by Mary Weber
Miguel raised a brow. Interesante.
“You?”
“Productive as well.” He and Ambassador Danya had spent the morning with the UW committee regarding the team’s Delonese talking points, followed by lunch with Delon’s senior ambassador. But the rest of the afternoon Miguel had spent with Vicero reviewing the stress scans and lie detections from last night’s UW meeting. What they’d discovered, aside from the fact that everybody was lying about something, was that a few power players had more stress than warranted. And the VP from Corp 24 was, for all intents and purposes, not one of them. Miguel really had no clue what was going on. But Ms. Gaines, on the other hand . . .
He looked out over the city as shadows stretched out lengthy fingers where moments before the pink and golden rays had been. A soft picture had begun emerging of what they were dealing with. He just had nowhere to go with it. Yet. But he would. Before long, he hoped.
The elevator dinged and slid open, and he turned with Claudius to smile at the first batch of guests to alight. “Hola, Ambassador Alis, Nadine, and CEO Hart. Welcome to my humble home.”
19
SOFI
SOFI CUT THE TRACKING TAG FROM THE BAG SHE’D JUST PURCHASED and crushed it beneath her boot before she tossed it in the sky-mall’s bathroom trash. Setting the pack on the ground, she checked the door lock again and stretched the kink from her neck. Then shoved the tech and two of Shilo’s skin suits she’d kept stashed at Mom’s Basement into the bag. Her Corp would’ve killed her if they’d known.
“Sofi.” A sharp knock on the bathroom door. “We need to hurry.”
She cleared her throat. “Out in three,” she said to Heller and peered at her handheld again to recheck tonight’s schedule of Miguel’s party.
She’d ask him politely. She’d employ her charm—request him to take her to Delon. If he said no, she’d take it in stride. And find another.
“Did I mention I hate this idea?” Heller’s grumble was followed by a thunk and scrape against the door, as if he’d slid down and plopped on the tile floor.
“At least fifteen times. Doesn’t mean it won’t work.” She shoved a thin blanket, headphones, and the clothes she’d just bought into the bag. “For goodness’ sake, have some faith.”
They’d planned it perfectly—which routes and cameras to crack and edit, the up-to-date info she’d gone back and altered. As far as all accessible data was concerned, she was about to travel to her former home in Old North Carolina instead of Miguel’s party they’d hacked her into. Heller would monitor from a block away. And Ranger would attempt a rescue if they encountered anything either of them couldn’t handle.
She zipped the bag shut and inhaled. Then stripped off the T-shirt and pants she’d borrowed last night and allowed her skin to soak in the brisk air as a news alert mentioning her name suddenly chimed on her handheld.
She glanced up and clicked on the bathroom’s tele to the i-reality news station and found drama practically dripping off the star, Nadine’s, pastel blue lips. “Did you hear? Sources close to the family are saying Sofi Snow sold out her Corp.”
Sofi rolled her eyes and ran a brush through her hair.
How quickly humans could turn on each other when fed suspicion. Like smoke tossed out as solid evidence, whispered into the frightened ears of those needing someone to blame in order to feel safe again. “They are currently tracking down her location in cooperation with the UW’s attorney general.”
She snorted and imagined her mother’s face when it became known her daughter had run off with an ambassador of questionable morals.
The next moment Nadine’s coiffed red hair was billowing as she hurried to a doorway—which Sofi recognized as on the south side of Corp 30’s building—where a host of staff were exiting from the ground floor.
“Ms. Gaines! Ms. Gaines! A word, please! My employer over at Corp 24 would like me to ask a few questions.”
Sofi’s mom emerged behind both women, shaking hands with the staff. Sofi narrowed her gaze.
“Were Sofi and her brother at odds?” Nadine asked.
“Well, of course, all siblings are at odds,” came Ms. Gaines’s reply.
Nadine nodded. “And now evidence suggests she could’ve been behind the FanFight attack. Can you comment on that?”
“Well, I don’t like to assume anything. Particularly when it’s, in fact, your company, Nadine, that’s the perpetrating party. Honestly, I strongly suggest you investigate a little closer to home for your show. Now, if you’ll excuse me . . .”
Barking up the wrong tree, Nadine. You should be investigating Gaines. Sofi studied her mom as Nadine moved in to try to question her.
Sofi chewed her cheek a full fifteen seconds. Then cursed. What all does Mom know? She picked up the untraceable black-market phone she’d bought off Ranger’s crew and, after a glance both ways down the empty hallway, linked to her famed CEO mother.
She watched the tele through three cycles of phone clicks before it beeped on the other end.
“This is Inola.”
“Mom?”
Pause. “Hello?”
“It’s Sofi.”
On the tele, Sofi watched the woman freeze in place, handheld to her ear—staring at the noisy group without seeming to see them. A moment later her mother pushed away from Nadine and strode away until she was off camera. “Is this a joke? If it is—”
“It’s not a joke, so listen for a dang minute.” Sofi tried to keep her voice down despite the immediate annoyance the woman’s tone provoked. “Because I’m alive, and I think Shilo is too.”
Hesitation. “What? Where are you? Sofi—”
“Mom, what’s going on? Because someone’s setting it up to look like Corp 24’s explosion was my idea. I saw the files. But you know I’d never hurt Shilo.”
On the tele Ms. Gaines was strolling from the dwindling group toward where her mother had disappeared. A half second longer and Sofi could hear the woman’s voice through the phone-com. “Inola? Everything all right?”
“Yes, Gaines. Thank you. I’ll be done in a moment.”
“I told them to screen your calls, so if you’d like me—”
Sofi’s mom’s voice took on a tone she knew all too well as her mother walked back on camera. Ms. Gaines followed. “I’m fine, Gaines. I’d appreciate privacy. You’re excused.”
“Mom, I know the Delonese have been closely monitoring Shilo for years. And I know that you allowed it.”
Silence.
Sofi gulped. “I don’t know why or what happened yesterday, but I think Shilo’s with them now.”
More silence.
“Mom, please. Help me understand what’s going on and what the Delonese want.”
“Sofi, I don’t know what you’re playing at,” her mother whispered, “but there are people looking for you and asking questions. Where are you? And why didn’t you come straight to me? Why are you even looking into the Delonese?”
Sofi’s throat hardened as she peered in the bathroom mirror at herself, her backbone rippling with childhood anger and hurt and disgust for this woman.
“Come to my office so we can get this whole tragedy figured out, okay?” her mom said. “And anything to do with the Delonese . . . you need to drop right now. Do you hear me?”
“You’re joking, right? I’m trying to find your son and you’re asking me to come in under investigation?”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. I’m just saying you need to be here with us and let me handle this. Let me protect you.”
“I saw him, Mom. I saw Shilo.”
“Wait—what? When? Where?”
“When they were loading us on the med beds. He was with a Delonese. And if you don’t believe me, then ask Ms. Gaines where he is. Ask her where I was—on floor fourteen in Corp 30’s med wing. Ask her where Shilo’s tech suit is, and why every bit of info on him has been erased from all the FanFight and Corp 30 databases as of 4:00 p.m. yesterday.”
For a second, Sofi though
t she caught the slightest inhale. Then, in the background, she heard Gaines again. On the telescreen, the woman spoke into a phone of her own. “What do you mean, you lost her? Trace the phone, check the vids, everything you’ve been doing the past hour but harder.”
Sofi’s mom stared at Ms. Gaines with a frown as the woman covered her handset and leaned into Inola. “It’s a necessary decision I’m making for all of us,” she whispered. “To ensure your and your daughter’s safety.”
“Mom—”
Her mother got an odd look in her eye, then her voice turned harsh. “I’m sorry. I have to go. Turn yourself in before we come find you ourselves,” she said so low Sofi could hardly hear her. “And as far as your other ridiculous assumptions—stop it. You’re making up clues far above your level of understanding. I strongly urge you to ignore whatever you think you’ve found and let us figure this out as a company.”
She hung up the call.
Sofi stared at the screen in shock. She couldn’t move, couldn’t unclench the phone, couldn’t do anything other than swallow the rage as her head tried to make sense of it. Her mom wasn’t even glad she was alive, let alone attempting to listen to her.
Sofi shook her head. Unbelievable.
On the tele, security had formed around her mother and Gaines and was ushering them away. Nadine smiled into the camera just before it went to an advertisement for her company’s Altered.
Sofi blinked away the warmth from her eyes. If her mother had learned anything about her daughter by now, it should’ve been that if she really wanted her to come around, she could at least fake being warm and open. But to maintain the callous distance and then dish insults? Sofi would respond the way she always did—by doing the exact opposite of what the woman told her to.
She sniffed. It just proved again the woman knew nothing of her children.
With a harsh laugh, she slipped on the short, flirty red dress hanging on the door, which in the bathroom mirror slid over her like blood and wine over brown silk skin. She paused. She liked it. She looked wild. She looked fierce.
She looked like herself.
Another knock from Heller came just as she picked up her bag and pulled on a golden-red Day of the Dead half mask she’d 3-D printed.
“Coming.” With one final peek in the mirror, she plastered a smirk over the hurt and smoothed her long wavy hair. When she showed up at Miguel’s tonight, it would be her last public appearance for a while. She just hoped her mother wouldn’t throw in a curveball and show up.
And as far as Miguel . . . Fingers crossed he’d go for it. Otherwise, perhaps Ambassador Lee. Either way, she’d get to Delon and find her brother.
And after that, she and Shilo would evaporate.
20
MIGUEL
DRINKS CLINKED, VOICES CHATTERED, LAUGHTER RIPPLED across the midnight air to ascend and flirt with the moon. A beautiful skyline only added to the glitz of the fire dancers and music. The scene was one Miguel had lived a thousand times over in the past two years, and absolutely planned on living a thousand times more in the future.
He eyed the current who’s who of UW, celebrity, and humanitarian guests, all dressed in their finest with masks or costumes or filmy dresses. All getting in on photos like the tabloids were going out of style.
“They’re our greatest hope for the future!” a voice rose in excitement.
“What are?” came a reply. “The fashion designers or fusion injections?” Which prompted a hearty laugh from those gathered around the buffet tables.
Miguel took a bite of his hot dog.
“Old skool, eh?” Nadine brushed her hand against the low of his back. He stiffened despite the wound having healed within minutes of last night’s intruder disappearing, thanks to Corp 7’s med-kit invention.
He pointed to the vendor a few feet away. “Get you one?”
She laughed, sliding her hand from the injury to his bicep, where she left it. “Miguel, you have a caviar and oyster bar, and you’re choosing to eat hot dogs with habaneros. Thanks but no thanks. I think I’ll stick with my wine.”
“You certain?” He winked and pretended to welcome her touch on his skin. “Your loss.”
Leaning close, she batted her lashes in the same way she did on her reality shows. “It wouldn’t be if you’d tell me what you’re up to. I know you think Corp 24’s guilty. And Corp 30 clearly wants justice. But you . . .” She bobbed a finger along his arm and gazed up at him. “You’ve got something you’re not saying. So of course I’m dying to know.”
He widened his grin and peered around as if looking for cameras. “Oh, my dear, I’m thinking ‘secrets of the sordid politicians’ has quite the ring for your next episode.”
Her giggle bubbled out. So rich and full it almost distracted from the scrutiny of her gaze. She was searching.
Searching for what?
“Ah, there you are.”
Miguel turned just as the Icelandic ambassador slipped up. “Typical, he’s near the food.”
Alis nodded at Nadine. “Mind if I steal him? He promised to chat yesterday’s game bets with me.”
Miguel tossed his food away and winked at Nadine in drama. “Apparently priorities call. Careful now,” he added in an overly loud voice as he followed Alis toward the garden. “I can’t promise I’m completely sober.”
“All the better,” Alis quipped in a tone tinkling with atmosphere. Quietly she added, “Claudius made mention a new cargo shipment was taken.”
Miguel nodded. “We’ll be able to find out more once we arrive. What of your situation?”
“I’ve taken care of Delon. I’ll be replacing Ambassador Lee on tomorrow’s trip after the unfortunate illness he’s about to come down with. I’ll be traveling with Danya.”
Miguel nodded again. “Perfect. On a side note . . .” He eyed her. “Is there any reason your name would’ve come up along with Corp 24’s and the Delonese? Vic found some type of coded connection.”
“Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing.” Alis pulled a handscreen from her pocket and swiped it. And held up a photo of the explosion. “Tell me truthfully, do you think yesterday’s explosion had anything to do with our project? Because why would my name or the Delonese be anywhere near this drama?”
Miguel hesitated. What could he say without uncovering himself or the note? After a moment—“I think it had something to do with the Corporations and Delonese.”
She bit her cheek. “So maybe they’re just trying to connect anyone at this point—including me.”
He agreed as she flipped to another photo.
“And what about her? Will she be a problem?”
Miguel raised his brow. The pic was of Sofi from the hover vid last night. He kept his tone light. “I think she’s searching for answers just like the rest of us, but she has nothing to do with it. Although clearly someone’s interested in framing her.”
Alis studied him a moment. Absorbing, calculating, deciding. Then finally gave a short nod just as a footstep sounded behind them.
“Ah, there he is. The man of the hour!”
Miguel presented a smile before he spun around to find Corp 13’s CEO Hart walking over with a plate of raw oysters on genetically engineered cornmeal in hand—a spin on soul fusion that was one of the big foodie trends. He bowed. “CEO Hart. Enjoying your time, I hope.”
“Best event in weeks. In weeks, I tell you.” The man was scooping the oysters with his fingers and taking bites. “Wanted to ask before you head to Delon in the a.m.—what do you think about this whole terrorist thing?” he said around a mouthful. “You expect it’s really an Earth attack? Or maybe the aliens are involved in this one.”
His voice was like a magnet. Alis and Miguel had the garden to themselves seconds ago—but the place was now an instant swarm of party attendees. All smiling and chattering and ready to weigh in their opinions in an open conversation.
Miguel steadied his expression and said casually, “I think nothing is ever what it seems.�
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Hart slapped him on the back and laughed. “Spoken like the true swindler of secrets! I like that. But really, give us a peek. Who is it? Who had something to gain and everything to lose?”
The image of standing on his own balcony being threatened with secrets last night—secrets he could never afford to have revealed—blasted Miguel’s mind. “Make sure the blame sits on Corp 24.” In other words, convince them. Turn the elites against them. He ground his teeth and hesitated as CEO Hart waited for his answer, and the ghost of last night’s knife wound pricked again. Why not just say it was Corp 24? Use persuasion to convince every power person here?
He caught Claudius’s eye across the lawn.
Because he was an arrogant imbécil, that’s why.
He could practically hear Claudius begging him, Don’t jeopardize the bigger picture just for your pride, Miguel.
“Well, if you ask me,” Alis piped up, “when the answer’s blaring you in the face, it’s usually the correct one. Corp 24 did it.”
Miguel raised a brow. She was apparently still passionate on that point.
“For the sake of being controversial then,” Nadine said, sauntering over, “why don’t we say the complete opposite and blame the Delonese?”
Miguel took a water from a waiter’s tray. “Gracias.” He sipped it. And stayed silent.
“Been here for ten years and they still haven’t tried to colonize us yet,” Corp 4’s female VP said. “That alone is weird.”
“I’m voting the girl did it,” came a comment from the back.
CEO Hart wiped his hands on a napkin. “I’m personally inclined to agree that it’s 24 or the girl. But either way, if it’s not Sofi, she’ll certainly be out for blood.” He looked around as if to ensure CEO Inola had stuck with her decision not to attend tonight. “And the mom too.”
“Oooh,” a few people purred. “Harsh blow,” someone added.
Hart lifted his hand. “Now, now, I’m not saying Inola doesn’t have a right to. Heck knows I’d do the same in her shoes. I’m just saying that whoever it was better come clean quick before that woman starts World War Five. We Corps take such things seriously. Heck knows we certainly don’t convert taxes into infrastructure and security for nothing. But man, I’d hate to see Inola misuse corporate monies and harm the broader community on a personal witch hunt.”