Mackenzie and Aurelia, hand in hand, approached Mr John and Mrs Ashton. As they neared, both of them turned their gazes towards the pair. Their eyes widened as they took in the sight of Aurellia. Her striking resemblance to Mr O'Connor's late wife was uncanny. It was as if time had reversed itself, bringing back a ghost from the past.
"Why didn't you tell us about her, Mackenzie?" Mr. John asked sternly. His eyes never left Aurelia, studying her every detail.
Mackenzie swallowed hard, his grip on Aurelia's hand tightening.
"I... I was afraid," he admitted, his voice shaky. "Afraid that you'd take her away, and I had so many questions to ask her."
Aurelia squeezed his hand in reassurance,
"She means no harm to anyone," Mackenzie insisted, "She helped me escape The Alternates Institute."
The room fell silent once more, Mr John and Mrs Ashton exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable. Then, as if coming to a silent agreement, they both nodded.
"We understand, Mackenzie," Mrs. Ashton finally said, her voice soft yet firm. "We are not taking anyone away."
Relief washed over him, the weight of his fear lifted. He looked at Aurelia, her eyes shining bright blue.
They had gone in the quiet confines of the office, they both sat down with Mr John and Mrs Ashton. The air was thick with tension as Mackenzie began to tell them everything that happened at The Alternates Institute. He spoke of how Dr Waweski had planned to wake up the Alternates and how doing so would kill every human that had one. His words shocked those of Mr John and Mrs Ashton. Mackenzie then revealed the imminent danger they were in. Waweski had dispatched guards in search of him and Aurelia. However, he was careful not to mention anything about MI6, ensuring their safety.
The revelation of Dr Waweski's plans with the clones sent a wave of worry through the room. Aurelia sat quietly, her eyes cast downward. A sense of guilt washed over her. She had helped Dr Waweski create the Alternates, and now, she was one of them. The realisation left her grappling with the weight of her actions. Mackenzie could see that she was struggling and put his hand on hers, she smiled feeling comforted.
“We will do a background check on Dr Waweski, and find out more about him.” Mrs Ashton told them.
“For now, we need you to keep you both safe, we have a safe house about an hour from here, our agents will escort you there, we will keep an eye on Dr Waweski's wearabouts.” Mr John said, looking at Mackenzie and Aurelia.
“I'm afraid we don't have time to take you back to your flat, we will provide you with extra clothes and toiletries.” Mrs Ashton continued.
Mackenzie and Aurelia agreed to this.
“It should hopefully not be for very long, it's just to make sure that any immediate danger is dealt with.” Mr John explained.
They both understood and were glad they had people looking out for them.
“Our agents will be guarding you at the safe house at all times.” Mrs Ashton reassured them.
Mackenzie and Aurelia were escorted to pack their bags for an overnight stay at the safe house. The room was filled with an uneasy silence, broken only by the rustling of clothes and the occasional clink of metal. In the adjacent room, Mr John and Mrs Ashton were engaged in a hushed discussion. Mrs Ashton's face was etched with worry.
"Are we sure we should be letting Mackenzie go with her?" she asked, her voice was quiet to avoid them listening.
"We still don't know enough about these Alternates and the technology inside of them." Mr John, however, seemed more composed. He reassured her, "Mackenzie is smart," he said, "He will let us know if something goes wrong. Best to keep her close so we can keep an eye on her."
He paused, his gaze thoughtful. "According to him, she helped him. She has all the same thoughts and feelings as the real Aurelia."
His words offered a glimmer of hope, a possibility that this Aurelia could be trusted. Mackenzie and Aurelia had finished packing, Mr John and Mrs Ashton introduced them to the agents that would be taking them to the safe house.
“You'll be in safe hands, these are our finest agents.” Mrs Ashton added.
Mackenzie shook hands with them, thanking them.
“I'll let you know when we get there.” Mackenzie replied.
Aurelia kept quiet, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the way Mrs Ashton was staring at her. She grabbed Mackenzie's hand and they followed the agents out of the building.