Chapter 7: Betrayal

There was tension building inside the walls, a lot of emotions and even more words unspoken which created a heavy cloud of expectation. Alexis was seated at her makeshift office inside the safe house, her bodice type is vibrating with anticipation as she was speeding with her fingers over the keyboard. There was a silent buzz of some computers and other equipment near her, but she was not thinking about them; she was thinking about Kayden, about the task, and most importantly, about the reason why something was amiss and it alarmed her.

Hours had passed since their narrow shave with the mercenaries and even though some vital data had been successfully snipered from the facility, the episode had obviously traumatized Alexis. They had dodged death more than once, and yet it was one narrow escape that was the last. Now, there was no de-escalation, the level of the game had been magnified, and every decision morphed the seed of the explosion that was borderline the plane walk ability of survival.

“Alexis, are you okay?” As though understanding her plight, Kayden’s voice came crashing in on her thought, his rich, thick voice momentarily giving her a sense of peace that was quickly fading away.

She looked away from the screen to the evident source of her unease irritation. He was now standing at a corner of the window looking at her and other funny and silly things that her gaze turned that deserves more energy than a mess with his electric bright blue eyes. While he appeared to be composed, she noticed how worn out he looked, the constant stress from running away visibly taking a toll on his body.

“I’m fine,” she said and there was a pause as if everything was getting to her. ”Just… Give me a minute… I am trying to sort it all out.”

Kayden nodded, although his features still looked stiff with tension. ”We don’t have much time. The enemy is at hand. We need to be quick.”

“I know,” she said trying to make herself pay attention. “I am almost done with the rest of the files that we took out from the site. Just a few more to go.”

How is this working? How is the obviously burnt out and tired Victor still exuding charm? Fooling people. But as Alexis turned back to her work, a sinking feeling settled in her chest- one that she could not fathom, no matter how hard she tried. That was about to change however. Something was not right- not just the background threat of the mercenaries, but something else. She felt it tearing through her, almost out but then it stopped, a general apprehension that she could not define.

A moment later and there was a creak from the door of the safe house which made Alexis look up and saw a colleague of her research institute, Ethan, walking in. It made no sense to her as she hadn’t seen him since everything about this started, and his unexpected entry now seemed to her illogical and disorienting.

“Ethan?” Alexis frowned and felt her heart race. “What are you doing here? How did you find us?”

Ethan was grinning although there was something in his expression that made her feel nauseated. “I have been watching you Alexis. I’ve been looking out for you.”

In the manner in which they were spoken, her amusement was overwhelmed by the anxiety and dread they instilled in her. She stole a look at Kayden, and her head tilted at his stiffened posture and the way his body braced itself, all the while looking at the newcomer. The space between all the three peoples turned electric with bitter emotions, and Alexis could tell that Kayden was also changing his body language: even if it was slight, it reeked of tension. That something was coming and even she was not able to picture at that time.

“Ethan,” Alexis said reluctantly getting up from the chair and looking directly at him, ‘what is it that you’re here for?’

Ewan’s smile broadened and this time, it was more menacing than friendly. ‘I have come to help you out, Alexis. For this, I have wanted to assist since the beginning.’

“Who and where others are you bringing us to?” Kayden who had some height over his temper stepped an inch close to her “Do you think it is only me who fears a crowd?”

It was for a few seconds and looking quiet disturbed but very sinister Ethan struck her dumb. Then, very suddenly and unexpectedly, an expression that made most of the foreknowledge in Alexis’s heartvue sank deep down as comprehension stroked her.

“I found you because I was supposed to find you,” Ethan said, the edge in his voice becoming razor-edged, as though mocking instead of talking. “You’re clever, aren’t you, Alexis? Well, you have played into their hands, like a fine pawn.’”

Alexis’s blood ran cold. “Wh-what are you talking about?”

Ethan stepped closer, a gleeful look in his eyes, and his tone hardened. “I’ve been working for them the whole time. There’s a shadow organization that wants the technology. They realized that there’s no way you won’t find it, sooner or later they would come and you’d help them. All I had to do was sit and watch.”

The angle of the room suddenly changed and Alexis felt she was going to topple over as even the floor seemed to have crumbled.remove. The feeling of betrayal was beyond any pain and made her breathless. Ethan – her own ally, her own son she believed was her friend – had turned on them.

“You… you sold us out,” Alexis said quietly and in a low tone, the word coming out as less of a disappointment and more of vengeance, yet filled with commotion.

Ethan shrugged unconcernedly. “Please do not think that I am offended by anything, Alexis. It is just business. You showed too much interest and they could not allow you or Kayden to reach that technology before them.” Kayden moved then step to duke it out of the way. He shifted in front of Alexis as if erecting a barrier against Ethan’s words. His body was so full of tension that it threatened to snap and his eyes became narrow slits filled with hostility. “You have endangered her life.” Ethan faked a surprise. “Save the moral outrage for the performance jury, Kayden. You are the one who encouraged her to become a part of this circus. A man like you, if there were no you, she would be hidden somewhere quiet.” Which is why Alexis quickly glanced between the two males and felt her heart begin to pound in agitation. I am not going to explain why, but orsone caught in such a situation essentially has no peaceful outcome possible for the love of yam, apart from anger at Ethan and itself. “You better not say such things to me, please. I really trusted you Ethan. Why are you here?” “There was no point in meeting you like this,” she said, astonished at how easily his smile had turned into cold steel. “You never understood, Alexis. This is all about us and causes all of us; the only people fighting for the responsibility of these technologies are the organization.

It is a notion you harbor, although it is wrong. “This could change everything.”

Kayden’s hand formed a fist as he spoke in a menacing low tone, “Dont’t tuch what you do not understand. This technology will bring forth more destruction than it will revolution that.”

Ethan gave a bitter laugh. “You’re afraid and that is why you are saying such things. Afraid of losing the reins. But don’t worry, it’s too late now. They are coming for you and you have no way to fight against them.”

These words appealed to Alexis as a flood. Anger and confusion boiled within her and spinning around she saw Kayden. Ethan had turned against us, yet was there a semblance of truth in whatever he was saying? Was Kayden lying to her about some things- about the technology, the real reason why it was created?

Crossing her eyes with Kayden, she for a brief minute noticed a faint flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. In fact, it was even difficult to discern but still it was present. It was this doubt which managed to glue her uncertainty to the core.

“I-Is he right, though?” she asked in a small voice. “Kayden, does he put his cards on the table regarding the technology?” Alexis asked, feeling light-headed.

Reluctantly, he met Kayden's gaze once more, aware that the look of concern in Kayden’s eyes meant that he had a page that he was trying to get to from his standpoint. “Alexis, I—”

“Tell me the truth!” She shouted, getting exasperated at the shifty response. “I need to know what exactly it is that I am fighting for.”

The air in the room was thick with the tension that seemed to electrify between Wade and Alexis as they stood nose to nose with the burden on their shoulders desire for the operation that existed but remained unsaid. Ethan stood on the side, beaming smugly over the squabbles he had encouraged between them.

Eventually, Kayden leaned back reeling away from her touch, throat constricting signifying surrender. “The technology…the technology is the only thing that can ever change the world as you see it. But it is more harmful than what you can think. If misused it will destroy everything, creation and all.”

In quiet acceptance of the fact, something crushed all the hope inside Alexis. It all relayed to why there was something on containing secrets, possibly to keep her safe or perhaps just out of cowardice. Their purpose, their partnership, their faith in each other it was all the more torn by a thin web.

"Then you should have told me,” she said interrupting herself and lowering her voice. “You have to tell me all of it.”

Kayden reached out to her; his eyes said she was forgiven. “I am sorry, Alexis. I wanted to keep you safe.”

Though, before she could speak, footsteps could be heard from quite far away and coming closer to the hall outside the safehouse.

"They're here," Ethan said, his satisfaction growing. "You’re out of time."

As soon as it hit them that this was really happening, the room turned into disorder. They know betrayal, isolation amidst a battalion, and the fragile trust that existed between them. The question they cast was how far the warm Max and cool Alexis were. Had they traveled too far already? They would have to confront the enemy along with the danger of lies that had east them into the current situation.