“Better yet, why wait until the moment he did? He could have snapped those standard cuffs in half at any time, so why make a move so late in the interrogation? He barely put up a struggle at all when my men brought him in,” Hale thinks aloud.
“Do you think this has something to do with Araya?” Clay asks softly, and now it’s apparent they don’t realize I’m in the room.
“This evolvement here is a passage for the virus, but it’s connected to a nerve that stems straight to the brain. It’s true they can infect, and they can decide who to infect,” Dr. Elton adds while pointing to an exposed tube in the man’s severed throat.
“Fuck,” Hale sighs out, and then he looks to Clay.
“This has to stay confidential. Only the heads of the United should know, and we have to call Brazen as well,” Clay says to Hale, and now I’m feeling rather out of sorts.
Fuck. I’m not a head in the United, and I just heard this shit.
I start to creep out, and I feel the eyes burning against me when the tile squeaks under my sliding shoe.
“Araya,” Clay murmurs disappointedly.
“It’s my fault. I asked her to come down before I knew of this,” Hale interjects in my defense.
“It’s fine,” Clay sighs out. “She is one person outside the heads I trust, but I’d prefer it if no one else knows that she knows.”
I nod rapidly to answer his silent request, and Hale motions for me to join him as he pulls out his phone. He waits impatiently on the line, but he doesn’t hear anything.
“There’s a type of sand on his shoes that can only be found in the old deserts of Salan. The grass there dried up centuries ago before turning to dust, but it still leaves a fingerprint. You’ll probably want to suggest they start looking there due to the amount I found,” Dr. Elton instructs, and Hale offers a nod.
“No answer,” he grumbles.
“I think it’s fairly obvious why he wouldn’t answer,” Clay murmurs, his eyes pointing to me, and he begins dialing.
“Not answering you either?” Hale snarks when Clay doesn’t have any better luck, and then he dials another number.
“General Hampton,” a gruff voice answers.
“General Hampton, this is Commander Jude. I’m trying to reach Captain Mordel and the others, but I’ve been unsuccessful.”
“Sorry Commander, but he has been instructed to go on silent stalk in case prying ears. He most likely doesn’t even have his phone turned on right now, along with the rest of the unit.”
Clay hangs up the phone shaking his head.
“We need to get them to Salan. Araya, would you try?” he asks hopefully, and Hale’s jaw tenses at the mentioning of it.
I sigh as I stare at the expectant face of Clay and the dreaded look of distaste bore on Hale’s face.
“First of all, you heard the general. He probably doesn’t have it turned on,” I grouse. “Secondly, he’s not going to break orders just to answer me,” I grumble.
Considering we were still together when he kept his location and mission for two months a secret due to orders.
“His phone isn’t off, and I think it’s more than likely because he’s hoping you’ll call,” Clay murmurs without any regard to the awkward situation he’s provoking. “Just try, that’s an order,” he says with seriousness.
“Fine,” I huff, and I pull out my new phone to take a chance.
I don’t know if I want him to answer or not. He needs to go to Salan, but we don’t know enough about what we’re facing. Such blindness could lead to him getting hurt. I also don’t want him to answer, because if he does, then Hale is going to really be pissed.
The phone rings until it hits voicemail, and his sweet voice on the other line is almost unbearable. I almost sigh in relief when I end the call, and Clay tightens his lips while leaning over the science project that used to be a man.
“Damn it. I really thought he would answer for you,” Clay grumbles, and I can see relief on Hale’s face.
My phone starts buzzing in my hand, and they both look at me as I stare at the screen. I cringe when I see the name I wasn’t expecting, and I answer while turning my back on the different gazes they’re giving me.
“Hey,” I breathe out casually, and I hear a sigh of relief on the other end.
