Enhancement

- - 53 - -

"Don't do it," Stephen mumbles under his breath. His gaze stronger than I thought it would be, and I can't look away from him. "Holland, don't do it."

My eyes flicker towards the door to the cafe's kitchen. Tanner will be back at any moment, and I've got to decide what I want to do: confront him or avoid him. Or maybe wait for him to say something first?

The stakes are too high. The Equinox Team is probably watching our every move. One wrong step, and the Enhancement Project in our bodies will take over again. We'll be robots, robbed of the ability to move our own limbs. I'm sure of it. Even the Project itself showed me video of Delphin and the rebels with bags over their heads... so how is Tanner even alive?

I look at Stephen and nod carefully. I'm not about to make the same mistake twice, not again. The last time I approached someone I wasn't supposed to, I killed my mom.

I bite on my lip, wrapping my hands around the NutriShake. My foot begins tapping on the floor again, not anxious to meet Tanner but anxious to calm down. I can feel the tears behind my eyes. There's no way I'm about to show them right now. Mom would understand.

"Thank you," I whisper across the table. Stephen nods his head, relaxing his arms onto the table. Out of the corners of our eyes, we watch Tanner enter the dining area again. He passes by our table, pausing but moving on.

I clear my mind of everything, mostly because I feel my emotions losing control. First the Project, then the rebellion, now the Equinox. It's all interconnected, like Stephen and I are still locked in our cells. Only this time, Tanner is proof that there's no hope of fighting back. We have to take what we can get, which isn't much.

I take a sip of my NutriShake. How on Earth did I live 18 years like this? Didn't I ever see something wrong?

"Tomorrow morning," Stephen says, shattering my thoughts. I peer up at him from my drink, my teeth clinging and letting go of my lip. The urge to cry is gone now.

"Tomorrow morning?" I ask, my voice flat.

"Yeah, the second task. Do you think it'll be the similar?"

I sigh. "I hope not... too violent for me."

Stephen nods, taking a drink. His nose crinkles, almost out of disgust. "Maybe it has to do with those boxes. Did you manage to hang onto one?"

"Yeah. I hope it was worth it..." I drawl out. We both know what I would say in the blank I leave: was the box a fair trade for watching someone die?

Stephen shrugs his shoulders. "I wonder what's in it. A surprise or a curse, you know."

I scoff so quietly Stephen doesn't hear it. "An Equinox surprise I bet."

A few moments become silent between us as the dull hum of conversations enters our ears. I wouldn't call it a relaxing silence between us. More like an eery one, an unsettled one.

"Sir, ma'am," a voice announces. My body jumps towards the source. Tanner slides two glasses onto our table. "Refills?"

"Uh, um. S-Sure," I say. My tongue simply can't help it. Not only did Tanner startle the daylight out of me, but the amount of danger at our table is terrifying.

Tanner begins to pour the drinks, holding the pitcher in his left hand. A second before it happens, I've already predicted it.

The glass slides out of Tanner's hand, the NutriShake landing right in my lap. Sticky liquid soaks my clothing as I gasp. My body rises, pushing my chair away from the table.

"Oh, ma'am, I apologize!" Tanner says. "I'm so sorry. Here, come with me, I'll lead you to the restroom."

My hands hover in a mock-surrender as the NutriShake liquid crawls down my front. I look at Stephen for help, but he's just as shocked as I am.

Speechless, I allow Tanner to pull me towards the bathroom. He grabs a towel from a nearby counter, forcing it into my hands.

"This is already damp, so you don't have to wet it under the sink. Just hop into a bathroom stall," Tanner says. "For privacy. You don't want customers watching you. It can get pretty crowded."

Still very confused, I nod. Tanner taps on the bathroom door, and it slides open. He gives me a subtle nod and disappears, turning to enter the dining area again.

The NutriShake on my legs begins to turn sticky. Following Tanner's directions, I enter the bathroom. Six stalls stare back at me, each pair a different color: white, gray, or black. My shoes lead me into the gray-colored one. After all, that's where I should be.

The stall door clicks behind me as I take a seat on the edge of the gray sink. Turning the ugly stain into a mess of water, I unfold the towel to use the other side. Just as I do so, a note written on the back of a food label catches my eye.

Startled, I nearly lose my balance and fall of the sink's edge. Though I manage to hang on, adrenaline is flying through my veins. My hands shake as I uncrinkle the message:

I'M HERE FOR A REASON. I NEEDED TO DELIVER THIS MESSAGE TO YOU IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT TELL ANYONE WHAT I'M ABOUT TO WRITE, NOT EVEN STEPHEN. HE'LL RECEIVE THIS EXACT MESSAGE AT A SAFER TIME.

AFTER THE SCREENERS LEFT POD 14, COMMANDER LIAD FOLLOWED YOUR LOCATIONS. THE GOOD NEWS IS WE FOUND THE LOCATION OF THE PROJECT. THE BAD NEWS IS COMMANDER LIAD WAS MOVED TO MONITOR A DIFFERENT POD.

LEADERSHIP AT POD 14 HAS CHANGED. HALF OF US HAVE DISAPPEARED, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE EVERYONE IS GOING. THOUGH THE REMAINING REBELS AT POD 14 ARE ALL BEATEN DOWN AND POWERLESS, WE STILL HAVE OUR CAUSE. IT'S NOT OVER YET.

STAY HOPEFUL. IT'S NOT OVER YET.

-TANNER...

PS: I DON'T WORK AT THIS RESTAURANT.

-- -- -- -- --

intense chapter once again! i really enjoyed writing this. i've been collaborating with @neoncherrymagic to make the upcoming equinox surprise amazing.

wait was the winning word. i figured it would after all ;)

oh, and by the way! over this past weekend, my mom's friends taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow! i was really good at it, and i enjoyed it so much. i can't wait to keep shooting and get my hands on that bow again. it was truly a great experience! i'll probably attach a picture to this chapter, too.

Question: choose a phrase: see a clue, see a crime, see another familiar face.