Prologue

She woke up with a gasp of pain, the feeling of being torn away from a nightmare still rippling through her in waves of aftershock. Her vision blurred, she watched her desk lamp's comforting glow in the darkness, a vintage shade of green, and remembered having turned it off the night before. She also heard a ringtone, she realized, reaching through her drudged state.

"What was it that had suggested the tremendous tumult?"

A stretch, a crash and an open door later, she had left her dorm room into the empty hallway to leave her slumbering roommate in peace.

She sighed and regained her footing before answering curiously.

"Hello?''

"Hey, angel."

She stood in the lonely aisle, suddenly unable to breath, suffocating as a thousand memories flooded her against her will. She wasn't in the dorm hallway anymore, she was in front of lockers in school, in a diner near the highway, a cabin, a fancy apartment and then she wasn't anywhere at all. No, he wasn't anywhere at all.

"Cade?" The old nickname just rolled off her tongue.

''You remember the voicemail you left me, about three years ago?''

''…No.'' Her words not her own, she sounded much too sad.

"What are you doing Cade?"

"You said you wished you could hear me say the things I used to say."

"Couldn't you be talking to me about anything else. Please."

"I'm getting to it, Goldie."

"You're being cruel, and you're doing it on purpose. What do you really need to say?"

"You're in danger."

"Says who, this time?''

"Don't be arrogant."

"Then don't be selfish."

She felt weary. Cade and Alice were not the topic of this call. Alice is in danger was. Which meant endangered Alice was to take the call, not Just Alice who felt things like sadness or anger.

''The new Good Guys Committee says so. Congrats, we made the cut."

''Is Becket cringing at your terrible humor right now?''

''You know it babe!'' She heard from a distance on the other end. She smiled fondly, trying not to remember their old antics too much.

"Was that your telepathy? I'm impressed Goldie."

"Not exactly, but I'll explain more when I see you guys."

''Actually, I'm not seeing you for this.''

''…

"What?''

''Sullivan and her team have been assigned to protect you this time.''

''And you didn't contest it?''

''… Why would I?'' He said, thrusting his dagger in for one last wound, while he continued, unconcerned.

'' I think they're supposed to meet you wherever you are right now, it…''

''...I'm at the Boston University campus.''

He sighed in the phone, ''I really didn't need to know that.''

"Don't pretend you didn't already."

Alice swallowed before carefully asking, "Why isn't it you, or Becket or anyone else I already know? I learned to trust you, Cabeza, not Sullivan or her team.''

''And a hell of a lot of good that did us.'' His cuts when deep tonight, like diamonds cutting through makeshift steal.

''You're more sarcastic than I remembered.''

''Yes, well there's been a lot more to be bitter about in the last few years.''

''The last few years as in the last four years?''

''…''

''Because, I'd like to know why you called if Sullivan's team is taking care of everything.''

''Maybe I just wanted to hear you say the things you used to say, too.''

''And? Are you satisfied?''

The line cut and she tried not to think of how unfair that was.