Hello Everyone~ I just wanted to apologize that my posts have been so short- only a chapter at a time. Thank you so much for sticking with Jericho. Ever since LD introduced him, I've been coming up with his story. Thanks again for your patience! ~ Ripley
The room May sat in grew colder and colder and she started to shiver. Her mouth was throbbing and her shoulders ached. She wanted to cross her arms to conserve her body heat, but with her arms restrained she was out of luck. She tried to pull her knees to her chest, and she was small enough that she could. She leaned her head on her knees, waiting. It was all she could do. Whatever was about to happen was completely out of her control.
The door slammed open and she jumped, putting her feet on the floor to keep her balance.
"Who the hell are you?" May cringed when she saw Snow, and brought her knees back up to her chest, trying to make herself a smaller target.
"What do you mean?" May said, dread blossoming slowly through her body.
Snow slammed a folder down in front of her, the sides folded back so all she saw was a picture. It was the woman who had arrived at her door with Dr. Walker.
May felt the blood drain from her body as she stared at the picture.
"Who is she?" slipped from her lips before she could stop herself. May bit her lips and closed her eyes.
"Ms. Taylor," Snow said slowly, "Let's stop lying, please."
A thought intruded into May's consciousness as she stared at Snow. Where was Jericho? She shook her head as it passed through her mind. It didn't matter where Jericho was. He hated her and with good reason. He had stared at her with such hurt in his eyes when he had told her not to speak to him. May wished so hard that she could tell them the truth.
Even to Snow.
He was just trying to protect New Species. She didn't like his tactics, that was for damn well sure, but she understood what he was doing. Wasn't she doing the same by lying to protect her sister?
"Okay," she told him. It didn't matter what she said, she still had to lie.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Stephanie Taylor," she answered.
"Where do you live?" he asked.
"Northern California," she answered.
His eyes narrowed, "Be specific."
"San Francisco."
"How did you meet Roger Werner?"
May thought about it, "I met him at an anti New Species rally," the words tasted like ash in her mouth.
Snow's face got red, she could see him getting angry, but a moment later he seemed to collect himself, "Really?"
"Really," she answered.
"What was your job at the banquet?"
"Waitress."
"Who left you the trust fund?"
"My grandparents," May said.
She was just making stuff up now. It was a lot easier to make it up.
Snow sat down, across from her, leaned back and crossed his arms.
"What does Roger Werner look like?" he asked.
May swallowed. She had no idea what Roger Werner looked like, "Tall?"
"Are you asking me or telling me?" Snow said mockingly.
"Telling?" May said, then realized she'd raised her pitch at the end of her answer, "Telling."
"Where are you from?" he asked.
Crap, May thought. What had she said? She couldn't remember and felt herself begin to panic as she tried to recall her answer, Was it San Francisco? Or was it Sacremento? Or was it Berkley? Crap.
"It's not a hard question, Ms. Taylor," Snow said patiently, uncrossing his arms and leaning forward.
"I…" May tried to remember.
Snow moved before she could blink, lifting her up out of the chair and moving backward with her until her back hit the wall. He lifted her by her elbows until she was eye to eye with him.
"Who are you?" he asked again.
May tried to refocus, but the handcuffs were digging into her wrists and the way that he was lifting her by her elbows made her arms twist, making her feel like her shoulder could be dislocated.
He gave her a little shake as she continued to be silent, "Who. Are. You?"
She bit down on her lips, wanting to answer, but afraid she'd cry out in pain if she opened her mouth, "Ss.." she tried to say, "Ss.. Sstephanie Taylor," she finally got out.
He gave her a look of disgust and lowered her down to the ground. Her legs gave out as her feet hit the floor, and she landed hard on her bottom.
Snow looked concerned for a second, before wiping the emotion from his face. May took a deep shuddering breath and looked down at the ground, not wanting to see what was coming next.
She heard the door open and a deep voice said, "Enough." May looked up and stared in wonder at Justice North, who stood looking at her with emotionless eyes. "It doesn't matter who she is. If she doesn't want to tell us, we'll take her at her word. She is Stephanie Taylor. She attempted to drug New Species, and she was sent in tonight to distract us. I'm done with this bullshit. I'm ordering her transferred to Fuller."