She nodded, not very talkative.
“Let’s go sit over here. I promise we’ll keep you safe.” I held out my hand. Emily accepted. I led her over to the couch near the spiderweb of wires emerging from the cases. Peyton stayed by the door, periodically checking the peephole.
“How old are you?” I smiled, trying to appear reassuring.
“Eight.”
Emily reminded me of myself at that age. I’d wanted to be like Jake. Do everything he did. Everyone had always told me I was too little, including Jake. I tried to shake off the thought of all that wasted time. Time we’d never have again.
Bailen sat on the end of the coffee table in front of Emily and me. He held out three round discs like the ones he’d used on me. “Emily, can I put these on your temples? I promise it won’t hurt.”
As Bailen moved closer, she flinched away.
“It’s just like a Band-Aid.” I grabbed one of the discs from Bailen and pushed my thumb on the sticky side. “See? Feel it. It’s sticky.”
Emily hesitated then reached out and stuck her index finger to it. She pulled it off slowly then looked at me and smiled for the first time. “Okay,” she said.
He brushed her hair behind her ears and stuck a disc on both of her temples, followed by a third at the base of her neck. When he finished, she sunk into the sofa cushion. “What’s it going to feel like?”
“It’s going to buzz like a fly in your ear and make your teeth chatter a little. Kinda like going to the dentist. Only less scary,” I said in my most reassuring voice.
She grabbed my hand and squeezed. It made me wish I had some way to comfort her further like Jake had always comforted me with his pinky. Bailen moved to his computer resting on the coffee table.
“Uh, we have a problem.” Peyton backed away from the door as something slammed against it.
“What now?” Bailen unhooked his knife and pivoted toward the door in anticipation of a fight.
The door flew open, slamming into the opposite wall. A scruffy, middle-aged man lurched into the room, nearly falling on his face.
“Dave’s back. And he’s drunk.” Peyton closed the door.
Dave stumbled into the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets and drawers, slamming each one shut when he didn’t find what he wanted. He yanked open the refrigerator, stuck his head inside, then shoved the contents around.
“Who drunk my beers?” He whirled around, knocking a glass ketchup bottle to the floor. It shattered and ketchup splattered everywhere.
“You did, you dick!” Peyton said.
“Pey, keep him quiet,” Bailen said. “We don’t need the neighbors barging in on us or alerting the authorities.”
“Fine. I’ll take drunk duty,” Peyton said. “But I’m not a babysitter.”
Dave lumbered toward the door, but Peyton blocked his path. She grabbed him under the arm and guided him to a chair in the living room. He fell into it but immediately tried to stand again.
Peyton pushed him back like a bouncer at a club trying to control the riffraff. “Stay there.”
Dave raised his fists in the air, ready for a fight. “No little missy’s gonna tell me what to do.” He pushed up from the chair a second time, but Peyton grabbed the pressure point in his neck. A moment later, he collapsed into the chair without another word.
“Nobody calls me ‘little missy.’”
“We don’t have time to deal with him. If he’s still out when we finish, we’re leaving him,” Bailen said.
“What happened to him?” Emily asked.
“He’ll be fine. Maybe we should let him take a nap,” I said, running my hand through her hair in an attempt to comfort her.
She squeezed my hand tighter. It reminded me of when I’d sat in the chair at the Hive. Jake had held my hand while they’d run tests. I shoved down the pang of regret welling inside me. I wouldn’t allow myself to lose it again. Not in front of everyone. I had to be strong, for Emily and for myself.
“Her signal is good,” Jeremy said, staring at his device.
“Great. Keep an eye on it,” Bailen said. “Are you monitoring the authority network?”
“Yep, you’re all set. I’ll let you know if anything pops up. Peyton, get ready to track the time.”
Peyton hit several buttons on her watch then checked the peephole again.
Bailen squeezed Emily’s shoulder. “Emily, your head is going to vibrate. Then there’ll be a buzzing sound. You ready?”
“I think so.”
“Here we go.” Bailen’s fingers flew over the keyboard.
I studied Emily’s expression for signs of a panic attack. She crossed her arms over her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. I lifted my arm to pull her into a hug. But instead of tensing, she giggled. “It tickles.”
“See, it’s not so bad.” I relaxed into the couch and watched the guys in action.
“I’ve got a lock on her signal. I just need to redirect the output. Mark the time… now,” Bailen said.
“Five minutes counting down.” Peyton tapped her watch.
Part of me wished I had the timer app, but the other part of me didn’t miss my tracker or its contents. That was what had started my whole mess.
“Her signal is shifting to the TROGS network. How’s the read?” Bailen asked.
Jeremy checked his device. “This is the cleanest switch I’ve seen. The authorities don’t seem to be watching.”
“I think we lucked out. They don’t monitor kids as closely,” Bailen said.
“It’s about time we had some luck on our side.” Jeremy tapped a few keys then sat back, as if satisfied with what was there.
Peyton checked her watch. “Three minutes left.”
Bailen shrugged like it was no big deal. “That’s plenty of time. The switch is eighty-five percent done. Another minute and it should be over.”
Finally, we could breathe a little easier. And yet something deep down told me not to let my guard down yet.
Peyton squinted out the peephole. “Hallway is clear. Kaya, we should head to the roof and get the bikes ready. It’s better if we’re prepared.”
“Nah, I’ll hang back with Emily.”
Peyton frowned briefly, indicating I’d messed with her well-thought-out plan “All right, we can stay, but you need to be ready to move.”
“No problem. I’m ready.”
“That’s it. Pack it up.” Bailen closed the small computer and wound up the wires.
Jeremy stuffed everything in the kits. I helped Emily remove the discs. We moved to the door with the others close behind. Peyton opened the door, peeked out, then stepped into the hall. Holding Emily’s hand, I followed. When we got to the door at the end of the hall, a girly giggle drew my attention around the corner into the next corridor.
A guy in a soccer jersey was making out with a skinny blonde.
“Stop it, Harlow.” The girl laughed and playfully poked him.
I choked on my next breath. The blood drained out of my face and into my feet. I couldn’t stop watching the scene. Maybe it was karmic payback for what had happened with Bailen, but there was something about seeing your mistakes reflected back at you. And I didn’t like the image in the mirror. It tore at my core. Part of me wanted to march over and slug Harlow—to end the pain. A pain I shouldn’t have been feeling. Just because I’d messed up didn’t mean I’d stopped caring for Harlow. But now he’d done the same. Confusion fogged around me, freezing me in place—as if the authorities had gotten to my tracker.
Eighteen
“Kaya, we have to go.” Peyton’s voice tore me from the horrible scene. She peered around me at Harlow and the blonde. “Ugh, some people need to get a room.”
Harlow pushed the blonde away. His eyebrows rose. A hint of a smile briefly crossed his lips before his mouth pulled tight, probably remembering his current situation and that I shouldn’t have been witnessing him cheat. My jaw clenched. We stared at each other, at an impasse.
“Kaya?” His expressi
on filled with confusion, sadness, and regret, the very same things swirling inside me.
I opened my mouth to say something, but words failed me. Peyton grabbed my free hand and dragged me into the stairwell with Emily at my heels.
I yanked away from Peyton’s grasp and stumbled to the corner of the landing. I buried my head in my hands, my chest heaving. My emotions pulled me in two separate directions. I needed to clear the air with Harlow, figure out our confusing mess, but I couldn’t risk staying behind. What if someone called the authorities? I took a long, deep breath. Not now, Kaya. I turned from the wall.
“What’s gotten into you?”
I tried to wipe away the vision of Harlow shoving his tongue down another girl’s throat. “Nothing. Let’s go.”
“Fine by me.”
We bolted up the first flight of stairs as the door crashed open behind us. Jeremy and Bailen spilled into the stairwell on the landing below. I was so glad Bailen hadn’t seen me almost lose it.
“Why aren’t you on the roof?” Bailen asked.
“We would have been if your girlfriend hadn’t just lost her shit.”
My cheeks grew hot, and I pounded up the concrete stairs. If we weren’t in a hurry, I might have paused long enough to deliver a witty comeback.
As we emerged onto the roof, I gulped in the fresh air, relieved to be out of the building.
“Emily, come with me.” Bailen reached for her hand. She jerked it away and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“I want to go with Kaya.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I peeled her arms off me but held on to her hands, meeting her line of sight. “I need you to go with Bailen. He’s a good guy. I promise.”
“But…” Her bottom lip quivered, and her big eyes turned sad and doe-like.
That was the worst expression I’d ever seen. No wonder Jake had always caved to my puppy-dog eyes. Every part of me wanted to cave, but there was no way she could come with me. I was still figuring out what I was doing on the bike. It was too dangerous to bring a kid along.
Peyton crossed her arms over her chest. “We don’t have time for this.”
“I… I…” I couldn’t say no. How could I tell her no when she needed me? “Fine, she can come with me.”
Bailen grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side. “Are you sure?”
“Peyton’s right. We don’t have time. And if riding with me is the only way she’ll go… I’ll take it slow. It’s not that far.” Hopefully, he believed me, because I wasn’t sure I believed myself. But I was eager to put distance between me and Harlow.
“Okay. I’ll ride right behind you. You guys go on ahead.”
Everyone else hopped on their bikes and took to the sky.
I climbed on my bike. Putting on my helmet, I realized we didn’t have one for Emily. As if reading my mind, Bailen grabbed his and placed it on her head. He picked her up and positioned her behind me.
“Hold on tight,” I said into my helmet.
She wrapped her arms around my waist. I breathed heavily. Even though Bailen couldn’t see me through the dark visor, I focused on him. The right side of his mouth curled into a half-smile, as if he knew what I needed. He squeezed my shoulder and leaned close. “You got this.”
I gulped then started the engine. His bike roared to life as well. Before I lost my nerve, I revved the bike and launched into the sky. The rumble of a second bike told me Bailen was close behind.
I stayed low and maneuvered around the buildings at a slow pace. Authority searchlights shined a dozen blocks ahead. I squeezed my eyes shut for a brief moment and prayed they weren’t headed in our direction. Luckily, they were hovering in one place, meaning they were involved in a tracker investigation. Even still, I wished I had the first responder app to confirm. It would ease my mind a little.
The roar of a familiar engine caught my attention, but it wasn’t Bailen’s bike.
Harlow.
Over my shoulder, the orange streak of a fast-moving crotchrocket caught my attention. Great. He’s the last thing I need right now.
“Kaya, wait.” Harlow’s voice came through my helmet speakers.
He’d hacked my helmet? What the hell? I revved the engine a little harder and sped forward without checking to see if Bailen kept up.
“Talk to me.” Harlow’s voice was in my helmet again. Talking to him was the last thing I wanted right now. I wished I didn’t need my iron grip on the bike so I could mute him.
“You could at least respond to your messages. You can’t expect me to believe that fake auto reject app you’re running.”
Auto reject app? Another reason I was glad for my bum tracker.
“Nice bike. You look hot on it.” Harlow pulled up on my right and kept pace with me, nodding his head in silent approval.
I scoffed. Really? Ugh! I wanted to scream and ditch him, but I wasn’t sure how. He was a much better driver than me. Unfortunately, Bailen didn’t have a helmet, so I had no hope of asking him for help.
But before I could motion for him, Bailen rode up on my left side and furrowed his eyebrows. I shook my head to tell him to let it go. How had I ended up on a flying death cycle sandwiched between the two guys vying for my heart? It was almost like an invisible rope was wrapped around me and each guy had an end. If one pulled too hard, I’d fall off.
As if sensing trouble, Emily squeezed me tighter. “Hang in there, Emily,” I said, trying to take my mind off the guys.
Heavy breathing erupted in my helmet speakers.
“You ran away and disappeared. What was I supposed to think?” Harlow asked.
He was right. And then I’d kissed someone else. How could two people who cared about each other do such horrible things to one another? But the moment to discuss that had passed, left hanging in that hallway. I had to focus on getting Emily back to the Hive.
“I stopped by to see your parents,” he said.
I kept my focus on the path ahead. I wouldn’t let him get to me.
“They skipped town. They couldn’t bear the thought of you running off. Of not finding you.”
“You’re lying,” I yelled into my helmet microphone.
“You’ll never know unless you talk to me,” Harlow said.
An icy chill crept through my body. It took everything in my power not to ram my bike into his. It was a boldfaced lie. It had to be. I kept my focus ahead. I couldn’t cave to his vicious trick, but I also couldn’t ignore the possible truth invading my thoughts. Could I trust him after what he’d done with that Barbie wannabe? Could he trust me after what I’d done with Bailen?
We’d never lied to each other—until now. There was a lot of hurt and confusion between us. Neither of us deserved what we’d done to each other, but here we were. And I had no idea what to say.
What if I ignored him, and he was telling the truth about my parents?
Before I could respond, Harlow’s engine thundered louder. He whipped his bike directly in front of mine. I yanked my handlebars to the left to avoid him, forgetting that Bailen was on my other side. As the bike tipped, I felt little hands slip from around my waist.
“Emily!” I yelled. I reached for her, but my hand closed around air.
I slammed on my brakes and hovered. Twisting around, my stomach unclenched, but only for a moment. A new foreboding tightened its fingers around me. Bailen leaned off the side of his bike, which was also frozen midair below me.
Emily dangled in his grasp.
She screamed and flailed as he tried to lift her onto his bike. I spun my bike around and sped toward them. As Emily continued to struggle, her legs flew upward and knocked the kit off the back of Bailen’s bike.
“No!” Bailen yelled with a horrific scream that echoed off the buildings. “My computer!”
The kit plummeted to the ground below and smashed into a million pieces. On cue, a garbage truck inched past, sweeping up the debris.
With a large grunt, Bailen hauled the still-kicking Emily on
to his bike. She immediately threw her arms around him and locked her fingers together. I let out a deep breath in relief. At least we hadn’t lost her.
“Kaya, will you talk to me?” Harlow yet again in my helmet.
“Go away, Harlow,” I spat. “You’ve done enough damage.”
“But, Ka—”
“No, Harlow. It’s over. Get out of my way.”
“Fine. You weren’t worth the wait, anyway.” He whirled his bike around and ripped off toward his apartment, taking my shattered heart with him and leaving nothing but a smoke trail in exchange.
Nineteen
I flipped up my visor. “I’m so sorry.”
I wasn’t sure if I was sorrier about Emily, my inexperienced driving, Harlow, or Bailen’s broken computer, but my gut churned so fast, I wanted to hurl. It was all my fault. I never should have let Emily ride with me. And that was the smallest of my mistakes.
Before I could say anything more, Bailen twisted his throttle and tore off. I knocked down my visor and did the same, trying to keep up. “Slow down!” I shouted, doubting he could hear me.
Minutes later, he dipped beneath the treeline, headed for the abandoned barn. I followed, still trying to get him to acknowledge me. When we pulled into the barn, Peyton was leaning against the door with her arms crossed over her chest.
“About time!”
“Save it,” Bailen snapped. He climbed off the bike then turned to lift Emily off. He removed her helmet. “Go with Peyton.” Without another word, he spun on his heel and stormed down the trap door steps.
Emily glanced between me and Peyton, seemingly unsure what was the better option, then backed against the wall.
“What bit him in the ass?” Peyton asked.
Parking my bike, I pulled off my helmet. I stood my ground, determined not to show any guilt. “Don’t give me that look. He’s pissed he lost his computer.”
She froze, realization washing over her. “The one with TROGS on it?”
“I don’t know. Whatever he had strapped to his bike. It’s gone.”
“Gone as in lost or gone as in destroyed?”
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