“Hurry, we only have a short window to get out of here,” SeptemberMist said as she raced for the auto-auto.
You don’t have to tell me twice.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“So you were behind all this?” Kari asked.
SeptemberMist didn’t respond as the auto-auto continued to drive them away from the air force base. She wasn’t sure how they had managed to simply drive out of the base without having anyone stop them for clearance or authorization, but she wasn’t complaining. She just wished there was something she could be doing to help.
It’s way more stressful not being in charge. I’d much rather be commanding a flock of drones right now, or hacking something. Instead, I’m just sitting here. Doing nothing.
“I’ve been planning to escape for years,” SeptemberMist said. “It wasn’t until I told Nate that we had you that a real opportunity presented itself.”
“Who’s Nate?”
“Oh, Motorcad still hasn’t told you his name? Interesting.”
Kari was determined not to let SeptemberMist get under her skin like she was clearly trying to do.
It doesn’t matter. If he wanted to tell me his name, he would. Doesn’t change anything. She’s just bitter we left her at Valhalla.
“Well, thank you for your help,” Kari said.
“I would have left you, if I could,” SeptemberMist said. “To repay your favor, but as this was the only way, I was forced to bring you.”
“You helped Oedipus murder people. You were helping him to conquer the country. If you thought I was just going to forget about that—”
“Oh please. You didn’t know anything about the relationship I had with Joseth. You left me for dead. That’s the facts.”
“You’re not dead,” Kari said.
“Perhaps it would be best if we focused on the tasks at hand,” Fai said. “I wouldn’t want this to distract from anything that needs attention.”
“Good idea,” Kari said.
“There’s nothing left for me to do,” SeptemberMist said.
The auto-auto stopped and the doors slid open to reveal the moonlit night sky. Kari followed SeptemberMist out of the vehicle and looked back to where, in the distance, she could see searchlights and still hear the faint whine of the sirens.
“Kari!” David shouted from behind her and Kari turned around just in time for David to hug her tightly. “I didn’t know if . . . I’m so happy you made it.”
Kari kissed him. She didn’t know who could see them, but she didn’t care. She ended it after a moment and looked over his shoulder to where other figures were waiting just up a small hill. Their outlines were all that she could see, but it was apparent that they were waiting for them.
“We better get going,” she said.
“Oh yeah, of course. I can’t believe you made it out! I mean, the plan we had was good, but I started to question it when they knocked out the drones—”
“Thank you,” Kari said. “Thank you for leaving me in Oakland and thank you even more for coming back for me. I knew you were a keeper.”
“A keeper?” David asked. “A man could get the wrong idea with words being tossed around like ‘keeper.’”
“You two really need to work on the timing of your public displays of affection. We really need to get going,” Motorcad said.
“Where’s mine?” SeptemberMist asked.
Kari reached the top of the hill and looked at the six large drones waiting for them on the ground. They weren’t her designs, but they looked strong enough to carry a human payload.
Six drones . . . Oh no. Not them.
“Good to see you, Professor!” Ruth shouted.
“Yeah, this must be a really rewarding moment for you,” Jared said. “Seeing that your students have saved the day.”
“I can’t really see,” Ruth said. She shined a flashlight directly in Kari’s eyes that was bright enough to burn.
“Yup! There it is!” Jared said. “Very rewarded.”
“What are they doing here?” Kari asked Motorcad.
“We needed help,” Motorcad said. “And Broccoli Rob can be very persuasive.”
“Broccoli Rob!” Jared and Ruth repeated.
I should have banned that name the first time I heard it.
“Where is my drone?” SeptemberMist asked again.
“You can walk away from here,” Motorcad said. “It’s not our concern.”
“That wasn’t the deal!” SeptemberMist shouted. She sounded unhinged.
She sounds exactly how I would if I had been forced to work with Henderson for two years.
“Too bad. That’s the new deal,” Motorcad said.
She slapped him hard across the face, but Motorcad hardly moved. He simply stared back at her. There was more than enough moonlight for Kari to see the contempt in his eyes.
He feels even more betrayed by her than I do. They were always closer than we were.
“If I don’t get a drone, no one gets a drone,” SeptemberMist said. The explosive drones she had brought with her appeared by her side again.
“It’s over there, behind the trees,” Motorcad said. “Now get out of here.”
“My pleasure,” SeptemberMist said. “It’s been nice doing business with you.”
She stalked off where Motorcad pointed and her small explosive laced drones followed after her.
“Wait!” Kari said.
SeptemberMist paused.
“How did you track us to London?” Kari asked.
“We didn’t. Vision did.”
With that, SeptemberMist disappeared into the night.
“Let’s get out of here,” Motorcad said.
“Where are we going?” Kari asked.
“Drones already have directions, just climb aboard. That one is for you, Fai. I hope it’s strong enough,” Motorcad said pointing to the largest drone.
“It appears sufficient for low-altitude flights.”
“Well, that’s what we want,” Motorcad said. “Have to stay under the radar. Now climb aboard kids, lovers, and super-intelligent robot friends, and let’s be on our way.”
“Flight suits,” Kari said.
“What?” David asked.
“We really need flight suits when flying like that,” Kari said.
“I can’t hear you over the chattering teeth,” David said.
I’m so sorry I made you go through that once, Aubrey.
They had flown through the night, over mountains and hills until they had arrived at a neglected farm resting in the center of endless fields. The sun was out, which felt nice, but it didn’t have nearly the warming effect that Kari wanted.
“There are times where I am pleased that I only experience certain sensations on a programmatic level,” Fai said.
“If you’re trying to comfort me, you’re not helping,” Kari said.
“Welcome,” Motorcad said as he held the door open for them.
Kari followed Ruth and Jared inside the dusty home. She walked into the living room where a pile of handmade blankets rested on the end of a couch. Kari wrapped one of the blankets around herself and basked in the warmth.
“I’m OK if we never do that again,” David said.
“Deal,” Kari said.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” Motorcad said. “We can stay here as long as we want.”
“Where is here?” Kari asked.
“A rental home,” Motorcad said. “In the middle of nowhere.”
“The perfect place to lay low for a while,” David said.
“Exactly,” Motorcad said.
Something seemed off about Motorcad’s explanation and it didn’t take Kari long to figure it out.
He’s been here before, but not for years. We’ve been together that entire time.
A painting hung on the wall, but it wasn’t the kind that you would hang in a rental home.
It’s older than the surge in artistry, and worse, too. That’s a household painting.
“I’m going to claim whatever room is this direction,” Motorcad said. “Now, if you would excuse me, I haven’t slept in seventy-two hours.”
He sounded truly exhausted, but Kari followed after him anyway. He opened a door and stepped inside, but Kari stuck her foot in the door before he could close it.
“Can we talk?”
“Can we do it after I take a nap?” Motorcad asked.
“It’ll only take a minute.”
Motorcad sighed and opened the door for her. She stepped inside the room and Motorcad closed the door behind them.
“What is it?”
“This is your home,” Kari said. “Isn’t it?”
“Of course it is,” Motorcad said. “I didn’t know where else to go. I guess I might as well have told everyone, there’s no hiding things from Freelancer for long.”
“Are you OK?” Kari asked.
“No . . . I’m not. I’m exhausted. Not just from this latest thing, but from running and hiding. From the past.”
“From seeing SeptemberMist again?”
“From that, too.”
“She told me your name is Nate, is that true?”
“It is,” Motorcad said.
“Oh . . .”
“Sorry I never told you. It just seemed safer that you didn’t know anything about me, who I used to be, or where I was from. In case . . . something like this happened.”
“That makes sense,” Kari said. “I don’t blame you. I’ve never asked to know more about your former . . . er . . . personal life.”
“And I’ve always liked that about you.”
“It just took me off guard when she acted like you didn’t trust me or something. It’s dumb.”
“I trust you more than anyone I’ve ever met, Kari.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, because I don’t mean it that way. I would just like to know if that’s all true. Why did you tell her?”
“I knew Desiree Mantioc long before we ended up at Valhalla. She brought me there with her. We were friends. Close friends. It was only because of her that I ended up in Oedipus’s inner circle. It wasn’t until then that I realized who she was, what she really cared about.”
“Huh,” Kari said.
“What?”
“She told me her name was Tara. Apparently Henderson thought that was her name as well.”
“She’s good,” Motorcad said. “So good that sometimes I’m not sure I even knew who she really was. She probably wanted to protect her true identity. Her past. Something she taught me.”
“Sorry you had to see her again,” Kari said. “Because of me.”
“It’s fine . . . I’m fine. I just need some time. And a nap.”
“I’ll leave you to it. Thanks for talking.”
Kari was halfway out the door before Motorcad responded.
“Take the room in the opposite corner from here. It was my sister’s. I think you’ll like it.”
Kari looked back at him and smiled before closing the door behind herself. Jared and Ruth were arguing about where they could get food, or what to order in, while Fai waited for her in the entryway.
“I’m sorry,” Fai said.
“What?”
“I don’t think I was supposed to hear that conversation.”
“No, you weren’t. But it’s not your fault. Maybe just try to turn off unneeded sensors. It’s important to respect people’s privacy.”
“I will do that,” Fai said.
Kari didn’t see David, so she went looking for the room that Motorcad had suggested for her. She passed through the kitchen and found David sitting on the edge of the bed in Motorcad’s sister’s room.
“I claim this room,” David said.
“I don’t know if there’s a enough to go around. Mind sharing for now, at least?” Kari said. It came out more forward than she intended it to, but mercifully David let it pass. She took a seat next to him on the bed.
“So how did you guys catch up to me?” Kari asked.
“I called Motorcad as soon as I left the station. I was still in midair, balling, but I called him. He got the school on it and we followed you to the airport. We actually lost track of you from there, but then SeptemberMist contacted Motorcad asking for a deal. She’d help us, if we helped her. We put together a plan and we ended up here.”
“What happened outside my cell?” Kari asked. She wasn’t as interested in knowing the answer as she was in showing David that she was interested in his plan.
“We set that up to fail. The whole plan was to make everyone think that they had foiled the plan. Henderson sends everyone back home in person, while he took you to our escape vehicle. Then as soon as you were gone, everyone would ignore his messages telling them to follow you because of what SeptemberMist told us.”
“Genius plan,” Kari said.
“Thanks . . . I only helped it along, really. But I helped.”
“My hero,” Kari said, before kissing him on the cheek.
“I’m just glad you made it out. I . . . I thought it was over back in Oakland. I’ve never been so scared my entire life.”
“I’m sorry . . .”
“Don’t ever make me leave you again, OK?”
“I won’t. I promise.”
David lay back with a sigh.
“You tired?”
“Yes.” Kari lay back next to him and refused to let her mind think about anything else but enjoying the peaceful moment.