March Forth (The Woodford Chronicles Book 1) by Deirdre S. Hopton Page B

dabble.”
                  “How long have you been living in Woodford?”
                  “A while,” she answered.  Steven was beginning to realize she wasn’t going to be very forthcoming with information, so he finished his breakfast in silence.  He was kind of surprised to realize that he really wanted to find a way to put her at ease.  He wasn’t sure why he cared.  He figured it was because he had found her and brought her here, almost as if she was a stray cat he had become responsible for.
                  As she finished her last bite, he said, “Come on, let’s get you your cigarette.”  The smile she flashed warmed his heart.  He found that he, too, was smiling as they left the cafeteria and strolled down the hall.
                  As they approached the exit, he had a sudden urge to give her his jacket.  He proffered the black pea coat and said, “It’s cold out, wear this.”
                  She looked at him strangely and said, “Thanks,” as she put it on.  He wondered what she was thinking.
                  Once outside, he watched with amusement as she lit her cigarette and inhaled it deeply, closing her eyes in pleasure as she did so.  When she exhaled, she nearly moaned, “Dear God, I needed this.”
                  Feeling genuinely relieved by her pleasure, Steven decided it was a good time to make conversation. “You really should think about quitting, you know.”
                  She shot him a look that made him rethink the idea of conversation, so he just quietly watched her smoke.  After a few drags, she asked, “What are you guys going to do to me today?”
                  “I actually haven’t been briefed yet,” he explained, “but I imagine it will be very much like yesterday.”
                  She nodded, and finished her cigarette in silence.  Hours later, as Steven watched the General interrogating Deanna on his Wand, he would remember that moment and realize how incredibly wrong he had been.
     
                  He realized something was different when they walked into the testing room, but it took him a moment to realize what it was.  One wall of the room had been transformed into a pane of glass.  On the other side of the glass, there was a new, tiny room in which the only furniture was a very small, uncomfortable looking chair under a hanging lamp.
                  “Drisbane.  Bring the subject in there,” the general said by way of greeting, gesturing toward the room on the other side of the glass.  He did not even glance at Deanna.
                  Steven opened the glass door and ushered Deanna in, noting the fear in her eyes and giving her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.  “Don’t worry,” he whispered before he shut the door.  “You’re going to be fine.”
                  She did not look convinced.
                  Once he shut the door, Steven turned to his commanding officer and said, “Can she hear us?”
                  “No.  Can’t see us, either.  One-way glass,” Larsen explained.
                  “What’s the purpose of all this?”
                  “Well, Drisbane,” the general began, “I was up all night trying to think of new methods of testing Ms. Flanagan to understand her abilities.  At some point, it occurred to me that she may have been compromised by Carver in some way, with or without her knowledge.  Perhaps that would explain her unique abilities; perhaps it’s something he did to her,” Larsen paused, taking a long sip from the cup of coffee he carried with him.  “I don’t know, though, and I don’t know if she knows.  All of our tests for physical evidence of any anomalies are coming up blank, and I don’t know her well enough to be able to tell if there are any mental anomalies