Death Wish (21 page)

Wish 27

“Hey, Eliza!”
I look up. Alli and James wave to me from outside my office. After the mild argument I had with Chief Darian last night, I wanted to get into the office as early as possible today. Working on Wish paperwork is mindless and repetitive, and never fails to calm me down.
I smile and motion for the twins to come inside. “Hey, you two,” I say while they sit down. “How are you?”
“Oh my gosh, Eliza,” says Alli, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Something
amazing
has happened!”
“Well, I think it’s more
freaky
than amazing,” corrects James, but he still looks energized by whatever’s going on.
“What is it?” I smile at their sibling bickering.
They look at each other, look behind them to make sure no one’s in the hallway, and then whisper in hissed unison. “Someone’s Life Chip went offline!”
My stomach drops. Do they know about Robin and the Revolutionaries? I will my racing heartbeat to slow down while I pretend to look shocked. It isn’t hard
—
I wasn’t expecting
anyone
to know about Robin’s Chip this soon, let alone two uninvolved Engineers.
“You mean someone died without submitting a Wish again?” I put just the right amount of fear into my voice. They both shake their heads at the same time, and the motion would be funny if I wasn’t so terrified right now.
“No, that’s the crazy part,” says James.
“Apparently the Chip just turned
off.
But the person didn’t die,” Alli explains, her words blurring together in her haste to tell the story. “Now they’re just walking around with an inoperable Chip, and no one knows what happened!”
I relax somewhat. At least no one knows that the research I’ve helped gather is one of the reasons Robin’s Life Chip was successfully disabled. The twin Engineers continue chattering excitedly, but I can’t focus. Is Robin safe? Does
everyone
know what happened to her? Do people think it’s an accident, or something more?
“
—
and I guess some of the
top tier
agents for the Security branch are looking into this.”
James’ comment snaps me out of my reverie.
“What?” I shout, and curse silently when they jump at my outburst
and stare
. “I mean,” I correct, “some of the people on high are investigating? Why would it go all the way to them?”
James looks to Alli, who dives in with an answer. “I bet it’s because they’re
freaked out
. I mean, what if some sort of virus has gotten into the Life Chip system? It could mean that, at any moment, someone’s Life Chip could go down! Eliza—that means people could die without submitting a Death Wish.”
She claps her hand over her mouth, as if simply saying those words created the terrifying possibility. Her eyes tear up, and James pats her shoulder in concern.
“Hey,” he soothes, “don’t worry, sis, it’s not as bad as all that. Maybe that person got a faulty Chip when they were born and it’s acting up now. Don’t worry, the higher-ups will figure out what’s behind this. They’ll take care of it.”
I nod, but all I can think is:
That’s what I’m afraid of.

*

Alli and James leave my office a half-hour later, and as soon as they’re gone I reach for my jacket, getting ready to run and warn the Revolutionaries. But when I look up, there are two people blocking the doorway.
I’ve never seen them before. They’re both men, and both clad in light gray, three-piece suits. They are even built similarly, both very tall and muscular. I clear my throat.
“Can I help you?”
“Eliza Hayworth?” The one on the left asks the question. He has a collection of freckles on the right side of his face. “Godmother for the Fairy Godparent division of the Federal Security Branch for the past six years?”
I nod. “Yes, that’s me… I’m sorry, but who are you?”
Freckles pulls out a badge and flashes it in my direction. “We’ve been sent by the upper echelon of the main Security Branch. I’m Mr. Jones, and this is my partner, Mr. Jones.” He nods his head to the other man, who remains silent.
“Okay,” I say, still wary of these strangers. “What do you need, Mr. Jones?”
They both look at me and I have to tamp down the urge to laugh. I wonder how often these two run into that problem. “Um,
you
Mr. Jones,” I clarify, pointing at Freckles.
They both move into the room and stand at the head of my desk. I shrink back, momentarily intimidated.
“We need to ask you some questions about your Godmother trainee: Robin Sun,” says Freckles, looking at me over the desk. A jolt of fear sizzles across my skin, but I stay motionless.
“Robin? Is everything okay?” I slide an expression of concern over my features. “Did something happen?”
The other Mr. Jones answers me, and I’m surprised when he speaks: he has a really squeaky voice.
“We need to know about your interactions with your trainee,” he says. He pulls a notebook from inside his jacket and consults it. “When did you first begin training Ms. Sun?”
“Um, it would have been a few months ago,” I answer, not sensing any danger in answering this question honestly. Besides, the best lies have sprinkles of truth in them. “I don’t know the exact date though
—
you’d have to look at the paperwork for that.”
Jones Number Two nods and writes something in the notebook. Freckles speaks up.
“Next question. Has your trainee ever had access to classified government information? Specifically, anything regarding Life Chips?”
Oh crap
. I pretend to be puzzled.
“Anything about the Life Chips? I mean, I told her how to remove them for Wish assignments, but other than that I don’t know. As far as I know, she hasn’t seen anything off-limits. Besides, she doesn’t have access to information that isn’t related to the F.G.O.” I amp up my performance of a concerned mentor, tilting my head while clasping my hands in front of me. “Is she okay? Has Robin done something wrong?”
Freckles and Jones Number Two look at me with identical, patronizing expressions. “We’ll ask the questions here, Godmother Hayworth,” says Freckles. Jones Number Two asks the last question.
“Finally: have you ever had any doubts about the system the government has in place regarding death? Specifically, do you think that there is anything wrong with the existence of Life Chips and the Fairy Godparent Organization?”
Their eyes bore into me, seeking out any deception. But I’m not intimidated any more. I look straight into their eyes and tell the biggest lie I’ve ever told.
“Not at all, Mr. and Mr. Jones. I think our system is, without a doubt, perfect.”

*

The Joneses leave, but I stay in my office to prevent any suspicion. It takes every ounce of willpower I have to not bolt directly to the Revolutionaries, but I’m probably under observation and need to act normally. I continue filling out the paperwork I was working on before Alli and James arrived, acting as if the visit of the investigators was nothing more than an out-of-the-ordinary, unimportant event. But as soon as I finish up my work for the day, I speed out of the Fairy Godparents office and head to the alleyway leading to
R
evolutionaries headquarters.
When I get there, I push the dumpster out of the way and crawl through the opening in the brick wall. As soon as I am through the entrance the dumpster slides back of its own accord. I realize, too late, that I am trapped in the building and it is pitch black inside. I curse under my breath. I don’t know where to go from here.
I desperately try to remember
anything
I can from the last time Robin brought me here, but nothing significant comes to mind. Finally, just as I’m about to give up, I remember that, when I couldn’t see through the gap in my blindfold, Robin had led me forward into a tunnel leading underground.
I hope this works.
I move forward slowly, stretching my arms out on either side. My fingertips find nothing but air for a few moments, and I’m scared that I won’t be able to find my way back. But then, two things happen in quick succession: I feel the edge of a wooden beam with my right hand, and I slam the left side of my face into a rough wall.
“Son of a
bitch
,” I mutter the Old World curse that Harrison taught me under my breath. I quickly lean to the side and pat my hand against the wooden surface I just found. I inch toward it
—
moving more carefully to avoid running into something else
—
and when I run my hand along its surface I am delighted to find that it’s the side of a doorway. I hook my hand on it and pull forward, and when I stretch my arms out to either side again I feel two stone walls greet my hands.
Yes! I found the tunnel. When Robin was leading me through a few weeks ago, I remember hearing a click to my left. I move my left hand blindly across the stone surface, and after a minute of prodding I finally locate the switch. The dim lighting in the stone walkway is blinding compared to the complete blackness of a moment ago, and my eyes take a moment to adjust. Once they do, I turn around and am very glad that I paid attention to Robin’s actions when I had been blindfolded.
The dumpster entrance leads into what is essentially a giant maze. There are various corridors branching off throughout the building, and I see that I must have bumped into one in the darkness. Even if someone managed to find the entrance behind the dumpster, if they didn’t know exactly where they were going in the pitch black building they would become lost, probably for a long time.
Like I said: I’m glad I was paying attention to Robin.
After I locate the entrance to the underground caverns I move more quickly. I recall the landmarks I noted when Robin brought me here before, and within moments I’m sprinting. My footsteps echo down the dank, stone corridor, and I pray that I can warn the Revolutionaries in time.

*

I burst into the main room. Dozens of pairs of eyes lock onto me while I double over, trying to catch my breath.
“Eliza?” Someone says my name disbelievingly, and I am relieved to see that it’s Robin. I rush over, but before I can reach her I find my way blocked by Chief Darian and his lackey James.
“How did you get here, Hayworth?” The Chief’s voice is ice-cold, and I feel a trickle of fear when I take in his expressionless face.
“How the hell do you
think
she did, Chief?” James practically spits the question, and my feelings of fear are replaced with annoyance. “She’s a goddamned Fairy spy. She’s probably littered our headquarters with location devices, and is leading a team of government lap dogs here to take us all down!”
I’ve had enough with James’ unfounded hatred of me. I think of a million things to say to him, like how it was
my
research that allowed them to unlock the Life Chips, and how I have demonstrated nothing but loyalty and dedication to the Revolutionaries. I think of a million things, but none of them connect with him.
My fist does.
A collective gasp rings out as my clenched fist collides with James’ jaw. The unexpectedness of the gesture, combined with the strength I put behind the punch, causes him to reel back and fall to the cold, hard ground of the cave. He looks up in shock and I start yelling.
“Shut
up
, you obnoxious, paranoid
ass
,” I shout over his collapsed form. “For once in your life, could you
listen
instead of braying whatever idiotic thought pops into your head?”
I look up, addressing everyone but keeping my gaze on Darian and Robin, who walked over a moment ago.
“You are all in danger! The high-ranking officials in the Security Branch noticed that Robin’s Chip went offline, and they’re launching a full investigation into the matter.”
There are a few panicked gasps around the room. Kelly immediately darts over to Robin, whose skin has visibly paled. Darian looks at me while James gets up behind him, and while he looks concerned he keeps his voice level.
“What have you heard about the investigation?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know the details
—
my contacts from the Engineering Department just said that the top tier people know that
someone
is walking around with an inoperable Chip, and that they’re investigating what happened. I was just interviewed by two Security agents and they were asking me questions about Robin.”
I look over at Robin, who is being comforted by her girlfriend. I continue, looking back to Darian.
“For the time being, I think it would be best if Robin hides out here. If it looks like she disappeared, maybe they’ll assume that she passed away but the death signal didn’t reach government facilities. Plus, if she continues work for the Godparents, they may interrogate her regarding what happened.” I grimace. “I’ve heard that their methods can get really ugly, really fast.”
Darian nods and looks over to Robin. “Agent Sun, you are hereby removed from field work until such a time that it is deemed safe for you to emerge again. You will be reassigned to work with the computer labs and help our group find a way to permanently deactivate all Life Chips.”
Robin nods. While she looks saddened by the loss of her undercover position, I can see that Kelly is relieved. She whispers something to Robin while rubbing her back, and Robin smiles at the comment.
Darian looks back at me, and inclines his head. “Thank you, Hayworth,” he says, and I nod back at him. The moment of panic is gone, and the atmosphere of the room relaxes somewhat. He tilts his head at me.
“Now that that’s taken care of... How exactly did you find your way to Headquarters by yourself?”
I feel such relief that Robin will be safe for the time being that I’m lighthearted enough to smirk.
“You need to get better at blindfolding your guests, Chief.”

Wish 28

“Hey, Eliza?”
Kelly is standing behind me. I’m surprised she left Robin’s side, but when I look over to the undercover pixie I see her talking with Darian. Kelly follows my gaze.
“She’s getting more information on what her duties will be,” Kelly explains, “now that she’s off of field work.”
I nod. “Is that what your job is classified as too? Field work?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Kind of? I mean, I’m away from the base for what I do, but my job is different from Robin’s. My information gathering is more... passive, while hers is active. She goes out and looks for information, but I stand around and
hope
information makes its way to me.” She smiles at me, but there seems to be more to it than simple friendliness. I quirk an eyebrow at her.
“Is there something else?”
She nods, and I’m surprised when she reaches forward and grasps my hands between both of hers.
“
Thank you
.” Her voice swells with emotion and her eyes are watery.
“F-for what?”
She drops my hand to wipe away a stray tear. “For everything. Right now, thank you for warning us about the danger Robin’s in.” She looks back at me, that same emotional smile on her face. “But it’s more than that. Thank you for not turning her in. Thank you for hearing what she had to say, and for joining us.”
I start to protest but she raises a hand. I close my mouth.
“I know you aren’t a full agent, and no matter what you tell the Chief I can tell you aren’t completely sure about all of this.” She motions to the cave, indicating the entire operation, and I flush, not realizing anyone could see my lack of
complete
devotion. “But thank you for giving us a chance. For giving
her
a chance.”
Her gaze softens when she says this, and I suddenly realize what she’s saying. Understand why she’s so grateful to me for what I’ve done.
I smile then. “You really love her, don’t you?”
Kelly blushes. “I think I do. I mean, I know we’ve only been together a few months, and most people would say that that’s not long enough to fall for someone...”
We both look over at Robin, her face stern while she listens to the instructions her leader gives her. And when I look at Kelly, all I can see is unabashed adoration for that woman across the room. I smile, thinking of my own love for Harrison.
“Yeah, they might say that. But your love is written all over your face.”
She looks back at me, the blush on her cheeks only making her look more lovestruck.
“Thank you, Eliza,” she says again.
“You’re welcome, Kelly. And even though I’m not a full agent, I’m still going to do everything I can to keep her safe. To keep you both safe.” She nods and grasps my hand one more time.
We break apart, her to her partner and me to the exit.
Darian moves over to my side and asks if I need help finding my way back to the surface, but I turn down his offer. I wonder if he feels guilty about what he said to me during the party. But I would rather make my way back alone. I could use the time to think. As I move through the tunnels, I realize that this is the first time in a long time that I’ve had the silence to truly reflect on my situation.
It’s funny. Kelly was completely right when she said that I’m not one hundred percent devoted to the cause. But I don’t know
why
.
Is it their methods? That
would
make sense, but their actions with Robin’s Life Chip have made it clear that they won’t put anyone else in harms way until they can shut down the entire Chip system. Is it my love for my career that holds me back? That...
could
be it, but after helping Jenny and re-living my own hellish memories, my devotion to the job has definitely gone down.
I hit the outside of the maze and move forward to the dark hole in the wall. I press my fingers to the metal back of the dumpster, and it slides away instantly. A rush of cold air slams into me. My eyes widen. An unexpected snow storm cropped up while I was underground. I lament my lack of a jacket, but then I remember that I left one in the office.
I’ll head over there now, and see if I can find any information on how to shut down the entire Chip system.
I move down the cold sidewalk, nimbly side-stepping the few pedestrians out this late, and when I hear their terrified whispers I finally realize my hesitations for fully joining the Revolutionaries’ cause.
It’s because I’m afraid.
Staying with the Godparents is safe. Staying with the Godparents is all I’ve known my entire adult life. And staying with the Godparents means I won’t be executed if the Revolutionaries are caught.
I look up at the sky, gray storm clouds with a red haze drifting by overhead. A snowflake hits my eye and I look back down, blinking away the drop of frozen water.
I shove my un-gloved hands in my pockets and move a bit quicker.
I’m only twenty-four years old. I’m afraid to devote myself fully because I don’t want to die.
And I don’t think the Revolutionaries can guarantee my safety.

*

Twilight is settling in around me when I enter the Godparent building. The rush of warm air that greets me is a welcome change from the chill outside. I rub my hands over my arms to fight off the remaining cold and head down the carpeted hallway to my office. As I move I see that all of the Godparent offices are empty. Usually around this time everyone has left, unless they are a preparing for a Wish fulfillment that was specified to take place late at night. Even though the floor is carpeted, it is so quiet in the building that I can still hear my footsteps echo in the silence.
I reach my office at the end of the hallway and open the door. The lamp on my desk is off, but the dim glow from the hallway casts light inside. I can just make out my emerald green coat draped over the back of my chair, its golden buttons glinting softly in the light. I move over to the chair, but just as I am reaching for my coat a shadow passes across the room. A figure blocks the doorway. I spin around, clutching my jacket to my chest in defense.
“Godmother Hayworth?”
The hallway’s light is behind them, so all I see is their silhouette cast in shadow. I can’t see their face, and I can’t help but be afraid.
Did they follow me? Do they know about the Revolutionaries? Have I ruined everything somehow?
“Uh, yes? Can I help you?” I subtly shift my weight, paranoia insisting that I may need to fight.
“Calm down, Godmother. I’m from the main Security Branch.”
The figure steps into the room and flips on the light switch, flooding the office with sudden illumination. She is a few inches shorter than me, even with her four-inch-high black stilettos. She’s wearing a black suit with a grey camisole underneath, has short, honey-blonde hair and dark, almost black eyes. She walks forward and hands me a Wish Submission folder.
“There was some sort of clerical mix-up, and we received this Wish at Headquarters by mistake. The assignment is scheduled for tonight.” She glances at her watch while I take the folder. “Actually, it’s due to be completed in a half hour.”
“A
half hour
?” I repeat, taken aback by the short notice. I open the folder and peruse the submission, only to be immediately confused. “Um, the target’s name isn’t listed, and there isn’t a physical description.” I look back at the strange woman. “Shouldn’t I have more information? And besides, my trainee isn’t here, and neither is my normal partner.”
Why would she pick
me
for this assignment? And why do I have so little time to prepare?
“As you can
see
,” she says, giving me a look that says she thinks I’m pointing out problems to aggravate her, “there is a description of what the target will be wearing tonight: navy blue peacoat, black jeans, and a knit olive green hat. And from what I saw, they want a surprise death
—
they don’t want to see you coming, and don’t want to know when their death will happen. They gave a copy of their schedule and whereabouts throughout the day, so you can find them and complete the mission without any problems. I’m
sure
a Godparent with your level of experience will be able to handle
that
without a partner.” She turns around and leaves the room. But even when she’s gone, she still calls from down the hallway, “Again, I’m just returning a misfiled Wish Submission. Not my problem.” The sound of her footsteps gradually fade away.
I turn around, irritated by her attitude. “
Someone’s
in a lovely mood tonight...” I mutter. I sit down at my desk and open the folder. She was right
—
the client’s outfit and whereabouts for the day are listed on the submission. The Wish states that they want a quick death and don’t want to see it coming. I have gotten more of these types of Wishes than I can count. The people who want to die but are afraid of the actual process will almost always request either a surprise death or a death while they’re sleeping. I usually like having backup for surprise Wishes in case the target fights back, but I suppose the Security branch woman was right. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble handling this solo.
I glance at the clock above my door. It’s almost nine. According to the chart, the target will be getting off of work right now and walking home down a nearby street. I know that there are multiple alleys down that street, so I can hide in the shadows of one until they pass by and complete the Wish. Because this is a surprise Wish, there’s no need for me to don a disguise. I grab my earpiece and Life Chip Extractor from the folder. I consider bringing the gun with anesthesia bullets to knock the client out first, but the bullets would take too long to kick in. And besides, they cause unnecessary pain. I leave it behind.
I don my coat while I exit the building, buttoning it up to protect against the extreme chill in the air. My breath fogs in front of me, sending white clouds into the air. I pull on a pair of black gloves. I look around to ensure that no one is nearby, and head for the street that the target will be on.
The file said the target would be heading south, so I head north up the road and find an alley to hide in. Because they don’t want to see their death coming, I can’t exactly poke my head out to see when they’re close. I will have to wait until after their shadow passes and sneak up behind them. I dart into the alley and crouch behind a dumpster to wait for my target to pass by. They shouldn’t be here for a few minutes, so I press my fingers to my earpiece to report in.
“This is Godmother Hayworth,” I whisper. “I am waiting in an alley forty feet north of the Main and Grand Avenue intersection to intercept target. Estimated time for target to arrive is three minutes, and estimated time for Wish completion is three minutes thirty seconds.”
I wait for a response, but nothing comes. Confused, I take out my earpiece and look at it, but nothing appears to be wrong with it. It’s not
that
late at night, so I would have thought that some administrative staff were still in the office.
They must have gone home early
. I shift my weight to keep my blood flowing for when the target comes. The moments pass in silence, my breath still sending white puffs into the dark alley air.
Something about this Wish feels...
wrong
, somehow. The late notice, the lack of communication with Headquarters, and the Wish being delivered by a Security officer instead of a Clerical member—it doesn’t all quite fit together. I start to stand, considering leaving and asking questions in the morning, but I’m worried that my questioning any assignment will bring suspicion down on me. And that is the
last
thing I want. So I crouch once again. I’ll ask questions
after
the Wish is complete.
Lone footsteps echo down the abandoned street. I peer around the edge of the dumpster and the light from the street lamps reveals an elongated shadow coming down the sidewalk. I move back into the darkness and stare at the tendrils of light reaching into the alley. The footsteps become louder, and within seconds I see the target’s shadow darken the patch of light in front of me. They pass the alley and the shadow leaves, the patch of light now clean of any darkness. I count to three in my head and then get up, speeding to the mouth of the alleyway. I look out onto the sidewalk and sure enough it’s the target: they are wearing the described clothing and walking away from me. All I see is their back moving down the street.
I slip out onto the path and reach into my pocket to grab my instrument. I place the Life Chip Extractor in between my teeth, biting down on it like the bit of a bridle. I inhale slowly, bounce on the balls of my heels for a moment, and then rush forward. The distance between me and the target closes in an instant. I leap onto their back. The target
—who I now know is a man—lets out shout of surprise, and I cover his
mouth with my left hand to muffle it. I slash down across the back of his neck with the Extractor’s knife. The bright red wound opens, and I pull back the Extractor while the client struggles, trying to reach back and pull me off. I shift my weight so that only my left leg is wrapped around his waist, and use my right foot to kick at the backs of his knees. He stumbles, and both of us fall onto the pavement. I click the Extractor’s button and plunge the end into the incision on his neck. I feel the click which signals that the claw has a hold on the Life Chip.
And then, as my hand is pulling the Extractor back to remove the Life Chip, I notice something.
The struggle with the target shifted his hat around so that his hairline is now exposed. Time seems to slow down to a crawl, but despite this I’m still unable to stop my arm from pulling backward. As the Extractor pulls free of his neck, his Life Chip in its grip, I see that his hair is curly, golden blonde, and tipped with blue dye.
The entire world freezes. I don’t understand
—w
hy is the target’s hair the same style as
his
?
And then the horrifying reality hits me.
I just completed a Wish submission for
Harrison
.
“
Harrison
!” I scream, turning him over. His eyes are barely open, but as soon as he sees my face they fly wide open. “Oh no, no!
Harrison
,
no
!”
What just
happened
? How could I have not known that Harrison was the person struggling under my grip? Sure, when you complete Wishes your body seems to act of its own accord, all the hours of training accumulating into smooth and decisive motion, but
this
. This can’t be real.
I panic, moving over to lift his head onto my lap. My fingers find the gash in his neck and run over it erratically, as if my hands can undo what they
just did. I rip his Chip from the Extractor and try to force it back under his skin but it won’t go in. My hands quickly become covered with his slippery-sticky blood but the wound still won’t heal.
“Elly?” He moans, his voice horrifyingly quiet. “Oh God, I-I knew they
—
”
His sentence is cut off as his body starts shaking, his organs shutting down one by one. He gasps violently and grips the front of my coat. I was frozen in shock when I couldn’t replace his Chip, but the feeling of Harrison’s fingers pulling me ignites something inside. I move my shaking hands forward and pull him to my chest, cradling the man I love. His skin is paling at an alarming rate.
With his precious last moments, Harrison looks at me as I stare down in horror and whispers, “I love you forever, Eliza.”
His body shakes with one final, shuddering breath. I can’t do anything but sit here, my arms wrapped around his now-motionless body, and watch helplessly as the light goes out of Harrison’s eyes forever.