Free Unbreakable (Unraveling) by Elizabeth Norris

to get Cecily back. And I can’t sit around wondering if Ben is dead because of my inaction. Doing that last night was enough.
    And Barclay isn’t going to take a team of FBI agents or Marines and go through a portal into Prima and shake things up with the IA. He isn’t even going to hang out and let himself be detained very long. If they’ve still got him, it’s only temporary—maybe even because he’s waiting for me.
    When Struz pours the rest of his coffee down the sink, I know I have him.
    “J, come with me. Let’s talk to Barclay,” Struz says. To Deirdre he adds, “Call another meeting for an hour from now. We need people to be prepared and not panicking. We need a way to fight this.”
    “Struz—”
    “D, we’ve got enough shit to deal with without people disappearing right and left.” He looks at me. “Let’s go.”

05:02:03:15
    W hen we first come in, Barclay is silent. The holding cell is cleaner and whiter than I expected. The floors, walls, ceiling, even the bars are white. There’s a small metal sink and toilet on one side and a small cot on the other. The bed is untouched, the blanket and sheets unwrinkled as if Barclay hasn’t slept. He’s sitting on the floor, his head against the wall, his eyes closed, his hands now tied together.
    He doesn’t even look up when the door opens and he doesn’t acknowledge it when Struz says he’s come to talk.
    When he adds, “And I brought someone with me,” that makes Barclay react. He smiles.
    “I knew you’d change your mind, Tenner,” he says.
    I sort of want to smack the smugness right off his face.
    Struz frowns. “We need information.”
    Barclay doesn’t answer.
    “We need to know everything about Prima, the portals, this human-trafficking ring, and exactly what part you played in the events that happened a few months ago,” Struz says.
    Again, Barclay doesn’t answer, but he looks at me like he’s a combination of annoyed and surprised that I gave up information about what happened.
    “Don’t be an asshole,” I say. “We don’t care about your problems as much as we care about ours.” It’s not necessarily true, since I care a lot about Ben and Cecily, and someone dirty in the IA has the potential to be a huge problem, but I have to say something.
    “It’s against IA regulations to discuss the multiverse to persons in a world that isn’t part of the Interverse Alliance,” he says.
    “Seriously, you’re going to spout that at me?” I fold my arms across my chest. “I seem to recall you’ve already broken that one.”
    He knows I’m referring to the information he told me before the quakes—and what he told me yesterday.
    “Look, the sad fact is that you need me,” I say, even though I’m not a hundred percent sure why yet. “I’m not going to help you for nothing. So you need to talk to us and give us answers.”
    Barclay’s eyebrows draw together and I’m pretty sure he’s clenching his teeth, but he gives a quick nod and then says, “What are your terms?”
    I take a deep breath. “My friend Cecily has been taken. So I’ll go with you—”
    Struz clears his throat. “Actually, I’ll go with you. Janelle will stay here.”
    My mouth falls open, though I’m not sure what I’m about to say. I can’t tell myself that it’s surprising that Struz would go in my place. But I just hadn’t seen it coming.
    Barclay shakes his head. “No deal. I don’t need you. I need her. She knows about the IA and they know about her. I can bring her in under the guise of questioning her and no one will think it’s off. If I brought you in, it would draw attention to us.”
    Struz looks like he’s about to argue, so I put a hand on his arm. I don’t know why Barclay needs me, but I believe him. And I also know I need Struz to take care of Jared while I’m gone. To make sure he’s safe.
    “I’ll go with you,” I repeat. “On two conditions.”
    “That we get your friend back?” he asks.
    “Yes. And that you