“That’s why I invited you over for dinner that night. I was planning to tell you that I knew who you were, and I was going to tell you what I was. I hesitated, though, and before I could work up the courage, you left. That was when I learned how true it was that you never know what you have until it’s gone.” Lilith’s eyes closed again, and she shook her head slowly. “I would have done anything to fix it, if I could have, but when you two called I didn’t know what to say. I was willing to do anything you asked, though. When Gina called, I knew there was something wrong. I could hear someone talking in the background, and she wasn’t speaking normally, she was too happy. So I walked into the trap, because I couldn’t let you be in danger. When I saw you, the despair in your eyes…
“I don’t know what happened to me, Gina. I could have killed the villain in a single blow if I wanted to, but I didn’t want him to die that easily. The pain and despair in your eyes was too strong, and I wanted him to suffer and hurt. That’s why I was so careful when I beat him, making certain that I wouldn’t kill him, while still leaving him unable to fight back.” Rachel’s eyes went huge as she looked at Gina, realizing just how lucky Blue Impulse had been in some ways. No one had suspected that Lilith had been deliberately holding back when she’d beaten him within inches of death, and that Lilith had controlled her strength in the middle of rage that intense was… startling. But Lilith didn’t pause. “I did what I could to free you, and I would’ve done it even if I’d known it risked my own life. With the magic released, I think I felt something else within me wake, some other power that I don’t know about. Now, though? I’m telling you everything because you deserve to know, and I’m willing to accept the consequences. If you wish to turn me in, so be it. Regardless of how things have changed, I’m still Amber’s creation.”
Lilith’s words were soft as her monologue came to an end, her eyes downcast. Rachel just stared at her for a long minute. The explanation was stunning and in some ways heartbreaking. The description of Lilith’s emotions and past… Rachel couldn’t really fathom it. Even when she’d pitied Lilith for being alone so much, she’d never expected anything like this. She took a deep breath, clearing her mind before speaking gently. “I don’t want to turn you in, Lilith, but I have my responsibilities. You aren’t a threat, though, so we probably can talk to the authorities and come to some sort of—”
“No!” Gina’s panicked interruption shocked Rachel, startled by the sudden strength of her friend’s objection. She wasn’t sure why Gina seemed so upset, especially about discussing things with the authorities. The story had caused most of Rachel’s sense of worry and betrayal to fade, but her past meant that she really needed to be studied more heavily.
“Why not, Gina? It isn’t like Lilith is one of Shadowmind’s minions, after all,” Rachel asked, frowning at her friend. “That should allow her to get off easily, and will clear the air, I think.”
“Rachel… I’m the one who’s dead tired! Read the damned notice again. What does it say?” Gina asked angrily, pointing at the projection. Frowning, Rachel looked at it more carefully.
‘Seeking the biological weapon created by Shadowmind in January 2030. A $1 million reward will be given for information leading to the capture of the biological weapon. A $10 million reward will be granted for turning over the subject to LANCE. Wanted dead or alive.’
Rachel looked at the notice, then turned back to Gina, not seeing what she was getting at. “It seems fairly straightforward to me, Gina. I don’t see why you’re so upset.”
“Rachel… it calls her a biological weapon,” Gina replied, tears forming in her eyes, and she rubbed them away with a sleeve as she continued in a quivering voice. “Don’t forget about the Reinfield Act. You know exactly what would happen to her.”
At Gina’s explanation, Rachel paled, wondering how she’d forgotten that aspect of the notice. Years before, Doctor Eric Reinfield had created several monstrosities almost on the level of kaiju, and the government had attempted to contain them rather than killing them outright. When the creatures had gone berserk, they’d destroyed nearly half of Seattle in the process. The debacle had led to the Reinfield Act, which required any biological weapons created by villains to be summarily destroyed at a safe facility or dissected to develop countermeasures. The law didn’t have any wiggle room, didn’t allow for exceptions, and ‘summarily’ had been decided to be within twenty-four hours.
Looking at Lilith, Rachel swallowed and took a breath before asking softly, “Lilith, did you know about the Reinfield Act when you told us about this?”
“Yes,” Lilith replied softly, her voice shockingly calm, but the uncertain look in her emerald eyes almost broke Rachel’s heart.
“Why would you tell us, if you knew that was what would happen to you?” Rachel asked, her voice trembling, her earlier suspicion almost like a weight around her neck. “They’ll incinerate you or tear you to pieces if they find you!”
“I know that, but I couldn’t lie to you two anymore. I don’t want to be alone anymore, and you two are my friends,” Lilith replied, closing her eyes for a moment more, then opening them and looking at Rachel levelly. “If I didn’t tell the two of you, what kind of friend am I? I already know enough of your secrets to hurt both of you badly. I didn’t think the two of you would turn me in, but I’m prepared if you choose to do so, because either way I won’t be alone anymore.”
“Damn it, Lilith, what were you thinking? That isn’t the kind of thing that…” Gina began, choking up and shaking her head before continuing. “I wouldn’t have blamed you for keeping a secret like that.”
Rachel didn’t reply, instead pulling out her phone and dialing the command center of Ocean Shield, knowing that Hypergizmo was on duty. Any of the others would have made her more hesitant, but she trusted Hyper.
“Hey, Morgan! I’m surprised to hear from you this late,” the tech spoke brightly, his voice a near-drawl. “It’s a quiet night over here, thank goodness. What’s up?”
“Rachel?” Gina asked, her voice uncertain. Rachel made a quick shushing gesture, and ignored the others as Gina walked behind Lilith to rub the brunette’s shoulders anxiously.
“Hello, Hyper. Actually, because of the chaos earlier I haven’t been able to get to sleep, so I started going through some of the older files. While I was going through them, I noticed that the supposed daughter of Shadowmind was designated a bioweapon by the government. I thought it was odd, so I thought I’d check with you and see if you knew why,” Rachel explained, trying to sound like it was idle curiosity. “I just don’t remember anything in the information we provided that deserves that designation.”
“Say what? That’s really odd… she was really listed as a bioweapon? Let me see if I can pull up the documentation,” Hypergizmo replied, startled. “Give me a minute, would you? The government servers are slow as molasses.”
“Thanks, Hyper. It just struck me as kind of odd. I mean, I haven’t heard anything about the… girl being guilty of anything,” Rachel told him, relaxing into the couch as best she could.
“That makes sense to me. Ahh, here it is!” Hyper exclaimed, pausing for a moment, then spoke up. “Aha, here we go. It looks like they considered other classifications, but there was a lot of worry about her. Due to the unknown effect of having combined genes of hundreds of powerful superhumans, the notoriously evil attitude of Shadowmind, and that the ‘construct’ would have access to all the technology that Shadowmind had designed, they decided it was safest to categorize her as a major threat to eliminate. That’s why they classified her as a bioweapon. I think it’s a bit on the side of overkill, but I can understand why they went with it.”
“I see… well, you’re right about their logic,” Rachel replied, frowning. “Thanks for clearing up my curiosity for me. Maybe I’ll be able to sleep now. Good night, Hyper.”
“Good luck sleeping, Morgan. At least you aren’t on shift tomorrow. Oh, and thanks for the pleasant interruption, it’s a nice change of pa
ce,” the man replied with a laugh, then hung up.
“Well, that’s just lovely!” Rachel hissed, taking a deep breath to try to calm herself, then banishing the chains with a gesture. Lilith stretched, looking worried as Rachel explained. “They decided that you’re a major threat since you have unknown abilities and access to Shadowmind’s technology and bases. That’s why they classified you as a bioweapon, so you could be disposed of as soon as you were found.”
“What? But we told them she was going to be a blank slate, without Shadowmind’s values!” Gina blurted in shock.
“I doubt that would make a difference in the end. Government agencies tend to be paranoid, and would likely assume that what you got was misinformation. They probably expect that even if I seemed benevolent, I’d have some form of sleeper protocols that would turn me against the country at the worst possible moment,” Lilith murmured, still surprisingly calm. Looking between them, she added, “The question is, what are you going to do with me?”
“I won’t turn you in, Lilith. I don’t… you aren’t a bad person, and I like you, a lot,” Gina said, blushing as she hesitated, glancing at Rachel before adding, “Like I said at the warehouse, maybe even love you.”
“I’m not…” Rachel began, but her voice trailed off as she blinked at Gina in surprise. The sudden admission stunned her, and it took a moment before she could speak again. “Ah, I was saying that I didn’t intend to turn you in because of what we just learned. Unless you suddenly turn into Shadowmind the Second, at least. I just wasn’t expecting you to confess like that, Gina!”
“Neither did I. I remembered what you said at the warehouse, but wasn’t going to address it until you did,” Lilith replied, blushing as she looked at the floor. It took a moment for the woman to continue. “I… thank you both for your trust. I’m afraid I just don’t know what my feelings are, Gina. I don’t have the experience, and you’re my only friends. Is that… acceptable, Gina?”
“Of course, silly,” Gina replied, her voice warm as she looked at Rachel. “It’s actually partially Blue Impulse’s fault, the bastard. He forced me to talk about all of you, and he outright asked me if I loved Lilith, which made me realize that I just might. The rescue didn’t hurt, either.”
“That’s… but…” Rachel floundered, bewildered as her emotions roiled, then she glared at the two of them. “That’s not a good way to find out if you like one another! Gina, we discussed this back when we decided to have the separation! I knew you liked her, but… ugh, this is awkward.”
Gina giggled, grinning broadly as she teased, “What? It isn’t like you like her too! Uh… Rachel?”
Rachel could feel her face burning, and her blush deepened as Gina looked at her incredulously. Lilith looked between them several times, blinking, then set her face in her hands, mumbling. “Well, isn’t this awkward? I don’t remember anything like this in the training programs.”
Gina began giggling, and Lilith slowly began turning the brightest shade of red that Rachel had ever seen, prompting Rachel to start laughing herself.
Wednesday, December 18th, 2030
Unknown Location
Far away, the chessboard still sat in darkness, but the game had progressed since then. A single white bishop, the king, and three pawns were all that remained on one side. But that was when the pawn slowly moved forward, and transformed into a queen. As it did, the man in the room began to laugh, so loudly that it echoed throughout the building.
“Just in time to make a difference, I think. Now then… to see if this is merely check, or checkmate,” the man said, his amusement obvious as black began to move in turn.
Chapter 26
Thursday, December 19th, 2030
Warden’s House, Oakland
Yawning, Rachel paused before putting the last of the bags into the back seat of her car. Gina had dragged her out of bed at eight in the morning to give her a ride home, and the two had promptly started packing the things that Gina needed into her car. Considering that Rachel hadn’t even gotten to bed until after three in the morning, she was running on less than five hours of sleep, and she was tired. Gina looked weary but happy, and she’d put on red lipstick, which had turned her lips an odd shade of purple that amused Rachel.
Eventually Rachel couldn’t resist anymore, though, and she asked the question that had been running through her mind for the last couple of hours. “So, how did last night go?”
“Hmm? I thought that everything went well, for the most part. Lilith wasn’t upset or anything, just embarrassed,” Gina replied, blinking as she adjusted the easel so the legs wouldn’t be quite as close to the windows. “I think it was kind of cute.”
“I didn’t mean that part. I have eyes, you know,” Rachel told her, giving Gina a skeptical look. “You were all but hanging off of Lilith, and you admitted that you liked her. Considering everything…”
“I tried to follow her to her bed. She told me no,” Gina replied dryly, a touch of annoyance in her voice. “I tried to object, but she was firm. She wants to figure out how our relationship is going to work out before doing anything ‘drastic.’ Besides, she was dead tired and needed her sleep, so she put me in one of the guest bedrooms. It’s probably for the best, anyway, since I was out like a light.”
“That’s… a bit surprising, but not too much,” Rachel murmured after a moment of thought. “I’m not sure what I expected, but I’m glad to hear it. Still, I suppose you both needed sleep. What’s this about guest bedrooms, anyway? I thought there was only the one.”
“We definitely needed the sleep, and she has several, actually. I’m not sure about there having been only one, but there definitely are three at the moment. Still, what’re you thinking, Rachel? You practically admitted that you liked her before you left, you know,” Gina asked, grinning. Rachel felt her face heat under the teasing. “I thought you didn’t like girls romantically. Weren’t you thinking about trying to date Galvanic or something?”
“I’m not sure,” Rachel replied, sighing and shaking her head. Gesturing at the house, she told her friend, “You should go lock up so we can get this over to Lilith’s place. I’m still pretty tired, since you got me up earlier than I wanted. I want to take a nap.”
“Right, right… but we’re going to discuss this once I’m back,” Gina threatened with a gentle grin, closing the car door. She headed for the house to lock up as Rachel sighed.
Shaking her head, Rachel got into the car and turned the key, causing the electric motor to start with a soft whirr. As the vehicle hummed to life, she couldn’t help but wonder what she actually thought of the situation. While she was happy that Gina seemed to be getting what she wanted, Rachel found that she was jealous, too. It had taken a while for her to admit to herself that she liked Lilith, and it had come a little too late. That Galvanic Action seemed to be hooking up with Ocean Spirit was even more frustrating in its own way. Rubbing her temples, Rachel couldn’t help but sigh. She was just too tired to deal with it right now.
“So, what’s going on?” Gina interrupted as she slid into the car, her comment eliciting an evil glare from Rachel. Gina ignored the look as she continued. “You’re moping around and grumpy, which means I have to be at least on the right track. I can tell there’s something wrong, and I’m worried about you. Just like you were worried about me. So spill it, already.”
“If you must know, I’m pretty sure that Galvanic and Spirit have started dating. I’m not certain, but they’ve been spending a lot more time together lately,” Rachel replied tartly, checking the rear-view mirror. “Beyond that, you were the only woman I’d ever been really attracted to until Lilith came along, and I didn’t dare bring that up, since I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I was usually more attracted to men, anyway, so it wasn’t as though I lacked for options in college. But if you’re asking how I’m feeling, I’m happy for you. A bit jealous… a lot jealous, but I’m not going to try to mess it up for you.”
“You what?” Gina exclaimed, stari
ng at Rachel. “You… it’s been years, and you’ve never told me that!”
“Well, I have now. I blame being tired,” Rachel retorted, and sniffed hard. “Besides, it doesn’t matter at this point, does it? You and Lilith have your… relationship to figure out.”
Gina blinked in surprise, opening and closing her mouth several times, then her eyes narrowed slightly. “I see. Suddenly those shopping trips are explained, too. Never mind… I don’t want to know what you were thinking. Still, there’s something you haven’t really considered, yet.”
“I… am going to have to plead the fifth, so I’m glad you’re not wanting to address it. It’s probably at least part of why my relationships didn’t last terribly long, not just because of our extracurricular activities,” Rachel agreed, flushing slightly at Gina’s implication. At the last, though, she glanced over, asking, “And what would that be?”
“Well, I can think of a few guys who got a bit impatient with you, so it’s possible. But you’re forgetting something really simple.” Gina was grinning again, which set off alarm bells for Rachel. “Weren’t you listening to what she told us last night? Lilith said she cares for both of us.”
Born a Queen (Lilith's Shadow Book 1) Page 23
