One of Alexander's men radioed, "Sir?"
"Leave him," Alexander said slowly. "Don't leave any trace of your presence."
"Yes, sir." The men quickly slipped through the garage door and vanished into the shadows. They were gone without a trace.
"Secretary Rollins refuses to leave," the man reported, returning to the driver's seat.
Alexander nodded. "Well, at least we know he has a plan."
He initially believed Rhea had retaken control of Cameron. He mused, Cameron let Rhea hold him because he knows how dangerous those viruses are. They almost destroyed Burnwken. Only God knows what the others can do. Besides, Rhea once controlled Cameron using a virus. He knows how ugly things can get if no one stops the organization. Still, he won't be able to stop Rhea from controlling him again, no matter how strong-willed he is. Fortunately, he's not under any influence, from what I can tell. Since Cameron has his plans, I shouldn't worry too much.
After a moment's reflection, Alexander said, "Take me to the Rollins' residence."
He believed Cameron hadn't told Anastasia anything for her sake. He'd considered telling Cameron about Anastasia's illness but decided against it.
The driver started the car and headed toward their destination. The night streets were quiet, only a few cars moving. The city seemed peaceful. Alexander gazed silently out the window, the scattered lights of countless homes stirring a protective instinct within him.
"What is it like to be controlled by someone?" he murmured.
The car slowed momentarily, then resumed its speed. The driver said quietly, "It was like a long, long sleep."
"A long sleep, huh?" Alexander raised an eyebrow, pondering the concept.
"Yes, a sound sleep, like being cut off from reality. If we don't wake up, we just continue sleeping, but when we do…" The man's voice caught. "Then we discover we might have done terrible things, hurt people."
"Worse, we can't excuse ourselves; we were the ones who hurt them, no matter how you look at it," the driver's voice echoed in the car's quiet interior.
Alexander listened, frowning slightly. After a silence, he said, "It must have been tough. Right, Edward?"