“You’re late,” Tuck said as Owen entered the warehouse. Tuck sparred with Ed in the center of a ring of tables while Naomi watched. They slashed each other with fake knives. Movements furious and precise. Each cut aimed at something vital. “What happened?”

  “I had to finish training,” Owen said. “It would look suspicious if I left early. My first fight in the league’s coming up soon and my takedown defense is still weak.” He also didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Amber. They shared pleasantries at the gym, nothing more. “We have a mission?”

  “You do.” Tuck faked a stab at Ed’s neck and flipped him to the ground. “Naomi, set him up.” Naomi uncrossed her arms and brought Owen a plastic bag with a jumper inside.

  “You know how to install one of these, right?” Naomi asked condescendingly.

  “You know I do,” Owen said. She glared at him and he glared right back. “And I didn’t forget about you leaving me behind. Can I trust this?” He held the jumper up. “Tuck?”

  “It was an accident, Owen,” Tuck said. “Naomi didn’t mean to leave you.”

  “She shut the door on my face!” She almost got him caught, or worse killed. If not for Vicky the security agents would’ve had him. All because that bitch Naomi couldn’t handle her brother’s death. It wasn’t like Owen killed Brad.

  “You should have been faster,” Naomi sneered.

  “Maybe your fucking brother should have been,” Owen dodged her punch and shoved her. Naomi sprawled across the ground. If she came at him again Owen would kick her teeth out.

  “Enough!” Tuck shouted as he moved between them. He had his hands raised defensively at Owen. “We’re on the same team, don’t forget it.” He helped Naomi up without looking away from Owen. “We need to trust each other. Naomi, did you fuck Owen over with the jumper?”

  “Of course not.” She rolled her eyes. “This is too important.” Owen knew she wanted him dead. He could feel it in her glare.

  “Good.” Tuck looked at Owen. “Can you accept that?”

  “I guess,” Owen said. He didn’t trust Naomi at all. But he trusted she wouldn’t screw over Tuck.

  “Good. You’ll need to install it on Amber’s scratchpad. Preferably away from anywhere with a window.” Tuck chuckled. “We don’t need a repeat of the gala. Can you manage to get her alone?”

  “I think so,” Owen said. He swallowed. He almost forgot he was undercover. “Why do we need to hack her pad?”

  “We need a security clearance that belongs to a Callahan,” Ed said. He rubbed his face and yawned. “That’s all you need to know. Consider it an extension of the gala operation.”

  “You’re doing good,” Tuck said. “Better than I could have expected under the circumstances.” He patted Owen on the shoulder. “You know I didn’t expect much when you came to me looking for work. I’m glad I took a chance on you.”

  Was Owen? He didn’t know anymore. Tuck was asking him to hack his girlfriend’s personal data. She wasn’t supposed to be his girlfriend. How bad did Owen fuck up?

  “He has a whole career spun out of his lie,” Naomi said. It might’ve been the first time Owen saw her smile. “You did a good job tricking that Callahan whore.”

  “Don’t call her that,” Owen said. He wanted to knock her teeth out of her pretty mouth. Why couldn’t the peacekeepers have cooked her instead of Brad. Owen might’ve liked Brad.

  “Oh, does Owen have a baby crush?” Naomi spat. “Remember whose side you’re on.”

  “Get on it, Owen,” Tuck said. He shook his head at Naomi before she could say anything else. “You’re dismissed.”

  “I’ll walk you out, kid.” Ed led Owen outside the warehouse where they were alone. “You doing okay? It’s been a little while. Your training going well?”

  “Yeah,” Owen said. “It’s fine. My first fight is coming up soon. What does Naomi have against me?”

  “You’re standing in the spot her brother used to fill. She’s in pain and she doesn’t know any other way to show it.” Ed shrugged. “Hey, you got awfully defensive of Amber back there.”

  “She’s nice to me.”

  “Sure.’ Ed nodded. “You know I didn’t want to join the army. I wanted to be a pro slaughter ball player. You watch slaughter ball?” Owen shook his head. “My team of choice would’ve been the Oceanside Reapers. I always thought it was a funny name because we can’t see any oceans inside the city ‘cept for the fake ones.”

  “What changed your mind?”

  “What else? A girl. I was from the low city but was a damn good ball player. I met her at a game between my team and some guys from the mid city. We won and she wanted to talk to me. Turns out she was one of the heirs to Yamada Motors. Beautiful girl, nice and sweet, the whole package. Probably a lot like Ms. Amber Callahan.”

  “I’m guessing it didn’t work out.”

  “It almost did,” Ed said with a rueful smile. “I loved her, and I’m pretty sure she loved me. And it wasn’t puppy love. It was the real deal. So, I surprised myself when some Yamada leg breakers came around to scare the shit out of me. I ran as far as I could. Joined up with the defense force and didn’t even tell her goodbye. I regret that the most.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Owen asked.

  “I like you, kid. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Just keep it in mind okay.” He patted Owen’s shoulder. “The Callahans are a different species to us real humans. Remember that. I’ll be rooting for you when your fight comes. See you around.”

  Amber lived in a penthouse apartment on the border of the mid and upper city. Owen thought he stood out terribly amongst the denizens of City Seven’s ruling class even with his new wardrobe of name brand articles purchased at a store instead of a night market booth. He exited at the top floor where only approved guests were permitted. He knocked on Amber’s door and it slid open. He smelled burned pasta sauce and saw a trashcan full of the remains of an ill prepared meal. On the kitchen counter sat two bags from a restaurant named MIRACLE EXOTICS.

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  “You got here quick,” Amber said. She set plates on a large glass table with three thin legs. “Sorry about the smell. I have a couple windows open.” She frowned. “I wanted to cook you dinner, but it was harder than it looked.” She glanced at the trash. “I ended up ordering something. Do you like steak?”

  “I don’t know,” Owen said. He took in the grandeur of Amber’s apartment. Marble busts of women flanked doorways and an indoor pool served as the apartment’s centerpiece. Her appliances were all the newest models and she had a gorgeous view of the city from her balcony. The floor was made of marble polished to a mirror’s sheen and Owen thought he could fit four of his apartments inside hers.

  “We have your opponent lined up,” Amber said. “Colin Mace. He’s a pretty good fighter. Two wins, one loss. Derek thinks he’ll be a good debut match.” She walked over to Owen and kissed him. “I wish we didn’t have to pretend when you’re training. It’s hard to keep my hands off of you. Sometimes I want to drag you into the showers and have a little fun.”

  “I wouldn’t be against it,” Owen said. He loved the way she smiled, and the way her eyes shined when she looked at him. He loved everything about her. “What made you want to cook?”

  “I don’t know. Just wanted to try something special. It’s my birthday.”

  “Is it?” Owen thought her birthday was sometime in July.

  “No.” Amber grinned. “If it was my birthday we’d have live music and a hundred people at a private venue. Do I need a reason to dote on you?”

  “No,” Owen said.

  “I might try the cooking thing again. It felt nice doing it on my own even if the results were less than desirable. Maybe Derek had a point. Sit down.” Amber set out the food on shiny white plates and lit a pair of candles.

  “What is this?” Owen squinted at a green plant sitting on his plate.

  “Broccoli.” Amber giggled. “The orange ones are carrots. They’re vegetables”

  “And we eat them?” Health Organization meals didn’t include fresh vegetables. Owen thought he might’ve seen a vegetable on screen once or twice.

  “Yes. They’re good.” Amber’s scratchpad beeped and she rolled her eyes. “Jake keeps asking about your training. He thinks I need his advice to make you a quality fighter. I trust Derek.” She sat across from Owen and brushed his leg with her foot. “By the way, he says you’re doing well. You’ve really been turning up the heat at the gym. Don’t tell him I told you.”

  “I’m getting better at dodging Mark’s punches.” Wilson’s Warzone gave Owen training Dan couldn’t. At the end of every week he hard sparred with a new partner and no two people fought alike. He learned more in those five minutes a week than he did the rest of the time. It wasn’t getting easier, but he was more equipped to handle what his opponents threw at him. “The fight’s still weeks away and I can’t wait. What’s it like being surrounded by cameras and people?”

  “It’s the worst feeling in the world, and then you step out and it all goes away. All eyes are on you and its pure magic. Nothing compares.” She flashed him a quick smile and put her hand on his. “You’ll be okay. I promise.”

  He returned her smile, but thoughts of his mission weighed heavy on his mind. He wanted what he had with Amber to be real more than anything. How could it be when he built it on a lie. When she blew him a kiss when no one was looking he knew she was giving it to a fraud. She’d given him everything and he betrayed her every single day. And if she found out it would be over.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “Nothing,” Owen said. The jumper was in his pocket with a set of small tools to do the job. Amber’s scratchpad sat on the table, occasionally beeping with messages from costars and her agent. The only time Owen’s pad beeped was when he got a message from Tuck or Coach Wilson. “I like the steak.” Owen swallowed. “The broccoli’s good too.”

  “You know, Amber,” Owen started. “I didn’t really have many options before I met you. You really gave me an opportunity. Aside from what we have going on, thank you. I won’t let you down. No matter what happens.”

  “Hey,” Amber said. “You don’t need to be nervous. It’s the rest of the fighting league that needs to be nervous.” She hopped out of her seat and ran to another room. “I’ll be right back.” Owen considered attempting to install the jumper but Amber returned too quickly with something held behind her back. “I got this for you.” She revealed a white Conolin jacket. Owen saw it on ads all across the city.

  “You didn’t.” Owen took the jacket. It was soft and thin, the Conolin silver eagle on the collar. He slipped it on and it hugged him perfectly. “Is this really for me?” He zipped the jacket and understood at once why its price tag was so high.

  “One hundred percent,” Amber said. “It looks good on you.”

  “Does it?” Owen walked to a mirror on the wall and admired himself for a moment. He thought he looked a little bit like Sensei Dan in the white jacket. “It’s great!” It was better than great. All he had for her was hidden in his pocket.

  “That’s not the only surprise I have for you,” she said playfully. “Give me a few minutes.” She skipped away with a mischievous smile on her face, leaving Owen alone with half eaten dinner and a vulnerable scratchpad. He waited for her bedroom door to close and got to work.

  He lifted the screen off her Maestro and carefully removed the backing plate. He worked nimbly, installing the jumper and reconnecting the internal components. When he turned the pad on again to enable external control, he saw the picture Amber took of them at the holo zoo. They looked happy together.

  “You don’t have to do it,” Sensei Dan said. He sat across from Owen, arms crossed. “They can’t make you do this.”

  “It’s my mission,” Owen said. He was a member of the Citizen’s Liberation Brigade. If doing this would improve the lives of people like Owen, he had to do it. There wasn’t another option. So what if he went against the princess of City Seven. He was fighting her family.

  “She’s your mission? Is that really what you think? You’re not a soldier. When you look at Amber, what do you see? Do you see a target or do you see someone you care about? Answer me, Owen!” Dan’s eyes met his. “There’s no going back once you do this. This will mark your soul.”

  “I’ve already killed someone for the mission. This is easier. We’ve come too far to stop.”

  Owen enabled the permissions and returned the pad to Amber’s side of the table. It was done and Owen felt like he went three rounds in the hex pit with no protection.

  “So that’s that,” Dan scoffed. “I thought I was training a warrior. Not a puppet.”

  “She’s the enemy,” Owen said. “This is how we beat them.” Owen swallowed. “This is how we save the city.”

  “Whatever helps you sleep, Owen.” Dan disappeared leaving Owen alone with his thoughts.

  It wasn’t too late to undo it. If he disabled the permissions then the team couldn’t access Amber’s scratchpad. But what about the rest of the city? Tuck had a plan beyond what Owen could see. The team counted on him to do his job. Ed, and Vicky, and everyone else all had their roles and Owen had his. He left the scratchpad alone and trusted Tuck’s vision. They were going to free City Seven from the Callahan’s tyrannical rule.

  “This is surprise two,” Amber said. She posed with her hands on her bare hips. Sheer lingerie adorned the work of art that was her body. Lean muscle accentuated her natural curves. She was bio-crafted humanity at its best. “How do I look?”

  “Amazing,” Owen said. He glanced at the scratchpad. His heart pounded.

  “You’d get a better look up close.” She beckoned him to her. “Leave the jacket.” Owen tossed it off and went to her. He held her slender waist as she wrapped her arms around him. “This feels right.”

  “I think I know what you mean.” Nothing felt right at the moment. She offered herself to him and he wasn’t worthy of her.

  “It would feel better in the bedroom. You don’t buy something like this to keep it on.” She took his hand and led him to her bed. Suddenly she blushed and looked away.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I am.” She swayed for a moment before pushing Owen on the bed and straddled him. She pushed a lock of hair away from her eyes and the corners of her ruby lips pulled into a smile. “I love you, Owen.” She gazed at him expectantly.

  “I love you too,” he said. It was the truth, and it came out easier than he expected. Why didn’t he realize it before he tampered with her pad? When she kissed him he thought about how he loved her and he still betrayed her. Amber wasn’t the enemy. He was.