Rebel Heart

"It didn't stop you from betraying me. What was your plan?" Tears of anger and hurt spilled down her cheeks. "To let me think the Guardian was dead forever?"

He was quiet for a moment, before saying, "Your Guardian is here with you now."

"I don't know what to think. I don't know him. I don't know you. I can't trust anyone."

"You're angry," he countered. "You know you can trust me."

The viewer beeped, and she wiped her face again.

"I'm ready," she said, refusing to meet his gaze. "Let's get this over with."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry I hurt you," Brady said quietly.

Lana blinked back more tears. When she said nothing in response, Brady opened the channel.

Mr. Tim appeared, gaze moving from her to Brady. She saw the considering look he gave Brady before he looked again to her. She straightened in her seat, not sure if she was about to do the right thing or not. With a deep breath, she started speaking.

"I found encrypted correspondence from Greene and your orders to Brady to find me, before the nuke attacks. Greene was in contact with different people in the West Coast Center. Arnie found out about Greene and sent out a few messages to the Peace Command Center to warn people. Greene gassed everyone in the mountain and intended to take over the Peak and use it as a base of operations for his people to use as they took over the eastern half of the US." She looked down at her hands again.

"What are you trying to take west?" Brady prodded at her silence.

"Are you familiar with the Horsemen?" she asked Mr. Tim paled. "No one should know about that program."

"You got me access to everything," she reminded him with some bitterness. "Greene was pulling in the Horsemen. I don't know how he did it; he'd have to have people at each of the sites worldwide."

"What are the Horsemen?" Brady asked.

She gazed at Mr. Tim, waiting for him to explain. He shifted in his seat and rubbed his mouth, a rare sign of his nervousness.

"The Horsemen was the tongue in cheek name given to the government program that placed a series of devices across the world, both in enemy and friendly countries. You could say they were used for leverage if the country trounced too far on our generosity or refused to take into account our national interest when they acted up. The joke in fed circles was that the government could activate the Horsemen at will and bring about the destruction of the planet itself."