Crossing the Line Read Free Page A

was beyond exhausted, and I found myself floating out of consciousness without meaning to.
    Despite this, there were several occasions where I would wake up from a dead sleep in a cold shaking sweat, panting and
needing
the Gerex in my blood. Dr. March helped me fight through it a few times before trying an acupuncture technique she had researched. Each time she did it, my symptoms faded within minutes.
    â€œI think,” Dr. March said to me one day about a month after I’d first arrived at the IDA, “you are officially clean.”
    I bit my lip, afraid to believe what she was saying. “Are you sure?” I asked.
    She put her hand on my shoulder and smiled. “I’m sure.” She sounded calm and confident and after everything I couldn’t help but trust her completely. “Remember, these symptoms will probably stick with you for a while, but your appetite has improved, you’re keepingfood down, and for the most part, you’re sleeping through the night. At this point, I’m comfortable releasing you to Director Simmonds.”
    Before Dr. March let me go, she scheduled a series of regular check-ups with me. She also made me promise I’d come to her for acupuncture whenever I needed it.
    I agreed to everything easily. It had taken a month, but for the first time in seven years I could finally be considered sober.

Chapter Three
   INTEGRATION
    A security member took me down a floor, and deposited me in a room. I breathed deeply the whole way, feeling like the air was the freshest I had ever taken in.
    â€œThe director will be with you momentarily,” the security officer said, shutting the door soundly behind him.
    Director Simmonds’s office was the size of a small conference room. There was a desk to the left of the door and the wall behind it was lined with several monitors. Only one of the monitors was on. It displayed a map of the world with twelve blinking dots at various points. Most of the dots where either green or yellow, while some were open white circles. I didn’t know what the colors meant, but I could guess that the dots themselves indicated the locations of active missions.
    The reality of the situation started to sink in. I was a KATO agent standing in the director of the IDA’s office. It was enough to make me feel suffocated, caged, and anxious. I had survived my detox, but I had another fight ahead of me. I needed to convince Simmonds I was on his side and do everything I could to keep myself out of KATO’s reach for as long as possible. I wasn’t deluded enough to believe I’d ever completely escape them, but that was a confrontation I couldn’tthink about.
    I found myself craving the Gerex and shook away the thought, refusing to give it power.
    The door opened behind me and I spun around, briefly meeting Director Simmonds’s eyes. He seemed considerably more relaxed than he had been the last time I’d seen him.
    â€œJocelyn.” His voice was gentler than I was expecting. “Why don’t you take a seat?”
    He sat behind his desk and I eased into the chair across from him, resting my elbows on the arms and casually lacing my fingers together. I tried to act like this was just another job.
    â€œHow are you doing?” he asked. I was a little thrown by the genuine concern in his voice.
    â€œI’m—better,” I said, not looking to go into any more detail.
    He scanned me briefly, then nodded and pulled a file—my file—closer. He studied it for a moment, then leaned comfortably back in his chair. “I’d like you to tell me everything you know about KATO.”
    I blinked a few times, replaying the question in my head. If he was really asking me for information, then it could only mean one thing. “You believe me?”
    He nodded solemnly and I saw pity on his face for half a second before he hid it. “I’ve seen detoxes before,” he said. “But