Free Gather the Sentient by Amalie Jahn

to ex-commissioner Dalton and his cryptic words to her at the end of the trial.  She played the message over and over again in her head, certain she was missing something crucial.  What had he meant by ‘see you soon?’
    And then it hit her.
    She’d purposely erased that morning out from her memory.  The morning back in February when she and Jack had gone to Dalton’s house to confront him, to accuse him of his involvement in the trafficking ring.  Now though, for the first time in many months, she allowed the man’s words to come back to her.  The last sound she’d heard before passing out had been the commissioner’s voice whispering in her ear, “The end is coming, Mia.  Soon the prophecy will be fulfilled.”
    Suddenly, it was all very clear.  The people Dalton worked for were part of the prophecy.  They had to be.  It was the only thing that made sense.  Dalton knew they were getting close to fulfilling it and the age of darkness was drawing nigh.
    Her head throbbed even thinking about it.  What were the chances of all of them being interconnected?  It seemed highly unlikely, and yet, what other explanation could there be?
    While Jack maneuvered effortlessly through the heavy traffic, she attempted to relax her face into a neutral expression in the hopes of avoiding having to talk to him about what was on her mind.  Because although, in her opinion, he was the most trustworthy partner on the force, there were some subjects that were too complicated to discuss, even between the closest of friends.  She wasn’t ready to explain about the prophecy just yet.
    As though he could sense her anxiety, he changed the subject, letting her off the hook.  “I saw the letter on your desk from the law firm.  Is it about the nonprofit?”
    “Yeah.  It went through.  I meant to tell you.  The Kate Malinov Foundation is finally official.”
    “That’s terrific news,” he replied genuinely, placing a hand on her shoulder.  “I know how much starting the foundation meant to you.”
    While it was true that establishing the foundation in Kate’s name had been a large step on the path of her recovery, there was more to it than that.  It wasn’t just about moving on.  It was about not wanting to forget.  “I called her family yesterday to let them know, and you wouldn’t believe how emotional they were.  I guess it’s something of a consolation to know your daughter will always be associated with helping trafficked women get back on their feet.”
    “The foundation’s gonna help a lot of people.”
    She looked out the window at a group of homeless men digging through the dumpster behind the 7-11.  “I wish they didn’t need the foundation’s help,” she told him.  What she couldn’t say was that she wished her only legacy would be the foundation and helping the trafficked women.  But she knew, because of the prophecy, she had much more work ahead – she was destined to save not only the trafficked women, but the entire world.  And the burden was too great to bear.
    “Well, until the world is free of darkness, we need people like you, Mia.  It just seems like every day, more and more evil makes its way to the surface.  Scares me to death, bringing a baby into this world sometimes.”
    It wasn’t the first time he’d voiced his concerns with regard to his fear of becoming a parent.
    “She’s gonna be fine, Jack.  She’s gonna have you and Stella to protect and guide her.  Besides, I think there may still be hope for the world.”
    He shifted his focus from the road and cast a dubious glance in her direction.  “Mia, have you met the people we deal with every day?  It’s like we’re screening for roles in the upcoming apocalypse.”
    She had to laugh at this, picturing them together in an auditorium, choosing cast members based on who had the more dastardly performance.
    “That pedophile PTA president from the case at the elementary school last week would definitely get top