Project HALO

Chapter 42

My fingernails bite into my palms as I wait for her reply.

Every second is an eternity.

Regina's cheeks redden underneath her orange bronzer. She avoids my stare, so I get up, placing my shaking hands on her perfectly polished desk.

"Why?"

She opens her mouth to talk, then closes it again, a blank look appearing on her face.

I reach over and rip the cup from her cold fingers, throwing it against the wall behind her, crushing it into the million pieces to match my heart. The sound makes her flinch, and finally, she looks at me.

"Sit down or I'll have to call the guards," is all she says.

My anger takes control, and I grab her keyboard, ripping the chord between it and the computer, flinging it to the floor. I want to scare her, to show her that this is not okay, this is as far from okay as you can possibly get.

Bubbles of rage burst from my mouth.

"My mom was innocent. She didn't deserve to die because you were too stupid to convince my father. It's not her fault that you're bad at your job."

I throw a cup full of pens across the room, sending them clattering along the hardwood floor.

"It's not her fault your son died!"

A notebook crashes against a window.

"You won't get him back no matter how many chips you make or how many people you kill, don't you understand?"

With a final swipe of the desk, I yell, "They're never coming back!"

My voice cracks at the end, and I clamp my mouth shut, furious at myself for showing this much weakness in front of Regina.

"I'm sorry," she says, and for a second, I almost believe her. But I know she doesn't mean it. What she's done makes her a monster, and monsters don't get to be sorry. Monsters don't get to be forgiven. They must burn with what they've done.

"Fuck you," I snarl.

Before she can say more, the door bursts open, and two Detectors storm in.

I turn around and kick the chair toward them, but it's so heavy it only falls to the floor, not even grazing them.

"Are you okay, Mrs. Bielli?"

The largest Detector grabs my arm, clamping around it so hard a whimper almost escapes my throat. I bite it back and try to jerk myself free, but he's taller than me and probably eighty pounds heavier. He doesn't even struggle to hold me in place.

Regina waves at the Detectors. She has the gall to smile. It's like our conversation never happened. Like she didn't just admit to being behind one of Norway's biggest terror attacks.

"Keep your eyes on him," she says. "I have to cancel a meeting, but I'll be back in a few."

"What does that mean?" I demand. "Let me go."

Regina rises from her chair and folds her son's blanket neatly away. She steps over the broken pieces of glass and stops in front of me.

"There's been some changes to our previous agreement. I've decided it's best to keep you here."

"What? Why?" My body prickles with nerves, and my hands want to clasp around her throat to stop more lies and threats escaping her mouth.

She puts a hand on the nape of my neck, covering the biochip. Then she leans in, her blue eyes boring into mine. Every cell in my body screams to twist away from her hand, but I don't waver. I don't even blink.