Michelle Maddox - Countdown

But if he didn't do it… if he was innocent…

I couldn't know for sure. Not now, and not with less than three minutes to go in this level. I didn't have enough time or the ability to concentrate to touch him, to read him, and even if I did would that tell me anything? I'd gotten a great read on Jonathan, but that only left me with more questions. More confusion.

Unless … unless Jonathan believed what he told me was true. Just because he believed it didn't necessarily make it true, but it would explain what my flex had told me.

Dammit. I didn't know.

I let out a cry of frustration and started working on Rogan's wrist bindings until they dropped away. I watched them fall, the ropes getting farther and farther away as they got closer to the street. I felt dizzy suddenly and tried to get up to my feet, but my hand slipped on the wet platform. It had started to rain. I hadn't even noticed until now.

Rogan gripped my wrists and held me in place just before I fell off the platform. We waited, facing each other on our knees until the platform stopped shaking. I stared into his eyes as the rain fell around us, soaking through our clothes.

"I would have fallen," I said, willing myself not to look down again.

"I know." His eyes were moist, and not just from the rain. "You're the only one who's ever believed in me, Kira. Please believe me now."

"Two minutes remain in this level of The Countdown."

He didn't wait for me to say anything else. He slowly and carefully got to his feet. He held a hand out to me, and I took it and stood up.

"Let's go," he said.

I nodded and swiveled carefully to face the other building. I took a step, and then another step, and then another.

"Fifty-nine.. fifty-eight.. fifty-seven …"

"Don't think about the countdown," Rogan breathed from behind me into my now damp hair. "Don't think about the rain. Don't think about anything but surviving."

I swallowed hard. "I think I'm afraid of heights."

"So am I."

I almost laughed at that.

I took another step, and another. A camera whipped past me at a breakneck speed and I stopped. I felt Rogan's hand at my back to steady me.

"You're doing great, Kira. Just keep going."

"Five… four… three …"

With a last step I touched the roof. Another step and I was on it completely and jumped down off the ledge. Rogan landed next to me. I turned to face him and felt an odd sense of relief that we'd both made it to the other side in one piece. Streams of rain hit the rooftop around us.

He reached out as if to touch me, but then pulled his hand back. "Kira, I-"

"Congratulations to Kira and Rogan on completing Level Four of The Countdown successfully. This was also a reward level, so we hope that you will enjoy what we have in store for you next."

I braced myself for the blinding pain that usually preceded being struck unconscious by our implants, but instead I could hear a helicopter approach. My wet hair whipped around on all sides. Rogan grabbed my arm to pull me closer to him as the helicopter landed next to us.

Three men in white coats jumped out. They held guns. I couldn't hear anything because the sound from the helicopter's propellers was too deafening. The men in white were yelling something and waving the guns. I turned away and tried to run, but one of the man grabbed me around my neck. I fought him, but he dragged me to the helicopter and pulled me inside. I couldn't see where Rogan was. I yelled his name but couldn't even hear my own voice.

The helicopter lifted off from the roof and flew into the dark, stormy sky.

I heard Rogan yelling my name from the near distance as the blindfold covering my eyes was ripped off and I was pushed into a room. The door slammed shut behind me.

A gun was on me. "Strip," the voice behind it said, masculine, gruff, and his eyes slithered down my body.

My gaze darted around the room that, other than being totally white, had no other distinguishing features. "You're going to have to shoot me, asshole."

White Coat smirked. "Don't you want your reward?"

"I don't want any reward that starts with me getting naked in front of people holding guns."

He cocked the gun. "Strip now, bitch."

The door opened again and Jonathan walked in. Despite the fact that I now considered him a total lying bastard, I was surprisingly happy to see him.

"Is everything well in here?" he asked blandly, barely even glancing at me.

"Is everything well?" I repeated. "Are you fucking with me?"

He regarded me then with a neutral expression. "I'm sorry this has been difficult for you, Kira. Congratulations on finishing the reward level. I'm sure you'll be very pleased to enjoy some privacy after four difficult levels."

I narrowed my eyes. "You lied to me. Didn't you? About Rogan?"

He didn't confirm or deny it. He nodded at another man in white who threw something at me, and I couldn't do anything except catch it. It was a robe, a bathrobe. White.

Big surprise on the color choice.

Jonathan nodded at the men. "We'll give you some privacy. Leave your clothes in here."

"Where have you taken Rogan?" I asked.

Instead of answering me, he turned and followed the men out of the room. The door closed solidly behind him.

I stood there, shaking, looking at the terry-cloth robe draping off my arm. Then I dropped it and ran to the door, pounding my fists against it.

"Where's Rogan?" I yelled. "What have you done with him?"

I turned around and looked at the small white room, my chest heaving in and out. And I waited.

For a long time.

But nothing happened.

There was no sound. No movement. Nobody came in to force me to take my clothes off. I was alone with nothing to distract me except my racing thoughts.

I felt the back of my hair, now matted and stringy from being caught out in the rain. I touched the incision where the implant was. It wasn't giving off any warning signal.

He must be close.

Dammit. I wanted to talk to him. Why had I trusted Jonathan when I saw it was now obvious that he was the liar?

If only I'd done a true flex on Rogan, I wouldn't have doubted him at all-but I'd found it so difficult to concentrate around him. Especially in this crazy situation. No man had ever confused me as much as he did. As he does.

I felt sudden concern for him twist in my stomach.

Okay, I guess it was obvious that I believed him. I wouldn't be concerned for him if I thought it was all true.

I've never taken Kerometh a day in my life, he'd said.

Jonathan had lied to me so the level would be extra entertaining for the subscribers.

I hated being lied to.

And that look Rogan gave me out there on the platform when I accused him of killing my family … He hadn't looked guilty or shocked or dismayed by what I said.

He looked disappointed. Completely, devastatingly disappointed that I would think that of him after telling him I believed in his innocence.

I bit my bottom lip and drew my arms around myself and hugged while trying to breathe normally.

"Hello?" I said out loud. "Announcer guy? What's going on now?"

There was no answer.

It was quite obvious, actually. They were waiting for me to change my clothes, and nothing would happen until I did.

Make them wait, I thought bitterly.

And so I waited-another ten minutes.

Then, as quickly as I could-using the robe to cover myself as I did so-I slipped out of my wet, dirty clothes and let them drop heavily to the shiny white floor. I kicked off my stolen red running shoes. I tied the sash of the white robe tight around my waist and stood there in bare feet.

"Now what?" I growled from between clenched teeth.