32

"I need assurances." Jasmine wiped her nose on the back of her hand, her eyes puffy and red. She felt drained, lethargic. "I tell you what I know, but you don't touch Ken again. He stays safe."

If Damon could've framed Rey's face, it would've been the pinnacle of apathy. There was nothing behind his eyes, the shimmer of twilight long evaporated. Concern was a drop of water on the surface of the sun, burned off in curt sizzle forever.

It wasn't the same in Astrid's eyes. There wasn't indifference, but it was something else: conditional tolerance, calculated mercy? He didn't even know where to begin. All he could hear was the boy's screams echo in his ears. His hands suddenly felt heavy, covered in so much proverbial dirt that the soap of his conscience couldn't wash away.

Rey leaned back in his seat with crossed arms. From the dead expression that Damon noticed on his face, he expected that Jasmine wouldn't like what he said next.

"I can't give you that," he said. "If what you say is viable, then I'll consider it; otherwise, you either tell me everything or what you saw continues. Those are your options."

Jasmine didn't allow the teardrop from her right eye to fall. She wiped it away in haste and swallowed hard before exhaling. "We didn't have many choices outside the fence. You gave us each 24 hours of oxygen packs, with an extra 15 minutes in emergency reserves. We couldn't think, so we all hiked to the pelican crash and held up there for the first hour. We discussed our options, to die or find a way to survive. I suggested that we wait a few hours and sneak back into the camp. You had the cameras working then, but I knew a blindspot. Right between cameras 18 and 19. DEV wouldn't see us. I thought we could sneak back inside one at a time, one per hour and between the patrols, you had posted."

"Is that what you did?" asked Rey. "Are the others hiding elsewhere in the camp?"

Jasmine shook her head. "No. It's just me. The others thought it was a good idea, to lay low until we could think of an alternative solution... but Quinn wasn't interested. He said, 'we won't return as cowards in hiding'. I swear that prick enjoyed hearing himself talk."

"Then where did go for nearly a year," Damon furthered, "if you alone didn't decide to stay here in hiding? No way you stayed in that pelican crash."

"I didn't." Jasmine went silent for a moment, looking down with her hands in loose fists. There was a turmoil inside of her that Damon felt, a warring tempest in her eyes. She looked disconnected from her surroundings, deaf to repeated calls from Rey to gain her attention.

"Jasmine!" Rey smacked his hand on the table. "We're not done here yet. I asked you what happened to everyone else?"

Jasmine seemed to reconnect. Her nose began to bleed, a thin stream of crimson that dammed at her upper lip. She wiped it with the back of her hand and softly spoke. "We killed them."

Rey glanced over at Astrid and Damon before squaring his shoulders toward Jasmine. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"You wanted to know why I'm alone, right?" Jasmine's voice went cold again. "We didn't have a choice, not with the options you gave us."

"You keep saying we," Astrid spotlighted.

"It was me and Quinn," Jasmine specified. "Since sneaking back into camp was scrubbed, we needed an alternative plan. Quinn knew about the supply depot near the Afekan crater, across the blandlands. He figured that we could make the walk, resupply there, and then travel south to the west camp in Selk."

"That depot is several hours away by vehicle," stated Rey. "Nearly 3 days on foot. You couldn't make that distance with the gear you had."

"And we made the best of it." Jasmine continued, "I said the same to Quinn, that we wouldn't make it to the depot on the supplies we had. We'd be dead in less than 20 hours, even if we rationed everything. It all came down to oxygen. There were seven of us in total, each with about 21 hours of oxygen left. Quinn figured we'd be able to survive the journey if it was only two of us. I knew what he meant, but that didn't make the decision any easier to accept."

Rey shook his head in contempt and sneered. "Yeah, I bet."

"I did what I had to," Jasmine snapped back. "Let's put you in that same scenario and see what you decide."

"It wouldn't involve killing my people, that's for sure."

Jasmine almost laughed, held it back."You're closer to that decision than you think."

Astrid cleared her throat. "If you're done with your pissing contest, we can move forward. You ended the lives of your allies; that has been established. How was this done?"

Jasmine twisted her face in confusion, her eyes squinted and palms open. "Why is that even relevant? They're dead. End of story."

Astrid set her hands on the table, leaning to her left to look down and into Jasmine's emotionless glare. "Humor me. Answer the question."

"Fine." Jasmine sipped the last of her water, squeezing the plastic bottle, and threw it at Damon's boots. "Quinn and I didn't tell the others about the plan to the depot. We staged a discussion in the cockpit and told them that he'd reconsidered and that we'd follow my plan to sneak back into camp. We'd lay low for a few hours and then make our attempt. They believed it."

Damon picked up the empty water bottle she discarded, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He imagined he wouldn't like what he'd hear next.

"We knew it wouldn't be easy. Two of us versus five of them. They wouldn't go down easy, especially without weapons. We had to improvise. Quinn and I decided to inspect everyone's oxygen gear. It was simple. We disabled the emergency reserves for each of them, loosened the supply hoses, and turned off the alert system. Everything happened so fast. Quinn and I stood on either side of the others because we had them all lined up for inspection. It had to be quick."

"And that's when you killed them?" Astrid followed up.

Jasmine nodded. "Yes. We cut their throats and disconnected the air hoses. The pelican wreckage had plenty of debris, so there wasn't a shortage of weapons if you knew where to look. They didn't go down easy, but it's hard to fight back with your throat slit and you're deprived of oxygen. It was relatively quick."

Rey wordlessly stood up and walked to the opposite end of the room, taking slow strides. He stood there like a derelict, head down and boots crossed with his back against the cracked concrete wall. "I can't say I'm surprised. There's hardly a line you innies won't cross, even amongst each other."

Jasmine shrugged. "You're no saint yourself, buddy."

"Where are the bodies?" asked Damon.

"Exactly where Quinn and I left them. They're still in the pelican crash."

Astrid pulled back from the table, circling Jasmine clockwise. "We'll be sure to verify that."

Jasmine held both of her thumbs up. "I can guarantee they're not going anywhere."

"So you and Quinn slaughtered your own," Rey went on, "and I'm guessing you took their gear?"

"It was the only way," Jasmine said. "We had the extra oxygen and water canisters, enough to give us a chance. Then we started walking."

"How did you find the supply depot?" Rey asked. "It's been years since we'd been there, and without a map, you wouldn't know the coordinates."

Jasmine pointed to her head. "I can remember a map. It's not like this place is a sprawling metropolis; there aren't many places here. And we didn't need coordinates. There isn't much wind on this rock, so the vehicle tracks from the previous run were intact enough to follow."

Rey snapped his fingers. "And just like that, you and Quinn walked to the depot?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Jasmine reached up to scratch her scalp. Her hair was a mess and she needed a shower. Scalding hot with the scented soap she found in the clinic. If only. "You make it sound as if it was easy. It wasn't. We had a schedule: three-hour hike, rest for one, and then start again. We used all the water by 48 hours in. By the time we made it to the depot, we were nearly dead."

"Seeing you sitting in front of me means that didn't happen, so you stocked up at the depot, and then what?"

"We stayed there," she said, her tone prickly and matter-of-fact. "It took time to reestablish power, oxygen, and heat. Everything we needed was there: food, water, gear. Like much of what was still there, I'm surprised you didn't clean it out; but I guess that was one of your many conservative decisions, right?"

Rey didn't take the bait. In hindsight, had he known the UNSC would've left them on Titan longer than anticipated, then yes, he would've allocated all the resources from the supply depot back to the camp. There was no point in refuting that, but to give her satisfaction was something that wasn't happening. She was still holding back but looked ragged and tired.

He stood up from the table. "We'll take a break."

Jasmine shook her head with a curt laugh. "Struck a nerve?"

"Hardly." Rey rolled down his sleeves and gestured to Astrid and Damon to follow him out of the room. The three of them gathered in a corner away from Jasmine, too far for her to eavesdrop but close enough to keep an eye on her. "That's enough for today. Get her some water. No food. Damon, put two men on the door, rotating shifts. They can't know who's inside. All they need to know is that we're holding someone in quarantine, ease some of the curiosity. Astrid, you and I will verify the bodies. We'll meet in the garage at 0800. Any questions?"

Damon cleared his throat. "If she's lying, what are your orders?"

"She dies," he said. "I'd rather avoid more bloodshed, so let's hope she's not."

It had been lights out for a few hours, DEV shutting them off at the equivalent of 11:00 pm during the day cycle. By now, it was 02:46 hours and Jacen hadn't slept a single minute. He stared up at the ceiling, dimly lit by the fractions of sunlight barely able to fully breach the atmosphere of the moon. He faintly recalled the stories his father told him about his time on Earth in a place called Alaska. There were times during the summer months where the sun didn't set for months, he said. Something about the time zone boundaries. Had he not been vaporized by the Covenant, Jacen wondered if he would've been able to experience the midnight sun with his father.

But he knew his current thoughts were only a distraction, a blockade to prevent himself from thinking about Jasmine being alive. Naomi informed him of where she was being kept, but to see her was something he didn't feel he was ready for. Or maybe he wouldn't get the chance anyway. The way Naomi spoke, it seemed she was on borrowed time with Rey. It was unknown to him how to feel. He could wait for the dust to settle, to see what would happen next. Maybe Rey would keep her alive long enough to be useful, but if she refused to cooperate, then what was the point of keeping her alive?

Jacen realized he'd already made up his mind when he was out of bed and dressed, walking silently through the corridors before he was even aware of it. Autopilot, he surmised. He avoided the stragglers that were still awake, moving in the elongated shadows given off from the windows.

It wasn't until he moved beyond engineering that quit looking over his shoulder, moving toward the chamber offices where Jasmine was. He heard a single cough that canceled his next step. Hugging the wall, he eased to the corner and peered around it. A single guard was standing there, his rifle hanging from the tether around his torso. It was too dark to see his face, the deep shadows casting across most of him. But Jacen marked his hands; they were idle, with one up to his lips taking a drag from a cigarette. Easy work.

Jacen bent down slowly and unlaced his boots, slipping them off and setting them to the side. He melted into the darkness, feet silent against the floor in his socks as he edged closer to the guard. When the guard took his final inhale, he turned aside to flick the smoldering butt to the floor. He didn't have the opportunity to stomp it out before he felt a sudden jerk on his torso. Jacen snatched the rifles from his grasp from behind, kicking him down to the floor, and wrapping his forearm around the guard's throat. He kept the pressure-tight, leaning his head back from the guard's flailing arms that were searching for a weapon that was no longer there. His struggles grew weaker and weaker before he eventually went limp. Jacen placed him softly on the floor, sitting him upright against the floor, and checked for a pulse. A gentle beat against his fingertips.

He collected his boots, checked to make sure the guard was still breathing, and then walked through the door. It was quiet inside, a nearly muted atmosphere if you tuned out the muffled droning from engineering. He took slow, deliberate steps through the offices and repair stations, nearing the corner room where soft amber light glowed through the smudge dust-laden window. There was no sound coming from inside when he neared the thin walls. His legs felt heavy. Now or never.

Jacen slid the door open, just wide enough for him to come through. And there she was, tied to the table and her head buried in her arms. Empty water bottles were tipped over on the table and around her feet. Her head slowly r up at the sound of the clicking mechanism at the door's closing. Jacen stood in his place when she saw him. The look on her face was something he wasn't expecting, a look of acceptance and finality.

"It's ironic," she said, "that they would send you to kill me. Rey does have a warped sense of humor."

Jacen walked to the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall that faced her. "I'm not here to kill you. No one knows I'm here."

"Well, you're not here to help me escape, so why don't you say what you came to say and then leave."

Jacen casually shrugged. "And what do you expect me to say?"

"My betrayal, that I chose the wrong side, that I abandoned you and Naomi for something I thought was justified." Jasmine hated the words pouring out of her. She suddenly felt exposed, unable to stop the words. "Look, I regret how things went. It wasn't my intention for people to die. But I don't regret lighting a fire under Rey to act."

Jacen sniffed and pinched his nose. He cleared his throat with his fist over his mouth before returning his hands to his pockets. "Are you done?"

Jasmine's face flushed red, feeling enough anger inside of her to rip the bolted chair from the concrete beneath her. "Am I done? Finish it for me, then. You're the one that walked away."

Jacen's brows shot up. He laughed and pointed at his chest. "I walked away? Last time I checked, you were the one who threw down the ultimatum. Jasmine Lang, the great liberator. We had a plan: lay low, no waves. You brought in a damn tsunami with that power junkie, lunatic Quinn."

"Plans change," she said.

"And the plan to stay together—you, me, and Naomi—did that plan change too?"

Jasmine released the tension on her shoulders. She shifted her weight in the chair, wincing at the pain in the small of her back. Her lower felt numb, and the chair wasn't doing favors to her posterior. She moved a piece of hair from her sweaty forehead and exhaled through her nose. "I don't wanna fight, Jacen. I'm too tired. You want an apology? I don't think I can give you that. Got other things to think about. Rey brought Ken into this. That psycho Briggs is holding him somewhere. He hurt him, Jacen. I can't let that slide."

Jacen looked up at the ceiling and sighed with closed eyes. He walked over to the table and sat down in front of her. Her serious brown eyes stared back at him. "It's a tactic. You know that."

"He's all I have left."

"Yeah." Jacen leaned to the side and lifted the flap to the pocket on the side of his tactical pants. He pulled out a sandwich thick with meat in its center, a juice box, and a chocolate granola bar. "It's not much, but it should hold you for a little."

Jasmine fought the urge to snatch the food and devour it in seconds. Her stomach was beyond empty, growling, and desperate. She kept her hands in her lap, chewing on her lower lip before looking up at Jacen.

"Just take it," he said. "There's no motive behind it. As for Ken, Rey won't kill him. He's more valuable as leverage when he's alive, but don't push it. Give me some time and I'll make sure you're at least together."

Jacen slid the food across the table and stood up to leave.

"What if we made it out?" she said. "The four of us; off this rock and back home."

Jacen stopped and turned around. He rested his hands on the back of the chair and shook his head with rolling eyes. "Not unless you know something I don't. You're playing with Ken's life if you push Rey too far. Does he know?"

"Not everything, but I told him that I know how to leave this moon."

"And how is that?"

"Get me outta here and you'll know. Ken and Naomi, too. What I can tell you is that we're not safe here. Not anymore. The Covenant is here, Jacen, and I'm not talking about those little Grunt stragglers in that compound. They're coming and we don't have that much time. Are you with me this time or not?"