"You aren't Ben," she said. The visage of her friend recoiled, then melted back. Nell's hand, still jammed deep in her pocket, activated the GPS chip. She turned tail and ran as fast as she could to give the impression that she meant to escape. She could only run so fast--everything hurt from being beaten.
Then her jumpsuit collar was grabbed from behind and she choked for a second before she was hauled back by none other than Seer. She didn't know precisely how she knew it was him, but sometimes one could just tell. His mouth was twisted into a beastly snarl, but she was able to take in his entire face.
She decided he was at least in his forties, based both upon the wrinkles around his eyes and the flecks of gray in his dark brown hair. His eyes were a dirty blue that went almost to hazel. She recognized him well (although she could not place where she had seen him), and a smile hit her lips just as he spun her around to grab her lapels.
"What's so funny, Fixer?" He demanded.
"First time I've seen your real face. I know you from somewhere," she taunted.
"I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours," he said, singsong. The way he was holding her now was awkward. She could have broken his grip, but that would mean falling to the ground and becoming even more prone. The way he was looking at her made her think that would be a very bad idea.
She replied as coolly as possible, "My name is Fixer, and yours is Seer."
The lines in his face deepened, and he wrenched her up to her feet just in time for an armored van to pull up. The doors of the back flew open, and a hundred--it seemed--hands flew out and grabbed her all at once to pull her in. Everyone wore black, and she had the absurd impression that she was being pulled into a black hole. When the van's doors closed behind her, leaving Seer on the outside, she knew she had passed the event horizon.
Then her jumpsuit collar was grabbed from behind and she choked for a second before she was hauled back by none other than Seer. She didn't know precisely how she knew it was him, but sometimes one could just tell. His mouth was twisted into a beastly snarl, but she was able to take in his entire face.
She decided he was at least in his forties, based both upon the wrinkles around his eyes and the flecks of gray in his dark brown hair. His eyes were a dirty blue that went almost to hazel. She recognized him well (although she could not place where she had seen him), and a smile hit her lips just as he spun her around to grab her lapels.
"What's so funny, Fixer?" He demanded.
"First time I've seen your real face. I know you from somewhere," she taunted.
"I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours," he said, singsong. The way he was holding her now was awkward. She could have broken his grip, but that would mean falling to the ground and becoming even more prone. The way he was looking at her made her think that would be a very bad idea.
She replied as coolly as possible, "My name is Fixer, and yours is Seer."
The lines in his face deepened, and he wrenched her up to her feet just in time for an armored van to pull up. The doors of the back flew open, and a hundred--it seemed--hands flew out and grabbed her all at once to pull her in. Everyone wore black, and she had the absurd impression that she was being pulled into a black hole. When the van's doors closed behind her, leaving Seer on the outside, she knew she had passed the event horizon.
