Page 57 of Till Death Do Us Part

“To protect Elaine,” Caitlyn said, and Vera nodded.

“To protect Elaine.”

“E-everybody,” I said, blushing and ducking my head. “I’m not that important. I’m just—”

“You’re the reason this family exists,” Petra said.

“I’m a hostage here,” I laughed thickly. Vera smiled dangerously.

“You are,” she said. “But you’re a very valuable one and the centerpiece of the family.”

“So,” Caitlyn said, “if this is a new family, what’s it called?”

“Between white and black,” I whispered. “Between light and dark…”

“Penumbra,” Vera said. “The line between light and shadow.”

Petra put a hand in towards the center the table. “Penumbra,” she said, and the rest of us echoed it too, putting our hands together.

Chapter 27

elaine

The next day was a whirlwind of activity, getting caught up on the mission situation, as Vera and Petra told us everything they really knew about the situation. Jenna agreed to work with us as well—she felt loyal to Vera and didn’t want anything to happen to me, either—and Caitlyn admitted to everything she did, poking around inside the database.

“How did you even access those files from within the system?” Petra said, sitting across the control room table from me and Caitlyn, her shoes up on the table even after Vera had swatted them off once. “The only people who are supposed to have that level of access are Glenn, Quayle, and the administrators.”

“Access is subjective,” Caitlyn laughed. I looked incredulously at her.

“You hacked into the Blackbirds’ database?”

“I grew up with computers. I mean…” She looked down. “Mom didn’t let me go out anywhere. This was all I knew.”

Jenna put a hand on her shoulder. “Things are going to be different now, dear,” she said.

“But it works in our favor,” Vera said. “If you can dig inside the database, we can try to find the Blackbirds’ transit system’s weak points.”

“The transit system?” I said, and Petra nodded like she was just seeing the vision.

“Yeah… that would shut down Horizon in an instant.”

Jenna set out the cups of tea she’d brought in, pouring from the teapot. “There are a lot of crime rings operating around Merona,” she said. “Each with their own strength. The Blackbirds specialize in logistics.”

“Moving shit around,” Petra said. “It’s why Horizon was the ultimate culmination of their work.”

Vera’s gaze was so intense today, flaring up hot with something I hadn’t seen in her before. “But logistics are fragile. If you’re able to identify the interchange mechanisms and tracking systems, we’ll be able to launch coordinated efforts to bring them down, and Horizon is done for.”

Caitlyn sat up taller, eyes shining. “If there’s some way I can help… I’ve always wanted to be able to be a part. To pitch in.”

Petra grinned. “Just not with a gun.”

She huffed. “Shut up, Petra!”

“I’ll work with you,” Vera said. “I’m not the computers specialist you are, but I know what we’re looking for. Petra will handle location reconnaissance. I’ll stay at the house to make sure Elaine stays safe.”

“What can I do?” I said, and Vera shook her head.

“Stay in one piece, that’s what you can do,” she said. “If something happens to you, the whole operation comes down. Stay here, and stay safe.”