Advancing ((Advance Industries #2)) (11 page)

“Nah you’ve been grey for a while. I didn’t have the heart to hurt your pride,” Callan pipes up.

“If that’s true then it’s most likely your fault!” I tell him.

“Not possible. You know I make your life worth living... daddy.”

“Speaking of which...” Jonah says as he walks towards me “Congrats man. You’re not firing blanks! High five?” He holds his hand up and I leave him hanging.

The others laugh then surround me, adding backslaps and handshakes congratulating me, saying how pleased they are. Trask is last in line, he looks crestfallen and we weigh each other up. He pulls me into a half-hearted hug and says in my ear, “I’m pleased for you Kye. You’ll make a great dad.”

Did I have it wrong? Was I being my usual unreasonable self where she’s concerned? I don’t think so but he’s man enough to back down, step away so I let it go. It’s not important any longer. “Thanks,” I acknowledge.

“We cool Man?” He asks.

I nod and turn from him as I clear my throat. “Thank you guys but it’s a bit premature. I need her...” I stop and correct myself “I need
them
safe before we can celebrate.”

“What’s the POA then?” Arlen asks.

“This should be interesting,” the President says.

This is the first time I’ve time travelled and retained all my memories. I’m so angry with Kye. How could he say something like that to me? He might have been desperate but that doesn’t excuse his behaviour. I’m glad I got him to confront his feelings and call me out on what I did before I left. That’ll be better for him moving forward. He won’t have unanswered questions tumbling about in his brain. The more I think about what he said I realise it was cruel, it was mean, it was just so uncalled for. Was he trying to hurt me just a bit more once he realised he couldn’t stop me leaving? Was it retaliation? I hurt him, he hurts me? I don’t really believe that. He’s not spiteful. He’s many things but vindictive just isn’t one of them. So why say it?

I step out of the tube, creeping like I’m about to be caught. The whole place is silent, it’s dark, no lights are on and being here alone is scary. I roll my neck, straighten my shoulders and walk towards the Eleview. I need to stop being a wimp. I decided to do this and now I have to follow through. I wish I had a phaser though, the knife is all well and good but I’ll have to be up close to someone to use it. I’d much prefer firing a pulse from a safe distance. Being armed with my preferred weapon would dampen my apprehension. The Eleview dings and is so loud in this deserted space. Every sound amplified, including the pounding of my heart. My eyes dart around as if that sound has signalled my arrival and people are ready to jump out on me, like a ‘gotcha, did you really think it’d be this easy?’

Nothing happens though so I step in carefully.

Now I’m bricking it, the slow descent doing nothing to ease my nerves. I don’t know what I’ll be faced with when the door opens. I feel like a rabbit in the headlights. Upstairs might be dead but that doesn’t mean downstairs is abandoned. The President could have been lying. I might have returned to an earlier time than he predicted. So much is up in the air.

The ding of the old style Eleview signals I’ve arrived on the ground floor. I press myself against the back of it as the door slides open, my hand wrapped around the knife in my pocket. No one approaches, I can hear no bustling or voices so I tip-toe to the front and poke my head around the door. I step out and breathe heavily, holding my breath on each new level is too much effort.

I start walking slowly still scanning for others, highly alert as I walk past the cafeteria. I need to get to the girls’ quarters, change my footwear, clothes too and I need to investigate my sisters hiding place. I doubt they’ll be there a week later if this place has been cleared out but I have to see for myself. I wouldn’t put it past Fraser to leave them here, cold, hungry and in the dark. Then again how could he move them? They had chips implanted designed to destroy them if they set foot outside this building. Oh My God! My heart plummets remembering that snippet. Would he do that to them? Let them perish instead of bothering to relocate them safely? Are they in cages? Cages, like the ones I dreamt of? I know the homeless were held in them, Kye told me so. Nausea fills me again and it’s getting old. I never used to be this queasy, it’s just ridiculous.

I stop to lean against the wall hoping it will pass if I calm down and stop moving, stop working myself up. I need to channel Kye – he exudes strength and power without even trying and if I’m going to get through this I need to tap into mine.

I take a few more steadying breaths and push away from the wall. Get to my old quarters, that’s what I need to do, focus on one thing at a time. Move it, Faith!

Imbued with a new lease of strength, imagined or not I start walking again, this time, unafraid of the shadows and the conjured up images my mind fooled me with. I walk with a purpose, determined to reach my sisters old room. I ignore the tingling slithers of ice cold running from my neck and down my spine. I block out the reminders my being here brings. They have no control over me anymore. I’m free from them. I’m my own person, answerable to no one. Leaving Kye proves that much. I have to learn to stand on my own two feet. I’ve never had to before, I’ve always had someone ready to catch me, firstly my sisters, then Kye and the team. What would fending for myself completely, be like? I guess I’ll find out.

I round the corner and approach the girl’s room. I edge the door open on its broken hinge, broken from where I kicked it. I peak through cautiously and satisfied no one is in there, I walk in. This is the room where the Advance employees were held, where Fraser phasered me and my sisters showed their courage. I walk through to the adjoining room which houses a shower and the beds they slept on. I head to Hope’s rail and glance quickly at the camera in the ceiling. Will it catch me stripping off? Do I really care? They’ve seen me naked before, I was just too out of it for embarrassment. I take off Trask’s jacket, wriggle out of my dress, and then unstrap my sandals. I pick out a black vest top and black jeans and shimmy into them as quickly as I can. I pull my chestnut locks back into a tight ponytail and look around for some decent footwear.

There isn’t any! Most of the time we were barefoot but we did have standard issue plimsolls. I search through them and none is my size. I’m one of the oldest out of the girls, Hope is the same size as me body wise but footwear she’s two sizes smaller. I try anyway and force my feet into her flats but I’ll never achieve anything in these, the pain is too much. I huff and reattach my wedges, they’ll just have to do for now.

I take a last look around the room. Nothing is out of place, it’s tidy but the emptiness is reflected in my heart. Wherever my sisters are they haven’t taken any of their meagre belongings. Does that mean they have no need for them because ... they’re gone?

I walk back into the joining room and freeze. Something is here that wasn’t before.

A person sat on a chair, back to me, head hanging low with a black cane lying across its lap.

At my gasp, the head turns and addresses me, “I knew you’d return.”

I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to go in that tube. That if the men are with me we all need to go in a tube. But someone would need to stay behind, someone I trust to send us back. I could order any one of them to do it but they all have certain strengths, specialities that I need them for. I run through the team, Jonah has to come he’s my second and if I’m gone, if something happens to me he needs to lead. He needs to take charge of the team. Saunders is the medic so he also needs to be with us. Arlen is the techie, Callan is... well he’s Cal, he has to come. That leaves Palmer, Trask, and Walker.

Should I put it to a vote? If I leave Trask behind out of unresolved animosity I’ll look pathetic to the team I’ve only just restored, he’d be my first choice, though. I want him nowhere near Faith, at the same time the feelings he has for her ensure he’s as invested in getting her back safely, more so than the others.

Okay, so I’m down to Palmer and Walker. Shall I just flip a coin?

“What’s going through your head, Kye? You’re looking pretty deep, sat over here by yourself,” Trask says as he pulls up a seat next to me.

I lower my voice, keeping eyes on the rest of the team across the room. “I think someone needs to stay behind,” I tell him.

He frowns. “We don’t split up Kye, no one gets left behind. That was your rule!”

“I know but we need someone we trust to activate the tube for each of us to travel in.”

“And then what? Whoever stays has to face the army downstairs after we’ve all left?”

“They won’t set foot in here, too scared in case we hurt their President.”

“Maybe for now but they’re not gonna sit back and do nothing for long. Whoever we left would be vulnerable; they’d be a dead man.”

Fuck he’s right. “You’re right. So how do we do this? We can see what date he sent her back to and then set our Comms for the same?”

“I guess. Let’s just ask them. I don’t enjoy travelling, either way, see who wants to use the tube and who wants to Comm. It shouldn’t be up to us, let them have a say.”

I stand and walk to the middle of the room, Jonah remains sat behind me and I address the team who are stood in front of me.

“Arlen, did you find the date?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, okay. The safest way to get back is in that tube one at a time, activated by another team member. That would leave one of you unable to travel, so I put it to you, who is willing to travel via the Comms?”

“I don’t like that tube, I’ll Comm my arse to the past... Sir,” Callan says.

“Anyone else?” I ask.

“I’m easy; I’ll go however I need to,” Trask says.

“I’m going in the tube, anyone else?” I ask again.

I end up with five for the Comm and three for the tube. “Good, so you can send me, Walker and Palmer back each in turn then the five of you can Comm travel to the same date and place. Deal?”

They all nod so I continue, “Any questions?”

“Yeah! Are we there yet?” Callan asks grinning.

I ignore him. This is serious now and I’m dying to get going. “Let’s do this. I’ll go first, then Palmer, then Walker. As soon as Walker has left, you all activate your Comms in sync. Understood?”

Another round of heads nodding their agreement. I slap my hands together. Time to get my girl. My beautiful, opinionated, wilful girl. I feel like I need armour or some protective clothing of some kind. I’m about to go into battle against a fierce opponent.

A battle of wills.

A battle I’m determined to win.

He stands slowly, pain contorting his face. He turns to face me leaning heavily on his cane. “I hoped and I prayed and here you are,” he says softly, a small smile playing over his lips.

I finger the knife in my pocket. I’m glued to the spot. Why is he here? Where did he come from? I checked this room thoroughly before changing. What does he expect me to say, ‘I came back for you?’ I laugh inside at the thought, that’s probably exactly what he thinks.

“What do you want Fraser?”

“You. There’s no need for hostility Faith. You won. I’m broken, Johnson is gone. We both have no one to answer to any longer.”

“Why do you want me? Because I got away? I’m unfinished business?”

“Faith I just... I wish I could turn back time. Unfortunately, that’s something I’ve been unable to invent so all I can do is beg your forgiveness. I see now the error of my ways. I just want to make everything right.”

“Really?” I say sarcastically.

“Yes. I just ...”

I cut him off. “Where are my sisters?”

“They’ve been rehomed in shacks in the city.”

“How?”

“Their chips were removed. They’re being eased into society as we speak.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I can show you.”

“I’m going nowhere with you.”

“Please Faith; let me show you I’ve changed.”

“In a week? You haven’t changed, being blown up did nothing to you except make you more determined.”

“That’s not true. Look at me Faith. Take a proper look. Do I really seem the same?”

Truth be told he doesn’t. He looks defeated, dishevelled, reminiscent of the first time I met him when he claimed to be homeless. He looks unhappy, deeply sorrowful and nothing like the genius scientist he is. I don’t give a shit, though. I know him. He’s fooled me with the ‘poor me’ act before. I remember Trask’s warning
‘be safe, watch your back’.
I intend on keeping my promise to him. No more looking for the good in people, especially those that have shown themselves to be deceitful before. Even if he is downtrodden now, soon he rises up to become President and rule the city. His son told me he just needs to regroup. Is the election even planned yet?

“How did you know I was here?”

“I didn’t. I’ve been coming here every day to think, to remember. It may have only happened last week but it feels like a lifetime ago. We were friends once Faith; can we ever get there again?”

“We weren’t friends! You conned me into thinking we could be but you were always working against me. Friends work on trust. It’s a basic concept so I wouldn’t expect you and your huge brain to understand something so simple. It’s been a week for you, but I’ve been gone for longer than that. I know more than you now Fraser and I’m not gullible enough to fall for your act.”

“The future can always be changed Faith. Whatever you’ve seen of me in the future, I still have time to change it. Help me. Work with me to make this city a place that thrives.”

“Do you remember what you did to me?”

He nods and studies the ground.

“Do you think I’m that forgiving?”

“Yes, I do. You’re good and pure Faith. You’re angry and disillusioned right now but give me time, that’s all I ask. Give me time to prove myself.”

“You know nothing about me. I’m not good. I’m definitely not pure, but angry? You’re damn right about that!”

I start walking to the door. Indigence taking over and leading the way.

“Why are you back? And why alone?” He calls.

“I was born to be alone Fraser. Surely you remember that?”

“I’m alone too Faith. We’re more alike than you’d like to admit.”