I'm a dead man walking here
But that's the least of all my fears
Ooh, underneath the water

It's not Alabama clay
That gives my trembling hands away
Please forgive me father

Ain't going back to Barton Hollow
Devil gonna follow me e'er I go
Won't do me no good washing in the river
Can't no preacher man save my soul

Did that full moon force my hand?
Or that unmarked hundred grand?
Ooh, underneath the water
Please forgive me father

Miles and miles in my bare feet
Still can't lay me down to sleep
If I die before I wake
I know the Lord my soul won't take

I'm a dead man walking
I'm a dead man walking

Keep walking and running and running for miles
Keep walking and running and running for miles
Keep walking and running and running for miles

Ain't going back to Barton Hollow
Devil gonna follow me e'er I go
Won't do me no good washing in the river
Can't no preacher man save my soul

An explosion ripped through the bank on the corner. Flames belched out the front doors, and smoke billowed into the clear hot afternoon sky. People screamed and ran away from the scene. A hooded figure raced along the side of the quickly collapsing building. It leapt onto a hoverbike that had been hidden behind the screen encircling the rubbish pen. Alarm bells rang in the distance as firebots marched to the smoldering bank. Security enforcement droids converged on the scene. The hoverbike and rider took advantage of the chaos. Securing the large bundle in the containment field on the back of the bike, the rider gunned the magnawarp engine and nudged the vehicle forward. It warped a mile away and then raced into the desert. The firebots pointlessly sprayed foam on the shell of the bank. Two tall humans strode to the scene.

Constable Abernathy toyed with his long mustache and removed his Stetson. He wiped his brow with the sleeve of his dusty leather trench coat and returned his hat. "Old Man Mitchell ain't gonna be happy. It's the third bank this month." He turned his wrist mounted control panel towards his face and started tapping the screen. "It don't look like we got no usable shots neither."

"I'm sure we didn't," the other man gruffly replied. "The Hood never is around long enough and then destroys anything useful."

"I pulled up the last upload on the fiscal reports. Looks like Hood made off with over six million credits. Have to wait to see how many of the vaults had updated before the explosion to know what else he got." Abernathy lifted his eyes and scanned the main street. People still mingled and jabbered about the embers that remained from the bank. Less than fifteen minutes after the blast, the building was reduced to charcoal and hulking steaming metal boxes. It would be hours before the metal forfeited enough heat for anyone to evaluate what was left in the safes. The Constable pressed a few icons and security droids scampered to run a preliminary evaluation. Based on the last two robberies, most of the safes would be fused shut; the rest would be empty or housing ashes and embers. "I don't really unnerstand why Hood keeps doing this on site. You'd think he could do most of this from a distance. Why risk coming?"

"What risk?!" The older man's face reddened. "No one's ever come close to catching him - even getting any information on him." He chewed on the end of his cigar and then spit into the dirt. "Besides, these are personal. The Hood is sending a message to Mitchell."

"What message, Der Kommisar?"

"The Hood is declaring war on the ICCA."

After The Schism, the continent of North America spilt into ten independent regions. Oligarchies arose and seized control of the regions, dominated by the wealthy and corrupt. With climate change causing extreme weather changes, citizens flocked to large cities and small towns that operated like the wild west of the 1800s United States. Huge swathes of arid land separated these small towns. Reliable transportation between outposts of civilization was reserved for the wealthy and connected. The former Southeastern states of Georgia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and what was left of Florida formed the Independent Conservative Colonies of America. It was ruled with an iron fist by the wealthiest and cruelest families: the Mitchells, Bardens, Allens, and Abernathys. Their allies among other well-placed families like the Cochrans, Posens, Swansons, Stones, and Allens dispersed themselves throughout the region as law enforcement and oversight. They excised high taxes on the residents of the towns in the ICCA. Their draconian and hyper-moralistic rules chafed the citizens, but they were helpless and voiceless. Until a small rebellion began to rise up. Networks of the younger generation of these families - like the Bellas and Trebles - began to buck against the rule of their parents. They joined forces with vigilantes to strike at the leading families. The most famous of the outlaws was The Hood - a brash and brilliant thief who routinely attacked holdings of these families. There were no leads on how to find The Hood. The attacks had escalated and the ICCA was beginning to get desperate.

"I demand to know why this … offensive blight on society still runs rampant, wrecking what we have worked so hard to establish!" Old Man Mitchell's face turned violet as he exploded at the men assembled in front of him. "We are The Oligarchy! We do not allow vermin like this to make fools of us!"

"Sir, we have tried time and again. But it always seems like The Hood knows our moves before we make them." General Posen, head of the ICCA Defense Force, tried to reason with the furious man in front of him. "There is no clear pattern for the attacks, either. They occur miles and miles apart, at all times of day."

Mitchell clenched his jaw. "How much have we lost thus far?"

"Um, from the latest estimates …. we have lost … 137 million credits." Secretary of Finance Cochran's eyes darted around the room, terrified of Mitchell's response to the enormous loss. "Plus a large number of valuable pieces of art, jewelry, and technology." He wiped his face and mumbled, "The technology may be worse than the credits."

"Excuse me?" Mitchell raged. "What does that mean?"

Cochran shot a glance across the room at Director of Research Allen. "From what Director Allen told me earlier … the losses have included several dozen digital keys. In addition to prototypes for new communicators and trackers … and override chips for our droids and bots." Director Allen tried to slide down in the sofa to hide himself. Cochran swallowed deeply and tried to control his breathing. Old Man Mitchell's temper was notorious and seemed to know no bounds. His raging fury had led to several members of leadership being … dispatched to other assignments. Mostly ones under the dirt.

"Did your imbecile son find anything during that raid last week, Allen?" Everyone knew that Mitchell's limits were stretched to a breaking point. They all just hoped when he snapped, it would be on someone other than them.

"Bumper had some reliable data that The Hood was holed up outside of Middleburg, but when his team arrived there was nothing there. The trail just petered out."

"Nobody is offering information?" Mitchell sat back in his chair and reached into a desk drawer, fishing through the items within.

"No sir. It seems …. rumors are that The Hood is distributing credits to keep people quiet." Director Posen offered.

A large knife flickered in the light as Mitchell pulled it out of his desk. He used the point to clean his nails. He rocked in his chair for a few minutes. He seemed calmer than a few minutes earlier, which actually scared the men in the room more. "We need to form a task force to find this Hood cretin. Posen, send human enforcements to every township. Allen, see if your idiot son can pick up the trail again. Cochran, come up with some way to protect the banks and disable those digital keys. Swanson and Stone, get out there and start making people offer information." Mitchell leaned back in his seat and put his feet up on the desk. Without warning, his hand whipped forward and the knife flew towards the group of men. It sliced through Secretary Cochran's ear and then continued to embed itself in the wall. "Don't fail. Your lives depend on it."

A beautiful redheaded woman sat facing the mirror over her dressing table. She leaned forward to examine her makeup, ensuring that it was perfectly administered. She held up several different earrings to see which was the best option for tonight's … meeting. She opted for silver dangling fans with turquoise highlights. She held her hair up off of her neck and evaluated how it looked. Then she pulled it back. Then she let it fall naturally down past her shoulders. She liked pulling her hair up and showing off her neck; men loved her neck. But it made her feel too vulnerable today, so she opted to leave her hair hanging down. Then she flicked through the selection of necklaces. Her dress had a flat neckline that fell just above the swell of her breasts. It covered everything when she was sitting and standing, but if she leaned or moved it revealed a tantalizing view of her cleavage. The light blue fabric of her outfit clung to her hips and fit tightly on her upper arms. It was designed to highlight all of her best features. Her father had spared no expense.

As she took in deep breaths, settling her nerves, she heard a commotion in the distance inside the hotel. It wasn't unusual for hotels of this sort to be subjected to ruffians, so the woman ignored it. It sounded like it was coming from downstairs, anyways. Her room was on the top floor. The open atrium funneled noise up from the ground floor, so she figured that was what she heard. She decided to wear a silver necklace that hung down to just above her neckline. A silver cross hung down and fell between her breasts, hidden by the dress. She put it on and made all of the finishing touches she could. The noise hadn't stopped outside. It actually was getting louder. She could hear people yelling and crashing sounds. She also heard the unmistakable whines and whirs of security droids. Curious, she slipped into her sneakers and walked towards the door, leaving her communicator on the dresser. She couldn't see anything through the peephole - just a view across the atrium to the other side. It looked hazy, though. Like smoke was drifting up from the lower floors. The fire alerts had not registered, though. She slowly opened the door and peeked out. There was definitely smoke drifting up. She could hear people running through the lobby. Looking to the right and left, she stepped out into the hallway and leaned slightly over the railing. Chaos reigned below. Small fires burned in several places. Firebots were attacking each one with suppressant foam. The front desk was obliterated and a giant hole yawned open in the wall behind it. The woman began to panic, wondering if she should stay put or head out. She decided to return to her room and turned around to open the door. As she did, a small hooded figure raced around the corner and nearly slammed into her. They stood staring at each other for a moment, startled at the other's presence. The hooded person had a large bag hanging over its shoulder with a light blue aura covering it - a portable weightless pocket is what it looked like. The red haired woman didn't have a chance to say or do anything. The hooded figure flicked a glowing set of silver shackles out of its coat and slapped them onto the woman's hands. Then the figure grabbed the woman's arm and yanked her along the hall. Turning right at the end of the hallway, the figure kicked the door open and dragged the woman up the small flight of stairs to another door, which was also kicked open. On the roof, there was a waiting hoverbike. The figure continued to drag the woman towards the vehicle. It tossed the glowing bag onto the back, where it was enveloped by a containment field. Then the figure tapped on its wrist controller. The back third of the hoverbike had two sections slide outwards and one upwards, creating a second seat. The redhead felt herself shoved towards the seat. She collapsed into it with both legs hanging over the right side of the vehicle. She felt herself pulled into the seat and held there, electric restraining bands running over her thighs, her waist, her stomach, and her chest. The hooded figure jumped onto the front seat of the vehicle and punched several buttons. "Sorry about this. Hang on." A distorted voice called back to the woman and the bike shot off of the roof. The woman felt her entire body clench and tighten and then in an instant she saw a completely different landscape. Gone was the ramshackle town with its clapboard wooden buildings. They were surrounded by desolation as far as she could see. The bike zipped forward into the desert.

The redhead didn't even realize she had fallen asleep until she awoke. The sky was darkening quickly. She was leaning against a rock with a blanket over her. She yawned and stretched. It dawned on her that her hands were not shackled. She looked around to see where her kidnapper was. There was a fire burning a few feet away. Seated on a tree branch, poking into the fire, was a small figure. The mask was gone. As the fires flickered, the redhead noticed that the person was … a woman? A very pretty woman. With dark hair and ivory skin. She bit her lip as she used a long stick to stoke different zones of the flames. She seemed distracted, so the redhead glanced around her, hoping to find a way to run off.

"I took your shackles off. You fell asleep on the ride - that happens sometimes on a person's first warp jump. I wanted you to be comfortable." The small woman spoke without looking at the redhead.

"Comfortable? Is that why you kidnapped me?" she scoffed.

The dark haired woman rested the stick on the ground and turned to face the redhead. They were separated by a few feet. She sat for a few moments, then scratched at her nose. "No. I wasn't expecting to run into anyone and it seemed like the best option. I couldn't let you tell people what I looked like."

The redhead realized that the woman didn't have her mask on now. "Oh my God. You're going to kill me aren't you?"

The small woman laughed. "Why would I kill you?"

"I saw your face."

The dark haired woman studied the redhead with an amused look on her face. "Think about it. Why would I go through all of the work dragging you out here, when I could have just killed you at the hotel?"

"Maybe you couldn't do it quickly there."

"I could have thrown you over the railing five floors down. I could have tossed you off of the roof. I could have shot you."

"You probably didn't have a gun."

The small woman reached behind her and produced a nasty looking weapon and tossed it halfway between them into the dirt. "I had plenty of ways to kill you." She sighed and rubbed her face. "The mask is fucking hot, and that voice manipulator makes my throat itch."

The redhead couldn't help but snort with laughter. "You're the worst kidnapper ever."

Shrugging, the other woman replied, "Maybe. I'm not a kidnapper."

"No, you're The Hood." The redhead retorted with acid in her voice.

"Ouch. Someone isn't a fan."

"Why would I be? You're a thief. And a terrorist." The redhead glared towards the fire. Her eyes dropped down to the weapon between them before popping back up to look at the other woman.

"Things aren't always how they seem." The dark haired woman rested a beat and then asked, "What's your name?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your name. What is it?"

The redhead stared in disbelief. "Why would I tell you that?"

Rolling her eyes, the other woman answered, "I can just DNA scan you, you know."

"Why didn't you then?"

"Because I was trying to treat you with respect."

"Kidnapping is a sign of respect?"

"I think we've already established that wasn't planned. But I kept you safe and have treated you very kindly thus far." The brunette woman explained, gesturing at the blanket. "After the whole kidnapping part…" she mumbled. "Look, I'll go first. I'm Beca."

The redhead furrowed her brow. What the hell kind of person is this? "I'm Chloe."

Beca grinned. "Great! Hi Chloe." She picked up the stick. "Now I know that you've already been figuring out if you can reach that gun, and you've wondered about if you should run for it." Chloe's mouth dropped open and then snapped shut. Beca gestured towards the horizon with the stick. "I would advise against it. We are hours away from anywhere. The hoverbike is genetically locked, and it has to recharge overnight. Plus, I promise that I will return you to a town after I run a few errands."

Chloe laughed. "You say that like you're just going to go shopping."

"No, I already went shopping." Beca pointed at the bike with a grin. "Now I just have to make some deliveries." Her face turned serious. "Can I trust you not to run? Or to shoot me? I really don't want to lock you up."

"When you say it like that, how could a girl refuse?" Chloe tossed back. What the hell am I doing? Am I flirting with this woman?

Beca let out a rough laugh. "You're funny." She stood up and walked over toward Chloe, reaching out her hand. "Whereis your communicator?"

"My what?"

Beca rolled her eyes again. "Your communicator. You know? Everyone has a communicator."

"I left it on my dresser. I wasn't planning on going anywhere." Chloe responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah, that makes sense." Beca rubbed the back of her neck. "I want to make sure you aren't being tracked. Stand up." Chloe slowly stood, leaving the blanket on the rock. Beca ran her eyes up and down the other woman's body.

"Like what you see?" Chloe asked with a smirk.

"Yes." Beca answered without a beat. "But I'm more interested in any tracking devices on you." She walked closer and began to study Chloe closer.

The close proximity caused the redhead to blush. She swallowed deeply. "Why … why do you keep saying that?"

Beca ran her fingers through Chloe's hair and lifted up her earrings. She walked around the redhead and looked intently at her dress. "Rich people have tracking devices on them a lot."

Now it was Chloe's turn to bark a laugh. "Rich people?"

"Yeah, rich people." Beca returned to face Chloe. "You were staying at a Swanson hotel. They aren't cheap. Especially the top floor."

Chloe just mumbled, "Things aren't always as they seem."

Beca eyed her curiously. "Take off your dress."

Chloe's eyes bulged. "Excuse me?!" Beca's face was impassive as she locked eyes with the redhead. "Fine!" She pulled the dress up and over her head and handed it to the brunette.

The brunette blushed and took the dress. She felt the seams and looked at the fabric carefully. She tried not to stare at the nearly naked woman in front of her, but it was very difficult. She was breathtaking. Beca stole a few glances, but then she turned her head and handed the dress back.

"Anything else?" Chloe harshly inquired. "Do you need me to take off my bra? My underwear? Do a full cavity search?" Between the fire and the comments, Beca's face was bright red. She was trying to figure out why the sarcastic questions sounded like they were laced with invitation. She caught the bright blue eyes, now flickering with anger and … something different. "I don't mind. I'm confident about … all of this."

"You should be," Beca mumbled. She collected herself and cleared her throat. "Just put your dress back on. I was just looking for …"

"Trackers. So you said." Chloe pulled the dress back over her head and wiggled until it dropped into place. "Can't let somebody steal your victim before you get your ransom."

Beca shook her head. "There isn't a ransom. That doesn't work anyway."

Chloe scoffed. "Sounds like you know this from personal experience… Lots of failed kidnappings?"

"No, you're my first." Beca smirked.

"I'm honored."

Beca waited a beat. "Ransom never works. The people who can afford it won't pay it. They don't care enough about anyone. The people who would be willing to pay don't have the resources." Chloe caught something flash behind Beca's eyes, but she couldn't recognize it.

She was surprised to see the smaller woman coming closer. They were face to face before Chloe knew it. The redhead startled when Beca reached her hand up towards Chloe's face. Her fingers brushed against the slightly freckled cheek before lightly grasping the dangling earrings. Her voice came out as a whisper. "Are these anything special to you?" The delicate fingers pinched the metal and slowly, gently pulled the hook out of Chloe's ear. Then her other hand copied the same movements. Beca stepped back to widen the distance between the women. Chloe's breath hitched as she saw dark blue eyes latched onto her own. The redhead shook her head. "I hate to do this, but if there is a tracker it is probably in here." Chloe nodded, holding her breath. Beca stepped away and tossed the earrings into the fire. Chloe released her breath and wrapped her arms around her middle and shivered. Beca bent over near the fire and picked up a metal tray. She returned to Chole and handed it to her. "Here. You're probably hungry. We should get some sleep soon, too. We need to head out early."

For the next several days, there was a common pattern with the two traveling women. They would rise at dawn, pack up their stuff, and then mount the hoverbike. Beca would drive them into the desert. She was well equipped with quite a bit of impressive technology. She had cooling bubble field generators to keep them comfortable during their rides through the heat. She always had meals available for both of them - the expensive long-lasting quick heat meals usually reserved for the military and eco-tourists. While they didn't have access to showers, Beca always provided Chloe with time and privacy for a "bath in a bag" - something else that there seemed to be a never-ending supply of. They carried a ridiculous amount of gear thanks to dual containment fields. The hoverbike itself was as advanced as they come - far beyond military tech and more like a plaything of an Oligarch. The women didn't talk much on their drives, but music was always playing in the bubble fields.

After riding for a couple of hours, they would stop at tiny villages. Chloe didn't even know that these places existed. Most people now were located in mega-cities or the frontier towns. But they had visited a dozen small villages so far that just popped up in the middle of the wasteland. At each one, Beca would stop the hoverbike and visit with the people. She took leisurely walks with different members of the village. She played with the kids. She would unload supplies, slowly reducing the size of her cargo. Chloe enjoyed these moments. Beca hadn't kept her e-strapped to the seat since their first ride. They would both walk freely through the village. Beca would always introduce Chloe when they arrived and then leave her alone to attend to her tasks. Chloe could have tried to escape, although it wouldn't take long to find her. Plus, the redhead found herself less desirous to leave the longer they traveled together. Instead, Chloe would interact with the villagers. She helped set up equipment Beca delivered - activating communicators and credit storage units. She would build the portable transmission towers and hook up the network tents that Beca brought. After a couple of hours, they would head on their way, then repeat the process at another village. As evening approached, Beca would navigate them to a quiet secluded spot and set up camp. The hoverbike would be switched into recharge mode and the ladies would rest, eat, sleep, and then do it all again. Sometimes they would talk during their times of rest about superficial things, but nothing of substance. Any time Chloe would step too far in her questions, Beca would shut down and pull away. As long as they kept things light, though, Chloe enjoyed her time interacting with the smaller woman … criminal, thief, terrorist … vigilante, rebel, hero?

The redhead found it harder to see Beca as something negative. Yes, she was a thief. She destroyed property. She had kidnapped Chloe - no matter how many times Beca protested that point, it was a fact. But then the redhead observed all of the interactions in the villages. Beca was free and personable there. She provided much needed supplies to help these people. It wasn't just dropping off a box of food, either. She was connecting them to the world around them, despite how these people had been ostracized. She left them millions of credits and provided means for them to order supplies. With the large companies moving to complete automation, it was possible for even these distant communities to order and receive the materials they needed. Chloe put the pieces together and realized that Beca was stealing from the rich and giving to the poor - a modern day Robin Hood. There was much more to this woman than Chloe had imagined.

Sitting around the fire after nearly a week of these visits, Chloe desired to dig deeper. "Why are you doing all of this?"

Beca sat silently for a few minutes. Chloe had learned by now that if the brunette didn't want to talk, she wasn't going to. So the redhead just sat and watched the other woman. Finally, the brunette set her meal aside and spoke. "If I don't, who is going to?"

Chloe shrugged. "Maybe no one. What does it matter?"

Beca narrowed her eyes and studied the other woman. "You don't believe that. I know you."

"Ha!" Chloe scoffed. "You've known me for a week. You don't know me."

Suddenly, Beca spun on the rock where she sat. She faced Chloe and stared intently. "I know that you care about people. I know that you could have run a hundred times but didn't. I know that you spend every minute in those villages working to help those people. I know that you did that on your own; I never told you to do anything. I know that you set up the towers and networks and accounts. I know that you play with the kids and help out the other women. I know that at every stop you sneak food packs and bath bags out of our stash and leave them. I know that you want to get to know me but hold your tongue because you know I'm not comfortable talking about too much. I know that life screwed you over big time. I know you have an amazing heart, that you're a beautiful person, and that you deserve so much better than what you've been given." Beca shocked herself with how much she had said. It was too late to take it back, though, so she just shut her mouth and turned back to the fire.

Chloe leaned back against the rock where she was sitting. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had never felt more seen, more understood. She stood up and padded over to where Beca was sitting. The redhead lowered herself and knelt on the ground next to the brunette. She reached up and tucked a curl of brown hair behind Beca's ear. The brunette stared into the fire. Her voice came out in a whisper. "I do this because it is the right thing to do. These people didn't do anything wrong. They just didn't have the opportunities others did. I do it because I can't stand by and do nothing." Beca turned her face to look into the bright blue eyes trained on her face. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this … but I'm not sorry that you're here."

Chloe's heart was pounding. She found her mind in turmoil so many times over the last few days. She kept reminding herself that she had been kidnapped by this woman. But when she watched how Beca interacted in these villages, saw the risk that the brunette was taking to help people, it was hard to keep her emotions in check. Riding close on the hoverbike, hearing Beca hum to the music playing. The way Beca always made sure Chloe had everything she needed on the trip. Even the way that she would catch the outlaw stealing glances of the redhead. Before she knew what she was doing, Chloe moved closer to Beca and leaned forward. She pressed her lips against the brunette's mouth. At first, Beca didn't respond, but then Chloe felt her push deeper into the kiss. After a few seconds, the women broke away from each other. They rested their foreheads together. Both women breathed heavily.

"Chloe! Well there you are!" The voice caused the two women to jerk, turning to see a tall blonde man approach. While his face displayed a smile, his eyes were cold and his body was tense. "I was beginning to think that you didn't intend to return at all, my dear."

"Tom!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Tom," Beca whispered.

"You're both right." He walked closer to their camp. "Rebecca, why am I not surprised you're the one behind this Hood idiocy?" He stoped a few feet away, his hand hovering over his hip. He smirked as he continued. "I believe you have something of mine, and I would like you to return it."

The women stayed where they were and exchanged searching glances, unsure of how Tom knew both of them. Beca kept her eyes on Chloe as she responded to Tom. "I didn't take anything that belonged to you."

"Ha!" Tom answered in a mirthless laugh. "You say that, but she's right there." In a harsh voice, he barked at Chloe. "Girl, get over here where you belong." Chloe questioned Beca with her eyes, but the brunette was inscrutable. The redhead reached out and grabbed the gun from the brunette's hip and jumped up to stand closer to Tom. She trained the weapon on the smaller woman. "Good girl. You have more use than what I expected when I acquired you." Chloe winced at the comment. He reached forward and grabbed the cross and necklace and ripped it off of her neck. An angry red line immediately appeared at the action. He smirked at Beca and stuck the jewelry into his pocket.

Beca bristled at the burst of violence but continued to keep her eyes locked onto the bright blue eyes facing her with the gun, but she spoke to the blonde man. "Tom, you still don't get it. You can't own people." The brunette's eyes watered as she tried to keep her voice steady. "And Chloe is worth more than you ever will be."

"Tsk tsk, Rebecca." Tom shook his head. "Still a deviant. And a stupid one at that." He moved slightly around the fire, giving himself a clear view of the small woman. "I can indeed own people. Chloe's father sold her to me; I paid him a handsome sum." Beca noticed the redhead shiver at the comment. "It's the way life goes. There are the haves and the have nots. I'm the former, so I can have anything I want."

Beca swiveled her eyes to the man. With icy coldness, she responded, "You couldn't have me."

A twisted smile worked its way onto his face. "I could have. But you showed your true colors, so I'm glad you left. And now you're out here … you must be so proud of yourself."

"I am." Beca nodded. She then turned her eyes back to the redhead, meeting her eyes once more. "Why don't you let Chloe leave. I'll pay you whatever you lose."

"I don't lose!" Tom snapped. He glared at Beca. "And you won't win." Then a demonic look appeared on his face. "You like her." He laughed evilly. "You little pervert. Still a freak." He took two more steps towards Beca. "Tell you what. For old times sake, I'll fuck her in front of you before I kill you. You can watch and imagine you're the one doing it. Maybe I'll fuck you too - show you want you missed out on." He then cast his darkened eyes onto Chloe. "I'll deal with you later."

BZZZRCRACK BZZZZRCRACK

A shocked look appeared on Tom's face. He clutched at his chest. Then he collapsed into the dirt, spasmed, and then went still. Chloe held the gun as it sparked and smoked with it still pointed where Tom had stood. Beca's eyes were wide in surprise. She slowly stood up and walked over to Chloe and clutched the gun, lowering the redhead's arm and pulling the weapon from her hand. Beca tossed it to the ground and then pulled the redhead towards her. Chloe's arms clenched tight to her chest as the brunette embraced her. Tears flew from Chloe's eyes and she began to sob. Beca held her and rubbed her back. They stood that way for several minutes as the redhead continued crying. She finally muttered into Beca's shoulder, "I'm a murderer. I'm going to prison."

Beca chuckled. "No you aren't." She waited a few moments and continued, "Nobody is going to miss that piece of shit. People die out here all the time and no one ever knows … or cares." That calmed Chloe somewhat. "Plus, if anyone sniffs around they'll just blame me. It was my gun, and we have … history."

Chloe's head popped up from Beca's shoulder. Her tears had stopped, but her face was blotchy from crying. "You aren't taking the fall for me."

"I told you, no one is going to care." Beca moved her hands to clutch Chloe's upper arms. A serious look formed on her face. "I have so many charges against me at this point, what is one more." A soft smile replaced the stony look. "Youcan be free now. You're free."

Chloe thought about what Beca said. You're free. She was free. She no longer was beholden to Tom or to her father. She could go anywhere and do anything. She still didn't have money, but she had options. The thought was thrilling and sad at the same time. That meant that she would be away from Beca as well. And that was not something she enjoyed thinking about. It had only been a week and had started under bad circumstance, but Chloe was finding it harder to be glad about leaving the other woman. She was jarred out of her reverie when she realized Beca was talking to her

"We are going to be heading to Barden Hollow tomorrow. I promised that you could leave when we got to the next city. So you'll be able to decide where you want to go at that point."

"Oh … yeah … great." Chloe worked to clear the fog in her mind. "That's … great."

"Yeah. Great." Beca murmured.

Chloe looked around the city center of Barden Hollow. She saw a lot of the typical establishments: bank, multiple bars, hotels, clothing stores. The redhead looked down at her filthy blue dress and made a point to get a replacement outfit. Beca had dropped her off just outside of town. They parted ways with an embrace. It was a sad moment, but necessary. The outlaw couldn't be seen with her hoverbike in the city and expect to get out unscathed. Plus, she had things she needed to do. Chloe wondered if there would be a Hood attack soon. She felt a secret thrill, knowing who The Hood actually was. But she also felt something knot in the pit of her stomach, thinking of Beca being involved in something so dangerous.

When Chloe exited the bike, Beca told her that she needed to go to Barden Suites and ask for Jesse Swanson. She had told her several times and stressed how important it was to be careful. Chloe nodded and made sure she remembered the information. She spotted the hotel down the street on the right, so she began heading in that direction. She didn't want to spend too much time wandering through town in her current state, afraid someone may be suspicious of a woman in such a dirty outfit. She felt anxious when she entered the posh lobby of the Barden Suites. Approaching the counter, she spotted a clerk and got his attention. He had light wavy hair and small glasses. He was dressed with dark pants and vest, along with a long sleeved white t shirt and a bow tie. "Oh, hello. How can I help you?"

"Hi. I'm supposed to ask for Jesse Cochran?" Chloe bit her lip, hoping for the best.

"May I ask who is looking for him?" The man quirked up an eyebrow.

"Ummm. Chloe … Beale. Chloe."

The clerk relaxed and smiled. "Ah, Miss Chloe. I'm Benjamin Applebaum. Yes, he is expecting you. He is in a meeting right now, but he wanted me to show you to your room. He will get in touch with you there. Just a moment…" The man turned towards a small Asian woman working in the lobby. "Lilly? Can you cover the desk for me for a moment. I need to help a guest." The woman nodded and moved behind the counter. Benjamin looked at Chloe and smiled. "Right this way."

They walked towards an elevator and the man punched the Up button. Once the doors opened, he punched a series of numbers into a keypad. Then he scanned a card and then a second card. He handed the second card to Chloe and lowly said, "Don't lose that. IF that happens, only talk to me or Jesse about it." Then he hit the buttons for 12 and 14. Then he typed 13 into the keypad. "You won't have to do all of that. Just scan your card on the scanner." The elevator jerked up and raced to floor 12. It then slowed and stopped before the light for 14 came on. The doors opened to a dim hallway. Benjamin walked out and Chloe followed. They went down the hallway to the left. The hall looped around until they reached a door with an "M" on it. "Here we are. The Mitchell Suite." He scanned his card and threw the door open.

Chloe's jaw dropped. The suite made her room at the Swanson seem like a broom closet. There was a large living area right when entering the room. To the right was a kitchen area with a full refrigerator and stove. There were several large boxes sitting in both rooms with "C" printed on them. The duo walked to the left into a large bedroom with a king sized bed. On the end table rested a new communicator. High end electronics dotted every room, including the bedroom. Walking further into the room, Chloe spotted a large bathroom. There was a large glass enclosed shower, a deep clawfoot tub, and lavish dressing area. A door led into a giant closet with clothes on hangers and several more boxes with "C" on them.

"So this is where you'll be staying as long as you need to. Your personal effects have already been delivered, so you can go through them at your leisure."

Chloe looked around in confusion. "I don't have any…"

Benjamin pointed at the boxes. "Those were delivered for you." He started to walk back to the door into the room. He called back over his shoulder as Chloe followed him. "Jesse will let you know when he's able to see you. For now, why don't you just relax. Take a shower or bath. Order some food." He reached the door and turned to face the woman with a kind smile. "Everything you need is taken care of."

"Thank you Mr. Appelbaum," Chloe spoke softly.

"Call me Benji, Miss Beale."

"Call me Chloe."

Benji smiled and nodded once. "As you wish. Relax, Chloe. You're safe." He then left the room.

Chloe sprawled naked on the bed like a starfish, enjoying the cool air on her skin. She had stood in the shower for what seemed like an hour. She, like most people these days, was used to only being able to shower every two or three days. But going a week with only a "bath in a bag?" She never felt so happy to see a real bathroom. And soap. And shampoo. And an actual toilet. After stepping out of the shower, she looked in the closet at the array of clothes and the various boxes laying around the suite. She still had no idea where any of it came from. The clothes hanging up were exactly her size and preference, but so much nicer than anything she had owned before. The nicest outfit she had ever owned was the blue dress her father had purchased so she would look nice for Tom when he took ownership of her. That piece had been tossed in the incinerator chute as soon as Chloe could get out of it. Now she had access to a wardrobe where every item was as nice as that blue dress or nicer. She felt weird wearing them - feeling like they belonged to someone else. But she didn't plan on roaming around naked, so she needed to get over that feeling.

The kitchen was fully stocked with real food - not reconstituted stuff or meal trays. She couldn't believe at how good the peach she sampled had tasted. She remembered hearing how the old Georgia region had been famous for peaches. She had grown up in that area in the ICCA and she had only had two peaches in her life before today. And there was a whole bowl on the counter! She also snarfed down some bread and preserves and drank at least four glasses of clear water. Now she was in a borderline food coma, laying in such opulence that she kept worrying she would wake up from a cruel dream. She heard a soft pinging sound coming from beside the bed and glanced over. Her new communicator - brand new, latest model, all the features - was lightly vibrating and sending out the light tone. She rolled over and grabbed it and saw a message from Benjamin Applebaum. She also saw the communicator tried to auto-connect for a video chat. Chloe tossed it over onto the bed and jumped up. She didn't want her current state of undress being broadcast to the front desk. She padded into the closet, pulled out new soft undergarments, and slipped into them. Then she went and checked the message before choosing her outfit. Jesse was ready for her to come meet him in his office in the lobby in thirty minutes. She returned to the closet and examined her options. Everything was so nice and new that she felt like a fraud even picking something. Like she was showing off her newfound bounty. She selected the simplest dress she could find - a lemon yellow one that was cut very similarly to the blue one she wore when she arrived. Except this one was made from even finer material. She opted against jewelry, despite a box sitting on her dresser that glimmered with options. She also didn't use makeup, choosing only to brush her hair out and hold it back in a simple clip. There was a wide array of footwear for the choosing. She wanted to grab sneakers, since that decision last week had proven fortuitous. But it would look strange, she feared. So she chose a simple pair of white pumps.

She grabbed her keycard and slipped it into a pocket of her dress. Then she went down to the lobby. Benji greeted her with a smile and led her to Jesse's office. A tall brunette sat at a desk right inside the door. She introduced herself as Emily. She was unbelievably sweet, offering Chloe something to drink or eat. The redhead smiled and asked for water. Her nerves were ramping up, unsure of what exactly Jesse was going to say. Beca had been adamant that Chloe needed to see him as soon as possible, but did not explain the reasons. After a few minutes a door behind Emily's desk flew open and a smiling young brown haired man came out. He wore navy plaid pants and vest along with a mustard yellow shirt and red plaid ascot. "Miss Beale!" He walked around the desk and the woman at the desk and grasped Chloe's hand in his. "I'm so excited to meet you. Come in!"

When they entered the room, Jesse held his hand out to a chair for Chloe to sit in. He sat in the chair next to hers. Smiling at her, he asked, "How are you finding the hotel? Is everything satisfactory?"

Chloe laughed, which caused Jesse's face to drop momentarily. "Oh, no, I didn't…" She smiled at the man. "It is just so much nicer than anything I have ever seen."

Jesse's smile returned. "Well, that is good to hear. We want our special guests to be happy."

A silence settled between them. Chloe tapped on the arm of the chair as she debated on what to say next. "Um, Mr. Swanson…"

"Jesse. Please." He smiled brightly for a moment before something dark passed over his face. "Mr. Swanson reminds me of my father."

Chloe noted the shift and continued with a sunniness to her voice. "Jesse, then. I'm a bit … confused … as to what is going on. Why I'm in such a nice room, the boxes in there…"

The man sighed and leaned back in his chair. "That's all Beca's doing. She wanted you to have everything you needed."

"It's much more than I need," Chloe commented, smiling softly at the man.

"Well, you know Beca. She never does anything halfway." Jesse's face turned from light to serious as he spoke. He stared intently at Chloe. The redhead felt like something more was being communicated, but she couldn't grasp what it was.

"Yeah… She is pretty … committed to … things." Chloe watched Jesse's eyes. Nothing changed in his expression. "Have you known Beca … for long?"

Jesse nodded. "Yes. I've known her my entire life." He kept eye contact and kept his face impassive. "I feel like I know her quite well. Everything about her."

Chloe felt like she understood his message. "Everything? She seems like a complicated person. Does everyone know her that well?"

Jesse slowly shook his head, continuing to hold Chloe's gaze. "No. Only a handful of people really know her. A few in several different cities. I would say maybe … four? … here in town. Me, Benji, Emily, Stacie … well, and now you."

Chloe's heart had started pounding at the intensity of the hidden conversation. She swallowed deeply. "That must be tough, to have such a small group you can trust."

"I'm sure it is." Jesse nodded. "She has friends, but not many people who really know her. It's why we were all so happy … and surprised … at how quickly the two of you bonded." Slight suspicion crept onto his face.

Chloe's anxiety spiked. She hoped she was interpreting the situation correctly. Beca had vouched for her, but the people who knew her secret weren't completely sold yet. She needed to show that they could trust her. "Well, I guess I won her over. That happens when you kill someone's enemy for them."

Jesse's eyebrows jumped at the comment. Then his face softened and he smiled. "I imagine that would be quite endearing." He chuckled. "Sorry if that felt awkward, Beca means quite a lot to me … and to a lot of people."

Chloe's heart felt a twang and her face fell for a moment. "Are you two … romantically involved?"

The man grinned, "No no no." He shook his head. "Not for lack of trying on my part." When Chloe seemed surprised, Jesse waved the comment away. "That was a long time ago. We are better as friends. Besides, she seems quite besotted with someone else." His intense gaze returned, and Chloe blushed.

"I see." Chloe's eyes twinkled.

Jesse's face was thoughtful as he spoke. "I hope you do." After a moment of quiet, the man returned to his joyful persona. "So, I wanted to just give you a basic rundown of things. You are welcome to stay here as long as you desire."

"What if someone needs the room?" Chloe quizzically responded.

Shaking his head, the man continued, "That room doesn't exist. The floor doesn't exist. No records exist of it or you being here." Chloe remembered how Benji had to hit multiple buttons to get the elevator to go to the right place. "So you can stay there … however long. You should have everything you need. For food replenishments, or if you want something different, there is an electronic request tablet in the kitchen. You also can send messages on your communicator. The best thing for now is to limit your interactions to myself, Benji, Emily, or Stacie… Cochran. You haven't met her yet. She's the concierge at the hotel. You'll know her when you see her. She's quite … beautiful and … not shy about it." He grinned widely.

Chloe nodded at all the information. "Should I stay in my room?"

Jesse frowned and shook his head. "Not at all. That isn't necessary. Bring your communicator if you do depart, though. It is connected to your credit reservoir, if you want to purchase anything. I would be careful which areas of town you spend time in. Some of them are not … pleased … with our friend's behavior." He let that sit there for a moment. "Usually the names on those places are pretty recognizable. Well, except for this establishment." He gestured with his hands at the walls. "It has mostly been subverted for our purposes. Hiding in plain sight, you might say." A big smile appeared on his face.

"You mentioned credit reservoir. I don't have any credits that I'm aware of. My father … anyway, I wouldn't know how to connect to my accounts to verify or transfer … if there is anything."

Jesse's feet dropped off the desk and he sat forward in his seat. He gestured for Chloe's communicator. She handed it over and he pressed a few spots on the screen. Then he handed it back. Chloe looked down at the screen and gasped. There was a readout of her credit summary. Her name. Her information. 12.3 million credits. "Is this a joke?"

"No. That's completely accurate." Jesse hid a small smile behind his hand.

"Jesse, I seriously don't think I had even twelve credits, let alone twelve million." She tapped at the account information, looking at transactions and history. There was no record of any movement in the account for the last ninety days. But the number clearly showed the astronomical balance.

"Beca never does anything halfway." Jesse smiled as he said it. He looked at the clock and stood up. "I have enjoyed meeting with you, Chloe. I do have another meeting in a few moments." Chloe stood as well, shaking a bit at the still lighted screen. "One other thing. There is a very large and important event coming up. I will see you again before that to get you some information about it. Beca was hoping you would be able to attend."

At the news, Chloe's eyes popped up. "Oh … ok… Yes, let me know."

Jesse smiled broadly. "I will be in touch. Please relax and enjoy yourself. Let us know if you need anything." He extended his hand and they shook hands.

Chloe returned to her room, still staring at the credits screen on her communicator, trying to wrap her mind around what had transpired. She had a hard time believing that all of this was true. She sat on the sofa in her living room as her mind swirled.

The next two days passed slowly. Chloe mostly kept to her room; there was enough to keep her occupied in the massive suite. She explored her new communicator, tried her hand at cooking in the new kitchen, watched some videos, sat in the tub. She still had trouble processing what exactly her life was going to look like now. The way that Benji and Jesse had made it sound, she could stay in the hotel as long as she wanted - like in Barden Hollow full time. She had a wardrobe of clothes and food supplies. They had said she could have anything she needed. Plus she had a huge balance of credits. But, it all seemed too good to be true. She was afraid to accept that it was reality. She had enough where she could completely relocate, start fresh in a different region if she wanted. But how did she end up here? She went from being sold by her own father to an Oligarch's son to being ensconced in a luxurious hotel.

Beca. That's what happened. And that was why Chloe couldn't relax, couldn't bring herself to accept everything. The little outlaw had ripped the redhead out of her depressing life and brought her here. But Chloe hadn't seen her for several days now. And, truthfully, surprisingly, she missed her. She had heard of something called Stockholm Syndrome at some point, where a captive falls in love with its captor. But Chloe didn't feel like that applied to her situation with Beca. Their week together had been eye-opening. Chloe had never been around somebody like Beca. The public image of The Hood was of a violent selfish thieving terrorist. But Chloe had seen that everything Beca had done had been for other people. Time and again, the brunette had surprised the redhead with her generosity and empathy for people. Chloe was aware there was much she didn't know about the secretive woman. But what she did know only drew her closer. If there was some way that they could at least meet up and talk… Chloe felt like she needed that before there was any hope of accepting a true future. Maybe she couldn't decide on a future until she knew if Beca fit into it.

An alert on her communicator went off. Jesse wanted to stop by in a few minutes. Chloe looked around the room to make sure it was in good shape - she had barely disturbed anything and had cleaned up after herself, so it was fine. Then she sat back down and waited, her knee bouncing up and down with nervous energy. About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Chloe opened it and saw Jesse standing in the hallway with a large smile on his face. "May I come in?"

"It's your hotel," Chloe replied with a grin. She stepped aside and gestured into the room.

Jesse shook his head and adopted a lopsided smile. "I'm just the manager. Someday it may be mine, but not yet." They returned to the couch and sat down, one on each end with the middle cushion empty. "So, I wanted to let you know about that event I was talking about."

Chloe nodded. "I've been waiting to see what is going on."

"Right. Well, as you know the ICCA has some … powerful families in charge. The Oligarchs?"

Chloe scowled as she thought of Tom. "Yes, I've been made familiar with them."

Jesse knowingly nodded. "Well, there is an event tonight. One of the Oligarchs will be visiting town. This happens from time to time, and the city is expected to have a celebration to honor the visiting dignitary." Chloe studied the man's face. As well as he hid it, his disgust still shone through. "As … challenging … as these people are, their soirees are quite something. It is possible to have fun at them, if you are in the right company."

Chloe was confused as to what this had to do with her. "So I should just stay up here, right?"

Jesse raised his eyebrows. "Absolutely not! You need to go!" Chloe looked confused. "Beca wants you there. She told me that quite clearly."

"Oh…" The thought of seeing Beca tonight made Chloe's heart leap. "Ok. Is there anything I need to know?"

Jesse nodded somberly. "Yes. So there should be something in your closet that will be fitting for a formal occasion. If you want something different, though, you are welcome to shop around town." Chloe nodded in understanding. "Theother thing is … you need to listen to this and really believe me on this point…" Chloe sat up nervously. "Whatever you see or hear tonight, remember what you saw out there." Jesse gestured into the distance. She studied the redhead's eyes to see if she understood. "Do you understand? Things aren't always as they seem."

"Okaaaaay." Chloe looked nervous.

"Don't worry. Nothing bad is going to happen." Jesse placed his hand on Chloe's shoulder. "You're not in danger. Just remember what you experienced, okay? You'll understand tonight. Be at the ballroom downstairs at 7pm." He stood to go and excused himself. Chloe sat on the sofa, completely baffled as to what was going on. Her stomach churned. Finally she dragged herself to the closet to examine her outfits. She found a gorgeous emerald green dress that would be perfect. There were matching shoes and even jewelry to go with it. Chloe knew that Beca asked for her to go, so the redhead would do it. She hoped she would have a better understanding soon.

Chloe was dazzled by the ballroom when she entered. She had not visited the room yet in her explorations of the hotel, so she was surprised at the high level of luxury. The doors from the ground floor led down stairs into the lowered room, allowing partygoers to see everyone entering. The lowered floor created extra tall ceilings where crystal chandeliers hung down throughout the room. Plush carpet covered the floor, except for the mahogany dance floor that covered a quarter of the room. Small tables dotted the room so people could sit and chat. Long buffet tables ran along each side. They were covered with plates of fresh fruit, cheese, and small sandwiches. Huge bowls contained cooked shrimp, while others were heaped with guacamole and hummus. A third of each table flaunted deserts of all kinds: cream puffs, brownies, small cakes, tarts, giant cookies. In each corner, bartenders manned drink stations. The room was already teeming with people and there was a loud hum of conversation. Chloe walked down the stairs, straining her neck to take in everything. She didn't notice the number of heads that turned to watch her as she entered. She was simply stunning in her emerald gown, her hair piled up into an updo on her head. Her dancing earrings drew eyes to her long slender neck; her necklace brought eyes to her cleavage rising out of the straight neckline. The redhead reached the floor and walked mindlessly towards a drink station where she was met with a glass of champagne. She was torn in her feelings for the room around her. She was mesmerized by the opulence while at the same time horrified. There was enough food here to sustain all fifteen villages that she and Beca had visited for a week. The sheer magnitude of the decorations boggled her mind. How could people believe that this level of expense was justified when so many people suffered?

The redhead felt her head swimming, trying to take in everything. She worked her way to a less populated spot in the room, in a gap between long buffet tables. She quietly watched the scene around her and understood even more why Beca took on the persona of "The Hood." She was lost in her own mind until she felt a presence by her side. Chloe turned to see who had arrived and was faced with a magnificent pair of breasts. Her eyes jumped and she took in the full vision of the woman by her side. It was a tall gorgeous brunette with her long hair left down with an intricate braid pattern. She was sheathed in a shimmering ivory gown that contained both a very low cut neckline and very high cut slit - which showed off long shapely legs. Chloe kept getting distracted by the breasts that heaved up and down as the woman breathed. "You must be Chloe." The sultry voice jarred her out of her latest failed attempt to keep her eyes somewhere other than the smooth skin on display to her left. The redhead raised her eyes to catch the eyes of the other woman, who now sported a wicked smirk. "Feel free to look; I don't mind. It's why I wore this dress."

"I wasn't … I … It is a lovely dress." Chloe flustered and stammered.

"I'm Stacie, by the way. Jesse said that he mentioned me." The brunette had returned her eyes to analyze the crowd. Her comments came more from the side of her mouth, directed just to Chloe.

"Oh. Yes." Chloe remembered how Jesse had described Stacie and she chuckled. "Nice to meet you." The two women stood silently for a few moments. Soon the get together was disrupted by a scene being made at the center entrance. A group of people were rushing about to clear a path from the door. A man in a fancy uniform stood on the top step of the left entrance and blew into a small horn. The sound emerged from the imbedded speakers and sounded like like bells. He then cleared his voice to speak.

Immediately before he spoke. Stacie leaned over and whispered to Chloe. "Stay cool, Red. Remember what Jesse said." Chloe turned and gave Stacie a confused glance. The tall brunette just nodded her head once to the center door, never moving her eyes from that location. Chloe turned to watch where Stacie's eyes were directed.

The uniformed man announced in loud baritone, "Ladies and gentlemen. May I announce our guest of honor … Rebecca Mitchell. Only daughter of our illustrious leader Herman Mitchell." Loud applause echoed throughout the room. A small woman came around the corner and stood at the top of the stairs. She was beautiful, with ivory skin and chocolate brown hair, pulled up into a bun on her head. She sported dangling gold earrings and a gold necklace with a large sapphire pendant. She wore a navy crushed velvet dress that highlighted every curve and put an impressive amount of cleavage on display. She smiled widely as she surveyed the room. Her dark eyes sparkled as she waved. Then her face met a bright blue set of eyes. She quickly winked and then kept turning her head. Rebecca Mitchell … Beca … The Hood.

Chloe stood with her mouth dropped open. Stacie lightly nudged her and again whispered, "Remember what Jesse said." The redhead snapped her mouth shut and continued to observe the scene unfold in front of her. Beca/Rebecca/Hood … Chloe didn't even know how to think about the person descending the stairs. The woman exuded confidence. She easily laughed and smiled. She allowed her gloved hand to be kissed by gentlemen as she walked. She would nod to women she encountered. Chloe couldn't match this Rebecca with the Beca that she had spent a week with. This woman was enrobed in wealth and power. She moved smoothly and easily through the atmosphere of the room, comfortable in her own skin. Like the ruling class in society, she ignored the presence of workers. Her eyes never rested on anyone of a lower status than her. As she moved, everyone simply moved away - almost as if she had a deflector shield pushing them away. Chloe noticed that there was an area of the room that seemed set aside for Rebecca. She reached it and stood, waiting for her entourage to clear and situate her position. She was handed a glass of champagne, which she daintily sipped. It was so disconcerting, Chloe found herself moving towards the scene without realizing it. She wanted to confront Beca and ask her what was happening. The redhead felt someone grab her shoulder and pull her back. She snapped her head around to see Stacie continuing to watch the proceedings. The brunette whispered, "Stay cool. You have to keep your cool."

Chloe wanted to scream in Stacie's face. She wanted to slap her. She didn't want to keep cool. Her mind was racing, trying to understand what was happening. For a week, Chloe had watched an outlaw steal from the rich and provide for the poor. She had watched as this woman had showed more heart than anyone. She had felt her own heart pulled to this woman, drawn in by what she believed Beca to be like. And now… Chloe felt betrayed. Beca was the daughter of the LEADER of the ICCA. She wasn't just some random relative. She was the sole heir to the proverbial throne! She was the beneficiary of all of the evil that she supposedly fought. She was a fraud. Chloe felt like a foolish child. What was all of this crap about being free? The room? The clothes and credits and boxes? What was that supposed to mean? She felt herself unraveling. Stacie reached out and grasped her upper arm. "If you can't keep it together, head back to your room."

Chloe spun in that moment and stared up in to the eyes of the tall brunette. She saw sadness and disappointment, but her jaw was clenched as well. "Fuck you, Stacie," the redhead hissed. She yanked her arm away and strode off quickly, leaving her champagne glass on a random table as she walked by. She didn't turn her eyes for a minute and continued to the elevator and then to her room. Once she arrived, she ripped the earrings and necklace off and threw them at the wall. Then she took her shoes and flung them as well. She fell onto the couch and started to sob into her hands.

In the ballroom, Stacie send a message via her communicator. "Red didn't take it well."

Chloe awoke to the sound of a electronic chirping sound. She sat up on the couch, still wearing a now rumpled emerald gown. She sleepily turned her head around, trying to find the noise. Her communicator rested against a far wall, where she had thrown it earlier. Padding barefoot over to it, she looked at the screen. There was a notice that someone was at the door and ringing the entrance buzzer. She knew who it was before pulling up the camera view. Beca … Rebecca … whoever … stood calmly facing the camera. Her face gave nothing away as she merely gazed directly at Chloe through the screen. Figuring that ignoring her would prove futile - hell, she probably owned the hotel - Chloe walked to the door and pulled it open. She didn't even look at the brunette when she entered. She was still wearing her navy dress, jewelry, makeup. The only change was that she had a leather jacket over it all. The disparate elements almost made Chloe laugh. If her crushed heart had not made such happiness impossible. The redhead walked over to the couch and stood with her arms crossed. She looked towards the brunette, but kept her eyes on the carpet twelve inches in front of her. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to see you. To talk." She paused for a moment. "You looked beautiful tonight."

Scoffing, Chloe turned her head to look into the kitchen instead. "What is your game?" When her head turned back, she stared at the woman across the room. "Is this some kind of joke? Is this what rich people do for fun?"

"What do you mean? The party? Yeah, rich people do that a lot."

"No, REbeca… I mean the act." Chloe's voice was raising. Beca was moving towards her as she continued. "The Hood, the villages, me…" She didn't finish what she was saying as the brunette grabbed her hand tightly and pulled her towards the bathroom. Beca slammed the door shut and locked it. Then she reached into the shower and turned the water on full power. Then she turned to Chloe. The redhead watched everything happening with a confused and angry look on her face. "What the fuck are you doing, Beca? Is this part of it all? Is this part of some … sick kink or something?"

"What are you talking about?" Beca asked with a sigh. "I moved us in here because it helps to confuse listening devices and throw off…"

"The trackers?" Chloe spat the words. "Was that even real? Checking me for trackers? That was just so you could humiliate me by taking off my dress." She stomped around the bathroom. "Was Tom even tracking us? Or was that where he was supposed to meet us? Is he even dead? That was just another way to get me to buy into your game, wasn't it!"

"Chloe, please, calm down." Beca implored. "With a big event like this, there are ears and microphones everywhere. Listening devices all over town."

"So, now I'm wearing a wire? Is that what you think? Want to strip search me? Let me help!" She ripped her dress off and threw it at Beca. "Is that better? I can't stand to even have these clothes on me! The blood it took to buy them!" Beca didn't move. "Not enough? Fine!" She ripped her bra off and threw it. Then she tore her underwear off and threw it in Beca's face. "Happy now?"

Beca turned around and walked into the closet. She emerged with a fluffy robe and walked over to Chloe and put it over her shoulders. She did her best to pull the two sides together to cover the redhead. She then took several steps away. "Are you done now?"

Chloe's eyes flashed. "Done? I haven't even started yet." She started to walk towards Beca.

"Just shut up, Chloe." Beca didn't yell; she just spoke forcefully. Chloe startled at the intensity. "Listen, I am glad to explain everything if you would just … shut … up … for a minute." Beca turned and grabbed the chair from the dressing table and placed it by Chloe. "Now cover yourself up and let me talk, please." The pleading look in the smaller woman's eyes calmed the redhead. She put her arms into the robe and tied the sash. Beca looked around at the unopened boxes and mumbled. "Didn't even open anything." She dragged a stool out of the closet and sat on it, looking even smaller as a result.

"I'm sorry that you were caught off guard. We all have to be very careful about … everything. My father has spies everywhere." Chloe winced at the word "father." Beca nodded sadly and stared at her own hands. "Yes, the esteemed Warren Mitchell is my father." The sarcasm in her voice dripped heavily from the statement. "I am his only child, heir to the Mitchell fortune. But I am a woman … and … as he says … an abomination." Her jaw clenched at the word. "Hewill never let me inherit anything. He has spent years trying to find me a husband…" She looked up at Chloe at this point. "Tom was one of them." Chloe nodded, understanding the conversation the week prior now. "But, clearly, I am not of the mindset that it is a good idea." She gave a sad smile. "I fancy the ladies." She played with the hem of her jacket as she continued. "So, he just trots me out every so often to keep up appearances. Hoping against hope some man will be able to tame my wicked ways. Meanwhile, he knows he will be able to pick his successor when I don't marry and just leave me with enough to survive away from public view. Unless, you know, someone decides to take a shot at me. Save him a lot of trouble."

Chloe thought she had a rough life, and she had definitely suffered. But she tried to imagine what Beca had been through. Already a disappointment just by being a woman, which she couldn't control. Then even more hatred heaped on her due to her orientation, which she again couldn't control. Knowing that her own father wanted her shut away or killed. Their various conversations rattled around in Chloe's head. She began to put the pieces together and whispered. "Ransomdoesn't work."

Beca nodded sadly. "My mother … when I was six. He refused to pay. They dumped her body on our front lawn." Chloe was openly crying, and she was stunned that Beca was not. "Then I got kidnapped when I was fifteen. They … didn't take kindly to his refusal. Took it out on me." Beca adjusted in her seat and took a deep breath. "They didn't expect me to be able to defend myself. I took out three of them and escaped. I went back home. My dad beat me for being so stupid as to get captured. That was when I decided that I had to do something different."

The brunette rubbed her face. "I started to sabotage my father and his friends. I diverted shipments, misallocated funds, cancelled meetings. It was minor stuff, truthfully - mostly annoyances to him. He would schedule men to come in to'court' me. I started sending cancellations to them or changing their transportation. I did it for months. Then one of the men didn't go for it. He wanted to impress my father, or me, and he came anyway. He would have exposed everything that I did. So I didn't have a choice."

"You killed him…" Chloe whispered.

Beca's head popped up and her eyebrows furrowed. "No, I met up with him and realized that he was actually a lot like me. He had an oppressive father who he just wanted to be accepted by. So I took and chance and told him everything."

Chloe's eyes were wide. "That was a big risk."

Beca nodded. "It was Jesse. His father is in my father's cabinet. When Jesse heard how things really were - how corrupt our fathers were. He was furious. So we started to work together. We started 'dating,' which threw everyone off for a while. It also allowed us to meet up without people suspecting we were up to no good. We even planned to just go ahead and get married, to give me an out and allow us to force change maybe." Beca stretched and yawned. "Sorry, it's been a busy couple of days." She continued, "But I realized I couldn't do that to Jesse. To doom him to a lifetime of loneliness. To never have someone who loved him and wanted to be with him. We couldn't just break it off, though. Not when it had the rubber stamp approval of the Oligarchs."

The redhead leaned forward, hanging on every word. She also was amazed at how much Beca was talking. They would chat during their week together, but nothing to this level of exposition. "What happened?"

"Stacie." The name caused an involuntary grimace from Chloe. Beca noticed it and laughed. "You don't like Stacie?"

Chloe was caught off guard by the question. She had no reason to dislike the woman, aside from pure jealousy. Jealousy of what, she wasn't sure. "Uh… no… I don't even know her."

Beca smirked and her eyes twinkled. "She easy to misread. We met at some … big convention or something. I was smitten. She … was open to … a lot of things. We never got together, but we talked quite a bit. She suffered in a lot of ways like I did. She was underestimated and brushed aside for being a woman. Her open sexuality … it confused her parents. They didn't know what to do. If she had been a man, it would have been fine. But they mostly kept her hidden. She is brilliant though. And so she found out … a LOT of stuff. Once we started talking, we realized how much we agreed things needed to change. She also became the exit strategy for me and Jesse. We picked a time when we knew my father would be around, and…"

"I don't need all the details," Chloe scowled.

"We just kissed until he walked in." Beca explained with a smile, enjoying Chloe's discomfort a little bit. "Don't be jealous, Chlo." The redhead bristled and melted within the same sentence. She shot Beca a glare, but then couldn't stop the small smile that crawled onto her face. "When Jesse 'found out' he called off our marriage. My dad went ape shit, but couldn't do anything without disgracing three different Oligarch families. So we got away with it. So now me, Jesse, and Stacie were working together. She developed a lot of tech that allowed us to communicate secretly. As I traveled around, I discovered that a lot of the sons and daughters of the Oligarchs were not happy with their parents' choices. So we started working to undermine things. That's where The Hood came into play."

"Wow." Chloe stared at Beca with awe on her face. "You are amazing … I mean … you all … are."

Beca cleared her throat. "Well, I don't know how much it is doing." She picked at her dress. "I still have to make these stupid appearances, go to meetings now and again. I'm such a 'rebel' and 'idiot' that I demand to go on my own instead of with a caravan. It gives me some freedom to do my other agenda." She lifted her head and locked eyes with the bright blue ones across from her. "I want you to understand something, Chlo." She licked her lips and took in a deep breath. "NO ONE knows this stuff except for Jesse, Stacie, and a few others. I've never told anyone this from outside that circle. I've never shown anyone what I do. You're the first."

Chloe gasped and sat back. "Why … why me?"

"I don't know." Beca chewed at the inside of her cheek. "Well, at first I didn't know. When I saw you that first time, it was just a reaction. Something about you … it triggered something in me where I wanted to get you out of there. But as we went along…" The brunette scratched her nose. "We spent so much time together. I watched you and listened to you. I found myself wanting more than anything to make sure you were okay. I wanted you to be free. I thought that in a different world, a different region, maybe we could be something. I don't know what you feel about that, but … I know … I wished we could just stay at one of those villages and … just be… us." A thick silence filled the spacious bathroom. Beca cleared her throat. "But that isn't reality. So I did what I could to set you free. I wanted you to know who I was and what I was doing. Then I wanted to give you everything you needed. The credits. The boxes …." She waved her hand at the various unopened items. "Which you clearly have appreciated." She pursed her lips. "I know you didn't have much, so they have anything you would need to set up somewhere new and do … whatever you want."

"I was nervous to open them. I didn't know what they were." Chloe explained. "I was worried about what to do next."

"I don't blame you. And I'm guessing Jesse didn't explain them very well." Beca replied. Chloe shook her head. "Figures. You … ah … you can actually find a full inventory on your communicator under your assets." Beca turned around and looked for the item. She spotted it on the floor near Chloe's feet and pointed.

The redhead picked it up and flipped to the right screen. She started scrolling through the list, her mouth dropping open wider as she looked. Beca wasn't kidding. There were items to get someone on their feet no matter where they were or what they did. High end electronics, clothing, equipment, appliances. If Chloe had wanted to become a … donut truck owner in the Midwestern Region … she could launch the business next week. There wasn't a food truck in the box, but there was twelve million credits in her account, licenses for running a business, supplies, memberships, aprons, gloves. It was clear that whoever put all of this together wanted to provide every opportunity for Chloe to succeed and be free. "Who … why?" Chloe looked up at Beca. "Did you do all of this … When?"

"I listened to you as we talked. And I thought about things you might want to do. Things you enjoyed about our journey. I kept a running list of items that uplinked to Jesse." Beca looked away at the wall. "I didn't want you to feel like you couldn't do something if you wanted to."

Chloe felt her eyes watering. "Beca… I don't know what to … I'm sorry I accused you of…"

Beca waved her hand at the apology. "I don't blame you. I'm sorry that we had to be so clandestine."

"Why?" Chloe's heart pounded as she asked the question. She felt that she had the answer, but she needed to be sure. "Why did you do all of this? Why did you tell me all of this?"

Beca swallowed deeply and kept her eyes locked on the redhead. "I … I kind of fell for you. And I wanted you to have everything. Especially the truth. I know we haven't known each other long, but there was just something … special. We may not be able to have a lifetime together, but you could at least have a life."

A smile crossed Chloe's face. She stood up and walked slowly to where Beca was sitting. She reached her hand up and cupped the brunette's face, lifting so they were facing each other. Her thumb caressed Beca's cheek, bringing a blush to her face. The brunette leaned into Chloe's hand and closed her eyes. She breathed out softly, relaxing. When she opened her eyes and caught Chloe's bright blue eyes, the redhead moved her other hand up and pulled at the sash on her bathrobe. It unraveled and the robe pulled apart slightly. She reached her hands up and pulled it open more and shrugged her shoulders. The plush robe dropped to the floor and piled at her feet. She stood naked in front of Beca and reached out her hand, smiling sweetly. Beca reached up with hesitation and took the extended hand. Chloe pulled her up so they were facing each other. She leaned close and brushed her lips against the brunette's. Beca pushed into the kiss. Chloe reached her arms around Beca's sides and clasped the zipper at the top of her dress. She pulled it down slowly while kissing more deeply. She moved her mouth to Beca's ear and whispered. "This shower has been running for a while. Let's actually use it for more than just a diversion."

Beca awoke tangled in bedsheets. Her arms were splayed as she somehow had migrated to the middle of the bed. She didn't feel anyone else in the bed, so she leaned up off of her pillow and glanced around the room. She could hear movement out in the kitchen, so she grabbed a robe and wrapped herself up in it and padded into the living room. A flash of red hair popped up from behind the counter with a platter, which the woman attached to the hair soon filled with fruit. She hummed as she worked, moving gracefully around the kitchen. Beca stood and watched the scene from her position, unnoticed by Chloe. The whole thing was so domestic and … normal. Her heart swelled. "I could get used to mornings like this."

Chloe's head turned and she beamed. "I could too." The redhead walked over clad in a similar robe and handed the brunette a mug of coffee. She kissed her softly and asked, "How did you sleep?"

"Surprisingly well for having a human octopus in bed with me." Beca smirked as she made the comment.

"What?! You don't like my cuddles?" Chloe asked in mock horror. "You can just leave then."

Beca smiled, but then the reality of the comment sank in and she darkened. She tried to capture the sadness, to get things back to the levity of the morning. But Chloe picked up on it. The brunette stabilized her emotions and said, "Let's eat. It looks like you've been working hard."

They sat at the table in silence, eating the fruit and toast that Chloe had put together. The last three days had been amazing. Beca needed to stay in town for a large meeting, so she took up residence at the hotel. Of course, hardly anyone knew that she spent all of her time in Chloe's room and not her own. They reveled in their time together, enjoying the freedom to get to know each other more in every way. But there was an expiration date on their tryst. Beca's meeting was the next day, after which she would need to resume her usual schedule - both official and illegal. Today would be their final day locked away in the fantasy suite.

"What happens now?" Chloe asked softly, knowing the reason for Beca's sudden melancholy.

"I don't know." Beca speared a strawberry and took a bite of it, chewing as she stared at the tabletop. "I have to leave tomorrow."

Chloe sat with her head bowed, her hands playing with the belt of her robe. She softly spoke. "It isn't fair. You tell me you want me to be free, but I can't have the one thing I really want."

Beca nodded. "I know." They had this discussion several times, pushing it away when it started to make things too painful. But it was looming larger and larger.

"Why can't you quit this? Your father doesn't want you around anyways." Chloe's voice cracked a little.

"Babe, we already talked about this. I couldn't do that - just abandon people. I could never live with myself knowing that I didn't try to change things." She ran her fingers through her hair. "And I don't think that would be the person you fell for either." They caught each other's eyes.

"No, it wouldn't be." Chloe sighed. "I wish I could go with you."

"Me too." Beca smiled. They knew it wouldn't work. They had talked about it also. But with how much Old Man Mitchell hated what his daughter was, her sexuality, he would never allow her to take a female partner. Beca was sure that her father would have Chloe killed the first chance he had - and there was no way that Beca would ever risk that. "Iknow this isn't what we want, but at least we can stay in touch and I'll be back here … and maybe you can travel to other cities I'll be at."

"How long do you think that will work before someone notices a redhead showing up all the time wherever you are?" Chloe scowled as she asked.

Beca shrugged. She took in a deep breath and blew it out. "We will figure it out." She stood up and held her hand out to Chloe. "Let's enjoy our last day together?"

Chloe put on a smile, but it wasn't real. "Let me clean this up and I'll meet you in the bathroom." She waggled her eyebrows, hoping to bring some levity. Beca nodded and blushed. She then slowly walked to the bedroom. Chloe's face fell as the brunette walked away. The thought of losing Beca after just getting her, of coming so close to love and a future only to have it taken away — it was just too much. Her eyes took on a hardened determination and she grabbed her communicator. "Fuck this shit."

The hooded figure landed the hoverbike on the roof of the five story Barden Hollow City Government Complex. They softly jumped onto the hot surface and consulted its secure communicator. "Here are the schematics of the building. The target is in Room 312. Good luck. - Stacie" Checking to make sure they had all of their supplies, they set the hoverbike into standby mode. The figure checked the schematics and compared them to the roof. Walking twenty feet from the West wall, the figure took out a silenced particle puck and set the eradication radius for three feet. They set it down on the surface and walked away. Ten seconds later a hissing sound arose from the puck along with an acrid smell. The figure returned to the site and looked down into the hole that now gaped open in the roof. Hefting a bag of supplies over their shoulder, the figure hopped down into what should be an empty storage room.

The route from the fifth floor to the third floor would involve mostly empty hallways and stairwells. Only six guards roamed the top two floors. The third floor would be where things got interesting. Taking out the guards on floors four and five would be ideal, since then they couldn't sound any alarms or offer backup. The security system had already been shut off (thanks to Stacie), but someone screaming worked just as well as an alarm. However, taking time to chase down all of the guards would increase the chance of getting caught. The figure quietly crept down the hall towards the middle stairwell. One guard popped out of an empty office and got a taserball thrown in his face. He collapsed convulsing. The figure opened the door carefully and pulled it shut. Then they descended. Pausing at the door to the fourth floor, the figure consulted the schematics again. They decided to go for speed rather than eliminating guards, so they kept heading down to the third floor.

The quiet experiences on the top floor were not going to be replicated on the third, though. Guards were patrolling every inch of the floor. Room 312 was halfway around the building, so there was going to have to be quite a bit of confrontation. The figure knew this and had planned accordingly. They stood at the door to enter the floor and took several deep breaths. Their hands dipped below their long trench coat and grabbed at the weapons laying beneath. The door was kicked open and all hell busted loose.

The figure pulled an automatic long barrel electrocharged AutoShot out and started blasting at every person in their path. They spun around and took out the guards approaching from behind. Electrified projectiles flew in the air to catch people further down the hall. The figure ducked into an alcove and propped the AutoShot against the wall. Grabbing a handful of taserballs, they spun back out into the hallway and chucked them at a group of guards coming around the corner. Five of them went down immediately, their flailing arms and legs catching hold of two more and pulling them into the electrified scrum. The AutoShot flew back up and took out the next two. Deftly, the masked figure hopped around the pile of bodies and turned the corner. Blast after blast fired from the figure into the approaching guards. As the smoke wafted to the ceiling and electricity sparked from the crumpled bodies, the masked figure set up a force field generator to block off the hallway. No guards would be joining the fracas from that direction. The figure peeked around the corner. Room 312 was about fifty feet away, based on the schematics. No guards stood in the hallway. The ones who had been patrolling this one were now laying on the floor on the other side of the force field. The figure scurried down the hall, past the targeted room and set up another field generator - blocking any personnel from charging from the other direction. Now the only thing left to do was bust into room 312, dispatch the men waiting inside, and grab the target.

The figure took the lull in the action to recharge their weapons. The AutoShot beeped as it reached maximum charge. It was clicked back into its magnetic holster under the trench coat. There were potentially too many people in too small of a space to start in with such an imprecise weapon. The figure placed a silenced particle puck onto the wall about six feet from the door. The personnel inside would more than likely be watching the doors, so coming through the wall would be the best option. Two high capacity small caliber AutoShots were drawn. The figure activated the puck with their elbow and stepped back. The wall disintegrated in seconds and the figure jumped through.

As suspected, the wall entry caught everyone inside off guard. There appeared to be about fifteen people inside - most of them armored guards. Before the figure's feet hit the floor, they were firing shots into the mass of bodies. Guards fell rapidly before anyone could adjust to the makeshift entrance. The figure ducked and rolled behind a table, flipping it over to provide a makeshift shield. Shots slapped into the tabletop. Reaching inside of their coat, the figure grabbed another handful of taserballs and flung them at the guards, taking down several. Before the squad could regroup, the figure leapt up and over the table and rushed the remaining personnel. Individual targeted shots took down the remaining guards. There were three people remaining - huddled against the wall opposite the door: an older gentleman, a cowering younger man, and a woman. The older man snapped at the younger, "Bumper deal with this!"

Bumper Allen looked at his father in astonishment. He took two steps into the open and with great hesitation walked towards the figure. The long barrel AutoShot popped up and blasted him, knocking him back several feet into a group of chairs. The figure now advanced on the two figures. An electronic voice emerged from the figure. "I want her." They pointed at the woman, who was standing tall and smirking. "Rebecca Mitchell, you're coming with me." With the smaller weapon trained on the duo, the figure reached into their coat and pulled out a piece of paper.

Director Allen scoffed. "You foolish imbecile. You should know by now ransom doesn't work."

The electronic voice laughed. "I never intended it to." A shot rang out and Director Allen fell to the ground. The figure walked forward and dropped the note onto his lap. Then they turned to the remaining person.

Beca smirked at the figure. "I'm told imitation is the greatest form of flattery." She allowed her eyes to take in the person in front of her. "Nice outfit. Where'd you get the mask"

"We'll have time to talk later. Change your clothes." A bag landed at Beca's feet. "We still need to get out of here." Once the brunette was changed, she faced the other figure and asked, "How are we leaving?"

"Through the roof," the electronic voice answered. The figure pulled a fat barreled weapon from under their coat. "Iwould move over some." The weapon was aimed at the roof and a blast blew a mammoth hole through the third floor ceiling. Dust and rubble rained down into the room. Using a retractable grappling hook, the duo flew up into the fourth floor. The process repeated twice more until the two figures stood on the roof of the building. The masked figure turned to Beca. "You have a lot of sentimental attachment to this building?"

Beca shrugged. "Not really, but it does keep Barden Hollow relevant. Helps out the hotel." She grinned.

"We can leave it. Let's head out." The two people ran to the hoverbike and jumped on. It warped out into the desert and zipped away.

About thirty minutes later, the vehicle stopped and the figures dismounted. Beca spun around to look at the still-masked figure. "Can you take that off now so I can see your beautiful face?"

Chloe pulled the mask off and shook her red hair out. "You're right. That thing is fucking hot."

Beca stood frozen, taking in the sight before her. Chloe wore a pair of jeans with boots on. A magnetic weapons belt hung around her waist. It was loaded with weapons. A tight burgundy buttoned up shirt strained against her breasts. A yellow and blue cloth was knotted around her neck. She topped it off with a light brown Stetson and a tan leather trench coat. Beca had never seen a sexier sight. "You're … crazy." The brunette shook her head. "What were you thinking?"

Chloe shrugged. "You said I was free to do whatever I wanted. So I wanted to become an outlaw." She grinned. "And a kidnapper."

"Copycat." Beca couldn't help but smile.

"You freed me; I freed you." The redhead leaned back against the bike. "They think The Hood took you. I mean, he did kidnap before… so it is believable."

"Brilliant," the original Hood replied. "So what do we do now?"

"Cause twice the trouble? Have twice as much fun?" Chloe's eyes twinkled. "I don't care as long as we're doing it together."

Beca walked quickly to the Chloe and pulled her in for a tight kiss. She pulled back for a moment. "You could have done anything, and you went with this?"

"You made it seem so awesome," Chloe responded with a grin.

"Well I'm a badass." Beca poked back. "You are still a newbie."

"Please, I am pretty confident about all of this." Chloe huffed and waved her hand up and down, gesturing at her outfit.

Beca kissed her again. "You definitely should be."