That was her on the phone, by the way. Do you know why she called me?"
She shook her head.
"It seems a computer hacker was sticking his nose where it doesn't belong," he said. "Alarms lit up throughout our organization. Critical systems were penetrated. Of course this is very embarrassing because we're supposed to have the best security. It's the kind of embarrassment that tends to have fatal consequences."
Bethany's teeth were chattering. She already knew this conversation could end in her death. She pulled her sister closer.
"The intrusions originated from Lemonseed, Illinois." Aaron narrowed his eyes. "From this room, it turns out. You can imagine how surprised I was. I had expected you would just follow orders like a couple of good girls. There was no compelling reason to do otherwise. But instead of playing it safe, you went on the attack the first chance you got. You gambled with your lives. What was the reason?"
"We just wanted...," Bethany said softly.
"...the truth," Leanna said.
"Just?" He stood up and slowly walked towards them. "Truth is the most powerful thing in the universe. It can transform lives. It can topple empires. It can strip away the veil that protects us from the things we were never meant to see. You have to be careful when you seek the truth because you never know what you might find."
He grabbed one of the tables and pulled it over. Computer monitors went black as they smashed into the ground. Looking at the tangle of wires and broken equipment made Bethany feel ill.
He drew a gun from a holster under his shirt. "Two Satin sisters are too many," he said grimly. "It's like critical mass in an atomic bomb. One of you has to go. Who will it be?"
He swung his gun back and forth. Bethany clung to Leanna as tightly as she could.
"You decide!" He pointed the gun at Bethany. "Should I shoot you or your sister? It doesn't matter to me."
She shook her head.
"Yes? No? Use your words!"
"Me," she squeaked. "Shoot me." She couldn't go on if she were responsible for her sister's death.
He turned the gun towards Leanna. "Is that all right with you? Should I let you live?"
"No," Leanna said. "Let her live. I'll die."
"Come on, girls. I won't kill both of you."
"Me," Bethany said.
"No," Leanna said, "shoot me."
"This is ridiculous!" Aaron roared. His veins throbbed in his temples.
Bethany had never been this close to death before. It was like a presence standing behind her, dark and hungry. She was afraid to turn her head.
Aaron accidently stepped on one of the broken monitors. His foot slipped out from under him, and he fell awkwardly onto his face.
She saw her opportunity. With the table out of the way, she could just reach the revolver under the hem of his pants. She threw herself forward even though her ankles were still chained to her chair. The metal cuffs dug into her skin. She grabbed the revolver and fumbled with it for a second before pulling the trigger. She wasn't sure where she was aiming, but Aaron was right in front of her. It was impossible to miss him.
The gun clicked harmlessly.
"No bullets." Aaron calmly stood up and straightened his clothes. He gently lifted her back onto her chair.
She stared dumbly at him. "Why?"
"When you write software, you test it. Right? You make sure it behaves as expected under realistic conditions."
"Yes."
"I was testing you." He took his gun back and sat on the recliner again.
"Are you going to kill one of us?" Leanna said in a weak voice.
"Not a chance." He shook his head. "You can relax. I'm sorry I scared you so badly."
"You're not mad?"
"I'm delighted! Both of you stayed focused. You protected each other. When your opportunity to fight back came, you seized it. Well done!" He clapped enthusiastically.
Leanna abruptly vomited onto the floor. Bethany held her until she stopped heaving.
"So much for breakfast," Aaron said dryly. "Let's get back to the truth. I think you've earned it. Do either of you believe in God?"
Leanna was in no
She shook her head.
"It seems a computer hacker was sticking his nose where it doesn't belong," he said. "Alarms lit up throughout our organization. Critical systems were penetrated. Of course this is very embarrassing because we're supposed to have the best security. It's the kind of embarrassment that tends to have fatal consequences."
Bethany's teeth were chattering. She already knew this conversation could end in her death. She pulled her sister closer.
"The intrusions originated from Lemonseed, Illinois." Aaron narrowed his eyes. "From this room, it turns out. You can imagine how surprised I was. I had expected you would just follow orders like a couple of good girls. There was no compelling reason to do otherwise. But instead of playing it safe, you went on the attack the first chance you got. You gambled with your lives. What was the reason?"
"We just wanted...," Bethany said softly.
"...the truth," Leanna said.
"Just?" He stood up and slowly walked towards them. "Truth is the most powerful thing in the universe. It can transform lives. It can topple empires. It can strip away the veil that protects us from the things we were never meant to see. You have to be careful when you seek the truth because you never know what you might find."
He grabbed one of the tables and pulled it over. Computer monitors went black as they smashed into the ground. Looking at the tangle of wires and broken equipment made Bethany feel ill.
He drew a gun from a holster under his shirt. "Two Satin sisters are too many," he said grimly. "It's like critical mass in an atomic bomb. One of you has to go. Who will it be?"
He swung his gun back and forth. Bethany clung to Leanna as tightly as she could.
"You decide!" He pointed the gun at Bethany. "Should I shoot you or your sister? It doesn't matter to me."
She shook her head.
"Yes? No? Use your words!"
"Me," she squeaked. "Shoot me." She couldn't go on if she were responsible for her sister's death.
He turned the gun towards Leanna. "Is that all right with you? Should I let you live?"
"No," Leanna said. "Let her live. I'll die."
"Come on, girls. I won't kill both of you."
"Me," Bethany said.
"No," Leanna said, "shoot me."
"This is ridiculous!" Aaron roared. His veins throbbed in his temples.
Bethany had never been this close to death before. It was like a presence standing behind her, dark and hungry. She was afraid to turn her head.
Aaron accidently stepped on one of the broken monitors. His foot slipped out from under him, and he fell awkwardly onto his face.
She saw her opportunity. With the table out of the way, she could just reach the revolver under the hem of his pants. She threw herself forward even though her ankles were still chained to her chair. The metal cuffs dug into her skin. She grabbed the revolver and fumbled with it for a second before pulling the trigger. She wasn't sure where she was aiming, but Aaron was right in front of her. It was impossible to miss him.
The gun clicked harmlessly.
"No bullets." Aaron calmly stood up and straightened his clothes. He gently lifted her back onto her chair.
She stared dumbly at him. "Why?"
"When you write software, you test it. Right? You make sure it behaves as expected under realistic conditions."
"Yes."
"I was testing you." He took his gun back and sat on the recliner again.
"Are you going to kill one of us?" Leanna said in a weak voice.
"Not a chance." He shook his head. "You can relax. I'm sorry I scared you so badly."
"You're not mad?"
"I'm delighted! Both of you stayed focused. You protected each other. When your opportunity to fight back came, you seized it. Well done!" He clapped enthusiastically.
Leanna abruptly vomited onto the floor. Bethany held her until she stopped heaving.
"So much for breakfast," Aaron said dryly. "Let's get back to the truth. I think you've earned it. Do either of you believe in God?"
Leanna was in no
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