her.
He looked up, and she swore there were more wrinkles at the sides of his eyes than when she’d seen him last. But, the change was subtle. As always, his pale green eyes hid all emotion. “Good morning, Hannah.”
She leaned back in her chair, trying to look casual. “Miss me so soon?”
He sighed loudly. The lack of chastisement in his face made her palms sweat. Definitely not good.
“I told you before you left that your people would need you no matter what, and that your responsibility to them would come above all else.” He paused, searching her face. “You’re needed.”
Her stomach sank, but she simply raised a brow. “Are you just calling to kill my good mood, or is there something specific you need from me?”
Picking up the papers on his desk, he shuffled them, making certain that all the edges were even. “The president herself has ordered your latest assignment.”
She sat up straighter in her chair. “Seriously? Okay. What does she need?”
“As soon as we finish this call, I’ll send you information on your target.” He cleared his throat. “President Luna would like you to enter the man’s dream tonight.”
The air rushed out of her lungs. Tonight? “No, Dad, that’s too soon—“
“She wants you to do it immediately.”
She shook her head. It was too dangerous. She needed time to study him, to view any and all information. The only time she entered dreams is when she could perfectly recall every one of the target’s physical features in her mind’s eye, and only if she had a firm understanding of who they were as a person. To do otherwise was dangerous.
Not knowing the person made it harder to separate herself from them. And what was more, she could make a mistake out of pure ignorance.
That lesson had been learned the hard way. The really hard way.
“We both know how dangerous what you’re asking me to do is…”
His gaze met hers. “I’ve never argued with the president before. But I argued with her about this. I bought you until tonight, but not a day longer.”
She swallowed the excess saliva in the back of throat. What was she supposed to say? That she was terrified? That she refused to do it? None of it mattered. The man she was speaking to was the admiral in that moment, not her father. And a command was a command.
“Okay, what do I need to know?”
He didn’t look relieved. “The specifics will be in the file, but in general, your target is Ahmed Zhou. He’s most well-known for being a wealthy arms consultant and dealer. But to nearly every advanced government, he’s known for running one of the largest sex trafficking groups in the known universe. The problem is, no one has ever caught him red-handed, so to speak.”
Am I really being forced into this sadistic man’s dream without the proper preparation? A shiver ran down her spine. She didn’t want to do this.
Nibbling on her bottom lip, she met her father’s gaze. “Why does this need to be done right away?”
And that’s when his admiral mask faltered. “On another unrelated, highly classified situation, the president’s daughter and a small group of her college-aged friends have gone missing.”
The hairs on her arms stood on end. “Gabrielle?”
He nodded.
Gabrielle had been her close friend until the realities of their lives drew them further and further apart. They’d see each other several times a year at important functions, but they were always busy trailing their powerful parents. Until Gabrielle went to college and Hannah’s training grew more intense. But still, being the daughters of two of the most influential people in their galaxy connected them in a way that seemed permanent.
“I’ll do it,” her voice came out an angry whisper.
And she was angry. Angry at the thought that they still lived in a world where young women weren’t safe. That there were people who bought and sold women like livestock. It didn’t matter that Dream Jumping so soon would be dangerous.
He looked up, and she swore there were more wrinkles at the sides of his eyes than when she’d seen him last. But, the change was subtle. As always, his pale green eyes hid all emotion. “Good morning, Hannah.”
She leaned back in her chair, trying to look casual. “Miss me so soon?”
He sighed loudly. The lack of chastisement in his face made her palms sweat. Definitely not good.
“I told you before you left that your people would need you no matter what, and that your responsibility to them would come above all else.” He paused, searching her face. “You’re needed.”
Her stomach sank, but she simply raised a brow. “Are you just calling to kill my good mood, or is there something specific you need from me?”
Picking up the papers on his desk, he shuffled them, making certain that all the edges were even. “The president herself has ordered your latest assignment.”
She sat up straighter in her chair. “Seriously? Okay. What does she need?”
“As soon as we finish this call, I’ll send you information on your target.” He cleared his throat. “President Luna would like you to enter the man’s dream tonight.”
The air rushed out of her lungs. Tonight? “No, Dad, that’s too soon—“
“She wants you to do it immediately.”
She shook her head. It was too dangerous. She needed time to study him, to view any and all information. The only time she entered dreams is when she could perfectly recall every one of the target’s physical features in her mind’s eye, and only if she had a firm understanding of who they were as a person. To do otherwise was dangerous.
Not knowing the person made it harder to separate herself from them. And what was more, she could make a mistake out of pure ignorance.
That lesson had been learned the hard way. The really hard way.
“We both know how dangerous what you’re asking me to do is…”
His gaze met hers. “I’ve never argued with the president before. But I argued with her about this. I bought you until tonight, but not a day longer.”
She swallowed the excess saliva in the back of throat. What was she supposed to say? That she was terrified? That she refused to do it? None of it mattered. The man she was speaking to was the admiral in that moment, not her father. And a command was a command.
“Okay, what do I need to know?”
He didn’t look relieved. “The specifics will be in the file, but in general, your target is Ahmed Zhou. He’s most well-known for being a wealthy arms consultant and dealer. But to nearly every advanced government, he’s known for running one of the largest sex trafficking groups in the known universe. The problem is, no one has ever caught him red-handed, so to speak.”
Am I really being forced into this sadistic man’s dream without the proper preparation? A shiver ran down her spine. She didn’t want to do this.
Nibbling on her bottom lip, she met her father’s gaze. “Why does this need to be done right away?”
And that’s when his admiral mask faltered. “On another unrelated, highly classified situation, the president’s daughter and a small group of her college-aged friends have gone missing.”
The hairs on her arms stood on end. “Gabrielle?”
He nodded.
Gabrielle had been her close friend until the realities of their lives drew them further and further apart. They’d see each other several times a year at important functions, but they were always busy trailing their powerful parents. Until Gabrielle went to college and Hannah’s training grew more intense. But still, being the daughters of two of the most influential people in their galaxy connected them in a way that seemed permanent.
“I’ll do it,” her voice came out an angry whisper.
And she was angry. Angry at the thought that they still lived in a world where young women weren’t safe. That there were people who bought and sold women like livestock. It didn’t matter that Dream Jumping so soon would be dangerous.
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