Cardinal Tower (Trinity Central Book #1)

Chapter 27

"Charlie Forge and Xander Donnelly, type fives whose Telum species respectively were incision and telepath." Kai's relaxed on my couch, reading another newspaper that this time he brought. He's laying down with his back to the windows as he flips through the cracking pages. "Xander's peers claimed he was talented, intelligence and ability beyond compare. Despite this, he was still somehow ranked at the bottom with aptitude scores similar to yours. Charlie reportedly disappeared after the training process. We fed the class the story about a 'special assignment' because of his excellent performance, but in reality, his whereabouts haven't been known in over a year."

"So they were in a similar situation as I was. Placed at the bottom so no one would bat an eye at their disappearances. Clever of Jacoby, I'll admit." I'm pacing between the living area and the kitchen, fixing the two of us glasses of water. "Incision and Telepath? So a cutter and a mind reader. And you're sure they're working with the Karmas?"

"Almost positive with Xander. I hear his family was threatened after he finished initiation. As for Charlie, I don't know where else he could've gone. He has no known family so there was no one for us to contact. They're both valuable type fives skilled in combat and intellect, so I have no doubt that Jacoby convinced them one way or another."

He sits up to sip his water, something calculating behind his eyes. "You're going to have to play along. Jacoby will reveal his plans in time if he believes that you're on his side." He looked up at me before continuing, a seriousness in his expression. "I need you to infiltrate the Karmas."

I think back to the amount of time I've spent avoiding the Karmas, running away from their association, and I feel the water catch in my throat.

"You can't be serious," I say. "You know my history, but they'll kill me if they find out."

"Not only is this the best option but it's the only option," he interrupts, clearly not satisfied with the circumstance himself. "You won't actually affiliate with the Karmas, you're taking them down. Your past is your past, but you work for Cardinal now. While you're under Cardinal's protection, nothing bad will happen to you." There's a touch of sympathy in his eyes, and I'm not sure which one of us he's trying to convince.

I sit down for a moment, countless thoughts running through my head. I want to believe him, but I know better than that. I'm not in a position where I can refuse his requests, and he's right, this is the only option. After a few more minutes of mulling it over, I let out a sigh. "You owe me, Blaire."

He lets out a chuckle and what almost looks like a smile. I'm not sure when, but some time along our secret rendezvous and mutual respect created from need, the hatred in his eyes and in my own slowly started to fade. I can't exactly say we're friends, but I can say I don't feel the same way I did when I first came to Cardinal Tower. 

His laxed expression doesn't last long before it's replaced again with a stern one. "Considering Jacoby will keep you under constant surveillance, I think our best bet at information is finding it before your specialized training starts next week." He leans over, thinking about something quizzically, "You were a Karma, was there any sort of facility that might harbor anything of importance?"

"I quit two years ago." Though a frivolous detail, I make sure to point it out before answering his question. "I didn't know anything about a secret rebellion uprising, so I'm not sure how reliable my sources will be. I can still probably access the Tetra Karma camp, though. But that's it at the moment." That is, if the rundown fruit stand is still there.

"I'm sure there's probably some information on the rebels somewhere there, we just need to get inside." He looks at me with a pleading expression. His bottom lip quivering and his two oceans of blue drowning me. Going back to my Karma base could mean suicide. Forcing my way back into the worst years of my life as though I've finally succumbed to Stockholm syndrome.