WHEN I GET BACK TO my building after school, Darwin – our porter – pulls me aside. ‘Lacey, you have a visitor – but he wasn’t on your approved list, so he’s waiting around the corner in the lobby.’
I raise my eyebrows in surprise. It can’t be anyone from Team Tobias – they’re all on my list. I don’t know who else would come and visit me.
I peek my head around the corner and my jaw almost drops in surprise. It’s Jake Saunders, and his gorgeous chocolate brown retriever baku Vegas. Jake was one of my friends at Profectus – but we’ve never hung out outside of school. I didn’t know that he even knew where I lived. He’s one of the most popular and smartest students at the Academy, best known for running an underground betting app for Baku Battles. ‘What are you doing here?’ I ask, stepping into the hallway.
He comes up to me and embraces me in a big hug. I relax into it – I had no idea how much I needed that until he gave it to me. ‘Hon, how have you been? I’ve been so worried about you since you didn’t show up at school. Tobes told me that you’d been kicked out? That is seriously outrageous.’
I redden at the reminder, the humiliation of not being allowed back into school. ‘I don’t have a level 3 baku any more. This is my new baku, meet Slick.’ Slick jumps from my pocket into my hand, and then down on to Vegas. They swap information, and then Slick is back in my pocket again.
‘Oh cool – is that a scarab beetle?’ Jake asks, politely. I know that he could never think that Slick is a truly cool baku. Maybe if he knew about the syringe . . . I shudder.
‘Yeah, unfortunately,’ I mutter, as he gives me a quizzical look.
‘And you’re good? I stopped by the hospital a couple of times but then things got a bit busy with the revised battles . . .’
‘I’m doing okay. No lingering side effects.’
‘And they still don’t know what caused you to keep slipping back into the coma? I mean, I know hypothermia can be bad . . .’
I shrug in response, unsure of what to say. I almost think about bringing him into the fold but Zora’s warning about who to trust springs into my mind.
‘How are you otherwise?’ he asks.
‘I’m back at St Agnes where my best friend goes to school, so it’s not all bad. And I’m hoping that I can get back to Profectus before too long . . .’
‘Maybe we can start a petition! or crowdfund your place at the school! I could donate some of the proceeds of the gambling ring . . . trust me, that would be a much better cause than what I was going to do with the money.’
‘Oh, and what was that?’
Jake has a twinkle in his eye. ‘A gambler never tells.’
‘That would be great, but I could never accept it. I’ll find a way back, I promise. So, Jake . . . what are you doing here?’ I ask, shuffling my boots along the ground.
‘Can’t I just have come by to check on a friend?’
I raise a single eyebrow in response, and Jake chuckles. ‘Too clever for your own good, as always, Lacey. Okay, I did come here with a slight ulterior motive.’
‘Oh, and what’s that?’
‘Well . . . after watching the Baku Battles and seeing what happened to Jupiter and Aero and then Jinx . . . I don’t think the school has ever seen any repairs like it. Not unless the kids are super wealthy or have some major daddy connections, like that kid Carter. Those bakus on your team were utterly destroyed in the battles, and then they came back good as new.’
‘Yeah . . .’
His eyes bore into mine like laser beams. Jake has the ability to switch from the most laid-back guy ever to super intense – I suppose that’s why he does such a good job of running the school’s most illegal, and yet most participated in, activity. He knows when to turn it on and when to shut things down. Thank goodness he’s gay, or else Tobias would have a serious rival for my affection. He’s magnetic.
‘The rumour mill at Profectus is a highly efficient and accurate one. I should know, I run it.’ He winks at me. ‘And it’s obvious that the common denominator there is you. You must be one hell of a companioneer.’
I blush for real this time. ‘I know a few things . . .’ There doesn’t seem to be any point in hiding it now. I’m not on any Baku Battle team.
‘How?’
‘I taught myself. I guess I’ve always wanted to go to Profectus and work for Moncha and so I thought I’d do what Monica did and learn as much as I could on my own.’
‘Entrepreneurial spirit! I knew there was a reason I always got on well with you.’
‘We definitely share that,’ I say with a grin.
‘Great. Well, you know how expensive the official vets can be, especially when it comes to fixing level 3 bakus and above.’
I can only imagine. The quote to fix Petal’s bent wing for Mom was extortionate, so I’m sure for anything at a higher level, it would be much worse.
‘Something’s happened to Vegas’s right paw. I don’t know if he stepped on something or what – but he hasn’t been moving properly. Can you take a look?’
‘Oh, of course!’ I immediately drop down to look at Vegas’s paw. He lifts it up to me, and I can see that there are a couple of places where the components have been bent out of shape – and in fact, one of the screws is so worn down that it’s almost destroyed. It’s one of the common winter problems with ground-walking bakus in Canada. Because they put salt on the roads and sidewalks, some of that can get into the baku’s machinery and erode crucial components. There are some little boots and coverings that you can buy to help with that – but of course, those cost money. I never would have taken Jake for someone to lack funds, but then again – some people are just a bit careless. I breathe a sigh of relief. This is a problem that I know I can fix. I’ve read up on it on some of the companioneering forums, and if I get stuck, I’m sure that Paul will be able to give me some advice. But I already have solutions swirling in my brain, and my fingers itch with the eagerness of getting on with solving the problem.
‘Leave him with me. I promise that I’ll get him fixed up, no problem.’
Jake’s grin is so wide, I can’t help but return it. ‘That’s great! Shall I drop him off on Friday after school?’
‘Why not now?’
‘Seriously? But you know I’ll need him for tomorrow . . .’
‘You can just come and pick him up on your way in. If it’s not too far out of the way, of course.’
‘You think you can fix him overnight? Don’t you have . . . homework or something to do?’
I smile wryly. ‘I’m at St Agnes now. Trust me, after the Profectus homework we’ve had to do . . . this is like a walk in the park.’
‘All right, smartie pants,’ he says. ‘I’ll come by tomorrow morning. Thanks a bunch for this, Lacey. And let me know how much you want for it. You’re doing me a huge favour here. If I put him in with a vet, he wouldn’t be fixed for weeks. I wouldn’t be able to do it until the Christmas holidays and the thought of being without Vegas for Christmas is just . . .’ Jake shudders dramatically.
‘Don’t you worry about it. This one is on the house. Think you’ll be okay without Vegas for one evening?’
Jake’s eye twitches. ‘I’ll manage.’ Still, he drops down and gives Vegas an enormous hug. The baku leans his head into Jake’s shoulder, and I smile at the show of affection. That’s one of the things that level 3’s specialize in. I wryly think about my old plan to turn Slick into a level 3 baku. How would a beetle show affection? Maybe there are more reasons than just aesthetics that certain bakus are different levels.
‘Catch you later, Lacey,’ Jake says. He takes a few steps, then he spins around on his heel. ‘This is just bizarre, walking away without a baku. What if I get lost on my way home? What if I need to contact someone?’
‘Now you know how people used to feel,’ I say, laughing.
Jake shudders. ‘Literally, how did they survive? I’ll be by first thing tomorrow. See ya!’
Even though it’s only a tiny example, it r
eminds me of just how much people are reliant on their bakus nowadays. I would never want to take people’s companions away from them. But we do need to find a way to make sure they’re safe.
I gather Vegas up in my arms, so that he doesn’t have to walk any further and risk more damage to his paw.
>>I’m at 3% battery, says Slick from my pocket.
‘I’ll plug you in as soon as we’re downstairs.’
>>It would be much faster for me to leash as normal.
‘We’ll wait until we’re downstairs,’ I say again, through gritted teeth.
Once I get down to the basement, I search everywhere for Jinx – I’d hoped that he would be down here already.
But it’s empty. I’m grateful that I have Vegas to work on, until the others arrive. I power him down with the switch beneath his ear, then set him up on my desk. I don’t even need a schematic to figure this out – instead, I spend a good half an hour meticulously cleaning the components that make up his paw, wiping them down of dirt and encrusted salt so that I can see exactly where things have gone wrong. I carefully slide out the broken parts, then hunt through my drawers for replacements. It’s the kind of fiddly, tricky and concentration-intensive work that I can lose hours doing, the part that no one seems to get or understand, except for other tinkerers. It can take a long time to do a job like this absolutely perfectly, but that’s what I take pride in. I like to be meticulous.
And it helps pass the time until the loud snap of a camera shutter breaks my concentration.
THERE’S A CACKLE OF LAUGHTER that follows the camera noise, and I look up sharply. It’s only then that I realize how I must have looked: my head bent down low over an upside-down retriever baku, goggles on, hair tied back in the messiest bun ever and – worst of all – my tongue poking out from between my lips, which is a habit I have when I’m concentrating ultra-hard.
And now there’s photo evidence of it. I groan. ‘Thanks a lot, River,’ I say, when I see his face.
‘That’s one for the history books!’ he laughs.
River isn’t the only one who’s arrived. I roll back in my chair and see Kai and Ashley behind him.
‘I’m not going to lie, I never thought I’d be back in this place – cool as it is.’ Sarcasm drips from his voice and Kai crinkles his nose as he looks around my locker. I’ve learned to ignore his too-cool-for-school act, because I know that’s exactly what it is . . . just an act. I give him an exaggerated eye roll as I approach the door, and he returns it with a big grin.
We cram into my locker, just as we did a few months back when we were trying to fix Ashley’s spaniel baku Jupiter. River jumps up to perch on my desk, sitting cross-legged. Kai has his arms folded, making his biceps bulge, leaning back against the wire frame of my cage and making a deep indent. Ashley stands next to him, elegantly cool in dark jeans and a chunky wool sweater. I swear she’s leaning slightly into Kai’s shoulder.
‘Hey, Lacey!’ Zora appears a split second after them and hesitates as she takes everyone in.
‘Hey!’ I leap to my feet. ‘These are my teammates from Profectus – River and his baku Lizard, Kai and Oka, and Ashley and Jupiter. Everyone, this is my best friend, Zora, and Linus.’
She lifts her hand in a small wave. Linus wiggles forward, and there’s a flurry of activity from the bakus as they share information with each other.
‘Zora! I’ve heard so much about you,’ says Ashley, who swoops over to give her a hug and bring her in. Ashley’s warmth helps offset Zora’s initial shyness, and it’s not long before the two of them are chatting away.
Once Zora sits down at my desk in front of the old computer, she casts a glance my way. She tucks one of her long braids into the corner of her mouth, where she sucks at it anxiously. She knows what I’m about to tell them. I have to wait for Tobias to arrive, though.
‘Up to anything over the Christmas vacation, Lacey?’ asks Ashley, with a smile. A bow decorated with holly and ivy is wrapped around Jupiter’s neck.
I shrug, unsure how to answer her question. Since Mom has been updated, I know Christmas is not going to be the same.
‘Want to come shopping with me tonight?’ she asks. ‘They’ve got a late-night opening at the Eaton Centre . . .’
‘I just can’t wait for it to be vacation,’ says River. ‘Feels like we’ve been at school for years. The month after Baku Battles has gone so-o-o slowly.’ Then he shrugs, with a wry smile. ‘I guess, except for you, Lacey. You’ve been in a coma for most of it.’
‘River!’ says Ashley, as I wince.
‘Thanks for the invite, Ashley, but I don’t think I can come to the mall,’ I say. ‘Once Tobias is here, I’ll explain everything.’
We chat for a few more minutes, before my ears pick up the sound of the elevator door ping. Tobias is finally here. He drags his beanie off his head, shaking the snow off his woollen hat. Little snowflakes stick to his dark skin, melting into tiny drips of water. He wipes his hand across his brow and grins at me.
Is it possible for someone to be any cuter? Even in a huge winter jacket, he manages to set my heart racing. ‘Sorry I’m late.’ He steps into the locker and closes it behind him. As he turns, he spots Zora. ‘Oh, hey. I’m Tobias,’ he says.
‘I know who you are,’ Zora says while wiggling her eyebrows.
The burst of laughter that follows breaks the tension, and my heart warms to have all my friends in the same room.
Tobias walks over to me and gives me a hug. ‘So, Lacey, what’s the big news?’
I take a deep breath, then take a conscious step sideways – taking me outside his grip. He frowns a little, but I need him to listen to what I have to say. What I’m asking isn’t something he might want to agree to, and I don’t want him to feel any obligations just because he asked me out. ‘I’ve learned something since coming out of hospital, and it’s not good news. I wanted to text you all to tell you straight away, but then I thought you might not believe me.
‘Plus, I need know you’re okay with keeping a huge secret. It might be risky. I’m asking you to put a lot on the line – to keep this secret from your family and other friends, and most of all, from Moncha Corp itself.’
Kai stands up straighter. ‘Okay, you can’t tempt us like that and then expect us to say no.’
River pipes up. ‘How are you even going to stop us from listening to you and then spilling the secret anyway?’
Zora pipes up. ‘I’m actually going to help with that.’
I look over at Zora in surprise. ‘Just trust me,’ she says, in a low voice. I gesture for her to go ahead.
She clears her throat, wriggling in her chair, trying to get comfortable with all of our eyes on her. ‘I’ve developed a little tweak to the code of your bakus. It will obscure this conversation. You have to be willing to have it added to your bakus before Lacey can say anything. Otherwise, you have the choice to leave now. If you want to.’
‘Seriously? You’re threatening us with having code that, wow, we have no idea whether you even know how to implement properly? What if you permanently mess up my baku? I just don’t know if I can take that risk,’ Kai says.
‘I can promise you that it won’t harm your bakus.’
Ashley looks up at Kai, his doubt spreading hesitation in her bones. But Tobias takes a step forward. ‘Of course I’ll let you implement a black-out code on Aero. Lacey trusts you, so I trust you.’ He turns to me. ‘But you shouldn’t need us to prove our loyalty to you.’
‘Yeah,’ says River. ‘You should know that we wouldn’t betray you.’ They’re all looking at me.
‘I promise, it’s not you I’m worried about,’ I say. ‘The truth is, this is just too big, the consequences too huge not to take precautions. But I can’t say anything more until you sign up for the code. If you want it, Zora is ready to implement.’
To my relief, Tobias steps forward first of all. Kai tuts, but his defiance seems to fade in the face of Tobias’s leadership. I’m eternally grateful to him, and
I hope that they all will understand once the truth comes to light.
Zora leashes Aero up to the computer, and Zora inserts the tiny tweak to his code. Once everyone has put their bakus through the process – and they all do – they turn and look at me expectantly. I shrug. ‘We’re still missing someone . . .’ I say. I bite down on my fingernails.
‘No, look, he’s here,’ says Zora, with a small grin.
On cue, Jinx leaps down from a shelf in a dark corner of the locker, right into the middle of all of us. Ashley squeals with delight, dropping down to embrace him in a hug. Surprisingly, Jinx lets her, rubbing his spine up against her leg and sending soft vibrations her way.
Zora turns to me. ‘Jinx came to me after school – and instead of coding club, I worked on coding this secrecy program instead. I only just finished in time or else I would have told you.’
‘Thank you,’ I say to her with a grin.
‘Jinx! You’re safe!’ says Tobias. He kneels down, blinking hard as if he can’t believe his eyes. But as Jinx flicks his tail and flashes lights on his body, Tobias’s eyes light up. ‘It really is him. I should get in touch with Mr Baird – he’d want to know.’
Jinx turns to Tobias and hisses furiously, his fur rising up into hackles. Tobias immediately throws his hands up in the air, backing down. ‘Okay, not Mr Baird then?’
I shake my head. ‘No way! No one else can know he’s back. Eric Smith is still looking for Jinx – and plying a lot of resources behind it. His security team searched my apartment. Eric Smith wants Jinx destroyed.’
Zora pipes up. ‘The code that you’ve just been given will prevent your bakus from transmitting any information about Jinx to the cloud, so that you can’t inadvertently give away his position. It had nothing to do with us not trusting you – we just don’t trust the prying eyes of Eric Smith.’
‘And now I can show you why I asked you here,’ I say.
‘It wasn’t just to show us Jinx is safe?’ Tobias asks.
Unleashed Page 9
