"She's not going anywhere with you."
Chloe's voice was steely, unwavering, her eyes locked onto Andre in warning. Behind her, she could hear Jin's breathing quicken, could sense her readiness for battle.
"Chloe," Jon called, his tone cautionary.
But Chloe didn't glance in his direction. She kept her eyes on Andre, whose lips had curled into an ugly smile, fists clenched at his sides.
"I was not making a request, soldier." His voice was laced with threat and superiority. "The alien comes with us. She can come willingly, or painfully."
As he spoke, the two standing behind him stepped forward. The one on the left was a towering man with brown skin and a shaved head that looked oily. He sported a thick beard. His eyes were brown, but not entirely — there was some crimson in them too.
The second was a woman, taller than Chloe and broader, with arms that bulged even through her tactical gear. Her hair was jet black and cut short, with a parting that ran along either side. Her eyes were a dark, deep-set blue, and her jawline was even more defined than Andre's.
"Jin stays with us," Chloe repeated, adamant and unthreatened. "We head for the Capital together or not at all."
Andre's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Know your station, worm," he snarled. "The girl's been ordered to accompany us. An order straight from the Capital. And I have my own orders too, should she or the rest of your people fail to comply. Stand aside. Final warning."
"No," Chloe said softly, not taking her eyes off Andre.
Andre said nothing for a moment. Then he took a breath, stepped back and nodded slightly. The two Pandorans moved forward.
They'd only taken a few steps when suddenly Lucas and Jon were there, a long metal rod pressed against the towering man's neck.
"Please," Jon said softly. "Threaten my sister again. I dare you."
Aiden joined Chloe, standing in front of Jin alongside her. "You heard her," he said, addressing Andre. "The girl doesn't go anywhere with you. Not unless we're with her."
Andre's eyes narrowed and Chloe thought she saw veins spread through them. He snarled, and she noticed then that his teeth weren't entirely normal. He had fangs, which he now bared menacingly as he prepared to attack. He took a step forward, but before he could pounce, another voice spoke.
"This is all very pointless," the voice said, coming from behind Andre, from one of the choppers.
Chloe's eyes widened. She hadn't noticed anyone else aboard the choppers, hadn't smelled anyone else. Even now, as the man spoke, her senses picked up nothing.
Her eyes darkened.
"Andre, let one of them accompany us," the man in the chopper said. "Better to compromise than resort to senseless bloodshed. I've had a rather annoying morning as it is."
Andre snarled again but retreated regardless, his shoulders relaxing somewhat. Chloe watched his fangs recede, shrinking back until his teeth looked normal again.
"You," Andre growled, pointing directly at Chloe. "You can follow the girl."
"Wait, n—," Jon began.
"It's fine," Chloe said. Jon looked at her, his concern and distrust of Andre and whoever was in the chopper plain on his face. Like her, he sensed something was off about the man inside. It was only once before that they'd come across someone their senses couldn't detect. And that person had turned out to be an alien.
"It's fine," she said again, nodding at Jon.
Jon hesitated, then his shoulders relaxed. He nodded back.
Chloe returned her attention to Andre and gave a nod. The boy, despite scowling, stepped aside and gestured toward the chopper immediately behind him. Jin led the way and Chloe followed close behind, climbing in just after her.
The man in the chopper looked old. Not very old, perhaps around Chancellor Hardy's age. But he didn't look as fragile or weary as a man that age ought to have looked.
He was broad and tall, his height apparent even seated. His jet black hair, graying at the roots, had been oiled and slicked back elegantly. Over his upper lip sat a neatly groomed graying moustache. His eyebrows were sharp, lending his face an air of perpetual seriousness, and his eyes were a deep shade of gray — the eyes of a man who had seen far too much.
On his left cheek, a deep gash, an old wound that had healed poorly. Unlike the others, he wasn't in tactical gear. He wore a simple white T-shirt beneath a blue blazer, paired with white shorts and blue sandals. A locket hung over his chest and a golden wristwatch dangled from his left wrist.
Andre climbed in after them and sat beside the man. He signaled the pilot, and the chopper's blades began to whir.
No words were exchanged until they were roughly fifteen thousand feet up. At that point, Chloe and Jin were handed headphones to help with the noise. Andre and the strange man put on theirs as well.
Chloe examined her headphones carefully when she took them, wanting to confirm there wasn't some sort of explosive rigged to them. The strange man saw her do this and roared with laughter.
"Relax, soldier!" he said, loudly enough to be heard over the chopper and the wind. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead already!"
Warily, Chloe slid the headphones on. She counted the seconds. Ten passed and nothing happened.
Beside her, Jin slipped hers on too.
Chloe glanced out of the chopper and looked down at the faint shapes moving in the same direction below them. The trucks.
"Don't worry, your friends will get to the Capital safely," the man said, his tone light and a little playful. "I'm Major Julius Erwin, by the way. And you are?"
"Chloe. Chloe Taylor."
"Jin."
"Just Jin?" Erwin raised an eyebrow. "Do your people not take second names as ours do?"
Jin raised her hand so Erwin could see the crow tattooed onto it. "The mark of my father," she said. "A way to identify me with him always."
"So Crowman, then?" Erwin suggested. "Jin Crowman."
"What are you?" Chloe demanded, frowning at Erwin. "You're not human. I can't—,"
"Perceive me?" Erwin asked, before letting out another hearty laugh. "That's very deliberate, my dear. I am, after all, a man who does not like to be perceived. And yes, I suppose you could say I'm not human. Much like you, that was a part of me left behind long ago."
Chloe clenched her jaw. He was a Pandoran too. But much, much different than she was. Andre was different too — she'd seen fangs on him. She didn't have fangs, nor did Jon or the others. But Andre still gave off a distinct smell, a readable heat signature.
Erwin had nothing at all.
"Do not be afraid of me, Chloe," Erwin spoke calmly. "Based on everything I've heard, it would appear that you and I are soldiers on the same side, committed against the same foe. You would only have reason to fear if that were not the case." He shifted his gaze to Jin. "As for you, Crowman — there is much I'd like to know. It is why I asked that you fly with me. I simply had to meet you myself, see exactly what it is that has everyone in the Capital in such a frenzy. I left important matters for this."
Jin said nothing.
"I know the basics. I've been debriefed. Your father's a bad man, his scientists are behind the giant monsters that pop up every now and then, and you apparently carry the power source for a doomsday device inside you. Which makes me rather curious about your biology. A power source inside a living body. What's that like?"
"Warm."
"Not painful?"
"No."
"Alright then." Erwin nodded. "And your blood — it's apparently got restorative properties?"
"For the Pandorans, yes. Toxic to regular folk," Jin answered.
"More than just restorative, sir," Andre added. "Chancellor Hardy mentioned a performance boost from consumption of her blood. Strength, speed, reflexes, perception — all heightened further after a dosage."
"Any side effects?" Erwin asked, directing the question to Chloe rather than Jin.
Chloe thought about the battle three weeks ago, how much she'd reveled in the carnage when Jin's blood had been coursing through her, how strong she'd felt — and how badly she'd hoped it wouldn't end. She'd felt unstoppable, and she'd wanted to show every last monster exactly what that looked like.
"It alters inhibitions," she answered truthfully. "More aggression, less control."
"Potential dangers in sustained use, then." Erwin looked as though he were taking mental notes. Andre, meanwhile, was taking physical ones, typing into a tablet as they spoke.
Erwin continued with questions for Jin for the entire duration of the chopper ride, and halfway through the journey, after roughly two hours of gliding overhead, Chloe worked out what he was doing. The questions, seemingly random as some of them were, were letting him gauge Jin's behavior, her reactions, and most importantly, whether or not she was still hiding information.
Threat assessment.
And he'd asked all of it in such a light, conversational manner that she'd assumed he was simply a talkative, possibly eccentric man. But by the time the chopper touched down, there was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
"What do you think?" Andre asked, glancing to the Major.
"That she can't be trusted, of course," Erwin answered, though with a smile. "Not that the Council needed me here to confirm that. I think they only asked for my presence because they wanted me to neutralize her."
Chloe stiffened.
"And?" Andre raised an eyebrow.
"Dishonest, but useful." Erwin shrugged. "Ms. Taylor and the rest of her team were right to keep her alive. And I will do the same."
"So we're just supposed to let her be?"
"No, of course not." Erwin shook his head. Around them, the other choppers were landing and the trucks were pulling to a stop. "She'll need to be under close observation," Erwin said. "Ms. Taylor, surely you wouldn't mind if I were to burden you with a small task?"
It had been phrased as a question, but the look in Erwin's eyes made clear that it wasn't, and Chloe had absolutely no interest in finding out what he was like when he tired of false smiles.
"No," she answered, shaking her head.
Erwin smiled. She'd answered correctly. He gestured toward Jin. "She's your responsibility now," he said. "She already was, but I'd like you to think of it more officially from this point forward. Observe her, monitor her, and most importantly, protect her. I have chosen to spare her, but I cannot guarantee that others here in the Capital will share my sentiments. I do not know what the Council has planned. Should any danger to her arise, it is your responsibility to neutralize it. And should the alien herself indicate in any manner that she poses a danger to the continuity of our kind, you are to neutralize her. Do you understand?"
Chloe looked to Jin, who avoided her gaze. She turned back to Erwin. "Yes," she answered.
"Yes, sir," Erwin corrected.
"Yes, sir."
"And you understand that failure in these duties would be particularly…aggravating, for me? I know we've known each other only briefly, but I sense you're a clever woman, and surely you know how unfortunate it would be for all involved if I were to become…aggravated."
"Yes, sir."
"Good." Erwin smiled. "Then I suppose my work here is done. Oh, wait — one more thing." He leaned forward. "Should you learn anything new about our enemies, anything even remotely useful, I would like to be informed first. Surely that's no great difficulty?"
"No, sir."
"Thank you." Erwin nodded, leaning back. "This is where I leave you for now. As I said, I left important matters for this, and seeing as my work is done, I must return to them. I suspect it will be some time before we see each other again, but should you wish to pass along any information on recent developments, do not hesitate to go through Nicholson. He has my direct line."
Andre's face turned smug. Chloe did her best to refrain from rolling her eyes.
Jin was the first to step out of the chopper, and Chloe followed. Andre pulled the door shut behind her and she turned back to see him and Erwin in conversation. She couldn't make out a word of what they were saying.
The chopper, whatever it had been made of, did a sufficient job of ensuring nothing said within it carried out. Which meant Erwin's instructions had not been heard by anyone other than Andre, Jin and the pilot.
Jon and the others climbed out of the trucks. Jon's face was dark when he emerged, and he looked around for a moment before his eyes found her. As soon as they did, relief spread across his face and he made his way over quickly, Lucas and Aiden behind him. Lucas shrugged off the hand of a soldier who'd been holding him and snarled.
"Chlo." Jon let out a breath as he stopped in front of her. "You're okay. Did anything—,"
"No." She shook her head, then glanced back at the chopper. Erwin was still speaking with Andre, but his eyes were on her, and she had the distinct feeling that while the chopper kept her from listening in on him, the same did not apply the other way around. She looked back at Jon. "He just wanted to ask a few questions," she said.
"Who is he?" Jon demanded, staring toward the chopper. "What is he?"
"Pandoran," Chloe answered. "But different."
"So one of them, then," Lucas said, folding his arms. He looked as though a suspicion of his had just been confirmed. "Looks like they're real after all."
"One of who?" Jin asked, frowning.
Before any of them could answer, the chopper door slid open and Andre leaped out, pulling it shut behind him. Everyone stepped well clear as it fired up again, hands covering ears when the rotors kicked into full gear.
A few minutes later, the chopper was gone. And so was Erwin.
Andre turned to face them immediately, the smug expression still in place, his hair wilder now from the wind, more strands across his face. He ran a hand through it, combing them back with his fingers.
"Alright," he said. "The easy part's out of the way. You're here, and you'd all do well to be on your best behavior. This isn't a slum like you might be used to. One step out of line, and you're dead. Understood?"
No one said anything.
"Good." Andre smiled. "Now come with me. The Council will see you now."