Project HALO

Chapter 24

"This won't take long," Maya says and sits down where Frank sat earlier.

I notice a beauty spot on her right cheekbone now that she's closer. Her lips are perfectly heart-shaped, but I try my best not to stare. Instead, I focus on the bandage as she rolls pieces around my arms, the perfect white soaking up the dark red. It hurts a little when she tightens the bandages, but it's nothing compared to the previous stings.

"How do you know all this stuff?" I ask her, trying to think about other things than her lips or her sweet scent or the fact that I can look right down her cleavage when she leans forward. Her warm brown eyes meet mine for a second and my whole face heats up.

"I'm a first-year medical student," she says, "I'll be starting my second year this fall."

"Cool," I say, intently fixing my gaze on the wall behind her, cursing at myself and my stupid hormones. Her fingers on my arms don't help with my concentration. Her hands are soft and warm against my skin, as if she is the healing property herself. She is calm. No matter how many times I flinch, she doesn't budge. She'll be the perfect doctor.

I listen to Mikey and Frank joke on the other side of the nook. Maya is way more silent than Frank, who seems to talk non-stop. I'm not used to get to know people like this, but I want to know Maya better. To know what her part in Phantom is.

So I ask the obvious, "How did you get involved? With Phantom, I mean."

I've heard Frank and Will's reasoning, but all the members must have their own personal reasons for joining. Maybe their thoughts can help me make up my own.

"Well, I was a nerdy kid. I am a nerdy kid." She glances up at me with a half-smile. "And I was obsessed with debunking conspiracy theories. One day I stumbled upon Phantom. Of course. Phantom was still pretty new back then, but the name continued to pop up, and eventually I began to research them. They were the ultimate group to debunk, right? But to my surprise, I found that a lot of what they were saying was true. Scarily true. I was around fifteen when I decided to join. I already knew the basics of hacking and coding, and they helped me improve my skills to new levels. Now I'm one of their best hackers." A small smirk curves her round cheek. "That's what I like most about Phantom. We want to educate and help people. And we always have each other's backs."

She fastens the bandage around my arms with one last tug and rolls the leftovers together. "I know Phantom is portrayed in the media as the big bad wolf that bites after anyone who disagrees, but that's just a tactic they use to discredit us. We never go after people who don't deserve it. But if you've only heard of us on the news, I can understand why you're skeptical. I was too, but I want you to know that we will protect you. You're here now, whether you like it or not, and we have your back."

I don't think anyone's ever said that to me before. Me? Protected? That's a more alien concept to me than Frank's favorite movie. Yet, her words reach an unfamiliar place in my chest, warming it a little. Phantom saved me and Mikey from the Detectors, they work with Malcolm, they uncuffed us, they actually answered my questions, they are tending to our wounds, and now Maya says they'll protect me. My gut tells me they're honest, that they're telling me everything they know, but I'm still suffering from the after-effects of being drugged, so what do I know. I don't trust them, but it does feel nice and almost secure here.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think we were helping people," she continues. "I wasn't as involved at the start, actually. I was working on the sidelines before Malcolm shared his invention with us. Everything changed after that."

"Why?" I ask and stroke my clean bandages. The wounds throb underneath, but the painkillers block the worst of it. I wish I could go to sleep, but I force myself to pay attention to Maya. Now that she's mentioned Malcolm, she might tell me something helpful.