Author 2

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Logan filled me in on what had happened on the way back to the campsite. About ten minutes after I left his apartment, Lydecker and a couple of X5s came through the front door of his apartment and grabbed him. They'd stuffed him into a jeep with the 2 guards I'd taken out, then the X5s had left, and Lydecker had climbed in and put a gun to his head. We came to the agreement that they waited for me to leave so that when they came after me, they'd be able to concentrate on only me. They sent Jondy to keep me occupied. I must have left just before they got there. I tell him in on Jondy's entrance to my apartment, and figuring out what must have happened to him, and leaving Jondy and OC in the woods. By the time I'm finished, we're back at the clearing.OC gets up and hugs me when she sees me. She really was worried. She grins over my shoulder at Logan.

"Glad to see those military guys left you in one piece. Now I get to beat on your as* for makin my girl and I worry like that." He grins back at her.

"For the most part anyway." He gestures to his broken fingers. OC makes a tutting noise.

"You just let Original Cindy have a look at that. We'll have you fixed up in no time." She leads him off.

I shake my head bemusedly at them and I go and check Jondy's ties again to make sure she hasn't loosened them. They're tight. Jondy's staring off into space again. She didn't even acknowledge my coming back with an insult. She has this fixed expression of terror on her face. I wonder what her problem is.

"This is all your fault." Her voice is raspy.

"What's all my fault?"

"If you hadn't said all that sh!t about the stuff in the records, I wouldn't have tried to prove you wrong." Hope blooms in me.

"You looked in them?" She finally turns her head and looks at me, eyes blazing.

"Yeah, I looked! Nothing but lies! You probably planted that stuff there, just so I'd turn traitor like you. Now you've got me tied to a tree with nothing but that crap to think about." Her eyes narrow accusingly. "This is some kind of torture session!" Even though she's obviously in complete mental torment, I can barely keep my smile down. She's starting to come around. Still, I feel a little bad.

"I'd never do that to you, Jondy." I say softly.

"Then let me go! I want to go back!"

"Back to what?" I ask, wondering if she honestly knows.

"Back to…" She pauses, struggling to come up with a good excuse." Back to order. Everything out here is in chaos." She says finally.

"It's only orderly because all anyone does is follow orders. If you don't, you're killed. If you make a mistake, you're killed. If it's in your superior's best interests, guess what? You're killed. Are you starting to see a pattern here?"

"We're only disciplined if we're careless." She parrots.

"Or if Lydecker's in a bad mood."

"He wouldn't let his feelings cloud his judgement, it's weak. Even as she says it, a flicker of doubt crosses her face."

"Then he's the weakest man I know."

"Oh yeah? What about that norm over there?" She nods at Logan, a ways away with OC. I jerk slightly, surprised at the new attack. I'd never thought of Logan as a norm since I met him. To me, norms were people who looked down on you, or make a cross sign when they see you.

"He's standing up to Manticore. How is that weak?" She shrugs.

"He's still a norm."

"He's the kindest person I've ever met. Manticore almost killed him. I don't know what I would have done." Jondy doesn't answer. I take out the knife I keep inside my jacket.

"You really want to go back to Manticore? Back to being told what to do, all day, every day? Back to being beaten down, treated like a machine? Then go." I cut her ropes, wondering if this is going to be the biggest mistake of my life. But she is starting to doubt them…She stares down at her free hands.

"Why are you doing this?" she asks softly. A rustle in the trees cuts off my answer.

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