The elevator doors slid open, and right away Maya got hit with this weird mix of chemical clean and fake purple flowers. It was supposed to be soothing. All it did was make her want to throw up. She barely took a step before two guards in spotless white suits blocked her path. Each one held a glowing baton, crackling with electricity.
“Hands up, Doctor,” one of them barked.
Maya put her hands in the air. She noticed dried blood still caked on her fingers from the warehouse fight. Behind her, Julian stepped out. He scanned the room, all sharp eyes and tense muscles, like some cornered animal.
“I’m here to see the Vice President,” Maya said. She tried to sound calm, even though her heart thudded like it was trying to escape her chest. “She invited me. You remember, right?”
The guards hes
