Chapter 10

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"You were spying on me?!"

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"You were spying on me?!"

"Kind of..." Chester shrugs, feigning indifference. "But please know that we didn't use it to crash your privacy, yeah? We attached it in your house to keep track of your safety."

"That was still inappropriate, dude! What if I'm doing something...let's say, private? Don't you think you guys are intruding my personal space?" I complain with a frustrated tone. Still clueless on how to reconcile the fact that a handful pair of eyes has been observing every move that I make.

Chester seems to understand what I'm trying to imply. He bobs his head, his appalled face crawls into an errant smirk, winking at me afterwards. “Yeah. Sometimes boys do stupid stuff when they're alone. I totally get you, mate. That's pretty normal."

"No! " I shriek. "I mean, yes, sort of, but no, that's not my main point."

Alynne stands up from her spot and cleans the mess on the table, stacking our plates before stowing it in the sink. She retorts, “It's not like you were in a reality show. No, we did not watch you for entertainment, Cole, rather it's for your security."

"Okay, point taken but how did you even enter my house without getting detected?"

Chester lifts a finger at Morgana in the same way a spoiled kid would be pointing at their siblings who happen to commit something wrong. What an upfront reaction. Morgana doesn't deny it though, she shows off her calm composure instead. It turns out, the device that Chester has been fixing early this morning is the same device that they've planted in my house. A nearly undetectable surveillance cam. That’s what it is.

"You remember the day that you stole a pod?" Morgana asks with a rough, nasal voice. "I knocked at your door and told you to immediately present yourself in the place of execution–which you actually did. That's when I sneak up a camera on your property."

"That was you? I thought it's my neighbor,"

"Tell us, when was the last time you got out of your cave? For all I know, you live in a sector where all the settlements are occupied by males." She spits back, staggering my body with her words. I have completely forgotten about that.

Moron, you're a moron, Cole, the voices in my head acting up again.

"When the Officials came back to capture me, was that also you who came banging on my door?" I remember that day, the turmoil of emotions. Panic is above it all. If it isn’t for that voice, I wouldn't have been able to snap myself back to my senses.

"Yup, that was her," Alynne interjects, "When you saw the tracking device in that pod, we saw it too. We sent Morgana to help you out while Chester and I were thinking of a plan."

"We exchanged your bags! The genius sitting in front of you suggested that it would be the best plan," Chester joyfully blurts out. A swish of awe and disbelief protrude through my head, my mind is in shreds now. Unbelievable,  but not impossible. How can these mere defectives have the guts to commence this kind of action? Taking a risk to expose themselves in the field to rescue someone they barely know? Pathetic. I wouldn’t have done that if I were in their shoes. Thankfully I wasn’t. Their  selfless act has saved my life  and I deeply appreciate it.

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