Page 18

Ziva

A few days later, I slip into the Compliance Monitoring Division repair lab, my heart pounds against my ribs, a heavy thud in my chest. My eyes scan the room, searching for him.

There.

Marcus Holt hunches over a workbench, his wiry frame taut with concentration as he tinkers with a NeuroMod’s innards. I’ve been watching him for days, observing how he bends the rules—an impulsive twitch here, a glance that lingers too long there.

Approaching, I clear my throat. “Excuse me, Marcus?”

He startles, dark eyes widening as he looks up. “Ziva? What can I do for you?”

I force a smile, though it’s fragile, as if it could shatter at any moment. My pulse quickens, but I push forward. “I was wondering if we could talk after our shift ends. There’s something I’d like to discuss.”

“What’s on your mind?” he asks, his bushy brows furrowing, a flicker of suspicion mingling with curiosity in his dark eyes.

My mind stalls for an excuse. I can’t reveal too much, not here where it isn’t safe. “It’s… sensitive. We could meet at the old recycling factory?”

He hesitates, the doubt in his features shifting like a cloud passing over his face. I want to shake him, force him to understand how vital this is. But I can’t. Not yet.

“I don’t know, Ziva. That’s not exactly a sanctioned meeting place,” he replies slowly, the words spilling from his lips, each syllable laced with doubt.

Leaning in, I lower my voice. “That’s kind of the point. Please, Marcus. I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.”

He studies me for a moment, and I wonder what he sees. A fellow Technician? A potential threat? Or maybe, just maybe, a kindred spirit yearning for freedom.

Finally, he nods. “Alright. After shift’s end. But this better not get us into any trouble.”

Relief floods through me, but I force myself to appear calm. “It wont, I promise. Thank you, Marcus.”

As I turn to leave, my mind is already racing ahead, planning my next steps. This could be the beginning of something huge—or the end of everything. Either way, I’m committed now.

* * *

I race through the dimly lit streets towards the recycling factory.

Long shadows stretch in the fading light, and a chill creeps up my spine, as if I’m being watched.

I haven’t told Myall about this meeting—the risk is too great.

The less he knows, the better. At least if Marcus betrays me, Myall will be safe.

I slip through a gap in the chain-link fence, rusted metal snagging at my uniform. The factory’s hulking walls loom ominously, casting eerie shadows that dance in the dying light.

Scanning the area, my heartbeat slams in my chest with each passing second as I search for any hidden cameras or patrol drones.

Where is he? Did I misread him? Is he going to turn me in?

Then I see him—a wiry figure slipping through the gap in the chain link fence. Relief washes over me, so intense it’s almost dizzying.

“Marcus,” I breathe, “you came.”

He approaches cautiously, eyes darting around no doubt checking for surveillance. “This better be good, Ziva. We’re taking a huge risk just being here.”

I nod, steeling myself.

This is it.

“I need your help,” I say, keeping my voice low. “There’s a glitch in the NeuroMod system. And I think that if we can exploit it, we can break the emotional control network.”

Marcus’s dark eyes widen, a mix of shock and intrigue flashing across his face as he realizes the implications of my words. “That’s… that’s impossible. And illegal. Very illegal Ziva.”

“Is it?” I challenge, leaning towards him. “You’ve seen the inconsistencies, Marcus. The moments when the readings don’t always match up. I know you have.”

Marcus shifts uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck, his fingers twitching as if searching for an escape and I can see the internal struggle playing out across his features. I press on, determined to sway him to my cause. “We have a chance to break free, to feel again. Don’t you want that?”

He runs a hand through his graying hair, conflict etched in every line of his face. “Even if it were possible,” he says slowly, “the consequences if we’re caught—”

“I know,” I interrupt. “Believe me, I know. But isn’t it worth the risk? To be truly alive again?”

Watching Marcus wrestle with his decision, doubt gnaws at me—what if he turns me down? What if everything falls apart? Our future, our freedom, hangs in the balance. And all I can do is wait, and hope.

His jaw tightens, and he takes a step back. “Ziva, this is… it’s madness. We can’t just tamper with the NeuroMods. Do you have any idea what they’d do to us if we were caught?”

His words sting, but I’ve come too far to back down now. I clench my fists, feeling the familiar rush of defiance coursing through me. “And what about what they’re doing to us now, Marcus? Every day, every moment, they’re stealing our emotions, our humanity.”

Quickly scanning our surroundings, I make sure we’re still alone in the shadows of the old factory.

“You’re the best technician I know,” I continue, my voice low but intense. “If anyone can figure this out, it’s you. Don’t you dream of what it would be like to feel… everything?”

Marcus’s dark eyes meet mine, and for a fleeting moment, I glimpse him beginning to waver before he looks away. “Of course I do,” he mutters. “But wondering and acting are two very different things.”

I brace myself, preparing to lay it all on the line. “I’ve seen you, Marcus. The way you look at the NeuroMods sometimes, like you’re trying to solve a puzzle. You’re not satisfied with just accepting things as they are, are you?”

He doesn’t respond, but his silence speaks volumes. I press on, my heart pounding. “We have a real chance here. To make a difference. To feel again. Don’t you want to know what that’s like?”

As I watch Marcus wrestle with his decision, I can almost see the gears turning in his analytical mind. His eyes dart around the dimly lit factory as if searching for hidden cameras or listening devices. I hold my breath, willing him to take the leap.

“Okay,” he finally says. “I’m… intrigued. But I need to know more. What exactly have you found?”

My shoulders, tight with tension, drop, but I temper my excitement.

This is just the first step. I lean in closer, my words coming out in a rushed, hushed tone.

“There’s a vulnerability in the NeuroMod system, like I said.

A glitch that could be our key to dismantling the entire emotional control network. ”

Marcus’s eyebrows shoot up. “That’s… a bold claim. How did you discover this?”

Swallowing hard, I choose my next words carefully. “I was repairing a NeuroMod last week. It malfunctioned in a way I’d never seen before. The emotional suppression protocols just… stopped responding.”

His eyes narrow. “And you’re sure it wasn’t just a one-off defect?”

“No,” I shake my head emphatically. “I’ve been studying it since then. There’s a pattern, Marcus. A weakness we can exploit.”

I watch as he processes this information, his analytical mind no doubt running through countless scenarios and potential consequences.

“If what you’re saying is true,” Marcus says slowly, “the implications are… staggering.”

Nodding, my pulse quickens, thumping in my throat.. “Exactly. That’s why I need your help. Your expertise. Together, we might be able to replicate the glitch and find a way to disable the emotional control on a larger scale.”

Marcus rubs his temples, a storm brewing behind his dark eyes. “This is a huge risk, Ziva. If we’re caught—”

“I know,” I cut him off, unable to hide the urgency in my voice. “But can you live with doing nothing?”

As I wait for his response, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve said too much, pushed too hard this time. But the thought of going back to a life of muted emotions, of controlled responses, is unbearable. I need Marcus on our side, and I’m willing to risk everything to make it happen.

Marcus’s eyes meet mine, and I see something I’ve never noticed before—a spark of defiance, quickly masked by his usual caution. He takes a deep breath, his shoulders squaring as if bracing for impact.

“Alright,” he says, keeping his voice low. “I’m in.”

Relief floods through me, so intense I almost stumble. My hand reaches out, instinctively grasping his arm.

“Thank you, Marcus,” I breathe, my voice thick with gratitude. “You have no idea what this means.”

He nods, smiling faintly. “I think I do, actually.” His gaze flicks around the factory, suddenly alert. “But we can’t stay here. It’s too exposed.”

My stomach drops as I realize he’s right. “You’re right. You don’t happen to know somewhere safer we could meet?”

Marcus leans in, his voice dropping even lower. “I do actually. There’s an old tech lab I know of—off the grid, away from prying eyes. We can meet there tomorrow after our shift.”

A hidden tech lab.

It could be exactly what we need—somewhere we can make real progress. If it’s equipped, I might even be able to disable Myall’s NeuroMod.

“That sounds perfect,” I say, keeping my excitement in check. “How do we get there?”

Marcus gives me the directions and a code for the door. As he speaks, a surge of hope begins to rise. We’re no longer alone in this fight. With his expertise and this safe meeting place, we might finally have a chance to break free from The Harmonization Authority’s control.

But as we part ways, a chilling thought creeps in. We might have just signed up for something far more dangerous than we could ever imagine.