When Rachel woke the next morning, her room wasn’t quite as gloomy. The nightlight plugged in the bathroom’s single socket held a warmer glow. Rachel stretched. Her muscles ached with her newly found awareness.

She pushed to her feet, but before she could make her way to the light switch, her bedroom door slammed open. The overhead light flickered on, revealing Simon in the doorway. “You have two minutes to get dressed,” he barked, turned around and left again, closing the door behind him.

Huh? She quickly changed into sweatpants and t-shirt the Order provided her and grabbed the USB stick out of her discarded jeans’ pocket and slipped it into her sports bra for safe keeping. After all these days in isolation, neither Dr. Campbell nor Inquisitor Jackass had confronted her about it, so she assumed that either she wasn’t watched, or the Order didn’t care what she did in her “suite” anymore. Regardless, she wasn’t going to leave it behind for someone to find while she was out.

“Ready,” she called.

The door unlocked, and Simon yanked it open. “Good. Let’s go.”

“Where are we going? The ‘chamber’?”

Simon grunted. Rachel didn’t know whether that sound was an agreement to her question or not, but it didn’t matter. It quickly became apparent that they weren’t headed toward the usual rooms, so something was different, and different was good. Maybe she would train today. Or maybe they were letting her out!

She sucked in a breath through her teeth. Out was an impossible dream.

Once on the lobby floor, Simon headed toward the secure side of the building. Upon reaching the door, he unlocked it and held it open. “Upstairs,” he ordered.

Rachel ascended the stairs without responding, and Simon followed. At the landing, he took the lead and brought them past the training room. Rachel glanced at it longingly and nearly bumped into Simon when he stopped. “Here,” he growled as he handed her a small plastic card.

A key?

As Rachel took the item from him, Simon pivoted on his heel and left her without an explanation. She watched his retreat as he stalked down the hall. After he disappeared down the stairs, she turned her attention to the card key in her hand. “Huh,” she muttered. Her heart raced with excitement and nerves made her stomach feel as if it fluttered. She wasn’t sure what had made this possible, but it seemed as if she was now free of the confines of her basement cell.

Her isolation ordeal really was over!

Rachel slid the key into the reader. The light turned green and the lock disengaged with a click. She pushed the door open and glanced inside, noticing right away that her old clothes and toiletries rested on the bed. She walked over to them. Her fingers brushed along the fabric. Though they were no different from the sweats and t-shirt she currently wore, they felt luxurious by the very fact they had been returned.

“I hope this room will be more to your taste,” Adam said.

Rachel yelped in surprise and whirled around to face him. He stood in the threshold with his hands shoved into his jeans pockets. His hair was mussed as if he’d recently rolled out of bed.

“It’s better, yes,” she said, nodding. “Thank you for convincing your brother to let me out early.”

“He had no reason to keep you locked in. Especially when even he knows you are no threat to anyone.”

Rachel’s lips twitched. “Not even a little?” she asked, unsure if she should be amused or offended.

Adam watched her, his expression serious. “No.”

“Aww, come on that’s unfair. I can kick some ass.”

“Maybe with more training—”

“Merde, Adam, you suck at flirting,” Zach chimed from the hallway, his voice sounded stronger at first and then faded as if he were walking away.

Adam smirked. “Shut it, novice,” he called over his shoulder, and Rachel assumed Zach was quite a distance away now due to the volume of Adam’s yell.

Refocusing on Rachel, Adam asked, “Have you had lunch yet?” The answering growl of her belly made him raise an eyebrow in response and a smile tug at his lips. “I’ll take that as a no. Take a shower and meet us downstairs. We’ll go out to eat.”

“Really? You think we can go out?” Seeing the sun and the sky had felt like an impossible dream only yesterday. She needed air.

“We’ll have to. Unless you want me to make spaghetti.” He shook his head. “Actually, I don’t think we even have noodles on hand. There’s only a handful of us left in the building. Everyone else has moved on to new locations.” Adam paused and brushed a hand through his hair.

“Going out sounds perfect. I’ll be ready in thirty,” she replied.

Adam smiled and nodded before closing the door quietly behind him.

Rachel stood staring at the spot he’d vacated for a moment longer before turning and heading to the bathroom. Once inside, she stared at her reflection. She looked gaunt. Sick. Rachel grunted and averted her eyes as she stripped out of her sweats. Hopping into the shower stall, she soaped up quickly then rinsing off. She wanted to get done and go outside.

After drying herself, she dressed in the tiny bathroom. While in isolation, she had been too depressed to care if anyone saw her naked on camera, but now that she had her freedom again, she refused to be ogled by anyone. Rachel made a mental note to ask Adam if there were cameras in the rooms on the secure side of the building or if there was anything else she needed to be aware of.

Pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail, Rachel glanced down at the storage drive stick resting on the edge of the sink. Now that she was free of isolation, she really should hand it over to Adam, but curiosity stayed her hand. She wanted to find out what secrets it held. She grabbed it and slipped it into her pocket.

After one last look at the bathroom mirror, Rachel concluded she was ready. She opened the door to her suite and walked toward Adam’s room, stopping at his door. She fidgeted nervously before knocking. He opened it and greeted her with the same smile she knew so well, that half-smirk, half-grin that held all his charms. She grinned back as he stepped into the hall, wearing his usual black hoodie and dark pants.

“You ready to go?” he asked.

“Where are we going?”

Adam laughed. “Italian. Zach’s request.”

Rachel snorted at the irony. Adam hadn’t wanted to make pasta, and here they were, about to go out for pasta. “I don’t mind,” she assured him. “I’m just glad to get out of this building!”

“Zach said the same thing. He’s waiting for us in the common room.”

Silence fell once more between them, and Rachel thought this would be as good a moment as any to ask Adam what had been on her mind since first reaching her new room. “So, um... Now that I have a key and a room on this side,” She faltered. “What are my limitations?”

“Limitations?”

Rachel waved her hand at the empty stairwell as if the motion encapsulated her question adequately. “Like guards, cameras, and movement restrictions. You know? Like I had before?”

“Oh,” he replied. “Well, you are still required to be in the compound at all times unless escorted by either Simon or myself, but you have free reign of the building.” Adam stopped to open the door at the base of the stairs. “Not enough staff to do much more than that. We’re down to Dr. Campbell, Jack and Greg providing building security, Isaac, Ella, Simon, Zach, and myself. In a few more days, we’ll close on the building’s sale and leave for Istanbul.”

“Rachel!” Zach yelled from his perch on the couch. His arm was in a sling and held close to his torso so he couldn’t accidentally move it while it healed. He looked uncomfortable and tired, but otherwise fine. Rachel waved. “It’s so good to see you again,” he said. “I was running out of excuses for holding up Adam’s reassignment,” he added with a wink.

Rachel frowned, not sure she understood, and Zach grinned. He started moaning theatrically, “Ohhh... I can’t move. It hurts so much. I need more time before I can get on a plane!” He snorted in laughter. “I don’t think Dr. Campbell believes me anymore.”

She chuckled and offered her hand to help him up. “You’re probably right. If you say it that way, I wouldn’t believe you either.” His exuberance was infectious, and she barely refrained from hugging him. “It’s good to see you. Now come on, lazy bones! Let’s go get some lunch.”

“Damn right! I can’t wait to get out of this place.”

After their lunch turned spend-so-much-time-at-the-restaurant-it’s-now-dinner, Rachel, Zach, and Adam returned to the safe-house common room to chat and relax. As they entered, Rachel spied Simon, Dr. Campbell, Inquisitor Jackass, and another man she didn’t recognize, playing cards at one of the dining tables. Simon glanced up at their arrival and scowled. She tried to not let it bother her, and instead joined Zach and Adam at the couches.

“So then,” Zach said, continuing the story he’d started as they had entered the safe house, “the cop glared down at us and said, ‘What’s in the trunk?’ And wonder boy over here, innocent as can be, answered, ‘Nothing.’ Of course, the cop didn’t believe a word of it. You could see he was looking for an excuse to charge us with something—anything—and he demanded Adam open the trunk for him. Adam got out of the car slowly. The cop paled since Adam had a good six inches on him and twice as much muscle. Adam then walks around the car and pops the trunk open with a flourish. And, guess what? It was completely empty. There was nothing in it… Nothing! Not even a spare tire in the trunk.” Zach guffawed, and then grimaced as his laugh jolted his shoulder. “The cop’s face was priceless. He looked like he wanted to punch Adam in the nose, but he didn’t dare. In the end, he let us off with only a warning.”

Rachel and Adam chuckled.

“Ugh, I’m so full,” Zach said, flopping back onto the couch. “And tired. Adam? Turn on the TV would ya, and pick something funny. I’m in the mood to laugh,” he told them and closed his eyes. Adam complied, but as Zach snuggled in, Rachel doubted he’d be awake at the next commercial break.

One look at Zach and Adam muted the TV. It settled into a comfortable flicker, lighting the area and providing an intimate ambiance. Rachel scooted closer to Adam, and he wrapped his arm around her and asked, “You, all right?”

She shrugged in response and then smiled. “Sure. Yeah.” Rachel glanced at the TV and then at a softly snoring Zach. Yep, not even to commercial break. “It was good to get out.” She added. “I can’t believe so much time has passed or that I missed the 4th of July. I bet the fireworks are impressive from Darius’s office.”

Adam snorted. “It’s just a day here.”

Rachel waved her hand dismissively. “How about you?” Adam’s arm tightened on her shoulder and she shifted to see him better. “Are you, all right?”

“Of course,” he said, shrugging. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

She didn’t know, but he seemed to be internalizing quite a bit. Rachel couldn’t remember ever seeing his shoulders tight with tension. Not even when they fled the Org. She let it go, and they sat in companionable silence for a while, idly staring at the TV and glancing at each other.

Every few minutes, Rachel would look over her shoulder to find Simon glaring at them. It bugged her. She didn’t like not knowing what made him so angry with her, while at the same time, she understood there was nothing she could do to fix what was eating at him. Worrying wasn’t productive, and she made several conscious efforts to ignore him, much like Adam had done, since he didn’t seem to notice the weight of Simon’s gaze at their back.

Eventually, Simon’s card game broke up. Inquisitor Jackass stood, laughing at something they had said, and waved as he walked away. Rachel watched as he left the room before she turned back to Adam. With a yawn she asked, “What time is it?”

Adam clicked a button on the remote which switched the display to a digital clock. It flashed ten o’clock.

“Should we wake Zach?” Rachel asked, standing, ready to go to bed.

“Let him sleep if he’s comfortable,” Adam responded, joining her. “He hasn’t been sleeping well because of his arm.” Adam glanced at the emptying table behind him and then back to her. “I’ll walk you up if you’re ready,” he offered.

“Okay.”

Adam pressed his palm to her back and gestured for her to lead the way. Falling into step beside her, he kept his hand close to the small of her back, never quite touching her as he followed her up the stairs and down the hall to her room.

Once there, he paused and leaned against the wall next to her door while she slid the card key into the lock. He stopped her with a touch, and Rachel’s heart lurched into overdrive. She glanced at him, cocking an eyebrow in a silent question. She wasn’t sure what to feel. He had taken great pains in telling her about the idiotic dating rules which made it sound as if they couldn’t sneeze in front of each other without first asking permission to do so, and now it look for the world like he was about to kiss her.

She opened her mouth to speak, “Adam, I—”

He didn’t let her finish. He placed a finger over her lips, and then brushed her hair from the side of her face with the same hand. Slowly easing his palm behind her head, Adam leaned in. His lips travelled over hers, soft, sweet, hesitant. It made Rachel long for more. She wasn’t sure what drew her gaze to the stairs, but there on the landing was Simon, glaring at Adam’s back, and looking like he would love to kill Adam if he had half a chance. Before she could do more than tense up, Simon turned on his heel and stomped back down the stairs. Adam turned to look, but Simon had already disappeared.

“Simon?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Adam sighed, releasing her. “You should probably go in now. Good night, Rachel.”

“Good night, Adam,” she replied. 

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