A/N: I'm back again! And I'm looking forward to the coming chapters because things are going to be happening! As always, I love being cryptic lol. Enjoy...

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05 - 28 - 2089

G I S

Love is the weirdest feeling I've ever experienced. And the most confusing. It makes me think and do crazy things, all the while blinded by the sensation of it. It's like the experiments that Doctor Acosta used to do on me. They were all called the same thing, but I never knew what they would make me feel. Sometimes, I woke up feeling sick to my stomach and burning hot. Other times, I would feel utter bliss to the point of paralysis. No matter how they affected me, I stuck through it until the feeling passed. 

It is almost exactly the same with someone you love. No easy answers or solutions to what is going to happen or how to respond when crazy things occur. Two people come together because they share something, but that doesn't make them the same. No, Cade and I are still very much different, with varying desires and motivations. And so, in a way, our relationship is an experiment. And right now, I want to pull out my hair because of it. 

I want to hate Cade, but I'm too worried about him for that to be a possibility. At the same time, I still love him, and I know he still loves me. But that love doesn't erase my frustration. And where is he? He walks away from me after one disagreement, and now I can't find him anywhere.

It's been hours since I asked Mrs. Tate if she had seen Cade, and I keep staring out the bedroom window, hoping to catch a glimpse of something walking along the long, winding driveway. I've pushed the window open as well, in the off-chance I'll hear the crunch of footsteps on the gravel below. 

I force myself to stare down at the blank paper resting on the bed before me. My hand grips a charcoal pencil, but I'm unable to bring it to the paper. For once, I can't bring myself to destroy the pure white of the pad. I find myself tapping leg instead, an easy way to let out all the extra energy building up inside me.

Finally, I can't stand it any longer. I leave my drawing supplies scattered across my bed and head downstairs. Mrs. Tate is sitting at the dining room table, husking corn. She looks up as I cross the room and sit down across from her.

"What've you been up to?" She asks after a moment, studying my face. 

"Why aren't Cade and Mr. Tate back? Isn't it almost time for dinner? Besides, he's never been gone for this long before. Are you sure they're fine?" I rattle off the assortment of questions before I'm able to stop myself. Mrs. Tate's expression remains guarded, but she tries to force a smile.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon, dear. Really, there's nothing to worry about."

"Where did they go?" I demand, then realize how harsh I came across. I clear my throat and try again. "I mean, I'm just worried about him. Do you know where they went?"

Mrs. Tate sets down the corn cob and reaches across the table, offering her hand. I stare at it, but keep my hands to myself. After several seconds, she pulls back and sighs. "Gis, dear, we aren't your enemies. As I told you, Cade is safe. He is with Mr. Tate, and they will be back soon."

"Where did they go?" I cross my arms, recalling earlier today when she avoided my questions about Cade's whereabouts. At the time, I'd shrugged it off. But now, it seems clear that she's hiding something. And maybe I'm being too paranoid, but after the life I've had, I think I'm entitled to some paranoia. 

"I... don't know," Mrs. Tate says after a moment of silence that is too long to be an accident. She goes back to husking corn, but her movements aren't so relaxed, as they were when I first sat down. 

I sit and stare at her, allowing myself a moment to gather courage. I think about all the times that Cade put himself in harm's way in order to stand up for me. He never hesitated. Not once. And no matter how hard it may be, I have to do the same for him.

"You're lying." The words come out just a bit more meek than intended, but I'm proud nonetheless.

Mrs. Tate swallows and eventually meets my eyes. "I don't like this one bit, but we can't have you trying to run off after him." She shakes her head, more to herself than me. "Mr. Tate took Cade to a place to calm down. A... secret place. To explain things. But I promise you, he is safe."

"What kind of place?" I press, leaning forward.

"I realize that this may come as a shock to you, but Mr. Tate and I are apart of an organization which works against the facility that kept you imprisoned. In fact, that is how you came to stay with us in the first place."

Immediately, my mind locks on the word organization. What have I been missing all this time? Have these people been lying to me, just like Doctor Acosta and Barr also lied to me for so many years? I inwardly groan with frustration at the complexity of life. Why can't it be more simple? Art is simple; I understand art. Why can't life be like art? A line here, a curve there. Simple. Defined.

"We haven't told you this, because we didn't want you to feel like you had simply replaced one organization for another. Gis, we are nothing like the government program from which we rescued you. You may not know Mr. Tate and I well, but we only joined because of what our leader stands for." Mrs. Tate appears to be honest in her words, but then again I also know better than to trust my judgment. It's been fallible enough times in the past.

"And what does your leader stand for?"

Mrs. Tate smiles a bit. "Justice. Freedom for you, and for all of us. Health. Care and comfort."

"Those are all very... vague terms," I say after a moment, unsure once again what to make of all this. Not for the first time, I wish Cade was here to tell me what to think. To tell me if they are people we can trust, or if we've been deceived once again.

"Maybe so, but I promise you we are the good guys," Mrs. Tate insists.

"Then why did you lie to me?" Lying in my mind means bad. Is that wrong? Can good guys lie too? But how can I trust what they say if they've lied to me in the past?

"We did not lie to you. We withheld the specifics of our organization when you arrived, due to the significant trauma you and Cade had endured. We were more concerned with your safety and his health than explaining all those nuances. But I think you have a right to know. It may... change plans slightly. But I know our leader will understand."

"If what you are saying is true, then you won't lie to me anymore?" I tilt my head, studying her expression.

She nods. "We never lied to you, and we don't intend to start."

"Then tell me where Cade is."

Mrs. Tate appears to be studying me as well. After a moment, maybe even two moments, something changes in her face. "Very well. We will take you to him, if that would be acceptable. Due to security risks, I cannot reveal his location in a public location such as this. But I will arrange for you to be brought to him. Would you like that, Gis?"

Her answer is vague enough that I am left with a sense of unease, despite my excitement at the prospect of seeing Cade. Nevertheless, I have no other bargaining chips, and I realize this is the best outcome. I nod.

"Mr. Tate took our only transport vehicle, so I need to make a call." Mrs. Tate stands and grabs the transmitter from the counter behind her. She places a call, the screen hidden from me. She lifts the device to her ear, fitting it inside her ear canal. "Randall Tate, please. Yes, Cara Tate. ID 0527." She is silent as I assume someone connects her to her husband. I can see the moment he comes online, as her expression lights up. It is a subtle change, but detectable when studying her expression as I have been. "Randall, I need you to come back to the house. No, everything is fine. I need you to bring Gis in. It is time for her to understand."

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By the time Mr. Tate arrives back at the house, I'm wound up so tightly I can barely sit still. Mrs. Tate refused to explain further after she informed me Mr. Tate would bring me to see Cade. Instead, she asked if I would help her shuck more corn until he got back. Now, I watch the vehicle pull in front of the house, excitement pounds alongside the rhythm of my heart. The gravel crunches beneath the tires as they roll to a stop. The lights flash into the windows, bright against the dim evening atmosphere.

I have my shoes and a light coat on, at the request of Mrs. Tate. I look to where she is sitting across from me in the living room. She nods for me to go, so I hop up and hurry out the door.

Once I'm seated in the backseat of the transport, Mr. Tate locks the doors and begins backing out, after giving me a greeting and a smile. I sink back in my seat, noting the blacked out windows and sterile interior. It reminds me too much of my time in the experiment lab for some reason.

We ride in silence as minutes pass, time ticking by as building and trees fly by in a blur. I find myself less interested in the world outside as I once was, the houses and buildings no longer as fascinating or new. And as the world darkens, it is difficult to see much outside the windows anyway.

The time seems to tick by slower, although I know it isn't really changing its pace. But when Mr. Tate finally turns the vehicle down a parking ramp and into an underground space held up by cement blocks, I feel as if I've been in this vehicle a lifetime. The space is large, lit by numerous fluorescent lights lining the ceiling. Other vehicles are parked inside, and at the end there are two sets of double doors, with several people standing outside them and talking.

Mr. Tate parks the transport vehicle close to the door at the end, then swivels in his seat to face me. "There are a lot of people excited to meet you, Gis. I apologize if gets to be overwhelming. For many of them, you are the first sign of hope they have had in a long time." He smiles at me, his expression an attempt to set me at ease. I force one onto my face as well, trying to situate my features in order to hide the apprehension I feel.

We climb out of the vehicle, and I straighten my jacket as Mr. Tate rounds to my side and walks with me towards the group of people. They are no longer talking amongst themselves. Instead, they all stare at me, with varying degrees of smiles and excitement on their faces. Despite the nerves that wriggle around inside my stomach, I force myself to keep walking. One step after another.

Mr. Tate stops several paces away from the group, and I hesitate, looking to him. He sets a hand on my shoulder. "Gis, I would like to introduce you to some people who have wanted to meet you for a long time." He points to a woman on the left of the group, the only one who isn't smiling. 

The woman is tall, at least a head taller than the man standing beside her. She has long, dark hair, all tucked in braids of various sizes. Her dark skin is smooth, the kohl around her eyes a stark contrast. She pulls some braids off her shoulder, and I catch a glimpse of several black marks along her neck. They look manmade, but I can't tell what they mean.

"This is Tesrine Ash," Mr. Tate continues, oblivious to my staring. "She is the operations manager here. She works closely with our leader for all sorts of things." 

"Hello," Tesrine says, her voice rich and smooth, despite her lack of emotion towards me. I nod and return a greeting, then try to swallow. 

Mr. Tate has already moved on to the next person, who he introduces as Clark Grave, a finance overseer. The man is short, and appears more round when standing next to Tesrine. He smiles and offers his hand.

"A pleasure to finally meet you," he says as I shake his hand.

"And this gentleman," Mr. Tate says, pointing to the last man standing there, "is Evan Tate, my nephew. He arranges transports and safe houses, like ours."

"Great to meet you, Gis," Evan says, offering his hand. He has pale hair and bright eyes.

"Nice to meet you," I manage to say, hating that I already feel overwhelmed. Three people is barely anything, and yet I can feel my desire for solitude growing. Where is Cade? I came here to find him, and yet somehow I feel I've started a chain of events that I no longer have control over. 

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