Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Zeta Project'. I do not own any of its characters. It's just a fanfic.
As English isn't my native language, I want to thank Dragonmaster01 for her editing work on this chapter.
As in all of my stories, here Zee has a material covering over his synthoid's body. More details about this idea, you can find in Chapter Three of my fanfic "The Nettle's Shirt', book 1 of 'You Need Me".
Hide and Seek
by Iglika
Chapter Two
Ro's point of view
Rush harshly pushed my back in order to make me walk quickly. The door opened, we entered the NSA van and immediately it slammed behind us. Great. I was really trapped this time. I observed the vehicle from the inside - I had entered the NSA van for the first time in my life. What an honor!
There were so many computer screens and devices. The van inside looked like a real lab. Two agents were sitting in front of their computers obviously in order to keep an eye on something. But I hadn't time to see what they looked for. Rush didn't allow me to. She forced me to sit in a chair with my back toward a turned off computer and she stood upright beside me.
Zee and I had seen so many synthoids in the top secret NSA debriefing post; probably they were very easily malfunctioning, as Bennet's job was to catch malfunctioning robots. As obviously it was so common for the other synthoids to have some problems with their programming, was it possible for Bennet at all to believe that everything Zee was doing was to win the right to be treated as free man?
It wasn't exactly a feeling of fear which made my heart to go faster now. I was angry and disappointed…
Oh, well, I was scared too. But that fear wouldn't help me at all.
I tried to ignore the sensation of the handcuffs. When Bennet realizes that the one he had caught was really Casey, I would be set free, right?
I was still in the NSA van, Rush and West hadn't taken me anywhere, we just stood here, in the park, obviously waiting for Bennet to finish his checks on Casey, so there was still a hope…
Or maybe not…
I was threatened by the fact that I could be imprisoned, because I helped a renegade synthoid. Casey had told me that Bennet was inclined not to sending me in jail only because Casey had promised to help him on their first meeting.
But since then Casey refused to collaborate with Bennet and probably Bennet wouldn't have any mercy on me now…
Going to jail…
What a birthday present!
And what about Zee?
He still needed me, he needed my help, he was in danger without me, he wouldn't make it without me…
The NSA would kill him if the agents would catch him again…
No! Zee would help me to escape from here and we would be together again; we always managed to help each other. Always. And it wouldn't be any different this time. Zee would find a way to save me.
I looked through the huge windshield. The snow park was lifeless under the dying daylight and crawling winter fog.
I didn't have to force Zee to leave me with Casey. I could imagine how awful Zee would suffer now, feeling responsible for what happened to my brother and me…
It wasn't like I just owed Zee an excuse. I had to trust him more. He was somehow capable of sensing the danger and when he refused to leave me, I had to listen to him. A half-an-hour sounded as some funny small period of time, indeed, but the truth was that the agents needed a few minutes to catch me. Zee was right to be so worried about me while I tried to convince him that everything was okay. Nothing was okay now. And it was all my fault.
Casey's point of view
Agent Bennet, slowly and pedantically, using different devices, made a dozen checks on me in order to be sure that I wasn't Zee. His stern expression became even fiercer behind his green glasses, when he realized that it was really me and not the synthoid. What would Bennet say now? Would he release Ro, or, being angry that he didn't manage to catch Zee, would he try to send my sister to jail?
Bennet's cell phone rang. He listened to someone, then turned off the phone and he gave some orders to the rest of the agents. Taking his laser gun and some strange device with him, Bennet left the van..
I was always bad in estimating the passing time without looking at a watch. I had no idea how much time had passed since Bennet had left. It was dark outside already, but what time was it? Probably fifteen minutes passed or maybe twenty or something when Bennet came back. His expression made me think of an angry tornado. I could easily guess that the call was connected with Zee and Bennet had lost the synthoid again.
Bennet unlocked my handcuffs and he said through his clenched teeth, "Don't be so happy, MacCurdy. You and your sister are perfect bait for Zeta. It would be easier for me to catch him keeping one eye on you both. Sooner or later I'll get him."
Then he said to the agents, "I will take him to Miss Rowen" and we left the NSA van.
When the door closed behind us, though, Bennet took my elbow, he dragged me toward the snow trees and bushes nearby and before I managed to ask what was happening, we were hidden there, a green-white light flashed around him and he became Zee.
To say I was surprised was an understatement.
"How did you replace Bennet?" I finally managed to ask.
"I'll explain later. Don't worry, I didn't kill him, he's okay. I need to talk to you, Casey. One of us has to take Ro and I need you to tell me if it would be you or me."
"I thought leaving someone else to rescue her wasn't an option." I said.
"No, it wasn't. But you have something against me, Casey, I'm sure of it. That's why I want you to tell me if you are really agreeing to let Ro keep traveling with me?"
It was impossible for him to know this from my conversation with Ro. He wasn't there. Obviously he was more perceptive than I expected. I had to admit that he was more human that I thought he was. We had no time though, so I decided to speak out.
"Would you leave Ro if I told you that I don't want you around her anymore?"
He didn't hesitate to answer, so it was obvious he had thought about that a long time ago.
"Only if I'm sure that she would be happy that way."
"You love her, don't you?"
"I would give my life for her."
"Zee, you have to answer me! Do you love her?"
Ro's point of view
Rush's wireless phone rang and she took a few steps away from me. I recognized Bennet's voice, but I didn't manage to understand exactly what was saying…
Rush gave me an angry look, as if she hated to fulfill the orders she had just received and she said with her usual rough tone of voice, "Your brother will be here any minute."
That was good - Casey had somehow convinced Bennet not to send me to a jail… and I couldn't help but being curious what exactly was said Casey to Bennet… or at least I tried to think about that as I had no more patience to know what had happened to Zee…
Rush came to me and unlocked my handcuff. But she didn't push the button for opening the van door for me. Obviously she had an order to wait for Casey, probably because Bennet wanted to be sure that Casey would take me from here and not Zee.
That was okay, as soon as they would set me free, I would find Zee. I would find him.
Rush finally opened the van's door and convoyed by Bennet himself, Casey entered the vehicle. He didn't say anything; he just looked at me seriously and with some inexplicable plea in his eyes to have mercy on him and to forgive his fault.
Well, we hadn't escaped the Feds, but I didn't blame him, he wasn't Zee, and most of all - he was free now and he would take me from here.
"I'm so sorry I caused you trouble, Ro" said Casey and he opened his arms to hug me.
I… I didn't move for a second though…
Well… he was my bigger brother, it was okay for him to hug me after all what was happened to us, but… actually… we had never hugged so far… and here, in front of Bennet and Rush and the agents…
But it was stupid to leave him with his opened arms waiting for me for so long, he was my brother and the agents were humans too, even Bennet and Rush, so they would understand…
I approached Casey, I hugged him and his arms tenderly wrapped my back.
But…
I felt…
I felt a familiar motionless, his chest didn't move and… I didn't feel any breath of his, although he leaned his face on my neck…
"Zee…" I whispered in his ear and he hugged me tighter as an answer.
"Come on, you both!" Bennet said harshly.
Zee didn't take my hand, as it would be weird if my brother would do this, but I sensed his hand on my back while we walked toward the door… and it was as if Zee didn't want to let go of me completely, as if he was afraid that Bennet would discover who 'my brother' was and would separate us again.
We went out on the snow, followed by Bennet…
to be continued…
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