Free daynight by Megan Thomason Page A

certainty. And when she finds out I knew about it ahead of time and didn’t warn her, she’s going to hate me. But she’d want me dead if I started something with her now and then found out. Didn’t I learn my lesson about how psychotic girls get when you betray them? Kira could turn me in for revenge. And I have too many people counting on me to die over what is realistically a hormonal reaction to a hot chick. I back off or come clean with her, the latter being pretty impossible when we’re being watched 24/7 and I still don’t know if I can trust her. Plus, I’m counting on her reaction to what’s on deck to be genuine and if I give her a heads-up we could both end up dead by week’s end.
    I decide dialing it back is my best bet, get out of the shower, and wrap myself in a towel. As I walk to my locker, I hear a familiar voice coming from the steam room and think maybe Ted has some info I need. As I approach I see he’s not alone, so stop in my tracks and strain to listen instead. The man speaking with Ted has his back to me, so all I can see is the remains of his thinning dark hair and a few extra rolls of fat. I crouch down to stay unseen, creating a pool of water below me as I drip onto the floor.
    “What brings you to the Recruit gym, Ted? I thought you’d still be recovering from your entry.”  
    “I came to see how my new Recruits are faring—to make sure they’re adjusting well to things,” he says. “But then I started to feel some heaves coming on and decided to step into the steamer for a bit.”  
    “Getting the girl was a major coup. Promotion material. We’d all thought pure Lights were extinct. And to get both Light and Dark Originals, a perfectly Cleavable set even, is nothing short of miraculous. They came through without a scratch, too, which has the geneticists celebrating. Amazing. The specifics are above my pay grade, but rumor has it we’re witnessing history in the making. ” My father didn’t instruct me about any ‘Originals,’ although the term does sound familiar. I can’t retrieve the memory, so focus on what I do know, which is that I don’t like hearing that Kira and I are central to the future of the Second Chance Institute.
    “It’s confirmed, then? I hadn’t heard the final DNA tests were back.” I wish I could look at his face, because Ted told me that he didn’t know what they wanted us for and I’d like to know if he’s bluffing to get the information or if he’s known all along.
    “Confirmed, though with DNT levels that high they had to be. They are very special, those two. And there seems to be chemistry there, as least that’s what their feeds are showing. Think they’ll Cleave on their own, or will they need help?” he asks.
    “I’d guess that will depend on how they react to meeting the Second Chancers,” Ted says. “The girl may not take it well.”
    “I don’t think that will be an issue. He’ll likely be Cleaved before their training is complete. And if not, we’ll force the issue by showing her the footage.” He thinks we’ll be Cleaved before training is complete? Or is he even talking about me? I’m not sure. Not after that reference to Second Chancers, which may mean they’re playing with some serious fire. And what ‘footage’ will they show Kira?  
    “That sounds like a solid plan.”
    “It will be if we can get Brad Darcton to agree. He has other ideas for the girl that are resonating with several members of the Ten.” What ideas?
    “I thought this whole thing was his plan?” Ted says.
    “Getting the girl was his idea, but not the duo. He doesn’t think the boy’s right for her, even though he’s got a cleaner health record than the alternative,” the stranger says, confusing me further about what boy he’s referencing. He pauses before adding, “But, I’m here because I have a more pressing concern. The girl has been asking a lot of questions through her tablet, some of them pretty derogatory. We tallied