Chapter Twenty-Four

Delaney

The guard's warning still echoed through my head as the door closed behind us. I immediately felt like I was going to pass out, but forced myself to step forward and focus on my surroundings.

The room we had entered seemed as if it should have been breathtaking. As I took in the wide oval shape and high ceilings, I couldn't help but feel like someone very important had once been there. Yet something about it felt irritatingly wrong.

"Lovely of you to join me."

I jumped at the sound of the voice, which came from the other end of the room, where several sets of windows let in minimal light. An intricately carved wooden desk stood in front of them, and behind it, a comically large chair sat with its back to us.

"Well?" the voice demanded, sounding impatient. Trai, Caleb, Abby, and I shared a bemused glance, then Caleb shrugged.

"It's a pleasure you meet you," he said to the back of the chair.

"That it is," the voice, who I could only assume was Miracle, agreed. She lapsed into a satisfied silence.

My stomach twisted, trepidation building within it. While Miracle didn't sound like she posed an imminent threat, the impropriety of the room was still bothering me.

"Well, sit down!" the voice commanded. A pale arm appeared the side of the chair, waving around in the universal "hurry up" gesture. Quickly, the four of us scurried over to the two white couches facing each other over a dark wooden coffee table in the center of the room. I collapsed into one of, pressing my shoes into the lilac oval carpet and wishing I could sink right though the floor. Trai dropped down beside me.

"Not there!" Miracle snapped in irritation. She whirled around the chair so it was facing us and stood up, arms crossed over her chest.

The image my mind had conjured of Miracle was a drastic contradiction was the woman before me. From the way the guards seemed to fear her, I'd expected a hideous witch. But instead, the woman had thick, wavy, golden brown hair cascading down her back that belonged in a shampoo commercial, and an hourglass figure that most girls—Lizzy, for example—would die for. And, most importantly, she was a Superior, though I guess I should have expected that.

Peering at us through the dark glasses balanced on her nose, Miracle sighed. "Here," she said patronizingly, pointing to four seats lined up in front of her desk. When none of us moved, she smirked a little bit. "Come on; I don't bite."

Hidden behind the light humor was an undertone of warning, and it spurred us off the couches and over to the simple wooden chairs. Somehow, I ended up directly in front of Miracle, between Caleb and Trai. Miracle flashed me a cunning little smile before smoothing the front of her blazer and sitting down. As seemed to be standard Capitol attire, she wore a pinstriped business suit, but with a matching pencil skirt rather than pants. It seemed impractical, but did a good job of showing off her long, flawless legs. Which, given the way the boys were gawking, was probably her goal.

"I'm Miracle," she said smoothly. Her voice was the type that could convince a person to throw themselves off a cliff, if she wanted them to. "Though of course, I'm sure you already knew that." With a tinny laugh that was phony at best, Miracle leaned back in her chair—it was more of a throne, really—running her fingers over the deep purple velvet that matched the color of the walls.

"I am the first Superior." I heard three inhalations in quick succession, followed by my own. Suddenly, everything about Miracle seemed ten times more intimidating.

For a long moment, there was no sound except that of our breathing. Miracle pursed her lips and tapped one long, painted nail against her chin. Then, with careful, deliberate movements, she removed her shades and placed them gently on the desk.

Every single one of us gasped.

I'd seen pretty people before. I'd met many people who I would describe as beautiful. But never, ever, had I seen anyone who was so totally drop-dead gorgeous.

If I were vain, I probably would have died from jealousy.

It was the symmetry, mainly. Human faces are described as being symmetrical, but you know how there's always something that's a little bit off? A slightly crooked nose, one eye that's just larger than the other, or maybe a disproportionate distribution of freckles.

With Miracle, though, that was not the case.

Each half of her head was an exact mirror of the other. High cheekbones shaped her face, with identical almond-shaped amber orbs staring coyly on at us from either side of a perfectly-sculpted nose. Her skin was blemish-free, completely spotless.

Now I understood why the Superiors wore sunglasses all the time: their perfect features were completely mesmerizing to normal people. In just these few brief seconds of seeing her, I found myself short of breath.

The longer I stared at her face, however, the more uncomfortable I began to feel. There was something about her that was almost too flawless about her, almost like the plastic dress-up dolls I used to play with when I was younger.

They were symmetrical, gorgeous...and made of one hundred percent plastic.

I shuddered involuntarily, trying to look anywhere but at her perfect face.

"These things are such a pain," Miracle was saying, shaking out her hair as she folded the glasses up. "I'm supposed to wear them so I don't scare everyone, but I'm sure you all don't mind seeing my face, right?"

"Of course not," Caleb replied amiably, answering for all of us. I was suddenly thankful for his presence; he was the one person I could count on to never lose his cool.

"Wonderful," Miracle drawled.

Something about the way slow way she said the word made me shudder, and I quickly looked down. The desk was the first thing my eyes lit upon. Unconsciously, I lifted my hand and began tracing the intricate vine pattern carved into its front.

Miracle caught me eyeing it and smiled.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I nodded. She waved her hand around airily. "It was the only thing I kept of this office when I—ah—moved in."

"Well, it's lovely." Caleb smiled pleasantly and inclined his head toward the Superior. How he managed to stay so calm in the face of everything was beyond me; here I was, about ready to throw up from fear, and Caleb was speaking to Miracle as if she were just another person.

A pause followed Caleb's statement, then the Superior sighed.

"Now that the pleasantries are out of the way," she murmured, leaning her head into her hand, "let's begin, shall we?"

Her expression darkened, and even Caleb began to look worried.

"You've been brought to the Capitol in light of an accusation made against you, regarding a video that was posted on the Net just last night." She raised an eyebrow. "I assume you are all aware of that?"

We nodded.

"Wonderful. That should allow matters to proceed much quicker." A pause, as she pursed her lips. "In this country," she continued after a moment, "we take utmost care in making sure that our people are happy. If they are unhappy, we have problems. When people are unhappy, they can make rash decisions that they might come to regret later."

Her gaze landed on my face, her eyes boring into mine. A shiver passed through me.

"That's fair," Trai conceded, but the words were hardly out of his mouth before Miracle was on her feet and in his face.

"I am talking," she snarled dangerously. Trai shrunk back, his eyes wide.

As quickly as it had come, Miracle's anger dissipated, and she returned to her seat, smiling slightly. "Thank you. As I was saying, we try to keep our people happy. We try to give them something to put their trust in, something to believe in wholeheartedly. And when that belief is challenged"—she spat the word—"matters are wrenched from our control. Things begin to fall apart."

Abby groaned. "God, not this again. Would you please spare us the agony of listening to your deep little speech and just get to the part where you accuse us already?"

Miracle bristled, any semblance of a smile gone from her lips. "You're a bold one, aren't you?" She peered at Abby, almost as if the girl was on display. "Nonetheless, I'm inclined to agree. The sooner I sentence the four of you, the sooner I can get on with my day." Her eyes narrowed.

"You kids have committed a very, very serious crime," she hissed. "Posting that video was probably the most destructive thing you ever could have done to yourselves."

"Who says we're the ones who posted that thing?" Abby sassed. "You have no proof!"

A shadow fell over Miracle's perfect features, and her lips curled up menacingly. "You want proof, Abigail?" Her eyes glinted. "Then honey, I'll show you proof."

With a flick of her wrist, Miracle swept her fingers across the surface of the desk. What I had previously taken to be a glass cover was actually a computer screen, and at her touch, it turned to a white page dotted with file icons. She selected one, then sat back in her throne and smirked.

"Let's watch this proof, shall we?"

A moment later, a fuzzy video filled the screen and began to play. I stared at the desk, horrified, as I recognized the restricted room in the Seattle city building. As the tape continued, I saw the door slide open, saw a girl in a sweatshirt slip into the room. Myself. Me. The entire scene, from my entrance to my exit, played out before us. There was no denying it; though the picture was slightly blurry and at a strange angle, there was no mistaking the girl who stared at the computer screen, looking fiercely concentrated.

Fear clawed at my throat.

Once the video ended, Miracle slowly lifted one leg and crossed it over the other. "A security guard named Francis found this a few days ago as he was going through the video archives," she quipped. "He thought it seemed...suspicious, and sent it in immediately. We advised him not to do anything with the material just yet, because we wanted to watch Delaney a little bit longer. Thus, we didn't tell your father. After all, how devastating would it be for a man to learn that his own daughter stole information from his beloved government?"

"It would kill him," I quavered hollowly. It wasn't until I saw the satisfied expression on Miracle's face that I realized I had spoken aloud.

"It would," she agreed. "But there's more."

She tapped the screen, and another video came into focus. This one showed Rascal's Diner. In full color, I saw myself and Trai creeping hesitantly through the crowd. The image jiggled, then focused again as the two of us approached Ms. Shea, spoke to her. It showed me pull at my phone, and zoomed in so much that it was easy to discern that I was using the voice recording app. Unlike the security video, this one was much, much clearer. I could see every strand of my hair cascading over the back of Trai's jacket. There was no sound, but what did that matter? Glimpsing our faces was evidence enough.

"How did you get this?" Trai demanded, voicing the words that my suddenly dried-out mouth couldn't say.

Twirling a strand of hair around her finger, Miracle shrugged innocently. "We have people for that. Once we determined that Delaney would be attending the meeting, we notified our sources and they were ready immediately."

I opened and closed my mouth, but no sound came out.

"It's rare that we are able to trace one of these meetings," Miracle continued, "though we know they exist. And believe me, we have officials whose jobs are solely to scout the Net for any traces of the Pro-Inferiors. It was your research that led us to find them. For that, I thank you."

"Nice going, Delaney," Abby snarled. Trai hushed her.

I, meanwhile, was still trying to form a coherent thought. My mind was spinning with the enormity of the situation, with the realization that I was completely and utterly screwed. It was a long, painfully silent moment before I found myself able to speak. And even then, my voice was a whisper.

"How?" I croaked, then swallowed. "How did you know?"

Miracle laughed a little bit, then raised her eyebrows as if it was obvious. "We traced your Net history, of course."

Frowning, I shook my head quickly. My mind was already clearing as its analytical side kicked into action. She couldn't have possibly traced it; I took precautions to prevent that. It simply didn't make sense.

"Impossible," I countered, my voice growing stronger. "My browser automatically scrambles the codes of every website I go to. Not to mention that I've set up every barrier possible on our Wi-fi. It's a private network," I finished, putting extra emphasis on the word.

"And?"

"And that's a complete invasion of privacy!" I sputtered, angry that I'd been bested by the Superiors.

"Privacy is a myth," Miracle scoffed. Her gaze was condescending as she stared down at me, unsmiling. "And besides. It's wrong to hide things from your government."

"Any government as corrupt as this one is no government of mine," I shot back icily. My head was spinning from adrenaline and fear, but my voice was surprisingly clear.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Miracle said. "But even still, your disloyalty gives you no right to spread lies all over the—"

"They weren't lies!" I bellowed, surprising myself with my volume. Everyone's eyes fell on me in unconcealed shock. I took a small breath, then added, more quietly, "That was a truth."

"It wasn't," Miracle insisted. "And if that is what you believe, you are sadly mistaken. The Pro-Inferiors are a group of disgusting anarchists, and everything they say is a filthy lie."

I lifted a single eyebrow. "If it was a lie, then why do you care?"

The Superior bristled, her plastic face going slack. She leaned forward so that her hands were braced on either side of the desk and her face was inches from mine. "Because lying isn't nice," she spat.

"Yeah?" Trai spoke up. "Neither is abducting children."

Miracle shoved herself off the desk and into her chair, pouting like an overgrown five-year-old. "I don't need to deal with this," she proclaimed. "If you won't treat me with the respect I deserve—"

Abby cut in with a snarl. "You don't deserve respect, you little—"

"—then I'll just skip the negotiations and give you the worst sentence possible! How does that sound?" Miracle's eyes were wide with anger now, her perfect nostrils flared. I blanched as she met my eyes.

"Miracle." Caleb, ever the diplomat, held up his hands to placate the raging Superior. "Please, forgive my friends. You must understand that being brought here so suddenly was very disconcerting. They're under a lot of stress."

"I'm not under any stress whatsoever," Abby grumbled, but Trai smacked her arm.

"Anyway," Caleb continued, "we do genuinely want to hear these negotiations. If you give us a second chance, I promise, my friends will behave themselves." With that, he glanced over at us scathingly.

Miracle closed her eyes, inhaled dramatically...and finally, nodded. My breath escaped my lips in a rush of relief.

"Thank you, Caleb," she said. Caleb smiled.

"I'll keep this as short as possible," Miracle went on, "for the sake of time. Over half the country has seen that video since you posted it last night. It's spreading like the plague, and people are getting anxious." She narrowed her eyes. "You see, it seems that some of them are actually beginning to believe you."

I couldn't help but crack a smile at those words. Miracle glanced at me sharply.

"But, I'm giving you an out. You are only children, after all. On national television, the four of you will make a statement, announcing that you created the fictional Pro-Inferiors and the video as an act of rebellion. You will then go on to say that you've found that action to be wrong and delusional, and that your commitment to your country has been fully restored."

It was silent as we processed that.

"And if we do this—video, you'll let us go, right?" Trai asked evenly.

Miracle waved a dismissive hand. "Yes, yes," she said. "You'll be allowed to go back home, back to your lives. Though Caleb, with your Rank, I imagine we'd be seeing you again very soon."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Caleb's jaw set, and his eyes harden, but I still saw the decisiveness in his eyes. He was going to go with Miracle's proposition. I felt sick.

"Like hell I'm going along with that!" Abby shouted suddenly. I felt hope surge inside of me. "You think I'm going to let people see me submit to you like that on national TV? I'd rather die."

Miracle heaved an impatient sigh. "I suppose we might be able to disguise your faces, make you anonymous, if that's what you wish."

Abby looked surprised. "Oh! Alright, then." Nodding, Miracle looked at the rest of us expectantly.

"So? What will it be?" she asked. My heart sank.

"Fine," Trai consented, at the same time Caleb said, "It's a deal."

Miracle turned to me, looked at me with her doll-like eyes. "What about you, dear?" she asked sweetly. "I didn't hear your answer."

"Um—I—well," I stammered uselessly. I felt the other three staring at me, their eyes wondering at my hesitation.

I sucked in a big breath and heaved it out, trying to pull some confidence out of the air.

"Absolutely not," I finally stated, with as much certainty as I could muster. "When I made that video, my every intention was for it to be seen by everyone, and for them to know the truth about you and the Superiors. I'm not going back on that."

There was a beat of silence.

"Is that your final answer?" Miracle asked, her voice ice-cold.

I didn't waste a moment before nodding. "Yes."

Trai cleared his throat. "If that's what Delaney says, then I'm with her. She's smarter than you think, Miracle." My heart nearly stopped as Trai glanced at his sister.

Abby shrugged. "Eh, what the hell, I'll side with her, too. The girl has spunk. And besides, you and your Superiors are all sadistic nutcases."

At first, I was shocked by Abby's nonchalance. Then, as I peered at her face more closely, I saw the fear barely concealed in her eyes.

Miracle turned to Caleb, her expression hopeful. "And you? Surely you understand the correct decision in this matter." At first, Caleb didn't answer. Then, looking tired, he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Miracle," Caleb said, seeming genuinely contrite, "but I said this before, to Charisma, and I'll say it again. These are my friends. I'm not going to let them go through this alone."

Miracle glanced at me as I smiled in satisfaction. She looked almost curious.

"Interesting," she murmured, her eyes losing focus for a moment, "a Loser like you." I stiffened, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere. "Well, if that's the case..."

Suddenly, her eyes cleared and flooded with fury. She leaped to her feet and slammed her hand against the corner of the screen on the desk. A crack skittered through the glass, and I gasped at her display of strength.

"Guards!" she screeched, and the office door flew open immediately. I glanced over my shoulder, through the oval-shaped space, to see the four men from before standing timidly in the doorway. They all did a double take when they saw her exposed face.

Bryce, the first to regain his composure, nodded respectfully at the Superior. "Yes, Miracle?"

Miracle's teeth were clenched together. "Look them away," she said tightly.

Once again, I felt a stab of fear choking me, pulling at the corners of my mind and threatening to swallow me whole. I bit down on my tongue to quell it, but still my stomach churned and my vision swam.

When my sight returned, Simon was looming over me, a pair of handcuffs clutched in his grasp. His expression bordered on sympathetic for a moment before smoothing away into cool disinterest.

"Stand, please," he said. I did so, numbly, and winced at the sound of the cuffs shutting on my wrists. A few feet away, Abby was protesting, but even I could read the defeat etched all over her face.

We were led to the door, and Miracle's cackling laugh followed us. I glanced back and saw a menacing glimmer in her eyes. At that moment, I knew, with absolute conviction, that she was evil in its purest form; that is, however pure an evil person can be.

"I'll deal with the four of you soon," she called after us, "but know this: I will make sure that you regret what you did. You will be punished." She laughed a little bit, and when she spoke again, her voice was softer, stiffer, almost robotic. "And I will show no mercy."

~~~

A/N: I SORRY FOR NOT POSTING YESTERDAYYYY. I want to post at least a chapter a day, but I have a motherload of summer homework and it takes a good three hours out of each day, not to mention dance and the fact that I wake up at like 10 o'clock. And that I'm a professional procrastinator :/. But since I have no dance tomorrow, I'll try to edit more and maybe post a couple of chapters. And I should probably update Assassin, too...

Anyway... Isn't Miracle just a great big ball of sunshine? :D She's in the picture on the side...and also on the cover. And in the external link is a picture of the resolute desk, the only thing that Miracle kept when she "moved in". Because I'm so dedicated that I actually researched the White House and found the desk that's in there. ;)