling, to get out of his grip as he dragged her to the chair. Without a word, he smacked her across the side of her face with the manacle. Her head snapped back and she screamed and clawed at his hand on her arm, her cheek stinging, her ear numb, but he pushed her down into the chair and muttered, “Restraints.”

  Immediately, thin wire-like straps extended from the chair arms and clamped around her wrists, fastening her to the chair. They burned her skin. Rosie kicked at him but he’d already moved sideways to retrieve the manacle from where he’d dropped it. He was slightly out of breath as he regarded her.

  “I was hoping not to have to do that,” he said.

  “Let me go!” Rosie shouted and tried to shift the chair, to stand up, but it was impossibly heavy, as if it was welded to the floor.

  “Don’t struggle.” He came towards her with the manacle. “You know it hurts more.” He put it on her head and fine wires sprang from the shining helmet, attaching to her skin, burning, burning.

  “No.” Rosie began to cry, trying to shake it off, but it did no good. And then she couldn’t move, couldn’t speak as it activated. All the muscles in her body contracted and she arched her back against the chair restraints, seeing nothing but darkness, eyes closed. She lost the sense of where she was, who she was. There was only the pain. She could hear someone screaming and then suddenly the manacle was ripped off her head. Light, sensation, flooded back and Sulawayo was there.

  Rosie collapsed back against the chair, shuddering and gasping for air. Sulawayo held the manacle in one hand and pressed Alpha back with the other. He was furious.

  “It’s orders,” she said. “No more. It’s come straight from him that she’s not to be put under this any more.”

  “And how did he know?” Alpha spoke from between his teeth.

  “I believe he is waiting to speak with you,” she said. “Better not try his patience.”

  Alpha’s face tensed with fury and for a moment it seemed he was going to say more, but then he left, slamming the door behind him.

  Rosie was too exhausted to speak.

  Sulawayo’s expression was hardly warm. “You look terrible,” she said. “Unlock.” The restraints over Rosie’s wrists detracted and Sulawayo helped her back to the cot. “You better lay down.”

  Rosie didn’t need to be told. She almost fell onto the thin hard mattress. Muscles in her legs twitched every so often and she lay there just breathing.

  “Where’s Gillian?” She was eventually able to ask.

  “In another cell. I’ll get her out soon. She’s fine.” Sulawayo dragged the chair beside the cot and sat. “Which is more than can be said for you.”

  “I’ll be okay.” Rosie passed one trembling hand across her aching forehead. “Is that Jebediah waiting for Alpha?”

  “Yes. Luckily for you, he values your life more than Alpha does.”

  “Yeah, so lucky.” Rosie took in several long breaths. “Is there surveillance in here?”

  “No.” Sulawayo put the manacle on the floor. “No records mean no explanations.”

  “Of course.” Rosie pushed herself up to sitting, wincing at the sharp stabs along her spine.

  “We have a problem,” Sulawayo said. “Apparently, there was a breakthrough with the Nation’s MalX cure tests, a possible trial vaccine was produced.”

  “Vaccine, how is that a problem?”

  “Its efficacy is not properly established. Only the first results have been reported and it is not yet known how stable it is. It may not be quite ready. In fact, I’ve been told it possibly isn’t, that further refining will be necessary. But the biggest problem is that it’s gone missing.”

  “Missing, as in stolen?”

  “Yes.” Sulawayo paused. “I lied to you. I did send one of my team up to oversee the tech, but she was impatient and as it turns out, not able to handle the pressure. I believe she took the vaccine.”

  The brief second of hope Rosie had felt was buried under dismay. “Of course you lied,” she said. “You are Helios, aren’t you? So where is it?”

  “She must have taken it to Jebediah. He hasn’t told me he has it, but I’m sure I glimpsed her leaving in a transport yesterday. And since Jebediah is here, bringing him the vaccine would be the only reason for her presence.”

  Jesus, Jebediah was in the Enclave and had a possible MalX cure. Rosie pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. This was not happening.

  “This isn’t the end of the cure though,” Sulawayo said. “This vaccine, it won’t be the final result. We will have to keep going; we still need Pip. I’ve investigated and the scientists in Nation have said–”

  “Stop!” Rosie raised her voice. “Just stop.” She couldn’t believe how such a smart woman had let herself be used for so long. “You don’t get it, do you?” she said.

  Sulawayo regarded her with annoyance. “Get what?”

  “That you’ve been used,” Rosie said. “The other night when I was out, I found Alpha’s office and I heard him talking about you to Jebediah Curtis. The rebellion isn’t real, none of it. All the people you think are on your side are only pretending to be because Jebediah wants them to. The only rebellion is Jebediah and Alpha in an alliance against the rest of the Pantheon. They’re trying to take over, and it isn’t to change things like you think. It’s a grab for power and they’ve been using you, us, all along. Jebediah is Pantheon.”

  “I know that.” Sulawayo sat very still.

  “Did you also know Alpha is? His real name is Tate Mills. He told me. That’s another name on the list. They’re using you and you’re letting them. And now you’re saying they have the cure? If they have that, and the plans for the Equinox Gate, it’s only a matter of time before they take control of everything.”

  “Suddenly, you know all the names on the list, do you? Convenient. So this struggle you have with accessing the implant, getting the information off it, has all been a ruse,” Sulawayo said. “Why should I believe anything you say?”

  “It’s not a ruse and you know something’s not right, you’ve known for a while,” Rosie said. “It’s the reason you told me about the cure being stolen. You didn’t have to do that, but something made you. You know things are going on that you’re not being told about.”

  Sulawayo leaned back in her chair. “O
f course there are. I’m not the boss; I’m the second in charge. That’s how the chain of command works.”

  “No, you’re a pawn,” Rosie said. “Their puppet.”

  “I’m nobody’s puppet.” Sulawayo’s eyes glinted. “And you, Rosie Black, are a child. A smart, resourceful one, but a child nonetheless. And children lie when they are in trouble or scared. They lie to manipulate people into doing things their way.”

  “What possible reason could I have to make this up?” Rosie said.

  “I’m not sure yet. Perhaps you’ve lost your mettle and want out of here, want me to help get you out.”

  Rosie curled her hands into fists. “I’m telling the truth. You’re being used, and you know it. You can feel it!” Rosie had seen doubt in Sulawayo’s eyes when she’d said Jebediah hadn’t told her he’d had the vaccine.

  “Perhaps you are the one who has been fooled,” Sulawayo said. “You should know, your friend, Dalton Curtis is here.”

  “What?”

  “He’s been in a recruitment cell for the last two days. Probably be let out in the morning. I believe he came here with his father – to join us. Thought I should tell you before you saw him. I see this is a surprise to you.”

  Rosie didn’t give her the satisfaction of replying. It was hard to believe Dalton had come here by choice. Unless he believed his father was on the side of good.

  “I have to say, I’m surprised,” Sulawayo said. “Isn’t he your friend? Odd him betraying you like this, isn’t it?”

  Rosie clenched her lips together. If Dalton was here, he had a plan of some sort. He would never in a million years join Helios. “I don’t believe it,” she said.

  “No?” Sulawayo’s tone was mocking. “And I thought you were so close.”

  “We only met at the Academy.”

  “He is a Central. Perhaps he was slumming it, rebelling against his father. I understood they weren’t on very good terms, though he seems happy enough with him now, joining the family fold, so to speak. If all you say about Jebediah is true, why would his son, who we know was also one of Riley’s little helpers, join him so willingly?”