Evolution - The Oasis Project Book 3

Two - Ira

"Ira, don't!" Stuart yelled through my haze. "Put the gun down. You don't want to shoot them." He sounded calmer now, soothing me. I hadn't even noticed that I'd drawn the gun as a reflex, and I was aiming it between Anaba's brows.

I clicked the safety back on and sat back down, shaking my head. "Fuck," I drew out the breathy word. "I'm so sorry."

Neither Mato or Anaba said a word.

"Sorry about that," Stuart said. "You're safe here. They don't know where you are."

Mato gave his sister a scrutinizing look, but Anaba said what was on her mind anyway. "Excuse me, you expect us to feel safe cable-tied in a room full of strangers, one of them who almost just shot me?"

My head was about to explode and I screwed my eyes shut. I really should have just gone to bed.

"Not really strangers," Yulian spoke up. "I am Three in Russia, Ira is One in China, my friend Stuart doesn't have a number. Sorry. Hello." I opened my eyes in time to see him give the twins a little wave. It would have been awkward if someone else did it.

"What is going on?" Mato asked, less aggressive than his twin. "Three? One? What have we done?"

"We got you out," Four declared from the stairs. "Simple. You are free."

󠁌♟♙♟♙

Freedom, as it turned out, was not as simple. Four only gave the twins freedom to march to the meeting room, and she shut the door hastily behind her as soon as they were inside. The sun was falling into the night again, and I stuck to my original plan of sleeping - napping for at least an hour or two. If I dreamed of anything gruesome, I didn't remember it when I was woken up by a loud argument downstairs.

"You people are the reason we exist!" I wasn't sure what I expected Alessia's voice to be like, but I didn't imagine it would be this piercing. "You call us nobodies, unstable, sick, and you are deluded enough to think that we need saving. You do."

"Just stop wasting our time," the tall guy, Trevor, added. He didn't sound like he'd completely woken up, but he was sitting up just like Alessia and he looked little more than a weapon.

"We-" Stuart began.

"That's enough." I made my presence clear, straightening my back as I strode to where they all were. "Enough from all of you. Doctor Neville, I think they pass. For now."

Stuart gave me a puzzled look before it was replaced by one of comprehension. "Good. I think so too."

"Four, Five, my name is Ira. I am your new One." I stared hard at each of them in the eyes. "This is Doctor Neville and Doctor Madiev." I almost choked when I accidentally named Yulian a doctor, but we did need another medical figure. I hoped to every god in this world that he had some scientific knowledge and was a good enough actor. I hoped that I was a convincing actor myself.

The introductions seemed to calm the two down. "Where are we?" Trevor asked. "Why are we here?"

"A few weeks ago, the Oasis Project found that they had several moles in their staffing," I let whatever story that came to mind tumble over my teeth. "They'd been feeding incorrect information to the recruits in an attempt to brainwash them for their own agenda, and they were smuggling information out to opposition groups. A number of them were at Site Two, Alaska."

Trevor looked shocked, but Alessia's expression was hard to read. Her untamed brown hair hung around her oval face like she had been struck by electricity. I knew it would have to take more to convince her.

"You are here because Oasis heard about these traitors coming together and planning to destroy Site Two and everyone involved. We were almost too late." I watched their curious faces closely as I continued to twist a memory that haunted me. "We lost Nazem and Bryce when we tried to relocate the recruits to protect them from this threat. But you made it to the safehouse. You'll stay here until there are further relocation plans."

"While you're here, Oasis will also conduct a thorough investigation of the breach of security," Stuart added in his level therapist voice. "You are asked to assist in any way possible."

I nodded towards Four's meeting room, which Stuart and Yulian seemed to understand. I was glad that the two people who knew me best were in the room when I made up my act.

As I walked away from the scene, leaving the two men to do whatever they saw fit with Alessia and Trevor, I heard a small groan. Shit. "Ira!" Yulian called out. It was exactly what I thought it was.

Linkin pushed herself up onto one elbow, raking loose hair out of her eyes. She looked around, dazed and annoyed. I doubled back, crossing my fingers inside my jacket pocket that Linkin wouldn't instantly ruin our cover story. "I told them to not let him press it," Linkin said to Stuart, sliding off the metal bed as if she was melting.

"Two, come with me." I stared at her with as much solemnity as I could muster. There was a slight fear behind her eyes, but I couldn't wait for Linkin to speak up as I tugged her away from the scene.