BREATH . OF . LIFE . ~ { ReGenisis Chronicles Book I }

Chapter Five [Part 2/3]: The Metaphor

                      -Griffin King-

I slammed my door as I reached my room. I felt more like a turbulent teenager. I started pacing back and forth, wearing a trench into my floor, if only in symbol of getting nowhere.

My mind argued the impossibility of who she was. It was just too perfect of a coincidence. Then I realised, it should have been obvious. The Andersen estate wasn't far away from where I'd found her. The thugs that had killed her had automatically appealed to my mind as Ides of March operatives, only I hadn't considered the implications of what that had meant about her. My mind was scrambled by irrational, unacceptable impulse.

I'd only ever come across her scent in those woods, usually along with evidence of someone always tailing her at just the right distance. Hind sight makes those little things we ignore hit the forefront of our minds with great force. Logic told me this was her 'walking time' with an escort. Because what little I knew of Miss Andersen was that she had been caged in and watched like a hawk. The serum in her blood stream being most stable and the rarest, as it lived up to its original purpose, that made her invaluable. If someone could get hold of her blood, whether scavenger or someone at Ides, it's possible the cancer cure could be replicated and sold on for big money. Despite the fact the weapon like properties in it could earn more.

On top of that, there were a lot of people who wanted revenge on Mr Andersen and wouldn't think twice about cutting his daughter up and sending her back to HQ in little pieces.

Then there was the striking similarity between Kate's scent and Swan's. Too close for there not to be a DNA link between them. Yet I had ignored it and palmed off any correlation with simple coincidence. How could I not have known?

Bubbling rage, confusion, anxiety, all things that had long been dulled and now were ignited within me. I much preferred near numbness.

Takeichi had probably already thought about how much time we had before Kate's being here became an immediate issue. I started to churn the question over, too.

Mr Andersen would have had his closest men searching for his daughter to begin with. Keeping everything as quiet as possible as not to alert suspicion, or simply too much attention. But after it was confirmed she hadn't tried to run away this time, I'd heard she'd tried that a while ago, he'd be forced into delegating the search to one of the Units, most likely through Natalia Swan.

God, let her have taken it to Jake's Unit. He hadn't recognised Miss Andersen last night. He wouldn't know she was with me until he was granted access to her file, if he was granted access. Either way; it still bought a little more time.

Crap, would he think this was kidnap or willing? Regardless, if he told Swan, we would be automatically screwed. Because she wouldn't be interested in intent.

I flung my fist towards the wall, making plasterboard and paint crumble around my knuckles. I took a deep breath to calm myself. Letting it out I slumped down onto my bed, staring down at the crumbs of white plaster scattered on the grey carpet.

A slight tap came to my door, I glanced up as it swung open. Nicodemus stood there, haggard with tiredness and worry. 

"We're in deep sh!t." He half smirked, the only way to stop his expression from breaking.

I nodded, glancing towards the imprint of my knuckles in my wall. I'd have to repair that before Rin strung me up. "When haven't we been since we broke off?"

"Traitor's not an easy name to carry, kidnapper probably worse for you." Doctor Garner rolled his eyes.

"We never kidnapped her... I never kidnapped her!" I growled, the muscles in my back locking so that I couldn't lurch up at him.