“All right, enough flirting. Let’s get to business.”
Mack whispered loudly to Coal and Lynden, “Dominatrix.”
“I heard you,” she said with a tiny, amused smile. “That’s what I get paid for. So either sit your ass somewhere and connect to the forum, or get out of my way.”
“I need to warn you,” Mack said to Amanda, while puffing on his cigarette, “I’ve had way too much caffeine.”
She eyed Mack with a comical look of long-suffering. “Great. So, debrief us before you system crash.” He opened his mouth and she lifted a hand in front of his face. “One more thing. Did you set up a cloud with all known files and links yet?” Mack nodded. “OK. Shoot.”
Without further encouragement, Mack launched the plan after introducing everyone in the room to Coal and Lynden, using their handles. Deciding to lounge on one of the oversized cushions, Coal and Lynden downloaded new encryption software. Then, they connected their Craniums to the group forum. After a quick lesson, he and Lynden swiped their first posts, both registering that they were ready to work as information moderators for the collaborative hack. Lynden would peruse hacks involving her parents and John, and Coal would sift through gleaned tidbits and discoveries on New Eden and those inside.
The hack officially began a few minutes later. Mack set up office near Coal and Lynden, and from there met with each individual privately. Coal could not help but overhear some snippets of information, pretending to read through the new threads as he watched Mack.
“How’s your daughter?” Mack quietly asked Kev, a man in his early twenties with dark green choppy hair and several facial piercings.
“Still sick. Small improvements.” The government hacker lifted a single shoulder in a weary shrug.
“Sorry, mate.” Mack slid a small pouch under the table. “Hey, take this and get her something special, OK? Use the extra to pay for the medical bills.” Kev took the pouch and slumped forward, leaning his elbows on the table while covering his face. “I have a special job for you.” The young man wiped his face and gave Mack his full attention. “Your focus is all legal, gov docs for Hanley. Birth cert, licenses, you name it. I trust you to keep your findings between us. No full disclosures. Not even on the forum.”
“I understand.”
Nadine was summoned next. Coal studied her lavender colored hair, most intrigued by her two different eye colors—one more traditionally hazel and the other a dark brown. She planted a solid kiss onto Mack’s mouth and then eased into a chair, placing her feet up onto the table. Mack studied her a few seconds, a quirky grin on his face. “I heard your roommate left.”
“Yeah. He hit me so I kicked him out.” Mack’s goofy smile fell just as Coal’s stomach churned. Fidgeting with anger over her statement, Coal readjusted his position on the cushion and checked on Lynden, who read an old article and seemed unaware of the conversation. Mack caught his eye, but pretended to not notice, focusing on Nadine again. “I’m paid up through November, though,” the woman said, the heel of her black combat boot swiveling side-to-side upon the desk.
“Shit. Are you OK?”
“No, but you know, one day at a time. Sober for two weeks.”
“Really?” Mack’s eyebrows shot up. “Alcohol or speed?”
“Shot my brains out and almost died. Neighbor found me. I’m done. It’s been a nightmare, but I’m done. Got a patch from the rehab clinic and taking daily inhibitor shots.” She placed her feet onto the floor and slumped across the table, resting her chin on her hands. “Thanks for including me. I need this. I owe you both. Big time.”
“Nah, we’d do anything for you. You know that. Plus, you’re the best hound I know. Corlan and I have a specific hunt for you. You got my private message?” She nodded. Mack passed another pouch under the table and Nadine took it, her thin, dark eyebrows pushing together in a baffled expression. “Use it for food, bills. Everyone deserves second chances, especially you.” As she stood, Mack gently took hold of her arm and pulled her forward, whispering into her ear. She nodded, her face emotionless like everyone’s, but her eyes clouded with unshed tears.
Everyone had a story. And everyone received a small pouch from Mack. Even Amanda. This was such a stark contrast to the Mack who negotiated with Mel, which Coal was beginning to believe was all for show. Control was the greater currency, Coal reminded himself. Mack had given Mel a sense of control in negotiations.
Coal’s heart grew heavy with the pain and brokenness carried by each person reporting for duty. They were a community. He had been sure such a concept did not exist in the Outside world, fabricated only online but never in reality. However, as he listened in to each one-on-one and read the threads posted on the forum, he felt a connection to their bond. The computer underground was isolated and confined by society, branded as rebels, nobodies, and corporate castoffs.
In some ways, it reminded him of New Eden.
Newfound respect for Mack burned within Coal, and he regarded Fillion’s dearest friend a few more seconds before returning to his own work.
“Hey, look at this,” Lynden whispered by his side. Coal removed the Cranium from his ear and leaned onto her shoulder to view her screen. “Kinda weird to see the three of them together in such a chummy way.”
She pointed to a picture taken at a gala of some sort. Both Hanley and Joel appeared dapper in black suits, each man with an arm around Della’s waist, who was resplendent in a strapless gown. Hanley smiled at the camera, holding up a sizable gold medallion in a case. But Joel angled his face toward Della, as if his smile were only for her.
“Are there comments as to the history of this image?” Coal asked.
Lynden scrolled up at the notes and stilled. “The Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony.” She blinked a few times, concentration wrinkling her forehead. Then her eyes widened a notch. “Look. In the far background. There’s another face looking directly at the camera. It’s a little blurry.”
“That is Timothy Kane,” Coal said. “The Wind Element inside New Eden.”
“Huh.” Lynden made notes on the forum, flashing Coal a quick smile. He lifted his head from her shoulder and placed the Cranium back to his ear. “Oh. Look at these,” she said. Coal chuckled and leaned into her again, Cranium back in the palm of his hand. “It’s my Uncle Dylan and Joel,” she whispered. “My mom and Timothy are in the far background.”
Coal studied the bags and gear at their feet. “Before the mountain climbing trip?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“What is Timothy holding?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can you enlarge the image?” Coal asked.
Soon, the image took up the full screen, and he and Lynden squinted their eyes and stared at Timothy.
“I think,” she said in a slow, distracted voice, “he is holding rope. Yep. That’s what it is. See the coil looped around his shoulder? It’s almost the same color as his shirt.”
“How did Dylan die exactly?”
“The rope snapped—” She sucked in a sharp breath. “You don’t think...”
“I really do not want to believe so. Timothy is quirky, a bit on the jolly side, and well-spoken. But I have never seen him as an aggressive man.” Coal released a heavy sigh.
“Hmm...”
She swiped their discussion into the forum, linking her comments to the image while nibbling on her lip ring. Coal strapped on his Cranium and returned to the forum and read her notes. Then he poured over the links and images assigned to him.
“Eco-Crafting Eden” had become common reading material for him, an intriguing predecessor to his own birth place. So much so, that as time slipped behind a veil of predictable information, he grew weary of opening links, figuring it was much of the same. The more he read of “Eco-Crafting Eden,” the more ashamed he became of his theatrical origins.
Was he a character, groomed and designed to be the man he grew up to be?
Or did he reflect the truest part of himself, without influence
or aid from any environment?
He thought of Dr. Nichols’ question at N.E.T.—whether he believed he was a product of his community—and paused for further reflection. Coal’s inspection drifted warily from face to face and catalogued the technological wonders contained within this room. Still, he felt like the same man who emerged from the experiment, simply tempered by new experiences. The core of who he was had never bended to this world—nor the one he left. Perhaps he possessed a far healthier portion of self-respect than he realized.
With a heavy heart, he thanked Joel and Norah for their steadfast love and care, as if a prayer, relishing that their fingerprints stained his soul.
Hours passed, quicker than he realized when he glommed onto the time. Lynden pulled the Cranium from her head and rubbed her eyes. With a yawn, she turned toward Coal and curled into the crook of his arm. Her head rested between his chest and shoulder. He smiled into her hair, leaning his head against hers.
After a few minutes, he knew she had fallen asleep. Exhaustion tempted him as well. Still, he could not sleep if he wanted to. In a few short hours he would leave. These were his last moments with Lynden, and Mack for that matter. As if sensing his thoughts, Mack looked over his screen to Lynden, met Coal’s eyes with a brief, friendly nod, and returned to his work. His fingers flew through the air, eyes narrowed in concentration.
Coal returned to his work as well, lifting his head and straightening his posture. The pictures of his father interested him the most. The King of Terraloch was far different than the blacksmith. At first, Coal was nearly convinced that his father may be the faction leader. Now, he knew the overheard comments were those of protection and defense, statements of concern and fear made while speaking with Brianna about how to handle such grievous conditions and possibilities.
For a moment, Coal paused and thought of how his father and Brianna had known a romantic relationship with each other prior to New Eden. Every so often, more so as he grew older, Coal contemplated how Brianna had delivered him safely into the world, only to become his step-mother when he was four years of age. And, to think, Brianna was Lynden’s second cousin. Coal belonged to a small world, but never had it seemed so small and connected as when learning the backstory and relational history of those enclosed to those who ran N.E.T.
Was it difficult for Brianna to see Connor with another woman?
To deliver Connor’s children, knowing they were not hers?
A new link, assigned to him, appeared on the forum and pulled Coal from his thoughts. He tapped on the attachment and rubbed his eyes, burning from sleepiness and mild eye strain.
Amanda had recovered a photo his mother had posted online after meeting his father at Comicon. The future couple leaned in close to one another, both smiling, with an image of Terraloch just beyond their heads and shoulders. The caption read, “OMG. Connor Hansen is way more hot in person. *dies and resurrects* Dreams really do come true.” Beneath it, a couple days later, Connor replied, “You’re way more hot in person, too. *pinches self* *still sees girl of my dreams*,” with a winky emoji face. Coal needed a moment, feeling strange while reading his parents’ public flirtations.
Pushing away the familiar guilt, Coal focused on the image itself. He had gathered from various posts that his father traveled and met many people during exhibitions. Nothing in this photograph indicated an initial interest or attraction on his father’s part. Yet, they eloped three weeks later.
What was it about Coal’s mother that sparked a connection in this moment?
Was she an escape from Connor’s reality or commitments?
Perhaps she was someone he did not feel beholden to because of long-time friendships and shared history?
Through his groggy state, he returned to the forum thread to add notes and comments when a thought surfaced, making his heart race. In a few swipes, he asked the group to find a note from Hanley to Connor, private or public, requesting Connor’s residency within New Eden Township, as well as Connor’s rejection of Hanley’s offer. A couple seconds later, Mack called Nadine over to join him at his makeshift desk. Over his privacy screen, Coal met Mack’s eyes, who gestured with his head for Coal to come over as well. Gently, Coal eased Lynden down onto the giant cushion and traipsed over.
“Hey,” Mack said to Coal. “Nadine here is working only on the Connor and Hanley relationship.”
“Lovely,” Coal said, with a small dip.
“What made you think of that question?” Nadine asked, studying Coal’s face. “Did you see something?”
“Yes, but not on the forum,” Coal said and quietly debriefed the story his grandmother shared.
Mack paused a few seconds, then asked, “When did you hear this?”
“Today, when visiting my grandmother, Sarah Hiddleston. Lyn—Rainbow took me to see her at her home in Portland.”
Mack’s eyebrows shot up in that comical way of his. “No kidding.”
“And Sarah is Camilla’s mother?” Nadine asked, the sharp look returning to her eyes. Coal nodded, unsure of which eye to focus on—the hazel one or the brown one—deciding instead to check on Lynden’s slumped over body. “Anything else?”
“Nothing of consequence,” Coal answered.
“All right. Thanks. I’ll get busy.” Nadine stood and walked back to her plush, leather chair.
An hour later, Nadine sent a private message to Coal with a screenshot of an email Connor had sent to Hanley, politely refusing to join New Eden Township. When Hanley pressed for an explanation, Connor had not replied. Typical of his father, really. Connor only replied or divulged information as needed. Coal could almost hear his father explain that his reasons were not Hanley’s affair.
Another private message came through from Nadine, this time of an email from Hanley to Cami, expounding upon the many benefits and opportunities in joining the biodome community. The owner continued with statements of how he knew she had always wished to be part of “Eco-Crafting Eden,” and here was her chance, and all to benefit science. Coal’s mother had responded with eagerness, much as Coal’s grandmother had shared.
A third message popped up, and Coal opened the screenshot, holding his breath. His father had berated Hanley for approaching Cami behind his back and obtaining her legally binding signature after Connor had made it known to Hanley the day prior that he wished to open his own weld-tech company and start a family. Hanley’s reply:
The key to the future is in the past, Connor. I’ll make you the town blacksmith. You prefer the old craft anyway. Just think, your children will be world-changers—and by emulating a simple life, the one you prefer. Right? This is what you want. Instead of living off-grid somewhere in the wilderness, like you tease, I’m giving you a real way to escape the neo-industrial revolution and just be you. Think about it. You’ll come around. Plus, you’re making your wife’s dream come true.
Coal tugged the Cranium from his head. No more notifications demanded attention, and the forum experienced a lull as several of the hackers left for personal breaks. Lynden’s head rested in his lap again, and he brushed his fingers through her tresses, lost to his thoughts. They would need to leave soon, for Coal still had to pack his belongings and John would arrive within a few short hours. The ache he experienced earlier in the evening returned as he admired Lynden’s serene features. Her sleeve dipped down her shoulder and the dragon tattoo peeked at him from beneath the folds.
Coal was about to wake Lynden when Kev approached Mack, and the nervous way Mack watched the man made Coal pause. The hacker knelt before Mack and handed him a Cranium, which Mack strapped to his other ear, tapping the one he was using. In the typical blank stare of those riveted to a holographic interface, Mack appeared trance-like as he scrolled through whatever findings Kev was showing him. “Holy shit!” Mack grabbed the Cranium and whipped his head in Kev’s direction and whispered in such a low voice, Coal could not discern the words. The hacker nodded his head, his eyes moving Lynden’s direction. Snapping out of his state of shock, Mack
flicked a worried look at Coal as he walked over.
“She out?”
“Soundly,” Coal said.
“Put this on.” Mack’s voice had taken an edge to it, the sharp points of each word digging deep into Coal’s gut. When the Cranium was fastened securely, Coal looked up. “Not a word to her,” Mack said. “Got it? It’s safer if she doesn’t know right now.”
Coal nodded and moved his focus to the holographic screen and his eyes took in a document from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Merde,” Coal whispered after reading the first few lines.
Hanley’s real name was Hayden Kane?
Witness protection program at age four?
Whatever was this program?
Anderson Kane—Hanley’s father—was a con artist?
Nausea swirled in Coal’s stomach. Nevertheless, he continued to peruse the document, which gave a detailed account of how Anderson wooed women into matrimony who were listed as beneficiaries to large fortunes. At some point within the first four years of marriage—it differed in each relationship—he would poison the parents with food or beverage using medications they were already taking, mixing the drugs with other herbs or pharmaceuticals. Once his wife collected her inheritance, Anderson would clean out the bank account and disappear. Apparently, he went by several pseudonyms, complete with falsified identification and other official government documents. When investigators finally caught up to Anderson, he killed himself.
Coal pulled the machine from his ear and thrust it back into Mack’s hands. The young man’s face tensed into a fierce expression. “Fillion is going to freak,” Mack said.
“Or it might empower him,” Coal said, matching Mack’s fury. “It would me.”
Mack was silent for several long seconds before whispering, “You guys need to go, right?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Hey, it’s not going to be the same without you around. Just so you know.”
Coal smiled. “I will return, Hulk Smash moves and all.”
Elements (The Biodome Chronicles series Book 2) Page 49
