Several chapters up today! Make sure you're not missing any! Scroll back a few to make sure you caught them all ;) This is Chapter 14 of the series. - Wild

A Flaw In The Plan

June 6th, 1999

They approach me from the front but a quick sweep of the area around me and I can see them stationed all around us in the lobby. They're covering all my exits in the event I run. They're trying not to make a spectacle in public given all the people around us.

"Julia Taylor, we need to have a word with you."

"Jules, what's happening?" Mikael asks trying to step in front of me. Nyah's eyes are as wide as saucers as she takes in the men before us and those covering the exits as well.

"I don't know." I lie but know exactly what is happening. They're hauling me in for questioning.

"What is the meaning of this?" Maria steps forward, recognizing these men for what they are, the Sentinels as they're called but the Internal Police of The Council. These people were invisible in our world unless you'd done something terribly wrong. They were more myth to us as Third Gens than anything else having no real experience in ever seeing them. They mostly monitored the Division Heads and those in very high-level positions looking for possible infractions between the divisions in order to keep the peace. An unsanctioned mission to kill the General of the FSB and steal a future EHW, even a baby one, apparently qualifies as one of those infractions.

"We need a word with her, ma'am." The man acknowledges Maria obviously knowing she's married to Ulric.

"Julia, what did you do?" Nyah asks in a near whispering out of the side of her mouth as she stands beside me.

"Nothing that I know of. But I'm sure it's okay." I try to reassure them all with a smile. "I'll see you in a little bit." I squeeze Mikael's hand, pulling him down towards me and give his cheek a quick kiss.

The men step aside so that I can lead the way out of the room and follow quickly behind me. As soon as we round the corner into the empty hallway they slam me into the wall face first and wrench my arms behind my back to cuff me.

"Don't move a muscle." He seethes into my ear in barely above a whisper. My nose is bleeding from the unexpected assault and I leave a grisly smear when I turn my head to the side from the force they're applying into my back. I don't dare fight back for make all this worse. I've never been taken into custody before and this is a swift learning curve for me not knowing what to expect.

"Julia," Mikael gasps in horror coming around the corner having followed along with Maria who stops dead in her tracks and gasps with equal horror at my position. "What's the meaning of this?" Mikael stalks forward with voice rising and instantly enraged. "Why are you treating her this way? Why is she in cuffs?"

"She's being taken into Council Custody, sir. That's all I can tell you." He roughly grabs my upper arm and whirls me around towards the door. Council Custody is definitely not good. It means that the majority of the Division Heads at least have voted to bring me into custody for a perceived infraction.

"Julia," Maria looks equally enraged and deeply concerned.

"Don't." I look right at her with my dark eyes holding fast to hers' seeing the wheels turning in her head that she's about to set off and find Ulric and rip into him for this demanding my release. That's the last thing I want her to do. Put her self between him and I and potentially get her hurt. "Just don't do anything. Please." I beg her silently. "I'll be fine. I'll contact you when they release me. I'm sure it's just a formality."

"Julia, I'll find out what's going on!" Mikael yells after me as they push me towards the back exit door none too gently. I stumble from the violent shove to my back and fall out of my high-heeled shoe. They don't even bother to stop and pick it up. The last thing I see before they're pushing me in to the back of a white van is Mikael bending down to pick up my beautiful crystal covered sandal like Prince Charming chasing after Cinderella. The spell has been broken. He looks positively ashen to see me being treated this way for the first time by those above me. It's a reminder to him of our vastly different stations in this world of ours.

As soon as I'm inside the vehicle a black bag is placed over my head. Wherever we're going they don't want me to memorize the way there. I try to take deep calming breaths and not allow myself to get too freaked out. I can handle this. No matter what is coming my way, I can and will handle it. I gave my word to protect that baby and Cassiopeia and I always keep my word. The road is bumpy and I lurch forward a few times.

We drive for approximately 40 minutes given the number of seconds I've counted in my head since we began this adventure. I can't see anything so I have to rely on my other senses. The van stops abruptly for a moment and I hear a large metal door outside being rolled back. I can also hear a boat's foghorn faintly in the distance and the clanging of a bell as it enters a harbor. We're somewhere near the river Thames, I'm guessing and the giant metal door I hear would likely belong to one of the old warehouses. When the van moves forward the sounds outside are muffled and I hear the door close again.

No one says anything as the van door slides open and I'm roughly hauled out again. The cold smooth concrete under my bare feet and the odor in the air are easily recognizable. The smell of old fish assaults my nose even after all these years of being shutdown long ago and I know I'm in an old fish packers warehouse in the East End of London: a nefarious place for nefarious deeds.

My stomach rolls of it's own accord at what I know is likely to come. I wish I'd never eaten the cocktail shrimp or drank any champagne in celebration today because I'm sure at some point in my very near future it will be revisiting me in the most horrific of ways. As scared as I am of what's to come, I'm also ready. Somewhere in my mind since the moment I accepted this mission and saw that baby staring back at me with those big blue eyes I'd know anywhere, I knew this was inevitable. I've been mentally preparing myself since.

The handlers on either side of me walk me forward several paces and then stop, whirling me around. They cuff my ankles with shackles and then remove the cuffs on my wrists setting them free. The freedom is only temporary. They proceed to wrap my wrists with rope instead as a new form of bondage in front of my body and one that has my heart pounding. My training taught me what this kind of rope on my wrists means. I'm about to be strung up. I hear the chain clanking above me as it's lowered and within seconds my arms are hoisted above my head. The rebellious teenager lurking inside of me wants to scream out Bring it on, bitches! Gearing myself up for this battle of wills but I know that won't help my cause. I did very well during training at withstanding torture but I'm not naïve enough to think they brought out all they had in their arsenal during those sessions. I was a full-fledged commissioned field agent now suspected of treason in the eyes of The Council and they aren't going to go lightly on me for this.

A man kneels before me and takes hold of the chain between my ankles. The loud sound of an Impact drill lets me know he's securing that form of bondage to the concrete floor so that I have no where to run should I get myself off the hook I know is coming. As soon as I finish my thought, I can feel it's cold steel brushing off my lower arm as it catches the rope above me. The men release their hold on me the moment my feet leave the concrete as I'm pulled into the air.

Sweet Jesus, I was not prepared for the pain already coursing through my arms just from this. The last time I was hoisted into the air like as I am now and dangling from my arms, they hadn't been broken and put back together again with pins, plates and screws. They were meant to keep my arm strong from blunt force trauma, not dangling in the air supporting my full weight just five months after surgery. The deep bone pain I feel as they adjust to the pressure has me clenching my jaw tightly in refusing to show any sign of pain or weakness, especially when they've stretched me out completely against the chain holding me to the floor. I want to get this over with quickly. This isn't a position I'm finding myself fond of. To my great dismay, they walk away leaving me here with hood still over my head.

My arms are trembling uncontrollably by the time they come back two hours later. Sweat is pouring down my face and back with my concentrated efforts not to cry in such pain already. My right arm is proving to be my greatest weakness so far.

The hood is violently ripped from my head and I squint at the blinding spotlight they have aimed at my face.

"Why am I here?" I ask remembering I'm supposed to not have any clue as to why I've been brought in by the Sentinels. "What have I done that you're torturing me for?"

"We aren't torturing you." A man I can't see through the light says to my left.

"Yet." Another voice chimes in from the right.

Okay, so they're going to play Good Cop Bad Cop with me.

"You didn't answer my question." I fire back not at all in the mood to deal with this shit right now. I remind myself of what Cassiopeia and Marie continually tell me and that is Ulric won't let them kill me. I'm too valuable. So whatever they're planning to do trying to get answers from me at least won't get me killed.

"We're the one asking the questions, Agent Taylor." Bad Cop with his sharp voice reminds me inserting his authority.

"Where's the baby?" Good Cop demands softly, getting straight down to business.

"What baby? I have no idea what you're talking about!" I spit back at him.

Bad Cop throws a bucket of ice water on me shocking me instantly. I can't catch my breath for a moment from the freezing water seizing my nervous system.

"We can do this the easy or hard way, Agent Taylor."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" I yell back at him when I can find my voice. "What baby?"

"Where were you this past week, Julia?" Good Cop steps in to save the day. He's using my first name trying to establish a relationship but I know better and he knows I know better. They are well aware we've been trained to withstand any normal interrogation methods and this is part of his test. He's waiting to see if I'll play him as I've been taught to do.

"I was on a Highly Classified assignment for Eastern Europe." It's the lie I'm supposed to use according to Cassiopeia should I be caught. If Marie is questioned she will think I'm speaking of her personal assignment dealing with Mikael and cover for me.

Bad Cop splashes me with another bucket of ice water. "Where?"

"I can't tell you that. You'll have to ask her." My arms are screaming in pain and my chest is heaving from the shock of the cold water but I can handle this. I'm funneling my pain into the fuel of rage I need to get through this.

"Julia, this is futile. We know it was you. You're the only one she'd trust that much to pull this off who doesn't have a solid alibi." Good Cop tries again, circling me as he's speaking and I catch my first glimpse of him. He's in his mid-50s I'd say, medium build and graying dark hair cut short. His accent is posh British meaning he's from an upper class family, while Bad Cop's is decidedly Russian with hints of ethnic flare which lead me to believe he was born and raised somewhere near the Urals; but his English is also splashed with hints of posh which means he was likely educated in England at one of the elite boarding schools. Bad Cop is definitely younger and the muscle of this duo. He remains in the shadows behind the intense light so I can't see what he looks like.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Who is she? And what did she trust me to do?" I protest wiggling violently against my restraints to show them I'm getting fed up with all this. "I was on a mission for Eastern Europe and when I was released, I went to my friend's graduation celebration. I have no idea what the hell is going on but I sure as hell wasn't a part of it!"

"Perhaps you need more motivation and time to remember?" Bad Cop responds a split second before cracking me across the ribs with a wooden paddle and then again and again and again. He hits me repeatedly as he circles my body and I haven't the time to recover from one blow before he's striking the next. His blows vary hitting various targets of ribs and soft tissue until I can't hold it back any longer and cry silently in pain. "Where is the baby, Julia?" He screams into my ear from behind and smacks my ass so hard with his paddle my body lurches forward against the chains.

"I don't know!" I seethe back at him with raining tears streaming down my face. All I can see before me in the blinding light is Alexei's sweet little dimpled smile and I refuse to fail him. They can't beat me forever.

Bad Cop slams his fist across my face again and again and again, striking both cheeks with alternate fists forcing my head to flop violently from side to side hitting my arms surrounding it until blood is pouring from by nose and mouth and I'm on the verge of passing out.

"Where is the baby, Julia?" Good Cop steps in whispering softly against my ear.

"What baby?" I can barely speak with the amount of instant swelling inside my mouth and choking on blood. I spit it out in the direction I can hear Bad Cop panting trying to catch his breath after his efforts in pounding me.

"We will break you down and eventually you will tell us exactly what you did and where the child is. I assure you. We've done this job for many years and we always get the truth." Good Cop's tone takes on a more serious note before softening again. "Just tell me where the baby is and this will all stop. We know she ordered you to do it. You're her prodigy. Her star pupil."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, though I'm guessing this has something to do with Cassiopeia?" If he wants to play games so be it. I was taught by the best. "You said I'm her pupil so I can only assume that is who you are speaking of." I speak slowly since my head is pounding and every cell in my being is screaming out in pain.

"You don't ask the questions! We do!" Bad Cop nails me with a kick to my gut that sends me rocketing backwards this time against my restraints. I vomit from the force of the blow and cringe in pain feeling the alcohol and stomach acid burn it's way through the new cuts in my mouth on the way out.

"Where were you this week, Julia?" Good Cop tries again.

"I told you already. I was on a mission for Eastern Europe." I shake my head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You can keep asking me the same stupid question about a baby but I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about!" I scream back. I want to egg them on and get this over with. At some point they'll reach the limit of abuse they're allowed to inflict upon me and I'd rather we reach that sooner than later. Inciting their rage is a good way to speed up this process.

"Ulric told us you know that Cassiopeia is your sister." Good Cop circles around me. "We know how you feel about family. You're trying to protect your big sister in some misguided loyalty but really it's just wasted emotion on your part. She gave herself a nice alibi and hung you out to dry, Julia. She doesn't care anything about you other than to use you for her own gains."

"I am not her sister. She'll be the first one to tell you that. We are not sisters." I counter knowing he's trying to turn me against her and tell him the truth. It's how she feels. She might be my sister but I am not hers'. "She is my General." I lick the blood along my split lip tasting its metallic sting coating my mouth trying to clear the pounding in my head. "That is our relationship. She gives me orders and I follow them."

"Did she order you to kill the FSB General and his wife, and take the baby?" Good Cop speaks softly still trying to be my new friend.

"I don't know how many times I can say this before you hear me," I blink slowly through the fog seeping into my brain with the pounding my face has taken. "I have no idea what you're talking about. She didn't give me any orders. I was working for Eastern Europe. That's my alibi! So why don't you fucking ask them!"

"I think you're forgetting who is in charge here." Bad Cop steps forward, jamming his fist into my side. I gasp instantly from the blow and realize he's also just stabbed me. It's precisely placed with honed in skill as to not hit any organs but when he twists the blade and pulls out I can definitely feel the muscles tearing in my side. Blood starts soaking through my once beautiful off white summer dress. I can feel it run down my leg and drip onto the floor off my toes. I didn't see that coming at all. His hands rip my dress down away from my chest exposing the new wound.

The searing burn that follows steals my breath away again only this time in a blood-curdling scream when he presses a white-hot iron against the hole he's just made in my side; in some form of mid-evil torture he's covering an old wound with a new one as he sears the hole closed with a flesh melting burn.

"So you feel the burn, do you?" Bad Cop seems giddy to have found my weakness in hearing me scream. "Then I have something that you'll really love."

"We've spoken with Eastern Europe already. They say they gave you no such mission. So I'm going to ask you again, Julia, where is the baby?" Good Cop tries again. "We know you're trying to protect her." He sneers at me in his snobbish upper class accent, stepping closer so that he's blocking the bright light and I can see his face. "Tell us when she gave you this order and where the baby is and we will cease all this dreary business. Your record the last few years is exemplary. We know you're one of our best new agents. We know Cassiopeia put you up to this and being the loyal pupil you are, wouldn't refuse such orders. So tell us what orders she gave you exactly and where the baby is and we'll stop before things get really unpleasant."

"I really have no idea what you're talking about." I look him in the eye and make sure I'm blinking enough to be believable. The blood coating my eyelashes now from the gashes above my brows make them stick together for long seconds between each blink and sting my eyes. "But from what I gather you're telling me, Cassiopeia had a baby and you gave it away to the FSB General. And now he and his wife are dead and the baby is missing. And you think she stole it back and used me to do it. Am I right? Is that what this is all about?" I push their buttons again on purpose by asking more questions. "You're giving me all sorts of new information here." I flaunt in their face. "I don't know where this baby is your looking for. I'm telling you the truth. Ask the Head of Eastern Europe. The real one." I emphasize so they know who I'm really speaking of in regards to Marie. "I was on a Highly Classified mission for her."

"Don't play smart with us." Bad Cop digs his finger into my freshly branded side, squeezing my broken ribs with his hands like a vice grip, purposefully pressing as hard as he can until he and I both feel a new snap as he breaks the bottom rib on my right side. "I'll break you down one bone at a time if I must."

"Where is the baby, Julia?" Good Cop hisses in frustration with me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" I yell in his face in rage. "Why the fuck can't you get that? I can't tell you what I don't know!"

Good Cop steps back into the shadows and I hear his voice take on a deadly tone. He's switching sides now.

"Light her up." He demands of the man beside him. "Don't go overboard this time."

Bad Cop steps forward and I see his face clearly for the first time as he blocks the light. He'd be incredibly handsome if he weren't trying to bring to the brink of death right now. His blonde hair and piercing blue eyes are striking and memorable as I stare into them, forcing him to make a human connection with me I know he's trying so hard not to. This man is no more than 20 years old standing in front of me. He's an interrogator in training and I know him from somewhere. My brain is trying hard to remember who he is but it's thick with the fog of a concussion right now.

He starts wrapping my chest from just below my bra-line down and my heart starts to pound like Thors Hammer. My mind flashes to seeing Cassiopeia's burns around her chest last winter, realizing what they're about to do. We were shown this kind of torture in my training but never had to endure it. It was considered too cruel for any of the First Gens even, to subject us to such horror, as there was no real way to resist such a thing. You either held your silence until you died, or you gave in. We were told to maintain the secrets at all costs which meant death if we were captured by enemies. The most skilled torture expert knew how far they could push you to the verge of death before bringing you back again using such devices and I only pray this man has experience and doesn't actually kill me.

As Bad Cop wraps my chest with the thin copper wire I try not to think about what is about to happen anymore and instead think about what has already happened. What I know or at least, what I'm trying to remember to distract myself. I concentrate on the man's face while he works on their next means of torture. It doesn't take long before the memory clicks in my mind why he's familiar to me.
"I know you." I look Bad Cop in the eyes and see the boy I once knew. "You were a Third Gen like me. We were at camp together. You were in Draco's cabin. Ilia Sokolov." Pieces start falling together regarding the young Russian before me. His eyes flash up to mine again and he's greatly unnerved I recognize him. "You failed out of Field Training and disappeared." He looks away continuing to wire me up. "So is this what happens when you fail? You get sent to train as a new Dungeon Master of torture?" I ask knowing I'm inciting his rage at calling out his failures. "Though you're not very good at this either, are you?" I continue to poke the bear. Calling him out on my second realization. "You're the one that left the horrible burn marks on Cassiopeia, aren't you? Ruining her from any future Siren missions." I ask quietly to the man before me, hoping to strike several emotional chords. "You went a bit overboard with her it seems. Were you that angry with her? Or did you just not know what you were doing and completely incompetent?"

When his eyes flash up to mine I know I'm right again. He's the one that ruined Cassiopeia's body with burns. Ruined as in, made it impossible for her to ever be sent on Siren missions again given the severity of the electrical burns they left her with. The ruthless marks on her body would severely limit which missions and targets she could now have contact with.

Ulric must have been furious I'm realizing given the reminder Good Cop gave this man and the anger in his eyes I just saw now in realizing that I know about that. It makes sense to me now. Ulric wanted her tortured for whatever she'd done, not permanently disabled from his future use and needs. It's renewed my faith that whatever hell I'm about to be subjected to I won't die. The Council won't let them kill me or permanently disable too badly. I cling to these thoughts as Bad Cop finishes wrapping the copper wire around me chest several times. Electrodes are placed against various points on my body to monitor my vitals to ensure they don't actually kill me.

"The wires were placed too closely together then. He won't be making that mistake again." Good Cop removes his glasses and wipes the lenses with a cloth. Sprays of my blood from the fist pounding against my face seem to have bothered his vision.

"How considerate of you." The sarcasm is dripping from my voice and I do not care. I want them to get this over with.

The words have barely left my lips before the first jolt of current is sizzling through my entire body. Every muscle fiber inside me is clenched including my heart and diaphragm. I wasn't prepared for the shock and bit down hard on the inside of my cheek. My mouth is filling with blood as the seconds tick by in agony and I think I'm going to drown in it. The tidal wave of pain comes out in a horrific scream when they finally decide to liberate me from the electrical prison and blood spills forth down my chin and onto my chest from another new wound. I barely have time to inhale a breath before I'm wretched into another horrific position from the voltage surging through me.

I thought I knew what pain was before this. I had no idea. This is the most unimaginable hell I've ever experience. Every cell in my body is on fire. I'm sure bolts of lightening must be shooting from my arms out of the metal plates and pins inside of them ignited by the current coursing through my veins. They release me only to inhale another breath and keep my heart going and then repeat the process, again and again and again and again and again. It seems endless and I can smell my own flesh burning.

"Please… stop." I manage to beg barely conscious the last time they let me up for air before violently puking. "I don't know what you want from me." I'm gagging on my own blood and vomit.

"Tell us where the baby is, Julia?" Good Cop asks again. "And we will stop. We know you killed the FSB General in Moscow. We found traces of his DNA in the ashes of the incinerator. We know you took the baby. So where is he? What have you done with him?"

"I don't know." Once again the words have barely left my mouth before I feel another bolt of lightening shoot through me. I spasm so hard I lose control of my bodily functions before I pass out. They slap me repeatedly until I regain consciousness and then ask the same question, again and again and again.

"Where's the baby?"

"I don't know." I can barely speak the answer as they continue with the same routine. Each time my words grow more quiet as my body is losing the battle to fight. I've lost count now how many times they've shocked me sometime after ten but I refuse to give them anything. I'll keep my promise.
"Julia, where is the baby?" Good Cop speaks softly into my ear as my head lulls towards the floor completely limp now. Blood is running as a steady stream from my nose and mouth. The putrid smells of my burning flesh mixed with my blood and bodily fluids staining the concrete below me stings my nose.

"I don't know." I answer him again without opening my eyes. My head feels like concrete and my body is still jumping with spasms involuntarily. I feel the sharp stab of pain the moment they light me up again and then nothing.

I'm not sure what has happened but when my eyes flash open I'm gasping for breath.

"And she's back." A new voice speaks as I blink slowly several times focusing on his face. He's pulling cardiac paddles away from my chest and hands them to the Bad Cop. "Agent Taylor, can you hear me?" He asks shining a small light into both of my eyes. "Can you hear me?" He asks again when I don't respond. I've realized they must have electrocuted me to the point my heart stopped beating and didn't come back on its own this time. They had killed me and brought me back to life. This was definitely more than I imagined enduring. Some fingernails ripped off, teeth harshly removed, beaten, and drowned but nothing like this.

Oh Julia, what have you gotten yourself into? My brain asks again and my heart responds with the image of the baby in Cassiopeia's arms. Whatever happens, I'll be okay. Death wasn't the worst thing I'm beginning to realize. At least I didn't feel any pain when I was dead. Everything hurts right now reminding me I'm still alive.

"Can you hear me, Agent Taylor?" He asks again while my head lulls.

"Yes." I manage to make my mouth work and more blood seeps out. "You pretentious prick." I defy them all even more, honestly hoping they'll put me out of my misery right now. Cassiopeia and baby will be safe with my silence and I'll be granted the wish of peace.

"Where is the baby, Julia?"

"I don't know," I answer quietly feeling all the energy gone from my body. "Light me up." I challenge them. My head falls forward again and I close my eyes preparing for another assault. I hope they'll kill me and leave me dead this time. Heaven can't be all bad anyway. Most of my family is waiting on the other side now anyway. Joining them sounds like a pleasant relief.

"She grows more bold the more we inflict upon her. Very intriguing." Good Cop steps forward next to the doctor. "But how long will that last?"

"Until you kill me." I spit my blood at his shoes I see beneath my dangling head.

"Again." Good Cop commands in anger and once more I'm electrified. I don't last long or maybe I do I just don't remember after the initial tidal wave of pain and then nothing. I've either blacked out or died again but it's a welcome relief either way.

Not yet, Julia. A beautiful man with a voice like liquid gold smiles at me and I feel a sense of comfort staring into his eyes. I think he's an angel given the glow around him but I don't have long to reflect on who he is before I'm sucked backwards from this beautiful place in my mind and once again gasping for breath. Coughing and sputtering out the blood that was suffocating me I feel the fire burning through every millimeter of skin and bone again reminding me I'm still alive.

"She needs a break or I may not get her back next time." I hear the doctor's voice again permeating the fog in my mind. When I focus on his face before me I can see him removing the cardiac paddles for the second time from my chest.

"Don't stop," The venom in my voice is unmistakable. "I welcome death. Light me up." I demand in a quiet voice while my body convulses involuntarily. All I want to do is sleep and have a permanent reprieve from the pain I'm in. Death is most welcome now. There is no pain in death.

"Enough!" I hear Ulric's booming voice for the first time. Until this moment I had no idea he was even in the room with us. Apparently, hearing I'm not afraid of death and encouraging it has made him weary enough to call an end to this.

The spotlights are killed so they no longer blind me. I try to pull my heavy head up to look around me. My eyes slowly blink through the blood running into them and I try to focus. Bad Cop steps back wiping my blood from his hands and reveals to me for the first time the row of spectators bearing witness to my persecution.

Before me sits every single First Gen shackled painfully tightly by both wrists and ankles to a chair that is bolted to the ground. Their faces are all marred with fresh bruises and splits from their own rough handling with the exception of Cassiopeia. She's completely unharmed and that's part of her own torture. To hurt others on her behalf.

They're now using me against them to see if any of them will crack and tell the truth about what happened. I know none of them will sacrifice Cassiopeia for me, so the exercise was futile except to one, which is Ulric's intended purpose. He knows she usually does whatever she can to protect me. She said so herself the night Marie invited us all to dinner and dropped the bomb Cassiopeia was my sister. She admitted out loud to everyone that night, including Ulric that she was trying to protect me all those years by keeping the secret. She'd exposed herself to him in regards to how she really felt about me. He placed her before me now, beside her peers and family of First Gens expecting her to crack now seeing the savagery against me in her name. I see her sitting in the very middle with eyes locked to mine. She has shut down completely. Her gaze is emotionless and nothing but a blank stare. When I look down the row there are a few with glassy eyes but otherwise no reactions whatsoever on any of their faces as the masters of their emotions so long in this sick game. Cassiopeia and Ares are at the center just before me with Ulric standing directly behind them.

A large screen monitor is behind them with the faces of the Division Heads from Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, North America, South America, North Africa, the Middle East and Australia along with the Director of the FSB, Vladimir Pavlov, are also bearing witness to this witch-hunt. The same guards and two escorts I first encountered at the hotel are standing around the peripheral edges of the structure monitoring exits here now.

"We're going to have to switch tactics. She's very strong-willed. " Good Cop turns to face Ulric and the crowd of heirs gathered. "A true testament to the strength of The Program and her training to be able to withstand this caliber of treatment. Especially since she's never been tortured like this before. Agent Taylor is going to take a lot longer to break down than I anticipated. A week, maybe more if she spends time in the hole. Given our limited means in not creating lasting bodily damage this may take longer than usual." He looks back towards my body still stretched and dangling from the ceiling where it's been the last three hours. "Until then we can throw Taylor in the box to let her heart recover some before we begin again."

"And what about the rest of them?" The Director of the FSB asks angrily. "They clearly orchestrated all of this to coincide with the Quarterly Meeting so they'd all have alibis. They need to be interrogated as well."

"They're all experts in maintaining silence during proceedings such as these. I'll need to keep them at least two or three weeks if we're to expect accurate results from measures such as these."

"You can't keep all my best agents for that long while we sort through this mess." Ulric interjects upset with the idea of having all his First Gens off duty. "The Council cannot function with every First Gen out for that period of time. And you have no basis on which to keep them all."

"They were all in on it!" Pavlov seethes. "The alibi just means they weren't the one to carry out the mission but I guarantee they helped to plan it. They all deserve to be punished! I don't care how long it takes."

"Director," Good Cop is loosing his cool with the man. "I understand your frustrations but there is no way to prove that at this point. It's speculation that we cannot prosecute any of them for, until we have more information. So far the only information we have to go on points to Cassiopeia, Ares and Agent Taylor. The latter was Off Grid those days and the brief video footage we do have isn't sufficient for facial recognition because of your faulty camera equipment and low safety standards in the building." Good Cop is getting angry with the Director for implying incompetence in their investigation.

"My equipment was not faulty. Our signals were purposefully jammed." The Director fumes and pauses trying to collect himself. "I want that baby." He growls.

The way he says it actually terrifies me more than the torture I've just been through. Like hearing the Devil speak. "That was the deal made. Draco for the baby. A life for a life. I did not donate my only son to this program 29 years ago to have him murdered in cold-blood by one of his peers protecting her bastard offspring! I want that baby."

I'm quite sure I've stopped breathing and not because I've just been electrocuted to death twice. The wealth of information flooding at me is boggling my mind. Draco was this man's son. Cassiopeia is the one that apparently killed Draco. And as restitution they gave this horrible man her baby.

"No, you gave your only son to The Program so that you could become the Director of the FSB, Director Pavlov." Ulric blasts the man immediately putting him back into his place. "What happened to him after is none of your concern. Draco was killed by Cassiopeia in self-defense which has already been established months ago."

"He was doing his job!" Pavlov fires back, not liking his dirty laundry aired in front of us all. To know he traded in his child for his current position was sickening. Cassiopeia's voice telling me she trusted the wrong person also rings clear through my mind at hearing she killed Draco in self-defense.

"I'm well aware of the job Draco was doing as the one to give him the orders." Ulric answers calmly and my blood runs cold. Draco may have betrayed Cassiopeia but he did so on Ulric's orders. "But she was doing hers as well. Draco acted without realizing a plan was already put into place for the child once Cassiopeia delivered him. She killed Draco in self-defense. The General's been cleared of any wrongdoing. It was a terrible miscommunication that resulted in an unnecessary loss of life. That is why we came to our agreement in arranging a new heir for the FSB position after Draco's loss. We entrusted you, Director Pavlov, with the child as the next heir to your position. You entrusted his care to your General and now he is dead and the child missing. Alexander was your responsibility to protect and you failed. Now we wasting precious Council time and are putting my people through needless torture trying to find out who is responsible, when it's entirely possible it wasn't their doing at all! And instead an inside job." His voice rises as he begins to lose his temper.

"What are you suggesting?" Western Europe speaks up.

"That perhaps one of the many dissenting factions inside the Russian government removed the next heir in a bid to take charge for themselves." Ulric seethes in clear anger with the man on the screen.

"Or perhaps, even Lady Marie ordered this mission herself?" Australia and The Oceanic Division Head suggests with raised eyebrows. "As you can all recall, she was adamantly opposed to the idea you'd already placed the child with members of the Red Guard without seeking her approval first. She wanted him moved immediately and placed with members of the White Guard as per the original agreement."

"So maybe it wasn't General Hendrix who sent Agent Taylor on this mission. Maybe it was the Lady Marie." North America chimes in, speaking for the first time. He seems quite angry on our behalf. "In which case, it would be a sanctioned mission inside her own Division and Agent Taylor hasn't gone rogue as we'd all feared, but is doing exactly as she's been instructed to do in maintaining her silence on such Highly Classified missions." This was not the cover up story we'd planned for but I like the way they think.

"Get Lady Marie on the screen. Now." Ulric demands of the tech working behind the video screens.

"Sir, she's not answering. We've already tried before we began today." The tech answers from his workstation.

"She's here in London for Prince Mikael's graduation ceremonies." Ulric informs them.

"I was ordered to handle all Council business this week so she was free to concentrate on her grandson." Eastern Europe finally speaks, looking a bit pale that he may have falsely accused me of something Marie actually ordered me to do.

"Turn on her tracking device and find out where she's at." Good Cop orders his tech. My ears are instantly perked up to hear the Division Heads have apparent trackers that are monitored when need be by the Sentinels "We need to speak with her now, no matter her plans for the week." He seems pissed off at the idea he may have ordered this grand inquiry for a mission that was sanctioned after all by the Head of the Division in which the infraction took place.

"Sir, she's here." The tech's eyes widen considerably looking at his screen.

"What do you mean she's here?" Good Guy's eyebrows narrow.

"She's here, sir. The tracker is in this location right now." He answers shaking his head befuddled.

The suspenseful moment is answered seconds later when we hear one of the metal doors open and the fall of several pairs of footsteps enter on the far side of the warehouse. Though I can't turn my head enough to see I can distinctly hear several pairs of men's shoes, and at least one pair of high heels. The high heels catch my attention immediately and I wretch my neck around enough just in time to catch sight of Maria standing next to Lady Marie and beside Mikael and Nyah, along with a small force of armed guards protecting Marie. The cavalry has arrived. Three of the four look as though they are about to explode at the scene before them. Nyah just looks terrified to see Cassiopeia and the rest of the First Gens bound and beaten while I'm strung up from the ceiling in chains a completely bloody ravaged burnt mess.

"My God," Mikael gasps in utter horror looking at me. "What have you done to her?" He takes a step forward towards me and is held back by one of Marie's arms. She sees the Sentinels all moving forward with hands on their own weapons when it appears Mikael intends to intervene in their affairs which was strictly forbidden.

Ulric looks mortified and enraged to see Maria standing beside them baring first hand witness to his work. Her hands are balled into tight white fists at her sides as she stares at him across the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" Marie speaks with clear anger in her tone, "Mikael got me out of bed this evening to say Julia had been hauled off by the Sentinels and now I arrive to this? All First Gens bound and beaten and Agent Taylor strung up for what reason? Why wasn't I informed?"

"We informed your 2nd in Command of the situation, ma'am." Good Cop speaks for his group of Sentinels. "As per your orders that he handle the day to day operations of your Division."

"And what is the situation?"

"Did you or did you not, send Agent Taylor on a Highly Classified Mission this past week, ma'am?"

"I did. So what is the meaning of this?" She responds without missing a beat.

"The FSB General and his wife were killed this week in Moscow and the infant, Alexander, has been taken." Good Cop answers her question. "We have obvious reason to believe that General Hendrix gave Agent Taylor an unsanctioned order to kill the caregivers and retrieve General Hendrix's child from their custody. We cannot locate the baby and believe Julia knows where Cassiopeia is hiding him."

My tired eyes flash to Maria with what the Good Cop has just revealed. The flood of emotion washes over her features as she processes what he's just said. Cassiopeia has had a baby, a boy whose name is Alexander, the same name variant for a boy she was going to name Cassiopeia. Not only is she realizing that Cassiopeia is a mother, she's realizing that they've taken her child from her the same way Cassiopeia was taken from herself and that I'm being tortured for supposedly rescuing him on Cassiopeia's orders. Maria's eyes flash from me to lock onto Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is staring only in my general direction but is still checked out, entirely void of any emotion. She's shutdown completely.

"An unsanctioned kill mission in addition to the stealing of Council Property in the baby are considered Treason, ma'am."

"Treason means execution…" Mikael gasps in disbelief and horror looking at me.

"If this is true then both will be punished accordingly, yes. But we need to locate the child first."

"You mean my grandson." Maria speaks with defiance and all eyes flash to her. "Let's refer to him as he is. Alexander is my grandson."

"Maria!" Ulric shouts at her, "We are not discussing this now. You shouldn't even be here." He is greatly unnerved by her presence and in front of his peers.

"Yes, I should." She counters back with a controlled tone that sounds like glass. "I'm the one you're looking for. If you're going to execute anyone for treason here it should be me."

My eyes widen and heart is pounding with what she's saying.

"What?" Ulric gasps in disbelief and my heart beats faster, seeing the look in her eye that she means it. She's ready to be executed if it means sparing us. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I'm the one who went to Russia and retrieved our grandchild. My daughters had nothing to do with it. If you're intent on executing anyone for this, it will be me." She states boldly and I hear the gasps of astonishment come from many of those on the monitor screens as well as the Sentinels around us. The First Gens eyes are all wide in disbelief staring at Maria. I can see Cassiopeia slowly coming back to life hearing what Maria's said and having it penetrate her protective walls she's put up. Her head turns and eyes lock with Maria's seeing her mother throw herself into the line of fire for her by taking all the blame.

"And you won't be executing anyone because I sent her." Lady Marie speaks to my utter astonishment backing up Maria's lie.

"But she's no longer an active field agent, ma'am." Good Cop seems just as bewildered as the rest of us.

"I gladly volunteered." Maria speaks never taking her eyes from Cassiopeia, trying to protect her with another lie woven around yet another family secret.

"I pulled her out of retirement just for this mission." Lady Marie continues to weave more strands into this lie to cover our tracks though she has no idea what really went on, only that something did. "As her prior superior, I have the sole right to do so at my discretion as was the agreement made 25 years ago when I retired Maria from my Division."

"Why?" Ulric asks truly astonished and clearly unprepared for the turn of events. He seems terrified of the idea that Maria went back into the field, willingly without his knowledge and just volunteered herself to be executed for this witch hunt if that be the case.
"Why?" Maria looks at him incredulously for even asking. "You took my daughter at birth without my knowledge for this insane project of yours, Ulric. And in learning you took her child from her in the same manner you'd done to me, I did what any mother would do to protect their child." Her eyes lock with Cassiopeia's once more. For the first time they're looking at each other with mutual understanding. "I did what needed to be done." She looks back towards Ulric, "You will not take another child from this family for your projects ever again. Is that clear? My grandchildren are off limits. You've already collected two of my daughters and Nyah before I became aware of what it is you're really doing in this program of yours. You get no more! My grandson is off limits."

"You don't have any say in this matter." Ulric challenges her. "As Council Property any offspring born to Cassiopeia are also Council Property. Alexander is an asset and will be raised as such in whatever manner we see fit."

"Over my dead body." She throws down the gauntlet and the room grows eerily silent.

"That's not how this works." He glares at her. My heart is thundering in my ears and I can see the fear in Cassiopeia's eyes return. This was exactly what she was afraid of in trying to protect Maria from him.

"Alexei is a descendent of my bloodline." Lady Marie speaks again quietly taking control of the situation. She reaches over and squeezes Maria's fist, reining her in. "Therefore, I will decide his fate. You superseded my authority in regards to the baby the last time by not consulting with me on where he should be placed, Ulric. I've sent Maria on this mission to rectify the situation. The fate of Alexei is mine to decide and mine alone."

"You cannot simply set him free. He ultimately belongs to The Program as a child of Council Property." Ulric argues with her, clearly upset.

"That is a matter of opinion. He is my descendent and as head of the family, I decide what his future will be."

"Where is the baby, Lady Marie?" Good Cop asks again the question I have come to loathe just hearing it upon my ears. "We need to know he is accounted for. He is still Council Property until The Council can come to a resolution on the matter."

"He's somewhere safe, I assure you." Her eyes catch Cassiopeia's. "In the future, should any of your concerns towards my division regarding General Hendrix, Agent Taylor or the child Alexander Hendrix arise, you are to contact me directly. As a Senior Officer in The Council I demand to be notified from here on out. Is that understood?" She speaks directly to the Good Cop.

"Yes, ma'am." He nods.

"Good. Now release these people. They have done nothing wrong." She waves her hand authoritatively motioning towards us.
"Release them. This was a sanctioned mission by the Head of the Division. There is no reason to retain them." Good Cop instructs his men.

Bad Cop and another Sentinel step towards me while the others in the room move to set free the First Gens.

The hook is lowered and my arms are set free. They scream in pain at the new position after being held up so long and when my feet touch the ground I cannot even stand. My legs crumple instantly beneath me until I slam down against the concrete floor in a heap. My world goes dark, too tired to fight anymore passing out.

"Jules," Mikael breathes quietly brushing the hair off my beaten face lightly as I regain consciousness. His eyes fill with tears as he scans my body. I must have been out for a while as I've been moved to a hospital room. I've been cleaned up with wounds sutured and bandaged. Several machines monitor my vitals and an IV pumps fluids into my veins. Everything in my body hurts. The adrenaline has worn off and I'm in considerable pain. I cringe when I try to move even a little with tears flooding my eyes and running down my split and swollen cheeks. This past year has been hell on my body with injuries and I'm over it. If this is what my future looks like in an endless cycle of pain, I want no part of it. Death, I've learned through all this is so much easier. My face and eyes are so swollen from the beating of relentless fists that I can barely see out of the slits I have left for eyes. I'm thankful the room has been dimmed given the pounding in my head already.

"Can't you give her anything for pain?" Mikael demands of the nurse checking the EKG machine beside me. I can see that he's crying. The horror in his eyes is hard to miss and I know I must look atrocious for him to be showing such emotion.

"Not until her heartbeat is stable." The woman answers looking down at the erratic pattern of waves the machine is pumping out on a tiny bit of paper.

"I'm okay." My voice is barely above a whisper, cracking from the pain that speaking causes. I squeeze his hand tightly shaking my head softly with a calming smile for him not to cry.

"This is not okay." He says quietly looking me over again. "What they've done to you… This isn't right."

"I have no rights." I remind him gently about how very different our stations in life are. That was made exceptionally clear to me. Even Maria, who was now Ulric's wife, would always be the property of The Council, even if she were retired. There was no escaping it.

"Julia," Another voice approaches my bed from a darkened corner and Maria takes a seat opposite of Mikael beside my bed. Her eyes have unshed tears in them as her emotional walls come down. I want to launch out of the bed and hug her, hold her tightly and thank her for throwing herself in the line of fire to protect Cassiopeia and I but at the same time, I want to strangle her for doing the exact same thing. It's terrifying to know she was willing to be executed for something I've done. This is exactly what Cassiopeia was trying to warn me of in protecting Maria by keeping our distance. I also realize how hypocritical that is given that we are all doing the exact same thing in trying to protect each other. Maria's hands gently pick up and hold my one hand in hers. I know she wants to have a word with me.

My eyes turn back to Mikael. I can't afford to speak to Maria right now or reveal too much of what I'm hiding in front of Mikael. "I want to go home. Now, please." I tell him not wanting to be here anymore. "I just want to go home."

"I'll go see what I can do." He springs into action, leaning over and kissing my forehead gently.

"Thank you." I've given him something to do and I know that will make him feel better about all this.

"How are you?" Maria asks quietly with her beautiful blue eyes holding fast to mine. I can read the concern all over in them.

"I'm fine." My physical wounds will heal no matter how badly I'm hurt now. This is another lesson I've learned with great clarity already through the last few years. "They'll heal."

"That's not what I meant." She shakes her head softly. I forget at times I'm speaking with someone who was once like me. Torture leaves a special kind of mark on your soul I never knew about until now. It changes you. It's taken the last vestiges of hope I had for changing my life and having a better future and turned it into pile of ashes. Hope is gone. I exist only to serve.

"I'd rather they killed me." Somewhere I find the courage to answer her honestly. Maria nods softly in understanding even though I can see my answer doesn't sit well with her. "Where is she?" I ask quietly without needing to specify whom I'm speaking of. This room is undoubtedly bugged so I have to choose my wording carefully. Something else I know she recognizes. My eyes hold hers in such a way I know she understands who I'm referencing: Cassiopeia.

"She left as soon as they were released. The first one out the door." She answers and I can tell she's a bit angry about that fact. "Didn't look back to make sure you were still alive or okay at all."

"Good." I answer immediately and see her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "It means she's honoring my wishes to stay away from me." I leave the statement so open ended that anyone listening could interpret it to mean I don't want Cassiopeia anywhere near me considering I've just been tortured over her child. They'll assume it means I'm angry with her instead of the opposite, which is the truth. "I'm not surprised she needed to run." My eyes hold steadfast to hers, revealing what I'm not really saying in that statement. This winter when Lady Marie had been speaking to Cassiopeia about the torture she endured and why she was hoping to change my fate, Cassiopeia was about to lose her tightly controlled emotions. I had told Maria she needed to run. Running was how she was able to compartmentalize and deal with everything that had happened. To say she needed to run now was referencing back to that day. Maria had called me out on it then, saying that I was protecting Cassiopeia. I was revealing with that one statement, I was doing the same now by having Cassiopeia stay away from me.

"I see." Maria nods quietly with realization. She takes a deep breath and squeezes my fingers more tightly with a soft smile. "I'd like you to come stay with me. While you heal."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" She counters immediately, prepared to argue this point.

"Because you're going to get hurt." My rebuttal is barely above a whisper.

"He can't hurt me anymore than he already has." She looks at me with intense blue eyes. I empathize with what she means. I feel the same way now.

Lady Marie enters the room followed by Mikael, Ulric and Nyah. She still looks terrified as she approaches and stands quietly along the back wall. The tension in the room grows so thick I could cut it with a knife. Ulric stands directly behind Maria who refuses to acknowledge him, while Lady Marie stations herself at the foot of my bed.

"You're not allowed to leave yet, Julia." Mikael informs me standing stoically beside my bed now; his emotions reigned in with Ulric in the room. "Your injuries are too severe and need at least 24 hour monitoring. You could have a heart attack as long as your electrical impulses continue to dip and spike as they are."

"I don't care." I shake my head slightly. The tiniest of movements in my neck sends shooting pains down my spine from the whiplash. "I'll be fine. I want to go home."

"That's not up to you." Mikael tries to sound authoritative with me and when I see his eyes flash to Ulric's I know he's being made to tell me this. He will be my Commander one day and this is part of his training, to put me in my place. Reminding us both of our future stations and what our roles will be. "You cannot leave."

"Watch me." I shift trying to pull my covers away to swing my feet towards the floor. I'll be damned if I'm staying here so The Council can make sure I don't die after being the ones to do this to me. Ulric can go to hell for all I care.

"Julia, you are not leaving this place for at least 24 hours." Ulric grits through his teeth at my obvious disobedience. "You will listen to me and stay put."

"Or what? You'll torture me?" I challenge him no longer caring who he is. I'm no longer afraid of the Monster. All they've managed to do with this is take away my fear. I'd rather die than live a future as I see it written before me. Property to be used and tortured at their mercy, with love forbidden and lives bartered. I'd really rather be dead. "I don't care. I'm just property. No happiness in my future to look forward to, only darkness and pain. Existing to do your bidding and then be tortured for it. I'd rather be dead. So go ahead and do whatever you're going to do to me. I just don't care anymore."

My eyes hold fast to Ulric's and I can see he realizes what they've done, what they've created in me today: the most dangerous thing in the world, a person who doesn't care if they live or die. He maintains his control over us all by using fear to command obedience. And obedience gained through fear only lasts so long as the person is afraid of what you'll do to them for disobeying. I have no such fear anymore. I've just exposed the flaw in his plan for us. He may see love and relationships as only a weakness that can be used against us, but without them we have no will or want to stay alive. We aren't machines. We are human beings.

As if hearing my thoughts, Lady Marie speaks to Ulric. Her big blue eyes pierce his, "Do you see the flaw in your plan now?"