Chapter 20

I see bright lights.

I squint and blink rapidly, hearing my breathing echoing throughout my head, my mind.

"This is Karen, can you hear me?"

"Shine this light in her eye. Here."

My vision swims.

I am now starring at a middle-aged woman in a black dress-suit, currently shinning a small light in my eye. I flinch and move out of the way of the blinding light.

"She's with us," the woman says. "Charlie, you have used you Life-line in violation of Code-V45."

I take a breath and glance around the white office room with people in suits running around everywhere. I hear phones ringing and people yelling across the room.

It's chaos.

"I want to talk to Pierce," I say.

She gives me a pinched expression and looks at her male colleague. "I am afraid that is not possible. If you violate the code of a life-line, you will get sent back instantly."