Chapter 14: Dangerous Mind games

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"No sign of Qudamah anywhere—but I'm sure as hell going to hunt down that ass myself." Jack and Miranda stood side by side, clad in their uniforms.

"Miranda, how are you recovering?" The General asked.

"Good, Sir!"

"Alright," the General stood up. "Both of you deserve a two weeks break—then you two come back for Qudamah's case."

"But… " Jack tried to argue.

"Thank you, Sir!" Miranda smiled.

"You go ahead, Captain. I wish to have a word in private with Landors."

Miranda saluted to the General and left the room, closing the door behind quietly.

"Tell me exactly how you lost Qudamah?"

Jack sat down on the armchair. "With that lousy sonofabitch in-charge of this mission, it's no wonder things goes wrong. But, Miranda suspects it's an insider's job."

"What about you? What do you think?" The General asked. Everyone in the army respected and listened to Jack Landors for his ideas. They knew nothing much about him, except that he came from the respectable S.P.D. academy and that he wield any weapons with ease and has great leadership skills.

"I'm not sure myself but I'm determined to find that out soon. Seriously, I don't need the break."

"I won't have the Colonel tire himself out without having a rest, you need it before embarking to track down Qudamah. He's a crafty one."

Jack arched a brow. The General knew him as well as Cruger did. "You have my word—two weeks it will be."

The General smiled and waved his hand signaling that Jack has been dismissed.

XXX

"Syd, still unhappy? We're at the malls in case you didn't notice." Z waved a hand in font of Syd's face. "The malls are your favorite hangouts you know."

"I know, Z. I'm thinking about some things."

"Whoa, you can't be kidding. What's bothering you? Is it Sky or Jack or Peanuts?" Sydney and Z stepped out from inside a shopping mall and were about to cross the road.

"Neither." Sydney spoke slowly as she crossed the road absently, not noticing a black sports car racing towards her at a hasty speed.

"SYD!" Z yelled and duplicated herself, pushing Sydney to safety. Passersby stared at the car sped off quickly.

"Oh gosh, Syd, are you okay? Did you get hurt or something?" Z asked, checking on Sydney pulses and searching her body for injury.

Sydney looked pale. Her glassy eyes were with shock and her face as white as death. "No, Z. I'm fine, just shocked."

"Let's get you back to S.P.D." Z cursed the driver as she opened the passenger's door seat for Sydney before getting onto the driver's side.

XXX

When they returned, Z brought Sydney to the infirmary and have the S.P.D. doctor checked on her.

"Don't worry, Miss Delgado. She's fine. Just a little shock." The doctor assured her.

Z looked at Sydney's dull eyes. "C'mon Syd, let's put you to sleep," she pacified.

"No, I want to go to the command center with you too." Sydney disagreed.

Z gave up. Try outtalking a princess. You don't stand a chance.

"Z, promise you don't tell anyone about what happened just now."

"Why not? They ought to know."

"Please?"

Z frowned. "All right. But only this once."

XXX

"Syd, I'm glad you are here. Your parents have been looking for you the whole day, today." Cruger told Sydney the moment she strode in.

"I'm here. Say what you have to say." Sydney's colored face returned.

Adrian grumbled while Gaetana stepped forward and held Sydney's hand into hers. "Syd, your dad and I have a business to run and can't be away for long."

Sydney lifted her head in surprise. Are they leaving already?

"Yes, we're leaving you in capable hands and are setting off today." Adrian affirmed.

Gaetana sighed. "Syd, we promise to come by as long as we have the time. But with what Cruger had taught you here, we surmise that you can take good care of yourself."

Adrian stood forward and pulled Gaetana into his arms, "Now, now, don't go crying in front of everybody. We have a plane to catch."

Adrian started to leave then stopped and turned to face his daughter, "Syd, don't be too stubborn. Let Dr. Barkley check on you." He turned his back before he saw her stiffened back.

Neither of her parents noticed that Sydney had kept quiet throughout the conversation. They hadn't really hugged her goodbye and left.

XXX

A thoughtful expression settled itself about Z's face as they walked back together to their rooms. "Are your parents always like that? I've never seen anyone walked in and out of his or her kid's life just like that."

Later, Sydney lay on her bed, looking up the swirls in the white plaster ceiling while a soft predawn silver and rose light emitted from her desk lamp.

"Z?" Sydney called out her best friend's name softly.

"Right here."

As Sydney's eyes drifted to her friend, a distant memory flashed back. The chill shot up her spine like an icy arrow.

"Have you ever had a checkup before?" Sydney asked. "Or stepped into a clinic before?"

Z cleared her throat. "What are you getting at, Syd? Everyone's been to a clinic."

"I mean—when you were young… never mind, it's nothing."

"Syd, there's obviously something wrong when you said there's nothing. It's written in your eyes."

"No, I… erm, forgotten."

Z cast an 'I don't believe' look at Sydney who shrugged and turned away. "Yea, and pigs can fly."

"Z, okay, well. I feel stalked. Like wherever I went, I feel eyes watching behind my back. Remember the mall trip just now; I almost feel the burning sensation. It was scary."

The two girls sat for a moment, two pairs of eyes regarding what was evidently a shared emotion until Z broke away. "Syd, I think you had been shell-shocked just now. Everything you saw or felt was an aftereffect. I didn't feel anything at all."

"But…"

Z cut her off. "No buts." Her brilliant brown eyes twinkling. "Have a good sleep and you will feel better already."

XXX

Bridge and Sky were working out at the gym, flexing their arms at one another.

"Sky, I got a bad feeling about Dr. Barkley. You know, those kind of eerie feelings where you feel your goose pimples popping out one by one. That kind of feeling."

Dr. Barkley's image created itself in his mind. Sky's eyes narrowed. Sydney had been frightened at the sight of the doctor, no—traumatized. "What makes you say so?"

"No, not say so. I know so. The aura that was emitted from him, it was different. Remember those A squads, that aura was almost similar except that Dr. Barkley's a human. His mind—it's like there is something but I can't see it."

"I'll have this old man check out." Sky said quietly.

"You bet." Bridge answered before heading towards another station. "Dangerous mind games." His voice echoed into Sky's ears.

"Mind games," Sky repeated.

XXX

TBC-Pls R&R!