Chapter VII

She realized with some intrigue what a stark contrast it was to watch him while awake rather than asleep as she gazed lackadaisically at the screen in front of her. "Hello Neo," she said in a hushed voice, as though there were someone present that she feared would overhear her fond murmuring, though there was no one. She dialed Cypher when she realized with a little laugh that upon seeing Neo, she'd promptly forgotten the task at hand.

"Yeah." He didn't need to ask who it was.

"Is everything in place?" She braced herself for the bitter retort she had come to expect.

"You weren't supposed to relieve me." He'd been waiting for her call, but wasn't about to let her off as though nothing were out of place.

"I know, but I felt like taking a shift." Still nothing except the usual bantering. She wondered what he was thinking.

"You like him, don't you? You like watching him." It came, but later than she had anticipated.

"Don't be ridiculous." Her throat tightened but her voice did not waver.

"We're going to kill him, do you understand that?" After so many others, he had no reason to see why this one should be anything special.

"Morpheus believes he is the One." Now it was her stomach that constricted.

"Do you?" His tone was accusing and the words stung her like a prick from a needle straight into her heart.

"It doesn't matter what I believe." But her emotions were running wild nonetheless.

"You don't, do you?" She was hiding something, but he had more important things to worry about at the time.

"Did you hear that…?" She wasn't quite sure if it had been something or just her own paranoia.

"What?" He figured she'd catch that, she was always far too alert for her own good.

"… Are you sure this line is clean?" Things had been going well and she did not feel like dealing with any agents right now.

" 'Course I'm sure." He had heard it. He didn't really care, though, because he wouldn't be around that much longer anyway.

"I better go." She quickly cut the line and replaced the phone in her pocket. It was a relief to not be continuing that conversation.

She returned her attention to the computer screen and smiled at the handsome man sitting at his computer, hacking away, as he was prone to spend his nights. Little did he know his life was about to change.

She relaxed some in her chair when she realized her muscled were tensed and her breathing had become shallow after her talk with Cypher. Still, a certain apprehension loomed in the back of her mind. Her suspicions were confirmed very shortly when she heard the static of CB radios and heavy footsteps of law enforcement officers already in the building and closing in. With hushed and raspy voices they attempted to locate her in the maze of hallways and floors of the long-forgotten "Heart O' the City Hotel".

"Why now?!" This unnecessary intrusion on her shift was just making things more difficult than they already were. She was all too aware that the police were only the first wave and would be quickly followed by agents. She did not like to deal with agents. For all of her training and experience, they were the only ones who made her doubt herself.

Pushing all these thoughts out of her mind, she focused on the necessary actions she needed to take before the police arrived. She knew there wasn't time to erase all evidence of her and her subject from the computer, so she settled for quickly closing the window containing blatant identifying information. It was almost not fast enough, though, because she heard them bustle around the corner and caught a glimpse of wayward flashlight beams just as the blank desktop appeared on the computer screen.

With a crash, the door to room 303 was kicked down and five police officers burst into the vicinity. "Police! Freeze!" She almost laughed at the cop's naïve formality. "Put your hands behind your head! Do it! Do it now!" She complied by calmly clasping her hands against the back of her head and rising slowly from her chair. She stood stock still as the officer approached her, but her muscles were on full alert to switch into action at a moment's notice. She felt the gap between her and the burly badge close. He reached up with the handcuffs poised to close around her wrists. She would have no part of being captured by these men who could never compete with her speed and competence in combat.

At the last second when the cocky officer must've been sure he'd had her under wraps, she whipped around and easily evaded him. She proceeded to devastate every one of the many cops that rushed at her, as they never seemed to realize the ease with which she had halted the advances of their predecessors.

Silently damning Cypher, she dialed to the ship. Knowing who was on the other end of the line, she spoke as soon as the connection clicked into place. "Morpheus, the line was traced, I don't know how."

"I know. They cut the hardline. There's no time, you'll have to find another exit." He was always so calm, nothing seemed to fluster him. She envied that peace of mind, which always seemed to elude her.

"Are there any agents?" After everything she'd been through, that was the last thing she needed. But she already knew what the answer would be.

"Yes." That was it.

"Goddamnit." Knowing didn't make it any easier.

"You have to focus Trinity. There's an exit at Wells and Lake. You can make it." That calm was beginning to unnerve her. He did not know the fear that welled up in her. Nor would he know. That was how she wanted it. She was the Trinity. The strong and fearless Trinity.

"All right…"

"Go."