She reached to help Marco up. Pulling him up, she found he wasn’t that steady yet on his leg. Good thing he was thin.
“I’m trying,” he muttered as he walked on shaking legs.
She glanced at Joe, and for a brief second met his eyes and he glanced at the door. Go. Receiving the implied message, she planned on coming back once Marco was safely tucked away. Once outside, she found a crowd gathering on the street, a fire alarm ringing in the distance. She moved from the lights, hoping for refuge in the shadows.
Ari continued across the street. Most cars were at a standstill because of the crowds and chaos. She found Patrick sitting in a light blue car across the street. Once he saw her, he jumped out and opened the back door. Before he could move to help, Joe appeared and helped with Marco’s other side.
“A bit slow tonight?” Marco joked as he was tucked into the back seat.
“Getting out of shape hanging out with you and eating donuts.” Joe shut the door on him and hurried to the other side of the car. “We better hurry. The only thing that saved us was they don’t know their tail from their head yet, but they will.”
Sitting in the back with Marco, Ari looked him over for any other injuries. Red filled his weary eyes. They were lucky the soldiers were trying to capture them, not kill.
Patrick swerved up on the sidewalk around the stalled traffic, forcing pedestrians out of the way. She scooted onto the seat and scanned the area. “I can’t think why they’d let us get away so easily.”
“You thought that was easy?” Joe said, the first sign of a joke she had ever heard from him.
She shrugged. “But why aren’t they following us now? And what happened with their weapons?”
“That explosion was a small EMP blast so they couldn’t communicate with the others. I wired faraday cages into your corset and our bags to keep our weapons working.”
“You could have told me beforehand.”
“I was hoping we wouldn’t need them.”
“What about the stuff you took from Echo’s apartment?” she asked.
“It’s good.” Joe tapped the bag.
“Next time can you let me know what you’re planning?” Ari asked. “I thought you were jumping to your death for a moment there.”
“You know how to fight. I’ve seen you before.”
Ari thought back to her practices but never really remembered seeing Joe. Maybe he was more like a ninja than she thought. “Still, next time, heads up would be helpful.”
He shrugged.
Patrick finally got out of the congestion and let out a big sigh. “Okay, now that I can breathe right. How about you guys start from the beginning?”
Chapter 25
They had caught Patrick up with what happened by the time they arrived back in their room. While Joe looked through what he took out of Echo’s apartment, Patrick, Ari, and Marco started to pack. They shouldn’t have any reason to suspect the authorities were on to them, but they weren’t going to hang around to give them a chance to find them.
Ari quickly changed out of her outfit and took a shower to wash off the smell of that club and Echo. Though the adrenaline had worn off and the memories of what happened to Echo began creeping in, she pushed them away and busied herself with getting ready to leave. Leaving the bathroom, she found the apartment cleaned and the bags on the bed.
“We need to head out under the hour. Marco, did you need to shower?” Patrick motioned to the open bathroom.
“Yeah, I’ll be quick.” Marco grabbed his bag and headed in.
“I’ll go wipe down the car and make sure it can’t be traced back to us.” Joe slung his bag over his shoulder and left.
Ari turned to her bag, planning and packed her dirty clothes in her duffel bag.
“Ari, we need to talk.” Patrick stood by the door.
The serious edge to his words stilled Ari’s busy hand. Zipping up the bag, she turned to face him. “What’s up?”
“Let’s go out for a minute.” He motioned to the door, his face not giving anything away. “Bring your bag.”
“O-kay.” Ari couldn’t figure what he would want to talk about that couldn’t wait until they were on the plane. And why the bag? Did he need an errand run before they took off?
As she followed him out into the hall, she noticed a small black bag in his hands. Joe was already gone, and Patrick headed towards the stairs. He kept forward, not bothering with small talk.
“I think I’ve had my fill of stairs today,” Ari tried to joke to lighten the mood.
“I bet you have.” He paused for a moment to let her catch up, then continued down the stairs. “You were pretty spectacular back there. You know that, right?”
“You didn’t see Joe. He was amazing.” Ari wished she could have recorded it and replayed it in slow-motion.
“Yes, he is, but that’s Joe. He’s been at this game for a while.” He opened the door and exited into the side of the lobby. The night sky gave the lights an eerie glow to the deserted lobby. “But you kept a level head and rolled with everything that was thrown at you. You were better than anyone could have expected. I’m lucky you chose to join our team.”
“Thanks. I feel pretty blessed to have found you too,” Ari replied, then realizing how it sounded quickly added, “and everyone on the team.”
His words were kind, but the look in his eyes told her there was something more. Something he didn’t want to tell her, something hard to say. She stepped forward and reached a hand out. “Patrick, what’s going on?”
He handed her a bag. “This is for you.”
“What’s this?” She opened the bag to find a new phone, several cards, and other papers. It was a new identity. Turning on the phone, she saw an airline ticket across the ocean to the Americas. Home. An icy chill crawled up her skin as she lifted her chin to meet his focused gaze. Was he telling her to leave? She searched his face for an answer.
“I want you to go find Reed. See if he’s really there.” Besides his intense gaze, Patrick’s face showed no emotion.
“But what about the mission? I can’t leave Tricky, and—”
“You can and you are.” His tone took an icy edge. “I can’t have you half here, sneaking off whenever you catch a hint of Reed. You’re either all here or you’re not. You’re a liability, as is Reed. Bring him back, stay there, whatever you want. Message me in thirty-six hours with your decision. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll assume you’ve been compromised and have to relocate the team. Your brother and mother will be safe regardless, you have my word. Both have proven to be valuable members of the team, and while they don’t replace my most promising warper, they have permanent places in my family, safe and wanted.”
Emotion swelled up squeezing her chest. “Patrick…” She reached for his arm, struggling to find the words to explain how she felt for him, when she wasn’t sure herself. “I…”
He stepped back, letting her arm drop to her side. “This has nothing to do with how I feel. I need a team member to be one hundred percent here. Someone we can all count on and won’t disappear in the middle of a mission. Leave now, before your brother comes down. I have a car out front for you.”
She bit her lip, trying to hold in the flood of emotions. Despite feeling like she was abandoning her brother, her mother, her whole new family, she nodded and turned towards the door. Patrick was right. She needed to see Reed and know for sure. Walking outside, she wiped at a stray tear and promised things would be better next time she saw them all.
With tears swimming in her eyes she drove to a convenience store. Locking herself in the small bathroom, she stared at the beat-up mirror. There wasn’t time for tears anymore, she had a job to do. Going back into her country, she needed enough of a disguise to hide from electronic eyes.
She found the silicone pads that she applied to change the shape of her face. Those pads, under several layers of darkened makeup that was a couple of shades deeper than her natural tan, changed her face dramatically. With heavy
makeup and dark black wig, even Reed wouldn’t be able to recognize her.
It wasn’t until she was on the plane that she acknowledged the pressure in her chest. What she was about to do, what she left behind… mulling it all over in her mind was enough to drive her crazy. What would she do once she got there? Would Reed be willing to come back with her, and would that even be possible? She didn’t have any papers for him. Or maybe they could figure a way to stay in touch, and they could be together later. Then she was forced to acknowledge that sinking notion that maybe he wouldn’t want to come back.
He may be perfectly happy to live the life he always planned on. Uprooting cost him a lot. More than she ever wanted him to sacrifice. Maybe he deserved to be left alone.
And then, coming back home, the memory of her father haunted her as well. This trip was going to be difficult, and in ways that went past the fake disguises, forged papers and silicone fingertips.
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she finally ordered a TAB in her drink. Something to relax her nerves, but not enough to make her stupid. She couldn’t afford stupid, but she couldn’t afford to break down either. Act now, feel later. It was beginning to be a mantra for her.
She landed in a neighboring country and rented a car for the rest of the four-hour trip. She hit the rush hour traffic when she crossed into her country. The underpaid security guard glanced at her credentials as she scanned her fingerprints. With a slight beep she was waved on. “Thanks,” she said and turned to drive off.
With every mile closer to her home, the surreal feeling grew. Soon landmarks became familiar but somehow it was all different. She was different. Gone was the fear and intimidation the government instilled in her. Fear of VRs, fear of her future, fear for her father and family… most of what she remembered growing up was clouded by these perpetual fears. Now, she had tools that could drive that fear away, or at least put up a good fight.
With only a few hours of sleep on the plane, she grabbed coffee and food to refuel on the last leg of her trip. Then once in town she found herself back at her usual coffee joint and ordered a tall Mexican latte with enough spice to finally wake her up. Sipping her warm drink, she realized the odds of catching Reed at home right now were slim.
Inside the bag Patrick gave her was information on Reed and his mother. She still had the same job at the factory and now Reed worked there as well. A solid job actually, with decent pay. The government obviously forgave him for his role helping Ari in leaving the country. Glad he settled in nicely, she tried not to think of what this visit would do to him.
Since neither Reed nor his mom would be off for a couple of hours, she had time to waste. Trying not to think about seeing Reed, her mind kept wandering to the one place she didn’t want it to—her father.
He had been in a VR coma for years now. She’d finally gone to visit last year, when she’d snuck out from school. Risking much to see him, she had thought her ability in the VR could save him, could force him out of the program and back into the real world. His addiction had stolen much from Ari and their family. Not only did they not have a father or husband, but they had to pay for him to be fed in the program.
Even though Ari left her father in the program, angry and disgusted at his mental addiction, she wondered if he was still in the VR. If they weren’t there to pay the bill, would the government really let him die? They could pull the cable out of his neck, but they couldn’t pull his mind from the alternate reality it chose to reside in. Maybe they kept him in there as bait for Ari, like they did with Reed?
Even though she told herself over and over that it didn’t matter, she found herself heading towards the last place she knew her father was. Her father had died years ago, when he chose the program over reality. But part of her needed to know what happened to him in the real. This probably would be her last chance to do so. Ari owed it to her mother if nothing else. She drove on in hopes of finding the truth.
First, she drove by her old apartment building. The tan stucco three-story building looked just as bad as did a couple years ago. Thinking of her past created a strange, almost sad detachment. Small children played in front of her old building, their high-pitched voices carrying down the street.
It wasn’t her home anymore. No. Just ghostly memories.
Even with her disguise in place, she didn’t chance staying there for long and continued down the street. She rented the oldest car she could so she wouldn’t stand out, but in this neighborhood people didn’t even have cars. She continued a few more blocks to the center where she last visited her dad.
Inside the car, she touched up her face and reapplied lipstick. Then as a second thought, added a hat as well. The less face the cameras could see the better. Keeping her gaze low to avoid cameras, she walked into the center. The smell of bodies and cleaning solution made her rub her nose. The entrance room had been recently remodeled. Large thick doors blocked further entry and several large screens were set off the side.
As she approached a screen, it lit up. “Who are you seeing today?”
Ari swallowed, forcing her voice to change slightly. Who knew if they had voice recognition too? Better to pick a character and stay in it. “Enrique Mendez.”
It took the computer mere seconds. “Mr. Mendez no longer resides here.”
Her stomach dropped, expecting the worst: that they moved him to a high-tech building and were stringing him along like some vegetable. “Where is he?”
Then the screen flashed with information. “I’m sorry, but Enrique Mendez is deceased.”
Even though she knew it was a possibility, the confirmation struck her hard. Something inside of her, a hopeless dream, finally broke like the last strand of a rope releasing its cargo. There wouldn’t ever be a happy ever after for her family. If she was being honest, their chance at a happy ending shattered years ago. Silent tears dropped heavy onto her cheeks. The tears felt hot and empty, similar to the emotions racing inside.
Her gloved hand gently touched the screen that provided information. He had apparently passed a couple months after she left for school. Did her mother even know? Ari didn’t know if she should be angry at Cynthia if she had kept it from her. A numbness spread through her body. Her father had been gone from her life for so long, it was hard to believe he still wasn’t back there tied into a machine. At least he was free now. Free from the wires, and free from his addiction.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” the electronic voice rang.
“No.” Stepping back, she dabbed at her eyes.
Just then a worker sounded from the other side of the barrier. She tensed, worried checking on her father may have triggered an alarm. Keeping her gaze low to avoid cameras, she left and headed straight to her rental car.
The knot in her stomach made it hard to focus on driving. Finally, she pulled over in the back of a parking lot. Gripping the wheel, she let go of the shaky breath trapped in her chest. She had a complicated relationship with her father. He had hurt them in so many ways. His absence and neglect caused a hole that was never filled. She wanted to hate him, yet he was still her dad.
It took a while for her to put herself back together, physically and mentally. Finally, she made it to Reed, parking behind a liquor store a couple of streets from his apartment and deciding to take the back streets over. Growing up here, she knew five different ways to travel between Reed’s apartment and hers, mostly because she’d often have to search for her brother when he missed dinner.
It didn’t take too long to find their apartment. As she stood at the door, for a moment she worried that maybe they moved. Ari had no clue what the government did to them. Fear lurked in the corners of her thoughts as she rang the panel on the side of the door.
No answer.
Maybe she could go in and see how things looked and leave a message or something. Feeling behind the panel, she felt the familiar notch and began prying it open when the door swooshed open. Startled, Ari moved back to find Reed’s mom standing in th
e doorway.
Anita had lost weight, lines etching her tight lips. Her brown hair, now shorter and scattered with silver, framed her face. “What do you think you’re doing screwing with my box?” Anger sharpened her voice.
For a moment, Ari forgot she was in disguise, and not expecting his mother home so early, she struggled to find her worlds. “I’m here to leave a message to your son.”
Anita’s hazel eyes narrowed as she pushed a stray hair out of her face. “What do you want with my son?”
Taking a deep breath, Ari let her accent from her childhood fill her words. “I promise, Ms. Walker, I’m just here to talk. I’ve been here enough to find my brother, but today it’s just for me.”
The woman’s eyes flashed in surprise as she studied Ari more.
Ari didn’t dare take off her disguise, not here outside with who knew what camera was watching. “I’ve changed, I know.”
Recognition sparked in her eyes. “Yes, you have, girl. What did I tell you about calling me Ms. Walker? I’m Anita.”
It was an argument they had several times when Ari was a teenager. But Ari grew up with a grandmother that demanded Ari respect her elders, so it stuck.
“Come in.” She stepped to the side to let Ari through.
“Thank you,” Ari swallowed the Miss. “Anita.”
Inside, everything looked familiar. The old tattered brown couch sat sadly in the front room, and a small kitchen sat on the other. Reed’s mother led her into the kitchen and motioned to one of the chairs.
“What can I get for you?”
“Water would be great.” Ari couldn’t remember the last time she ate, but with the nerves in her stomach she didn’t think she could.
Hard Wired Trilogy Page 69
