Chapter 10
Several days had passed since Sky had been released from the hospital. She still had several cuts and bruises, but she had
recovered fairly well. That didn't surprise her...it was what she willed...therefore it had to be so. She raised her
eyebrow at the philosophy she had survived by. It had guided her for so long, but now, after the past few days she was
beginning to doubt it. Carefully Sky wound her way through the stacks of boxes that formed small towers in her room. She
really didn't think she had that much stuff, but then she had always been a packrat. The temporary structure reminded her
of the forts that kids used to build. She frowned. Sky was still trying to soak in her new surroundings. The room was a lot
nicer than her old apartment. It was furnished with every modern convenience from outlets right down to a handy nail file.
Still it wasn't her apartment, it was another change...something else to adapt to. She was tired of bending...maybe it was
time to just break and get it over with.

Sky's thoughts drifted to her reason for being in the new "apartment". Logan had insisted she leave her home for a while
and move in with him."It isn't safe.." Sky shook her head, if only she had a quarter for every time he had said that, she'd
have doubled what she borrowed.

Currently she was hiding out in her room. She needed a break from Logan's frequent check-ups and oddly enough from Max.
Everywhere she turned Max was there watching her, with those burning brown eyes. Sky was no fool, she knew that Max was
probably part of Logan's own personal "witness protection plan." Yet, why her? Logan would have some explaining to do.

Sky sighed. The events of the day coursed through her head. She had simply left her home, her life...there was no time to
tie up lose ends...frankly, the whole thing angered her. She had obligations, and no matter what Logan said she was not
giving them up or putting them on hold. She wouldn't let "them" take her life. Softly she shuddered. "Them." She couldn't
even muster the attacker's names. They had killed her husband, her troupe, and now they were coming to finish the job, to
exterminate the last traces of Sector Five. Sky was alive. For years she had wondered if they knew, if they would find out.
Apparently they had, and honestly she didn't really know how to handle the situation.

She ran her hand across the dresser trying to relax herself, then rested it on a wooden box. She smirked...it was more like
a box of secrets. Every tangible thing left over from her nightmares lay in it. She looked to the closed door and then
opened the box. After a few moments of fishing around she pulled out a small metal round object. It felt rough in her hand.

The touch took her mind from the small room. She was now peering out from inside a hut. Her face shriveled in horror. Amidst
the mass of screams and death she made out a figure. A woman struggled against the chaos. Her raven hair whipped about her
wildly as she struck out. There was some object in her hand, Sky couldn't focus on it. Suddenly the man stepped back in
agony...he reached for the nape of his neck. Her efforts were in vain for as he fell, so did she. Sky looked back into the
hut. Eyes stared at her in fear, begging her to somehow achieve what they knew impossible. They pleaded for some sort of
salvation. "I'll be right back." She quickly ran over to the figure...mud caked upon her ankles. She had been instructed to
stay with the captives as a last result, but her instincts took over...she couldn't stand just waiting for the men to find
her. She had to help somehow. Her face dropped at the sight. It was her friend...slowly she knelt down. There was no pulse.

Then her eyes fell upon the woman's murderer. Out of his neck stuck a piece of metal. Slowly Sky reached forward and pulled
it out. As she held it cautiously the fringed ends wrapped around themselves, startling her already tense nerves. She
grasped the cone tightly and then looked up....Nathaniel...she had to find him.

"Natalia." Her eyes became heavy with the film of water. She drifted back to the present. Suddenly the door opened.
Quickly she tucked the chip in her hand to conceal its presence. She wasn't going to drag Logan into this. It was her
problem...she had to deal with it.

"Is everything to your liking?" Sky's back was to him. He knew she was upset.

"Yes, everything's fine Logan." Her voice sounded slightly distant.

"I know this is hard for you Sky, but it just isn't safe.."

"I know!" Sky cut him short. So this must be what it felt like to be a teenager...the constant nagging and prodding from
Logan fit the description of an overprotective parent fairly well.

"When you need a break from unpacking, we really need to talk." Sky nodded her head. She dug into a box and flung her
clothes upon the bed. A few seconds later she emerged from the room.

"I need a break." A look of anxiety was written upon her face. She sat down on the couch and looked directly at Logan.
Max emerged from a side room, her eyes still looking over in Sky's direction.

"Sky," I need to know exactly what happened that night. Did you get a good view of your attackers?" She looked down.