I feel like I have slept for more than our usual allotment of four hours. My limbs are heavy and my head aches, dully and unrelenting. I feel like I am sinking into the small mattress I am laying on. The lighting in here is much brighter than I remember from when Doug escorted me to the Brig, and I'm almost unwilling to open my eyes. They are sore, as is my throat, and my mouth is so dry I can barely swallow. There is a persistent beeping sound that settles into my awareness and I wonder how I didn't notice it before. It's annoying now that I am aware of it.
I gingerly open my eyes, and sit up, looking around me in confusion. This is not the Brig. No. This is the Medical Bay.
"Easy now, Miranda. Don't move too quickly, the sedation won't have worn off fully yet."
Destra. Sedation? I recognise her voice straight away and turn around to spot her by her workstation in the corner. She walks over to me, and I can see the concern in her eyes. "How are you feeling now?"
"Feeling? I don't understand, Destra. What am I doing here? Have I been ill? Was there an accident? Where is my daughter?" I take a breath, out of questions for the moment, as I try to make sense of what is going on.
I look down at myself to check for any obvious signs of injuries, gasping in horror when I realise I have been stripped of my clothes and put into some kind of gown. "What happened?"
Destra puts down the side rail on my bed, and perches on the edge of it. "What do you remember?"
"You were there. You know what happened," I snap, glaring at the Medical Officer. Why she wants me to tell her, when she was there to witness it all, I don't know. Does she want revenge? Is this about Andrea and their little arrangement? Does she think Andrea ended it because of me?
"Miranda," she replies forcefully. "Tell me what you remember."
"I'm not here for your entertainment. Do you really need me to repeat all the ways that I humiliated myself?"
She sighs, ignoring me for a moment, concentrating on her Info Glass and begins typing rhythmically. I want to ask her what she is writing. If she is writing about me? I'm not sure she will tell me, though, and I'm not about to give her the satisfaction of rejecting my request.
She looks up, and I can see she is trying to remain patient. "Please, I need you to tell me. What is the last thing you remember?"
I glare at her, but she is unaffected, tapping her blunt nails on the Info Glass while she waits.
"Fine. I had a disagreement with Andrea, and the ridiculous woman decided to put me in the Brig. How I ended up in the Medical Bay, I have no idea."
She nods, twice, and then takes a deep breath. "I thought as much. Miranda, that was three days ago."
"What?"
"You were in the Brig, and when Andy came to talk to you, it would appear you had a breakdown. Andy won't talk about it, and I'm guessing she didn't want me to review the surveillance footage, but I did. It wasn't pretty, Miranda."
I shake my head. Three days? That's impossible. "That can't possibly be true."
She smiles gently. More gently than I deserve. "She called for help on her Comms, and I had to give you some heavy sedation, just to calm you down. It was decided that it would be better to give you a few days to recover, but I reversed the sedation this morning, and here you are," she informs me, eyes flicking over to a screen next to my bed. "Your vitals all look good, but how are you feeling now you're awake?"
I wet my lips with my tongue as I absorb what she is telling me. Three days? That would explain a lot. "My mouth is really dry, and I feel really tired. My arms and legs don't feel like they belong to me."
She gets up and walks across the room, returning with a glass of pink liquid that smells faintly of spearmint. "This is far more hydrating than water, and will help balance your electrolytes."
I gratefully take the glass, intending to sip it, but I cannot help myself, draining it in one. "May I take my leave now?"
"I'll talk to the Commander. I might be the Medical Officer, but she still calls the shots. I'll be back soon, okay? Why don't you lay down again while I'm gone. You're bound to feel groggy for a while."
She doesn't give me a chance to reply, swiping her Comms unit over the panel by the door and slipping out into the corridor. Does she really expect me to wait around for permission? I'm tired, but other than that, I am perfectly healthy. I look around for my clothes, but they must have been taken to the laundry. Unfortunately that leaves me with one choice; to walk down the corridor in this horrendous gown. What would my old staff say, if they could see me now? Quite a step down from the Queen of Fashion.
My legs are unsteady as I put them on the ground; heavy and uncoordinated. It's rather like getting out of bed after being ill with the flu, except I have none of the symptoms. I edge my way towards the door and swipe my Comms, but nothing happens. I swipe it again, and still nothing. Not even a beep. Has she locked me in here?
I don't know how long I am waiting. My legs quickly tire from standing and reluctantly I sit down on the bed, soon giving into the desire to lay down again. I don't understand how it's possible that so many days have passed. Where are we now? Are we any closer to Caroline?
The door hisses and a face I wouldn't have expected peers through the door. Emily. She passes me a tiny metal tin, flat and round, with handwriting on it labelling it 'Salve'. "Destra always forgets," she informs me, rolling her eyes. "I can only imagine how dry your lips must be. This will help." She gestures to the tin in my hand.
"What is it?" I ask, unscrewing the lid and eyeing the contents warily. A whiff of summer back on Earth One hits me, though I cannot pick out the exact flower that it reminds me of.
"It's a soothing balm to put on your lips. I make it myself," she tells me proudly. "It's my own recipe made up of eight different healing and hydrating herbs, blended into coconut oil and shea butter."
I dip my finger in, and spread a thin layer on my lips. The relief is immediate, my lips tingling slightly. "Thank you, Emily."
She smiles, shyly. "You're welcome."
The door hisses again, and Destra strides through the doorway. Emily turns to leave. "Hope you feel better soon," she calls over her shoulder as she leaves the room.
"She's been in here several times a day, checking you're okay."
"She's close with my daughter. She was probably checking on me for her. Where is Cassidy, by the way? What does she think happened?"
Destra rubs the back of her neck. "We told her you caught a virus and were resting. That we were keeping her away in case it was contagious. We didn't think you would want her to know what happened."
"I don't know what happened. I don't remember," I remind her, and I can hear my own frustration. "So, Officer. Might I be allowed to leave?"
She shrugs. "If you think you are fit to be a part of the crew again. Andy won't tolerate another incident like this."
"I panicked. Surely it is understandable, considering my child's life is on the line?"
"Oh, I don't mean that incident. I mean what happened afterwards in the Brig. Still, Andy seems determined to forget about it, and so should you. Just… do yourself a favour, okay? Try and rein it in. Andy is doing everything she can for your daughter and she deserves so much more trust and gratitude than what you have given her so far."
Shame. That's what I feel at her words. I know I let my emotions get the better of me and I should never have tried to take the controls. She's right. I do need to trust the woman. I have so many confusing feelings regarding the Commander, but I do know I trust her. I just hope that whatever has happened, hasn't put our friendship back too far. "Is there any news on Caroline?"
Destra is normally so open, so why is her face suddenly so unreadable? When she speaks, her tone is level, lacking any of the usual cadences that make her who she is. "We're orbiting Bellator at the moment and we're in negotiations with Irv. This has been going on a while now."
"He has Caroline? She's on the surface?"
"Yes. Joss hacked into their surveillance and has been keeping tabs on her."
She won't meet my eyes, staring at her Info Glass, even though she is not actively using it. I might not have known the crew long, but I know some of them well enough to know when they are keeping something from me.
"What's going on, Destra? If it concerns my daughter, then I have a right to know."
She hesitates, looking to the door. She sighs heavily. "Look, I've just woken you up and I really don't want you to have another breakdown, so please just stay calm. Like I said, Joss has eyes on her."
"Please. Just tell me," I ask softly. "Not knowing is far worse."
"Caroline is in surgery," she informs me bluntly. "They took her for analysis and she is being fitted with mods and implants as we speak."
"They're operating on my little girl?" It's a rhetorical question, but I can't think of anything else to say as the horror of what she is going through settles in my mind.
"She's going to be fine, Miranda. Andy will get her back," she says resolutely, her trust in the Commander is absolute.
"No surgery is without its dangers," I counter. Medical care has come so far with advances to technology but it's not perfect by a long shot. There is so much that can go wrong.
She softens. "I know. If it helps, they have a very high success rate with these procedures. They've been doing it for years and unless Caroline has a medical condition that would interfere, then she is probably safe for now."
"For now," I repeat, dully. I stand up, holding onto the edge of the bed for support. "I would like to take a shower and then see my other daughter."
"You're free to go, Miranda. Please, just give Andy some space, okay?"
I nod tersely. "Fine."
Desperate as I am to see Cassidy, I need a shower first and an outfit to wear that actually covers an appropriate amount of my skin. I don't spend long in the shower. I have missed several days of our mandatory workouts, so I have no doubt Destra will be watching me like a hawk to see that I get my daily quota of exercise. Another shower will be in order later, I know.
By the time I walk into the Cave, I feel a little more human. My muscles are working better and my legs don't feel so heavy, though my mind does still feel a little fuzzy at the edges. Cassidy spots me from the kitchen where she is helping Lily to prepare food and comes running towards me, throwing her arms around me. I hug her tightly, blinking back tears from my eyes.
She pulls back, looking up at my face. "Are you okay now, Mom?"
"Just a virus, darling. I feel better for resting. Have you been okay without me?"
She grins happily, dragging me to the kitchen. "Lily's been teaching me how to cook. Look what I did!" She points to a chopping board, with neatly diced vegetables on it, her eyes gleaming with pride. Next to the board is a large knife and I frown when I see it.
"Don't worry," Lily reassures me, when she clocks where I am looking. "These knives sense what is a vegetable and what is not. It's impossible to cut yourself, they just don't cut through skin or flesh."
I smile gratefully. "That's remarkable," I comment to Lily, before turning my attention back to my daughter. "What are you making?"
She picks up an Info Glass from the worktop and shows me a picture of a dish I don't recognise from Earth One. It's colourful in ways I don't recognise, and I know we don't have vegetables like that on our home planet.
"It's a dish from Giloda. Lily picked up the ingredients for it when we resupplied."
"It looks delicious, darling. I'm happy you're having a good time and making yourself useful."
"I'm a Cadet, Mom. It's my job to be useful," she replies simply, picking up the knife and starting to chop the remaining vegetables.
Lily watches fondly. "She's a quick learner."
"They both are," I reply, my stomach dropping when I think of Caroline in surgery.
"I'll stay with Cassy. Why don't you go up to Command? I know you have questions," Lily suggests, gesturing towards the crew sitting together at the front of the ship. I nod in her direction, and make my way forwards, dread growing with every step. I know I owe Andrea an apology for my actions, but there is also the sense that I don't know what else I need to apologise for. Did I cry on her shoulder when she came to see me in the Brig? What state must I have been in for her to feel the need to call the Medical Officer for assistance? I'm embarrassed and floundering, completely out of my depth.
As I near the console, I can see the screen and Andrea is talking to an older man with a receding hairline and a spine-chilling smirk. Andrea's face is a picture of calm as she talks to him, but underneath where the camera cannot see, her hands are curled into fists. She's angry. I can feel her tension from here.
"That's my final offer, Andy. You have what is mine. What is owed to me. You want a deal? This is the only one you're going to get." The man sits back in his chair, his eyes taunting.
"Absolutely not. Give us the girl, or we'll come down and get her and you don't want that, Irv. You know what I'm capable of, so why don't we cut the crap?"
"Final deal, Andy. Take it or leave it," he replies arrogantly. "It makes no difference to me."
"Come back to me when you've got something better. You've got twelve hours and then we're coming down to get her." Even from my view of her profile, I can see her eyes blazing and it sends a shiver of… something… down my spine.
"Come and get her then." He shrugs, and the fire in Andrea's eyes burns brighter.
"Go fuck yourself, Irv," she spits at the camera.
"Always a pleasure, Andy." With those parting words and one last smirk, his image disappears, leaving a blank screen for us all to stare at.
"Fucking bastard," Andrea growls.
"He'll be back, Andy. He's just playing with us, you know what he's like." Serena reaches out to squeeze her shoulder.
The Commander smiles up at her tiredly. "I know. He's just so… so…" she trails off helplessly.
"He knows how to press your buttons?" Doug offers. "Lily says the same. No one gets under her skin like Irv does."
"Yeah, that," Andrea agrees, flexing her fingers with a pained grimace. She swivels in her chair and my mouth drops open when I see her full face for the first time.
"What on earth happened? Are you alright, Andrea?"
She softly feels the side of her face, running her fingertips over the deep scratches there and wincing when she touches black bruising around her eye.
"I'm fine. Just an accident," she dismisses, giving me a look that by now I know means I should drop it. I can't though. What exactly went on when I was locked away in the Medical Bay? She turns her eyes away from me, a clear brush off.
"Andrea, you look like you've been fighting. What happened?" I demand, impatience bubbling up in me when I realise we have reverted back to the Andrea I first met. The Andrea that keeps me at arm's length and doesn't want to share anything with me.
Serena slaps her hand down on the console, startling me. "Drop it. If Andy doesn't want to talk to you about it, then that's her decision. She owes you nothing, Miranda. Nothing."
To say that the Lieutenant takes me by surprise is an understatement. I have never heard her speak quite so forcefully and I am starkly reminded of her rank. There is a reason she is second in command. She might help run this ship with a softer touch than Andrea, but I shouldn't have been fooled. Underneath her pleasant exterior, I can see glimpses of the powerful woman she really is and it's enough for me to think twice about pushing the issue.
"As you wish," I reply reluctantly. "Am I allowed to ask what Irv was proposing? Without being crass, I doubt very much there is something that he wants that I am unable to provide for him."
Andrea sighs. "It's never that simple with Irv. He has money. Enough of it, that it would never be an incentive for him."
"Then what does he want?"
She shakes her head. "He's playing games. We haven't really got to the heart of what he actually wants. Negotiations with him are notorious for taking days. He likes the back and forth far too much to put a real offer on the table right away, and he's still pissed after our last encounter. He won't make this easy."
"But what has he offered?" I ask, determined not to be put off.
"Sit down, Miranda," Andrea orders quietly, gesturing to the empty chair next to her. "Irv knows we have Cassidy on board. How he knows this, I don't know. However, he has a lot of connections and no matter how much we usually fly under the radar, there isn't much that happens in The Void without him knowing about it." She runs her fingers through her hair, leaning back in her chair. "He wants a small tournament between Caroline and five of his new recruits, once she has recovered from surgery. He guarantees they will be at the same level as her, but that doesn't mean anything. He says that if she wins the tournament, then we can leave, with Caroline and Cassidy."
There is ice in my stomach. It aches. Twisting uncomfortably. I swallow down my sudden nausea. "And if she loses?"
"Then he gets Cassidy."
I take the seat that was offered to me before my legs collapse and I am sprawled on the floor. "He wants her to fight? To the death? And if she loses then her sister is to replace her?" Despite the sedation I can still feel as it works its way out of my system, my anxiety starts to peak; my hands clammy, and once again, it's difficult to force air into my lungs. I have spent more time on the edge of a panic attack since I came on board, than I have in my entire adult life.
No. Not since I came on board. Since I lost Caroline.
Andrea smiles sadly, her eyes glowing with sympathy and determination. "We won't let him win, Miranda. He knows we will never agree to that. He's working up to something else and until he comes up with it, all we can do is wait him out. I told you, he likes to play games."
"And you have no idea what it is he really wants?"
She shakes her head, but there is a flicker of uncertainty in her face, maybe even a little fear. I know she is lying. She won't say it to me, but I have a suspicion that she knows exactly what he is going to ask for in return for my daughter. Whatever it is, it can't be good. There is not much that can make her mask slip like this.
"Would you like to see Caroline?" she asks, changing the subject awkwardly.
"Yes. You can do that? She's okay?"
"Joss?" Andrea gets up from her chair, making way for the Communications Officer to sit at the main command screen. She comes to stand next to me, and I am grateful for her presence at my side, her hand resting on my shoulder.
Jocelyn smiles reassuringly. "She's doing great, I promise. Here, look." Her fingers fly over the controls, a picture appearing on the screen, and there she is. Caroline.
She's laying in a bed much like the one I was laying in, in the Medical Bay. Her eyes are closed, her chest rising and falling in deep, slow breaths. Jocelyn taps something else, and down the right hand side of the screen an information chart appears, showing her current vital signs.
Destra leans over, reading the figures off the screen and then nods decisively, a half smile on her face. "She's still doing well, Miranda. She's steady and her signs are strong. She's going to be fine."
"What have they done to her? Do we know?" There is a huge part of me that almost doesn't want to know. I want to pretend that she is just sleeping. That they haven't just mutilated my darling little girl.
It's Andrea that speaks up when the rest of them refuse to answer. "She's got an aggression mod, and implants for fighting, both with and without a weapon. He's kept her natural state though, as far as we can tell."
"Her natural state?"
She grimaces. "Sometimes they combine species. Give a human poisonous venom, or fangs that come out when fighting. Deadly weaponised claws, the ability to hypnotise an opponent with eye contact, even changes to their bone marrow so that their bones have the strength of steel."
I take a deep breath, equal measures sickened and relieved. "But they haven't done that to Caroline?"
"No," she confirms, but she looks anything but happy. "That doesn't mean they won't, though."
"She's young, and they know the human body can only take so much at once," Destra cuts in. "They will give her the chance to recover before they do any other mods."
I stare at my child in the bed as she starts to move. She tries to sit up, a frown appearing on her face when she notices the restraints holding her to the four corners of the bed. Tears run freely from the corners of her eyes, and they mirror my own. I jump when Andrea takes my hand, running her thumb over my knuckles, soothingly. I desperately try to ignore the other things it makes me feel, leaning into her more.
"Joss, turn it off," she instructs. "Crew dismissed. When Irv makes contact, we'll reassemble."
Jocelyn clears the screen, and leaves, following the rest of the crew back to the social area of the Cave. Andrea squeezes my hand gently. "Are you alright? How are you feeling now?
I'm falling apart. I don't know how to be strong. Not like her. Not like Serena. Even Lily is stronger than I am; she survived The Circle, after all. I need comfort, but I don't know how to ask for it. I realise that there is only one person that I want that comfort from and raise my eyes to stare into the soft brown orbs that are gazing back at me.
"Come with me." Andrea tugs lightly on my hand until I am standing. She doesn't let go, lacing our fingers together, and leads me through the Cave to her quarters. She pulls me into the room and over to her bed, only letting go to kick off her shoes and lay down. "You need this, and I'm happy to give it to you. Don't overthink it, Miranda."
I stare at her cluelessly, until she shuffles onto her back holding out her arms. "If you don't want to, you don't have to, but you look like you could do with it. Everyone needs to be held, sometimes." Her voice is so gentle and she shrugs, the offer more appealing than she will ever know. It's not my reluctance to be close to her that is stopping me. It's my fear of the fact I actually want to be close to her that gives me pause. My eyes not leaving hers, I slip off my shoes, grateful I am not wearing my boots, and cautiously kneel on the bed. She smiles invitingly, and I let all my hesitation go, crawling into her arms.
The moment she closes them around me, I let go. I don't censor my feelings and let myself feel it all; the heartache, the dread, the worry, the sadness. Seeing Caroline there in the bed was a double edged sword. I am so grateful to see with my own eyes that she is alive, yet now my heart aches with the knowledge of what they have done to her. There is no denying the truth any longer, none of our lives will ever be the same.
I don't know how long it takes for my tears to dry up. Andrea doesn't rush me, just holds me close, one hand running soothingly up and down my spine. I can feel every single curve and muscle of her body underneath mine, and my body begins to wake up. This feeling that she gives me. The way that she makes me feel when she smirks. That excitable little spark when she opens herself up and shares who she really is with me. I can deny it no longer, finally able to name what I have been avoiding.
I am attracted to Andrea.
As if she can sense my thoughts, she pulls us closer together, our legs entwining. The heat of her body against me, pulls an involuntary moan from my lips.
"You okay?" she asks, but I can hear the amusement in her voice. She knows exactly how she makes me feel. She always has. I move slightly to look up at her, and she just gazes calmly back at me. I can see that fire in her eyes again, except this time, it's for a completely different reason.
"I'm fine," I reply, but my voice is tight. The air in the room feels too hot to breathe, and my skin is burning against hers. My heart speeds up, thudding heavily in my chest.
She rolls us slightly, so that I am on my back, and she is looking down at me, that teasing smirk back on her face. "I can feel your heart beating."
"Of course you can," I reply, smirking back at her. "Without it, I would be dead."
She laughs quietly, her eyes never leaving mine, and it's entrancing. I don't understand what has come over me when my fingers slip beneath her shirt, caressing the soft skin there. Her eyes search my face, and I nod almost imperceptibly. She doesn't need to speak for me to know what she is thinking. She looks at my lips and then back to my eyes, and I nod again. I have no idea what I am doing. I do know I want to kiss her, though.
When she presses her lips against mine, I sigh contentedly. How can I feel so much relief from kissing her, when I didn't know I wanted to until now? I open my mouth to hers, letting her take the lead, as she licks into my mouth, her tongue brushing against mine deliciously. My hands explore her skin as we kiss, and I can feel her entire life played out under my fingertips, each raised little scar telling me a different story. I don't want to think about that right now, though. I can't. I need to forget. I need to not have the evidence of The Circle pushed in front of my face. In a move born of desperation, I flip her onto her back, straddling her narrow waist with my thighs.
She looks up at me amused, and I can tell that she let me do this. That I am only here because she allows it. Determined to wipe the smug smile off her face, I lower my body down onto hers, sinking into a deep kiss. I lose myself in her, hungrily taking whatever she will give me. Her lips are so soft and I know she has ruined me. I am drunk on her, and everything she is making me feel; all rational thought leaving my mind in a breathless whirl.
Her fingers reach for my top, and I feel her tug gently, giving me the chance to say no. It's enough to bring me back to my senses, and I sit up, frowning down at her flushed face.
"What's wrong?" she asks, reaching up to cup my cheek.
"I don't sleep around, Andrea. I don't do one night stands, or casual sex."
She sits up, wrapping her arms around me to keep me steady in her lap, even as her face drops. "And I don't do relationships, Miranda. I can't give you that."
"I don't know that I do want that," I reply honestly. "All I know is I want you, but I want it to mean something. I can't just do this and then go back to being friends, or worse, as we were at the beginning of this trip."
She shakes her head, dropping her forehead onto my shoulder and pulling me tighter against her. "This can't mean anything. I just can't give that to you," she mumbles into my shoulder, and her tone is full of remorse.
"What can you give me? Can we try?" I ask. I'm not asking for a marriage vow. I just don't want to be thrown away like Destra and who knows how many other women have been.
"I can give you now. I can be the distraction you so obviously need," Andrea replies, looking up to meet my eyes again. "I can give you everything you didn't know you were missing. I can make you forget, just for a while."
"And tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow is another day." She shrugs sheepishly. "Maybe we do it again, and maybe we don't. If we do, it will be the same as it is today. It won't mean anything. I can't let it mean anything."
"Shutting yourself off from people might keep you safe from getting hurt, Andrea, but it doesn't stop you from harm altogether."
A flicker of annoyance crosses her face. "Do you think you're the first person to try to change me?"
"No. I can't be. I know that, and do you know how?"
She's curious, I know, but she refuses to ask. I don't force her to, and carry on. "I know that because when you let your guard down, you are amazing, Andrea. You are harming your own life by holding back."
She opens her mouth to answer, but her Comms unit beeps, and she looks at me apologetically, when she presses the button. "What is it?"
"Irv is requesting contact," Serena's voice echoes into the small space.
"We'll be right there," she promises, ending the communication. She looks at me, smiling sadly. "We need to go."
I nod. "I know." Unable to resist the small pout that has appeared, I lean forwards, capturing soft lips for what might be the last time. "Please, just think about it."
I slip off of her lap and off the bed, slipping my feet into my shoes and leaving the room before she has even gotten up from the bed. I need a moment to breathe on my own. What did I just do? I'm shocked by my own impulsiveness, and then demanding some kind of relationship from her when I'm not even sure that I want that? Well, not a relationship. Not really. Just… more. I don't need forever, I just need to know that it means something. I need to know that I mean something to her. That I am not just one of what could be a hundred different women. I want her to want me, and not just a warm body in her bed.
Cassidy is nowhere to be seen when I enter the Cave. Emily is not present so my best guess is that Cassidy is in the Veggie with her, helping her tend to the plants. Everyone else looks in my direction and I blush when I remember Andrea leading me from the room. It must have looked like she was taking a lover back to her quarters. That gives me pause, considering that's nearly what it was.
Andrea walks in behind me, taking long strides. She throws herself into the command seat, and flicks a switch. "Irv?"
A chilling laugh reaches us through the speaker as a younger man's face appears on the screen. His skin is sallow, and his eyes are not just bloodshot but vivid red, where they would usually be white. "Guess again." He laughs malevolently, vivid yellow teeth flashing briefly, their sharp points glistening in the light.
I have never seen Andrea so still; frozen, unmoving, not breathing. She recovers quickly, and the scowl I am so familiar with is back. "Nate. What an unpleasant surprise," she growls. "What the fuck did you let them do to you?"
"Let them? I asked them too, Andy baby. I'm stronger, faster, and more deadly than I ever was before."
"I am not your baby," Andrea snaps. "And you still couldn't beat me, I guarantee it."
"Funny you should say that, baby," Nate replies, a twisted grin on his face. "Because I have a proposal for you."
The crew are silent. Andrea is on her own and this is her demon to fight. She grinds her teeth. "And what would that be?"
"This is personal to you. I was watching you earlier when you talked to Irv. You know this girl. She means something to you. More than any of the other pitiful little bitches you've rescued."
"It's just a job, Nate. I couldn't give a fuck about the little brat, beyond the creds that will hit my account when I take her home."
I know she doesn't mean it. The last thing we need is for him to up the price, because he thinks it's personal. I can't deny the twinge of hurt I feel though, when she tells him Caroline means nothing to her. She hasn't met her, but she knows Cassidy. She knows me. She knows what Caroline means to us both.
He winks. "You forget, Andy. I know you better than that."
Her fists slam down on the console. "Just tell me what you want, you fucking dick."
"You."
"What?!" I can see her surprise, though she hides it well. She laughs, and it's borderline hysterical. "Surely you don't expect me to come back there? I will never come back to The Circle, Nate. Don't be ridiculous."
"One fight, baby. If you can beat me, then the kid is yours."
Her eyes lift, searching for mine, and I shake my head. "Don't do this, Andrea. There has to be another way," I hiss. I know she has heard my quiet plea but she ignores it.
She turns back to the screen. "One fight and we get the girl. We get to leave Bellator and The Void safely, all previous contracts regarding both children will be null and void."
His eyebrows shoot up, and she laughs mockingly. "Not my first time negotiating, Nate."
He taps a button and the speakers go silent as he talks to someone off screen. The discussion is quick, and he's back. "We agree to your terms. Contracts will be sent across now and the fight will be in three days."
"Done," she agrees coolly, flicking off the comms; his malignant face disappearing.
I can't breathe as chaos breaks out around me, everyone talking at once, though I don't hear a single word.
What has she done?