Chapter Twenty-Eight

Wren awoke from a dreamless sleep. At first, she had no idea where she was, but then she recognized Connor's room. Stretching across the bed, she felt around for Connor, but found empty space.

She sat upright.

"Oh, fuck," she hissed, placing a hand over her ribs. Oh yeah. The fight with Prometheus. Her entire body ached from using her body as a weapon. Wren kicked off the covers and padded into the kitchen.

Connor stood at the counter with his back to her, a phone at his ear. "Are you sure?"

Wren frowned.

[Increase Audio Receptor Sensitivity]

"Am I sure? What kind of question is that? Of course I'm fuckin' sure." The person on the other line was Hank.

Connor sighed. "I wish we could catch a break."

"Yeah. Me too, kid. Get to the station as soon as you can."

"Alright. See you soon." Connor hung up, and Wren normalized her audio receptor sensitivity.

"Bad news?" she guessed.

Connor turned, and his expression softened. "I'm glad you're awake."

Wren sat at the kitchen table, wincing at the ache in her body. "What's going on?"

Connor grimaced and carried over a coffee mug. He placed it in front of Wren, who murmured her thanks. She sipped from it. Despite the bad news lingering in the air, her heart warmed. Connor made her coffee exactly the way she liked it.

Sitting across from Wren, Connor sighed. "Four more bodies were discovered this morning."

Oh, shit. The serial killer terrorizing Detroit. With all the chaos happening with Prometheus, Wren nearly forgot. "Is Fowler going to take us—uh, you guys—off the case?"

"I don't know," Connor muttered, his LED flickering. "That's not all."

Wren tensed. She knew that tone. "I'm not going to like this."

"Rhett wants to speak with you at the DPD."

Hot flashes whipped down Wren's back. She buried her face in her hands. "Shit."

"We won't let them take you again," Connor insisted, reaching across the table to take Wren's hands in his.

Wren wrinkled her brow. "What if we don't have a choice?"

Connor shook his head. "We'll figure it out."

Wren's stomach churned. What if the CIA decided her skills were too valuable to waste? Rhett promised her that they'd be okay, but after the explosion, he had pulled Wren, Nina, and Jamie aside to tell them that the cyborgs might not be granted clemency. They'd been assassins, after all.

Lifting her eyes to meet Connor's, guilt stabbed through Wren's chest. She hadn't told him about what Rhett said. As much as she wanted to stay in Detroit, return to the DPD, and live a normal life (as normal as you can get when you're a cyborg dating an android), she wasn't sure if her past would allow that.

"Wren," Connor croaked, "promise me something."

"Connor…"

Connor's grip tightened on Wren's hands when she tried to pull away. "Please, if you have a choice, don't…" He swallowed.

"Don't what?" Wren's heart hurt to see Connor in pain like this. Couldn't they have peace at all? Were they damned to experience tragedy?

"Don't sacrifice yourself," Connor said. "If this is selfish of me, fine. But Wren, please. If the CIA wants you to work for them or something, or if they insist that you should… Please don't give in if you can. I can't watch you walk away again. I stood by and did nothing while you handed yourself over to Prometheus last year, and now… I can't watch you do that again, even if you're doing it to protect me and the others. I want you to think of yourself. You deserve to be happy, even if it's not with me—"

"Connor, of course I want to be with you," Wren placed a hand on Connor's cheek. "I'm sorry if you ever thought that I didn't want to be with you or that I wasn't happy with you. Being with you has been the happiest time of my life."

"Then please," Connor begged, "choose happiness. If deviancy has taught me anything, it's that we always have a choice. Please choose yourself."

Wren's eyes prickled. She swallowed the lump in her throat before whispering, "I promise."

By the time Wren reached the DPD with Connor, her heart slammed against her chest and she wanted to throw up. Connor's hand slipped into hers as they entered the station and headed up to the Human-Android Division department.

For a moment, the fear of facing Rhett vanished from Wren's mind when she saw Tina. Letting go of Connor's hand, Wren rushed over to Tina and hugged her. Tina coughed out a laugh and returned the embrace. "I guess Connor forgot to tell you that I was okay?"

"I told her," insisted Connor.

"Still had the image of you dying in my head, though," Wren muttered, pulling away from Tina, who scrunched her brow.

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine, I've done worse to you," Wren replied. "But it is good to see you healthy."

"You too," said Tina.

"Hey, socket-fucker," said Gavin, sauntering over with a cocky grin on his face. He gripped Wren's shoulder gently. "You look like you've seen better days."

"I feel like it, too." Wren smiled and rolled her shoulders, wincing at the soreness.

Hank waved Gavin away. "Let the poor girl breathe for five fuckin' seconds before you start harassin' her."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Hank pulled Wren into a hug. "It is good to see you, kid."

"You, too," said Wren. She drew back. "So. Another murder?"

"Yeah, and Fowler's about to take us off the case," said Chris, entering the room with a tray of coffees. He sighed as he sat on Gavin's desk. "If I'm honest, I wouldn't mind losing this case. It's been hell to solve."

"Well, the whole ordeal with Prometheus hasn't been too much help," Wren muttered. Her stomach churned. "Speaking of which: Connor said Rhett wanted to speak with me here."

"Yeah, him and two other cyborgs," said Hank. "They're waiting for you in the conference room." He gestured toward the conference room at the other end of the bullpen.

Wren's brow puckered and she folded her arms. "Other two cyborgs?"

"Yeah. They didn't say who they were. One of 'em looked beat to hell."

Glancing at Connor, whose LED flickered, Wren rubbed her chin. What would Jamie and Nine be doing here with Rhett? Maybe Rhett wasn't here to convince her to work with the CIA after all.

Wren took a deep breath. "Alright. Better get this over with."

Connor caught her wrist before she crossed the room. He held her gaze for a moment, and then interfaced with her.

Be careful.

The corners of Wren's mouth softened. I will.

Then, she headed toward the conference room. With a deep breath, she entered and closed the door behind her. Rhett sat at the head of the table while Nina and Jamie flanked him. Nina smiled while Jamie dipped her head. Wren sat across from Rhett.

"Are you trying to rope us into working with CIA?"

Rhett pursed his lips for a moment. "Nice to see you too, Wren."

"Last time you met with me at the DPD, you convinced me to go undercover at Prometheus, so you'll understand if I'm a little guarded this time," Wren replied coolly.

"I do understand." An awkward silence permeated the space between them. "I'm here for a few reasons." Rhett laced his fingers in front of him. "Firstly, CIA managed to seize a number of assets from Prometheus before a failsafe detonation was set off. That was the explosion. We've got a great deal of intel that will help us in the future. I want to commend you for your efforts, Wren."

Wren's face burned with the praise. "No big deal."

Rhett's lips twitched. "Secondly, you should know that a large number of cyborgs escaped. The only ones we managed to save are the children, Nina, and Jamie. The other squadrons perished in the explosion, were not on the premises, or managed to slip past us. We're still calculating numbers. That includes CY006."

A knot formed in Wren's stomach. CY006 was still out there. Would he come for her, or would he try to start a new life? Would he seek out the other cyborgs? "What else?"

"Dr. Ellis Hughman also managed to escape."

"You're sure?" Wren leaned forward.

"Yes," Rhett sighed. "But, thanks to you, we have Pauline Thomas. That's quite an accomplishment, and a good call on your part to go after her."

"What about the android RK900? What happened to him?"

"We don't know yet," said Rhett. "My guess is that he either escaped or was destroyed. I'll be on the lookout for him as we go over the wreckage more."

If RK900 was designed to be better than Connor, then Wren wouldn't be surprised if he managed to escape, too.

Wren squared her shoulders. "So, are you going to lock us up? Is the CIA going to force us to work for them in exchange for freedom?"

Rhett let out a harsh laugh. "You really have no faith in me, Red."

Wren's heart perked up hopefully. "Give me a reason to and I will."

"We're willing to grant clemency to you, Nina, and Jamie for your efforts in taking down Prometheus, provided the three of you testify against Pauline Thomas and the organization as a whole."

Wren's eyes stretched. "Testify?"

"Yeah," said Rhett. "We've got to do things by the book, you know."

Wren frowned. "Is that all I have to do?"

"Yes," said Rhett. He shifted in his seat. "Listen, Wren, you did more than anyone else in bringing them down. Your testimony is vital."

"I'll do it."

Rhett relaxed. "Great. We'll go over the finer details of that in a sec. I have one more thing to discuss with you."

Dread curled like cold smoke in Wren's chest. "Okay."

"With the other escaped cyborgs, we need people who can help track them down," Rhett gestured to Nina and Jamie. "People who think like trained Prometheus agents."

Of fucking course. The catch. Wren leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. "Thought I was going to be free after all this?"

"You are free, Wren."

"Only if I testify, and if I help track down the rest of the cyborgs," she snorted.

"No," said Rhett, "only if you testify. Tracking down the other cyborgs is a job offer."

The dread vanished and the sardonic smile shielding Wren's horror wiped clean. "Wait. Really?"

"There's not much of a job market for people like us," said Jamie. "You idiot."

"We could use your skills, Wren," said Rhett. "No one is better at this than the three of you, and we need to find the remaining cyborgs. They'll need help adjusting to society once they deviate. All of you need help, honestly. Therapy—physical, emotional, mental, whatever—and rehabilitation. The escaped cyborgs will eventually deviate when they have no Prometheus breathing down their necks. Some will be able to handle the pressure, but others won't. How hard was it for you when you deviated?"

Wren lowered her gaze. She'd been lucky. People who were originally watching her became her family and helped her adjust. But the nightmares never stopped, and sometimes, she was left shivering on a rooftop in a state of panic. The only person capable of talking her down had been Connor. Not everyone had a Connor in their lives.

Tracking down the other cyborgs was the right thing to do. The noble thing. It would make up for countless sins she'd committed while operating with Prometheus. It would help wash the blood off her hands, maybe. Maybe even make up for Otto's and Dex's deaths. She had wanted to infiltrate Prometheus to bring justice and save her kind. Was her job really done if she backed out now?

"Then please," Connor begged, "choose happiness. If deviancy has taught me anything, it's that we always have a choice. Please choose yourself."

A pang flashed through Wren's chest. What did she want?

Peace.

What did peace even feel like, or look like, to someone ripped apart and rebuilt for destruction?

The warmth in Connor's eyes, and the way he never showed his teeth while smiling, the way his arms felt wrapped around her—strong and warm. That was peace. The way he made her coffee just the way she liked it, and begged her to choose herself, even if it meant leaving him behind. Silly android. Didn't he know how much he mattered to her? Didn't he know the hell she went through just to keep him safe?

Taking a deep breath, Wren met Rhett's gaze. "I'm sorry. But I want to stay. Detroit is my home."

Nina's brow puckered. "Wren… These are our people. We can't just abandon them."

"I'm not going to," Wren replied. "I want to be involved in their reintegration to society. But hunting people down, fighting… I'm done. When I deviated, I had a chance at a normal life, and Prometheus tried to take that away from me. This is my family, and I don't want to leave them behind again." Her voice broke, and tears welled in her eyes.

Nina's eyes filled with tears, and even Jamie's face softened. They understood.

Rhett nodded. "Okay, no need for the dramatic speech, Wren. You could've just said 'no' and I would've taken that. You deserve happiness."

The tension in Wren's shoulders laxed. "Thank you."

"Let's go over the court date and your testimony," said Rhett.

"One more thing," Wren said sharply. Rhett lifted a brow. "Can you have a word with Captain Fowler, maybe? The DPD were crucial in taking down Prometheus, and Fowler's on their asses about this serial killer terrorizing Detroit."

Rhett rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I planned on talking to him. Jesus, can you breathe through your nose and let me do my job?"

Flushing, Wren muttered, "Thank you."

After going over the details of the court date—set in two weeks—Wren finally left the conference room. The HAD paused in what they were doing, all eyeing Wren with identical apprehensive expressions. Regret sat on her chest like a slab of granite. The last time she'd met with Rhett at the DPD, she'd come out to inform the DPD that she was returning to Prometheus. Last time, she'd broken Connor's heart.

Connor stood from his desk, brow slightly furrowed and lips parted. He looked scared—like Wren might say goodbye again—but a little hopeful, too.

Rhett, Nina, and Jamie continued to the elevator. He caught the doors as they slid shut. "My offer still stands, Wren."

When Wren remained where she stood, Rhett pursed his lips and let the elevator doors close.

"Does that mean…?" Tina queried.

Wren breathed a smile. "I turned down his job offer. You guys are stuck with me."

Connor's eyes shimmered and a relieved smile broke across his face. A real smile, one flashing his teeth and everything. But Wren had no time to enjoy it, because Connor grabbed her and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. His face dug into the crook of her neck, and his fingers cradled the back of her neck. He lifted her off her feet, and Wren clung to him, tears filling her eyes.

She was home, and she was free.

Captain Fowler peered at Wren over his steepled fingers. "So, Wren Morgan was just a CIA cover, huh?"

"I'm not sure how much my superior told you…" Wren trailed off. Her cheeks burned. Gavin, Tina, Chris, Hank, and Connor watched her from the bullpen. Jesus, why did Fowler have to have glass walls?

"That you're a deep cover agent and you joined the DPD as Wren Morgan to investigate Atlas Montgomery, and then you were stationed here for further classified operations. Can't believe the CIA was right under my fuckin' nose this whole time. Some police captain, I am." Fowler shook his head.

Wren clasped her hands behind her back. "Well, I wouldn't be good at my job if you'd figured it out, sir."

"Guess not," said Fowler. He lifted a brow. "So, who are you really? Are you allowed to tell me?"

Wren's lips twitched. "I'm Wren Blanchard. This last operation with the CIA was my last one. I'm here to ask for my old job."

"You wanna be a detective?" Fowler demanded. "Why the hell would you want that, if you're CIA?"

"The kind of work I was involved in takes a lot out of you, sir." Wren indicated to the HAD not-so-inconspicuously trying to spy in the bullpen. "And that group of detectives trying very hard not to look like they're watching us is more than just a team to me."

Fowler looked out his glass walls; Hank, Connor, Tina, Gavin, and Chris jumped and tried to look as if they hadn't just been watching Wren and Fowler. "Jesus, they're terrible—"

"Captain Fowler, I know this might be unconventional, but working here at the DPD was an honor. I would like the chance to come back."

Fowler narrowed his eyes at her. "That other agent said that you and Connor helped take down an underground terrorist organization."

"Yes, sir."

"And that taking down Typhon was part of the CIA's investigation into a whole ring of underground terrorism. That the DPD was a cover, and you were their in."

"Yes, sir."

"How do I know this isn't just another undercover gig?" Fowler scrutinized Wren.

"With all due respect, sir, if it were, you wouldn't know."

Fowler hummed. "What else is CIA butting their nose in?"

"That's need-to-know, sir."

"Right. Need-to-know jackshit," Fowler palmed his head. "Be honest with me, here. Why do you want to be here? Ex-CIA, you could probably go anywhere. Why the Human-Android Division of Detroit Police? Pay isn't great. Detroit's a dirty city."

"I already told you, sir," Wren replied. "It's home. And that's the greatest team I've ever worked with." She gestured to the HAD, who tried to look inconspicuous again.

"Well, if you're gonna get in, you're doing it right this time," said Fowler. "You need to pass a psych eval, and you need to retake the exams to get in."

Wren tried to not look too happy. "Thank you, sir."

"Yeah, yeah, just… Tell them that they have better things to do than sit here and try to eavesdrop."

"Yes sir." Wren left Fowler's office feeling like she could scream with joy. She grinned at her friends. Tina let out a squeal.

"GODDAMMIT, GET YOUR ASSES UPSTAIRS AND STOP LOITERING OUTSIDE OF MY OFFICE!" bellowed Fowler behind Wren. She held back her laughter until she was outside of the station with Hank and Connor.

"So, you've got the job?" Hank queried, his eyes still alight with mirth.

"Not totally," said Wren, her laughter subsiding. "I have to pass a psych eval and retake the tests. But I'm allowed to go back."

Hank patted Wren's shoulder. "It'll be good to have you back, kiddo."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to getting life back to normal."

"Since when is anything that we do normal?"

"Good point."

The night before Wren was to testify against Prometheus, she tangled her legs with Connor's in a hotel room. They held each other close, finally able to breathe without fear of Prometheus. Wren buried her face into Connor's chest and sighed deeply.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm good."

"Wren?"

"Hm?"

"What did Rhett offer you?"

"A job tracking down the escaped cyborgs," Wren murmured.

"Did you want to take it?"

Wren squeezed Connor closer. "No. I chose happiness."

Connor's lips pressed into her hairline. "Are you nervous about testifying?"

"A little," Wren admitted. "Rhett said that this won't stay under wraps. They want to control what gets out to the media, and since there are escaped cyborgs running around, all of this will probably get out one way or another."

"Maybe Markus can give you tips on being in the public eye," Connor teased.

"I was hoping you would."

Connor snorted. "I've never been much of a public speaker."

"Oh, and I'm so good at it."

"You'll be fine," said Connor. "You managed to get North on your side. You'll win over a jury."

Wren chuckled, but clung tighter to Connor.

"Wren… Be ready for the world to know who you are after all this, okay? We want to expose Prometheus and make sure there are no sympathizers, especially with androids fighting for their rights still. With this serial killer terrorizing Detroit, and androids fighting for the right to marry each other and humans… We don't need to give people a reason to sympathize with Prometheus. Okay?"

Rhett's words rang in Wren's ears as her heels clicked against the floor. She smoothed down her blazer and reached the doors leading to the courtroom. Hank and Connor flanked her.

Rhett stood in a suit, waiting. "You clean up nice."

"Thanks. Are Jamie and Nina coming?"

"Yeah, they're testifying right after you. You've been deviant the longest, so I wanted you to go first. You sure you're okay to see the clips we uncovered of your conditioning?" Rhett's brow furrowed.

"I'm fine," Wren promised, though her throat swelled. Her stomach fluttered as she faced the double doors.

"Just tell your story, and let me handle the evidence."

"Got it." She blew out a deep breath, and Rhett opened the doors.

Hank squeezed Wren's shoulder. "We'll be out here, waiting for ya."

"Thank you," Wren murmured. She placed her hand over his and then kissed Connor's cheek. She faced the doors once more. "I'm ready."

The courtroom appeared far less crowded than Wren imagined. A judge sat at the head of the room, with a witness's stand and to the left a jury's pulpit. The jury seemed to consist of high-ranking officials in CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security. Wren tried to ignore the eyes of everyone upon her, including Pauline Thomas at the defendant's table. Pauline wore a prisoner's jumpsuit, and her wrists were cuffed. She narrowed her puffy eyes at Wren, who took a seat in the back of the room next to Rhett, waiting for the judge to call her to the stand.

Finally, the judge called for the first witness, and Rhett led Wren to the front of the room. She swallowed the bile rising up her throat. Now was not the time to be so nervous. She just needed to recount her entire traumatic story of her time working with Prometheus. No big deal.

Wren swore to tell the truth, and promised that she had not rehearsed her story with anyone prior to that day.

The judge looked at Wren. "Since this is an unconventional case, go ahead and share your testimony. Begin with how you were recruited by Prometheus, your time with them, and your departure from them."

"I wasn't recruited," said Wren. "Prometheus targeted me. They made it look like a died in a horrible car wreck. I woke up with my limbs amputated and replaced with cybernetic ones."

"Do you have any proof of this?" demanded Pauline's lawyer.

"Yes," said Wren. "She told me herself, and we have files of Prometheus's plans."

The lawyer sank into his chair and gestured for Wren to continue.

Trembling, Wren told the courtroom what she remembered of her conditioning, torture, and missions prior to deviating. While she spoke, Rhett backed up her claims with the footage that Wren gave to Connor months ago. Seeing herself onscreen—beaten, skinny beyond belief, and with her head shaved—Wren felt sick. She barely recognized herself and ended up staring at her hands instead of the screen. Thankfully, everyone in the courtroom seemed disturbed by the footage.

Wren explained how whenever she had a deviating thought, her programming sent an electrical shock through her body to condition her into avoiding further deviating thoughts and actions. She told them about how she was terrified for her life, and when she was ordered to assassinate Markus, she tried to create a hostage situation to either deviate or get killed. She tried escaping Prometheus then, but failed when they came after her.

After telling them about her collaboration with Rhett to take Prometheus down, Wren told them about how she discovered they were kidnapping children and conditioning them from an early age to remain loyal to Prometheus. Tears slipped down Wren's cheeks.

Lowering her head, Wren said, "No matter how they began, Prometheus is a corrupt organization that justifies torturing children and experimenting on people without their consent. I hope you all take this into consideration."

A heavy silence met Wren's words.

The judge cleared her throat. "Let's take a recess. Thank you, Miss Blanchard, for your candor."

Wren and Rhett exited the courtroom. Hank and Connor stood from their bench when Wren and Rhett entered the hallway.

"How'd it go?" Hank demanded.

"Okay," said Wren, turning to Rhett. "I honestly wasn't paying attention to the jury."

"They were definitely moved. Good work on the waterworks."

"That was real," Wren muttered, wiping at her cheeks. Connor rubbed her back and pinched his brow.

"Well, you're free to go, Wren," said Rhett. "I'll let you know how it turns out—"

"This way," barked an officer. "Hurry up, Thomas."

Pauline shuffled past them in her shackles. She paused, giving Wren an acidic glare. Without uttering a word, Pauline spat in Wren's face.

"Whoa!" The officer grabbed Pauline and hauled her away, apologizing profusely as Wren wiped her face. Rhett barked at the officer to get ahold of Pauline, while Connor examined Wren's face earnestly.

"Are you alright?"

Wren wiped Pauline's spit from her cheek. "Guess that means things are going well for us."

Rhett patted Wren's back. "Definitely."

"Come on," Hank said, "let's get ya home, kid."

Wren's mouth twitched and warmth feathered in her chest, down to her fingertips. Home.

Wren's finally free! I have like one or two more chapters planned for this installment of the series, and then Book 2 is finished! Might have some light smut ahead, might not. I have a Book 3 in mind, but would anyone be interested in that? I still love Connor and Wren ofc and I'm excited for things to come in Book 3 (def more fluff than this book!)

What did you guys think of this chapter? Please leave a comment! I love hearing from you guys, even if it's just y'all screaming at me XD