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I’m free. No chains, no cell doors, no bars. I think of Io. She’d said everything would change soon, that we’d meet again. Had those moments actually happened? Or were they just a drug-induced dream? No. Her face is still stuck in my mind so clearly. She has to be real.
    The door to the room swings open, and Rupert marches in, flanked by Rassler… and Tor. It pains me to see him, to see the hard look on his face, how he doesn’t even look at me. He is truly lost to me now. Lost in the lies and the nano-machines erasing parts of his memory. He’s now nothing more than Rupert’s pet.
    His blond hair is parted and slicked down, and his suit is almost identical to Rupert’s. When they reach me, I look up into Rupert’s eyes, trying to see what secrets might lay behind his gaze.
    “Stand down, agent. I don’t think that’s necessary,” he said to Essa. She nodded and holstered her gun, stepping back in line beside Rassler.
    For a long moment Rupert and I just stare at each other, almost as if it’s a battle to see who can outlast the other. Finally, he breaks out into an odd smile.
    “I’ve been waiting for this moment, Piper. You look good. You look strong,” he says. I’m taken aback. I thought he would be punishing me for my escape attempt, not complimenting me.
    “What moment is this?” I reply. He motions for me to stand, and I do, albeit a little stiffly. He circles me then, studying my muscle build-up. I bite my tongue. Finally he claps his hands together.
    “You’re ready, my girl. This moment is when you move from prisoner to Hunter. It’s time for you to start work again. Much has happened,” he says.
    He must be joking. Work? As in stalk around above ground pinning down Harpies who may be innocent?
    “What if I run?” I ask. He shoots me an overly confidant smirk, and pulls out a tiny unit from his pocket that looks like a detonator.
    “Don’t worry, we’ve got that under control. You see, Evan, your technician, has placed a new program of Nano-machines into your bloodstream. If you so much as think about running off, all I need to do is press this little button and your body will be paralyzed immediately until we collect you and administer the antidote. We’ve also equipped you with state-of-the-art tracking devices so that we’ll always know exactly where you are!” His tone is almost jovial, like a kid in a candy shop explaining all of the new treats, instead of horrifying body mods.
    So, this is it. Even though I’m no longer locked up, I’m still not free. I’m just Rupert’s toy now. I have to do as he commands. When I don’t answer, he holds up his thumb, hovering just an inch above the detonator.
    “Would you like to try it out? I’ve heard the paralysis is actually quite painful,” he offers. I shake my head quickly. Essa was right. It isn’t time yet. Nowhere close. I can’t do anything until I figure out how to disable Rupert’s contraptions.
    I return to the chair, my numb legs unable to hold my body upright any longer.
    “Okay. I get it. No running. But can you at least tell me what’s been going on while I’ve been… incarcerated?” I quip. Rupert motions for Tor, Essa, and Rassler to sit on the sofa behind him and he pulls up a chair so that he’s seated across from me. The stench of his cologne mixed with lingering cigar makes me want to choke. He clears his throat.
    “Well, as you know, H004, or Gabriel as he is called, has rallied most of the Harpies behind him for new leadership. This has caused a lot of chaos in Ehvelar, and we’ve been right there to pick up the pieces.
    “You see, Piper, when a government or ruling body becomes unstable, the people don’t know who to trust. Anarchy assumes place, and the armies and protectors lose their strength. This has worked out to be a great advantage for us. The population is not on guard. Now is the time to strike.”
    His words course through me, and my blood runs cold. This is it. This is the beginning