“Nick, that’s enough. It’s almost time for dinner. Why don’t we take a break and talk afterward? We can all write down our questions, and we’ll form a plan for how this is going to work later tonight. Remember, not a word at the table in case Marcy or Jess overhears. We’ve got the same responsibility to keep them safe as Malcolm’s had all this time.”
Everyone dispersed at Tony’s suggestion, taking out their tabs to jot down thoughts or questions.
“You need to have more faith in the people around you.”
Malcolm turned to Will, still stunned by how well that had gone. “Obviously.”
Kaleana’s hand tightened on his knee. “Things are going to change around here for the better. Thanks for finally telling everyone. It’s been just the two and now three of us for so long. It’ll be nice to have the whole family together in the effort.”
Malcolm had never considered how Kaleana would feel about it. She seemed relieved. He’d always liked to think that he’d shouldered the burden alone, but that wasn’t true. Kaleana had borne some of it. From the reaction of the boys, he thought maybe they all had carried a little weight because of Malcolm’s secrecy.
Already, he thought things might be easier, or maybe it just seemed that way because he had their full support.
“Thank you.” Malcolm gave Will a light kiss on the lips.
“For what?”
“For giving me my family. I’d never know how wonderful it feels to have them this close around me if you hadn’t intervened.”
“We’re even.”
Malcolm suppressed the desire to tell him they weren’t, that Will had given him more than he’d ever be able to repay. But they were partners now. They’d always be even.
44
Forty-Four
Will sat at his desk, filtering through some data from the hack of Walken’s system and cross-referencing it with some information they’d just received from an anonymous drop. There might be a mole among the Geneticists. Will was trying to ascertain whether this latest drop was stolen information, a well-informed source, or an actual Geneticist. The ramifications would be staggering if they had an ally on the inside. Malcolm had said he knew some of their agents worked in government, but he didn’t believe any were Geneticists.
“Come on, Will. Everyone’s waiting.” Malcolm stood by the door. They had moved into a smaller room on the third floor to use as their office. Since Will was the only one who knew Malcolm’s identity, it made sense for them to have a private office so they could speak freely. The rest of the boys and Kaleana had split between Malcolm’s old office and the room next door.
“Just a minute. It’s almost done.” They had planned to race cars this afternoon at the track, but Will needed just a little more time.
“You know the rules.” Malcolm advanced toward Will. If he didn’t stop what he was doing, Malcolm would turn off the computer. The rules had come about after Will pulled two all-nighters. Malcolm had put a stop to that pretty quickly.
“All right, all right. I’m coming.”
Malcolm sighed as Will kept his eyes on the monitor while slowly advancing toward the door. He couldn’t help it. He wanted to see if anything popped up before they left.
“It doesn’t matter. If something comes back, you’re not going to be able to analyze it until tomorrow.”
“You’re not the least bit curious? We could have a mole inside the DGI. That would be huge.”
“Yes, and it’ll be equally huge tomorrow.” Malcolm grabbed hold of his shoulders and steered him out of the office.
As Will shut the door behind him, he heard the ping indicating the program he had run was finished. He couldn’t help looking at Malcolm with pleading eyes.
“I don’t know why you like torturing yourself. You know you’re going to have to wait.”
Will raised his eyebrows. “Really? You’re lecturing me about torture? And which implement are you going to want me to beat you with tonight?”
Malcolm smiled. “Ah, that’s not torture. And I believe I’ll take that lovely leather-covered paddle.”
“Well, don’t start thinking about it, because you’re just going to have to wait.”
Malcolm laughed.
During the day, they belonged to the cause. In the evening, they belonged to their family. And at night they belonged to each other. That had been their deal.
And as he and Malcolm joined the others at the track, cheering on Rufus and Nick under a clear blue sky, he had to admit that it was a pretty good deal.
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Caethes Faron
In Distress series:
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About the Author
Caethes's writing is influenced by her observations of this imperfect world and the flawed characters who inhabit it. She enjoys playing RPGs and making up complex backstories for her avatar and the characters she encounters. Caethes has lived in seven states and is always looking for the next place to call home with her husband and dogs. She currently resides in Florida where she's often found at theme parks when she's not writing.
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Copyright © 2014 by Caethes Faron
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