Not Dead

I hold the pass up to the scanner. There's a beep and then to door slides open. I blink in surprise. The cell is furnished with a bed and a dresser. It doesn't look like a holding cell. It looks like it's supposed to be a room.

I don't see anyone inside. Cautiously, I step over the thresh hold. The door slides shut behind me.

I catch a blur of movement from the corner of my eye. I barely have time to duck out of the way.

The girl is quick on her feet. She easily stops her momentum and sends a roundhouse flying at me. I stumble back. She follows after me.

Her blond hair is pulled back in a very messy ponytail, and her hazel eyes are set in determination. Before she throws another punch I have to evade, I get the sudden feeling I've seen her before.

She suddenly drops and kicks my feet out from under me. I go down with a thud. She grabs my gun and twists it in a way that causes pain to lance through my wrist and down my arm. Crying out, I release the gun. She snatches the pass from my hand as well.

As she stands, it clicks—the photo in Mark's room.

"Aurora?" I ask, surprised. "You're not dead."

She turns the gun on me. "Hilarious. How about I actually make you dead? I'm sure it'd be just as funny." The gun clicks.

I hold up my hands. "I'm with Mark!" I yelp, shutting my eyes. "I'm on his team!"

"Nice try."

"He has a photo of the two of you in the common room! He's laying on you and you're drawing on his arm!"

There's no pop of gunfire. I crack my eyes open just in time to see her push the gun into my face.

"What kind of sick joke is this? Did she tell you to say that?" Aurora demands.

"No! This isn't a joke. We're here looking for Chancellor Vernon. He was taken captive, and intelligence says he was here. That's why we're here. Please don't shoot me."

"Prove it. Call out on your comm and ask for the date of the light show," she says.

"What?"

"Do it or I shoot."

I reach up and push my comm, turning it on. "Captain. Captain, this is Cub. Come in Cap."

There's a pause then a response. "This is Cap, what is it Cub?" Mark's voice asks.

"What's the date of the light show?"

"What?"

"What is the date of the light show?"

"Cub, focus on the mission. There is no light show."

No no no. "Cap, please. What is the date of the light show?"

"Cub," Mark's tone is one of warning.

Aurora. Light show. The aurora borealis. The northern lights. That has to be it. "What is the date of the northern lights?" I ask.

Aurora fingers the trigger.

There's no reply. I think the line went dead.

"Cub, how- how do you know this code?"

"Cap, please."

"When the May flowers bloom after the April showers."

"Thank you," I tell him. I look at Aurora, turning my comm off. "When the May flowers bloom after April showers."

Aurora lowers the gun and offers a hand. "Sorry."

I reach up and take her hand. "I was told you were dead. Everyone thinks you're dead."

"Yeah, that's what she wants," Aurora responds, turning to the door. She holds up the pass and the door slides open.

"Team, I've got the Chancellor. The falcon has the chancellor. Head to the drop-off," Blaine's voice announces in my ear.

There's a chorus of rogers from the rest of the team, I also roger back.

Aurora glances at me.

"Blaine found the Chancellor. We need to head to the drop-off," I tell her.

"Cub, respond," I hear Mark's voice order.

"Yes, Cap?" I ask, leading Aurora along toward the ship.

"How did you know about that code?" He asks.

"If I tell you, you wouldn't believe me," I tell him.

"Come again?"

"You'll understand when we get back to the ship. We'll probably be the last ones there."

"'We'?" He parrots back.

"You'll see," I tell him.

The line goes silent, and I focus on getting back to the ship.

I ask Aurora for my gun back, but she refuses, claiming she feels safer holding a weapon. I decide not to push it.

We've almost reached the ship when the alarm goes off.

"They must have noticed the Chancellor is gone," I comment.

"No. They've noticed I'm gone. She won't be happy," Aurora says.

I look at her, but she's scanning for guards.

"Let's move while we have a break," she says.

We manage to reach the ship without getting caught.

As soon as we're on, I hit the button to close the door then hit the ship intercom. "This is Cub. I'm on board. Take off is a go."

The ship begins moving.

"Nikita!" I hear Mark call.

I look towards the hall in time to see him round the corner. I've never seen him freeze so fast before. His eyes are wide in disbelief and shock. He takes a halting step forward. "Rory?"

Aurora runs by me, right to Mark. He catches her, wrapping her in a hug, burying his head in her shoulder. They stay like that for a moment, locked in each other's arms before Mark pulls back for a second to look at her, then kisses her.

"Hey, Mark, Cha-. . . What?" Blaine has rounded the corner and now stands staring at Aurora. "Am I dreaming?"

Aurora breaks off the kiss but doesn't leave Mark's arms. "Hey Blaine," she says. "Miss me?"

Blaine suddenly starts laughing. It's verging on hysterical. "You're not dead. This is- this is crazy. Two years. We thought you were dead for two years."

"About that," she says. Her voice is very bleak. Blaine's laughter dies. She looks down then up at Mark. "It's her. She's the one pulling the strings."

They're all silent.

"Who is she?" I ask.

Aurora looks at me. "My mother. She's the one running the Ulterion forces. The most sadistic and insane person is the one in charge."