by James Knapp
Some even believed it.
I was still sorting through my own memories as they came back to me. They’d taken an interest in me a long time ago, back to the grinder, and even before that. I had never completely understood how Faye could turn on her own kind like she did until I began to experience those alien memories for myself. It was hard to know just how those violations felt, how complete they were, until you felt them firsthand.
There were times I could almost understand Fawkes’s drive to stop them, until I looked to the skyline.
They ever find your girl? Cal asked. Neither of us had brought up Faye in weeks.
No, they never found her.
And the stick? Ott?
When the cleanup crews finally made it up to the Alto Do Mundo penthouse, they found the place mostly cleared out. They recovered the bodies of several soldiers up there, along with Zoe’s friend, Penny Blount, and Motoko Ai, but Zoe was never found. A large patch of blood spatter was identified as hers, but according to the reports her body wasn’t up there.
Cal saw my look and nudged me under the table with her boot.
She was breathing when I left. I swear, she said.
I know. I didn’t want to talk about Zoe. You decided if you’re going to stay with Stillwell yet?
I’m staying.
Good. Despite what had happened, Stillwell had proven committed to serving in the aftermath of the attacks. Like everywhere else, they’d had a reckoning, but also like everywhere else, things were slowly returning to normal, if the word still applied.
I’m glad you didn’t listen to me. You saved a lot of lives that day, I told her. She nodded.
You too. It looks like your girl came through in the end, at least.
Maybe.
It was time to let that go anyway, she said. Find yourself a new girl. One that’s alive this time.
Maybe.
I finished my drink and signaled for another. The bartender nodded and sent one over, along with another shot for Cal.
How about you? she asked. What are you going to do now?
Maybe I’ll retire.
Yeah, right.
She pushed her shot glass to one side and grabbed the next. She held it up and smiled, showing the gap in her teeth.
To better days.
I clinked the glass.
Better days, I said, and that’s where it ended.
Well, more or less.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Knapp grew up in New England and currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Kim. He is at work on his next novel. Visit him at www.zombie0.com.
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