Salvage

Twelve - Part 1

November Eighteenth

What a fucking mess. Writing this report as I await Ms. Miller's return to consciousness. Against my better judgment, and despite the security lockdown, I followed Agent Remington's advice and allowed W12 to return, escorted, to speak with Ms. Miller. I believe this was the lapse that allowed this incident to occur, and I will be following Agent R's oh-so-confident recommendations with much more caution in the future.

As I understand it, W12 and Agent R arrived at Ms. Miller's home, and she suggested going for a walk to a dog park. Her suggestion of the location was the first point of suspicion. They walked ahead of Agent R., who remained at a 'respectful' (read unsafe) distance. Once reaching the park, Agent R. lost sight of W12 and Ms. Miller, the second point of suspicion. He was then attacked by the first perp, who he was able to handle with ease. He then ran to the scene, and found W12 unconscious, and Ms. Miller facing down the barrel of a gun. First taking out the immediate threat, he eliminated the second perp. He managed to talk the third down, Josie Lawrence, an agent he used to work with apparently, and took her captive. Suspecting Ms. Miller's betrayal in the moment, and with the prime directive of care for our Subject Group, Agent R made judgment call to knock out Ms. Miller until she could be evaluated in a secure environment.

Of course, W12 has been adamant in his insistence that the whole affair is his own fault. He is extremely angry with Agent R., and is irrational, insisting we release Ms. Miller. I keep telling him she's not imprisoned, only sleeping off a drug, but he is not placated. He confided to me that he lost Agent R. in the park deliberately, eliminating Ms. Miller's main point of suspicion. Due to the extensive background checks, I now believe Ms. Miller to be, at least as far as hard evidence is concerned, innocent.

W12 is unduly attached to her. W13 has told me he dreams of her. W12 has already confided far too much in Ms. Miller. It will be extremely difficult to explain away the attack that occurred and her subsequent assault by Agent R. without telling at least a portion of the truth. For these reasons, I have determined that the best course of action is to bring Ms. Miller in on the relevant details of this situation. I will have her sign all the necessary confidentiality documents.

In the meantime, Group W grows rowdy in their secure confines. We are all hoping Corporate manages to get something from that Josie bitch soon so we can resume attempts at normality.

"What? Wait, no. I..." Aurora stammered, but that was all she managed before the door swept open, the breeze sending papers swirling from Jane's desk.

"You said she'd be awake already." It was Adam, fist thrust into his pocket, a sullen look on his face. The last word had barely left his mouth before his gaze lit on Aurora, and his eyes widened, then lit up in a bright smile that encompassed his whole face. "You're all right. You're all right?"

"She's fine, as it happens we were in the middle of a confidential briefing." Jane gave him a stern look that he completely ignored.

"I am fine," Aurora agreed quietly. "I mean, I am. But this is a lot to take in."

"I know. I know, it's crazy. I'm so sorry. About everything, it was my fault, I was being an idiot."

"Your fault... You were unconscious, and someone was kidnapping you," Aurora pointed out. She felt strangely calm. Her youth had been so full of change, constant uprooting, never calling any place home, adjusting to new strangers' rules and dictations. She'd never had to deal with anything this crazy, but she felt that same blanket of floaty calm settle around her. Whatever Adam or Jane had said that might be crazy, it was clear that somebody was taking it seriously. Therefore, so should she.

"Adam. I know you're upset, but I have a few words to say to Ms. Miller." Jane's voice was patient, but something in her eyes brooked no refusal.

Adam ground his teeth. "I'll be waiting just outside."

The papers already on the floor fluttered another few feet as the door slammed open and closed once more. Jane waited until he was gone, then turned back with a pained wince.

"Apologies. He's... passionate."

"What did you want to say?" Aurora asked tiredly. There was just something about Jane she couldn't handle right now. It felt like every word was rubbing her last nerve the wrong way.

"Here's the situation, Ms. Miller. I've told you the basic details, enough for you to make an informed decision. From this point forward, you're either in, or you're out. Adam wants you in. I personally don't give a shit."

Aurora stared at Jane's placid features. "What?"

"If you're in, you know the story. Knowledge is dangerous. But you get to be friends with Adam, even live with him if you wish. If you're out... Well, you never see or interact with any of us again." Jane crossed her arms. "So?"

Aurora's brain was still swimming with drugs, with the whiplash of events. But one thing was clear in her mind. She wasn't ready to say goodbye to Adam for good. She had too many questions. "Fine. I'm in, I guess."

Jane raised her brows. "Very well. Then I need you to read over these documents and sign them, in order to protect everyone you're about to meet." She extended a clipboard with a few papers on it, and highlighted lines. "Welcome to Subject Group W."

"What? You named them in a group? Like they're still experiments? I thought you were saving them from that crap."

"They wanted to keep it," Jane replied calmly. "As a code name. We cater to their whims as well as we can, when they do no harm."

"Oh." Aurora reached out and took the clipboard, then sat down on the couch. "I don't sign anything without reading it."

"By my guest." Jane gave a bland smile and took a seat behind her desk, bending and gathering up the scattered papers.

Aurora pinched the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger. It was difficult to focus, her brain still felt distant and fuzzy. She stared hard at the paper, forcing the words into her brain. It was all as expected. If she ever thought about breathing any sort of syllable of any sort of knowledge she might acquire of any of the individuals listed, or the circumstances surrounding them, she would face the full wrath of the United States government. There was a long list of names, over thirty in total, and she only recognized a few. Adam, Daniel, Chinook, Cece, even Jane and Jamison were on there.

At the very end there was also a small disclaimer stating that she wouldn't sue anybody for being attacked by Jamison. By the time she had struggled through the pages of legalese, she didn't really care, she was just ready to sign. Her head was pounding, but she felt confident she wasn't giving away any rights she'd regret. She put down her name with a flourish, then planted the clipboard on Jane's desk.

"Well? What now?"

"You're probably hungry. Thirsty. Tired. Do you want to rest now?"

Aurora remembered Adam's face, his frantic desire to check on her well being, make sure she was okay. "I should go say hello to people."

"All right. I'll be in my office if anyone inevitably needs me." For just a moment, Jane looked tired and human and exasperated. Then the cool facade was back, and she nodded to the door. "See yourself out."

Aurora shook her head and looked around, spotting her jacket hanging on the overstuffed hook by the door. She snatched it, checked the pockets to make sure she had everything she'd left her hotel with, and exited the room.

The door opened into a hallway, the office she was leaving being the room at the very end. The hallway was long, carpeted in a shaggy brown carpet, and there were toys and books scattered here and there up the length of the hallway. Adam's sturdy figure was there, leaning against one of the doors with his boot propped up, arms crossed. He turned his head when she stepped out, and that same relieved smile broke out once more. He pushed away from the door and straightened to face her. He opened his mouth to say something, then hesitated uncertainly.

"I signed the papers. I'm all part of the cult, now," Aurora said. "So you can tell me all your secrets."