"Roxxy?"
"...No..."
"Then who?"
"The one with red hair!"
"..."
"...…"
That answer left both Jody and Jade completely silent.
"...…"
"...…"
"..."
Sally's eyes weren't lying. She was telling the truth.
"Red hair?"
Jody asked.
"Red hair… who exactly?"
"That tall lady… the one with short hair..."
"But Roxxy's hair is brown."
"Uh-uh! Not Roxxy... the other one."
"..."
Jody turned to look at Jade. The supervisor's expression matched her own—confused.
"...Jade. What did your medical team do to Sally?"
"....."
But Jade didn't answer.
Jody turned back.
Something was wrong... she could feel it...
"...Sally... there are only six of us in the group. There's no one with 'red hair' among us."
That's right. Maybe the Thrak research team injected her with something. Maybe she was hallucinating. That was the logical guess.
But that guess shattered the moment Sally replied:
"...There is! She's been with us since the airport! Back when the four of us were fighting those bad guys at the bakery! Red-haired sister was with us!"
That time was before they even came here... which meant this wasn't some hallucination from a drug.
"...Four of us?"
Four?
"Sally... there were only three people that day—me, you, and your boss Sid. Just the three of us."
"No! Four!"
The certainty in Sally's voice only deepened the strangeness in the air.
"..."
"...Sally. Maybe it's just a side effect from the radium vaccine they gave you," Jade chimed in gently. "It happens to everyone… it'll pass with rest. Let's go get you some sleep, okay?"
"...Really…?"
Sally looked down, uncertain.
Jade started to take her hand, but Jody stopped her.
"...Wait."
"Yes?"
"..."
Jody knelt down in front of Sally.
"And this… 'red-haired lady'... can you describe her a little more for me?"
"She's… tall…"
"Tall?"
"Mhm! And… short red hair…"
"Short red hair...?"
"Mhm! And... I saw her doing something weird around here too…"
But before she could continue, Jade quickly cut in.
"I think Sally should rest now, Ms. Johansson. She may be experiencing side effects from the radium exposure..."
"..."
"...…"
"..."
"...You're right."
Jody stared at Jade without blinking. She got the feeling Jade was interfering—as if she knew something but was trying to redirect Jody's focus.
"...Sorry for the trouble, then."
Jade gave a polite smile and started walking Sally away. But just before they turned the corner, Sally called out:
"Miss Jody! Don't fight with her, okay?! That red-haired sister's really angry about something!!"
"..."
That was the last thing Jody heard.
"...I see..."
"..."
Jody stood still, staring into the now-empty hallway. Her mind raced.
"..."
"The red-haired lady…?"
Suddenly, a flash of her nightmare flickered in her mind.
"!!!"
"A woman… with red hair..."
Meanwhile, Sally toddled along after Supervisor Jade, arriving at Jade's private room—not her own.
"Why don't you stay with me tonight, alright?"
Jade's big-sisterly aura didn't seem to win her over.
"I don't wanna."
"...Ah."
"I wanna be with my boss..."
A faint crack appeared in Jade's heart.
"With Sid? I-I think he might want to be alone tonight, sweetie…"
"Ugh… nooo! I wanna sleep with boss! Or Toshi, that's fine too!"
"..."
This girl… yep, definitely Sid's disciple...
Ruthless since birth.
"Wait, Toshi? Um… are you sure? He's a boy, you know?"
"That's what makes it fun." smirk
"Ah..."
Devious!
"How about this… just stay in my room tonight, okay? We'll figure out the rest tomorrow."
"...Okay…"
Slide.
Sally waddled around the room like any curious kid. It wasn't much different from the other rooms.
She leapt onto the bed and rolled herself into a blanket burrito.
It was already past midnight... How does she still have so much energy?
"Not sleepy?"
"...Nope."
"Wanna watch cartoons?"
Jade turned on the smart TV to a French kids' channel.
Sally curled into a bundle, staring at the screen. She was honestly adorable like that. Jade couldn't resist sitting beside her and patting her head gently.
But when she remembered what Sally had confessed—unknowingly—during her hypnosis session with the organization… she couldn't help but admire this little girl's spirit.
The video from that session would be reviewed at tomorrow's meeting.
As she sat quietly beside her, Jade decided to continue the conversation from earlier at Jody's door.
"...Hey, Sally sweetie…"
"Hmm?"
Eyes still on the TV, but she responded.
"About that red-haired lady..."
"Oh... yeah."
"...Are you sure you didn't just imagine her?"
"Yes… Why?"
"Because… I've seen her with Boss ever since the plane ride here."
"..."
Jade's face paled. Sweat trickled from her brow. Her eyes locked on Sally with a mix of fear and disbelief.
Sally began to grow nervous too.
"...Um..."
She curled tighter into her blanket and whispered,
"...Is something wrong…?"
"Oh! No, no... it's nothing, sweetie."
"...Do you guys… not like her?"
"..."
"...What do you mean?"
"It's just… I never see anyone talking to her..."
"No one talks to her? Hmm… So… what does this red-haired lady look like, exactly?"
"Well… her hair's red... and she's got dark skin like you, miss Jade."
"You mean like my brown skin?"
"Mhm! Just like yours, but maybe a little lighter."
She said it so casually… but Jade's face grew even paler.
"And… you never spoke with her?"
"I was scared…"
"Why?"
"I never saw her talk. And no one talked to her either. And also..."
"..."
"She really, really doesn't like Miss Jody… I got scared..."
"...How do you know?"
"She looked… so angry... when she was near Miss Jody. Like... really, really angry…"
"..."
"...I see… Um… then what were you doing outside Miss Jody's room earlier?"