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night that you two continue to work together.  Based on your tryout, I would find it difficult to believe the powers - that - be would not concur . There is something going on between you two, you might not see it, but those of us watching you tw o … ca n .”
    Rena and Michael exchange glances .
    Alexander studies them for a moment.  “You two are f ree to return to your rooms.  Tomorrow starts at 5:30AM, back here for breakfast .  A prep team will join you .  They will find you, so s tick together.”
    Rena turns to Alexander , “You said … ‘ Many of the talents we scouts deliver don’t make it past the first night.’ … What happens to them?”
    Alexander con siders the question, deciding how best to answer, then locking Rena’s gaze he responds without emotion , “Many of the talents we scouts deliver don’t make it past the first night.”   He stands up and turns to leave, then looks back at the pair, “ R emember … s oak up everything … sponges”
    R emain ing seated, Michael s urvey s the dining hall, his attention moving to the balcony.  Commander Still and a very fit Asian man, who stands a good foot shorter than the Commander , stare down at he and Rena .  Turning to Rena, he nods , directing her attention up. 
    She follows his gaze to the balcony.  The four lo c k eyes, captured in silent contemplation.  After several seconds of uncomfortable scrutiny, Rena turns to Michael, “I’m a little tired of being observed , I’d like to leave.”
    Nodding agreement, Michael stands.  Together, t hey depart the hall headed back to their quarters.  No one follows.
     
    “Well, what do you think?”
    “Commander Still … most impressive, t he young man has very unique skills.  I’d like to review the videos from the fight last night and today ’ s tryout.  There’ s s omething extraordinary about him.”
    “And the girl?”
    “Her hand-to-hand is unrefined, but we’ll improve that.  You said they’ ve had no direct interaction prior to last night?”
    “As I understood.” Still replies.
    “ If that’ s true, she too is unique.  You may have found a diamond.  An excellen t Infiltrator she may become.”

4.      Peeling the Onion
    Rena’s wall computer chimes, 4:45AM.
    She was exhausted when she got back to her quarters around 7:00 , going straight to bed.  N ot acc ustomed to long nights of sleep, s he’ s lain awake in bed for the last hour, staring at the ceiling.  At least with t he lights out, the room is less sterile.   Last night’s tryout wei ghs heavy on her mind.
    ‘ Many of the talents we scouts deliver don’t make it past the first night.’
    It was just the two of them against four trained soldiers , ‘roiders no less .  Alexander said it was fortuitous he discovered the two of them together.  Was he referring to Chango’s good luck or their chances of surviving the tryout?   She considers the talent s invited alone , abducted from their families, just to die their first night .
    Not sure of her own chances alone , Rena is confident Michael would have survived without her .   She’ s seen him fight , enough to know , the ‘roiders would n ot have been prepared for him.
    Michael?  She replays the fight in her head , as she has for the last hour.   Fortunately , she’ d dispatched her attacker and was facing him, so she could watch it unfold.  After the fight two nights ago, she’ d thought Michael might have superior reflexes.  That would’ve accounted for most of what she ’d seen in the cage.  Last night was different; it could n’t be reflexes alone.  The way he flipped the plate in the air, how he caught it, how he thr e w it.  All of th e actions were connected, all contributed to the end- result .  He hit a rapidly moving target dead center.  That’s almost im possible.
    She considers maybe she’s over thinking it, m aybe he just got lucky.  If n o t for the fact that connecting the dot s , putting pieces together is