I watched Robert talk to the short man in suit. The man didn't look anything military, but looks could be deceiving.

Dad used to drag Vince and me to all types of year-end parties and fundraising events. I had seen this type of man before. Politicians. He could be a senator or someone high up the ladder.

I touched my lips. My breathing was still all over the place. The car felt hot and cold at the same time.

Why the hell did Robert do that? He had no business doing that.

I was upset. I knew I should be.

Robert looked back once in a while as if he could hear my thoughts. Maybe he wanted to check on me, but I knew, with the tint, it was unlikely he could see anything inside the car. Still, he did it.

Robert seemed tense but not nearly as intimidated as someone in his position, who was surrounded by a group of armed soldiers, should look.

I wondered what the whole deal was about. I tried to read the men's lips, but besides Robert, most of them had their backs to me. All I could get out of the conversation was Robert saying something like 'It's not ready,' 'He wouldn't let that happen.'

I groaned and lay back on the reclined seat after a while. There was no point in spying. My head hurt for trying so hard. I knew it was none of my business what the Federation wanted with Robert. At the end of the day, he was the engineer of a company that fulfilled government contracts. He was also not someone I should worry about. Not anymore.

Nothing had happened recently spelled normal. I felt Robert had gotten himself into something over his head.

I wondered how long the conversation between him and the man in suit would go on when the car door on my side opened. There, Robert stood with an unreadable expression on his face. I wished, for once, he could just stop staring and talk to me.

"What happened? Why don't you get in? What do they want with you?" I bombarded him with questions while watching the men not too far away.

"Lou, listen... One of these guys will drive you back to your apartment, and I'll call Vince to pick you up, but I have to go now."

"Wait, what? Why? Go where? I thought we were going back to the farm together?"

"Yeah, that was the plan, but I have to do something..." Robert bent down, so his face was at my level. "About earlier... Sorry for surprising you." He bit his lip and smiled. I couldn't help but think about a fifteen-year-old boy who I used to know.

"Yeah, right..."

It was tempting to pull him in by his collar and return the favor, especially when he was this close, but I knew better. It was just that. A moment of weakness. Lapse of judgment. Nothing more. I shouldn't read too much into it. It was never wise to jump back into an old story, knowing how it would end.

"You still haven't answered any of my questions," I raised my eyebrows, reminding Robert.

"Lou," he tugged the loose hair behind my ear. "I'm sorry... I can't tell you anything right now, but soon. I promise."

I was puzzled by what he did and more by what he said. What the hell did that mean?

I panicked when Robert's face got closer. I wasn't sure if I should lean back to avoid it, stay where I was, or lean forward. The short man in suit, who obviously didn't have all the time in the world, started coughing exaggeratedly.

Robert closed his eyes and stopped in his track. "I'll call you later," he said while reaching for his laptop bag.

The way those men hurried him into the black SUV made me think I might not hear from Robert anytime soon, and I didn't have my phone anyway. My stomach tightened in a knot. I didn't even hear what the soldier who took me home said until he repeated it for the third time or so. I felt bad, but I didn't have it in me for any small talk right now. I answered what needed, then stayed quiet for the rest of the trip back to my apartment. Fortunately, the guy understood the cue and didn't ask anything anymore.

We crossed the long bridge that connected two sides of the city. A few civilian cars were coming from both directions, but the bridge was mainly occupied by military vehicles. Helicopters hovered in the air like dragonflies. The sound of their rotors added to the anxious drum in my chest. Everything seemed to be in order, yet I could feel a palpable tension, like a fuse waiting to ignite.

It was a little past noon, but my appetite was barely there. The soldier, Sergeant Hoffman, as his name tag stated, dropped me in front of my apartment building and left quickly in Robert's car. I watched the familiar black sedan disappear around the corner with an uneasy ball twisted inside me.

The stink of garbage pulled me back to reality. My apartment was an old building in the less desirable part of the city. Thanks to that, it remained untouched by the chaos last night, which happened mostly in the financial district downtown. Everything stayed the same. No broken windows or doors. Even the walls were pristine.

I entered the code and got into the building. The lobby was empty. Dead silent. Normally, people were hanging around here, no matter day or night. I breathed a sigh of relief when I didn't have to face any of my neighbors with their good-natured concerns or curiosity in this condition.

I got in the elevator and pressed the button. The floor number changed slowly while I replayed what had happened over and over again in my head. The questions sent me in a downward spiral. I leaned back on the elevator's wall and exhaled. It was warm here. The bandage around my head started to itch. I pulled the loose threads on the thing. I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

A loud bang made my heart jump to my throat. The metal hoist cables groaned noisily as they pulled the cab up a few more inches. Then, all motions stopped. The light was out.

[5774]