Defector Read Online Free

still in Livingston. He knew details about your Variations and your personal lives. He can give away important information about all five of you. He’s the first abducted agent who has a certain degree of insider knowledge that could potentially hurt us.” Major pressed his lips together in disapproval, as if he couldn’t believe Agent Stevens had dared to get caught.
    “If he told them about your healing power”—he nodded toward Devon—“and about your capability to produce toxin”—he looked at Phil—“I’m sure Abel’s interest will be peaked. Your Variations are quite useful, after all,” Major said with an appreciative look. I wondered if they’d noticed Major’s choice of words.
Useful.
It was a term he loved to use.
    Phil looked miserable. “But I can’t control my glands.” He stretched out his arms, gloved palms upward. “It’s not like I’m a biological weapon or anything.”
    Major emptied his cup with a grimace. “The dose usually isn’t enough to kill a human, you’re right. At least, not a grown up. But with training and the right incentive, I’m quite sure that Abel’s Army could turn your Variation into something that’s worth being afraid of,” he said. My face must have shown my shock. Major gave me a pointed look. “That’s the problem with Abel’s Army. They wouldn’t hesitate to use your talents to kill and maim, while the FEA wants to teach you to control your Variations.”
    “So you believe that we could be next,” Kate said, a hint of impatience in her voice.
    “Given your involvement in the last mission and Abel’s interest in that case, I’ve come to that conclusion, yes. The Variations gathered in this room are too valuable for them to ignore. Appropriate security measures must be taken.”
    “Alec should be safe, though, don’t you think?” Kate gave a delicate shrug. “After all, there’s nothing he can do that a machine can’t do in his stead. Strength isn’t
that
valuable.”
    I couldn’t believe her audacity. Even in a situation like this, when agents were going missing and all of us were potential targets, she didn’t have anything better to do than continue to attack Alec. His fingers tensed in mine, but his face remained a stony mask.
    “Alec is a very important asset,” Major said sharply.
Discussion over.
I smirked at Kate, but the expression on her face wasn’t the one I’d expected—not rebuffed, rather challenging. Kate had never defied Major openly. What the hell was going on?
    “Until further notice, FEA headquarters will be on high alert.
You
will be on high alert. We have to take all necessary precautions to prevent another abduction from happening. Any kind of suspicious behavior must be reported immediately. Are we clear?”
    “Clear,” we echoed as one. I wondered if the others were as confused about the meaning of suspicious behavior as I was. Everyone began rising from their chairs. Alec didn’t look half as freaked out as I felt. He even managed a smile for me, even though he usually kept our romantic interaction to a bare minimum.
    “Alec, Kate,” Major’s voice lashed through the room like a whip. “A word with you.” I hesitated and glanced at Alec, Kate, and Major. None of them gave anything away. Alec released my hand with an apologetic smile. “See you later?”
    I nodded and, with a last glance at him, left the room and closed the door behind me.
    • • •
    When I arrived back at my room, Holly was awake and reading an e-mail on our shared computer. But as soon as she heard me, she quickly clicked the browser window shut before I’d even closed the door—before I could catch a glimpse at what she’d been reading. Holly and I didn’t keep secrets from each other. “Hey,” she said without turning around. Her voice was too high.
Strange.
    I walked up to her slowly, hoping to catch a glimpse of something on her screen that would give me a clue. But her desktop background—a photo of us in front of