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"Speaking of which, did you get a hold of my mother and sister? I'm sure this'll be in the news soon, and they'll be worried--"
"I'll get you a phone," Arjun says. "Be right back."
As Arjun leaves the room, there's a tension among the rest of us that's almost palpable. I don't know what to say, how to comfort them or myself. The reality of the situation is starting to set in, and I can feel the fear creeping in.
What if this happens again?
What if they succeed in killing me next time?
Nate breaks the silence. "We need to start working on increasing security. We need to make sure this never happens again."
"We also need to find out who did this," Milo adds. "We need to track down every lead and leave no stone unturned."
I nod, feeling slightly comforted by their determination. "I'll do whatever it takes to help."
Arjun comes back into the room with a phone, handing it to me. "Your family's on the line," he says.
I take a deep breath and answer the phone. "Mom, Willa, hi."
"Sloane, oh my God! Are you okay?" my mother's voice is frantic on the other end.
"I'm okay, Mom. It was just a little scare," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
"A little scare? Someone is trying to kill you, Sloane!" Willa's voice joins in on speaker phone.
"I know, but I'm fine now. I'm in good hands with my very own team of Enclave security," I say. "I just wanted to check in and let you know I'm okay."
"What about the person who did this?" my mother asks. "Have they been caught?"
"Not yet," I say. "But we're working on it. I promise."
"We're driving up to see you," Willa says. "What hospital are you at?"
"I can't tell you that," I say. "Security and all that...but I promise my guards are taking great care of me."
"Please be careful, Sloane," my mother says. "I can't lose you."
"I will be. I promise," I say, feeling guilty for worrying her. "I love you both."
"We love you too," they say in unison before hanging up.
I hand the phone back to Arjun, feeling a little better now that I've talked to them. But the fear that had been creeping up inside me is still there, and I can feel it consuming me.
"We need to find out who did this," I say, my voice resolute. "I can't just sit here and wait for them to come after me again."
Nate nods in agreement. "We'll start by checking the security footage from tonight. Maybe we can get a lead on who the assassin was."
Milo adds, "We'll also need to look into any other threats you've received recently. Maybe there's a connection."
I take a deep breath, feeling energized by their determination. "Let's get started then."
As they all get up to leave, I call out to Nate. "Can you stay here with me for just a little longer?"
He hesitates for a moment before nodding and sitting back down next to me. He doesn't reach out for me...so I do it for him, extending my good hand and taking his.
His shoulders slump as he relaxes, and he exhales a long, heavy breath.
"What is it, Sloane?" he asks.
