A R L O

We all huddled around the radio. The question came again when no one gave a response. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Kane and Jaxon exchanged a glance. The former gave a nod, so Jaxon said, "We are. What do you have to say?"

The answer came after a pause. "I'm sorry I couldn't go with you that day. Not when this opportunity presented itself."

"And what is 'this opportunity'?" Riley demanded, staring down at the radio. "To be our spy? Or to lead us into a trap?"

"Just because I went with the soldiers does not mean I am loyal to them—it only needs to look like I am. I will do anything I can to deliver sensitive Imperium information to you. As their top engineer, I will inevitably be let in on many secrets they don't want you to know."

"Convince us," Finn told her, authority in his voice. "Tell us what you know."

"I know they're trying to create more Mind Sweepers—they want me to learn how they work and make more. As of now, they have only one; they're very difficult to build and get the supplies for."

"What else?" Benton crossed his arms, wanting more information on his old leader.

"Unfortunately, everything is working smoothly around here. They've gotten a new batch of soldiers who joined willingly. Production of weapons is booming—they're manufacturing more than ever before."

"They're preparing to mobilize," Delphinium muttered, her breath hitching. Benton silently agreed with her.

Finn spouted out, "Weapons...Scorpions, Mind Sweepers..." He looked to Riley. "You said they all run on a certain type of fuel Imperium uses."

Riley's dark head dipped. "I saw them coming out of the engine room as well. Their whole fortress runs on it."

"She's right," Rong's voice came through the speaker. "It's called Hydrocarbon Petromensium—very rare and requires a lot of heat. Powering their whole operation with it is more efficient and costs less than using several different types. It also allows them to create weapons like nothing else."

"How rare is it?" I could practically see the gears in Riley's head turning.

"Imperium's scientists made it specially for their own operation and then opened up production with a second party manufacturer. As far as I know, they're the only ones using it."

Jaxon's eyes narrowed. "A second party manufacturer? Who are they?"

"I don't know. No one's revealed it to me yet."

"Find out. Give us as much information on the manufacturer as possible."

There was no response; we could only hope that she took those orders. Once she gave us the name of the manufacturer, there would be several options for us to choose. But until she did, we simply had to wait around here.

As soon as I threw myself back onto the chair I'd been asleep in, something rose up in me. I could feel it coming, a strange nauseating dizziness. I coughed once, twice, hoping it would relieve the tightness in my chest. It didn't.

Because I'd been surrounded by the others, I hadn't taken the pills today. My symptoms were gradually getting worse as my six-month deadline neared, but they had never gotten this bad yet.

Feeling as though I was suddenly about to collapse, I muttered something like, "I'm leaving. Don't follow me," to my friends, hoping they wouldn't see me taking the pills. They didn't even shoot me any strange looks—they were used to me by now.

Every step felt more like a stagger as I did my best to walk normally down the hall. My hands shook at my sides and the ground seemed to sway beneath my feet. I cursed myself for not finding a way to sneak away from the others to take the medication. With my back to the wall, I slid down to practically crumple on the ground. The sounds of my friends talking faded to the background.

Fumbling with the rattling bottle in my pocket, I noticed how dry my mouth was. I'd have to swallow them without water; I wasn't sure if my tight throat would allow it. I was never more aware of my own heartbeat than I was now.

I poured out too many into my hand and had to try again. A few fell onto the floor. Shit. I rested my head on my knees, trying to summon the strength to lift it again.

Someone took the bottle of pills from my sweaty hand and I managed to look up. Finn stood over me, looking down, not with unease, but with purpose. Determination. He held out two pills to me and I took them and shoved them into my impossibly dry mouth. Kneeling, he offered me a glass of water and I could have kissed him for it.

With a helping hand on my own shaking one, the water was raised to my mouth and I swallowed the medication. He took the cup away as I simply panted, mouth open and eyes closed. That had been a close call.

The first thing out of my mouth was, "I told you not to follow." I still didn't open my tired eyes, though my strength was slowly growing again.

"You're welcome," he deadpanned in reply as if I'd thanked him.

"Did anyone notice?" I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand.

"No. They just think you're off doing whatever horrible things you do in your spare time."

"Don't call yourself horrible." It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. Was I actually incapable of having a normal conversation with him?

He gave a strangled, "What?" Those blue eyes went wide and I found it in me to smile at his shocked reaction. His heart skipped several beats in horror.

"We'll talk about it later when I'm not halfway to my deathbed."

His tone changed back to normal. "Don't say that. I'm not letting you die, remember?"

"Death comes for us all," I said, still feeling slightly dizzy. "It's just coming for me much faster. And not a moment too soon. All that scientific nonsense nearly bored me to death. And I would have enjoyed it."

He huffed. "That scientific nonsense could help us defeat Imperium."

"It doesn't matter to me. I'll be dead by then, with the way things are going."

"God, you're hopeless." He ran a hand over his face.

"I know."

He stared back at me. "And an idiot for not taking your pills."

"Are you done yet?"

"No," he said, louder this time. "When are you going to tell the others? You can't keep this a secret forever."

"I suppose they'll find out when this sickness finally finishes me off."

Brows lowered, he gave me a dirty look. "You should tell them. They'd want to know. And we're not in danger of fighting like we were when you first found out. Why do you want to continue keeping this a secret?"

"I...don't know." It was the truth. There was no real reason to continue to hide it, but something inside me didn't want them to know. Perhaps I didn't want their sorrowful eyes watching me on every dangerous mission we went on. They could think I was a psychopath all they wanted, in fact, I welcomed it. But pity? I didn't want them to treat me like I was already a corpse.

"I think you do." His eyes were narrowed on me. "Whatever it is, I don't want to keep lying to them. I don't want to keep acting like everything's fine when the world is falling apart."

"Maybe you're too good for this." I sighed. "I just...I don't want to be another one of our issues. I'd rather live my life to the fullest while I still have it. None of the others have to know."

"Benton already does," he reminded me and the realization knocked the breath from my lungs for a moment. "You really think he's going to keep something like this hidden?"

For a moment, I simply listened to the conversation in the other room. I could hear the assassin's deep voice clear as day. "Benton keeping a devastating secret? The chances of me transforming into a normal person are higher."

"Exactly. You have to tell them before he does." His voice dropped. "You're dying, Arlo. Don't do anything you might regret."

I repeated his words softly. "Don't do anything I won't regret..." As I glanced down at his parted lips, I wondered if that should be my new mantra to live by.

Finn looked away first, breaking our eye contact. Offering a hand to me, he pulled me to my feet, pills rattling slightly in my other hand.

Instead of instantly letting go as I'd expected, he pulled me in, locked eyes with me and said, "I'll do anything to help you survive, I hope you know that. But if they ask about your illness directly..." He trailed off and I knew he meant he'd tell them for me. For my own good. So I'd have no regrets.

As he let go, the warmth of his hand was taken away. He took a few steps back toward the others and looked back at me. Shoving the pill bottle deep into my pocket, I followed.

When we came back into view, the others turned to watch us enter. Despite their calm expressions, normal breathing and heart rates, I could sense the tension in the way they moved. Everyone was on edge from the earlier realizations.

I watched as a sly smile grew on Jaxon and Riley's faces—suggestive of what they expected us to be coming back from doing. With a jolt, I felt Benton's eyes on me and knew he was reading my thoughts again. I simply rolled my eyes and plopped myself down into the chair, secretly hoping my newly strengthened legs wouldn't give out again.

My eyes flicked back to the radio as a round of static sounded. Rong's whispering voice came through. "I have a name: Tybalt Brimsey. He's the CEO of the U.K. company that creates Hydrocarbon Petromensium. I overheard the coordinates from my supervisor during a meeting with the new initiates." She listed off the location of the place. "No one suspects me yet, but they will soon."

"Thank you," Finn said, standing over the radio.

"Be careful," said our spy. "They know more than we'd like them to."