still be stuck, eh? This little worm just showed you, Jarren. But I don’t hang around and gloat. I’m smart enough to retreat as fast as possible. He could be waiting to see if anyone follows him through the hole. Plus I don’t know what’s on the other side.
As I backtrack, I pay attention to the route, memorizing it. Careful not to cause ripples, I take my time, which gives Beau plenty of time to go from annoyed, to worried, to just about to bring in the cavalry.
Where the hell have you been, Lawrence? he demands.
I tell him, thinking he’ll be happy.
That was stupid. He could have found out you’re still alive.
He didn’t. And now we have a way to escape.
At least you resisted the temptation to follow him.
Gee, don’t go getting all mushy on me, Dorey.
He grunts. We disentangle. Fatigue beats behind my eyes in the form of a dull ache. A minor nuisance compared to the nightmare migraine. I sweep my hair behind my ears to pull out my tangs and freeze. No tangs. Did they fall out? Nothing’s on the floor. I think back. Did I put them in when we started? I can’t remember—usually it’s automatic. Checking my pockets, I find them.
Does that mean… The room spins around me. I cross my arms on the desk and rest my head before I faint.
Beau touches my shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I lie ’cause how can I explain I just entangled with the Q-net without entanglers. Besides, it’s not going to happen again. Not at all. “Just need a minute.”
“Here.” Something hard bumps my arm.
I raise my head. Beau hands me a painkiller and a glass of water. That was suspiciously fast. I raise an eyebrow in question.
“Thought you might need it.”
“Thanks.”
He shrugs, but there’s a hint of a smirk. “That’s what partners do.”
My stomach twists, sending bile up my throat. Partners don’t lie to each other. I’m a terrible person.
“When you feel better, we need to update Radcliff.”
“Uh…I think I need to lie down for…ever.”
“Nice try, Lawrence. Don’t worry, I’ll do all the talking.”
I can only delay so much. Soon we’re standing before Radcliff’s desk. I check his eyes—no solar systems swirling inside. Whew.
Beau says, “We hit the barricade and set off the alarm.”
“I hit it,” I say when Radcliff tenses.
“We did.” Beau frowns at me. “Jarren showed up so I engaged, playing the role of a sanctimonious security officer.” He shows Radcliff the exchange of messages.
“What do you think he means by ‘more important things to worry about?’” Radcliff asks.
“It could be he’s planning another attack,” Beau says.
“Or he’s referring to the shadow…er...HoLFs.” I can’t decide which one is worse.
“We’ll just have to be extra vigilant. Are you sure he didn’t spot you, Lawrence?”
“Yes,” I say with confidence.
“Good.” Radcliff drums his fingers on his desk. “This isn’t that bad.”
Beau and I exchange a look.
“Jarren expected us to figure it out. And now we can test his blockade with more force. We only need to get one message out.”
Remembering the nightmare, I swallow. Hard. “What about that hole I found?”
Radcliff smiles, but it’s cold and calculating. “For the next few days, I want you to probe his defenses and set off his alarms. He’ll get used to it and it’ll be a great distraction for when we send in a second team to slip through that breach.”
Very devious. I approve.
Standing outside the conference room, I wait for the signal to enter. Beau and I have been setting off all kinds of alarms as we’ve tested Jarren’s blockade these last four days. It’s fun and I hope it’s driving Jarren crazy. But this afternoon we have a meeting to discuss the final logistics of the expedition to Pit 21. My parents, Radcliff, Morgan, the security officers who are accompanying the mission, the dozen archeology techs, and one medic on loan from Dr. Edwards are all already seated around the table along with my father’s assistant, Gavin. All but Gavin, the medic, and the techs know about me. The reason I’m waiting is so my parents can explain to them that I’m not dead versus me just showing up like a ghost or a zombie.
I liked the idea of surprising them—even offered to wear makeup and stumble in like the walking dead—the look on their faces would be priceless!— but I was outvoted.
A disjointed burst of gasps and a few cheers erupt on the other side of the door. Aww, they care. Then all grows silent as my mom explains