Chapter 1995

“Ms. Fiona, you really are something else." One of the women grinned at Fiona, her eyes practically sparkling with flattery. “Honestly, we all know why you and Mr. Woods are here. If you two want to check out our research base in Country M, well, I can probably make that happen."

Jackson and Fiona paused for a split second but quickly returned to their dinner, acting as if nothing unusual had been said. Fiona didn't respond-she just looked at the woman across from her with a calm, unreadable expression.

The woman, thinking she hadn't been clear enough, pressed on. Surely Fiona couldn't be so cold if she'd understood.

"Ms. Fiona, let's cut the nonsense. It's not just you who hate the chip-implanted people—we can't stand them either. If they mess up, even a little, not only are they destroyed, but regular folks like us could be shot on the spot. It's like we're all living on the edge of extinction."

A decent excuse to switch sides, but Fiona wasn't buying it.

She was smart enough not to take the bait. Whether this woman was telling the truth or not, Fiona had learned not to trust anyone easily—especially after being blocked so many times back in the States.

Still, she needed this woman's help to get inside the Country M research base. Discover more novels at finḑnovel.net

"Ms. Fiona, aren't you at least a little curious to see it for yourself?" the woman prodded, but Fiona just ignored her.

Ten minutes later, Jackson and Fiona finished eating. Jackson set down his utensils, finally breaking the silence.

"Your offer is interesting. I'll take you up on it. Your motives are pretty obvious, but I have to admit, I'm curious," he said.

Fiona glanced at him, then turned to the woman. "If you're done eating, you should go. We'll meet here tomorrow at nine in the morning."

Traveling during the day was always safer than at night.

"Ms. Fiona, if you want, I can take you there right now. There are more people around during the day, which makes it trickier to slip away. What do you both think?"

Jackson and Fiona exchanged a quick look. They saw no reason to refuse, so everyone stood up and left the hotel together.

Just before stepping out, Fiona and Jackson shared a brief, knowing glance, then followed their guides. When they reached the research base, the woman led them in without hesitation. Fiona found it odd-how could she just waltz two strangers in like she owned the place?

The moment they walked inside, Fiona and Jackson noticed the place was crawling with hidden guards.

Still, they didn't panic-they weret

here for a reason. Casually, Fiona brushed her hand against the leaving a tiny interference device behind without anyone noticing. s

Almost instantly, static flickered across the monitors, and some of the equipment sputtered and died.

This was one of Fiona's own

inventions. Once in place, it could

mess with most of the facility's systems. The chip-implanted

workers who relied on constant Commands, would be left confused. s

With the jammer in place, the chip-people couldn't get their orders. Fiona only needed them out of commission for a short white just enough time to get what she needed and leave without trouble. s

Sure enough, as soon as they got deeper into the facility, someone stepped in to block their way.

It was the director of the research center. Their guides hurried over to him, their faces full of forced, eager smiles.