by Belle Malory
“Take my advice and raise hell when you get back to Level 3. They’ll hear you out about Ryder. You are a keeper, after all.”
The exit ramp was empty, darkened by the setting sun. They must have landed in Madrid, the closest city with a rocket launch.
“What does that mean anyway—me being a keeper?” she asked, trying not to roll her eyes. “Certainly not a whole lot of confidence in our abilities.”
If that were the case, they would’ve let her do what she needed to do. They would’ve trusted her to make the best decisions.
“The officers of the World Army hate being in the dark. Trust me, I know. My dad is one of those people.” Deacon chuckled, holding the gate door open for her. “They like keeping everyone else there, but won’t stand for it themselves.”
She stepped inside the airport, shaking her head in disgust. “It’s unfair.”
Deacon shrugged. “They’re also in charge of keeping the world safe.”
“Well I’m tired of the constant power struggles. If they want us to do our jobs, they need to let us do our jobs.”
“Can’t say I don’t agree.”
“You might want to talk to your father about that.”
He raised his brows, then burst out laughing. “Believe me, I’d like to help you out, but my father is the last person who will listen. Allowing me to feel privileged in any way whatsoever is his worst nightmare. He wants me to earn respect on my own.”
“Well he’s not gonna like it when I talk to him.”
“I’m sure.” Deacon smiled. “This way,” he directed. “We’re not going directly through the airport.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’ll never get to the rocket in time with legions of people flocking to you with their cameras.”
Oh that. She always forgot about the notoriety. It wasn’t something she would ever get used to. “Good idea.”
Deacon escorted her through the back entrances, swiping an ID badge at the employee entrances. She needed to speak to Mason about getting one of those thingies. Deacon maneuvered them around the airport real quick, and he seemed to know the place like the back of his hand.
“So the farewell ball is tomorrow night,” Deacon told her. “You going?”
“Um…yeah. I guess so.”
Honestly, she had forgotten all about it. She supposed she would have to go now that she was going back to Olympus. It was the right thing to do and all, supporting the troops, and celebrating one of their last nights together.
Under normal circumstances, the idea of picking out a dress and getting all dolled up would have left her bouncing with excitement. But after everything that had happened, it was the last thing she wanted to be bothered about.
“Do you have a date?” Deacon asked.
She wasn’t sure how to answer. “I hadn’t really thought that far into it.”
“So go with me then. I don’t have one either, and it could be fun.” Deacon looked over at her as they walked through the corridor, waiting for her answer.
Kennedy lowered her gaze, biting her lip. Saying yes to Deacon would be a bad idea. Things were too weird with Phoenix right now. He would be there and see the two of them…no way. Not gonna happen.
“As much as I would love to say yes, I don’t think I should.”
“Why? Do you have a boyfriend?”
Well…
“No…not exactly.”
It was as close to the truth as she could get.
“Look, I don’t have any expectations. I can’t—I’m leaving for an entire year.” He nudged her arm with his elbow. “It’s just a date, girl. As friends. I need someone pretty to stand beside me for those stupid photographs they take.”
She smiled, feeling a little more at ease around him. It had been really nice of him to ask, but still…she couldn’t. It didn’t matter how upset she was with Phoenix. It didn’t even matter whether or not things were really over. She couldn’t let him see her with someone else. If it were the other way around, and she saw him with another girl, it would be devastating.
“I would love to, Deacon, but I can’t. I don’t have a boyfriend, but I am sort of involved…and he’ll be there.”
He nodded. “I get it. Jorgensen?”
She nodded uncomfortably, not realizing he knew about Phoenix. Then again, after what happened in Martial Arts and Combat, she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised.
“I’d be crazy to mess with him,” he said, sighing. “Figures.”
Kennedy smiled, almost wishing she could take it back and say yes to Deacon and to hell with Phoenix, especially after what he had done. If she wouldn’t end up regretting it, she probably would’ve.
“Let me know when they take the picture though,” she offered. “I’ll come and stand next to you.”
He grinned and winked at her. “I’ll take what I can get.”
~ ~
When Kennedy arrived on Olympus, the first thing she did was go straight to her apartment. She asked Matilda to analyze Oz’s brace before any of the department heads figured out she had it and changed their minds. Time for them to be left in the dark for once.
It took a while for Matilda to analyze the files. Kennedy sat on one of the kitchen bar stools, tapping her fingers against the counter. Waiting to hear the outcome was agonizing.
“Got some scary stuff here, cupcake.”
Kennedy stopped tapping her fingers. “Whatever it is, I can handle it.” She sat up straighter, holding her breath.
“Looks like Ryder and Plaffle were business partners. Remember the secret scout mission you and Phoenix discovered?”
“Yes.”
“Apparently Ryder provided all the materials and technology, keeping it under wraps for Plaffle, but that wasn’t the only thing he did for the commissioner. Ryder also told Plaffle he could get access to some sort of super-charged energy gemstone. He promised the commissioner a cut of the proceeds.”
Her whole body tensed, bracing for what came next. “In exchange for what?”
“Ryder specifically requested that one of the Peri-Guard units be shut down.”
“What?” She knotted her brow together, wondering if it was possible for them to get away with something like that. More to the point—why would Ryder make that kind of request? “Even if he could manage that, we have huge satellites set up at each of the stations. Why would Ryder ask Plaffle to clear one?”
“Ryder planned for that. He programmed the satellites to look like they’re showing in real time, but in actuality, they are supposed to run on a constant replay of a recording. Apparently Ryder wanted someone to slip passed unnoticed, and he asked that the commissioner turn a blind eye.”
“Did Plaffle grant the request?”
“According to their correspondence, yes. The station was shut down almost a year ago.”
Kennedy stood, feeling too anxious to stay seated. “Hasn’t anyone caught on to their plan since Commissioner Plaffle went to prison? The missing Peri-Guard unit must have gone somewhere. Someone had to notice.”
“Well, we can easily find out by hacking into the military’s database. That is, ah…” Matilda made a very distinct coughing sound. “If it’s all right with you.”
Kennedy shook her head. “No, don’t get us in trouble. I’ll take this straight to the general. He’ll be pissed if he thinks one of the posts is unoccupied. General Vickard implemented the Peri-Guard system; it’s his baby.” Feeling restless, she began to pace through the living room. “Is there anything else, Matilda? Did you discover anything about the St. Petersburg address?”
“There are some encryptions I’m working on decoding. Definitely looks like extraterrestrials.”
“How long will it take you to analyze?”
“I’m not sure; they’re like nothing I’ve ever seen. Go ahead and take the brace to Vickard now if you’re worried. I have everything saved to my system. I can decode it from here.”
Kennedy stopped pacing long enough to spare a glance
out the expansive living room window. “I am worried,” she admitted.
Beyond all those stars, a Peri-Guard post might have been left unoccupied, which meant Sae-yers could travel that route to get to Earth without anyone noticing. Instead of having weeks to plan for an attack, they would only have minutes. She swallowed, realizing the enormity of what that meant. “I’ll go now. Call me on Oz’s brace once you have the encryptions analyzed.”
“Might I ask what happened to yours?”
“Oh um…” Kennedy’s nose twitched. “I threw it out. It was defective.”
“My facial analyzer says you’re lying.”
Oh Jesus. Couldn’t Matilda pretend ignorance just this once? “I don’t have time to go into it right now, Matilda. I’ll talk to you later.”
She raced to the front door before the android decided to say something else. Just as she swung it open, she saw Phoenix standing there, his arm raised to press the doorbell.
He looked startled by her sudden presence. “Hey,” was all he said.
Disregarding all the reasons she was mad at him, Kennedy threw her arms around his neck. Every ounce of her body shook uncontrollably. Seeing Phoenix there on her doorstep was the breaking point. She needed to touch him, needed to squeeze her arms around him, needed to feel any amount of comfort.
As if automatically knowing something was wrong, his arms held her while she took several deep breaths. Touching him helped calm her down. She couldn’t explain it, but there was something about being held by him that released some of the fear.
Once she felt better, she stepped back and looked him in the eye. “We need to go to Vickard’s office. I found something.”
He stared at her, and she could see all the graveness she felt transfer to his eyes. Without hearing an explanation, he knew it was serious. After a long moment, he reached for her hand, nodding. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Twenty-Eight
Within minutes of handing over Oz’s brace to General Vickard, he called for an emergency meeting. Kennedy told the general everything Matilda had told her, and that Matilda was still decoding the extraterrestrial transcripts.
Phoenix stood by, silently listening. His face was blank, but she could tell by the way he rocked back on his heels that he was nervous. He was just better at hiding it than most people.
Once Vickard called all the heads of the department, including Professor Mason, he stood to leave. “Walk with me,” he instructed both Kennedy and Phoenix. “Bring the kid’s brace with you.”
He walked in quick determined strides.
“Where are we going?” Kennedy asked, hurrying to keep up.
“To the conference room,” he said over his shoulder. “This needs to be dealt with immediately.”
A few halls down, they entered a room with a massive round table with enough chairs to seat fifty people. While Vickard waited for everyone to show up, he contacted the tech department and asked them to send a signal to each of the Peri-Guard units.
People flooded in through the door, most of them in either business suits or military uniforms. One by one, they took seats around the table.
Phoenix pulled out one of the chairs and told Kennedy to sit. “Everything is going to be fine,” he promised.
Inside she felt the need to make sure it would be fine, but she had no idea where to begin or what to do. Phoenix punched in some buttons on his brace. When she looked at him, he said, “I’m telling the other keepers to come. They have a right to be here as much as anyone else.”
More of a right, truthfully. It was a designed birthright. Issues like these demanded their attention too.
Once the table was filled, General Vickard wasted no time in getting down to business. He uploaded Oz’s documents onto a holographic screen that towered over the center of the table. Showing was better than telling. Everyone could see the evidence now, and it made it more real.
Hushed voices questioned Ryder’s motives. “Has a warrant been issued for his arrest?” someone shouted to Vickard.
“I sent out alerts before we initiated this conference.”
“Bring him to Olympus.”
Kennedy blinked several times, seeing it was Lexie who had said that. She stood up, pounding on the table to garner attention. “He should be brought straight here for questioning.”
“The second keeper is right,” said someone else.
“I agree with you,” said General Vickard. “We’ll bring him in as soon as he’s found.”
Kennedy slowly stood up, clearing her throat. “Sir—Ryder is in Paris.”
Everyone’s eyes veered her way.
“What is he in Paris for?” The general watched her expectantly, waiting for her to explain.
Scanning the crowd, Kennedy searched for Nika to back her up. She was nowhere in the crowd though, which meant she was probably still being detained.
“A charity event.”
General Vickard scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Do you know the name?”
“No, I don’t. But I’m sure his son would be willing to tell you if you find a way to contact him.”
Obviously they couldn’t try Oz on his brace, but she figured there was no need to point that out.
“We’ll contact Paris first. Thank you for the heads up.”
Kennedy nodded and lowered back into her chair. Everyone continued to debate the best course of action, particularly if the claims in Ryder’s emails to Plaffle were verified. If one of the Peri-Guard stations turned out to be sitting empty, the entire space station would have to prepare for an attack from the Sae-yers. Evacuations would have to be made, defensive ships would be called in, shields would be activated…basically it sounded like a nightmare. The worst part was not knowing how much time they had or if they had any time at all.
From beneath the table, Phoenix’s hand wrapped around hers, squeezing it, letting her know again that everything was going to be fine.
She hoped he was right.
Twenty-Nine
The next morning Kennedy woke up to the smell of maple syrup. Kennedy stuck her feet into a pair of fluffy slippers and headed to the kitchen, pausing when she saw Phoenix with batter all over his face and shirt.
“I tried telling him I’m the best suited to cooking,” Matilda declared, sounding slightly annoyed. “But he was determined to do it all on his own.”
“They’re apology waffles,” Phoenix explained, staring at her with a hopeful expression. “It wouldn’t be a true apology if a robot made them for me.”
Matilda gasped with all the drama in a daytime soap. “What did you call me?”
Kennedy rolled her eyes. “Matilda, don’t start. He didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Robots are little mechanical creatures that vacuum dirt from the floor and say funny things to amuse toddlers. I am a Series Seven android with the ability to speak and think freely. My learning capacities are endless. My predictions are based on a ninety-seven percent success rate, and yet this human compares me to antiquated sacks of wires and metal.”
Ignoring Matilda, Kennedy took a seat at the counter. Some of the waffles looked a little gooey, the others a little burnt. She didn’t care though. Apology waffles tasted good no matter what was wrong with them. She grabbed a plate, spreading butter and syrup on top. “Thank you,” she said, smiling. “They look delicious.”
Matilda snorted. “Don’t lie, cupcake. They look like they were made by a Neanderthal.”
“I don’t have much experience,” Phoenix admitted, grinning sheepishly. “But I figured it would be hard to mess up waffles.”
“Clearly you were wrong, co-worker.” Matilda crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing Phoenix in a human-like way. She didn’t like having someone impose on the duties she felt belonged to her.
“Matilda, have you decoded the encryptions yet?” Kennedy asked, trying to occupy her with something else.
“It’s taking longer than I expected, and before you insult my decoding skills, you should know that these a
re some of the most complex encryptions I’ve ever seen.”
Complex or not, stumping Matilda was unusual. Kennedy expected her to be done within an hour, and it was already the next day. DOE’s technicians were working on them as well. She wondered if they were having trouble too.
“I have some good news,” Phoenix said. He rinsed off his hands, then dried them with a towel. “Ryder was brought in late last night.”
“Are you serious?”
For some reason she suspected Ryder would become the elusive type of criminal, so it was strange to know they had caught him so soon. On the other hand, maybe he never thought he would get caught.
“Vickard plans to question him in an hour,” Phoenix said. “He invited us to come observe.”
“Wow. That is good news.”
Hearing that Vickard wanted them there eased some of the tightness in her chest. She wanted to see Ryder in person, wanted to hear what he had to say, and wanted to see his face while he said it. She wasn’t sure why, but she thought if she could see him, it might give her insight on whatever he was after. It could be wishful thinking, but she didn’t care. She needed to meet the illustrious Maxwell Ryder.
“Listen, before we go…” Phoenix started, then took a deep breath. He looked at her like he was trying to say something but didn’t know where to begin. He glanced at Matilda. “Could you give us a moment?”
Matilda didn’t argue. She stepped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.
“I’m sorry about yesterday.” He raked a hand through his hair, which was also splattered with white batter. “If it weren’t for you, we would still be in the dark about Ryder. I’m proud of you for doing what you thought was right. I may not like how you accomplished it, but I am proud.”
Yesterday he seemed so justified. She never expected him to turn around and see the situation differently.
“Thanks, but I have to admit, it was all Nika. She’s the one who wanted to go after Ryder.”
Phoenix shrugged. “Either way, I owe you an apology.”
She reached for her fork, sticking it into the waffle on her plate. “You’re forgiven.”