After (Parallel Series, Book 4)

by Christine Kersey

  “What if she goes to jail?” Sara said in a frantic whisper.

  We all looked at each other. “I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe if she tells them the truth, they’ll let her go.”

  “I hope so,” Olivia said.

  At the end of lunch we separated for our classes. I purposely walked past the office to see if I could see anything, but Hansen’s door remained closed. As it turned out, I should have been more worried about myself than about Hannah.

  “Morgan,” my fifth period teacher said after he read the slip of paper a student had just delivered to him, then he motioned for me to come forward.

  I went to the front of the room and took the slip of paper. I was being called to see Hansen. Deep down I knew this was a bad, bad thing, but I just nodded like it was completely expected, then I went to my desk and gathered my things. I tossed my backpack over my shoulder and left the room, but paused in the hallway.

  No one was around. To go to the office I would need to go right. I looked in that direction, then I went left, hurrying down the hall toward another hallway that would lead me outside. I had no intention of talking to Hansen and his FBI buddies. I’d already told them everything I was going to, so as far as I was concerned there was no need for me to talk to them again.

  As I approached the turn in the hall I heard voices—deep male voices. The girl’s bathroom was to my left, so I darted inside and locked myself in a stall. Leaning against the stall door, I considered my options.

  One, I could make my way outside, call Mom and have her pick me up, and end up getting questioned later. Two, I could run away and hide somewhere, although I had no idea where. Three, I could go to Hansen’s office and tell them everything I knew. Or, four, I could stay in the bathroom for the rest of my life.

  I squeezed my eyes closed. None of the options sounded good, and I had no idea what to do. All I knew is that I didn’t want to have to face this alone. I wished with all of my heart that Billy was there with me.

  Billy. My eyes opened. I’ll take the bus to see Billy. Yes, it was just putting off the inevitable, but right then I was all about procrastinating my date with the FBI.

  No one had entered the bathroom since I’d arrived, so I left my stall with confidence, then went to the door that led to the hall. Pulling the door open, I peered around it, but all was quiet. I stepped into the hallway and made my way to the corner. Slowing as I reached the end of the hall, I poked my head around the bend and made sure the coast was clear before turning the corner and walking toward the exit.

  Bright sunlight from the square window in the door flooded the hall, and I went as fast as I could without actually running. A few moments later I shoved through the exit and out into the grassy area by the far end of the school building. The rest of the students were still in class, so I was blissfully alone.

  Glancing around, I made sure no one was lurking just out of sight, then I broke into a jog to put as much distance between me and Hansen as possible. As I passed through a neighborhood, a feeling of deja vu washed over me, and I remembered the panicked dash I’d made after breaking free from Holly. Enforcer Mills hadn’t been far behind me, and when he’d pulled me down from the fence I’d been trying to climb, abject terror had gripped me.

  A shudder raced through me as I imagined Hansen or one of the FBI agents taking me down, and I picked up my pace. A few minutes later I reached the main road where a bus would eventually come by and I sat on an empty bench to wait. Panting, I leaned forward and rested my arms on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.

  When the bus rumbled to a stop in front of me, I climbed aboard. There were only a few other passengers. I went to a seat in the very back and set my backpack on the seat beside me, then leaned my head against the window.

  I had to change buses to take the express to Billy’s town, but when I arrived at my destination I climbed off and began walking. I knew he would probably be home from school by the time I reached his house, so that’s where I headed. Even though we’d come this way once before, I was worried that my poor sense of direction would make it difficult for me to find his house.

  At least I had my cell phone so I could call his house if I got lost. Which reminded me . . . Mom would be leaving home soon to pick me up. I dug my phone out of my backpack and called home.

  “Hello?” Mom said.

  “It’s me,” I said, trying to put a carefree tone into my voice.

  “Morgan? Why are you calling? Is everything okay?”

  Everything was definitely not okay, but I didn’t want to tell her that. Not yet. “Yeah. I was just calling to let you know that I wanted to go visit Billy after school today, so you don’t need to pick me up.”

  “Wait. You’re telling me or you’re asking me?”

  Uh-oh. “I just really miss him, so I was hoping you’d let me go see him today. I can take the bus there, and then I can take it home.” I read a street sign that looked familiar and turned right.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this before school?”

  Because I didn’t know the FBI would be after me then. “I just really started missing him today, so it was kind of last minute.”

  “Oh, Morgan.”

  “Please, Mom. Please.”

  She sighed. “All right, but call me when you get there so I know you made it safely.”

  “Okay. I will. Thank you, Mom.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  I tucked my phone in my pocket and picked up the pace. Now that I knew I’d be with Billy soon, I had a fresh burst of energy.

  Twenty minutes later his house came into view and I remembered the impromptu news conference that had happened only days before. His parents had been so supportive of him, but I wondered what they’d think of me dropping by unexpectedly.

  Chapter 77

  Billy

  “Are you sure you don’t want any more milk?” my mother asked as she placed another cookie on the plate next to my textbook.

  “No, I’m full.” As much as I liked the way she was taking care of me, I wasn’t used to having someone wait on me. It felt kind of weird. “I can’t eat anymore. Really.”

  “Okay.” She picked up the plate with the cookie on it. “I’ll put it away for later.”

  I smiled. “Thanks.” Then I turned back to the homework assignment I’d been working on. I’d just completed my second day at my new school and it had gone better than the day before. More kids had talked to me, and some had even asked about the world I’d come from. I could tell they were genuinely curious and not just making fun of me. I’d answered every question—except the ones asking how I’d crossed into this world—and I could tell by the curiosity in their eyes that they would have more.

  I welcomed it. The more people talked about it, the more they would come to accept it as the truth, which would make my life easier.

  The sound of the doorbell ringing interrupted my thoughts.

  “Who could that be?” my mother asked as she walked toward the front door, then opened it.

  I couldn’t see the door from where I sat, but there was no mistaking the voice I heard. “Morgan?” I pushed back from the table and hustled to the door. My mouth stretched into a wide smile.

  “Billy,” she said.

  I could see the worry in her eyes and I wondered what had happened. “Come in,” I said as my mother stepped out of the way.

  The moment her path was clear, Morgan practically threw herself into my arms.

  “What a nice surprise,” my mother said as she closed the door, but her tone said she wasn’t sure what to do with the girl who had flung herself into her new son’s arms.

  Morgan took a step back and smiled tentatively at my mother. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you I was coming.”

  “That’s okay,” my mother said. “Of course you’re welcome any time.”

  “Thanks.” Morgan turned to me. “I need to talk to you.”

  I wondered what she’d gotten herself into now. It didn’t matter. I would always
be there for her.

  “I’ll leave you two alone,” my mother said, then she headed toward her bedroom.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  Morgan took me by the hand and led me to the couch where we sat side by side. “I think I’m in trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  “The kind where the FBI wants to talk to me.”

  I leaned back on the couch. “Ohhh. That’s not good.”

  “No.”

  “What happened?”

  She told me how her friend Hannah had been questioned by Hansen and the FBI, and then how Hansen had demanded to see her. “But instead of going to the office, I ditched and came here.”

  As much as I wanted to help her, I had no idea what to do. “Do you think it’s about the hack?”

  She nodded. “I don’t know what else it could be.”

  “Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe they just need to clarify what you told them before.”

  She bit her lip as she considered my words. “I’m scared, Billy. What if I have to go to jail? I can’t go to jail.” Her voice rose as obvious panic began to overtake her. “It will be worse than Camp Willowmoss. I just know it.”

  I wanted to tell her to calm down, but I knew that wouldn’t help, so instead I pulled her against me. “I’m right here, Morgan. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She pulled away. “How can you say that? You can’t do anything for me. Hansen hates me. He always has. He’ll be thrilled if the FBI arrests me.”

  Helplessness swirled around me. She was right. There was nothing I could do, but I didn’t let that stop me from trying to comfort her. I placed my hands on the sides of her face and made her focus on me. “Have you done anything that would justify you going to jail?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

  “What do you mean you don’t know?”

  “I mean, I knew Hannah’s friend was going to hack into the HLO database and erase their data and I didn’t tell anyone. But I don’t know if that’s enough to send me to jail.”

  I didn’t know either.

  “What should I do?” she asked plaintively.

  I moved my hands from her face and took her hands in mine. “I don’t know.” In silence we sat side by side, the only sound the ticking of an old clock hanging on the kitchen wall.

  Morgan’s cell phone rang, startling us both. She picked it up and looked at the screen. “It’s my mom.”

  Chapter 78

  Morgan

  “Hello?” I said. I’d talked to Mom less than an hour earlier, so I feared the reason she was calling.

  “I was checking your grades online,” she began, “when I noticed that you missed your last class today.” She paused. “Did you cut class so that you could go see Billy?”

  Is that all, I wanted to say. I’d thought the FBI had come to my house to question me and found me gone. “I’m really sorry, Mom.”

  She sighed. “You’re really pushing me, Morgan. Really pushing me.”

  “It was stupid of me. I’ll come home.”

  “Yes, and yes.”

  That was harsh. “Okay. It will take me a couple of hours though.”

  “And not a minute longer.” Her impatience showed in her tone.

  We hung up and I turned to Billy. “I have to go.”

  “I gathered.” He smiled. “Do you want me to ask my mother to drive you?”

  I wasn’t in any hurry to get home and face the consequences of leaving school without permission, or of anything else that could possibly happen to me. “No, that’s okay.”

  “I’d go with you, but it’s a little far.”

  “You could walk me to the bus stop.”

  He stood. “Absolutely.”

  Before we said good-bye he gave me the number for his new cell phone.

  “This is awesome,” I said as I entered him in as a contact. Then only half-joking, I added, “Now I can text you when the FBI arrests me.”

  He put his hands on my shoulders. “That’s not going to happen.”

  I hoped he was right.

  On the ride home I contemplated telling my parents about the FBI. Would my parents be angry with me if they found out I’d known about the hack but hadn’t told anyone? Or would they be on my side and tell me what I should do? The more I thought about it, the more obvious the answer became. Of course I should tell them.

  Once I made my decision, I was eager to get home and see what advice Mom would have for me, but as I walked from the bus stop to my house I had the distinct feeling that someone was watching me.

  Trying to be discreet, I glanced around without moving my head. When I didn’t see anyone I took a more broad look and that’s when I saw two men in suits getting out of a car parked across the street. I knew those men. They were the FBI agents who had been in Hansen’s office.

  Fighting the urge to run, I stared at them to let them know I saw them, and tried to control my breathing, which was now coming in short gasps.

  “Morgan,” Agent Murray—the one who’d played bad cop—called to me. “Stop.”

  Like that was going to happen. Instead I gave in to the powerful instinct to flee. I slid my backpack off of my shoulders and heard it hit the ground with a thump, then I ran toward my neighborhood, my legs pumping and adrenaline coursing through my veins.

  As I ran, I wondered why this was happening to me again. I’d run from Hansen and Dimples when they’d first brought me to Camp Willowmoss, I’d run with Billy from a myriad of Enforcers after we’d escaped, and then I’d run from Mills after escaping Holly. Two out of three times I’d been caught, and both of those times had been terrifying.

  Now, as I approached the grassy front yard of one of my neighbors, I wondered what would happen this time. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Murray right behind me and I braced for impact. A moment later he slammed into me from the side and I skidded across the neighbor’s lawn, my breath stolen from me as my body hit the ground. At least I didn’t split my lip like I had when Dimples had tackled me outside of Camp Willowmoss.

  “Why are you running, Morgan?” Murray asked, out of breath as he rolled me onto my stomach and handcuffed my hands behind my back, then yanked me to my feet and began walking me back to the car.

  I won’t be able to call Billy after all. I dragged in a breath as Atkinson joined his partner in marching me toward their car. At least they hadn’t tasered me.

  A moment later I was placed into the back seat where Murray leaned in to place the seatbelt across me. “Safety first,” he said with a grin, and I wanted to spit on him for nearly crushing me on the grass, but fear made my mouth too dry to do the job.

  We drove in silence and I wondered where they were taking me. When we pulled up to the Fox Run police department I was kind of relieved. I wasn’t sure if I’d been expecting to be taken to some secret government facility, but seeing my local police department gave me a feeling of comfort.

  That feeling was short lived, however, because as soon as we arrived, Murray and Atkinson led me into an interrogation room, removed my handcuffs, then left. I half-expected Holly to come through the door bearing drug-laced power bars, but no one came, and after a while I began to worry.

  Mom would expect me home by now. Would she think I was just being defiant and taking my time? Or would she think something had happened to me? Would she call Billy and ask him when I left his house, or would she just wait for me to finally get home?

  My cell phone had been in my backpack, and of course the FBI agents hadn’t given it back to me, so I had no way to call Mom.

  At the sound of the door opening I jerked my head up and met the eyes of Agents Murray and Atkinson. I wondered if Murray would still play bad cop to Atkinson’s good cop. Regardless, seeing them looking so official while I sat in a police interrogation room with who knows who on the other side of the mirrored window, I felt helpless and scared.

  What had Hannah told them? Should I tell them what I knew, or should I stay quiet? I
could insist on having a lawyer present, but would that make me look guilty? It seemed like a lose-lose situation, and I didn’t know what to do.

  “I want to call my parents,” I said as the agents sat across the table from me.

  “I’m sure you do,” Murray said.

  “We’ve been trying to get a hold of them,” Atkinson said.

  That was something, at least. Assuming it was true.

  “In the meantime,” Atkinson said, “we have a few questions we’d like you to answer.”

  My silence ploy had worked okay in Hansen’s office, so I stared at him but didn’t respond—not even a nod.

  “You should know,” Murray began, “that you’ve been implicated in the database break-in at the Healthy Lifestyles Organization’s website.”

  What did that mean? Implicated? What had Hannah told them? I knew she was the one behind the information they supposedly had about me.

  “In fact,” Murray said, “we have proof that you organized the entire operation.”

  “That’s not true,” I blurted. Murray smiled and I clamped my mouth shut.

  “What is true, Morgan?” Atkinson said. “We want to help you work this out. You’re young. You have your whole life in front of you. We don’t want to see you in prison anymore than you do.” He leaned forward slightly and smiled. “Help us to help you.”

  Prison? The thought terrified me. Did Hannah tell them something that made me look guilty? I reviewed what I knew: Even though I’d agreed to be the spokesperson early on, I hadn’t actually done the video until Hannah had told me the hacker wasn’t going to break into the HLO’s database. It was only after we’d released the video that I’d found out that she’d lied to me and that the hack would be happening. Hansen had called me into his office and given me the chance to fess up, but I’d said I didn’t know anything. I’d quit as spokesperson and told Hansen I was no longer tied to We Can Choose. Then the hacker had done his thing.