DC broke away, hesitated a moment, then withdrew. She noticed a slight smile across his face, but he quickly concealed it.
‘Why won’t he stop me?’ Sophia asked. ‘You seem so sure.’
‘I never said I was sure,’ DC said.
‘You know your bodyguarding gig is up, right?’ she said. ‘You don’t have to watch me anymore.’
He shrugged. ‘He’s just honoring his agreement.’
‘With you,’ she said.
‘I never said that,’ he said.
‘You didn’t have to. But thanks,’ she said. ‘I’ll see you on the other side.’
Chapter 60
Sophia stepped out of the excavated tunnel. Her friends were waiting in the chamber. The ground was mostly mud, rock and water. Pipes hooked to the ceiling and snaked around her. The tracks hadn’t been laid in these tunnels yet, but the bare bones of the curved surface had been assembled. It felt like it was an animal carcass and she was walking through the ribcage.
Fluorescent lighting spaced at intervals gave the chamber enough light, along with a single red bulb that burned above Nasira.
Czarina stepped out from behind Sophia to help create an informal circle. She was patched up, her arm immobilized in a sling. She would need a more thorough deprogramming, but for now she held.
Nasira and Jay leaned along the chamber’s rocky wall. Aviary stood between Nasira and Damien. Damien had both hands in his pockets as he kicked rocks.
‘I couldn’t have done this without you,’ Sophia said, her gaze falling across all of them and resting finally on Aviary.
‘No shit,’ Jay said.
Nasira elbowed him in the ribs.
‘I mean it,’ Sophia said.
Jay cleared his throat. ‘It’s not your burden,’ he said. ‘Hey, I don’t like nearly being killed on a daily basis but when we help you it’s dangerous — you know, all bets are off.’
Nasira’s eyes rolled. ‘Is there a point there somewhere?’
‘Yeah, not really,’ Jay said. ‘You don’t have to thank us, Soph. I know I complain and I’m not going to lie, working with you is kinda suicidal, but no one else can stop these guys. We’re the last line.’
Damien nodded. ‘It’s what we do now.’
‘OK,’ Sophia said. ‘Well that was easy. See you later.’
She pretended to leave and Jay laughed.
She could see more questions forming on Nasira’s mouth, but Jay beat her to it.
‘What about Denton?’ Jay said. ‘Did he get away?’
‘I negotiated our escape,’ Sophia said. ‘He throws Denton in a cell, we get free passage.’
‘And you believed him?’ Nasira said.
‘I didn’t have to,’ Sophia said. ‘DC, he … made sure of it.’
‘Where is DC?’ Jay said. ‘He was, you know, OK to have around.’
‘That’s his business,’ Sophia said, ‘and I’d rather not make it mine.’
‘So what happens now?’ Damien said.
Sophia surveyed the circle. ‘You do what you need to do.’
‘Well, I have something to do,’ Jay said, ‘that I should’ve done a while ago.’
‘Have a shower,’ Nasira said.
Jay fake-laughed with her, then stopped. Sophia could feel undercurrents from him that suggested this wasn’t another wisecrack.
‘See my family,’ he said. ‘My uncle, cousins. They’re all still in Rio. They think I’m a terrorist who murdered his own parents.’
‘What are you going to tell them?’ Sophia said.
He met her gaze. ‘That I’m a terrorist who murdered his own parents.’
‘I can hack some flights for you,’ Aviary said.
Nasira was shaking her head. ‘Too dangerous right now,’ she said. ‘I can hook you guys up with some drivers. Take longer but it’s low profile.’
‘Actually,’ Jay said to Nasira, ‘I was thinking you could come.’ He turned to Damien. ‘If you’re cool with that.’
‘I don’t know,’ Damien said. ‘Three of us in the same bed might be a bit weird.’
Nasira glowered at Damien. ‘I kill people for less than that.’
Damien chewed his lip. ‘I don’t really have any plans.’
Nasira gave him a wry grin. ‘Aviary could use some protection. And training.’
Aviary glared at her, offended.
‘She’s a quick learner,’ Nasira added. ‘Be an operative in record time.’
Aviary stared at her sneakers. ‘Blushing,’ she said.
‘Aviary, you can’t go back to your apartment,’ Sophia said.
‘I know,’ Aviary said. ‘I have some friends in Austin.’ She looked over Damien. ‘But some training would be cool.’
‘Yeah, that’s kind of on the way to Rio, I guess,’ Damien said. ‘I could meet you guys there later.’
‘Done,’ Jay said.
‘Depends what Sophia has cooked up,’ Nasira said, turning to her with raised eyebrows. ‘What’s the deal?’
Sophia held up her phone. Onscreen, the operatives around the world.
‘We can’t do this alone,’ she said. ‘Not anymore.’
Sophia removed the tangerine vial from her ruck.
‘What the hell’s that?’ Nasira said.
Sophia grasped it. ‘Anti-Chimera vector,’ she said. ‘Cecilia tried to inject me with it in Denver. It would’ve removed my conscience, permanently.’
‘What, turn you into a psychopath like Denton?’ Jay said.
‘Something like that,’ Sophia said.
‘You never said nothing about that,’ Nasira said. ‘Why you still got it?’
‘The mother of all painkillers.’ Sophia gave her a weak smile.
‘You never—’ Nasira said.
Sophia dropped the vial and crushed it underfoot.
‘Enjoy your vacation,’ Sophia said. ‘While it lasts.’
Chapter 61
Everything was soft. Moving like Jell-O. Denton blinked a few times and his vision cleared. Why was he in a hospital bed? What city was he in? There was a window on his left. Outside were a brick building he couldn’t identify and an overcast sky. Not much help. There was a small square table next to him and on it a small vase. Inside the vase, a single chrysanthemum stem. It bloomed blood orange.
‘Hello, Sidney.’
His father entered, removed his suit jacket and half closed the curtain around the bed. He pulled up a chair and sat beside Denton. His body sank low into the cheap vinyl.
‘That’s not my name anymore,’ Denton said. ‘And why didn’t you cuff me?’
His mouth was dry and he was only half comprehensible.
‘We have our own men on this level, you’re not going anywhere.’
Denton blinked. ‘Actually my bladder’s full so I’m going right now.’ He grinned. ‘Just kidding. For now.’
‘I bought you a new shirt,’ his father said, pointing to a white shirt with french cuffs that hung on the curtain rail behind him. ‘It’s not 1944 stitch, but it’ll do.’
‘Where am I exactly?’ Denton asked, grasping his thumb.
‘You’re still in New York.’
His father thought of Roosevelt Hospital, but nothing more.
Denton pulled his thumb hard. His knuckles cracked, activating the distress signal.
‘How’s traffic out there?’ Denton asked.
‘Enough small talk,’ his father said.
Denton rolled his eyes. But he did catch a brief glimpse of 10th Avenue through his father’s thoughts. Traffic seemed light, if anything. Denton estimated eight minutes for the reserve operatives to make it from the Astoria Waldorf hotel to here, assuming they took a cab along Broadway. He checked the clock on the wall and made a note of the minute hand.
‘Thanks for shooting me,’ Denton said.
His father bristled. ‘Likewise. Fortunately you missed my organs and arteries. And I missed your spinal cord.’