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. What? Levi snapped.Imogen stared at him. I found recommissioned Agent 75.I found his name.I knowwho he is.And he s still alive. Levi s body went cold. Who is he? He lives here, on Ishan.He s still a practicing doctor. Levi felt the blood drain from his face.Sickness and horror crept up his throat. No. A Policy of Lies 123Imogen continued. He works at the Washoe Free Clinic in the Washoe District.He -- Oh God! Levi pulled on his jeans and shoes and ran to the front door. Wait! Imogen cried. Don t you want to know his name? Recommissioned Agent 75.His name is Doctor Tiergan Seoras. 124 Astrid AmaraChapter ThirteenIt was raining.It always rained between midnight and two a.m.in the capitol.Itpoured steadily, relentlessly, soaking Levi s cotton T-shirt in moments, saturating his hair.He hardly noticed.He ran toward the shuttle station as fast as he could.And then he saw Tiergan, walking with a slight hitch in his step, huddling in his darkbrown jacket as his head got drenched with water.Levi ran up and shoved him.Tiergan caught his balance, barely, and reeled on Levi.His expression of ragedisappeared as soon as he saw Levi.The corner of his mouth curved upward. Hey, handsome. Levi punched him in the nose.Tiergan stumbled backward, hand to his face, going completely white.Levi s hand exploded in pain. You sick fuck! Levi lunged at him again, but this timeTiergan was quick enough to grab Levi s wrist, twisting him away.Levi kicked at Tiergan sleg, and Tiergan stumbled backward.His eyes were cold but he did not strike back.Blood ranfrom his nose, diluted in the downpour.Tiergan clutched at his nose. Levi, calm down.I can explain -- A Policy of Lies 125 Explain what? Why you tortured innocent people? Tiergan held up his hand. Now, hold on! Technically, I never tortured anyone.Ijust -- Levi punched him again, his fist glancing off Tiergan s jaw.Tiergan fell back against thepavement.Levi s mind swarmed with fury.He wanted to kill Tiergan.The pieces all fell intoplace.Kera hadn t been lying when she said she wasn t his informant.It had been Tiergan allalong. Just shut the fuck up! Levi shouted.He circled Tiergan. All this time.You knew Ineeded my informant, and you left me hanging! Levi, I had no choice -- No choice! Levi s rage flooded all reason.He shook Tiergan by his jacket. Goddamnyou! How can you have such a weak excuse? Tiergan s eyes suddenly smoldered.He shoved Levi away from him. Stop it! Just calmdown.Look, I was trying to tell you tonight, but -- It s too late. Levi stood.He angrily wiped the water from his eyes. You should havetold me the minute you sent me the implant. Levi grimaced.All those images had been his.Tiergan s. You re a fucking coward, Levi spat. Levi, you don t understand -- I understand perfectly, Levi snapped. You did what you did to stay alive.And inyour selfishness, you let hundreds of people suffer.You disgust me! Tiergan looked like he was going to throw up.A flash of sympathy filled Levi, only tobe replaced with rage.He had fallen for this guy and he was a liar.He was not who heclaimed to be. 126 Astrid AmaraLevi turned away and left Tiergan there, because the sight of Tiergan beginning to crymade Levi feel heartbroken.That was the worst part.He still cared for the bastard, hatedseeing him so upset.Fuck him.Levi forced himself not to turn back.He had to cut Tiergan from his life.Itwould be like cutting that implant from his brain.Painful, but necessary.He had to bepurged.And Tiergan was going to be punished.Levi passed his apartment, and ran to the next shuttle station.He would give Rowan his eyewitness.He would give him his headline story.He wouldgive him a story that everyone in the entire system would never forget. A Policy of Lies 127Chapter FourteenAt eight thirty the following morning, Levi stood behind a dumpster in the Washoedistrict, wearing a suit, watching the entrance of the Free Clinic.He hadn t slept at all.He had spent most of the night with Rowan, drafting theirheadlining story.Copy was written, scenes from the implant identified, and excerpts fromTiergan s official reports, filed twenty years ago, were excerpted.Everything waited for the final, dramatic moment, when Levi and a camera crewwould confront Dr.Tiergan Seoras about his role in the atrocity.Rowan had promised Levi his best camera team, the team that usually went with thetop headline news reporter, Angus Chase.Levi couldn t believe his luck.To have AngusChase s personal crew serving his story was a sure sign of success.Levi kept turning to look for the arrival of his crew from the direction of the shuttle.Until they arrived, he remained hidden, not wanting to run into Tiergan early.Once thecrew arrived, they would surprise and corner Tiergan as he opened the clinic.Levi had his list of questions already prepared.He had even practiced his stony reporterface in the mirror. 128 Astrid AmaraBut every time he read through his questions, he imagined Tiergan s face.The way helooked a few hours ago.Levi s stomach would clench and the slow, oily sensation of guiltwould drip down his throat, flood his heart, make everything feel tainted, slick with sadness.Levi was still infatuated with him; that was the problem.But there was more than just Levi s career on the line now.Levi had to go throughwith this, for all those people who lived now only in Tiergan s memory.The countless,nameless faces that came into Tiergan s room.How could that cold, silent participant on Tarus 9 be the same person who greetedeveryone at the Washoe Clinic so warmly? It was sick, the deception.If only the othersknew what he was capable of.And they would know.That morning
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