Gabe drove me to the Institute the next morning. I slouched in the passenger seat, gazing out the window. I had an empty feeling in my stomach, like I was missing something important. I shook it off. 

"Get out," Gabe ordered, popping open his door as we pulled to a stop. I slipped out of the car and glanced around. We were in the middle of nowhere. 

"...what?" I muttered as I leaned against the car.

"Eris, I'm sorry about this. I argued. I tried. But it's the Commander's orders."

"Gabe?" I whispered. A thought snuck into my mind...what had Damian said?

"And it's especially important to do this now, since we have no idea what you blabbed while you were gone."

"Gabe, please," I began, backing up. In the folder that Damian gave me...what had it said? That Gabe had been told to kill me?

"You were so promising," Gabe sighed, shaking his head.

"Stay back!"

"I'm sorry Eris." Gabe reached into his pocket. I met his eyes and stared into them, trying to convey my fear and pain. Then maybe he'd change his mind.

Gabe's blue eyes gazed back, full of guilt and anger. He was sorry, he was being controlled as always. If he didn't follow his orders he'd be killed too.

"Gabe," I begged. He hesitated, then glanced out toward the trees.

"You stay where you are, don't go running off now." Gabe's eyes flicked back to the trees. I smiled.

Then I attacked. I feinted a punch with my left hand and then a right hook to the jaw. Roundhouse kick to regain my balance and the right handed punch to the stomach.

The sequence had been drilled into my mind a hundred times from Gabe. He knew it well.

We followed the act, each of us playing our parts. In seconds I had him knocked to the ground as he nursed his  dislocated jaw and shoulder.  What can I say?  I'm pretty good at this spy stuff.

I was unscathed, simply because Gabe was the one returning to the Institute and he needed to looked wounded. 

Kneeling, I touched his good shoulder. "Sorry," I murmured.

"Go," he rasped. I may have also elbowed his windpipe during the fight. I nodded and stood. Then I sprinted into the trees.