the ultimatum ↬ elliot alderson ✔

<m4sked10.pif>

<PRESENT DAY>

Krista knows I've hacked her now. But not just her. Michael Hansen, or Lennie Shannon, too. I know she won't tell anyone. She can't. Her job would be on the line. 

There it is again, the invisible hand that controls us. We'd rather see injustice than lose our jobs, our flow of money. I know I should have gone softer on her because that's just the way she would have handled it better. 

Krista thinks her and Michael Hansen were in love. She had no idea he was married and had several infidelities with escorts. This was her breaking point. 

I know it was. 

After her divorce, she struggled trusting someone. Now that she had, I broke that. 

I open the door to my apartment. Flipper meets me with her usual bark. But Dawn is also there. She's crying, but she runs into my arms. I hesitate before hugging her back, although I'm starting to get used to touching her. 

"Thank God you're okay," she says, wiping her tears on the back of her sleeve. She's been crying for a while now. "You have no idea how worried I was. I can't live like this, El." 

"I'm sorry," I say, gazing at my beaten down shoes. 

"I know you don't want us to be together. I'm really trying to let you have your space. But it's hard," she says, her eyes meeting mine. She brushes my jawline up to my lips. I've missed her. 

"I know you're trying," I say, cupping her cheeks. She jumps for a fraction of a second, barely even noticeable, but I noticed it. It's been months since I held her this way. 

"We need to talk about the witness," she says, lowering her gaze. I know she wants more than what I'm giving her, but I'm not mentally stable to be with her. 

"I don't want to talk about it," I say, lifting her chin up with my finger. I trust no one in this world, except her. I trust her more than Darlene and she's my sister. 

"You can tell me. We've known each other for years, El," she says, leaning towards me slowly. 

I suddenly process what she's said. I back away. 

Have I known Dawn for years? 

No, she was added to fsociety a year ago. I met her through Darlene. She worked for Superannuation and she stopped the hack I set up there. 

"What's wrong?" she says, dropping her arms from around my neck. 

"For years?" I ask, my head spinning. "But you were added to fsociety. Darlene added you."

"Fsociety was your idea, El," Dawn says. Was it? 

I remember Darlene told me months ago about it; that was the first time I heard the name. 

Shit. My mind is running in circles now. I recall Krista mentioning fsociety months ago. After Shayla died. Dawn's right. I made fsociety. 

I'm the piece that holds them all together. 

"I thought it was Darlene's idea," I say, walking over to the kitchen sink. I grab a glass of water. Maybe I need a drink. I hear Dawn walk over to me, but she just stands next to me without saying anything. 

"Your memory has been fading. You really need to see a doctor," she says, fear in her tone. "Where were you these past days? You haven't come home."

"You were in my apartment?" I ask, puzzled. The only thing I remember is that night at Tyrell's house. His wife, Joanna Wellick, was there. She was with his child, rocking her to sleep.