NINE

As I read through my father's messages, my grip on his phone grew so tight my knuckles whitened, and I had to fight the urge to throw the damn thing on the floor and shatter it. He had been behind it all. Him and Scarlet. Reactor 3, Corel, and so much more. They had both taken my work, my designs and my dreams, and used them to cause so much pain and death. But that wasn't the end of it.

When I came to one of the most recent messages he'd sent, I began to tremble as I read those hellish words. I shook my head, not wanting to believe what I was seeing. Tears spilled from my eyes even as flames of white-hot fury seared my blood. I gasped, trying to catch my breath as the horrible revelation slowly sank in and my other hand flew to my mouth. All I wanted to do was scream in denial at the words staring so coldly back at me on the screen:

Tseng,

I have new orders for you. Tomorrow's 8:00am train from Sector 5 to Sector 7 is a problem. There's been a major security breach, one I intend to seal permanently. Leaks of our recent covert ops have been confirmed, and I have reason to believe the one responsible will be on the train. She intends to pass along her information and verify that it's authentic, but I will not allow that to happen.

That train mustn't be allowed to reach Sector 7. Have your men set a series of explosives along the tracks near the Sector 5 station to create an unfortunate accident. The president has already approved the plan, so be sure to get it done. This will also free me from certain… liabilities… that have been bothering me for years. So make certain the explosion destroys the platform as well as the train itself. I've been waiting a long time to be free of those two, and now I finally will be.

Have your men plant the bombs tonight. Then, when you're finished, bring me the detonator. I intend to do this myself. Scarlet has assured me that I'll be able to activate it from here, and she's already set up an uplink to the station's security cameras. I'll know exactly when it starts moving. And then, the fireworks will start. Now you have your orders, so I expect you to follow them to the letter.

General Heidegger, Peace Preservation

"That son of a bitch!" I snarled, trying to breathe.

My hand left my mouth and clenched so tightly into a fist that my nails dug into my palm. The pain, along with the dull throbbing in my arm where I'd been shot, barely registered compared to the ache in my heart. Not even thinking about what I was doing, I lifted the phone up over my head, my eyes almost blinded by tears, and nearly hurled it to the floor, wanting nothing more than the smash the goddamn thing to pieces the same way my life had just been shattered.

Reeve grabbed my arm. "Jessica! Don't!"

"He killed her, Reeve!" I sobbed, falling into his shoulder. "My own father! And he tried to kill me, too!"

For while, I just lay against him and wept, all the grief from Mom's loss flooding back in an instant. My life had been turned upside down, and I didn't have any idea what to do next. Rage and sadness were all I knew in that moment, a vicious maelstrom within me that felt ready to explode at any second. All I could think of was how hurt and betrayed I felt and how much I hated my father, both for what he'd done to Mom and also for what he had tried to do to me.

Reeve let go and handed me a box of tissues. "I'm so sorry, Jessica. I'd suspected he was involved, but… not like this."

"Thanks," I blew my nose. "Deep down, I knew it was him, but…"

"I know. You didn't want to believe it."

I nodded. "Right. But it was him. He was behind it all."

As I thought about that, I knew I couldn't let what I'd found be lost. I had all the evidence I needed against him now, though I wasn't sure if we'd ever be able to use it. The court system in Midgar was notoriously sympathetic to Shinra, and I seriously doubted that any case Reeve and I brought to them would be handled fairly.

But what I knew, everything I had uncovered about my father and Scarlet, had to be kept safe, just in case. With luck, one day we'd be able to expose them both and reveal the truth to everyone. But until then, I had to make sure the evidence we had was protected and preserved. So after I dried my eyes, I straightened up, took my little flash drive out of my pocket, and plugged it into my father's phone with the adapter cord I always kept with it.

Then I got to work, copying all his messages onto the drive, all the ones that proved his responsibility for what he'd done to Mom, me, and so many others. It didn't take very long, but doing it gave me a sense of purpose and helped to calm my turbulent emotions. When I was done, I removed the drive and handed it to Reeve.

"Here," I said. "Take this. It's all the evidence against my father and Scarlet, everything I've found, everything that proves they were behind what happened in Corel, the Reactor 3 incident, and… the train wreck that killed Mom. It's all here, Reeve. Keep it safe."

He took the drive and gazed at it for a moment. "Of course."

Walking behind his desk, Reeve moved over to the back wall of his office and stood in front of a painting of Midgar in its early days when it had still been under construction. He ran his free hand along the top of the frame, and just a second later the painting swung aside to reveal the front of a metal safe fitted with a complex combination lock. It was fascinating and actually kinda cool.

"Never seen that before," I blinked.

He smiled. "It's one of my little secrets. No one else in the company knows about it."

I watched as he input the combination, turned the lock, and pulled open the safe. Stacks of papers and other assorted items were inside as Reeve carefully put the flash drive in there along with them. Once that was finished, he closed the safe, locked it, and moved the painting back into place in the middle of the wall.

"Cait," I turned to him. "Can you take my father's phone and put it back in his office? He might get suspicious if he can't find it, and I don't know if he's seen yet that it's not there."

He took it from my outstretched hand. "Aye, lassie. I'll have it back there in a jiffy! No worries!"

While he was gone, I sat back down in the chair and tried to think about what to do next. As I rubbed my bandaged arm, I mulled it over in my mind, going over all that had happened today and all I'd learned. It was obvious I couldn't be here anymore, and home wasn't going to be any safer. I doubted it would take long for my father to find out that I'd discovered the truth about what he'd done.

Cait came back barely ten minutes later. "All done. But Scarlet's got the whole building lookin' for ye, Jessica. She's mad as a hornet. I did a quick bit of snooping around while I was out, ahn I heard her tellin' yer father aboot yer little kerfuffle with her today."

"Shit!" I swore. "I shouldn't be surprised she's still at it. I had access to classified information as part of my job. She's probably afraid it'll get out. Especially her part in what went down in Corel."

"It's not safe for you here," Reeve added. "No doubt your father's on the lookout for you as well, and once he discovers that you know what he did, he won't stop until he finds you. I won't let that happen, Jessica. We have to get you out of here."

I stood up. "You're right, but… where do I go?"

He thought for a moment. "The emergency stairwell. It goes all the way down to the first floor. Think you can make it?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Good. The stairs lead to a side entrance outside the building. Get down there just as soon as you can." Then he turned to Cait Sith. "Cait, go with her. Make sure she gets there, understand?"

"Aye! We'll make it, don't ye doubt!" Cait promised.

Reeve glanced back at me. "Good. While you're doing that, I'll take the elevator. Scarlet's probably alerted security downstairs, so they'll be looking for you to try and leave by the main entrance. That's why I told you to take the stairs instead."

"Won't they look there, too?" I asked.

"Not at first," he answered. "No one uses them unless they have to. And the idea that you'd go down almost sixty flights of stairs to get out of here probably hasn't even crossed Scarlet's mind yet."

He had a point. "I guess that's true. But what about your secretary? Can we trust her? I don't want to get you in trouble."

Reeve took my shoulder. "Yes. She won't say anything, Jessica. And I appreciate your concern for me. But I'll be alright, I promise. Now go. I'll meet you in the alley outside the stairwell."

"What then?" I wondered.

"I'll take you to my place for now," he said. "But that's only going to be a temporary arrangement. We'll talk more about it once we're there. But we're going to have to find a way to hide you. You know as well as I do that your father and Scarlet aren't going to stop looking for you just because you're not here anymore. You know too much."

I did, alright. "Understatement of the year. See you downstairs."

Reeve and I left his office together, and while he gave his secretary a few quiet instructions, I moved toward the door to the stairwell. Cait met me there, slipping out of a nearby air vent with a wink. It felt good to have him with me and to know I wouldn't have to go down all those stairs alone. It would've been a long and lonely descent. I really needed a friend right now, and both he and Reeve knew it.

"Shall we?" he beckoned, twitching his whiskers.

I opened the door. "Let's go."

It must've been almost twenty minutes later that Cait and I finally reached the first floor and stepped out into the alley. It had been a long trip, and I'd had to stop here and there to rest and catch my breath for a minute along the way, but we'd made it. Cait had kept encouraging me, talking and joking and keeping my mind engaged and away from what was going on around us and why.

At one point, he had climbed onto the railing and had tried to slide down to the next landing. He had ended up falling off near the bottom, though, plopping harmlessly down onto the steps with a little squawk, and we'd ended up laughing together about it. That had made me feel a little better, being able to do that, especially after what I'd been through earlier and what I'd learned.

Cait had done what he could to keep my spirits up during our trip down the stairs, and his antics had been a welcome distraction from all that had happened. By the time we had reached the bottom, I had felt a bit more like myself. I still wasn't sure what I was going to do now that I was on the run from Shinra and home wasn't safe either, but I felt like there was still hope for me that I could somehow piece my life together again, that things might still work out.

Reeve was waiting for us in the alley. "Good, you made it. How are you holding up?"

"A little better, thanks to Cait," I said.

"Glad to hear it," he replied. "Now we'd better get going. I've pulled my car around near the back of the building. We'll have to walk a little to get there, but it's not too far. Security's watching the parking garage, probably expecting you to go that way instead."

I nodded. "I'm ready."

Without another word, we left the alley and followed the building's outer wall to the back. Reeve's dark blue sedan was parked there, and I understood why. The external cameras didn't watch this area because it was almost always deserted. But I knew I wouldn't be able to relax until we were safely gone from here. As I got in the car, I noticed Cait hadn't moved but had stayed outside.

"You're not coming?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nae, lass. I'm gonna stay here ahn keep an eye on things. I'll be seein' ye again, though."

I hugged him. "Thanks. Be careful, okay?"

"Will do! How aboot I tell yer fortune before ye go?"

"Sure!" I laughed. He'd done it before, and most of them were silly, but I didn't mind. It was just his way of helping me through this ordeal. "I could use some good news right about now."

Cait pointed a finger in the air. "Then that's what ye'll get!"

He did a little dance, hopping from one foot to the other, and then he spun around, flipped, and landed squarely on his feet. Twitching his whiskers, Cait reached one hand inside the gold crown on his head and took out a small white card. Then he held it out in front of him at arm's length and read what was on it, his voice as cheery as ever, and for just a moment I was able to forget about my predicament and focus on my friend and what he was doing for me:

Big changes are coming, but new opportunities as well. And a chance to rediscover an old dream will soon be yours. Love is also in your future, both near and far. And your lucky color is red! Wear it proudly and your efforts will always pay off!

"That's an interesting fortune," I smiled. "I like it."

Cait handed me the card. "Ahn it'll all come true, lass, ye'll see! Just ye wait! I guarantee it!"

I put the fortune in my pocket. "I'm sure it will, Cait. Thanks."

"Yer welcome, Jessica. Now ye'd best skedaddle before anyone sees ye here. We'll talk again soon."

Then he was gone, scampering away around the corner in a flutter of movement. I got in the car with Reeve and we drove off. It wasn't the sort you'd expect one of Shinra's highest-ranking officials to have. Kind of the opposite, really. It was nice, clean, and sleek, but nothing like the company's luxury models. As we rode, I realized there was something I had to do before I left my old life behind.

"Reeve," I said. "I need to stop by my house for a minute."

He frowned. "It's much too dangerous, Jessica. That's the first place your father will look for you."

I sighed. "I know it is, but there's something in there I have to get. I won't be long, I promise. This is important, Reeve. Please trust me. We can't leave it behind."

"What is it?" he asked.

"My mom's diary. She wrote down everything she found out about my father. Among other things."

Reeve gave in. "Alright. But try to hurry."

It didn't take long to get home, and as soon as he parked the car by the front gate, I got out, punched in the access code, and hurried up to the house. I felt my father's eyes on me as I walked through the foyer as fast as I could, that huge painting looming over the place like it always did. At least I wouldn't have to live with it anymore.

I went into my room, took the diary from its hiding spot under my mattress, and then quickly got a few more things together, stuffing it all into an old gray backpack and zipping it shut. Once was done, I headed back into the main hall and was almost to the front door when I heard a voice behind me.

"Jessica!" It was Nan. "Where are you going?"

I turned to her, a lump forming in my throat. "I have to leave, Nan. And I don't think I'll be coming back."

She stared at me. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I can't tell you," I said. "I'm already at risk just being here. So don't let my father know. I… I have to get away from him."

"Of course," Nan promised.

Dropping my backpack onto the floor, I hugged her tight, my eyes swimming with tears. "Goodbye, Nan. Tell Theresa, Charlotte, and the others I'll miss them."

Her hug was just as tight. "I will, Jessica. Take care of yourself."

Letting go of her, I wiped my eyes as best I could as I picked up my backpack. "Always. I promise."

Then I walked away, hurrying outside and not looking back. It was hard to go, in spite of all that had happened. I'd known Nan almost my whole life, and the rest of the staff for years. They'd been as close to me as family and had made living in that place bearable. And as I got back into Reeve's car and put my bag in the backseat, I was nearly overcome with loss and had to blink away more tears.

As we drove off, I stared out the window at the buildings and lights passing by but didn't really see anything. All I could think of was what I had lost. I felt uprooted, adrift, and unsure of everything. Then I took Cait's fortune out of my pocket and read it again. I knew better than to take much stock in things like that, but even so, it was something. And I needed any kind of hope I could get right now.

We got to Reeve's place a little while later and went inside. It was a large, spacious apartment. It was nothing fancy, but it was nice enough, and clean. Compared to my father's huge, ostentatious mansion, it was practically tiny, but it felt cozy, warm, and honest. I liked it. I knew that I'd only be here for a short time, just until I could find a new home and put my life back in some kind of order, but it was enough. As I put my backpack down next to the sofa, I looked at Reeve.

"Thank you," I told him. "For everything. I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't helped me."

He nodded. "Don't mention it. Please, sit down."

I did, settling onto one end of the sofa while he sat on another one, smaller and at a right angle to first one. The thick black cushions were very soft. I looked around at the apartment. "It's a nice place."

"Thank you," Reeve chuckled. "It's not much, but it's home."

"I think it's great," I smiled.

His eyes took in his home before finding me again. "Well, I'm glad you like it. It's not often I get to have company."

"So, you said earlier something about hiding me?" I asked.

Reeve leaned forward. "Yes. Obviously your father knows what you look like. As I'm sure you're aware, Shinra has surveillance cameras all over the plate. And although it will certainly take time for them to find you amidst everyone else here, we don't need to make things any easier for them. There are ways you can blend in."

"You're talking about changing how I look," I understood now.

"Exactly. I know someone who might help with that. He's a little… flamboyant… but he's very good at what he does. I've conducted some business with him in the past, and while he mainly works in the slums, there are times when he'll accept an occasional client here on the plate. I'll contact him in the morning, see what I can do."

There was something else I wondered as well. "What am I going to do now? I can't just stay here all the time."

Reeve thought for a moment. "You mean as in work?"

"Yeah. Shinra's out, but I'd go crazy if I didn't have anything to do. I need to find something."

"You've spent time acting, haven't you?" Reeve wondered.

I blinked. "That's right. Ever since I was a little girl. It was my other passion aside from the tech stuff. I starred in a ton of school plays, and my mom got me private lessons as well. I acted for years, up until I was sixteen, even did shows at some of the theaters around town. If I hadn't quit to start working for Shinra, I might've made a career out of it. Did Mom tell you about it?"

"Yes," he scratched his chin. "She told me about your performances and how proud she was of you."

"I know she was," I blinked back a tear. "It made me so happy."

Reeve gazed at me. "Perhaps it's time you went back."

I hadn't thought of that. "You mean… start acting again? I think I'd really like that. It'd be nice to get away from the computers and bombs and weapons for a while. I need to, actually. After all that's happened, I could use a break from that stuff."

"I don't doubt it," he agreed. "I have a friend who owns a theater in Sector 8. Not the LOVELESS one, though. It's smaller, a bit more out of the way. I happen to know he's looking for some new talent, and a fresh young actress ought to be just what he needs. He also owes me a favor, so I think it's time to call it in."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed. The thought of acting again excited me, made my heart race in anticipation. It had been too long since I'd been on stage, and I realized then how much I missed it. "I'm really looking forward to getting back into it. Gotta use a stage name, though. Mine's obviously not gonna be safe."

Reeve nodded. "Any ideas?"

I thought for a moment. "Hmm… my first name's not uncommon, but I think I want to go with something a little different. To cut my ties to the past, you know. So I think… Jessie. It was a nickname Mom had for me when I was a kid. She never used it around my father, though. It was just something between us. Little Jessie. She always used to call me that. I'd give anything to hear her do it again..."

"I know…" he took my hand.

"As for a last name, I'm not sure yet…"

Reeve let go as he thought it over. "What about Rasberry? It's your mother's maiden name."

I shook my head. "No. My father would know it. He might start to look for me under that now that I've cut my ties with him. I don't want to risk it. I'll have to think of something else."

"I understand. How's your arm?"

"Better, thank you," I answered, giving him a grateful smile. "Still a bit sore, but I'll be fine."

He stood up. "Good, I'm glad to hear that. Why don't you get some rest? You've had quite a day, and I'm sure you're tired. That couch pulls out into a bed, and the linens are in the closet over there. I can get you some aspirin, if you'd like, while you're setting it up."

Sleep definitely sounded good to me. "Yeah. I think I like that idea. I'm more than ready to crash."

"Help yourself to the kitchen if you want anything," he added.

"Reeve?" I glanced up at him.

He turned to me. "Yes, Jessica? Er, Jessie…"

"You can still call me Jessica if you want," I laughed. "I don't mind. But I wanted to know… what was it between you and Mom? All this, it seems like it's more than just what any ordinary friend would do. Don't take that the wrong way, though. I'm really grateful for all you've done. It's just a little overwhelming, is all."

He sat down next to me for a moment. "It's… complicated."

"So I guessed. Can you tell me anything?"

"There is one thing," he said. "Something I've never told you. I felt it wasn't my place to bring it up while you were still working under me and your mother was… still alive. It had been her decision, after all, so I had thought it better for her to tell you when she was ready. But she's gone now. And I think she'd want you to know."

"Know what?" I asked.

Reeve went on. "After you were born, your mother asked me to be your godfather, to look after you if anything ever happened to her. You know how close she and I were, that we grew up together in the slums. So I accepted her offer. Gladly, I might add. You're like family to me. If you don't mind, that is…"

I hugged him. "Of course I don't mind! I thought I didn't have any family anymore…"

"You do now," he hugged me back.