Free imperfect by Tina Chan Page A

anything with me. The judges were going to deem me
innocent and I would be let out within a day. Do you know what they
would do to you? The government will be more than happy to use this
break-in as an excuse to lock you up for the rest of your life.
You’re my only remaining family member and I couldn’t stand it if
you were captured.”
    “ What about Maria and Don?
They’re part of our family too,” Kristi said. “And anyways, I’m
fine and you’re fine. Nobody got hurt.”
    “ They’re traitors,” Jaiden
growled. “They’re not my parents any more. They betrayed me and
never told me who they were. Ha! They brought me up to follow the
laws while they were breaking the laws themselves. They’re
back-stabbing liars.”
    Jaiden grabbed Kristi by
the shoulders and shook her with each word to emphasize the point.
“ Our. Parents. Were.
Spies .” Then he seemed to realize what he
was doing and hastily dropped his hands. “Sorry.” He apologetically
met her gaze.
    Kristi rubbed her sore shoulders—Jaiden’s
grip was strong—and said, “Apology accepted. I don’t think you’ve
been properly introduced to Chelsa yet.”
    Chelsa took the kettle off the stove and
poured everyone a mug of green tea.
    Kristi rapidly downed her cup of tea and
withdrew to take a shower, leaving Chelsa and Jaiden to get to know
each other better.
     
    “ What do you think
the note means?” Kristi asked Jaiden and
Chelsa the next day. She took out the crumpled piece of paper and
flattened it on the wooden desk. They stooped around the table,
trying to decipher the message.
     
    Find Jaiden and locate the others.
    --M & D
     
    Jaiden read the note and
assumed a thoughtful look. When he spoke, he chose his words
carefully, “Who are the others ?”
    “ No clue,” Chelsa replied,
snacking on a cracker. “Kristi and I have been trying to interpret
it for a while now. We were hoping you would know.”
    Jaiden frowned then said,
“Maybe others could be implying that there are other people with no genetic
alterations.”
    “ Do you mean Accidents?”
Chelsa asked.
    “ I hate that
term.”
    Kristi supposed it was possible that other
Accidents like her and Chelsa existed.
    “ Or Maria and Don may be
referring to other spies,” Jaiden said. He accepted the saltines
Chelsa offered him. “But honestly, is there any valid reason for
you to follow the orders on the note?” He directed the question
towards Kristi.
    Jaiden had a point. Her seemingly mundane
parents were actually spies. As a result, Jaiden had gotten thrown
into jail and she was a wanted fugitive. Did she really want to
follow instructions left by them?
    “ I personally just want to
forget about the note and move on in life,” said Jaiden. “But I’ll
support whatever choice you make.”
    “ If you decide not to go
searching for the others ,” said Chelsa, “you’re
welcome to stay with me.”
    “ That’s very nice of you,”
Kristi said. She tried not to shudder imagining living the rest of
her life in the three rooms that made up Chelsa’s residence. Being
trapped indoors, relying on Chelsa to bring her news of the world
outside; just thinking about it made her cringe.

chapter ten
     
    [ Kristi ]
     
     
     
    “ I want to carry out Maria
and Don’s wishes.”
    Jaiden and Chelsa looked up from the
electro-slate, both listening to Kristi.
    “ I don’t know what else to
do.” She dropped onto the rickety bed beside Chelsa.
    “ You could always stay
here, as Chelsa has offered,” Jaiden said.
    “ I think following the
directives may clear some of the confusion that happened over the
past two days.”
    “ Very well, I will do
whatever I can to assist you.” Jaiden looked neither pleased nor
upset by her choice.
    “ So will I,” Chelsa added,
catching Kristi off guard. “Oh, don’t look so surprised at my
offer. You’re my first friend in a long time. You didn’t think that
I was going to allow you to slip away so easily, did
you?”
    Kristi gave