I reawoke in the middle of the night, with the images of death and blood dancing through my mind. Catching my trembling breath, I had to wait to regain control of my trembling body. The thickly starched sheets that didn't allow any air passage clung to my sweaty legs, so I literally had to peel them off of my body in order to get out of bed.

Case was sleeping in the opposite bed. His hands were tucked under his face, while a single foot protruded from the mess and muddle of blankets. Surprisingly, it looked as if nothing had ever happened to him; the bruises were invisible in the late night scenery and the bloody wounds were washed away.

Shaking my head at the sight of him, I padded slowly to the bathroom, where the stark light blinded me and forced me to grasp the edge of the sink to regain control of the dizziness that suddenly grasped hold on me. I leaned on the soles of my hands, staring into the mirror as if I were suddenly the queen of Snow White and all the answers of the universe would suddenly spew forth to me. Dark craters loomed around the corners of my eyes and my face shone with grease and oil. All in all, I hadn't seen myself looking so awful in an extremely long time.

What have you done, Alanza? I asked myself. What have you done? Maybe if you had just stayed back in Seattle, back in California even, those Manticore men wouldn't have come after you. They were after you; you're the stupid 110% freak in this group. Why wouldn't they want you?
So, I stood there, chastising myself until I realized how asinine I was being. It was just a coincidence that those soldiers were in New York City as the same time you were. Right? Yeah, sure, just a coincidence.

But, I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. After wiping my blistering face off with a cool washcloth, I moved stiffly out of the bedroom, and went over to Case's bed, crouching down beside it.

"Case?" I whispered. "Case?"

He grunted.

Gently, I shook his bare shoulder. "Case? It's me, Alanza."

Slowly, he rubbed his sleep-encrusted eyelids and let his sight adjust to the darkness. "Alanza?" he mumbled through his thick tongue. "What's wrong?"

"Can I…Can I stay with you?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't think I was perverted and looking to "get some". All I wanted was a hug from somebody; I didn't know where to turn when I felt so alone in the world.

Case nodded, lifting up the covers so that I could move in next to him. Rolling over on his back, which made room for me, he yawned heavily.

"What's wrong?" he questioned between another deep breath.

"Do you think Dad did the right thing by leaving?"

"He left?"

"Yes. He's out to find Manticore."

"If that's what he thinks is right…" Case trailed.

"I not asking if he thinks it's right, because I know he thinks it's right. I'm asking what you think."

"I'm not about to judge Zack."

"Can you at least give your opinion?"

He laughed slightly, then coughed. "Personally?…He's wasting his time."

"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Alanza, Manticore isn't a thriving community anymore-"

"How would you know?" I asked quickly.

"I don't. I'm assuming that. Twenty years later? After a fire that knocked out one of their main bases? Lydecker dead as assumed? It doesn't make sense that they'd still be going."

"Oh."

"But, there still seems to be a concentration of 'followers', if you will, still around. They're in New York-as we learned-and in Seattle too."

"Seattle?"

"You don't think that gang fight against you and James was 'just an accident'?"
"I thought so. I could kick their butts pretty easily."

"They were norms."

"Norms?"

"People. Ordinary people, if you will."

"You know this for a fact?"
He nodded. "I went back to the fight site after you had left. Found one of the bodies. It was a norm."

"You're specializing in medicine?" I asked, tipping my head.

"No, but it was obvious from the way the bones were broken and the blood sample I took too."
"Anybody familiar?"
"Couldn't tell you."

"Yeah? And these guys in New York City?"

"Not norms."
"What?"
"They had barcodes."
My voice froze for a moment, then squeaked out, "Can you expand upon that?"
"They were created by Manticore, which gave them a barcode. Also, you apparently weren't watching when Krit was trying to take them down. When one of their caps fell off, it showed that they had a shaved head. Couldn't catch the barcode, but they had one. They were X7s, and, before you ask, I know this because they didn't communicate with each other through hand signals or words. X7s 'talk' ultra-sonically-like bats."

"What about that voice I heard? Somebody yelled 'Over there' when I was in the alley."

"From what I can assume, they had to have a head boss. They probably wore two-ways, which led back to the main circuit. Once there, the 'leader' saw you, and made the mistake of screaming through the two-way."

"Shit…"

"Big shit. You remember that usher at the theater? The one that was checking you out?"

"Unfortunately," I replied, not liking where this was leading.

"He was in on the scheme too."

"How do you know?"
"I saw him with a two-way after you and Zack had left. That's why we got there when we

did. Had I not suspected anything, Krit, Syl, and I still would've been at the theater."

"So, what you're saying is that I'm a marked man?"
"Very much so."

"How do they know that I'm the one they want?"

"I'm going out on a limb here-not to mention the fact that I'm tired and going slightly

delusional-but here's my hypothesis: They, meaning the Manticore people, could have caught wind of Krit's and Syl's barcodes. After all, when they were out dancing on stage, it was possible that their hair could have moved and for a split second, the barcode was shown. Zack has his burned off, and you and I don't have one. Or, they could have been watching us for longer than this NYC trip."

"Why didn't they move in, then?"

Case shrugged in the darkness and readjusted himself on the cotton sheets. "I don't know. Zack? He's always been far too suspicious. Maybe they figure that if they could get him out, the rest of you would follow. Alanza, I really don't know. It doesn't make sense."

"You're telling me," I muttered.

"What?" he asked, not hearing me through the thickness of the pillow I had pressed my face into so that I wouldn't cry.

"How do I escape?" I said, lifting my head up.

"Escape what?"

"Them."

"That's the funny thing, Alanza. I don't think you can. Max named you well, maybe it's time to start putting it to good use."

"You sound like your girlfriend."

"It might just be the truth."

"Case?" I asked, after a moment of pause.

"Yeah, 'Lanza?"

"Can I just have a hug? Please?"
He smiled, then rolled over to me. "Sure. Cousin to cousin though."

"Strictly platonic," I agreed as I felt his warm arms come around me. I buried my head against his chest, letting my jawbone rest against his clavicle. He stroked my hair and whispered to me that everything would turn out for the best; it always did, he insisted.

"That's what I have to wonder," I commented. "My father's left me for God knows where, my boyfriend's lying to me about something he doesn't want to talk about, and now I'm a wanted freak by men who just want to put me in a cage. It seems like the past just keeps coming back to bite me. I can't escape," I sighed, trying to hold back flushed tears.

"Alanza, yesterday's gone, don't worry 'bout it," he told me.

"If only it were that simple."

Case wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. I found myself laying my arm across his back as well. His body was warm against my own cold body, and I pulled him closer, listening to the beating of his heart, which would forever remind me that no matter what happened, he was first and foremost family, and I could never leave him.

"It is that simple," he told me.