Page 56 of Fearless

Today she would begin working for Kingsley. She had woken this morning from the first good sleep she’d had in days. The knowledge that Sean was safe, that he had somehow managed to contact OZ for help, had given her an incredible peace. Her family, her loved ones, her friends were safe. That had been her biggest concern. Now that she was assured of their well-being, she could concentrate on her mission.

Her new work area was impressive, if a little bleak. She had walked into the large room this morning, with Kingsley at her side. His smug smile had told her before he’d even opened the door that he was sure she was going to be impressed. Five monitors sat in a semicircle in the middle of the room. Three whiteboards occupied one corner. Three large screens hung from the opposite wall. A small kitchenette, with a coffeemaker, small fridge, and a microwave, took up another corner. As work areas went, it was sufficient to do the job.

She didn’t tell the man that her offices at Option Zero were much better. Not only did she have just as many monitors, the intel office at OZ had been designed to be both efficient and aesthetically pleasing. This room was cold and all utilitarian. No plants, no paintings on the walls, no family pictures at workstations. No personality.

None of that mattered, though. She wasn’t here to enjoy herself or make herself at home. She was here to bring down a rotten organization from the inside.

“Since you are still on a probation period,” Kingsley said, “you’ll have no one to work with yet. Once I’m convinced of your commitment to the cause, you’ll be given a team to direct.”

She sincerely hoped she could fulfill her mission before she convinced him of such a thing. Controlling the intel she fed Kingsley would be much easier without anyone else involved. Adding other people would loosen the bonds of her control.

Instead of showing him that worry, she nodded and said, “I’ll do my best.”

Seeming pleased, he asked, “Did you enjoy your workout at the gym this morning?”

“Yes. You have a beautiful facility.” And it was. The gym was first class, the pool perfect for her morning laps, and the sauna ideal for end-of-day relaxation. If she didn’t know better, she would think she was in a five-star resort. Every amenity was provided, excellent food was served, and based upon the theater and game room she’d passed on the way back from the gym, entertainment could be had at the flip of a switch or click of a button. The only payment required was total compliance. Which was what she would give until she either had what she needed, or she could no longer comply.

The thought led her to say, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course you can. You’re one of us now.”

She quelled the shudder that went through her. She was in no way one of them.

“How many people live here?”

“That’s actually not an easy answer. We are constantly moving people around, giving them new opportunities to serve. But on average, I would say we have around seventy.”

“How many are here of their own free will?”

The instantaneous look of disapproval told her she’d said the wrong thing. “I have to say, Serena, I’m surprised at that question. Everyone, just as you have, has accepted the invitation to stay here and work.”

“Coercion does not exactly lead to free will,” she said dryly.

“No. But an agreement between two parties, freely given, is free will. You do recognize the difference, don’t you?”

Suppressing the need to roll her eyes, she said, “Yes, of course. I just wondered how many were brought here.”

Kingsley shrugged. “I don’t keep count of something like that.”

That wasn’t the answer she had been looking for, but it gave her a clearer insight into how to handle Kingsley. He was a liar and all about playacting, as if all of this were normal.

“Very well. What do I need to do today?”

Apparently eager to get her started, he strode to the desk and picked up a binder. “Here are your assignments for the week. Each week, you’ll get new ones. You can finish your assignments as quickly or as slowly as you like, as long as you finish them by the appointed deadline.”

She stepped over to the desk and quickly read the first page. Interestingly enough, it was a relatively small business in Brazil called Bright One. She’d heard of it only because her research had linked it to the Wren Project. The founder, Davis Bright, was a thirty-three-year-old multimillionaire who’d shot to fame with numerous innovative start-up businesses.

Her assignment was to hack into the mainframe of Bright One and download the last five years of their research and trials of cloning an endangered fish.

Not much surprised her anymore, but hacking into a company to get the intel they had on an endangered fish might be one of the oddest things she had done.

“And once I download the intel, what do I do?”

“I want you to dissect the intel and determine the identity of each scientist and what each of them has contributed to the study.”

It took very little extrapolation to understand the reason for this assignment. Kingsley was looking for his next “guest.”

“Once you’re finished, you’re free for the day. Weather forecast shows a lovely, warm day, so a day of sunshine at the pool sounds like the perfect way to enjoy yourself.”