CHAPTER 13

Decisions

DINNER HAD BEEN a quiet affair, each woman lost in her own thoughts. Even Scootie seemed subdued, although she rarely took her eyes off Primeris. Unable to stand the silence any longer, Jain decided it was time to confront their predicament.

"Alright, enough is enough. What are we going to do about all of this?" Jain demanded, looking first to Solaria and then the others.

"That depends on Primeris," Solaria answered. "Have you made a decision?"

"I'll be leaving shortly," Primeris said. "So should you. They know where Jain lives. It's only a matter of time before someone else goes after her."

"As I said before, she'll be safe. Your colonel made a mistake kidnapping her. I've sent a message to his superiors that Jain is untouchable. If they choose to ignore the warning, pictures of them, their families and every member of Unit 33 will be posted on the Webnet. The details of their past missions will also be released. A lot of people would appreciate that information."

"Hey," Jain broke in. "You two talk about me as if I'm not in the room. Don't I have any say in this? And what about Chantelle?"

"You don't have any say and Chantelle is free to do what she wants," Solaria replied.

"What's going to stop them from going after her?" Jain asked.

"Chantelle seems quite capable of taking care of herself. Isn't that right?" Solaria asked, turning her attention to the Singer.

Chantelle nodded.

"I'm not in any system. When they described me as invisible, they were right. As far as the government is concerned, I don't exist," she said. "I'm safer on my own."

"Then it's settled," Solaria said, ending the discussion. Exhausted, Jain bid everyone good night and headed for her bedroom. Primeris and Chantelle had no choice but to return to the guest bedroom while Solaria stretched out on the couch. Several hours later, Primeris quietly left the house. Only Solaria was aware of her departure.