CHAPTER 7: A Hole in the Wall

*Owen, Riley, Mr. and Mrs. McKay sat on the couch all night as they rehashed past memories, thoughts, feelings and embarrassing stories*

Riley: Remember when you I was 19 and you came to visit?"

Mrs. McKay: Yeah and I forgot that one of your friends was allergic to chocolate and brought over brownies…

Riley: Yeah she didn't want to make you feel bad so she ate them anyways then broke out in a rash and started hyperventilating."

*The continuous conversations become slower and the reactions delayed, as Riley's parents became worn out and wanted to turn in for the night. They had already paid for a room for the night a few floors down. Both of them headed towards the door as hugs and kisses were exchanged. Riley and Owen were left and talked about their past together as friends and more* Sitting on the floor in front of the couch, Riley had her head on Owen's shoulder and Owen's arm around her*

*Riley sighed*

Riley: At fist jail was a nightmare as I thought about the other real criminals. I hated the cell in the beginning, cold, damp, dark, purposely made uncomfortable. Though I got use to it after a while, it was more of solitude than jail. Not a banished solitude more like one where you just think all day about your life, then, what could be happening, and what would happen when you got out. Thought so much sometimes I had migraines…It wasn't so bad…Well, I guess.

Owen: Never thought about it that way just thought about it as a place I would never want to be. Nothing to do, hear, see…

Riley: Well, now we know who wouldn't last.

Owen: Just a place for cold hard criminals.

*Riley cocks her head up, slamming her water bottle against Owen's chest*

Riley: I think some people didn't deserve to be in there.

Owen: Uh huh. Like you right?

Riley: It wouldn't have mattered. I mean some people were in there for petty crimes because they are so poor and helpless…

Owen: Yeah, you know about that…So why were you…

Riley: Thought people would have told everyone by now. I was in the Republic of Zimbabwe. My mission, like all my missions, was extremely covert. Protocol states that if anyone sees me while not in disguise, exchanging information, etc, that I should kill them. Since technology today, even knocking them out would bite back later. So while on this mission two people saw me obtain the Medusa chip buried in the savannahs near a tribe…

Owen: Yeah, but haven't you been in this situation before?

Riley: They were children Owen, children.

*Images flash through her mind* She held up a gun pointing it at the children* She closed her eyes with her hand trembling* Tears began to gush from her eyes*

Riley: Being a prick that Craven is he reported me. To add to Carter's burning anger for me; the Awakening Faction was just hours behind me and instituted a civil war, by using the children who saw me. They interrogated, tortured, and killed them, using people already stationed in the country posing as another tribe. The Awakening Faction gave fabricated evidence to the tribe of the children of their mistreatment in addition to what the other "tribe" had done, and then the civil war began. Zimbabwe's government knew of my activity as well as the Awakening's activity from satellites. This created tense relationships between United America and Africana's governments. Since I was the "cause" because of protocol, I was sent away.

Owen: But why not kill you?

Riley: (sarcastically) Are you sure you're glad I'm here? They had some doubt that I was another failed experiment, they didn't want to waste government spending, they said that I could be rectified with this punishment and strict conditioning…though I doubt they have use for that now. I just couldn't do it…

*Images flashed through her mind again*

Children: (in an African dialect) Please ma'am don't.

*They were screaming and crying. One of the children that seemed to be younger than the other, grasping a stuff dolly, clung to the older child, crying and wailing*

*Tears ran down her face stinging her dry lips*

Riley: They were just children (repeating it over and over)

*Owen cradled her*

*That night they slept in each other's arms* However, when she woke up she found herself in a comfy bed, though still with the clothes she was wearing the day before.

Riley: (to herself) UGH, I feel icky.

*Stumbling out of bed she rubbed her eyes and yawned. Dragging her feet on the floor, she went to see where Owen was sleeping* She found him sleeping on the couch with a blanket covering him* Satisfied she took a shower* During her shower, Owen woke up and made breakfast* Riley emerged from the shower drenched with a bathrobe on. She giggled at the sight, for this was a rare pleasure*

Riley: You know you didn't have to?

*Staring at her breakfast consisting of pancakes and bacon creating a smiley face*

Riley: Huh. Well isn't that something. I didn't know pancakes still came whole.

Owen: Yeah, they've actually brought back the art of cooking.

Riley: Maybe I should take lessons.

Owen: Yeah, that way you won't have a huge amount of credits owed for eating out the whole time.

Riley: Hey, I appreciated food that doesn't look like sedatives. Too bad there are only a few places left that have decent prices.

Owen: Okay. Well, I got things to get done. You could come with me if you'd like…

Riley: Uh, it's okay I think I need to be by myself for a while, if that's okay?

Owen: Yeah sure. Though I'll call just to see how you're doing.

Riley: (laughs) Only cause everyone's after me.
*After Owen had left she went to change. Opening her drawer she not only found the clothes she had bought yesterday from Marlevini's * Grabbing whatever was on the top she tore of the digitag* Dressed and ready for the day she found a metal box uncovered some when she rustled her clothes a bit. She removed the box from the drawer lifting it up to her ear to ensure that it wasn't a bomb, old fashion or new. She cautiously opened the box finding the gun she received the day she joined the CEN. Along with it was a note that read:

For all the good memories and not so good. Whether you come back or decide not to. Keep it anyways. Can't let you go unarmed being on the top of everyone's list. I've always got your back and you have my heart.

-Vance

*She paused as recollections of her past fill her brain, happy and sad. She takes the gun out and closes the case. Leaving the gun and case on her bed she looks around her room. Opening her closet she sees clothes organized by color and type of clothing. Glancing at a screen that hung down from the top of the closet positioned in front of her face, which would allow her to choose what she wanted to wear, she noticed something. It was the option of a brown shirt. Now, she found this a little peculiar. Since she despised the color brown and had never owned any brown shirts in her life. Curiously but warily she pressed the screen for that option. Abruptly all the clothes moved to the side and there was an opening just large enough for a person to walk in. Inquisitively, she stepped in and found a white wall with just a small silver box that was mounted on the wall. Opening it she found a retinal scan, finger print scan as well as a voice recognition system. After doing all of those precautions all at the same time, part of the wall slid over revealing a door. There was a digital combination lock. She entered her birth date and some other guesses without luck. She then entered "784173" that coincided with the number she saw on her gun. Then a voice came from the lock said "Your new number is…" calling off six new numbers. Like a computer, the new code was programmed into Riley's brain. With a 'click' and the unlocking of the door she came upon a room which was just 3 feet taller than her and twice the size of her closet (which was pretty large, for a closet). Mounted on all the walls were weapons of different sorts. Old fashion weapons like swords and bullet shooting guns were on one side and new guns and automatics on the other side. A piece of paper was stuck on the wall in front of her. It read:

Never can be too protected.

-Vance

Amazed by this extra feature to her "house", she laughed and ran to get the case that Vance gave her and put it in the weapon's closet.

Riley: (to herself) He always knew what I liked.