Helix: Episode 7 (Purity)

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

‘You here to punch my ticket?’ Czarina asked.

Olesya stepped into the square cell and tossed the plasticuffs across the floor. They landed at Czarina’s feet. ‘Put them on.’

The cell was brick, and the walls painted white, except for the front-facing wall and door; they were both reinforced polycarbonate, bullet-resistant and see-through. Only the metal toilet bowl offered some modesty, with an adjacent basin tall enough to conceal it. Czarina sat on a bed in the corner.

Glaring out from under her sharp bangs, Czarina motioned her chin toward the brace on her arm. ‘I got a broken wrist, in case that slipped your mind.’

‘It hadn’t.’ Olesya closed the transparent door, making the cell soundproof. ‘Take your time.’

With Illarion currently in Moscow, Olesya had taken on many of his operational responsibilities, including harboring Sophia and her gang. Which she was beginning to think was a mistake.

If she’d known that Czarina had killed one of her own hunters—even if it was to kill a Fifth Column operative—she never would’ve let them through the gate.

Olesya would answer to Illarion once he returned, but hopefully not before she cleaned this mess up.

With an exaggerated grunt, Czarina leaned over and retrieved the plasticuffs from the floor. Using her free hand, she wrapped them around her wrists and, using just her teeth, tightened them. But not too tight.

Olesya allowed it.

‘Going out on a limb here,’ Czarina said, ‘but I assume this isn’t a job offer.’

Olesya leaned against the wall opposite and folded her arms. ‘I have some questions for you.’

Czarina hunched forward, unblinking. ‘I didn’t enjoy killing your hunter, if that’s what you’re wondering.’

‘I’m not,’ Olesya said. ‘And you’re lucky I didn’t know Nika that well, or I would be here for more than questions.’

‘So I was right, wasn’t I?’ Czarina wet her lips. ‘Xiu works for Big Daddy Denton.’

‘I haven’t confirmed that.’

‘You know she’s your enemy. You don’t have to hear it from me.’

Olesya swallowed, but refused to break her gaze. ‘Can Xiu be rescued? And deprogrammed?’

Czarina shrugged. ‘Anything’s possible.’

‘Sophia rescued you. How?’

‘Why don’t you ask her? Surely she’d wanna help. Unless she don’t know. Or she don’t trust you.’

‘Did she train you to deprogram operatives?’

‘Enough to get by.’

Olesya reached into her coat pocket and removed a small diary. ‘I know the trigger phrases from the Fifth Column. Would they work on Xiu?’

‘So you want my help?’ Czarina asked.

Olesya shrugged. ‘Anything’s possible.’

Czarina gestured with her restrained hands, but Olesya wasn’t about to untie her. Instead, she placed the book at the end of the bed.

‘First few pages,’ she said.

Czarina took the diary with her uninjured hand and flicked through it. She stopped on one page, then doubled back to the pages before it.

‘Well?’ Olesya asked.

‘What’s in this for me?’

‘You stay alive.’

‘“Children three that nestle near”,’ Czarina read. ‘These commands should work on Xiu, at least to get her into slave mode. But then you got to haul her back here, and you’ll still need someone who can actually deprogram her.’

Olesya nodded. ‘Place the diary on the floor.’

Czarina held onto it. ‘So I’m the only one you can trust, huh? That’s messed up.’

‘I can free you. Discreetly.’

‘Then you won’t see my face again.’

‘So we have a deal?’

Czarina lowered the diary to the floor and, with her foot, slid it across to Olesya. ‘Thing is, how do I know I can trust you?’

‘You don’t.’