PERCEPTION: (A Sci-Fi Mystery Dystopian Romance) (The Perception Trilogy Book 1)
Date: 2013-12-11T05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Science Fiction & Fantasy; Science Fiction; Genetic Engineering; Post-Apocalyptic; Teen & Young Adult; Dystopian
Description: A Library Journal Selection ETERNAL LIFE IS TO DIE FOR Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing. Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically. Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn
Publisher: ESB Publishing
Rights: Copyright 2015 Lee Strauss. All rights reserved.

Perception

The Perception Series #1

Lee Strauss

PERCEPTION
by

Lee Strauss

Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP--a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime waterfront property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans.

Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they've created between those who have and those who don't. He doesn't like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe's carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She's in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

Check out the rest of The Perception Series on Amazon!

Get GINGERBREAD MAN free!

Book 1 in A Nursery Rhyme Suspense

When that cute chick you met online is murdered- but shows up for your next internet meeting anyway.

Marlow's just a regular geeky freshman with little to no experience with girls, so when he has a semi-flirtatious chat with a cute girl online, it's almost more than his nerves can handle.

Then the girl is brutally murdered.

Or is she?

Marlow finds himself teamed up with intelligent and savvy Sage Farrell, a girl so far out of his league he feels blinded in her presence - literally - damn glasses! Together they work to find the identity of @gingerbreadman. Can they stop the killer before he strikes in more worlds than one?

1

Zoe

PART ONE

I balanced on my surfboard, right thigh burning and salt water stinging my eyes, while the best wave of the early morning carried me like a Goddess on a pedestal to shore. My older brother Liam and I shared a friendly competition, and it gave me a certain, blissful satisfaction to catch the same wave and to get to shore first.

“Oh yeah!” I shouted over the noise of the crashing surf.

Seagulls flocked and circled over us, squawking loudly, adding to the cacophony.

The sun glistened off Liam’s damp blond curls as he shook them out. His eyes sparkled as his lips tugged up into a grin. “I let you win.”

“Did not!” I smacked him playfully on the arm. “One more ride?”

Liam unzipped his wetsuit letting the top half fall down past his waist. He was in fine form, and I understood why all the girls raved about him. He was responsible for a long list of broken hearts.

“I gotta get going,” he said, lifting his board.

I fell into step beside him, my feet sinking into the cold, wet sand. “So soon?”

He nodded, the glint leaving his eyes. My lips tightened into a frown “You’re taking off with Jackson again?”

Jackson was my boyfriend but lately he’d been spending more time with my brother than he had with me. It was starting to tick me off.

Liam stared straight ahead. “Lab stuff.”

“What are you working on?” I rushed to keep up with my brother’s long, strong strides. He flicked his head, tossing the hair out of his eyes but didn’t answer.

“Come on,” I knocked into him sideways. “Tell me!”

“It’s just stuff.”

“Just stuff? Like what? Top CIA stuff? I know you’re smart but I think the government has been doing a good job without your help.”

I meant it as a joke, but Liam huffed. “It’s just stuff, okay? So leave it.”

I stopped short, shocked that he’d snapped at me.

He turned around and exhaled, “Zoe, I’m sorry.”

“Fine. If you can’t tell me, you can’t tell me.”

We resumed our trek along the beach, and I pushed back my frustration. Liam used to include me in everything. It was always him and me against everyone else. Him and me against Alison and Paul, aka our mom and dad. Him and me against the surf. We were a team. When did we start keeping secrets from each other? Rather, when did he start keeping secrets from me?

I re-adjusted my board under my arm. Maybe I could get Jackson to unzip his lips. He could be easily persuaded if I poured on the charm. I hated to go behind my brother’s back for information, but something about all this–this, whatever it was that Liam was doing–made me uneasy. I couldn’t pinpoint why, it just did.

We reached our home, a massive glass box with two floors of windows facing the Pacific Ocean. It was built after the San Andreas Fault shifted and triggered the Big Quake that, along with the subsequent tsunami, wiped out ten miles of shoreline.

A nearby white-stucco storage shed housed all our water toys. We stopped there to hang up our wetsuits to dry.

“Thanks for surfing with me today.” Liam smiled at me, back to his jovial self. “I know it was a sacrifice for you to get up so early.”

I smiled in return. “No problem. It was fun.” Surfing with Liam was one of my most favorite things to do.

“You’re back for dinner?” I asked.

Liam didn’t know it, but once he left, I’d be spending the rest of the day preparing for his surprise birthday party. He’d turned twenty-one yesterday and had celebrated at a bar with his friends. I couldn’t go because I was underage, and it irked me that Jackson went and that he and Liam had once again shared a significant moment without me. I took consolation in the fact that Alison and Paul gave me free reign to plan this party. My heart beat with excitement, and I couldn’t wait to see his face when he got home and found the house full of his friends.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” he answered.

I bit my cheek to keep my voice even. “Good. We’ll see you, then.”

Our property tiered twice before connecting to the sandy beach. Three glass doors slid open disappearing into the corner and creating a wall-less view of the stone patio that encased an eternity pool. Its waters slipped over the far edge into a waterfall that was collected again on the second tier.

Liam strode into the house, through the living room and down the hall to his bedroom at the back, his wet shorts dripping on the glossy white tiles.

I tightened the towel around my waist and climbed the open-slat staircase to my room.

As I passed the maid, Saundra something, her brown face blanched. She stumbled slightly before grabbing the rail and catching herself.

“Excuse me,” she said softly at my astonished expression.

The woman really didn’t look well, and I was thankful for my enhanced immunization. I was glad I didn’t have to worry about diseases brought in from the outside.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She nodded weakly, and proceeded to clean the rails.

A thrill of anticipation reclaimed my thoughts. I couldn’t wait for tonight.

The door beside my bathroom opened into a second room, a walk-in closet big enough to house another bedroom set. Racks of clothes and shoes lined the walls, a well-lit mirror station was located near the skylight and a cushioned leather bench was placed in the middle for sitting. I stood in my closet and stared at the rows of sundresses, blouses and shorts.

What to wear?

I settled on a lace blouse and cotton shorts, then went to take a luxurious shower, rinsing the sea water out of my long, blond hair. I leaned into the built-in seat that was designed specifically for my body height and shape. Laser lights mapped my head and twenty-eight silicon fingers reached out to massage my scalp while shampooing and conditioning my hair. Most days I had to watch or I’d doze off, but today I was excited. I commanded the water to turn off as soon as the rinse was done.

When I was dressed and my hair combed out and tied back, I slipped my platinum Communication Ring onto my left middle finger. I tapped it which produced a holographic image of my phone apps on my palm. I touched the clock icon and holographic digital numbers appeared in the air.

Ten already? Where did the time go? That was the thing with summer holidays; every hour ran languidly into the next.

I imagined the cook and her crew were busy preparing for the party in the kitchen. I’d requested fresh seafood and simulated roast, fresh fruit and vegetables, an assortment of fancy chocolates and baked items, plus a three-tiered, surfer-themed birthday cake.

I skipped down the stairs to check on the progress, but in my hurry to the kitchen, I slammed into a body.

“Sorry,” a male voice said.

I stepped back, agitated. I recognized the dark-haired boy wearing the white tunic my mother made the male staff wear. He was the maid’s son. He held a wet mop in his hand, and I figured he’d been cleaning up Liam’s spotty water trail.

He stepped politely out of the way, but the expression on his face was stoic. Even though he was clearly from the outside and the help, I still expected some small sign that what he saw when he viewed me was pleasing. A twinkle in the eye, a slight upturning of the lips. These were the responses I got from all the boys. The straight ones, anyway.

He wasn't especially attractive but I didn't see people with his appearance very often. He had eyes the color of imported coffee beans and skin like caramel candy. His nose was wide and his jaw-line sharp. I was suddenly intrigued by him and surprised myself by thinking he looked exotic.

“Excuse me, what was your name again?” I asked.

“Noah.”

Right. I remembered now. I waited for him to say something, but he stayed quiet.

Footsteps echoed from the hall above. My parents spoke together, their muffled voices floating across the high ceilings.

“Do other maids send their sons to do their work?” Alison's voice had a brassy tone that carried through the cavernous space.

I felt a flare of red creep up my neck when I realized Alison was talking about Noah. My eyes darted to his, but he kept his averted.

“He does a good job,” Paul responded. “That's the main thing. Besides you know they need the money.”

“So we're charity now?”

“What's wrong with a little charity? Besides, they're not just anybody.”

“I don't care. I still don't trust him.”

I was mortified. My feet felt cemented to the floor and I didn’t know what to say. Anything would come off as trite since nothing I could say could undo what Noah had heard.

“Did you know the Pikes have a household robot now?” Alison, again. “Apparently it’s very efficient, and at least Mary doesn’t have to worry about things going missing.”

Noah’s jaw tightened and he turned his back to me. He attacked Liam’s dried and dusty water spots aggressively and soon had disappeared around the corner.

“Zoe?” Alison click-clacked down the wooden stairs. She wore a pale yellow pant suit and high heels even though it was Saturday. She was in-between careers now, having spent the last fifteen years in law. She barely looked thirty years old and with lots of time ahead of her, she could do anything. Probably several things.

“Mom! You have to keep your voice down. How many times do I have to tell you your voice travels in this glass box?

“Oh.” She looked mildly shaken. “No matter. Is everything coming together to your satisfaction?”

“I’m just checking in on things now.”

“Your father and I are meeting people for lunch. What time is the party again?”

I blew a frustrated breath. She could at least pretend she cared enough to remember details I’d told her a dozen times already.

“Seven.”

“Right. We’ll see you at seven.”

Things proceeded throughout the day as planned and I was pleased with my ability to pull off an event like this on my own.

The decorators showed up at 1:00 as promised.

The band arrived to set up at 3:00.

I got dressed at 4:30, having bought a thigh-length mini-dress that sparkled with tiny crystals just for the occasion.

My hair and makeup girl arrived at 5:00.

I tapped my ring and called Jackson at 5:30.

“Where are you?” I said to the three-inch holographic image of him that popped up above my palm. “You said you’d help.”

“Sorry, Zo. Got tied up at home.”

“Are you okay? You don’t sound so good.”

It was odd. No one in Sol City ever got really sick, but it wasn’t unheard of to get run down if you pushed yourself too hard. Jackson had been working a lot lately.

“I didn’t sleep well last night. Uh, spent most of the day in bed.”

I felt a little panicky. “You’re still coming, aren’t you?”

“Of course. I’ll be there soon.”

Alison and Paul arrived at 6:30 along with all of mine and Liam’s friends.

I hushed everyone at 6:55, giving instructions on when to shout “Surprise!”

It was all a wasted effort.

Liam never showed.

2

￼

I called Liam’s ComRing compulsively as I made apologies to our friends knowing he’d probably turned it off so he could work undisturbed.

This was so humiliating! I imagined him hunched over his lab desk, sleeping on his glass text-reader, drool leaking out of the side of his mouth. I knew he’d been working too hard.

Oh, why this day of all days did he have to go and be so irresponsible?

I instructed the band to play anyway and told everyone to start in on the food. No reason why we shouldn’t still have fun, even if Liam had to spoil things.

“Let’s dance,” I said to Jackson, who’d arrived late.

I needed a diversion to help me calm the anger boiling right under the disappointment bubbling right under the embarrassment I was feeling.

“Actually, I think I’m going to go,” Jackson said.

“You’re still feeling sick?” He did look pale. “Okay, fine.” I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice. He couldn’t help it if he didn’t sleep last night. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He gave me a quick, very un-romantic kiss and left.

At least I still had Charlotte. Her stilettos clicked on the tile as she walked toward me with an apologetic look.

“Hey, I fully expect Ryder to jerk around with me when he gets older, too.”

Her brother was only twelve, but at that moment, I was convinced it was true.

“We can still have fun,” she continued, raising her blond eyebrows in encouragement and smiling. “Let’s go talk to Serena and Isabella.”

I joined Paul and Alison for breakfast the next morning just as Alison went off again about Liam.

“Maybe he should get a summer job. Learn what it means to work, to stick to a schedule.”

“It's not like he's into drugs, Alison.” Paul rested his elbows on the table with the casual confidence of someone who worried little. He had a fit body from surfing and playing tennis daily, a chiseled handsome face and shaggy blond surfer hair that better suited a swim model than the company executive he was. Alison sat on the opposite end, the two of them looking like attractive, world-conquering book ends.

“He's been experimenting at the lab. Maybe he's on the brink of a new breakthrough—something you might actually be proud of.”

Liam probably fell asleep at the lab. The students kept a cot there so they could take naps instead of coming home.

“Have you called the lab?” I asked. Paul took a bite of scrambled eggs and swallowed. “Yeah, no one's seen him, but that doesn't mean anything. The university's a big place.”

I left my dishes on the table and started toward the steps to my room, but I paused before going up. I changed direction and moved quietly to the back of the hall and pushed Liam’s door open. Would be just like him to have sneaked in and be snoring in his bed while we wondered and worried.

No such luck.

Liam had a photo wall comprised of digital, one-foot square tiles that flipped randomly through his favorite pictures. They cast luminous blue and green shimmers throughout the room and across my body as I stepped closer. Most depicted Liam and his friends up to their antics, and there were a few gentler ones of our family. Of those, most were of me and Liam together, taken by one of our parents. I focused on one with the two of us lying on surfboards at the beach, both with sun-kissed skin and bright-white, straight teeth. I pressed the image, pausing it.

I was ten years old when Liam taught me to surf. I'd felt so clumsy, and couldn't find my center of gravity. He'd insisted I keep trying until I caught my first small wave even though I was on the verge of tears and wanting to quit the whole time. I'd hated him for not letting me give up and then, when I’d accomplished the feat, I loved him because he hadn't.

So far I’d successfully pushed away the nagging thought that something bad might have happened to him. This time the thought hit me like a wall and struck me with cool fear. A lump formed in my throat.

Get a grip, Zoe! Of course Liam was fine. I grabbed a bed sheet off the floor and snapped it in the air in an effort to shake off the crazy fear.

The sheet straightened mid air and floated flat along his bed. A small white piece of paper drifted to the ground, so I picked it up. One word was printed in full caps: DEXTER.

I tapped my ring and spoke Jackson’s name. It buzzed un-answered. Weird. Jackson always answered my calls. In fact, I was surprised he hadn’t dropped by for breakfast, assuming he slept last night. Jackson tended to spend more time at our house than he did at his own, though I didn’t blame him. His parents were never home. As an only child, Jackson had practically raised himself.

I decided if he wasn’t going to answer his ComRing, I’d just go to his house and wake him up.

I stuffed the note in my pocket and went to the garage. Then I belted myself into my two-seater MagLev, my magnetic levitating pod-car. It was a gift from Paul on my seventeenth birthday and although it resembled a huge dinosaur egg, I loved it.

It was great to have my own transportation, finally. It only carried two people, which caused some dissension among my friends, especially Isabella and Serena since I almost always took Charlotte, but it was better than public transit or having to get Alison to drive me around.

I spoke Jackson's name into the dashboard computer. My pod car followed the magnetic grid through the city—down wide boulevards lined with tall palm trees and artificial energy capturing “trees” that looked more like over-sized kitchen utensils—miraculously skirting pedestrians and a maze of other electro magnetic vehicles.

Jackson’s house was nestled into a rocky cove further south of our place. I pulled up to the gate and extended my hand out the window. A quick scan allowed me entrance. My pod continued up the long curvy drive. Unlike our sleek, sparse house, the Pike home was patterned after an ancient Roman village. Tall pillars marked a solar-lighted walkway to the heavy, wooden front doors.

Jackson opened it. His sandy hair stuck out in every direction, and his T-shirt was wrinkled and creased like he'd slept in it. Dark circles ringed his blue eyes. Normally, he was quite swoon-worthy, but at the moment he looked like crap.

“Still didn’t sleep?” I asked.

“No.”

“Maybe you should take something.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

I passed through the front doors into a sweeping foyer floored with black and white tiles that led to broad windows on the back side of the house. Gigantic waves crashed up against black rocks beyond. An impressive chandelier hung over our heads.

We were joined by a short humanoid robot about three and a half feet tall. Though its footsteps were stiff, it still somehow managed to glide across the floor.

I’d seen them advertised on TV but had never seen one up close before.

“It’s my mother’s new toy,” Jackson said. “She calls it Mimi.”

The robot stopped and stared at the mention of its name. Lips like red licorice turned upwards in a smile. Its table tennis eyeballs opened in question.

“Continue on,” Jackson said to it.

The robot had a duster and proceeded to tend to a large vase on a side table.

I watched with amazement and thought how envious Alison would feel knowing these units were making waves in the neighborhood.

I thought the thing was kind of creepy.

“Have you heard from Liam?” I said. “He hasn’t shown up at home yet and he’s not answering his ComRing. I’m starting to get worried.”

“I haven’t seen him since yesterday morning at the university. I came home early to sleep.”

“But, why isn't he answering his phone?”

Jackson shook his head. “Maybe he turned it off.”

“Maybe. He did seem pretty excited about whatever it is you guys are working on, and probably didn’t want to be interrupted.” I pushed my annoyance away. Their secret project wasn’t the issue now, finding Liam was. “Who else might know where he is?”

“I don’t know.”

The scrap piece of paper was in my pocket, so I showed it to Jackson. “I found this in Liam’s room.”

He blinked and shook his head. “Uh, sorry, Zo, I don't know what that means.”

“But, Liam told you everything!”

At some point in the last year Liam had shifted his confidences to Jackson, though I couldn't remember if it was before or after Jackson had become my boyfriend; before or after Alison had a fit that I was dating a boy four years older than me.

Paul had reasoned with her: They'd known Jackson since he was a kid, hadn't they? He was like a second son. If there was anyone they could trust with their daughter, it was Jackson.

I'd never questioned that trust before now, but something about the way he squirmed slightly under my gaze made me doubtful. Jackson was keeping something from me.

“Liam didn't tell me everything,” he finally said. “I'm not his only friend.”

“Okay, then who else?”

Jackson ran a hand through his hair. “I don't know. All the guys at the lab.”

“Like who?”

He hummed. “Mitchell.”

“Mitchell?”

“Mitchell Redding. He's one of the lab geeks. Look, Zoe,” he pulled me into a hug. “I'm sure Liam’s fine. He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.”

Jackson was right, of course. I let out a breath and allowed myself to sink into his strong body. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head, and I suddenly felt ashamed for doubting him.

But Liam wasn’t home when I returned, and he didn’t come home overnight either.

By morning Alison had filed a missing person’s report.

3

￼

The door-bell resounded like church bells throughout the house. We’d been expecting the authorities, and Alison applied a quick layer of lipstick before heading for the front door, her heels, as always, clicking on the tiles.

The doors were steel-plated and engraved with an artistic, interlocking-block design, and yet, surprisingly light to open. I heard Alison invite the authorities inside. They passed the indoor wall garden and the waterfall lining a sizable foyer and entered our sunken living room. Skylights cast sunrays that bounced off the white walls. On days like this, I felt like I needed to wear sunglasses in the house to fight off the glare.

The two uniformed men introduced themselves as Officers Grant and Diaz. Grant had deep-set, steely-blue eyes that I found unsettling. Each took a seat in our white leather and chrome director-style chairs. I could tell by Paul’s expression that he was as uncertain as I was about what they would ask.

Both men had feather-light glass e-tablets on their laps, and Officer Grant busily took notes as Alison talked. She sat straight, her hands folded in her lap like she was interviewing for a new position at the firm. I hovered near the dining room.

“He doesn’t usually take off like this without letting anyone know. I mean, I can see him not telling me,” Alison paused, shifting on the sofa uncomfortably, “not telling us, but not even his best friend or lab partners know where he is.”

“How old is your son, ma’am?” Diaz asked.

“Twenty-one.”

“And he’s a student at the university?”

“Yes,” Alison said, agitation creeping into her voice. “I’ve already told you that.”

Grant’s eyes darted to his partner. I was sure it was code for we’re wasting our time. Then he said, “Does he have a girlfriend?”

Alison was quick to answer, “No.” She glanced sideways at Paul. “I mean, he’s had lots of girlfriends, but he doesn’t have one now. As far as I know.”

“Happens all the time,” Diaz said. “Young men getting swept away with young love.”

“But Liam’s not like that,” Alison said.

Grant’s sly eyes scanned the room until they landed on me. I couldn’t stop a shiver from creeping up my back. “Can you join us?” he asked.

I reluctantly drew closer. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t like this guy.

“Are you close to your brother?”

I thought about his question. Liam was the only person in my life I’d ever been completely free around. Even though I was four years younger, he’d never treated me like the annoying little sister. We’d rallied together against our mother’s over-bearing tendencies and covered for each other when our personal relationships went awry.

Yes, we were close, but I wasn’t about to tip off this jerk.

I offered a slight shrug in response.

“Where do you think he is?”

My eyes flickered to my parents who were watching me closely. “I don’t know. I thought he was asleep in his room.”

His eyes narrowed. “What was he working on at the lab?”

I let out a frustrated puff. “I don’t know.”

“So,” Grant said, disbelief on his face. “You’re close to your brother, but you don’t know where he is or what he was working on?”

“I’m his sister, not his wife. He didn’t confide in me about everything.” I crossed my arms and forced myself to return Grant’s arrogant gaze.

Grant glanced back at his tablet, his expression hardening even more if that were possible. “I’ve just received new information. There is surveillance evidence at the East Gate recording Liam leaving the city three days ago, but nothing since. No transmission documenting his return.”

This news made my blood run cold. Where are you Liam?

“We’d like to talk with your staff members, too,” he continued.

“Certainly,” Alison said. “I’ll give you a list of their names.”

Grant studied me again. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you want to tell us?”

After that awkward inquisition and the following shake-down with Alison and Paul, who were both convinced I was withholding information, I called Jackson to demand answers.

His three-inch hologram popped up from my ComRing.

“The authorities just left. Alison and Paul are squirrelly. If you know anything, you have to tell me,” I said.

“I wish I did. I’m worried, too. I’m sure the authorities will figure things out. You just need to be patient.”

“I can’t be patient. Liam is missing.” I paced around the space at the foot of my bed. The DigiWall image was set on psychedelic, and the random images were starting to irritate me. I told it to turn off.

“What about that other guy you work with, Mitchell?”

“He doesn’t know anything.”

“How do you know that? I have to talk to him at least. Do you want to come with me?”

Jackson hesitated before answering. “I can’t right now. Promised my dad I’d help him with something. Besides, I need to shower. How about tomorrow?”

I didn’t believe a word of that, and I couldn’t keep the agitation from my voice. “Fine.” If he didn't want to come with me. I'd go by myself.

It took twenty minutes to get to Sol City University, and I used the time to review what I knew, which wasn't much. Liam had been leaving the city, but no one knew why, not even his best friend or his sister. Liam was in possession of a hand-written note with one word on it, the significance of which remained unknown. I sighed. Not much to go on here.

The university was like a city within a city. Whitewashed buildings sprawled out from a central park. Students gathered in small clusters or kept solo, studying or taking study breaks, congregating in the shade of Bacopa trees. Gold nanoparticles embedded in their leaves cast a reddish, luminous glow over the park without the need for electricity.

I made my way by foot, winding through blocks of square buildings with front door signage indicating humanities, technology, environmental studies, nanotechnology, biotech research, or other work going on inside. A round-domed building in the distance housed a planetarium and space science research.

I found the entrance of the tech lab where my brother did his research and went in. The lab was a vast, rectangular room covered in stainless steel from floor to ceiling. A row of windows facing southeast allowed natural light to fill the space. Microscopes and lab equipment dotted the countertops. Computer equipment lined a large table in the middle of the room, with oversize 3D monitors displaying colorful holographic images that hovered in mid air.

A guy around the same age as Liam was there. His hair stood on end, and half his shirt was untucked. A cot in the corner was unmade with sheets rumpled on top. Obviously, this guy didn’t spend much time at home.

“I’m Zoe Vanderveen.”

The guy nodded. “I know who you are.”

“And you are...?”

“Mitchell Redding.”

“Are you a friend of my brother’s? Were you researching together? When was the last time you saw him?”

“Whoa, enough with the hundred questions.”

I blew air through my nose, and forced myself to calm down. “I’m just trying to find him.”

“Yeah, I figured that. I already told the authorities everything I know.”

“Did they take his computer?”

“It's a shared computer, so they just downloaded the hard drive.”

“Can I check it out?”

Mitchell shot me a look like I'd asked him to drop his drawers. “It's university property.”

“But he's my brother. Maybe I’ll notice something that they missed.”

The guy still wasn’t giving in. “I’m sure he’ll show up.”

“How can you be sure?”

Finally, Mitchell dropped his hands in defeat and commanded the computer to log on. “Here you go.” My heart jumped as I sat in front of the screen. Then it sunk. I tapped on all of Liam’s files.

They were empty.

“There's nothing here,” I said.

“I tried to tell you.”

“But how could there be nothing in Liam's files?”

Mitchell shrugged again. “I don't know. Someone wiped it clean.”

“But who would do that?”

I waited for the shrug and got it. I wondered had Mitchell wiped it clean, and if so, why? Why were he and Jackson being so elusive? I pulled the paper out of my pocket and presented it to him.

“Do you know what this means?”

I expected no reply, and I was right. Mitchell just gave me another helpless shrug. Some detective I'd turned out to be.

I went back to the parking stall and instructed my pod to take me home. Maybe my parents had heard something by now.

When I entered the living room, Saundra was there washing the windows. Even though we had spider-like robotic cleaners for the higher ones, Alison still wanted the lower windows done by hand because the machines occasionally left streaks. I wondered if Alison had thought of that on her quest for humanoid help.

With a house like this, there was never a shortage of things to clean. At least for now the maid’s job was secure.

The glass 3D monitor was on, but muted. Even though it was more than eight feet long and five feet tall, taking up a large portion of the southern wall, the high ceiling made it look smaller than it was. I could hear my parents arguing again.

“How could they not have found any leads by now?” Alison's voice cracked with worry.

“I'm sure they're working as hard as they can,” Paul said in the exact laid back tone that drove Alison nuts when she was stressed. A door slammed, and I guessed Paul was standing on the hallway side of it.

So they hadn't heard anything, either. I turned the TV up to keep Saundra from overhearing Alison and Paul discuss our family's personal problems. I had to admit that if we had robotic humanoid help we wouldn’t have to worry about outsiders knowing all our dirty laundry.

Just as I commanded the volume to go to ten, a news story flashed on the screen. A group of teens was demonstrating in front of Sleiman Center Three, an imposing high-rise on the outside that was sheeted with glass. In the distance I noticed a brick and stucco clock tower. It had an ancient kind of face with numbers posted in an outdated circular fashion. Its ornate small and large rusted-iron hands were stuck at an incorrect time.

I could tell the kids were from the outside by the variety of their appearances. They had every kind of hair and skin color, varied heights and weights, and most carried archaic, hand-written placard signs denouncing GAP governing policies with slogans like “Transhumanism is un-natural, Science is not a true religion, and one with an angry red circle and an X over the word GAPS.

The camera zoomed in on a face I recognized—it was Noah, the maid’s son. The 3D monitor thrusts his image into the living room and his dark eyes blazed with an anger I hadn’t seen in anyone before. The other day I'd thought him exotic; now I found him frightening.

“Genetically Altered Persons have unfair social advantages,” Noah told the reporter. “They have the wealth and opportunity allowing them to leap ahead of poorer naturals. They have the best of the best of all things, including real estate. Look at Sol City. It was built on land that once housed lower income citizens. GAP status allowed them to push the poor off their land after the quake so they could build their walled, GAP-only, utopian city.

“They fund the government and shape unfair policies. And most importantly, they have time. They have artificially expanded lifelines. They have no right to play God in this way. The alteration of human genetics must be stopped!”

The ticker that ran under the scene said, NOAH BRODY, GRANDSON OF LESSER KNOWN GENETIC SCIENTIST MATTHEW BRODY, CO-DEVELOPER OF THE PROCESS OF HUMAN GENETIC ALTERATION.

A lesser known genetic scientist who developed Human Alteration? But it was my own grandfather, Dr. William Vanderveen who developed the procedure. The now-Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Vanderveen. He was the one everyone credited with the extension of the human life span.

Why hadn't I heard of Matthew Brody before? And if he’d played a part in the discovery of human genetic alteration, why was his grandson protesting against it?

I caught Saundra staring at the news story. The woman quickly looked away. She was thin, with toasted skin and dark hair streaked with gray. Wrinkles fanned away from her green eyes and I guessed for a natural, she was probably around forty-five years old. Alison wouldn't begin to look that way until she was closer to ninety.

Saundra was married to the son of the man this report credited with sharing the spotlight with my grandfather. How was it possible that she and her son weren’t GAP? How did she end up working as our domestic staff?

I turned back to the newscast in time to see a still photo of a well-dressed man on the screen. I recognized him as Ronald K. Smythe, CEO of Sleiman Enterprises and my father’s boss. If Liam hadn’t gone missing, my parents would be attending the black tie event taking place there tonight. The reporter stated that Mr. Smythe was not available for comment.

The story flipped back to Noah Brody. Beside him stood a teen with flaming red hair like nothing I'd ever seen. The newscaster thrusts the mic in his face, and he went off on a similar rant against genetic alteration.

Under his face, the ticker flashed, ZACK DEXTER, PROTESTER.

My heart skipped. Dexter? Could Liam’s note be referring to a person? This guy, maybe? Was that why Liam went to the outside? What would my brother have in common with a guy like that?

Suddenly, I knew what I needed to do.

4

￼

The news story ended just as my ComRing vibrated. I tapped it and a message flicked across my palm. It was Charlotte. I tapped the message and her three-inch, head and shoulder hologram popped up.

“I heard about Liam. I just can't believe he hasn't come home yet. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I guess. Hey, can I come over?”

“Uh, sure. We're almost ready to leave for Mexico, but I have a few minutes.”

I drove my pod to Charlotte’s even though it was only a fifteen minute walk. She lived close to the north gate which was the real reason I wanted to go there. Charlotte greeted me in their courtyard when I arrived, and gave me a big hug.

“What have you heard?” she asked.

“Unfortunately, not a lot, but I was wondering what you can tell me about the outside.” I glanced toward the gate. It was a block away, but I could see the iron bars standing open. It allowed free passage out, but you had to scan your ID to get back in. There was an unbroken stream of pedestrian and mobile traffic flowing in both directions.

“Not much,” she said. “It's not like I go out.”

Most of the GAPs our age didn't, and guards ensured that younger kids never left without parental supervision. I never had a reason nor the desire to leave. All the walled cities had everything you needed inside them: shopping, schools, recreation, airports. Even vacations like the one Charlotte was about to take were to other GAP cities in the world. We could live our whole lives and not have a reason to go out.

“But you can see out. I just thought....”

“Hi, Zoe!” Charlotte's little brother ran outside with a bag to throw in the family car. His blond hair was the color of bleached wheat.

“Hi, Ryder,” I called out.

All the families I knew were similar in appearance. And each had either a boy and then a girl, or a girl then a boy. There were no variations.

Before Liam disappeared I would never have considered going to the outside. Now I felt I had no choice. I waved goodbye as Charlotte's family left for the airport. Then I walked the block over to the gates. Peering out, I felt a shiver of anxiety creep down my spine and encase my body. It was normal to fear the unknown, but still, I knew I was being irrational. There was no real reason to be afraid.

I tried to shake it off. If I wanted to find out what had happened to Liam, I had to go out.

I inhaled deeply and walked through the iron gates. They loomed over the entrance, eclipsing the walls like the intimidating guardians they were meant to represent. The guard in the pedestrian line gave me a cursory glance and then a nod; I was obviously over the restricted age of fourteen. And that was it—I was out. But my initial bravado quickly ebbed. Unlike the streets of Sol City, the outside street lighting was darker, casting eerie, cone-shaped streams of light on littered streets. The light above me buzzed, and I jumped. I hadn't paid attention and dusk had crept up on me without my notice.

The crowds thinned out quickly, and a quick glance over my shoulder told me that most of the people were going the other way, inland away from the beach. My immediate thought was to turn around, especially when I spotted a group of young men gathered under one of the lights, smoking cigarettes. They wore sleeveless shirts, some with leather vests, and all of them eyed me up and down.

I was such an idiot to think I could traipse down the streets on the outside without being noticed. My hair was like a beacon, a white-blond banner shouting, “Look at me, I'm not from here!”

One of the guys whistled, and my heart jumped. I kept walking, head down, thinking that if I ignored them, they’d go away.

Another whistle, and I looked up. One of the guys took a step toward me. My pulse raced, its rapid beating hammering in my ears. The guy’s gaze narrowed, lustfully scanning my body. My eyes darted around, searching for safety. There was no place to hide. I was on the outside.

My body suddenly took over, and I turned on my heels, sprinting towards the gate. I pumped my long legs, my breaths quick and loud. I kept my eyes focused on the iron gates, its broad, metal wings welcoming me back to the nest known as Sol City.

I slowed at the sight of the guards. I bent over, hands on my knees, catching my breath and I glanced behind me. I couldn't see the gang, but I could hear them laughing.

I barely had my breath under control when I offered my hand to the auto scanner. A red light scanned the chip that had been implanted at birth. The pedestrian gate opened and let me through.

My legs were still shaking when I climbed into my pod, instructing it to take me home.

I hated the outside. Hated it. I’d never go there again. A tear escaped from my eye and I wiped it away, trying not to think of what might have happened.

I massaged the chip embedded in the fleshy part of my right hand between my thumb and forefinger, forcing myself to relax.

The chip. It reminded me of Liam. Of course, he had a chip. Everyone did, or almost everyone. Some naturals refused to have it implanted for religious or political reasons.

A chip meant Liam could be tracked, as well as any money he spent, where he spent it and any place he visited. I knew the authorities had to wait forty-eight hours before they were legally permitted to track a person's chip, but it had been well over that time frame and my parents had filed a report. How was it that he hadn't been found?

Unless he’d had his chip removed. Or unless, for some unfathomable reason the authorities didn't want him to be found. That could explain my negative premonition about Officer Grant. It seemed unlikely, but it was the only answer I could come up with.

What had Liam gotten himself into?

It was dark by the time I got home. Paul was reclining on the sofa in the living room reading his tablet. The sight of him engaging in a leisure activity caused my anger to burn. I’d just risked my life trying to find Liam, and he was sitting here, reading?

“Why aren't you doing something?” I demanded.

“What?” Paul seemed startled by my presence.

“Liam is missing and you're just ...” I flapped my arms.

He swung his legs around to a sitting position. “Now wait a minute, Zoe. You're not the only one who wants to find Liam.”

“Then why hasn't he been found? He has a chip! Why haven't the authorities found him by now?”

Even if he was dead, they should've found him, but I didn't say that part aloud.

When Paul didn't answer, I turned my back to him and stomped upstairs to my room.

There were only two reasons I could think of as to why the authorities couldn't find my brother. He was involved in something bigger than I and my parents had thought, something the authorities wanted to keep quiet, or Liam had removed his chip himself somehow in order to prevent discovery. Neither thought was very comforting.

And then there was Zack Dexter. What part, if any, had he played in Liam's disappearance? If he knew anything, I needed to find out what it was.

But that would mean going back to the outside, and the thought of that caused my nerves to twitch. I detested the outside. I didn't belong there.

5

￼

When I saw Alison’s drawn face at the breakfast table the next morning, I knew my brother hadn’t returned. The toast was dry and tasteless in my mouth as I accepted my fate. I had to go outside. I had to find this Dexter person.

My mind worked at something to say to my mother, some small word of comfort, but I drew a blank. I tossed the uneaten portion of my breakfast into the trash and headed back upstairs. My heart sped up as I thought about my plan–my next move.

I stared at my pale image in the mirror over my dresser. No point in putting on make-up or bothering with my hair, not where I was going. Instead I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. Then I headed back downstairs to the garage.

I hopped into my pod and directed it to the nearest costume shop. Sol City had several, since its citizens often celebrated festivals that required masquerading. I knew I had to change my look dramatically. Not only so I would fit in on the outside, but so Noah Brody wouldn't recognize me. It was entirely possible he would be with Zack Dexter.

The Sol City shopping district took up several square miles. Three and four-story malls filled entire blocks, and bright, digital signs beckoned shoppers to come in and spend. I parked my pod in the lower-level car park and took the glass elevator to the main level. I walked past, and sometimes through, holographic models showing off the latest fashions in the middle of the stores.

I entered Costume Crazy, and a tall, slender clerk in a pink wig greeted me.

“May I help you?” she said.

I glanced at the girl’s name tag. It said Raine. “I need to drastically change my look.”

“Are you going to a party? What’s the theme?”

“Not a party. More like I want to surprise someone.”

“Oh, you want to trick them into thinking you’re someone else?”

I wrapped my arms around my chest, feeling vulnerable, unsure that I could pull the charade off. “Yeah, that.”

Raine tugged on her pink wig. “So, subtle, not flashy?”

“Right. I want to blend in.”

“In Sol City?”

“Uh, no,” I said, my heart sinking. “The outside.”

She hesitated for a moment then started walking. “Let’s start with the wigs.”

The wigs were made of real hair. I ran my fingers through a few, admiring them. “I think brunette is a good idea,” I said.

Raine helped me try on several, and I chose one with mid-length chestnut strands. Once my own hair was pinned up and tucked under it, the wig looked convincingly real.

“Okay, so now, you’re brunette,” Raine said, “but you still kind of look like you.” She sashayed down another aisle and I followed her.

“Try these.” Raine handed me a small package containing a pair of brownie-colored contacts. “There’s a sink and mirror over there. Here are the drops.”

My eyelids fluttered like crazy, resisting the intrusion, and she had to guide me through the procedure. Once the brown lenses slipped over my pale blue eyes, I knew there was no going back. My earlier decision not to wear make-up was a good one.

A smile crept over my face unbidden as I inspected myself in the mirror. Even I couldn't tell who I was.

Raine offered a small applause. “Totally different person. It’s amazing how hair, make-up—or in your case, no make-up—and eye-color define a person.”

Now for a wardrobe. People on the outside dressed a little differently. They tended toward darker colors, if what I saw on TV and in my short stint on the streets was any indicator. GAPs usually went for higher-quality, costlier wear. Raine helped me find a pair of last year's jeans and a plain soft-blue T-shirt. When I considered my full alteration in the mirror, I thought for the first time that maybe I could do this. Maybe I could deceive Noah Brody.

“Well, if you’re looking for the wallflower look,” Raine said, appraising me. “I think you nailed it.”

I thanked her and scanned my palm in payment before leaving. Then I instructed my pod to take the new Zoe Vanderveen to the north gate. Unfortunately, Paul had programmed the pod to shut down at the gates, so I had no choice but to walk once I got there.

Then I remembered that Noah knew my real name. I needed a fake one. My mind went through a few options until I settled on Chloe Morgan. Chloe because it rhymed with Zoe, and I wanted a name I would be most likely to respond to instinctively, and Morgan because it was Alison's maiden name.

My ring buzzed before I got to the gate. It was Jackson. I turned off the visual before I answered.

“Zoe?”

“Hi, Jackson.”

“How come I can't see you?”

“Um, I turned the visual off because I just stepped out of the shower.”

“Really? That sounds steamy. Turn it on, I want to see.”

I smiled at the teasing tone of my boyfriend's voice. “Sorry, can't do that.”

“Maybe another time. So, do you have plans today? There's a beach party starting up this afternoon.”

My pod reached the gate, and I manually instructed it to find a parking pad. “Um, I'm a little busy, you know, with my brother missing and all that. Alison's a wreck. She can't be left alone.”

There was an uncomfortable pause then Jackson said, “Yeah, I'm sorry. It's not like I'd forgotten Liam was missing. It's just, I thought it might be good for both of us to do something fun to take our minds off it. Worrying isn't going to bring him home any faster.”

“What is going to bring him home faster?” I heard that tense edge in my voice again. “He has a chip. Why haven't the authorities found him?”

Another hard pause. “Good question. I wish I had an answer for you.”

“Me, too. Look, I have to go. Thanks for the invite, but another time.”

“Yeah,” Jackson's voice had cooled. “Another time.” He signed off without saying goodbye.

After parking my pod, I made my way to the gates, keeping my head low not wanting to run into anyone I might know.

The queue that exited Sol City moved quickly since scanning was not required to leave. Still, the realization of what I was about to do made my blood rush. My concern for Liam was the one thing giving me the fortitude I needed to leave the safety and comfort of Sol City.

Turning right outside the gates instead of left paid off. I soon found myself in a busier, business section where pushing through mobs and bumping casually into strangers was unavoidable. The outside lacked the wide streets common to Sol City and had a higher population density. The earth was home to nine billion people, most of whom lived in mega cities not unlike this one.

I felt lost in the crowd, but in a way, I also felt safer because of it. I was physically transformed and walked the streets of the outside like I'd done it a million times.

Now that I was on the outside, I had to start thinking like one of them. Even though everyone in Sol City called the area beyond their gates “the outside,” this region had an official name: Los Angeles.

I was in L.A. surrounded by naturals, and naturals, I'd determined, were a peculiar breed. My nose was assaulted by the strange scents of various smoking materials and roadside food kiosks.

All traditional ethnicities were mingling together, as if they didn't even notice the differences in their skin tones or the color of their hair or if they were old or fat.

When nothing terrible happened in the first twenty minutes, I started to calm. I paused to take a better look at my surroundings. Tall modern buildings of glass and steel mixed in with heritage buildings from the turn of the century. They were features Sol City lacked since it was only a couple of decades old. Grandiose digital and holographic billboards dotted the streets, high and low, and flashing, rotating images advertised everything from business prospects to the latest trends in cars and fashion to every kind of new technology.

The whole affair was overwhelming. How would I ever find one boy in this cauldron of people?

I was about to call my venture a failed experiment when I spotted the old clock tower Noah Brody had rallied in front of in the distance.

Traffic moved quietly but quickly, either propelled by solar electricity or along magnetic grids like the transit pods. I headed for a pedestrian bridge that would take me closer to the clock tower and grabbing the rail, I rode the moving stairs upwards, trying not to get annoyed as people pressed against me.

Once down the steps on the other side of the roadway, I scanned the groups of people loitering around the clock tower. I could see now that it was attached to an old church. Stucco had fallen away in places baring the brick exterior underneath. A number of stained-glass windows had been boarded up, and I could tell it was no longer in use. Nearby there was a fountain where teens lounged on benches, eating and drinking and talking loudly.

I scoured the crowds hoping to spot that brilliant red hair. Instead of Dexter, I found Noah Brody. His attractive body rested casually on one of the benches. A couple of girls sat on either side of him, giggling at something he said. He laughed, too, and I was surprised to see him do something other than scowl. The girls played off whatever witty thing he must’ve told them, flirting openly.

I inched closer, thinking maybe I could position myself near enough to hear what they were talking about. I shuffled in behind a couple who were holding hands, still nervous I might reveal myself. Maybe my disguise wasn't as great as I thought. The couple made a sudden right turn, and I froze. I was directly beside the bench. But Noah had disappeared; only the girls remained.

He wasn't the one I was looking for anyway, so I stepped backwards, craning my neck and searching for the boy with red hair, when I bumped up against someone.

“Oh, sorry,” I said, turning around. Then I let out a soft gasp.

Noah Brody stood directly in front of me, his right hand holding a newly opened soda can away from his body.

“Watch where you're going,” he sputtered, our eyes catching for a moment before he glanced over my shoulder.

Had he recognized me? His expression gave nothing away. He stepped around me, leaving me standing in his wake.

I was hit with a sudden inspiration. “Wait!”

Noah turned, his face sullen. “Yeah?”

“I saw you on TV.”

His body stiffened.

“I thought you were great,” I added quickly. “I totally agree with everything you said.”

I tensed as Noah considered me, his eyes narrowing in what I now suspected was his signature look.

“Really,” I added, just in case he still doubted me. “Those GAPs are junk.”

“Who are you?” he asked.

I swallowed. “I'm Chloe Morgan.”

“I haven't seen you hanging around here before.”

I hadn't thought of a back story. He was waiting, wearing that narrow glare again. I muttered, “I just moved here.”

“From where?”

“Uh, New San Diego.”

“New San Diego?”

I crossed my arms, rousing up all the attitude I could muster.

“Yeah, you got a problem with that?”

I hoped that was the end of the inquisition. I remembered how he had responded to those flirty girls and decided on a new tactic. Flirtation was a skill I possessed. I tilted my head and offered a shy smile and mild batting of the eyes.

Noah returned a careful grin.

“No, that’s cool. Why don’t you come with me? I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

He motioned to the girls that he was leaving. They gave me a sharp look before following behind. I wondered what it was about Noah Brody that had them jumping at his beck and call. He led them under an ancient highway overpass, the kind that used to be traveled on when old fashioned automobiles still ran on fossil fuels. Back when there was still plenty to be had. A rusted out car lay discarded in the ditch, overgrown with weeds. I had only seen restored versions in one of Sol City's museums before. A MagLev sky-train hummed as it floated along tracks high above.

It turned out this was the long way to the back of the old church, which could've easily been mistaken for a junkyard. More rusted relics and other sorts of trash littered the way. A doorway was hidden by overgrown bushes, and if it weren't for the narrow worn path through the tall grass, I'd have never guessed it was there.

Noah cracked the heavy door open just wide enough for us to squeeze inside, and I was relieved that the other girls were with us now. It would've been insane for me to follow a strange boy into a place like this alone. Not that what I was doing right now wasn't crazy.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust from the bright daylight to the darker room. Shafts of light streamed through broken stained glass high above my head, and dust swirled in its rays. Most of the pews had been removed but a few were left, moved out of their straight lines into a crooked circle. A wooden cross hung from the ceiling over an altar, but any other religious relics that might have once had a home here were gone. A lone guitar was propped in the corner.

Two guys were sleeping on the pews and Noah kicked one in the foot. “We got company.”

The nervous three-ring circus that had been going in my stomach jumped a notch. I was the company. The game was on.

“Everyone, this is Chloe Morgan. She just moved here from New San Diego.”

“Hi,” I said trying to imitate the slouched, bored look of the two girls who immediately took up residence on the same pew as Noah Brody. Not wanting to be the only one left standing, I slipped into the nearest pew. I noticed the absence of red hair with a sinking heart. What could I possibly learn about Liam's disappearance here?

Noah pointed to the skinny brunette and announced, “Beth.” Then he nodded to his other side, where the blonder, tall girl leaned up against him. She could've passed as a GAP if I hadn't known she was a natural. “This is Katy.”

They grunted at me like I was an irritating wad of gum on their shoes. The guys however, sat up and eagerly gave their names along with an appreciative look.

“Brian,” a heavyset guy about my age announced.

His hair was buzzed short, and reminded me of a peach. He blushed when he smiled at me. The other, lanky boy beside him leaned forward planting his bony elbows on his knees. He was all folded up like a praying mantis.

“I’m Anthony.”

Both boys grinned like happy dogs with a new bone dropped in their dish. I felt a certain satisfaction that disguised as a brown-eyed brunette, I still attracted guys, even the weird ones, though for some reason I didn't seem to have this same effect on Noah Brody. From the looks of things, he had his share of girlfriends, and besides, what did I care about what he thought of me?

I was here to find Zack Dexter.

“So,” I started, “when's your next rally?

Noah's eyes narrowed again. “What do you really know about our cause?”

I gulped. I was sure he knew I was a fake. I crossed my legs to keep my knees from shaking. “Well, to be honest, not a lot. Like I said, I saw you on TV. I thought you were cool and I'm new here. I'm just looking for people to hang out with.”

Noah stared at me and his dark eyes felt like soul scanners. What would he do if he discovered that I was a GAP? That I was really Zoe Vanderveen? I hoped the fear I felt creeping across my chest wasn't obvious.

“I'm glad you're being honest, Chloe. Honesty is really important to us.” He raised his arms and clasped his hands behind his head.

He was mocking me.

“So, how should we answer her?” he said to the room. “When should the next rally be?”

The arrogance radiating off this guy was blinding. I tried not to roll my eyes.

Katy said, “There's always a crowd at the open market.”

Brian scoffed. “Of mostly old ladies. We need something bigger, like the mayor elections.”

“But that's a month away,” Katy whined. “The market is open every day.”

“We could just do the sky train station again,” Anthony said, directing his comment to Noah. “Always a captive audience there.”

Noah dug for something in the front pocket of his jeans. My eyes bugged when I saw what he had in his hand. A coin. Real money. Did that mean Noah didn't have a chip? Was he one of those?

“Heads the market, tails the station.”

He tossed the coin into the air, caught it with his right hand and slapped it on the back of his left. “Tails,” he announced. “The sky train station it is. How about this evening, at eight?” His gaze fell on me. “Does that work for you, Chloe?”

I nodded. Not that I intended to come back to these nutcases.

Noah’s attention was drawn to his ring. He tapped it and a small head and shoulders image of an auburn-haired girl dangled in the air. Noah stood as he shut the image off and strutted to a dark corner for privacy. I couldn't help but wonder who the girl was. His call reminded me that I'd ignored two indicator vibrations after leaving Sol City. When I tapped my ring I saw I had two missed calls from Alison. Nothing from Jackson, which irritated me. I thought he'd at least call to apologize.

“Has anyone seen Dexter?” Beth's question grabbed my attention. A tingling sensation exploded in my chest.

Katy shook her head. “He's been working a lot lately. Speaking of which, I have to get ready for my slum job.”

Noah came back to the circle just as my ring buzzed again. Alison. I couldn’t keep ignoring her.

“I have to go,” I said, stepping in behind Katy as she prepared to leave.

Noah shrugged like he couldn’t care less what I did and went back to his spot by Beth. Fine. I didn’t care what he did, either.

6

￼

I felt like I’d escaped a burning building, covered in smoke and ash but basically unscathed. I thought I’d fooled the naturals, created a character unlike my real self—tough and fearless—but now looking back, I wasn’t so sure. A frustrated shudder coursed through me. I hadn’t even met Zack Dexter. Basically, the whole event had been a waste of time.

At least I hadn’t been called out. That would’ve been horribly embarrassing. And possibly dangerous. What would Noah Brody and his motley crew have done if my cover had been blown? I didn’t want to think about that.

When I finally entered my house, the scent of fresh baked bread overwhelmed my senses. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and I was famished. I made a beeline to the kitchen, noting the cook was nowhere to be seen, but the loaves of bread sat on the cutting board on the counter. I placed the bread in the holder and told it to slice. A laser beam shot across the board and cut a perfectly measured piece.

I bit into it and moaned with satisfaction.

“Where have you been?” Alison stood with hands on her narrow hips. She wore baggy sweat pants, and her hair stood on end like she hadn’t showered. Clearly, she was having an off day. I pointed to my full mouth and feigned a mumble. What should I tell her?

“I’ve been worried sick. First you take off without telling anyone where you’ve gone, and then you don’t answer your ComRing? I’m already missing one child, for God’s sake.”

I chewed and swallowed the last bit of doughy goodness in my mouth. “Um, sorry, Mom. I was at the beach. Needed to think. You know?”

Alison eyed me warily. “You wore that to the beach?”

Though I’d removed the wig and contacts in the pod, I still had the unfashionable costume on.

“Um, I need to do some laundry?”

“I don’t know what you’re up to Zoe, but you’d better stay out of trouble if you know what’s good for you.”

Alison’s face had grown cherry red, and I worried she might be on the brink of a nervous breakdown. We had to find Liam and fast. Thankfully, Paul entered the kitchen. I always felt more comfortable when he was with us.

“Dad? Have you heard anything?” Though I called my parents by their first names in my mind, I never called my dad Paul to his face. On occasion I’d call my mother Alison, when I was in the mood to get her riled up.

Paul pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table. He let out a hard breath.

“Dad?”

His eyes were rimmed red when he looked at me, causing my heart to squeeze tight.

“I think Liam’s in trouble.”

I felt my knees give, and I grabbed a chair. “How?”

Paul shook his head. “I don’t know. The authorities won’t talk. None of Liam’s friends know anything, and believe me, I’ve been asking. It’s like he’s disappeared off the face of the earth.”

I heard a loud sob escape Alison’s lips. For the first time in my life, I wished my mother and I had the kind of relationship where it would be perfectly normal for one of us to embrace the other, to reassure and comfort one another. Instead Alison walked away, leaving me and Paul to stare helplessly at each other.

My heart beat like I'd been mountain climbing, my ears pulsing like crashing waves. I waited for Paul to say something to break the rising tenor in my head. Even my dry swallows resounded in my throat.

“I’m going to my room,” I whispered, leaving Paul in my wake.

I sat on my bed. Someone had made it while I was gone—Saundra Brody probably.

“Turn of the century Arctic,” I said to my DigiWall. A vast whiteness blossomed before me. Snow as far as the eye could see. I’d never seen real snow before, though it snowed heavily in the north in the winters.

Climate change hadn’t eliminated the cold, just made it crazy, screwing with the seasons.

The Arctic ice was only half the size it had been in my great-grandparents’ day. The polar bear I now watched strolling grandly over the ice, its yellow-white fur moving over strong muscular shoulders and its black nose sniffing the air, looking for food, was a computer image. There weren’t any more polar bears.

A wide white desk sat against the far wall, and a large, glass computer monitor was imbedded in the wall above it. I moved to my desk chair and sat, then I told it to find Dr. Matthew Brody. Immediately a trail of listings appeared on my screen. I touched the first one.

DR. MATTHEW BRODY, GENETICIST, co-developer of the extended life gene manipulation process. Dr. Brody, along with his research partner, Dr. William Vanderveen are credited with being the first researchers to manipulate the human genome creating the possibility of doubling the human lifespan. The procedure was first performed in a Petri dish in a lab at the University of California in 2021, and later performed on select live-human specimens. Ironically, Dr. Matthew Brody was adamantly opposed to implementing his own discovery. He died of heart disease in 2032 at the age of 52.

Noah’s grandfather and my grandfather were research partners? How was it possible that I hadn’t heard of this before? My parents had never mentioned it which maybe wasn’t such a big surprise, but how come I’d never learned this in school? Was this why Paul said they weren’t just anybody? Did he feel some kind of responsibility for Noah’s family?

I shook my head. I couldn’t believe Noah’s own grandfather had denied his family the long life we now enjoyed. Sure it took money, but the Brodys must’ve had money back then. Didn’t they?

Was it really Dr. Brody’s moral beliefs that stopped him from providing the procedure to his family, or was it that he simply couldn’t afford to treat every member? If he’d had to choose one and not the other, I could understand how that might be difficult. Or maybe he’d had a moral issue with anybody receiving the procedure.

The second listing talked about Matthew’s son, David.

Reverend David Brody led a campaign against the manipulation of the human genome claiming the procedure that artificially extended human life was un-natural, and would cause new social difficulties associated with class division. He famously claimed that God would judge the world for this and other ethically and morally controversial procedures done in the name of science. He was assassinated on the steps of the church he presided over on September 18, 2037. He was 40 years old.

Saundra had started working for my parents shortly afterwards. I knew her husband had died, but I didn’t know he’d been assassinated for his beliefs. A picture appeared under the article. A man with a white religious collar stood on the steps of a church. I could see the resemblance between this man and his son, Noah. Same jaw line, same dark eyes. A partial view of the clock tower bled off the left corner.

That was the church where Noah’s father had resided as a reverend. It was the place his father had died.

No wonder Noah had staked a claim to it.

I startled when my ComRing vibrated. I tapped it and the hologram of Jackson’s face appeared.

“You’re answering your CR now?”

I nodded. “Yeah, sorry I had to turn it off for a while.”

“I don’t like it when I can’t get in touch with you.”

I fought back my irritation. “I said I was sorry.”

“Fine. We’re on my yacht at the dock. Why don’t you come?”

“We?”

“Yeah, Josh, Serena, Isabelle... the gang.”

I pictured my classmates lounging on Jackson’s yacht, not a trouble in the world. My first inclination was to decline. How could I relax with my friends when Liam was still missing?

“Com’on, Zoe. It’ll be good for you. For us.”

Suddenly, I felt like I was suffocating, trapped in some kind of cave I hadn’t made. Nothing I’d done, not even trekking to the outside and impersonating a natural had gotten me anywhere. Taking some time with my friends couldn’t hurt, could it?

“Yeah, okay. I’ll come.”

Jackson smiled and signed out.

I stripped out of my costume and raked through my summer things until I found a pair of khaki linen shorts and a green summer blouse. If I’d held the items up to the mirror, a six inch square computerized version of them would’ve appeared on the corner with info transmitting from the chip in each item of clothing. The computer would then tell me if they were a good fashion match and if they suited the weather outside.

At the moment I didn’t care what the computer thought; I just put them on, choosing pink sandals to brighten things up.

After donning sunglasses, I headed out the patio doors off the living room. An outdoor kitchen with a state of the art barbeque spread out from the right side and was decked with enough tables and wicker chairs to feed a dozen or more people. The pool sparkled in the sunshine on the other side.

I skipped down the steps to the second tier, across the lawn and down onto the beach. I took my sandals off and dug my toes in the sand. The wind blew my hair about and I wished I could just fall back onto the sand and let the rumble of the sea comfort me.

But Jackson would freak if I didn’t show soon. I was surprised he hadn’t buzzed me already. I made my way to the docks southward in the distance, shooing away seagulls that squawked above my head and remembering the last time I’d walked along this beach with Liam after surfing.

I missed him. A hard ball of dread formed in my stomach growing larger with each passing hour. I forced myself to think of other things. School would start back up in a few weeks, and the reading I had to do to prepare for it. Then my mind drifted to Noah Brody, and the odd connection between our families.

Before this week, everything about my life was staid and normal. Though Alison was changing careers, Paul had always worked for Sleiman Enterprises, not surprising, since my grandfather Senator (Dr.) William Vanderveen had built the corporation into the mega industry it was. We’d lived in the same house all my life, and spent a lot of time on the ocean, either surfing or scuba diving off our own yacht.

I went to school at Sol City High and, like most of the students there, got straight As. My future, again like most students, was to attend Sol City University and ultimately contribute to scientific research that would undoubtedly lead to the next big discovery.

Life was fairly simple.

Until now. Liam’s disappearance had shaken up everything.

The gates to the dock opened after I held my hand under the scanner. I replaced my sandals and walked toward Jackson’s yacht near the end.

There were at least a hundred boat slips at this marina, one of many that lined the west coast. The Vanderveen’s own yacht was stowed here. I’d been on Jackson’s family’s yacht a hundred times; I didn’t even have to think to find it. The white bow glowed in the sun, and an American flag flapped in the breeze. I climbed the metal walkway that bridged the dock to the yacht and followed the sound of the music playing past the galley and through the cockpit.

A handful of people was hanging out on the aft deck. I hesitated when I saw Jackson’s familiar head, his toned body reclining in a lounging chair, his bare chest facing the setting sun. He was beautiful. Serena and Isabelle were wearing bikinis and swaying to the electronic music, their long blond locks flowing down their toned backs.

They were all beautiful. I knew I was too, and I liked that I was beautiful. Noah Brody could have his natural life, his ridiculous cause and weird-looking friends. I skipped across the deck and gave Jackson a big kiss on the lips.

7

￼

I had all but given up on attending Noah Brody’s rally. What could I possibly learn by returning to the outside?

But when I got home from the yacht party, I found Alison slumped over an uneaten supper. Her bony shoulders were slouched forward, and dark circles were under her bloodshot eyes. I almost gasped aloud. I’d never in my seventeen years seen my mother as anything but strong, driven and gorgeous.

“Mom?”

Alison, lifted her head slightly in acknowledgment.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

I wondered if it was okay to leave her sitting alone like this. “Are you sure?”

“I said, I’m fine!”

I jumped back at the strength of her words. She obviously didn’t want to be comforted, not that I had any idea whatsoever on how to go about doing that.

I’d snacked at the yacht party, so I decided to skip this particular dining experience with my mother.

But I had to do something. As much as I didn’t understand Alison, and honestly, I often didn’t even like her, she was still my mother. Liam had to be found.

Which meant attending Noah’s rally.

Back in my room, I pinned my hair up and stuffed it under the wig. Then I popped in the brown contacts, a procedure that went far more smoothly the second time around. I put the same clothes on as I had worn earlier, and studied my image in the mirror. Bland and dowdy.

Perfect.

The house was big enough that I could slip away unnoticed. I made my way to the garage and buckled myself into my pod, instructing it to take me to the gate.

Vehicle traffic coming in from the outside had picked up with business commuters returning home. Fewer electric cars were in the lane going out, but clearly there was some kind of draw that took the residents outside. I’d never had reason to observe gate traffic before. I’d naively assumed everyone stayed happily in Sol City like I did.

Foot traffic going in and out remained constant, a crowded flow. With so many people surrounding me, I’d been silly to think someone would’ve noticed me last time.

Once I passed through the gates, I walked directly to the sky train station. I kept my head down and wished there were some way I could plug my nose. The heat of summer didn’t mix well with sweaty flesh, and most of the people I jostled against needed to go home and have a shower.

A gray-haired man paced with a sandwich board sign on his bent body. The front said “More Elderly = More Care Needed.”

On the back it read, “Starving Seniors is a Disgrace to a Nation.”

I stared at the man’s face. His eyes were watery bright like crystal, and elephant skin hung loosely over his face and arms. I couldn’t help feeling grossed out. Sol City didn’t have elderly, or at least, the elderly there didn’t look like that.

I was already late and hoped I hadn’t missed the whole thing. It was in the same neighborhood as the church, and I’d noted the signs that showed the way earlier. I crossed the courtyard and passed the water fountain where I’d first bumped into Noah earlier that day. A humid breeze fanned the varied food smells from the food court–some good, some not so good.

With all the people and traffic, it was trickier to get to the station than I’d thought. Finally, I found the escalator that took me to the sky train platform over head. By the time I found Noah and his gaggle of placard-raising followers, he was already wrapping up.

“GAPs are oblivious to the struggles outside their gates.” Noah didn’t have a mic or a blow horn like I’d imagined he would. Just the power of his own voice carried his message through the crowd; resonate, clear, baritone that was pretty impressive. “They live in walled paradises, never knowing hunger, or strife or the pressures to pay bills.”

I admired his tenacity at any rate, even if his passions were misplaced. I wondered why the news people were missing. Maybe because this small rally wasn’t disrupting a Sleiman event?

Noah didn’t seem to care about the size of the crowd, or if the media were present. He seemed to like the sound of his own voice.

“Write the mayor and those running against her, hoping to fill her shoes. If they really want your support, they will oppose GAP policies. No more genetic manipulation. No more tax breaks for those who are older than one hundred years due to artificial means. No more gated, elitist, technologically advanced cities. Make sure your voice is heard!”

I crossed my arms and braced myself against the bodies that pushed against me as a new batch of travelers disembarked from the last train.

I’d lost sight of Noah, craning my neck to see if I could make him or any of his friends out in the crowd. Then two forceful words blasted through the dissonance of the train station noise.

“You’re late.”

Noah Brody stood beside me, his body pressing close as people pushed by.

I squirmed. “Uh, yeah, sorry about that. I must’ve gotten the times wrong.”

Noah stared at me hard. Something was off about this guy. He unnerved me. I glanced away, plotting out which direction I should dash and calculating the odds of out-running him.

The next train filled up with passengers and left like a breath leaving space on the platform.

“You sounded great,” I offered weakly. “Seemed...well-received?”

Before Noah could respond, someone called his name. I glanced over Noah’s shoulder and spotted a wiry-looking guy with red hair.

Dexter.

Like it or not, now I’d have to stick around. Dexter was the key to unlocking the mystery of what happened to Liam. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass by.

“Noah,” the guy called out as he hobbled to where Noah and I were standing. There was something awkward about his gait.

“Ultimate, speech, man. Ultimate!”

“Thanks, Dex,” Noah said.

Zack Dexter jittered around like a knobby jointed string-puppet. I wondered if he were on something. I’d heard naturals weren’t always fans of staying “natural” in the purest sense of the word. That was something I didn’t get. The naturals were all high and mighty when it came to their negative opinions about improving human life with science, but they didn’t think twice about damaging their cells with dangerous pharmaceuticals.

Dexter eyed me up and down, his lips stretching over crooked teeth. “Who’s this?”

“Dexter,” Noah said, “meet Chloe. Chloe, Dexter.”

Dexter’s ginger eyebrows shot up. “Hi!”

Before I could respond, Noah interrupted. “I’m starved. Let’s get something to eat.”

People started gathering for the next train, making conversation difficult. Noah guided me by my elbow, a too-intimate act that made me uncomfortable, down the escalator to the exit.

We entered the food court between the station and the church. It spread out from the outdoor courtyard down to a second-level underground. We were blasted by bright lights and digital signs announcing every kind of ethnic food on the planet: Thai, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese, Korean, French, British, Indian and good ol’Americano. I found the combination of smells to be a little nauseating. A cement floor ran through the entire place, dotted with aluminum tables and chairs painted red.

Noah led the way to the Indian kiosk in the corner. The cement floor had something smeared on it, a failed effort at cleaning up a spill. Grime had built up along the wall creases and I was grossed out by the chair Noah pulled out for me. I tried to keep a neutral expression fighting the grimace that threatened to overtake my face.

“What’d you want?” Noah said to me. “My treat.”

“Oh, um, I don’t know.” I was getting over my initial shock at the disgusting lack of hygiene, and the food was starting to smell okay. My queasiness passed and I was suddenly starving. I scanned the menu that hung behind the counter.

“Number two is pretty good,” Noah said.

“Sure.”

I watched as Noah and Dexter placed their orders. Noah tugged a wallet out of his back pocket and paid in cash, but I was relieved to see that Dexter held his hand out to be scanned. At least they weren’t all fanatics.

The guys returned with trays; Dexter took the seat opposite and Noah, the one beside. It was a little unsettling how close he tended to keep to me.

“I didn’t think there were places left that took cash anymore,” I said, as Noah took his rice bowl off the tray and pushed a second one to me. I inhaled the savory curry scent, eager to dig in. I picked a cashew off the top and tossed it into my mouth.

“There aren’t many. Only the ones whose owners haven’t taken the chip themselves. Dealing in cash is becoming an underground activity.”

“But you just did it in broad daylight.”

“That’s because it’s not illegal. Yet.”

Chip implantation was a voluntary procedure. The security and convenience it provided made sense to me. Plus, it wasn’t that expensive. Even the naturals could probably afford it. I didn’t think not having a chip would ever be illegal. Noah was just paranoid.

Dexter’s leg jiggled under the table. The guy could not sit still.

“So, Dexter,” I started. “Have you and Noah been friends long?”

Dexter stared at Noah and grinned. “So long, we could be brothers.”

Noah snorted good-naturedly.

Dexter cleared his throat directing his next comment to Noah. “Dude, is this your new lady love?”

New lady love? Like he has an old one? Or several? I had no plans to fill that role. There was a thud and then a yelp from Dexter. Noah had kicked him under the table.

“You’re such an idiot.”

Dexter laughed and wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Well then, maybe me and the new girl?”

I wasn’t amused. I couldn’t believe Dexter thought he’d have even the slightest chance with me.

“I don’t think so,” I said.

Another stupid grin. “I didn’t think so either, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”

I didn’t have time to be the object of some jerk’s desire. I needed to get the conversation where I wanted it to go, so I could get the information I was hoping for and leave.

“Have you always lived in L.A?”

“Yup,” Dexter mumbled with a mouthful. “Home sweet home.”

“Have you ever been, you know, to Sol City?”

Noah’s fork paused midair. Dexter choked a bit before gulping from his soda can. Uh, oh. Wrong thing to say.

“No,” Dexter finally said. “You can’t get through the gates without GAP ID. Why’d you ask that?”

I picked at my rice with my fork. “I don’t know. I’m new here. Just making conversation.”

Noah turned his chair toward me, the metal legs scraping along the cement floor. The grinding noise made me shudder.

“You must miss New San Diego. I heard they finally finished the Obama Memorial Bridge.”

I hesitated before answering. I was worried that Noah might know more about New San Diego than I did, which was entirely possible.

“Sure. It’s awesome,” I said, wondering if there even was an Obama Memorial Bridge and if I’d just failed some kind of test.

Dexter stood suddenly. “Nature calls.” He sauntered down a dark hallway to the public restrooms.

I took a bite of curry. It burned my throat, and I followed it with a sip of soda.

Noah seemed fascinated by my every move. I couldn’t think of a thing to say, and when he stayed silent, watching me from the corner of his eye, I squirmed, desperate to get out from under his gaze.

“You know, maybe I’ll go, too.”

I followed the hallway Dexter had taken, entering the ladies room that was at the end of the hall. The toilets and sinks hadn’t been cleaned in a few days, and there was no way I was going to touch anything in the room, much less use the facilities. In fact, I wasn’t even going to go back to the table. I’d have to find a way to get Dexter alone if I wanted answers. Noah Brody was becoming a huge nuisance.

I waited a good fifteen minutes before treading softly back down the hall, glancing at our table and sighing with relief when I saw it was empty. They must have left without me. But just as I turned the corner to make my escape, a body stepped in front of me, blocking the sunlight. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew it was Noah Brody. And I knew that he knew.

8

￼

I took a small step back.

“Where you off to, Chloe? Don’t you know it’s rude to eat and run?”

I felt my throat constrict. I took another step back. Noah placed his arm over my head as I pressed against the wall.

“I’m just going home.”

“Home? To Sol City?”

My eyes burned, and I feared I might burst into tears. Instead I swallowed hard and stared back at him. I fought to keep the quiver out of my voice. “My boyfriend knows where I am.”

“Sure he does.”

“I’m serious.”

“Then he’s not a very good boyfriend.”

I bit my lip. A tear escaped unbidden.

Noah’s voice softened. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re really up to, Zoe Vanderveen?”

I squirmed under his gaze.

“My brother is missing.” My voice sounded so weak. So small.

“Liam? He still hasn't come home?”

I shook my head. “He’s been gone for four days.”

“Four days isn’t really that long, you know, for a guy his age.”

“His chip isn’t tracking.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed as he processed the news. “That is kind of odd, I guess. What do the authorities say?”

I offered a frustrated shrug. “They aren’t saying anything.”

He dropped his arm and took a step back. “I see. And you think I have something to do with it?”

“I don’t know. But I think Dexter might.”

“Dexter?”

I dug into my shoulder bag and removed the note. I showed it to him. “I found this in Liam’s room.”

He took it, then handed it back. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

I wiped the runaway tear off my face with the back of my hand. “It’s the only clue I have.”

Noah’s ComRing buzzed. He tapped it and the image of the auburn-haired girl popped up. Noah turned the image and sound off, and he mumbled into his hand, “Yeah, I’m on my way.”

I saw his chest expand as he took a deep breath, considering.

“Dexter has a lot of problems, I’ll be the first to admit that, but I just can’t see him mixed up with this. I mean, how would someone like Dexter ever meet someone like your brother?”

I shrugged limply. “I know it’s a long shot, but I have to at least ask him.”

“Okay, I’ll help you.” Noah started walking. I stared at his back, not sure what he meant by that.

He turned. “Are you coming?”

I couldn’t believe I was running after Noah Brody to who knew where. I wasn’t sure I could trust him, but at this point, I didn’t have a choice. I caught up and kept pace with his long strides, following him onto the MagLev public pod. He dropped coins into the old money collector, one of the few patrons who did, and I ran my hand under the scanner.

I took a sideways seat next to him, my heart beating and my mind racing. What if this was a trick? Maybe I’d end up missing, too, my chip cut out of my hand and my wrists slashed, while I bled to death in some dank, abandoned shed.

I shook my head. I couldn’t think like that. At this point, Noah was my best hope for finding Liam, and he said he’d help me. I had to believe him.

A black guy with a red bandana on his head sat across from us. His white wife or girlfriend sat beside him. The pod had the capacity to seat twelve, but twice that many jumped aboard, choosing to stand in the aisle, hanging onto suspended bars for balance.

A petite Asian girl squeezed in beside me forcing me to press against Noah. I felt the strength of his thigh against mine and the warmth of his skin against my arm. I wanted to feel repulsed, but I was surprised that my response was different, curious.

If Noah felt anything, he didn’t give it away. His dark eyes focused on a bright digital advertisement opposite us, partially concealed by shifting bodies. I examined his profile wondering if I could trust him. His hair was trimmed short over his ears, and his cheek bones were high. A shadow of a beard was forming on his chin and jaw line, and his lips, though pressed together firmly, were full.

My impressions were changing. Noah Brody was actually not bad-looking.

The pod came to a stop, and he stood and exited with me close on his heels. We were in a residential area with blocks of apartment buildings and dense, multi-family housing. I followed him down a back alley past graffiti-laden fences cramped with long grasses and wildflowers.

The path opened onto a friendlier-looking cul-de-sac lined with one-story attached Spanish-styled houses. Each house had tangerine-orange stucco siding that was faded in the places that saw the most sun. The yards were landscaped with indigenous cacti, lemon trees and wild grasses. A few homes had tiny electric cars or scooters sitting in the drive, but I assumed most of the people living in this area took advantage of public transit.

Noah climbed the steps to a wooden patio I could tell was once painted white. It had a number of terracotta planters on it, all over-flowing with bright pink, purple and red flowers native to California. I supposed that some people might call the place charming.

The front door was open, so no one noticed when we walked in. The bungalow didn’t have a foyer, and I found myself immediately in a small living area. A sofa draped with a mixed array of blankets sat opposite a dated midsized flat-screen TV. A reclining chair rested at an angle between them, and on the floor was an old burgundy rug.

The eating area was on the left side of the entrance. The kitchen table had someone’s leftover peanut butter sandwich on one end and a finished old-fashioned puzzle on the other. The image was of France. Though there were three pieces missing, it hadn’t stopped the puzzle maker from working it to the end.

Children’s voices broke through the quiet.

“Noah!”

A young boy, no older than five, threw himself into Noah’s arms.

“Hey, big guy!” Noah’s voice was softened by a fondness I was surprised to hear.

“This is my little brother, Davis,” he said. “Davis this is....”

“Chloe,” I said, deciding to keep my real life separate from my intrusion into this one.

Another boy followed behind Davis. This one was in his early teens.

“And,” Noah continued, “my brother, Jonathon.”

“Hi,” I said.

Noah had two siblings, both brothers. Being from Sol City, I’d never seen such a family before, though, I knew they existed.

“Oh, Noah, you’re here.” The auburn-haired girl from the holographic image entered the room. At first I wondered if this was another of Noah’s girlfriends, but on second glance she looked too old for him. Late twenties at least.

“I got called into work early. Tell your mom I’ll be back tomorrow.”

The girl came to a halt when she saw me. A smile crossed her face. “I didn’t know we had company.”

Her hair was pulled back off her face, and her eyes, the same color as Noah’s, were like chocolate brownies. Like my contacts.

I surprised myself by thinking the girl was pretty. Could brown-eyed brunettes be pretty? I glanced into a mirror hanging crookedly on the wall and considered my revised image. With this disguise, was I still pretty?

“Skye, this is Chloe. She’s new to town.” To me he said, “This is my cousin, Skye.”

“They’ve both eaten,” Skye said after welcoming me. “Jonathon, help Noah put Davis to bed at seven, okay?”

Jonathon nodded and followed her as she hurried outside.

“She’s a nurse,” Noah said. “She helps take care of my brothers when my mother and I are working.”

“You have a job?” I meant, outside of stepping in for his mother.

Noah tilted his head. “Not all of us get summers of leisure.”

Before I could think of a smart reply, Noah’s head snapped to attention. A woman outside was talking to Jonathon. Noah grabbed my arm.

“It’s my mom. I don’t think she should see you.”

He pushed me into the first room off the living room just as I heard Saundra Brody walk in the front door.

I was obviously in Noah’s bedroom. A double bed was neatly made with a navy blue quilt. A near-empty desk had only a thin e-tablet and computer pen lying on top. An acoustic guitar was in the corner. A digital photo frame hung on the wall and flashed pictures of the Brody family. I pressed the pause tab when one of the whole family appeared. It was taken when Reverend David Brody was still alive, and the family was at a cabin in the woods. Davis was just a baby in Saundra’s arms. Noah was shorter and skinnier, but he still had the mischievous grin I’d seen him flash a few times.

Seeing how Noah lived, it was hard to imagine that at one time our grandfathers were friends and co-researchers. If only Matthew Brody had been more open-minded, Noah would be hanging out with me and Jackson and the gang, and Saundra wouldn’t be cleaning anyone else’s home for a living.

It was a small house and I could see into the living room through the crack in the bedroom door.

The familiar shape of our family’s domestic help stood silhouetted in the sunlight. Noah and Davis both approached her and gave her a hug. Noah asked her if she’d had a good day. Saundra sank tiredly into the recliner and shifted back. Noah brought her a glass of ice tea.

My throat thickened with emotion. Never in my life had I experienced the familial affection in my own family as I’d just witnessed with this one.

Saundra closed her eyes, and I could see the dark rings underneath them. Her arms were thin and bony, her breath deep and raspy.

She was ill.

Of course she was. That was why Noah had been coming to clean our house for her every once in a while.

I moved away from the door when I saw Noah approaching.

“She’s sick,” I said as he entered.

Noah scoffed. “You’re just noticing that now?”

“I’m sorry if I’ve seemed insensitive before.”

Noah puffed through his nose as he sat in the chair by his desk. He propped up the computer pen, little tripod legs snapping out, and turned it on. A virtual monitor projected onto the wall, while a virtual keyboard lit up simultaneously on his desk.

“What’s wrong with her?”

Noah flashed me a look like it wasn’t my business, but then he answered me anyway. “Her heart is failing. She was born with a weak heart, so it’s not a big surprise.”

“But,” I continued, “couldn’t she be cured with stem cell therapy?”

“You mean embryonic stem cell therapy?”

I shrugged, “Yeah, whatever.” I’d heard that some uneducated people still had an issue with that. “Why hasn’t she been treated?”

“She thinks killing one human, big or small, to fix another human, big or small, is wrong.”

“But...”

Noah gave me a sharp look. “I invited you here to work on your problems, not mine. Okay?”

I lowered myself tentatively into a second chair where I had view of his virtual monitor. I understood now that Noah had to come home to take care of his family, which was why we hadn’t just used his ComRing at the food court to work on this.

Noah spoke to the monitor, “Sleiman Enterprises.”

I was stunned. “Sleiman? My dad works for them.”

Noah huffed. “No kidding. Half of L.A. works for them or one of their many divisions. All of Sol City works for them.”

“No they don’t.”

Noah swiveled to look me in the eyes. “You’re pretty naive aren’t you?”

My back straightened, my emotions ruffled. “I’m not. Just because I don’t agree with you, doesn’t make me naive.”

“Fine.” Noah turned back to the monitor.

Yeah, fine, I thought. I just wanted to get done and get home. “What would Sleiman have to do with Liam’s disappearance?”

“Well, for one thing, there are only a handful of corporations in the US that basically run everything. Agribusiness, energy distribution, science and medicine. The main controllers and distributors of pharmaceuticals.”

“Drugs?” I said indignantly. “Liam isn’t into drugs.”

“Maybe not, but Dexter is.”

“I figured. What’s he on?”

“Two years ago, Dexter was pushed in front of a transit pod. He was able to scramble out of the way before being flattened, but the pod smacked his foot, breaking all the bones including his toes, ankle and shin bones in several places. By the time his foot had healed up he was firmly addicted to pain killers. He tried to get off them, but it was tough. The cycle of anxiety, palpitations, and nausea kept him from sleeping more than a couple of hours a night and the whole experience threw him into a deep depression. Add uppers, downers and anti-depression meds to his arsenal of painkillers and you have a big problem.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Yes. And expensive. Insurance doesn’t cover addictive use of prescription meds. Doctors don’t prescribe them either. At least not the good ones.”

“I don’t get the connection with Liam.”

“Liam works at Sol City University, right?”

I nodded.

“SCU is operated and funded by Sleiman Enterprises.” Noah pointed to the monitor with SLIEMAN’s home page on it.

“Yeah, I guess I knew that, but Liam is just a researcher. He doesn’t have anything to do with Sleiman, at least not directly.”

Noah clicked on a link that boasted about all of Sleiman’s research efforts.

“Sleiman controls all scientific research. It’s no longer about researching and discovering new and great possibilities for the good of mankind; it hasn’t been for decades. It’s about money. Sleiman directs the research until it gets the ‘findings’ it wants in order to make money.”

“How do you know this?”

“I read the internet news. The information is easy to find if you know where to look.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “You can’t trust everything you read on the internet. I’ve met the CEO of Sleiman personally. He’s a nice guy.”

Noah stared at me. “You don’t really believe that Ronald K. Smythe actually cares about the people, do you? Maybe a little bit about GAPs but certainly not about the rest of us.”

I crossed my arms nervously across my chest. Noah was just jaded. And a conspiracy theorist.

“Does it matter what I think about him?” I said. “I still don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

“Sleiman has people on the ground, the underground, actually. Also known as the black market. Someone’s been dealing to Dexter.”

I was incredulous. “Liam is not a drug dealer!”

“I’m not saying he is. I’m just saying that Dexter needs drugs, and Liam works for the company that makes and supplies them. You were looking for a connection between Dexter and Liam, right? So, here’s one.”

“There’s got to be another connection,” I said. “Or this is the wrong Dexter.”

I stood, wiping my damp hands on my jeans. “Thanks for your help, but I’ve got to go.”

“Just let me put Davis to bed and I’ll go with you.”

“I can find my way back myself.”

“Maybe so, but this isn’t Sol City. No offense, but you’re not exactly street smart.”

I hated to admit it, but he was right. And it had gotten dark out. I reluctantly agreed to wait.

I saw that the reclining chair was empty when I stepped out of Noah’s bedroom. Jonathon already had Davis in the room next door. I glanced in briefly, seeing a banged up set of bunk beds. Apparently Davis and Jonathon shared a room.

I waited for Noah in the living room, but I could hear him as he read a story aloud. And then something else—a prayer?

Noah didn’t look up when he left the bedroom and headed straight for the front door. I followed him outside.

We didn’t say much on the pod trip back to the downtown station, and when I said I could make it back to the gates alone, Noah stubbornly insisted on walking me the whole way.

Our newly formed relationship was undefined and uncomfortable. I couldn’t wait to walk through the gates and get away from him, but before I did I had to ask one more question.

“Can you arrange for me to talk to Dexter?”

“Dexter won’t talk to you about that. Now, if you wanted to go on a date with him...” Noah flashed one of his infrequent but pleasant smiles.

“I need to–”

“I’ll talk to him, Zoe. He’s pretty tight-lipped about his love affair with pharmaceuticals, but we’ve been friends a long time. He might open up to me.”

Noah finally left when I was through the gates and out of sight. I didn’t relax until I was in my pod and had removed the wig and contacts. Looking into the visor mirror, I let out a long sigh. I was blond and blue-eyed again. And safe.

9

￼

Alison and Paul sat close together at the kitchen table, two half-empty mugs of coffee between them. Partially drawn shades filtered streams of morning light, casting stripes on the tile floor. The patio doors were unopened, and the cool, filtered air made me wish I’d put a sweater on. I entered the kitchen quietly, not wanting to disturb my parents.

“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Alison said with a tight, constricted voice.

“What’s happening again?” I said. Alison and Paul startled.

“Nothing,” Paul said, too quickly.

I didn’t believe that for an instant. I spoke to the coffee machine, waited half a minute for my sweetened latte to appear, and stirred it slowly. Leaning against the cool white granite countertop, I sipped it as I eyed my parents. They hadn’t moved, nor had they spoken another word.

What had happened again?

“Dad, you work for Sleiman. What’s their position on the underground pharmaceutical drug trade?”

Paul’s eyes fluttered. “What? What are you talking about, Zoe?”

“I’ve been reading, and I’ve discovered a profitable drug trade is happening on the outside—and that Sleiman is aware of the problem. I’m just wondering what they’re doing to stop it.”

Paul shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s not really my department.”

“But you must know something. Maybe the students at the university are–”

“Are what?” Alison snapped. “Are dealing drugs on the outside? Really, Zoe, we have bigger problems on our hands right now than trying to solve a mythical problem you’ve read on some hacker’s website.”

She got up abruptly, took her cup and headed outside through the patio door. I told the shades to open and watched Alison through the wall of glass as she collapsed onto a lounge chair by the pool.

I looked back at Paul but he wouldn’t return my gaze. Whatever my parents knew, they weren’t about to tell me. I’d have to keep digging for answers on my own.

I headed back upstairs. Saundra Brody was half way up, dusting the rails. She wore a short-sleeved white blouse with a black knee-length skirt. A white apron was wrapped around her waist, emphasizing just how thin the woman was. I paused briefly as I passed her. Saundra gave me a short, polite smile then refocused on her task. I considered her, how she worked hard, even in her frail health. Saundra didn’t know that I’d been to her house, saw how she lived.

She didn’t know that, in some small way, I envied her.

Once in the privacy of my room, I tapped my ring and said Jackson.

It buzzed a couple times, and I worried for a moment that he wouldn’t answer. But then his image popped up.

“Hi, Jackson.”

“Hey, what’s up?”

What’s up? That’s what I’d like to know. “Are you busy? I’d like to come by.”

“I’m at the lab right now.”

“So. You take breaks.”

“Yeah, but you know they’re not crazy about students having non-campus guests.”

I felt the muscles in my face spasm. “That’s never stopped us before.”

A pause. “Okay, sure. Come over.”

“See you in ten.”

Ten minutes to think about what was happening to us. I climbed into my pod. We were both worried about Liam, but instead of drawing us together, it was pushing us apart.

I noticed it the day before on Jackson’s yacht. When I’d laid that kiss on him, the first real kiss we’d shared in days, it had felt forced. He’d kissed me back, but after that, we’d refrained from any more PDAs.

It was probably my fault. I was the one who had pulled away first. I hoped when I got to the lab, we’d be able to close that gap. The first thing I was going to do when I saw him was give him a real heart-felt I miss you kiss.

It didn’t happen that way. When I entered the lab, Isabelle was sitting on a countertop. She wore a flirty sundress, and her long legs were crossing at the ankles. A pair of expensive sunglasses was propped on the top of her blond head.

“Hi, Zoe,” she said too brightly.

“Hi,” I answered.

“I thought you weren’t allowed guests?” I said to Jackson.

Jackson pulled off a pair of rubber gloves. “Isabelle just popped in. Since you were coming anyway...”

A movement on the other side of the room caught my eye. Mitchell Redding. He was enthralled by something in a Petri dish. I didn’t bother him with a greeting, since he wasn’t exactly the social type. I stuffed my hands in my shorts pockets, and rocked on my sandal heels.

“What are you guys working on?” I asked.

“Confidential,” Jackson said. “You know that.”

“Yeah, I’m getting there are a lot of secrets I don’t know about.”

“Speaking of secrets,” Jackson said, “where were you last night? You’re getting really hard to track down.” He crossed his arms, no sign of warmth in his eyes. This whole thing was going wrong.

“Uh, you know what?” Isabelle said, slipping off the counter. “I think I’m going to go.”

Good idea. This conversation was stressed enough without a spectator.

I forced a smile. “Sure. See you later.”

Jackson started fiddling with lab equipment, throwing items into a big, stainless steel sink.

As I watched, I couldn’t help but compare Jackson to Noah. There was more to distinguish them besides height and coloring. Jackson had everything he could ever possibly want and more. Noah seemed deeply unsatisfied. Jackson was laid-back, although with Liam missing he was more tense. But usually, he was as chilled as they came. Noah was a dichotomy. He was riled up about his perceived injustices, but he also had an inner calm, something that shone when he was with his family.

Both guys were attractive in their own ways.

Wait, did I just think that? Of course, Jackson was gorgeous, but Noah? Yesterday I’d admitted to myself that I thought Noah wasn’t bad-looking, which I supposed could happen once you get to know someone a little. But had he notched up to attractive?

I recalled how his face lit up when little Davis ran into the room. Noah’s dark eyes were like warm pools of pudding, his jaw was no longer sharp but strong. When he smiled, I could see that his front tooth was slightly crooked. None of my friends had crooked teeth. All were straight, all the time.

But I liked it—it was cute. And the way his arms bulged as he wrapped his brother in a hug...

“Zoe?”

Oh my God. I couldn’t believe I’d just been daydreaming about Noah Brody while standing in front of Jackson!

I needed help. Or at least more sleep. Even if Jackson and I weren’t a couple, there was no way in a million years I could ever date a natural. For one thing, he’d start aging in his twenties and thirties at double the rate...

“Zoe!”

“Oh, sorry.” I forced myself to focus on what was happening right now. “Yeah, I’ve just been really upset about Liam. I think my parents know something but aren’t telling me.”

I looked at Jackson imploringly. “You’d tell me if you found something out, wouldn’t you?”

Jackson’s shoulders softened. He took a step toward me. I returned the gesture until I was pressed against his chest, his arms tight around me.

He stroked my hair. “Of course I would.”

I took a moment to enjoy his affection, knowing the next thing I said might turn him off.

“I have kind of a strange question.”

“Yeah?”

“I know Sleiman Enterprises is connected to the university and I’m just wondering if they are involved with providing pharmaceuticals to the outside.”

Jackson pulled back to study my face. “Of course we make pharmaceuticals. That’s common knowledge.”

“I mean, does it get sold on the outside?”

“Sure, they’re sold worldwide.”

“I mean underground. Illegally.”

“I suppose. That’s an age-old trade. I’m sure the authorities are doing what they can to stop it. But why are you asking? Wait, you don’t think Liam–”

“I don’t know what to think.”

“Listen, Zoe. I can’t tell you what happened to Liam, but I do know one thing for sure. He wasn’t selling drugs.”

I can’t tell you what happened to Liam...

“Why can’t you tell me, Jackson? What happened to Liam?”

He pinched his eyes together, and when he opened them again, he stared hard at me. “I don’t know what happened to Liam.”

Why couldn’t I believe him?

10

￼

Noah was filling in for Saundra, and he didn’t hear me as I approached the kitchen. I watched as he cleared abandoned breakfast dishes for two off a table that could seat twelve. Our kitchen was at least three times bigger than his, with large, energy efficient appliances outfitted with smart-glass surfaces. The refrigerator’s built-in computer automatically updated used or outdated items, awaiting instructions as to whether they should be reordered from the local grocery super-store. An internet window embedded in the glass streamed a news channel while another window flashed photos.

Noah stopped what he was doing to watch the pictures of me and Liam as they flipped up.

“Hey,” I said.

He jerked backwards and lifted his chin with a quick nod. “Hi.”

A dirty coffee cup was in his hand, and he stood frozen to the spot. Yesterday, I had been on his turf; now he was on mine. I couldn’t say we were friends, but our time together had turned into something friendly. His eyes drifted to the dirty mug and back to me and he tugged self-consciously on his white serving blazer.

“This is awkward,” I finally said.

“You look different,” he said back.

Of course I looked different; I wasn’t wearing a wig or eye altering contacts.

“It must be really weird for you to see me like this again.”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“I hope you can get used to it.” I entered the kitchen, and opened a dishwasher. “I’ll help.”

“No, that’s all right. It’s my job.”

“It’s our mess.” I smiled at him, in part to try to set him at ease, and in part because I found his discomfiture amusing.

“I don’t think Liam was dealing drugs,” I said as I removed clean plates and placed them into the cupboard.

“It was just a theory,” Noah said, loosening up enough to get back to work.

“And I appreciate it. Believe me, getting information hasn’t been easy. I’m thankful for anything.”

Noah filled a second industrial sized dishwasher with dirty pots. “Why are you so sure my theory is wrong?”

“Because Jackson told me, and I believe him.”

“Who’s Jackson?”

“My boyfriend.”

That stopped him. Once again he paused, holding a dirty dish mid air.

“You thought I made that part up?”

I remembered how I’d said my boyfriend knew where I was when I’d felt trapped in the food court. That was before I knew what kind of person Noah was.

“No, of course you’d have a boyfriend.” He turned on a tap to dampen a cloth.

“He’s a scientist.”

“So?”

“Well, science is....”

“Is what?” He turned off the tap and stared at me.

“Science is the key to, well, everything.”

Noah rolled his eyes. “Science isn’t the key to everything.”

Did he really just say that? “I think it is.”

“Well, then,” he said, holding my gaze. “You’re wrong.”

“I’m wrong?”

“Do you think you’re never wrong?”

I placed the cutlery into the appropriate drawer. “Do you think you’re never wrong?”

“I didn’t say what I believed was the answer to everything, you did.”

“Scientific knowledge is trustworthy,” I began, “unlike other near obsolete belief systems that depend on superstition and emotion.”

“You don’t even know what I believe. How can you claim it’s nearly obsolete? And I adamantly deny that I’m superstitious or emotional.”

We both reached for the dishcloth he had left on the counter, and Noah’s fingers brushed over mine. A jolt of electricity ran up my arm, a completely unexpected response on my part. I slowly moved my hand away, letting him have it.

“I’m not talking about you specifically,” I said regaining my composure. “It’s just obvious the world’s a better place with scientists in control. Look at what we’ve done with managing energy and water resources.”

“Oh my, God. You really believe the world is a better place? Wow. What a nice little bubble you live in here. GAPs have solved their energy and water problems, but they’re yet to be solved globally.”

“Maybe, but there’s been good progress. You must admit that without science, the world would be worse off. In fact, it may not even exist.”

I closed the dishwasher door. Noah slowly wiped down the counter top.

“I’m not opposed to science,” he said. “It’s not like I don’t believe it’s there, or that it’s important. I just don’t make a religion out of it. There are other forces at work, too.”

“Like what?”

He took a long breath. “Like faith.”

I had a broom in my hand, and paused mid-sweep. “There’s a reason ninety-five percent of the churches in North America are closed down, you know.”

“Just because people aren’t meeting in churches doesn’t mean they’ve given up on faith.”

I swept a small pile of dirt into a slit in the floor under the counter that sucked the dirt away. “So much harm has been brought into the world in the name of religion,” I said. “I just think we’re better off without it.”

Noah placed a hand on the broom, his fingers inches above mine. We exchanged a look before I let go. He smiled and moved to the other side of the island.

“Actually,” he said after a couple of sweeps, “more violence has been afflicted on mankind in the name of science. Think of all the wars since the first World War, of all the scientific research that went into finding new and improved methods of killing other human beings.”

He turned to look at me. “The atomic bomb, for instance. Agent Orange. Ethnic cleansing.”

I stared back, unflinching. “Science is still the greatest benefit to mankind and its only hope for survival. Science is measurable and verifiable.”

“Not everything can be measured and verified.”

“Science has yet to fill in all the holes but we’re closer to doing that now than we’ve ever been.” I ran fingers through my hair. “I believe we’ll have all the answers we’re looking for in my lifetime.”

“You just said you believed in something. That’s the language of faith. I have faith in God and you have faith in science, but we both need faith. The ability to have faith in something is just another way that humans differ from animals. Or machines.”

I remembered the picture I found online of Noah’s father standing in front of his church. I figured Noah heard a lot of sermons growing up. I couldn’t fault him for his misplaced beliefs.

“I just don’t think ‘faith’ is the right word,” I said.

“I think it’s the perfect word.”

I wiped my hands on the back of my shorts. “Then I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.” I grinned as I left. “See you later, Noah.”

11

￼

We hadn’t eaten dinner together as a family since Liam went missing, and tonight was no different. Jackson hadn’t come over since Liam disappeared, not even once, which was odd. But I chalked it up to him being worried about Liam and about not wanting to have to deal with Alison. I understood how he could feel awkward around our family right now. I took leftovers to my room, and when I’d finished I plopped myself on my bed.

And thought of Noah Brody.

I probably shouldn’t have hung out with him in the kitchen earlier. It wasn’t that I didn’t like talking to him; he was intelligent and I enjoyed his company. And for whatever reason, he seemed to be extra good-looking today. Attractive even.

It was just that he was so intense. He had crazy ideas and believed them strongly.

Plus, he was still an anti-GAP guy. Which meant he was anti me. Despite that accidental touch and the way his eyes had bored into mine.

The fact remained that his help had gotten me nowhere when it came to finding Liam, and who knew, maybe the whole drug thing was just a red herring to get me off the real trail.

Really, what did I actually know about Noah Brody? What made me think he could be trusted?

And why was I still thinking about him? I had to get back to my search for Liam. I instructed the internet TV in my room to turn on and scoured the news stories looking for anything that might hint to Liam’s whereabouts.

The Midwest and southern states were once again experiencing drought, the aquifers that used to provide water were long since drained. Fires burned in Arizona, floods devastated large portions of China, and civil unrest brewed in sub-Saharan Africa. My 3D TV brought all the destruction right into my bedroom.

Noah was right about one thing: the world was in a bigger mess than I’d like to believe. I commanded the TV to turn off, and in the sudden quiet, I heard a low noise. Moaning?

The anguished cry came from down the hall. It sounded like Alison.

A burst of fear exploded in my chest. I sprinted down the tile hallway, skidding into my parent’s vast bedroom. Alison was curled into a ball on the bed, and Paul had his arm around her back, his face blanched whiter than the walls.

I didn’t need to ask what happened. I knew. Liam was dead.

“They found his body in LA,” Paul said, staring blankly. “It looks like foul play.”

I back stepped wordlessly, feeling my way along the wall to my room. I was breathless, my world spinning. My ears roared with the pulse of my heart like they’d been stuffed with cotton. Suddenly, I felt sick. I grabbed my trash can, lifting it to my face in time for me to dry heave.

Liam was dead. He wouldn’t be coming home. Ever.

I crawled onto my bed, curling up like an infant. A moan from deep within me escaped my lips. No more Liam. No more big brother. No more me and Liam versus our parents. Tears exploded like a volcanic rush, urgent and violent, soaking my pillow as I tried to muffle my sobs.

Twilight disappeared into a blackening sky, and my sadness morphed into something else, something sharper. Anger. Fury. Who had stolen my brother from me? I wouldn’t rest until I found out and got payback.

I blew my nose again and added the tissue to the growing pile. I envied my parents who had each other to mourn with. I wasn’t part of that circle, but I needed someone, too.

I tapped my ring and spoke out Jackson’s name, but turned it off before it could connect. I tapped it again, and before I could think it through or change my mind, I heard myself say, “Noah Brody.”

12

￼

A warm evening breeze rustled through the towering palms, and dried fronds floated to the ground by my feet. I wasn’t sure if he’d come, but he hadn’t hesitated when I asked. I hoped he wouldn’t be sorry he came when I’d told him what I wanted from him.

I felt strangely comforted when I spotted Noah on the other side of the gate. My arms were wrapped tightly around my chest, but I managed a slight wave in his direction. He nodded acknowledging that he saw me.

Noah handed the guard his ID, the ID that permitted him access to Sol City in order to come clean up after my family.

The guard casually glanced at the card, then flicked it back across the counter. “Not authorized.”

“I’m domestic staff for the Vanderveen household,” Noah explained.

“Sorry. I haven’t received notice of authorization from Mr. or Mrs. Vanderveen.”

“I’m authorizing him.” I thrust my palm toward the scanner.

The guard shook his head. “I’m sorry, Miss Vanderveen. It’s after 9 p.m.”

“So what!” I narrowed my eyes at him, challenging. “He works for my family. He has ID. I’m authorizing him.”

The guard stood his ground. “Again, I’m sorry. But you’re still under eighteen. He can’t pass. It’s the rules.”

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll leave, then.”

I cursed under my breath, hating how humiliating this was for Noah. And for me. I passed through the gates under the disapproving glare of the guard and headed toward the downtown core like I was in a speed-walking race. Noah fell into pace beside me, edging forward to make space for me as we pressed through the crowds.

“Sorry about that,” I muttered.

“Sure.”

We continued on in silence. He was probably waiting for me to talk since I’d called him. But, now that I was on the outside with him, I didn’t know what to say.

When I spotted the Sky Transit Station, I knew my next move. “Let’s get on.”

“Where do you want to go?” Noah asked.

“Anywhere.”

Noah picked the line that made a large circle above the downtown core. The sky train wasn’t as packed as the transit pod had been the day before, so we both had our own forward facing seat with enough space between us that we weren’t touching.

The sky train hummed as it moved effortlessly above the streets of L.A., the evening lights dimmed or turned off in most office buildings to preserve energy.

One exception was the Sleiman Tower in Sol City. The eighty story structure could be seen clearly from L.A., and exceptionally from our higher position in the sky train. The shape of the tower was constantly changing as each floor rotated separately from the others, an engineering accomplishment powered by solar panels and wind turbines located between each floor. Sometimes it resembled an hourglass, sometimes an elegant vase. Now it looked like a twisted ribbon.

“Liam was only twenty-one,” I murmured. “He could’ve lived to be more than two hundred.”

Noah’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

The sky train came to a stop at one of the many stations high above the ground. Passengers used either the escalator or the elevator to get to it. Other stations were at ground level, so the journey felt like riding a large, lazy roller coaster. A tired-looking Latino woman with two little boys in tow boarded. Behind them, two teen guys dressed in leather and chains. One ground a cigarette on the floor with his boot. Two girls boarded just before the door closed, holding hands and laughing. They sat across from us, and started kissing.

Above the buzz of light chatter an electronic announcement named the next stop.

“So, I have to ask.” Noah fidgeted, turning slightly to face me “Why are you here in L.A. with me, instead of in Sol City with your boyfriend?”

I stared at the haze of lights out the window. “I think Jackson is hiding something from me.”

“But you said earlier that you believed him, that he told you everything.”

“I wanted to believe him.”

“Okay. So what do you want from me?”

I worked my lips before facing him. “Liam’s body was found in L.A. You’re from here. You know people.”

Noah flicked his hand. “So?”

“So, I’m hoping you’ll help me. I want to find out what Liam was doing in L.A. I want to find his killer.”

“Isn’t that a job for the authorities?”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m not sure I can trust them either.”

Noah scratched his head. “I mean this in the nicest way, but you’re sounding kind of paranoid.”

I felt my eyes tear up and couldn’t stop myself from pleading. “Maybe. Maybe not. But will you help me? I can pay you.”

The lights of a seedier district in L.A. streamed passed the window in a blur that cleared as the train came to a stop. A street walker boarded—too much make-up, too much perfume, too much skin. She flashed a fake smile at Noah, motioning for him to join her as she took the seat opposite. He shook his head slightly, and turned his body to face me.

“You’re saying you’ll pay me to help you find out what happened to your brother?”

“Yes.”

“Just to be clear. A business deal? With me?”

I was more certain now than ever. I needed Noah’s help. And a part of me, a part I was choosing to ignore right now, wanted an excuse to hang out with him again.

“Yes.”

Noah leaned back and tapped his fingers on his legs. I thought for a moment he was going to say no, and I wouldn’t have blamed him.

But then he said, “Okay. I’ll have to talk to one of my guys. If I’m going to be able to help you, I’ll need his cooperation. Can you meet me tomorrow morning at the church?”

A felt the flood of relief hit me, and I leaned my head against the window, closing my eyes.

“I can’t promise you we’ll find anything useful,” Noah said.

“I know,” I said softly. “I just need you to try.”

13

￼

I’d hardly slept, and I wasn’t the only one. When I found Paul the next morning, he was just waking from a half-sitting, half-reclining position on the sofa. His shaggy hair was unwashed and crisp with salt from the ocean, and his skin was gray from lack of sleep. He looked hungover.

“Dad?”

“Oh, good morning, Zoe.”

“I wouldn’t call it good.”

Paul’s eyes seemed to focus like he realized he was in a bad dream, not waking from one. “Yeah, right.”

I headed for the kitchen. “I’ll make coffee.”

The machine spit out each of our preferred coffee styles–espresso with one sugar for Paul and a sweetened latte for me–in less than half a minute. I carried them back to the grand room, setting the espresso on the glass table in front of him and taking a seat in the matching chair.

“How’s Mom?”

“I had a prescription shipped over last night—tranquilizers. They’ll wear off soon.”

I took a tentative sip, savoring how the coffee burnt the back of my throat.

“Have you heard anything new?”

Paul scratched his head. “Just that a kid found him.”

“A kid?”

Paul nodded.

That meant the Sol City authorities hadn’t tracked him down. That the outside police force had been informed first. If the Sol City authorities had found Liam’s body first, would I and my parents even know about it now?

I really was getting paranoid.

“What happened to him? How exactly did he die?” The words felt thick and poisonous, but I had to know.

Paul hesitated. “Well, that part seems to be a mystery. The coroner’s report should be in by tonight.”

“What about the chip?” I insisted. “What happened to that?”

Paul tossed the remaining gulp of espresso down his throat. “Look, Zoe, I don’t know. You can read the report for yourself when it comes. I’m going to go check on Alison.”

He stood abruptly and headed for the stairs. My frustration was reaching critical levels. I was so tired of being kept in the dark.

I followed him upstairs shortly afterwards with plans to get dressed. I was eager for the morning to pass so I could get on with my meeting with Noah. I heard soft sobbing down the hall. Alison was awake.

I paused at the top of the stairs.

“Maybe we could do it again.” Alison’s voice broke.

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t tear myself away.

Paul answered, “You weren’t that happy with how it turned out last time, remember?”

“But, technology has advanced since then, and your father....”

“Alison, no. It’s still illegal. Besides, he was too old and too many people know he’s dead.”

I felt immobilized, my mental circuits rushing to make sense of what I’d just heard. What did Paul mean when he said Alison wasn’t happy with how it turned out last time? What was illegal? And what did my grandfather have to do with anything?

I couldn’t make sense of it, but a dread grew in the pit of my stomach.

I showered, letting the hot water fall on my head longer than necessary in an attempt to wash away the creeping sorrow and my growing anxiety. Why would someone kill my brother? Unbidden tears erupted as thoughts of Liam flooded my mind.

I remembered the last time we were together. We’d gone surfing. We’d fought about his secret project. Now I wished I’d pressed him harder, made him confide in me.

He’d left right after his shower, and I’d said see you later, barely registering the back of his head.

I had no idea that was the final time I’d ever see him.

I thought of Jackson as I blow-dried my hair. I couldn’t believe I still hadn’t heard from him. This was the worst news for both of us. Did he expect me to go to him first?

I considered wearing my costume to meet Noah’s gang again, but changed my mind. He’d have to tell them who I really was anyway. I just hoped they didn’t tar and feather me when they found out I’d lied to them and was a member of their least favorite people group.

I brushed my hair, my ring vibrating as I pulled it back into a low ponytail. Jackson. Finally.

I tapped the base of my ring and his image appeared. “I’m outside your front door.” Something was definitely wrong. Jackson always just let himself in, being one of the few people to have authorized access to our house.

I skipped down the stairs, making my way past the foyer wall-garden and opening one of the huge metal doors. He leaned against the wall, his head tilted up, his eyes closed. I spoke his name, and he gazed at me, looking worse than I did. His hair was still damp from a recent shower, but that didn’t hide the hollow look in his eyes or the slouch of his shoulders.

“Did you sleep at all last night?” I asked as we cut through the house to the poolside patio. I sat on a lounge chair opposite the one he took, the bright morning sun incongruent with the dark emotions we felt.

“A little. The authorities hounded me until sunrise. I dosed off for a couple hours after they left.”

“What did the authorities want with you?” And why had they questioned him for so long?

“I don’t know. They think I know what happened to Liam.”

“Do you?”

He hesitated slightly, then said, “No.”

He looked so haggard and weary. If he knew anything he would tell me, wouldn’t he?

“What was Liam working on in the lab, Jackson?”

“Just the usual stuff. University studies. Pharmaceutical tests.”

“Pharmaceutical?”

Jackson sighed. “He wasn’t selling drugs to the outside.”

“Then what was he doing out there?”

“I told you, I don’t know. He was acting kind of secretive. I thought he had a new girl he didn’t want to talk about. I thought maybe she was married or something. I never guessed she might be from the outside.”

Four days ago I would’ve found that hard to believe too, but now I figured I had to be open to anything. And if there was a girl on the outside who had anything to do with Liam’s death, she’d be sorry when I found her.

Jackson covered his face with his hands, defeated. I felt bad. I’d been too hard on him. I went to his side and put my arms around him.

He kissed the top of my head. “We’ll get through this.”

“I hope so,” I whispered back.

I felt stiff in his embrace, so I pulled away. “Do you want something to drink?”

He nodded, and I went to the patio beverage fridge. Opening it, I found it was empty. Alison had failed to reorder. She was seriously off her game.

“We’ll have to go back inside.”

We entered through the patio door, and I was surprised to see Alison standing there, dressed in linen slacks and a cotton buttoned-down shirt. Her hair was styled and her make-up expertly applied.

Paul must’ve given her more pills.

She was with another woman, who was wearing a pencil skirt. She sat upright next to Alison on the sofa and had a consoling yet business-like demeanor.

A video of Liam was playing on the TV monitor.

My throat went dry, and my heart beat wildly in my chest. Maybe I should score a few pills from Paul for myself.

Alison stopped the video when she noticed me and Jackson in the room.

“Hi, Jackson,” she said.

“Hello, Alison. I’m sorry...”

She waved him quiet. “I know. He was like family to you, too.” Then she introduced the woman to us like they were discussing interior design instead of watching videos of her dead son.

“This is June. She’s our funeral planner.”

We said an uncomfortable hello before leaving them for the safety of the kitchen.

Jackson rested against the counter. “Your mom seems to be handling it all right.”

“She’s medicated.”

I pulled two sparkly drinks from the refrigerator. We stared at each other while we drank in silence. I didn’t know what else to say to him, and it was clear he felt the same way.

I moved to the dining room, where I had a slender view of the living room and could see the images flashing on the screen. Now Alison and June were going through stills. Liam as a baby. Liam in grade school. His sports teams and surf shots. Liam’s graduation. Every once in a while a photo would pop up of me.

I viewed the images of myself with Alison when I was young, with curiosity. Her face was full of so much delight. There was one where she was touching my nose with her own when I was a toddler, and we were both laughing. Another was of me when I was a bit older, and we were outside this house looking at the flowers, holding hands. I was mesmerized by the daisies. Alison was mesmerized by me.

When had that changed?

“I think I’ll go now, try to get more sleep,” Jackson said.

I walked him to the door. We kissed goodbye but it lacked enthusiasm. I wondered if we’d ever get our passion back.

I had to leave soon to meet Noah at the church but I suddenly wanted to check something before I left. Back in my room, I instructed my computer to set up the scanner. I positioned my chip under the laser beam.

The files on my chip opened on my monitor. Finances, education, personal, medical. It was the federal government’s health department that had led the way for social acceptance of chip implantation, back around 2011, when the FDA had approved its safety. Health officials encouraged everyone to have chips implanted in case of medical emergencies in which individuals might be unconscious and unable to give first responders their medical information. The option grew in popularity as the world’s population grew increasingly older.

Within a couple of decades, it seemed natural to add banking transactions which eased into buying and selling information and ultimately eliminated the chance of stolen credit cards and IDs.

Eventually, everything that was left to know about a person was added to the chip, including Social Security numbers, everywhere you’d lived and for how long, marital status, children, parentage, ethnic background, employment records and levels of post-graduate education.

I clicked on my medical file. All my recent medical information was there, including inoculations, height/weight, and mild illnesses. It also recorded in bold letters that I was a GAP with GAP parents and one GAP brother.

I’d never had any real health problems, most GAPs didn’t. The earliest recording was a check-up when I was two and a half. Where were my earlier files, from birth to two?

Then I found it. It was tucked under the rest, and if I hadn’t persisted in tapping, I would’ve missed it.

The file wouldn’t open when I instructed it to. It was locked.

14

￼

When I arrived at the church, I found the back door had been left open and I assumed it was because they were waiting for me to arrive. I heard voices but instead of waltzing right in, I held back and listened.

“So you’re telling me the brunette was a GAP?” one of the guys said. “In disguise?”

Then I heard Noah’s voice. “I know.” He sounded amused.

“Ultimate,” the guy said. “I’m surprised a GAP chick would actually do something like that. It’s kind of cool.”

“I thought so, too,” Noah said.

Despite everything, I couldn’t help but smile a little when I heard that.

“But is it smart to get involved with a GAP? Especially offering any kind of assistance?”

“She's going to pay,” Noah said. “We could use the money if we want to keep going with things. And maybe we can use her to get some inside Intel.”

My smile disappeared at that. This was just a business deal for Noah. I had to keep my unexpected, stupid feelings for him in check.

Besides, I couldn’t forget we weren’t on the same team. I couldn’t let my guard down.

I decided it was time to present myself, before they got into trashing me or worse, trashing Liam. I couldn’t take that right now.

Noah stood when he saw me. “Hey. Come on in.” He shifted stiffly and said, “Zoe, you remember Anthony from last time.”

“Hi.” The skinny guy. I flashed him a warm, hopeful, fake smile. Diplomacy at its finest.

“Anthony,” Noah said, motioning to me, “Zoe Vanderveen from Sol City.”

I caught Noah smirking as Anthony tried to keep his composure. Last time Anthony had seen me, I was a brown-eyed brunette called Chloe. I saw flashes of admiration as he took in my looks, but then he leaned back, folded his arms and frowned.

Right. I was a GAP. I was the enemy.

“I know this is strange,” I said to him. “I came in a disguise last time because I was looking for my brother.”

“Why would that bring you to us?” Anthony asked.

“She saw the news broadcasting our rally in front of Sleiman’s,” Noah answered for me as he sat down again. “Dexter’s name came up in the ticker.”

Anthony raised his hands in question. “What’s Dexter got to do with anything?”

“I found a hand written note in my brother’s room,” I explained. “It had the name Dexter on it. Nothing else.”

“And you’re assuming our Dexter is the same Dexter?”

“It’s a long shot, I know,” I said. “But it’s all I have. Where is Dexter, by the way?”

“Good question.” Anthony pulled his legs up onto a pew, his shoes hitting the wooden seat with a clunk. “He’s either high or working. Or both.”

“I talked to him about Liam,” Noah said, facing me. “He doesn’t know anything about it. I don’t think you’ve got the right Dexter.”

I slunk to a pew, sitting tentatively on the edge.

“We’ll try to find out what really happened to your brother,” he continued. “And Anthony here isn’t your run of the mill natural. He’s a hacker.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Among the best. It’s why I let him hang around. All the guys have a little something extra to offer.” He smiled, tilting his head.

“And Katy and Beth?” I probed. “I assume they have talents as well?

“We just keep them around for their good looks. Pretty girls attract a crowd.” He raised his eyebrows up and down like Charlie Chaplin. “We could use more, if you want to join us.”

I tilted my head and batted my eyelashes. Just a little. “Ah, sounds tempting, but I think that would constitute a conflict of interest.”

“Uh-hum,” Anthony said, faking a throat clearing. “Task at hand?”

I almost blushed at the thought that Noah and I had been caught flirting.

Were we flirting?

“I know this might be a little difficult,” Anthony said, “but it would be really helpful if we could get a copy of your brother’s chip. Is there any way you could get one? From his computer, maybe?”

“The authorities have his computer, and I don’t know when we’ll get it back. His chip is gone.”

“What do you mean, gone?” Anthony asked. “If you mean it’s at the morgue, someone could go there to scan it.”

“No,” I said. “It’s gone as in missing.” I winced before adding, “It’s been cut out.” Paul had given me the report.

Noah wrinkled his brow. “No way.”

I nodded, and closed my eyes, pushing back tears. I couldn’t cry in front of these guys.

Anthony sighed. “This will be much harder to do without the chip.”

“Then I guess we need to find it,” I said.

“Any ideas how we should go about doing that?” Noah asked.

I shook my head. “None.”

“Okay, Anthony,” he said, “you start digging online. Get whatever you can find about research at Sol City University and any connection Liam may have had to Sleiman other than the fact that his father works there.”

Noah ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll head to the eastern sector where Liam’s body was found. Someone must’ve seen or heard something.”

He stood as he said to me, “We’ll let you know if we find anything.”

“I’m going, too.”

“What?”

“I’m going with you to where they found Liam.”

“Zoe...”

“No. I might think of something that helps.”

“It’s not a great neighborhood. Could be dangerous.”

I reached for his hand and weaved my fingers through his. “But I have you.”

I’d defaulted to my base instinct. Use my looks and charm to my advantage. I’d once thought that Noah was immune to me, but it seemed that might’ve changed.

His lips tugged up at the corners, and he nodded okay.

A sudden fit of male adolescent fake coughing ensued. Noah pulled his hand away from mine as Anthony gave him a questioning look.

15

￼

The thing about hanging out with guys is they’re always hungry. Noah insisted on a pit stop at the food court before we headed out.

“Fine,” I said. “But it’s my treat this time.”

“Sounds good. Lead the way.”

We skirted out from behind the church and crossed the courtyard to the food court.

“What do you want?” I said. “Indian again?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I’m up for a good ol’fashioned hamburger.”

We headed down the steps to an underground area. I blinked as I adjusted to the bright artificial lighting. I spotted the sandwich place and stood in line while Noah found an empty table. I ordered a hamburger for Noah, and since I didn’t trust outside meat, I stuck with fries.

I waved my palm over the scanner to pay, and it only took a few minutes for our food to arrive. I carried the tray over to Noah.

“This is great, Zoe, thanks,” Noah said with a muffled half-full mouth.

The fries were good, too. Crisp and salty.

“Can I ask you something?” I said, after washing down the fries with a sip of coke.

“Shoot.”

“Why don’t you have a chip?”

He swallowed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I don’t like needles.”

I scoffed. “That’s it? You know they freeze the spot first. You don’t feel a thing.”

Noah shrugged.

“Your friends don’t seem to have a problem with it,” I pressed.

“They’re braver than me.”

“Noah, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about you, it’s that you’re no coward. Come on, spill. Why won’t you get a chip?”

He considered me while he tossed a couple fries in his mouth.

“My father was a reverend. A Bible-believing Christian. The last book in the Bible is called Revelation. It supposedly tells us how the world is going to end.”

“And you believe it?”

Noah leaned back and rubbed his full stomach. “I don’t know. I think so. My father did.”

I nibbled on my fries. “I still don’t get why you won’t get the chip?”

“There’s a passage in Revelation that talks about a ‘beast’ that comes to deceive the world. This beast works against God and everyone who follows him. In order to control the people he makes them get a mark on their right hand or forehead. Without this mark you can’t buy or sell.”

I pointed to my right hand. “And you think this chip is that mark?”

“I told you, I don’t know. I’m just not ready to take any chances.”

I tossed my crumpled napkin on my tray and pushed it away. “Fair enough.”

“What else do you know about where Liam was found?” Noah said. Clearly, he wanted a change of subject.

“Paul was pretty tight-lipped about the details. Outside of the location, all I got out of him was that he was found by some kid.”

“Then, I guess we’d better go find that kid.”

We cleared off the table, separating the recyclable items from the trash, and depositing everything in the appropriate bins.

I covered my eyes as we broached the bright sunlight and followed Noah to the transit station. We boarded a public pod heading for the eastern sector.

“Thanks for doing this,” I said once we found our seats. I had this weird compulsion to reach for his hand again, but instead, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and kept a safe, friendly distance between us

“Sure.” Noah tapped his fingers on his thighs like he was metering a song in his head.

“And Anthony. I forgot to thank him.”

“That’s all right. He’s not doing it for you.”

“He’s doing it for you?”

His fingers tapped and his knee bounced in rhythm. “Yes.”

“Do Anthony and the other guys have the same belief system as you? Is that why they’re rebelling?”

Noah’s fingers and leg went still. “No. They’re just pissed off.”

“Not to be nosy or anything, but for a ‘rebel’ group, yours is kind of small.” I almost used finger quotes, but thought better of it.

He turned to me. It seemed the song in his head had turned off.

“It was bigger when my dad was alive. Much bigger. Big enough that ‘your people’ felt threatened.”

He had obviously heard the quotes in my voice.

“Dad had a huge following online and off that had spread across the state.”

“So what happened?”

“When he was killed, it was like the queen bee had died. All the worker bees and drones scattered. No one has tried to start it up again.”

“Until now?”

He stared out the window, and I worried I’d said something wrong.

“I was a pretty sheltered kid,” he began, still looking away. “My parents did a good job of giving me a carefree childhood. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that my father started bringing me along to his protests.”

He turned to face me. “Of course, on the day he died, my world changed. Even though I knew I should be mad, mostly I was just sad. Turns out I’m more of a lover than a fighter.”

I held his gaze. “It’s possible to be a lover and a fighter.”

“I suppose.”

“So if you’re not a fighter, what made you start demonstrating now?”

“Mostly boredom. I’m tired of apathy. And now that I’m older and understand more about the inequalities of the world, I am starting to get madder.”

“You looked really angry to me, at the Sleiman rally on TV.”

“Yeah, that day I was angry.”

Was it because of me? Because of what he’d heard my parents say?

“Do you miss him?” I asked.

Noah tapped his ring, and called for his photo gallery. A series of pictures flashed in the space in front of us. I recognized the cabin picture from Noah’s photo wall in his room.

“My dad used to take us camping,” Noah said. “He believed getting away from the city was good for the soul and bonded us as a family. At the time I didn’t pay attention to that kind of talk. I was just happy to be canoeing and fishing and cooking food over a fire outside.”

He turned the photo image function off. “We stopped going when the movement gained momentum. It kind of took over his life by the end.”

We arrived at our stop, and I followed Noah off the pod.

The eastern sector was kind of sleazy. The neighborhood was a mix of residential and industrial. The single-family homes were small and needed paint, and they were tucked in tightly between overcrowded apartment blocks. Laundry hung from the railings and loud music was pumping out of open windows and doors. The day had warmed to uncomfortable levels, and the lack of AC had made the inhabitants irritable. I could hear a domestic fight coming from one of the apartments.

Teens from the area gathered in groups in poorly manicured yards and on street corners, smoking cigarettes and some already consuming beer. They eyed us warily as we approached a group close to the area where Liam had been found. Noah protectively tucked me behind him.

“Hey?” he said, standing tall with his shoulders back, showing no fear. “Anyone here seen a guy hanging around lately? Someone not from around these parts? Tall, blond, blue eyes?”

One of the kids, a tough looking guy with worn clothes stepped forward. “Who wants to know?”

“I do.” I moved out from behind Noah. “He was my brother.”

Noah added, “His body was found around here recently. By a kid. You heard of anything?”

The guy nodded and pointed. “Two blocks south, one west. Blue house. Ask for Dane.”

Noah thanked him before turning south. Even though I’d told myself I wouldn’t, I took Noah’s hand again, wanting the security it afforded. He glanced down at our clasped hands but didn’t pull away.

I waited until we were out of range of the gang before asking, “Were you there?”

“Was I where?”

“With your father. When he died.” I wanted to hear the story from him. We didn’t really focus that much on rebel groups in the Sol City educational system.

His nod was subtle, I almost missed it.

“What happened?”

“There was a rally in front of the church. A large crowd had gathered, filling up the entire square. Pedestrians blocked passage to the transit stations, waving placards. There were other smaller groups protesting the rally, GAP supporters.

“One of them pulled a gun from his jacket. I was standing two people away from my dad, and I saw him pull it out. It had a silencer on the tip and I was so stunned I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. It felt like time had stopped.

“I shouted for my dad to watch out, but it was too late. The man had pulled the trigger. Clear shot to the head.”

I squeezed his hand, wishing there was more I could do to comfort him. “That’s awful. How old were you?”

“Fifteen. It was three years ago.”

“You’re probably the only person I know who might actually understand what I’m going through right now.”

“I have a pretty good idea.”

“What I don’t understand, and don’t take this the wrong way, but how can you still believe in God after watching your dad die right in front of you like that?”

“It was because of my belief in God that I was able to keep going.”

“Because you think your dad’s in a better place?”

“Yeah, that’s part of it.”

“I can see how you’d find comfort in myths like that, no offense. I wish I believed Liam was in a better place.”

“You don’t believe in heaven and hell?”

“No. I believe that when you die, you’re just gone. All we have is the life we have here and now. That’s why I believe in GAP technology. It’s why I’m so furious that someone stole my brother’s only chance at living away from him.”

“So now you want justice?”

“No, I want vengeance. Don’t you? Don’t you want to see the person who killed your dad suffer?”

Noah paused briefly to study me. “I think that’s a dangerous place to go. I’m sad my dad died, but I don’t want vengeance. I want justice. And not just for me but justice for everyone. This is why I oppose GAP technology. Not only does it mess with mans’ make-up and destiny, but it’s a crutch for the very rich.”

Our hands broke apart as we reached the corner and made the turn.

He continued. “Do you even know how much it costs to get altered genetically, specifically to get the extended-life gene manipulation?”

I had a good idea, and now that I was discussing it with a natural, it made me uncomfortable. “Around seven hundred and fifty thousand a person.”

“That’s right. Three quarters of a mil. I hate to break the news to you, but most of the world can’t swing that for one family member, much less all of them.”

“But if money wasn’t an issue,” I said, “if someone offered to do the procedure on you for free, would you do it?”

“No.”

“What if they promised to do your whole family? Just think, an extra hundred years.”

He shook his head. “I think the first hundred years are long enough.”

I pointed to a blue house. “That must be it.”

Noah led the way to the front door, again positioning me carefully behind him. It warmed me inside the way he acted protective of me.

A gray-haired woman in curlers answered the ragged-looking screen door. The TV in her front room had a daytime soap opera playing at full volume. “Yeah?” she shouted over the noise.

Noah answered, “I’m looking for Dane.”

She eyed us up and down and must have decided we looked harmless as she then bellowed for Dane over her shoulder.

A kid about fourteen sauntered up the basement steps. He had hair that looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in years, and acne dotted skin.

“What?” he said.

“Some people here for you,” the woman barked, then returned to her daytime show.

The kid opened the screen door and joined us on the cement steps. “What’d ya want?”

“We heard you were one of the kids who found a body in the neighborhood,” Noah began.

“So?”

“He was my brother,” I said. “Can you tell us where you found him?”

He pointed. “A bunch of us were biking in that empty field over there. He was lying in the tall grass.”

“Had you seen this person before?” Noah asked. “When he was alive?”

“Yeah. Him and his friends hung out in that building over there.” Dane pointed down the block, west of his house. All the buildings were dark and boarded up, yards overgrown with wild grasses and weeds.

“Which one?” I said.

“The warehouse in the middle.”

“It looks abandoned.”

“Yeah, they all are. I seen some guys who weren’t from here go in and out of that warehouse a lot in the last few weeks. He was one of them.”

“What did the others look like?” Noah asked.

“I don’t know. Older than you. Blond hair, tall. At least three of them were. One of them had red hair.”

I caught Noah’s eye. It was his Dexter.

After we thanked the kid, I followed Noah as we walked the half block to the warehouse. Not surprisingly, it was locked. The grime-covered windows had security bars welded over them. I tried to peer inside, but it was too dark to see anything.

“What was Liam doing here?” I said. “And who were the other two guys?”

“How many tall, blond guys do you know?” Noah asked as he climbed an electrical box and stretched out to look in a second story window.

“A lot.”

“How many do you know that hung out with your brother?”

“A few.”

“Okay, how many that worked closely with him?”

I swallowed. “Two. Mitchell and Jackson.”

“Then I would say you’re right to think Jackson’s hiding something from you.” Noah jumped back to the ground. “Let’s go.”

“We have to get inside.”

“Not we.”

“Yes, we!”

Noah let out a frustrated breath. “Ok, fine. But we have to wait until its dark. Unless you want to know what the inside of a jail in L.A. looks like.”

I gave him a hard look. “My schedule’s free.”

We headed back toward the pod station. I pulled a water bottle out of my bag and took a drink. Then I handed it to Noah. Again, my gesture seemed to take him by surprise, but he took the offering.

I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. His lips were wet when he pulled the bottle away. If he weren’t a natural I wasn’t sure I would stop myself from testing those lips out.

I glanced away, aghast at my inappropriate thoughts.

I forced myself to refocus. “Do you have any idea what Dexter might’ve had to do with my brother? Other than drug sales, I mean.”

“Nope.” He handed me my bottle.

“Is Dexter a scientist?”

“Not in the true sense of the word.”

“Right. He’s good at pharmaceuticals. Look, I should go home soon, at least check in with my parents so they don’t freak.” I adjusted the strap of my shoulder bag. “I’m sure they’ll be in bed early tonight. I can sneak away again around nine.”

“I’ll meet you outside the gate.”

The pod arrived, and we hopped on. This time I didn’t worry about sitting too close to Noah. I enjoyed his company and needed his help. Once this nightmare was over, I’d probably never see him again anyway.

The thought didn’t actually comfort me.

But he wasn’t interested in me like that. He was with me because of the money. I couldn’t forget that.

“Okay, but before then,” I started, “before I go back, I’m wondering if I can ask for a favor?”

He eyed me carefully.

“What?”

I held out my hand. “I want you to scan my chip. One of my files is locked. I want you to get Anthony to break into it.”

Noah scrunched his face. “Isn’t that breaking and entering?”

“You can’t break and enter your own files. They’re my files.” I changed my tactic. He hadn’t warmed up to me enough to do this as a favor, but he seemed to respond to money. “I’ll hire you. Think of it as another job.”

He exhaled. “You don’t have to pay me. I’ll do it as a friend.”

The word friend made my heart leap a little. I didn’t know why I even wanted his friendship, I just knew I did.

And maybe I even needed it.

He took me back to his house.

“Ma?” he called out.

Saundra exited the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed as they moved over the scene of the two of us together.

“Noah?” she finally choked out.

“Ma, it’s Zoe Vanderveen.”

She flashed him a quick look—obviously she knew who I was. She cleared her throat. “Miss Vanderveen, may I offer my condolences. I’m so sorry to hear about your brother.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Please call me Zoe.”

Uncertainty remained on Saundra’s face as she returned to her position in the recliner. I expected she got a call not to come to our house today with such a personal scene unfolding. She seemed too frail to be going into work, anyway. Her eyes kept darting our way, and I expected Noah would get questioned thoroughly later on.

He motioned with a tilt of his head for me to follow him to his room, purposely leaving the door cracked open for the sake of his mother.

“Give me your hand,” he said, picking up his scanning device.

I offered my hand, and he held it like a gift. He pressed the fleshy area that concealed my chip with his thumb and forefinger, feeling the form of the small tubular module.

The motion felt so intimate. My heart raced, and I couldn’t stop staring at him. His dark eyes moved from my hand to my face and held my gaze. I swallowed.

He broke eye contact, then ran the scanner over the chip. He turned to his monitor. “So what are we looking for?”

“Medical files. Early years.”

“Why are they locked? Isn’t that unusual?”

“I don’t know and yes,” I sighed. “Suddenly my life is all about secrets.”

Noah isolated the file. “I’m sending it to Anthony now. He’s good at this kind of stuff. He’ll probably have it unlocked by tomorrow.”

16

￼

Alison insisted that we sit down and eat dinner together, and whatever Alison wanted, Alison got. I found myself sitting on the long side of the dining room table with my parents at either end, Liam’s place opposite mine was conspicuously empty. I’d asked Jackson to join us, but he was suddenly very busy these days. It was weird being the only kid at the table with my parents.

“It was a great surfing day, today,” Alison said like she was reciting a poem. “Liam would’ve loved it.”

Paul played with his food. He answered with a tortured, “The winds were perfect.”

I wished the house wasn’t so silent. I felt like I could hear my own eyelashes bat, and certainly my heart giving out. Maybe I should turn on some music. The humming of the AC, the motor of the refrigerator, the scraping of my fork along the porcelain plate, every little noise felt like an explosion. Even my own breathing rhythm felt like ocean waves pounding in my ears.

“So when’s, you know, the memorial?” I asked. Anything to break the silence.

Paul answered, “The day after tomorrow.”

Alison patted her mouth with her cotton napkin. “Grandpa Vanderveen is flying in, in the morning.”

I hadn’t thought about it, but of course the Senator of California would come to the funeral of his own grandson. Even though Grandpa V had a big house on the beach here in Sol City, it remained empty for most of the year now that he was running for president. He spent most of his time in Washington D.C. and who knew where else.

In fact, Liam’s death was big news because of who he was related to and where his body had been found. It was why our TV was always turned off now. The story had been looping non-stop.

I wondered about my other grandparents. Grandpa Morgan had passed away when Alison was a teenager and Grandma Morgan remarried a couple years later. Alison and her mother’s new husband never got along. They were naturals, which automatically put them out of Alison’s class system. She used her own inheritance when Grandpa Morgan died to pay for the GAP procedure, then she met and married dad and the rest was history as they say. But apparently the new husband was a vocal anti-GAP proponent.

Like Noah.

As far as Alison was concerned, they didn’t exist. And maybe they didn’t anymore. They could’ve died at some point over the years for all I knew.

Alison carefully placed her fork and knife beside her plate. “I’m going to bed now.”

I watched her go, her movements stilted and robotic.

“Is she going to be all right?” I asked.

Paul looked like he’d aged ten natural years, even as a GAP. “Yeah, of course.”

“Well, I’m going to go to bed now, too. I’m exhausted.” I didn’t look at Paul when I out and out lied to him. I had plans that didn’t involve sleeping. I had an appointment to keep with Noah.

Now that I understood that Saundra, or perhaps Noah, would be coming in the morning to wait on us, I took my dishes with me to the kitchen and loaded them into the dishwasher myself. I let a yawn escape that wasn’t fake–I was actually very tired–and said good night to Paul.

Upstairs I brushed my teeth and pulled my hair back. Dark colors would be appropriate for a break and enter. I removed my lighter clothing and replaced them with dark jeans and a black T-shirt.

I waited for Paul to fall asleep on the sofa, then softly padded down the wooden steps in sock feet, my sneakers in hand.

Paul snorted, and I stopped short, thinking fast about how I could explain my change of wardrobe. But it was unnecessary. Paul turned, and his breathing fell back into a steady rhythm.

I slipped on my sneakers before entering my pod. I buckled up and instructed it to take me to the north gate. It was times like this when I was glad my MagLev barely made a sound.

My stomach twisted and turned when I thought about what I was going to do.

And who I was going to do it with.

Noah was waiting outside the gates when I got there.

“Hi,” I said, feeling strangely shy.

“Hi.”

He was dressed similarly to me, and I had to hold back a giggle. “We match.”

Noah grinned, his crooked tooth peeking out in a way that made my heart speed up. “Yeah, we’re quite the pair, aren’t we?”

We walked quickly and quietly to the transit station, climbing onto the pod that would take us back to the eastern sector.

I sat next to the window and gazed out at what was becoming a familiar landscape to me. L.A. didn’t frighten me like it had just last week. I felt like I’d grown up overnight. My world and mind had expanded because I’d dared to venture outside.

And I’d had to admit, because I’d spent so much time with Noah.

He was watching me, and I wondered what he saw. Did he notice the change as well? Noah had transformed in my eyes, too, but it wasn’t because he had changed. It was my perception of him that had changed. He’d always been the cool person I’d come to know and respect, I’d just been blinded by my prejudices.

The pod arrived at the eastern sector, and I felt Noah’s hand at the small of my back as he guided me out. I swallowed nervously. The space between us felt charged with electricity. I couldn’t deny I felt attracted to Noah Brody. Things were definitely different between us and the alteration had happened quickly. I just didn’t know how far either of us would dare to let it go.

I followed Noah as he kept to the shadows. It appeared he’d done this kind of thing before. The small black tool bag he carried was one indication.

Fortunately, the alley was dark when we arrived at the warehouse. Electricity consumption was monitored and less-populated areas had restricted use. Noah scoped it out, making sure it was clear before taking out a short-handled pair of wire snips.

“You came prepared,” I whispered.

“Did you plan on walking through walls? I don’t think GAP technology has managed that yet.”

“Very funny.”

It took a moment of urging the snips before Noah broke through the padlock. We stood stock still waiting for an alarm, but it was quiet.

“Do you think there could be a silent alarm?” I said. My nerves were firing off like crazy. It was only for the love of my brother that I could do stuff like this.

“I don’t think Liam and his friends would’ve wanted to tip off the authorities by installing a security system. The government’s a nosey bugger.”

The door opened smoothly. Someone had greased the hinges. I fiddled for a light switch. Noah grabbed my hand, “No.”

Of course, turning on the lights would be a dumb thing to do. Noah turned on the flashlight feature on his ComRing. I did the same.

I scanned the room with my ring’s narrow ray of light. The warehouse had been cleaned out thoroughly and sterilized; I could smell the disinfectant in the air. A complicated computer system sat on a counter, and beside it something that looked like an old-fashioned dentist’s chair was extended flat.

The computer had been left on, so whatever happened the night Liam died created enough chaos, that Jackson and Mitchell forgot to turn it off. I tapped the screen and a holographic image came to life. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Three-dimensional diagrams of electronic arms and legs.

“What is it?” Noah said.

“It looks like they were building cyber organisms.”

The thought of Jackson being involved and all the lies he’d told me to cover this up made me tense with anger.

Forget about him. I whipped open the cupboard doors and found scraps of wires and electronic parts.

Noah opened a drawer, peering in. “What are we looking for?”

“I’m not sure.”

“This cupboard’s full of space food.” Noah pulled out a basket of silver tetra-pack packages. America didn’t have a federal space program anymore, but the private sector program was alive and well. The food preserving technique was common to non space-dwelling consumers, too. No need to use energy for preservation, and it lasted forever. Just add water.

“Beef Stroganoff. Mashed Cheddar Cheese Potatoes. Cherry Crumble Cake,” Noah read. “These boys were serious. But I still don’t get what they were so serious about.”

I tapped the screen again, and a holograph image popped out. A computerized rendering of Liam, fitted with what looked like artificial arms and legs. I shook my head in awe. “They were experimenting on themselves.”

“They were what?”

“It looks like they were trying to turn Liam into a cyborg.” I peered more closely at the images. “Not replacing healthy limbs, but grafting them with artificial intelligence material.”

“But why?”

We both knew it was illegal to play with cyborg technology.

“That’s what I want to know,” I said.

Why was Liam trying to cyborg himself? What could he have hoped to gain that he didn’t already have?

Noah pulled open a side door. “Bathroom over here if you need it.”

Then he opened a closet off to the side and glanced in. I assumed it didn’t hold anything of significance since he just reclosed the door.

“And also how?” he said. “I mean, I know your family has a lot of money, but I don’t think your parents would’ve approved of this.”

“No, of course not,” I said. “Someone else was funding it; otherwise they wouldn’t have tried to hide it by setting up a lab out here.”

“The guys involved with Liam...”

I dug through another cupboard. “Jackson and Mitchell.”

“Who’s Mitchell?”

“Some lab geek. I just met him myself.”

“So, we need to talk to Jackson and Mitchell.”

“And Dexter. Don’t forget Dexter.” I closed the last cupboard, unsatisfied. Nothing noteworthy was to be found.

Noah ran his right hand along the face of the computer monitor.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m copying the files.”

He gathered them with his ring. “What for?”

He shrugged. “You just never know.”

“I don’t think...”

We heard steps approaching the back door. I quickly turned the monitor off, and Noah pulled me down, crouching close to the floor. We turned off our ring lights. Noah led me carefully through the dark, to the closet then he eased the door open, pushing a hoodie on a hanger aside and stepping in. He pulled me in after him. My back was pressed into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me tightly, allowing the door to swing closed.

“Hello?” A voice shouted as the lights switched on. “Is someone here?”

My heart thumped loudly at the thought of us being caught. I was also very aware of Noah’s body against mine, and how his arms encased me. I almost fainted when he rested his chin on my head.

“Damn,” the voice said. We could hear someone fussing around the computer. Something dropped onto the counter. Whoever he was, was there to retrieve files and turn off the equipment. The person cursed again as he left the room, shutting off the lights. The bolt had been severed, so he had no way to lock up.

I couldn’t move. Noah nudged me gently as he pushed the closet door open.

“I gather that was one of your friends,” he said once we were out. I was glad the room was dark, and Noah couldn’t see my face. I couldn’t tell if our close proximity had had the same effect on him as it did on me.

I breathed deeply, settling my nerves. “It sounded like Mitchell Redding.”

Noah turned his ComRing light back on. “Are we done here? That Mitchell guy is probably going to come back with a new padlock.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I can’t wait until I can question him and Jackson again.”

I thought I saw Noah bristle at the mention of Jackson’s name.

“I want to be there when you do it,” he said.

“I’ll have to authorize you,” I said.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

I wanted to know the real reason why Noah insisted on coming. Was he just curious or was he concerned about me?

“No,” I said. “Jackson might have a problem with it though.”

“I don’t really care what he thinks,” he said.

“What about Dexter?” I asked

“I’m going to track him down. Tonight. I know where he lives. I’ll let you know what I find out.” Noah reached for my elbow. “C’mon, I’ll take you home.”

“Stop right there,” a shaky voice commanded us in the semi-darkness. “I have a gun.”

A flash of light zigzagged across the room. Our captor’s ComRing momentarily blinded us in our tracks. Fear sprung from the soles of my feet, twisting through my stomach and tying a firm knot in my throat.

Enough light reflected off the weapon, and I saw the face of its owner, Mitchell Redding. He pressed himself into the corner by the door.

“Mitchell?” My voice was dry and breathy. My eyes had adjusted to the dark room enough to make out the hysteria on Mitchell’s face. The handgun he held shook with his taut nerves.

Noah took a small step forward. “Put the gun down, Mitchell.”

“Stop!” Mitchell’s voice took on a frenzied shriek. “I might not shoot her, but I wouldn’t think twice about dropping you.”

“Noah,” I whispered. The image of Noah taking a bullet in front of me made me feel light-headed. I had to keep strong, think straight.

“Why do you have a gun?” I asked.

“Have you seen this neighborhood? It’s filled with crazies. If I had to keep coming out here, I needed to protect myself.”

“Why did you come tonight?” I said. “What were you doing?”

Mitchell stepped forward. The gun was heavy, and he had to use his left hand to prop it up.

“I don’t have to answer your questions. I have the gun here. You need to answer mine. What are you doing here?”

“I’m trying to find out what happened to my brother.”

“And?”

“I think he was experimenting on himself.”

“Bingo. I told him not to. I said we could find out what we needed by using simulation or humanoid robots as guinea pigs, but the idiot wouldn’t listen to me. He wouldn’t listen to anyone. No one was as smart as Liam Vanderveen.”

It was hard not to miss the spite in his voice.

“What happened?” I asked again.

“I’m the one asking the questions, I said!” Mitchell’s eyes scoured the room, and I could tell his mind was racing.

What he planned on doing with us was anyone’s guess, but there were two of us and only one of him. And it was dark. If there were a way to distract him.

“Mitchell, I don’t feel very good,” I said. “Can I sit down?”

He seemed thrown by the question. “Sure.”

“Not on the floor. It’s dirty. Over there.” I indicated the reclining chair. Mitchell looked over his shoulder. Noah moved quickly knocking the gun out of Mitchell’s hand. It scooted across the floor.

There was a scramble of bodies in the dark. I searched the floor with the beam from my ring, hoping to spot the gun.

There, under the counter. I dashed for it, having to reach blindly underneath with my fingers.

Cool metal. I gripped it, turned and aimed at the sound behind me. “Stop it! I have the gun and I’ll shoot you, Mitchell. Don’t tempt me.”

The noise of the scuffle stopped. Two shadows separated. One stood, hands in the air. “It’s me, Zoe.” Noah’s voice.

I flashed my ComRing light to make sure. Noah nodded when he caught my eye, then turned to Mitchell, right hooking him in the jaw. Mitchell crumpled to the ground.

I let my arm drop slowly to my side. I felt Noah approach, the heat of his body meeting mine.

“Are you okay?” he said.

“Yeah.” I was, but Mitchell definitely wasn’t. “Is he..?”

“He’s fine. He’ll have a headache when he wakes up, but let’s go before that happens.

“What about this?” I held out the gun.

Noah took it and wiped it clean with his T-shirt before opening a random drawer and placing it inside. “It’ll take Mitchell a while to find it.”

He practically dragged me through the darkness, down the back alley to the pod station. I repeatedly glanced back, fully expecting Mitchell Redding to have revived and started chasing us. I wished Noah had hid the gun a little better.

Mitchell didn’t follow us onto the pod. When the doors closed and it took off, I let my head fall back, and closed my eyes. The hum of the transport was hypnotic. I breathed in deeply. We were all right. We were fine. For now.

Neither of us spoke a word the entire way to the downtown destination. Noah walked me back to the gates, keeping his distance. No more elbow or lower back touching.

“That was pretty crazy,” I finally said. I wondered what he’d been thinking, if he regretted helping me.

“Yup.”

“It was brave of you,” I added, trying to encourage him. “To, you know, do what you did.”

“Brave or stupid.” He finally looked at me. “You were pretty brave yourself.”

“Brave or stupid.” I smiled at him, coaxing him with my eyes to do the same. He consented faintly.

“Are you okay?” I paused near the gate. “I mean, I’m sorry...”

“Hey, it’s not your fault. I’m just glad you didn’t get hurt.”

He worried about me. I felt something sizzling just beneath the surface, connecting us. Or maybe I was losing my mind. Was I the only one who felt the charge between us? I didn’t think so. Noah stared at me as we stopped under the street lamp, I could see the torment in his eyes.

We were on a dangerous precipice, I could feel it. If only things were different, if only...

“Good night, Zoe,” he said, but he didn’t move. And I couldn’t just walk away after all he’d done for me.

Before I could think it through, I stepped forward and gave him a hug. “Thank you.”

He embraced me back, holding me a moment longer. “I’ll see you later,” he said. The words sounded choked, like it pained him to say them.

Like he didn’t mean it.

I watched him leave before heading through the gate, confused by the feelings that rushed at me. Whatever happened next, I knew I had to see him again.

A familiar form stood waiting for me on the other side. His arms were crossed against his broad chest, and he had a tight frown on his face.

Jackson. I felt like a child caught stealing candy.

“What are you doing here?” I said.

“Who was that guy?” Jackson’s pale blue eyes were like lasers. I felt a shiver of fear but shook it off. Nonsense. It was just Jackson. I wasn’t afraid of him.

“So, you’re following me now?”

“Who was he?”

“I don’t have to answer to you.”

Jackson grabbed my arm. “Are you seeing someone else? An outsider?”

I stared at his hand, my own anger brewing. I yanked my arm away. “I’ve seen the lab, Jackson. I know what you and Liam were up to.”

I watched with some satisfaction as the color drained from his face. “W-what?” he stammered. “How?”

“That was who I was with. A friend who helped me to find out the truth. Something you were afraid to do.”

I stormed past him in the direction of the parking lot.

He chased after me. “Who was that guy? How did you meet him?”

“I said I don’t have to answer to you.”

“Maybe not, but you do have to answer to your dad.”

I spun on my heels. “About what?”

A smug grin formed on Jackson’s face as he gestured toward the gate with his chin.

“You’d tell?” I asked.

“If that’s what it takes to get you to stop seeing that outsider.”

I stomped toward my pod then stopped, turning back to Jackson. “Let me ask you something. Why did you do it?”

Something flashed in Jackson’s eyes. Regret? Fear? He refolded his arms. “I’m sorry, Zoe. I’m not at liberty to tell.”

“You risked my brother’s life and he died. And you’re not at liberty to tell? Maybe my dad will be interested in hearing about that.”

17

￼

I answered the buzz of my ComRing the second I saw Noah’s name.

“I heard back from Anthony. He wants you to come over.”

“What did he find?”

“He wouldn’t tell me.”

That sounded ominous. My pulse sped up.

“I don’t know where Anthony lives.”

“I’ll take you. I’ll meet you at the gate.”

I didn’t have time to eat breakfast, but that was fine. My stomach was churning, and I couldn’t eat anything if I tried. I washed up, brushed my teeth and entered the tomb also known as my closet.

What should I wear?

I chose a yellow sundress with white slip-on shoes. I brushed my hair until it shone and left it hanging down.

I knew I was going the extra mile for Noah Brody.

And it worked. He couldn’t hold back his grin when he saw me.

“Morning,” he said.

I grinned back. “You were right about Anthony being fast.”

He fell into step beside me, leading the way to the podium to the train that would take us to Anthony’s neighborhood. “I told you he was good.”

“But he wouldn’t tell you what he found? Not a hint?”

Noah averted his gaze. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”

The train arrived and we got on with the afternoon crowd which quickly snapped up all the seats. Noah grabbed the bar overhead, and held onto me with his free arm. I had to press into him to stay balanced. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.

“Did you talk to Dexter?” I said. We were close enough to kiss. I closed my eyes in order to stop looking at his lips. I had to quit thinking things like that. It was stupid. And wrong.

“Uh, yeah. He confessed. He said some guys from Sol City had tracked him down, looking for a place to set up a lab. Said it had to be something hidden, off the grid. They paid him. He did it for the money to support his habit.”

“Oh.”

“He felt terrible about what happened to your brother, but he swears he had no idea what they were doing there.”

The train’s movement jostled us about, and a turn around a bend pushed me in even tighter against him. I felt his breath on my neck.

“The memorial’s tomorrow,” I said softly.

Noah reached for a stray strand of hair and tucked it behind my ear. “I’m sorry I can’t be there with you.”

My knees buckled. “I know. My grandfather’s coming, so it’s probably a good thing you’re not. In case he’s still holding a grudge against your grandfather.”

Noah grunted but he kept his thoughts about that to himself.

The train arrived at our stop, and he guided me out by my elbow. I held back a smile. He couldn’t stop touching me.

“Can you tell me more about Liam’s experiment?” he said. “We didn’t really have a chance to get into it last night.”

“I don’t know a lot.”

We walked the two blocks to Anthony’s house as we talked. Most of the homes in this neighborhood had manicured lawns and two-car garages.

“Scientists have been able to emulate neural networks to create artificial intelligence for some time,” I said. “The next step is to hook up our brains to artificial technology.”

“You mean download our minds and memories onto a hard drive?”

“Something like that. The technology has been around for a while. They’ve been doing it on rats for decades. It’s all in an effort to create a post human existence, which includes fusing mechanical material to the nervous system.”

Noah jerked. “But is that possible?”

“Yes. Bioethics and state laws prevent scientists from taking the process too far. It’s why the world hasn’t been populated with super soldiers.”

“That’s why they had to experiment off the grid.”

I nodded. “But, I don’t get why Liam was involved in something like this. He must’ve known what kind of damage could be done in the world if this technology gets in the wrong hands. I never would’ve guessed it of him.”

Noah buzzed the gate when we arrived. Anthony lived in an upper middle class neighborhood, in a house with a valley view and a swimming pool.

Anthony opened the door, and Noah followed me into a mid-sized living room with dark blue wall to wall carpet that was faded in the high-traffic areas. Anthony led the way to a bedroom at the end of the hall.

“After you,” Noah said, following me in.

I held back a gasp of surprise. Anthony had a wall full of glass monitors, and his desk was covered with tech gadgets. My guess was that I wasn’t his only customer. He directed us to his main wall monitor, and then sat in the chair in front of it.

“So what’d you get?” Noah said.

Anthony turned to me and said, “Do you want him to see?”

“I can leave,” Noah offered.

“No, it’s okay. If Anthony can know, you can know.”

Anthony pulled up a screen, widening the window with his fingers. Three files, one for each of my two and a half missing years, appeared. He tapped the first report: GAP procedure done in utero. Born healthy, annual check up normal, vaccinations up to date.

The second report was almost identical; check up normal, vaccinations up to date.

Anthony glanced at me before tapping on the third file. It opened: Accidental death by drowning. Did not respond to resuscitation efforts.

“What?” I grabbed Noah’s arm for support.

“Obviously they resuscitated you,” he said. “They must’ve forgotten to update the report.”

I felt my face drain of color. “I don’t remember this. I don’t remember almost drowning.”

Anthony frowned sympathetically. “There’s more.”

He clicked to the next page and I read the text with disbelief. My knees gave out, and I collapsed against Noah. He immediately put his arms around me, propping me up. I felt him scoop me into his arms and carry me to Anthony’s bed.

“What is it?” Noah said as he lay me down. “What does all that medical speak mean?”

Anthony sighed loudly. “It means she’s a clone.”

18

￼

Heat radiated from the sand, trapped by the grayness of a dense, oppressive fog. It pressed against the mourners and beads of sweat formed on their brows. They eagerly accepted the cold, fizzy drinks being offered by the hired wait staff.

An over-sized video screen rattled in the wind on the second tier of the Vanderveen property, with images of Liam fluttering like a flag. White roses had been delivered by the truckload. White petals peeled off and floated away in the saline breeze whishing off the ocean. A string quartet was set up in the corner of the stone-tiled patio playing soft, melancholy tunes.

The worst was over, or at least I hoped it was. Paul had choked up while giving the eulogy with Alison sniffed loudly while standing behind him. I thought Jackson would say something, but apparently he was too grief stricken to do so.

As was I.

Grandpa V had said a few words before he and Paul ceremoniously scattered Liam’s ashes into the ocean, and clusters of people gathered around my parents, cooing their condolences. A larger group formed, enamored by the words of wisdom flowing like oil from the Senator’s mouth.

My lips pulled down into a hard frown. If only everyone would just go home.

I chose an empty lounge chair by the pool and lay back, closing my eyes. My thoughts returned to the ride home on the sky train from Anthony’s. Noah had claimed the last empty seat and had pulled me onto his lap for the ride. I’d nuzzled my face into his neck and sobbed quietly.

I’d felt embarrassed for breaking down in public, but Noah didn’t seem to care what the people on the train thought. He didn’t shush me or tell me everything would be okay. He just stroked my back and let me soak his shirt with my tears.

My eyes were still red from crying about myself, but it was a good look for a memorial. All I’d had to do was switch into my black dress.

I sorrowed for my lost brother and now for the loss of my own identity, but my emotions over the latter had simmered into rage. A couple weeks ago I was blissfully unaware that my whole life was a lie. I had been barely aware of the world outside of Sol City gates, never wanting to leave my wonderland.

Now I couldn’t wait to leave.

I spotted Jackson standing on the opposite side of the pool, watching me warily. When he saw that I’d caught him staring, he skirted around the people to get to me. My nerves set off, and I breathed in, wishing the impending confrontation wouldn’t happen.

“Are you okay?” he said when he reached me.

I felt my teeth grind as my jaw tightened. No, I wasn’t okay.

He sat at the bottom of my lounge chair, and rested his hand on my leg, looking at me with wide, hopeful eyes. “We’ll get through this somehow.”

I didn’t want him touching me. I pulled my legs away, sitting up. “I don’t think we will.”

“Zoe, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying I need to take a break.”

“From me?” The hurt in his eyes was clear. “I know this is really painful, and I know you’re mad at me. But I think we need each other to get through this.”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry.”

Jackson squinted. “Is this about that guy?”

When I didn’t answer, his lips tightened, their pink hue turning to white. “I can’t believe this.”

“What does it matter? It’s not like we can go back to what we had before. It wasn’t real anyway.”

“It was real to me. It still is.”

“Liam is dead. And you–”

“I what?”

“You won’t tell me what you know. I’m sorry, but that’s a deal-breaker for me.”

I stood and walked away, leaving him sitting poolside, his fists curling and uncurling. Thirsty, I headed toward the drink table. I passed Alison and Paul who seemed to be suddenly the picture of strength, talking in low tones with their guests. It was amazing what pharmaceuticals could do to alter a person’s reality. No wonder Zack Dexter was such a fan.

Dexter told Noah he’d helped Liam find a lab for the money. But what if there was more to it than that? What if there had been some kind of disagreement between them?

Maybe they fought over money. Was Dexter demanding more? Blackmail? Maybe Dexter was threatening to expose them, and a fight had ensued? Had Dexter gotten revenge?

Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed that Grandpa Vanderveen had sidled up beside me. I’d been standing numbly in front of the drinks not taking one. The Senator picked a can out of the bucket of ice and poured it for me.

“Thanks,” I said, sipping eagerly. The wind was like a constant furnace, wrapping my ponytail uncomfortably around my neck, choking me the same way my life was choking me. I pulled on it, releasing its hold and rubbing my neck.

Grandpa V watched me. He’d been genetically altered later in life, after his jowls and eyelids had started to droop, so he didn’t have the same natural youthful look as other GAPs. His vanity had kicked in along the way, however, and he’d made up for any lack with plastic surgery. Now his skin was pulled a little too tightly over his cheekbones, and his eyelids had been worked on in such a way that he looked like he was perpetually surprised.

I’d always been a little leery of my famous grandfather. We didn’t share the warm bonds I’d seen in other families, and now I understood why.

“I know this was such a shock,” his voice was low and gravelly. “It broke my heart to hear the news. This must be terribly difficult for you.”

I sent him a terse, sideways glance. “Why didn’t you just have him cloned? Oh, right too many people knew he was dead already. Such a pity.”

I figured my grandfather must’ve been involved with my cloning. His pull was the only way my parents could’ve gotten an illegal procedure like that done and kept quiet.

William Vanderveen rocked on his shoes. “So you know. I told them your medical files should’ve been erased.”

His overly wide eyes gazed down at me. “But Zoe, child, I did it for you. You’d be dead, if I hadn’t, right? And your poor mother, she was so distraught. I did it for her and your father, too. I just wanted to ease their pain.”

She is dead. I wasn’t her. Or, was I? I glanced off to the side as I finished my drink.

Grandpa V kept talking. “I never thought she’d have to go through such a loss again.”

I placed my empty glass down on the table. “Yeah, that’s just really bad luck.”

The Senator didn’t seem to catch the scorn in my voice. “It was quite easy to hide your case,” he said, barely loud enough for me to hear. “Since you’d drowned in a private pool without any witnesses.”

It shocked me to hear my own death talked about so casually.

“Of course, your mother blamed herself, and had I not stepped in, well, I don’t know what would’ve become of her.”

“You’re a real boy scout.”

“Now, now, don’t be ungrateful. But you’re right. It was impossible for me to step in and rescue your mother’s heart once again. Still, that’s the great thing about being a GAP. Her childbearing years are twice as long.”

I understood the two children only GAP policy. The world was already over-populated and the GAPs ethics committee required that they not be responsible for assisting in raising those numbers. A person had to sign a contract that as a GAP they wouldn’t have more than two children. Two live children. I wondered how long it would be before my parents told me they’re expecting another baby boy.

“It was great to chat, Grandpa,” I said, plastering a fake smile on my face. “But I have to go.”

I suddenly couldn’t stand these people. I couldn’t stand any of this. All the secrets buried beneath the grief. I had to get away.

Was it wrong that the only person in the world I trusted, the only person on the planet I wanted to be with right now, was an outsider? A natural and an anti-GAP protester?

19

￼

I messaged Noah Brody. Meet me at the church?

In seconds he texted back. When?

I answered. Now and sneaked into the garage without anyone noticing. I instructed the pod to take me to the gate, where I exited Sol City on foot and walked through the crowds on the outside, over the pedestrian bridge.

Noah was waiting on the front steps of the church when I arrived. I tightened my pony tail and smoothed out my little black dress, feeling self-conscious.

His eyes smiled when he saw me, and he said, “I’ve got something to show you.”

He took my hand and led me through the bramble to the back of the church, opening the door to let me in.

“I’ve been here before, you know,” I said.

“Not where I’m taking you.”

“Ooh, sounds mysterious.”

On the far side was a wooden door, hard to see because of the way the shadows crossed the room. It opened to a set of dusty, steep, spiraling steps.

“The clock tower?” I said.

“Just wait.” Noah took the lead up the narrow steps, checking back every few seconds to make sure I was okay.

“I didn’t realize you could climb up here,” I said.

“It was for the clock master, so he could fix the clock and change the time twice a year.”

He lifted the flat door-panel above his head which opened like an attic hatch. He climbed through and then reached for my hand to help me up.

What you couldn’t see from the ground was that the back of the tower had a small terrace. It was a tight fit, barely room for two people. From where we leaned against the rail, we could see the lights of L.A. and watch the people as they scurried across the square, catching the trains and pods or just meeting up with a friend or a lover. There was a twelve-foot section between the buildings that towered around the church to the west where you could watch the sun set over the ocean.

“Thanks for bringing me here,” I said.

Noah tapped his fingers along the top of the rail. “I like to come here to think. To remember.” He looked back at me. “You’re the only other person I’ve brought up here.”

I pulled back in surprise.

“It’s not like I come up here a lot,” he added.

“Noah...”

“Yeah?”

I stared at my hands. “I can’t imagine what you must think of me now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s no secret how you feel about GAPs. And I’m even worse than that now.”

“Zoe,” Noah said softly. “I don’t care.”

“You don’t?”

He shook his head.

“I don’t get it,” I said. “You are adamantly opposed to GAP policies. Have your views changed?”

“No. My views regarding GAP policies haven’t changed. My views regarding you have. You didn’t choose to be GAP. Your parents chose that for you. You can’t help that the GAP world is all you knew until now.

“I like you as a person, Zoe, despite your GAP status.”

There was a moment of awkward silence. Then Noah pulled open his bag. “Here, I have something for you. It might make you feel a little better.”

I looked at him quizzically. When he produced a selection of sweets, I smiled.

He held them out like a candy bar fan. “I’ve heard chocolate cures a multitude of ailments.”

I laughed a little. “You know more about girls than you let on, Noah Brody.”

I chose milk chocolate with nuts and opened the wrapper. After taking a bite, I offered it to him.

Noah took a bite and shared the silence. I longed to reach over and stroke his bronze skin, angry at how life had thrown me this curve ball and uncertain about what to do. A tear sprouted from my eye and trailed down my face. Noah reached up and wiped it carefully with his finger.

“The sunset too much for you?” he joked. “I know you’re used to the wide screen version.”

I looked away. “I’m a GAP and a clone. Am I even human?”

“You’re crying. You have emotions.”

“But do I have a soul?”

“I thought you didn’t care about that.”

I turned to him. “I guess I do.”

“Yes, I believe you have a soul.”

It meant so much to hear him say it. Never in my life had I doubted myself, my reason for being, my right to exist. Now everything was in question.

I let out a long, slow breath before taking another small bite of the candy bar.

“We still need to get to the bottom of Liam’s death,” I said. “I know it won’t bring him back, won’t change who, or what, I am, but I need to know the truth.”

“We’ll need Liam’s chip,” Noah said.

“Jackson might know where it is.”

His eyes darted away. “The boyfriend?”

“The ex-boyfriend.”

His eyebrows jumped a little at that. It seemed he was happy to hear it.

“I’ll go see him,” I said.

“I want to go with you.”

“It’s okay, really. I’m fine to see Jackson by myself.”

“I know you’re fine, but I’m not fine. I’d feel better if you didn’t go alone. You can talk to him by yourself if you want. I’ll wait outside.”

I smiled tenderly. “You’re worried about me?”

Noah shrugged. “Nah. Just curious.”

We nibbled on the candy bars in a comfortable silence, taking in the fiery red glow on the horizon.

“I want to go now, get it over with,” I said.

“Go where?”

“To see Jackson.” I tapped my ring, and pressed an icon on the mirage in my palm. “Yes, this is Zoe Vanderveen calling on behalf of my mother, Alison Vanderveen. We need more help cleaning up after the memorial. Please authorize Noah Brody.”

I tapped my ring again and looked at Noah.

“I thought you couldn’t authorize me?”

“That only applies after 9 p.m.”

“Okay, then,” Noah said, lifting the hatch. “Let’s go.”

20

￼

I stood by my pod, waiting the ten minutes we’d agreed upon for Noah to join me. We didn’t want surveillance to pick us up going into Sol City together.

I waved Noah over when I spotted him in the car park.

“I just got a message from Jackson,” I said as he got in. “He left the memorial. He’s at the lab.” I spoke the destination into the pod console.

“I’ve never been in a personal pod before,” Noah said as he strapped in. “Kind of cozy.”

“I’d watch it if I were you. It’s easy to get used to private transportation.”

The twenty minutes to the university lab were both awkward and comforting. Sol City in the evening was beautiful. It was a masterpiece of green design, and the modern architecture glowed with environmentally friendly lighting.

“I’ve never been anywhere but your place in Sol City,” Noah said, taking it all in. “Not a piece of trash in sight.”

“Yeah, well, it’s home.”

But my home was not his home, and it was something we both needed to remember.

“Is it okay if I ask you a question?” he said. “About cloning?”

I flinched. He’d said he didn’t care, but I knew he did. He had to. Reluctantly I agreed.

“I don’t know a lot about the procedure, but I thought a modified egg had to grow in utero, and go through the whole nine-month gestation process again.”

“That used to be true. But now, with advanced bio-genetic technology, they can speed the process up. What used to take nine months in a biological womb can now be accelerated in an artificial womb. The technology’s been around for a while, but it’s still illegal to perform on humans. Not to mention immensely expensive. Helps to have an extremely rich grandfather.”

“I know it’s a shock, but you must be relieved. You wouldn’t be alive if your grandfather hadn’t done this for you.”

“I should be grateful, I guess. But it’s hard to wrap my head around it. Who was that first girl? Was she me? Was she my sister?”

Was the fact I was a clone the reason I’d never bonded with Alison? Was it why my mother seemed so disappointed in me? Did I not have the same personality as the first child?

By the time we arrived at the university grounds, I thought my head would explode with all my questions. Questions I didn’t expect Noah to answer, and I was grateful he didn’t try.

“Nice place,” he said as I led the way across campus.

“Well, you know, only the best for us GAPs.”

I tried to imagine what it was like to see the familiar campus through Noah’s eyes. Every building was unique in architectural design. There wasn’t a speck of litter, and the entire place buzzed with only beautiful people.

A year down the road, I’d be a student here. This was something I’d anticipated my whole life. No other option or desire had ever arisen.

Now, I didn’t know what I wanted. Could I attend here knowing what I knew about the corruption at Sol City University? Or at least knowing what I thought I knew?

Last week it was impossible not to picture myself fitting in here. I shook my head, my thoughts and feelings were a tangle of confusion.

If I didn’t fit in here, where did I fit? On the outside? No, I’d never be one of them.

So where? I pushed back at the knot that formed in my gut, the small voice that told me I didn’t belong anywhere.

We entered the glass and metal doors of the building marked Technology. I strode down the white-walled hall, fighting the creeping anxiety that grabbed my stomach. If Noah noticed my apprehension, he didn’t show it. I paused when we reached the lab. He stared at me with concern, and I felt myself smile a little. I whispered, “You’ll wait here?”

“Yeah,” he answered, not breaking my gaze. “But leave the door open a few inches.”

I felt a tiny sprout of happiness. It was nice to have someone on my team, someone who knew the truth and wanted to protect me without lying.

I poked my head in the lab. Jackson was there, lab coat on, pressing his face into a microscope. I cleared my throat when I entered.

Jackson stood there looking at me like a lost boy. “Are you reconsidering?”

No hello, no how are you doing?

“Reconsidering what?” I asked.

“Us? Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“No. I came for Liam’s chip.”

“What?”

“Liam’s chip. The reason the authorities couldn’t track him down. Someone removed it. I’m guessing it was you.”

Jackson raked a hand through his shaggy hair. “Zoe, please don’t. You’re getting in too deep.”

“Too deep in what?”

He shook his head in warning. “You have no idea what’s been going on.”

“I didn’t, but I do now. No thanks to you. So did you remove it before or after Liam died?”

“Before. Oh, God, Zoe. It wasn’t my idea. Liam insisted.”

“Why?”

“Because of the experiment.”

“So, it’s true? You were experimenting on him?”

“Yes, no,” he waved his arms around like the wings of a flustered bird. “I can’t tell you.”

“Fine. I’ll find out myself. Just give me the chip.”

Jackson’s eyes drifted to a drawer across the room. I knew he wouldn’t give away the location of the chip so easily. Not normally, but he was tired and stressed.

I ran to the drawer, but he stepped in after me. “No!” He put his arms around me, pulling me away. I felt my feet lift off the floor as he wrestled me away.

“Let me go!”

“You have to leave now,” he said.

I fought back, wrestling to get free.

The room twirled as I was suddenly dropped, and with my balance thrown, I fell to the stainless steel floor.

I turned back in time to see Noah right-hooking him in the jaw.

“Noah!”

Jackson crumbled to the floor, out cold.

I crawled to his side. “Jackson?” I pushed his shoulder and a low moan escaped his lips.

I glanced up at Noah. “You’re making a habit of this.”

Noah rubbed his knuckles. “Might be a new hobby.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine. Let’s just get the chip and go.”

My gaze darted up to the ceiling where I knew the surveillance camera was installed. “You need to stand there,” I pointed to a spot in front of me. “To block the camera.”

I pulled on the drawer, but it didn’t budge. “It’s locked.” Then I noticed a digital combination that locked both the drawer and the cupboard underneath it. “I don’t know the combination.”

“Did Jackson program it?

“Probably.”

“Try his birthday.”

“Jackson wouldn’t use his own birthday.”

“Then try yours.”

I hesitated then punched in my numbers. Nothing. I tried them backwards. “Nope. Turns out I’m not his inspiration.”

“What about Liam?”

I tried his birthday digits. Nothing.

“This is useless. It could be anything, and I’m sure Jackson changes it regularly.”

“What about the day Liam died?” Noah suggested.

I entered those numbers and was rewarded with a click. The drawer contained a selection of items that must’ve had some importance to Jackson, but the only thing I was interested in was the tiny, pill-shaped chip sealed in a small zip-locked bag. We’d done it. We had the chip.

I slipped it into my pocket and I stepped toward Noah, kissing him lightly on the cheek. He’d fought Jackson for me. He’d helped me when no one else would.

“Thank you,” I said.

I stepped back shyly, wondering if kissing him was okay or had I’d crossed an invisible line. He grabbed my arm and pulled me close, his lips landing on mine.

Apparently, it was more than okay.

I kissed him back, surprised by my eagerness. His lips were soft and warm but his kisses were urgent. I wrapped my arms around his neck and grabbed onto his hair. He held my waist pulling me tight, body to body. If I’d questioned my humanity before, I didn’t anymore. The way I felt about Noah was very human.

When he released me, his eyes held mine with such intensity, every nerve in my body ignited. I knew he felt the way I did.

It was wild and crazy.

And probably a really big mistake.

He took my hand. “We should go.”

But the door to the lab opened before we could leave. Mitchell Redding stood there and behind him were two officers, including one I recognized. Officer Grant.

Grant stepped forward with a pair of handcuffs in view.

“Noah Brody, you’re under arrest.”

21

￼

Grandpa Vanderveen joined us for breakfast the next day, his smug sense of self-importance commanding the room. I’d tried to excuse myself from what was sure to be an unpleasant experience, but Alison would have none of it.

“We are family. We can spend one meal together before your grandfather leaves.”

“You’re leaving so soon?” I said, feigning disappointment. Grandpa V sat in Liam’s spot across the table from me.

“Dad’s a busy man,” Paul said brusquely.

“Lots of lives to control and laws to break,” I added.

“Zoe!” Alison dropped her fork.

“Just kidding. You know I’m kidding don’t you, Grandpa?”

Grandpa V just wiggled his well-groomed eyebrows at me. I smirked back. I had more to worry about than hurting an over-confident man’s feelings.

Noah was in jail.

Paul had refused to bail him out last night, absolutely furious that he’d punched Jackson. I wasn’t used to seeing him seethe and his anger didn’t look like it had diffused overnight. Paul’s lips were pursed tight, even as he chewed his scrambled eggs.

It turned out Mitchell was not only a social misfit, but a snitch. He’d come to the lab un-noticed by me or Noah, perhaps because Noah had been busy knocking the lights out of Jackson, and then promptly called the authorities.

“Dad, we need to talk about what happened last night.”

Paul grunted.

“You have to drop the charges against Noah. Jackson was manhandling me. Noah came to my defense. You should be rewarding him, not punishing him.”

“Jackson is like a second son to us,” Paul said. “Why don’t you tell us what really happened? What were you two fighting about?”

I slumped in my chair.

“It was just a lover’s quarrel,” Alison said. “I’m sure Jackson’s sorry. He didn’t actually hurt you, did he?”

“Just let Noah go.”

“Why were you with Noah Brody, anyway?” Alison persisted.

I leaned back in my chair. Maybe because no one else would help me, no one else would tell me the truth?

“Officer Grant sent me an interesting video clip this morning,” Paul said through clenched teeth. He tapped his ring, pressed the appropriate virtual button and a 3D video popped up.

It was footage of Noah and me locked in our passionate embrace. I felt my face flush red.

“Turn that off!”

“Zoe,” Alison said, horror in her eyes. “The maid’s son? What were you thinking?”

“She’s not thinking, that’s the problem,” Paul said.

“Isn’t that a little harsh?” Grandpa V said, his face fighting off a grin. He was obviously fully amused by the drama transpiring in front of him, but I was thankful, and a little surprised, that he was standing up for me.

“Kids need to spread their wings, test out temptation.” Grandpa V sneaked me a wink. “I’m sure this fancy will pass with time.”

“She’s out of time,” Paul said. “Zoe, I don’t want you to see that boy again.”

I crossed my arms in defiance. “You can’t force me to stop seeing him.”

“But, he’s not a GAP,” Alison said. “You must see the difficulty that comes with that?”

I did, but right at this moment, I didn’t care. At all.

Paul threw his napkin down on a half-empty plate of food. “You will stop seeing him, immediately.”

“And if I don’t?” I challenged.

“Then I guess he’s going to be spending a lot of time in jail.”

“You can’t do that! He didn’t do anything!”

“Assault causing bodily harm.”

“Jackson’s fine. I saw him get up off the floor. He even drove himself home.”

Paul shrugged. “It’s your choice.”

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I looked away, not wanting Paul to see me as weak. I couldn’t leave Noah in jail, but I couldn’t stop seeing him either. Paul was forcing me to lie. I just hoped I could pull off the charade.

“Ok, you win. I know it would never work for me to date a non-GAP. I was confused and acting stupid because I was mad and hurt. But, at least let me tell him. Let me say goodbye.”

Paul let out a deep breath. “I don’t know. I think the band-aid approach is better in this case.”

“Oh, son, let the girl get some closure,” William Vanderveen interjected. “She’s had a rough week.”

I almost felt like giving my grandfather a hug.

“I’ll give you five minutes to wrap things up with him,” Paul said. “Then I’ll have him escorted home. And I’m driving you there.”

It was a better deal than I’d hoped for.

I felt like all the air in our family car had been sucked out. Paul instructed it to go to the police station, and I kept my gaze out the window, reviewing in my mind what I’d say in the five minutes I’d have with Noah at the Sol City jail.

The courthouse didn’t look that ominous. Its exterior was stucco painted bright white, like many governmental buildings in an effort to reflect the sun’s rays and to keep the well insulated and protected interiors cool.

My sandals made slapping noises on the dark interior floor tiles as a clerk led me to the overnight holding cells. This wasn’t the place they kept serious criminals. Those guys were shipped to a facility outside of L.A. This was where people were kept temporarily for misdemeanors, mostly younger people with too much time on their hands. I’d insisted Paul wait for me in the reception area, counting on his unwillingness to create a public scene to force a concession.

Noah got up from a narrow bunk when he saw me enter the room. He still wore the well-fitting T-shirt and jeans from the night before, a look that made my heart do a little flip. A tray with breakfast remnants sat on the floor by the bed.

He ran a hand through his dark hair. “Hey,” he said approaching the bars.

“Hey.”

“I’m surprised they let you in to see me.”

I put my hands through the bars, and he took them sending pleasant waves of emotion through me.

“I had to bargain,” I said.

He placed his forehead against the bars. “And what did that entail?”

“I’m not supposed to see you again. This is supposed to be our goodbye.”

I stood on my tiptoes, reaching for his lips through the bars. He lowered his head to reach me. “Supposed to be?” he said through our kisses.

“I’ll find a way to see you,” I kissed back. “Soon.”

We used up the rest of our minutes kissing, and though there was a lot I wanted to say, it could wait until later.

Noah pulled back gently. “Maybe they’re right, Zoe. Maybe...”

“Shh.” I put a finger on his lips. “Let’s not think about right and wrong. Let’s just think about now.”

“What’s going to happen to me?”

“Dad’s posting bail. They’ll escort you home.”

The guard approached. “Time’s up, lovers.”

My fingers sizzled as I slipped them out of Noah’s grasp. Before disappearing around the corner I mouthed, “Wait for me.”

22

￼

Paul was tracking me. If I went to the kitchen for a coffee, he got one, too. If I sat by the pool, suddenly he was fascinated with the outdoor bar. When I escaped to my room, he sat on the sofa in the living room, working on his e-tablet in full view of the stairs.

I decided to play his game and joined him, switching the channels on the TV until I got to a sappy soap opera I knew he despised. He used to date one of the main actresses before he met Alison, and apparently it didn’t go well. Melodrama played out in 3D images. I turned the volume up a little louder.

Jackson had been buzzing my ComRing non-stop, but I’d been ignoring his calls. I knew he wanted the chip back, and I could sense he doubted I’d be able to hack into it. Still, he was worried. I felt certain there was something on it that incriminated him, and, by the tone of his texts and voice messages, I could tell he also wanted to talk to me about Noah.

There was no way I was going to talk to Jackson about him.

So, now that I had the chip, what should I do? Would it get me into the Sleiman offices? If Liam had been involved with someone from there, then it might. And if so, what could I hope to find?

I could go alone, but I had promised to take Noah with me. Plus, I might need his help. He did have that handy black tool bag. And, besides, I wanted to be with him.

The separation anxiety I felt was growing exponentially. Even a short time away from him was proving painful. I notched the volume up one more level.

Paul finally had enough, and left me for his office at the back of the house.

I didn’t turn the TV off when I sneaked away to the garage. I buckled in and spoke to the computer panel.

Nothing. I tried to start it manually. Still nothing.

Damn. Paul had disengaged it. I exited in a huff. If he thought taking my pod away would keep me from seeing Noah, he was wrong.

I left our property quietly, keeping close to the hedges as I headed north and then down to the waterfront. I followed the shoreline until I hit a popular foot and cycling path, my fury building with each step. I was angry about all the lies that were the foundation of my life. Angry about the secret experiment that had taken my brother’s life, and the fact that no one was taking responsibility for it.

Angry that I was a GAP and Noah wasn’t.

When I arrived at the gates, I walked through without looking up. Once on the outside I found my way to the transit pod and was pleased that I didn’t even feel one bit frightened at the prospect of traveling to Noah’s house alone. I passed my hand through the scan as I hopped on.

It occurred to me that Paul could shut down my access to finances, but I didn’t think he’d go to those lengths. At least not yet.

The ride gave me time to calm down. I didn’t want to arrive at Noah’s in a storm of rage. Deep breaths helped me get my equilibrium back, and I ignored all the people who were ignoring me.

My ring buzzed, and it flashed Paul’s name. I turned it off. Whatever it was Noah and I were going to do, we needed to do it fast. Paul wouldn’t go down without a fight.

23

￼

I heard Noah’s voice before I knocked, my fist pausing in mid air.

“I don’t think you should be working anymore. I’ll get more hours at the kitchen. Find a second job. We’ll get by.”

Saundra’s voice scratched out, “Noah.”

I peeked in through the screen door. Saundra was reclining in her chair with her eyes closed, and Noah knelt on the floor beside her. His back was to me, so he didn’t see me watching. I was about to clear my throat to let him know I was there, but he started talking again.

“Ma,” he said. “I know you’ve made up your mind, but please, think about it again.”

“About what?”

“There’s still time. We could stop this.”

“Oh, honey.”

“I know you think it’s wrong, but scores of embryos are discarded every day. They’re already dead. Nothing you can do will save them. But they could save you.”

“It’s still wrong. In my heart, I couldn’t live with myself.”

“I can’t lose you, Ma.” Noah’s voice cracked. “It’s bad enough that Dad’s gone.”

Saundra stroked his hair, tears brimming her eyes. I felt like such a peeping Tom, observing something so personal.

“You kids will be okay,” she said. “I trust in God to take care of you.”

I walked to the end of the porch and sat down, deciding to wait until they were done.

I didn’t have to wait long. A few moments later, Noah slipped out, shutting the screen door quietly behind him.

He jumped when he saw me.

“Zoe?”

“Surprise.”

He wiped his eyes, looking self-conscious that he’d been crying. I pretended not to notice.

“I told you I’d find you soon.”

After regaining his composure, he sat beside me. Our legs dangled over the edge, thighs touching.

“I’m surprised that your dad let you out of his sight,” he said.

“He put in a good effort, but he was no match for me.” I leaned into Noah playfully, hoping to cheer him up.

He stiffened, his voice serious. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

I turned to him sharply. “About what? You?”

He nodded.

“Yes, I’m sure. Why do you keep questioning me? Are you not sure? We can unravel things, if that’s what you want.”

He ran his thumb along my jaw, and I quivered. “I don’t want that. Of course not. I’m just worried about you.”

“I’m fine,” I said gently. “I promise.”

He leaned in and kissed my nose then my cheek and slowly moved to my jaw line. I shivered and everything in me wanted to keep going.

But, we couldn’t. Not here, not now. “Slow down, mister,” I said with a giggle as he reached my neck. “We still have work to do.”

He sighed and took my hand to help me up. “What’s the plan?”

“I have Liam’s chip. It’s been deactivated, but if we can re-activate it, maybe we can read his files, see who he was connected with.”

“Let’s see what we can do.” We entered the house and walked quietly past his mother’s sleeping form.

His virtual monitor and keyboard were lit up on his desk, and I handed him Liam’s chip to scan.

Noah’s fingers raced along the desk surface. “It shouldn’t take too long to reactivate.”

I took the time to study his photo wall. “Your dad was a handsome man,” I said, looking back at Noah. “You look a lot like him.”

“We were alike in many ways. But not all ways.”

I tilted my head in question. “How were you different?”

Noah lifted his chin. “I try, and sometimes I really do feel the burning passion, the anger for the cause, but I don’t know if I’ll ever feel it quite like he did. If it’s something I could devote my life to.”

“Why do you do it then?”

“My family owns a rustic little cabin on private land tucked along the border of the National Forest. The place where he took us camping. My dad has an old dart board in the back yard that hangs on a tree. It’s the old-fashioned kind with actual darts, nothing virtual. I don’t even know if you can buy that kind anymore.

“When he first set it up, he attached it to a large piece of plywood before nailing it to the tree. That was for me. I was ten when we played our first game and I never hit the target, always the plywood.”

Noah tapped his fingers along his leg, and kept talking. “Dad was an expert at darts. He never missed the bull’s-eye. Even though I was terrible at the game, I kept playing it with him. Just because it was something that Dad and I did together. Jonathon and Davis were too young, for this particular game, so it was our time.

“Dad would tell me stories while we played, about his life, and life in general. He said it didn’t matter if I never hit the bull’s-eye, only that I was trying.

“The year I turned twelve, I asked him how he knew he was supposed to be a reverend when he grew up.” He caught my eye before continuing, “You know what he said?”

I shook my head. “What?”

“He said, ‘The day I hit the bull’s-eye, I knew.’”

Noah inhaled deeply. “I didn’t get it then, but think I understand now. It’s the effort that shows the way, and if you keep trying, one day the answer will be clear.”

“Did you ever hit the bull’s-eye?” I asked.

Noah shook his head sadly. “That was the last summer we went to the cabin. I haven’t played since.”

The computer chirped announcing that Liam’s chip had been re-activated. A myriad of files lit up the screen.

Noah gave his chair to me. “I think you should be the one to dig here.”

I nodded, exchanging seats with Noah, and started tapping away.

“What are you looking for?” he said.

“I wish I knew. Information on Liam and what he was trying to hide by removing and disabling his chip. Somebody at Sleiman must’ve figured out what he knew.”

“And you think that’s why he’s dead?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t have anything else.”

I clicked through a dozen or more files. “Here’s something. A hundred and fifty thousand dollars moved to his account in one day. Certainly well above our daily allowance.”

“Where did it come from?”

“A company called Maverick Industries.”

“What kind of company is that?”

I continued to type and search. “I don’t know.” I pointed to the screen. “It’s linked to Sleiman. The address is in the office tower in Sol City.”

“So someone from this company was financing the experiment. For some reason they didn’t want anyone else to know about it.”

“But who?” I said. “And why?” I tapped some more then let out a small gasp.

“What?” Noah said.

“Grandpa V is listed on the board of directors.”

“Of Maverick? What does that mean?”

I shook my head. “Nothing good, I’m sure. We have to try to get into the Maverick’s offices. Maybe there’s something there that will explain it all.”

“The only problem is I can’t get into Sol City.”

I waved Liam’s chip. “Yes, you can.”

A grin took over Noah’s face, and I knew I had impressed him.

“I suppose it’s worth a try. But say I get through the gates, then what? You actually mean to break and enter into an office in your grandfather’s building?”

“If that’s what we need to do.”

Noah shook his head. “You do realize they have security—alarms, cameras...”

“Isn’t that what your hacker friend is for?

Noah sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Anthony is pretty good, but he’s not that good. We’re talking Sleiman here.”

“But couldn’t he just dismantle the cameras in the Maverick offices? He wouldn’t have to do the whole building. I’ll pay him well, make it worth his trouble.”

Noah tapped his ring and the phone image appeared on his hand. “Anthony? I’ve got another job for you if you’re game.”

24

￼

We spread out and blended in with the foot traffic returning to Sol City. Saturdays were busier than I would’ve guessed, but people still had reason to come and go. It was mostly SCU students who had developed a curiosity for the outside and had time off from their studies to explore.

I let Noah go first to make sure there weren’t any problems. If there were, I was going to cause a scene in the hopes that he could escape on foot.

My heart beat triple-time as Noah reached the scanner. Heat spread through my chest as he opened his fist carefully, hoping the item concealed inside would scan. I held my breath.

I watched the faces of the guards. Was there a silent alarm? They weren’t reacting. Their bored expressions were unchanged.

I let myself breathe. He made it.

As agreed I passed him without looking his way and remained six feet ahead of him until we were well away from the gates. Once out of sight, I ran back to him, jumped into his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist.

I whispered in his ear, “We did it!”

He laughed as I landed back on the ground. “Where to now, Miss Vanderveen?”

“Well, since I’m currently without personal transportation, it’s back to the Sol City public pod system. It’s one I’m well acquainted with as Charlotte and I spent half our lives on it.”

“Who’s Charlotte?”

“One of my closest friends. She’s on vacation in Mexico, so she’s missed all the drama.”

“Does she know? About Liam?”

“Yeah, I called her.”

I threaded my fingers through his as we continued down a parkway path.

He glanced at our entwined hands, his tanned fingers firmly grasping my pale ones. “Are you sure this is okay to do here?”

“Why not?”

He shrugged. “It might draw attention.”

I flicked my hair back playfully. “I don’t care what people think. See? You’re rubbing off on me, Brody.”

We waited at the transit station until the next public pod arrived. Sol City transit didn’t have cash machines, so I scanned my hand twice for both of us when we got on. The pod was half empty and we had our choice of seating. I snuggled close to Noah.

“How long do you think this will keep working?” He said, pointing to his pocket.

“Not long. I’m sure my parents will deactivate it soon. The authorities will be monitoring its usage, too, so we need to do this quickly.”

It was a risk to let Noah do this, but I was ready to take the fall and count on my connections with the Senator to get me out of any jam I might end up in.

The pod hummed along stopping every few minutes to let people on and off. People stared at Noah, and I stared back, until propriety made them turn away. The pod stopped again, and I took in a quick breath as Isabelle and Serena boarded, both with arms filled with shopping bags. They didn’t spot me until they’d taken the two empty seats directly across from us.

“Zoe?” Isabelle said.

I felt like I’d been caught smoking. I slowly pulled my hand away from Noah, and straightened my back.

Isabelle eyed Noah up and down, her blue eyes bulging, her mouth pulling down in disapproval. I could feel Noah tensing up beside me.

“Where’s Jackson?” Isabelle asked pointedly.

Serena elbowed her. “I told you they broke up.”

“Is it true?” Isabelle sounded amazed.

I nodded. “Yeah. It just didn’t work out.”

“Wow, you guys were together forever. If anything I thought this, uh, thing with Liam would’ve made you closer.”

I glanced at Noah. He stared straight ahead with a tight jaw and pinched lips.

“I don’t want to talk about Jackson. Okay, Isabelle?”

Isabelle put a hand to the side of her mouth and leaned forward as if this gesture would keep Noah from hearing. She whispered, “What are you doing? Why are you with him?”

Isabelle’s eyes darted to Noah. She probably remembered seeing him at my house, when he filled in for Saundra in the past.

“He’s not deaf, Isabelle, God. This is Noah. Noah, Isabelle and Serena are my friends from school.”

Noah lifted his chin slightly but didn’t smile.

Isabelle smirked at Serena. “Does this mean Jackson’s back on the market, then?”

Serena giggled. I said nothing.

The pod slowed down. “This is our stop,” I said, nudging Noah. He hopped off when the doors opened, leaving me to say goodbye to my friends on my own.

I sprinted after him. He was walking at high speed. “Noah, wait.”

He spun around. “I don’t belong here. Don’t you see? I’ll never belong here.”

“Then I’ll leave.”

“No, you won’t.”

“Yes, I will. I’m not like those girls. I’ve changed.”

“Is that why you were so quick to let go of my hand? I thought you didn’t care what other people thought.”

“They just caught me off guard. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

He snorted and kept walking.

“Noah, I’m sorry.” I reached for his hand pulling him to a stop. I searched his dark brooding eyes, looking for a hint of softness. “Forgive me?”

“Man, Zoe.”

I squeezed his hand. “Please?”

His back relaxed, and the corners of his mouth lifted. He pulled me into an embrace, his warm breath caressing my neck. “You know we’re in for a hard road, right?”

“I know.”

He gazed up to the ever-changing Sleiman Tower that loomed skyward in front of us. “Let’s do whatever it is we came here to do so we can get the hell out again.”

I felt like I’d just dodged a relationship bullet. “I agree. Have you heard from Anthony?”

“My ring’s buzzing now.” He checked the message and shook his head, looking amazed. “Anthony says he thinks he’s done it.” He glanced back up at me. “I don’t know, Zoe. It’s risky.”

“Let’s just try. It’s not a crime to walk through the office tower. Especially for me.”

The glass revolving doors reminded me of a ride I went on at the Sol City Fair when I was younger. It spit us out into a receiving room that could’ve been an echo chamber, with a ceiling that expanded to the third floor.

Noah stood in front of the building menu, which listed what companies resided on what floors. “It’s on the thirty-second floor,” he whispered.

“Now we just need to find out if Liam’s chip works in the elevator.”

We headed for the elevators in the center of the room. They acted like the spine of the building. “Just walk like you own the place,” I said.

“The moment of truth.” Noah pulled the chip from his front pocket and ran it under the scanner. It beeped and flashed a red light.

Would the doors open, or would we be denied? My nerves were little bugs biting me. Every breath I took resounded in my chest like an alarm.

The doors slid open, proving that my brother had authorization to enter the secured office area above. We stepped inside, and I recited the name of the CEO. The elevator began its long trek up. I reached for Noah’s hand and squeezed. Now that we were riding the secure elevators with stolen authorization, we were officially breaking the law. We didn’t dare say anything for fear of our conversation being recorded. It was bad enough that our images were being monitored by the elevator surveillance.

I still couldn’t believe how much my life had changed in just a few weeks. Normally, on a day like today, I’d be lounging around my pool, not trying to break into a Sleiman Tower office.

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator opened on the thirty second floor. I caught a glimpse out the floor to ceiling glass window that was currently facing east and felt woozy.

“It’s incredible,” Noah said. The view extended beyond the south gates of Sol City to the horizon of the Pacific Ocean.

“I don’t like heights.” I turned my back to the window. “So we know Liam had access to Sleiman Tower offices.”

The lights were dimmed, as most people who worked on this floor had the weekends off, but they shed enough illumination that we could find our way along the hall. About half way down we found an unassuming door painted the same white as the walls. A small glass plaque had M.I. Inc. engraved in it.

Before Noah could test the chip in the door scanner, we heard a noise from down the hall. I pulled him into an indentation in the wall that barely concealed us. I risked a peek. A humanoid robot had turned the corner, pushing a floor cleaner. This unit was a more advanced model than the one I’d seen at the Pike residence. Its movements were more fluid and the silicon skin was eerily life like. So much so, someone had even decided to dress it in a house cleaner’s costume.

I put my finger to my lips. The humanoid drew closer. The hum of the floor cleaner barely covered the loud thumping of my heart. I pressed into Noah more firmly.

The humanoid reached the nook we stood in. Its eyes scanned us as we huddled together, standing statue still.

Would it recognize us as intruders? Would it trigger an alarm? The hum of the floor cleaner continued as the humanoid caught my eyes.

They were slightly larger than human eyes, though the pupils and irises were very convincing. I knew they weren’t really eyes, but cameras.

We were caught.

Then the humanoid pushed the floor cleaner towards my feet, bumping them slightly. It must’ve thought we were a new piece of decor. It continued down the hall fulfilling the purpose it was programmed to do.

I felt Noah’s chest move as he exhaled.

I wanted to cry, but we didn’t have time to give in to fear.

After double-checking that the hall was clear, Noah waved Liam’s chip under the door scanner.

It clicked. I glanced up at Noah, wondering what we’d find when I pushed open the door.

25

￼

Not much, it turned out. The room was small, like an over-sized janitor closet. White walls, a small window, a single desk with nothing but a lamp on it. Not even a computer.

I swung my arms wide. “What is this?”

“It doesn’t look like a real company to me,” Noah answered.

“Maverick is a fake company?”

“Looks like it’s a front to move money without looking suspicious.”

I slumped against the wall. “This is bad.”

“I’m sorry, Zoe.” Noah took my hand and just then his ComRing buzzed. He pulled his hand away and stared at his palm.

My heart jumped at the stricken look on his face. “What is it?”

“It’s my mother. She’s in the hospital.”

I could barely keep up with him as he dashed out of the Sleiman Tower. I heard him cursing himself that he’d left her for too long, that he wasn’t nearby when she needed him.

“Do you want me to come with you?” I offered as we rode the elevator down to the lobby.

“No.” Noah’s firm refusal was like a knife blade in my chest.

I jumped on the next pod with him anyway; someone had to pay the fare. He tucked his hands around his chest. Once we arrived at the northern gates, he disembarked with a quick goodbye.

I swallowed the hard lump that formed in my throat, staying on the pod with no destination in mind. I didn’t want to go home. Maybe the beach. Let the roar of the waves drown out the accusations blaring in my head.

If Noah’s mother died before he got there, he’d hate me for it. And I wouldn’t blame him. How selfish could I get, dragging Noah around on a wild sleuthing stunt when he was needed at home? From now on, I was doing this myself.

I found myself getting off near Jackson’s house. We had unfinished business. I’d deal with that first. His mother answered the front door. She wore a pantsuit with long, gold chains draped over her large, enhanced chest. Golden tresses towered high on the top of her head. I was surprised to see her. She was usually busy with social clubs, charities and golf games.

“Zoe! Come on in.” She gave me a tentative hug. “It’s so good to see you. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since...your brother. I just wanted you to know how awful we all feel.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it. Is Jackson around?”

“He is, which is rare, I’ll tell you.”

I already knew that. When Jackson wasn’t at my house, he was holed up at the university, and lately that meant the warehouse in the eastern sector. It was no fun hanging out in his big house alone.

“He hasn’t been himself since the two of you, you know, argued.” Her eyes were wide and pleading. “He’s in a bad way. I hope you guys can work out your little misunderstanding.”

Not likely. “Where is he?”

“In his room.” She motioned to the sweeping staircase. “Go on up.”

I remembered how Jackson and I used to ride down the banister when Mrs. Pike wasn’t around. Looking down from the top, I could see how stupid that was. Even a GAP head wouldn’t survive a crack on those tiles from this height.

I couldn’t help but compare this mansion to Noah’s bungalow. Though Noah’s home was about the size of this foyer, and not nearly as richly decorated, it had a warmth and appeal Jackson’s house lacked. You could hear life happening at the Brody house. This place was a museum.

Still, it was a step up from my house, which these days felt like a tomb.

I knocked on the familiar door and opened it slowly when Jackson called for me to come in. His eyes widened in surprise but he recovered quickly. “Zoe. Didn’t expect you.”

Jackson basically had his own suite. A king-sized bed took up a part of the room, and beside it was a sofa sectional that faced a large screen TV where Jackson had been playing games; 3D images of robotic soldiers were paused in midair. A mini-bar at the end was stocked with food and beverages.

“You haven’t been answering my calls,” he said.

“I know.”

I noticed a bruise had formed on the left side of his jaw. He saw me looking at it.

“A gift from your natural.”

I didn’t want to antagonize Jackson, so I let that one pass.

He shook his loose hair from his eyes. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

I ignored his platitudes and leaned against the back of the sofa. “You must be curious about the chip.”

Jackson shrugged, turning his attention to his game. “Did it do you any good? It was de-activated.”

“You underestimate me. I know about the experiment.”

He stood suddenly, his shirt falling open to reveal his tanned, surfer’s chest. He reached out his hand, passing it through a soldier’s holographic face. “You should give the chip back to me.”

I ignored his hand and kept my eyes on his face. “Tell me what happened first.”

“Why should I?”

I judged the distance to the door. Could I make it there before him if he came after me again? “Because, if you don’t I’m going to assume you killed Liam.”

“I didn’t kill him.”

“Then what happened?”

Jackson closed his eyes, let out a defeated breath and dropped back to the sofa. He patted the seat beside him, wanting me to join him. I compromised by sitting on the arm.

“Liam came to me in February, super-excited. He said he was on the verge of a breakthrough. That it was possible to augment human intelligence, speed up the process that researchers were working on now. Unimaginable powers of thought could be possible, far beyond the normal brain.

“I was aware of the research, and I told him it was too young. Sure the theory has been around for a long time, but the technology wasn’t quite here. That’s when he went off about how the technology was here, and the government was holding back funding and restricting progress with ethics. But he knew of someone who would finance unauthorized research and exploration. We just had to take it off-campus. Out of Sol City.”

“Who financed it?”

“Liam wouldn’t tell me.”

I wasn’t sure if I believed him or not, but I let it drop for now. “How’d you find the warehouse?”

“Liam contacted a guy on the outside. Some doper who’d do anything for money and keep it quiet as long as we kept paying him regularly. We had no way of knowing where we could take our operations on our own. The kid located the abandoned warehouse and arranged for us to get in un-noticed.”

“Zack Dexter?”

Jackson’s eyes popped open. “How...?”

“Doesn’t matter. What happened next?”

“We set up a lab and started going there practically every day. Liam was super enthused about the brain science and did a couple tests. He couldn’t wait to try downloading his mind onto a hard drive.

“This led to advancing the cyborg-technology the government had worked on a couple decades ago, before the global peace policy basically made the need for robotic soldiers obsolete.

“Liam worked day and night. So much that he insisted that we remove his chip because he was afraid the authorities might be tipped off with him leaving Sol City so often.

“I didn’t want to do it, but I knew if I didn’t, he’d cut it out himself. The whole experiment was like a drug to him. He saw it as a way to preserve his mind indefinitely. He was consumed with the idea of creating a body for himself where each part would eventually be replaced with a mechanical part, ultimately creating a form of him that didn’t have to die.”

“Liam already had a life expectancy of more than two hundred years,” I said. “I don’t understand. Why would he do this?”

“Liam wanted to live forever. And he wanted to be the first to make it possible. He dreamed about a spot in the record books, and he wanted bragging rights. He wanted to eclipse the fame of his grandfather.”

Liam’s own ego had killed him. He wanted to live forever, and he died young trying.

“So what went wrong?”

Jackson pinched his eyes together, and I could see his agony.

“I don’t know,” he said. “The power went out. I don’t know how. We had emergency back-up. We checked and double checked everything. Part way through the full download...he had a seizure. Then he stopped breathing. We couldn’t bring him back.”

I closed my eyes, imagining the stress and trauma of that night. Sorry for my brother, but also feeling a little sympathy for Jackson and Mitchell.

Still, they had covered it up. Who were they covering it up for?

“Do you think someone sabotaged it?”

He didn’t answer the question. “I’ve missed you, Zoe. We need each other to get through this. I need you.”

I felt sorry for him. I believed him when he said he needed me. But it wasn’t the same as saying he loved me, and I was certain now that I didn’t love him.

“Did someone sabotage the experiment, Jackson?”

He stared at me, then slowly nodded.

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Jackson, please.”

“I can’t tell you.” His eyes had softened, almost apologetic. “They’d kill me. And they might kill you. I couldn’t live with that.

26

￼

When I hadn’t heard anything from Noah by the next morning, I tapped my ComRing and called him.

“Is she okay?”I asked when he picked up.

“Yeah. She stayed the night in the hospital, but we’re bringing her home now. Skye’s going to tend to her there.” It went quiet and I thought the line had been dropped, then Noah’s voice went hoarse. “We almost lost her.”

I closed my eyes. “But she’s okay, now, right?”

“They gave her a new med cocktail.”

“I’m so sorry this is happening, Noah.”

“I know.” Another long pause. “Hey, I gotta go. I’ll call you later.”

I stared blankly at my DigiWall—gliders jumping off a mountainside, floating like birds to the valley below—and wondered if Noah actually intended to call me back. Maybe this whole thing with his mother was a wake up call to him. Maybe he was wondering why he was wasting his time helping out a GAP.

I was wondering the same thing.

Noah’s new problems didn’t negate my own, older ones. I still didn’t know who killed Liam or why. The only new information I had was the existence of Maverick Industries, a shadow company, which had a facade office in Sleiman Towers.

I thought about calling Grandpa V and asking him what it was all about. Would he tell me? Then I had an uneasy thought. I let myself consider it and then shut the possibility out. He might be an egomaniac, famous, rich presidential candidate, but even Dr. William Vanderveen wouldn’t risk the life of his own grandson.

Would he?

No, I couldn’t accept that. But he must know something. Maybe this trail led to the CEO, Ronald K. Smythe. Maybe my grandfather was covering for him. Or was it possible he didn’t know about everything that went on in his own company?

I went downstairs just as Paul was shutting off his ComRing. “That was Noah Brody.”

My heart pulsed at the sound of Noah’s name, even though I’d just gotten off the phone with him myself. Why was he calling Paul? “What’s wrong?”

“He called to inform us that his mother’s too ill to come to work.”

I already knew that, but I decided it was best to play along.

“Oh. But she doesn’t usually work on Sundays.”

“He meant ever again. I’m afraid the poor woman’s not going to last much longer.” He swept his feathery hair back with his hand. “Such a shame.”

“Yes.”

“And you should know that Noah won’t be coming back to replace her either.” The statement came with a stern look of warning.

“I assumed that.” I let my gaze drop casually to the floor. “Like I told you before, I’m not interested in him anymore.”

“Good.”

“I suppose this means Mom can get that humanoid house-cleaner she’s been coveting.” I headed for the kitchen. The cook had prepared French toast and the aroma woke up my appetite.”

“Good idea,” Paul said, missing my sarcasm.

I sat at the table and added butter and strawberries to my breakfast. “Where is Mom any way?”

Paul sighed as he joined me. “She’s sleeping. Losing Liam is going to take some time to get over.”

That was right. No clone brother for me.

“Have you learned anything new? How did Liam die, exactly? What was he doing in L.A.?” I was testing Paul. Would this be the moment my father told me the truth? I found it hard to believe I actually knew more than he did. The question was would he share? And if not, why not?

His crystal blue eyes met mine, and I held my breath.

Another moment passed before Paul swallowed. “Apparently he’d made a friend on the outside. I don’t know why he was going out there. The kids here call it slumming. He got in with a bad crowd.”

So that was how he was going to play it. Fine. I took another bite and pushed my plate away.

“You don’t mind if I go to Charlotte’s do you? She just got back from her vacation.”

Paul seemed relieved that I didn’t ask any more questions and said quickly, “Okay. That’s a good idea. Thank them for the kind words they transmitted to Liam’s memorial.”

“Sure thing.”

I had every intention of visiting Charlotte. Except that Charlotte didn’t actually get back until tomorrow.

27

￼

I hesitated when I got to the north gate. Maybe this was a bad idea. Noah wasn’t exactly warm on the phone, and it was entirely possible he didn’t want to see me again. I should give him some time.

Instead of walking through to the outside, I bought a drink from the vending machine and sat on a bench to people watch. Lots of tall, well-dressed blonds passed me, and it wasn’t nearly as interesting or entertaining as people-watching in L.A.

I checked my messages again. Three from Jackson. None from Noah. I finished the last of my soda and tossed the can into the recycling depository. I could leave Noah alone, but I just couldn’t stand not knowing where we stood. Was he bailing on us? I had to know, either way, yes or no.

And I wanted to hear it in person.

I walked through the gates into L.A. like I’d been doing it for years. My mind was on autopilot as I hopped the pod transit to Noah’s neighborhood. Once there, I knocked softly on the screen-frame of his front door. When no one answered, I thought maybe they were still at the hospital or worse that maybe Saundra had...

“Oh, hi.” Skye stepped outside, closing the door behind her. Her hair was pulled back, but a few chestnut ringlets had escaped, falling around her neck. “Saundra’s sleeping,” she whispered by way of explanation.

“I’m happy to hear she’s well enough to be home again,” I said.

“Well, she’ll be sleeping a lot now. It’s too expensive to keep her in the hospital, so I’m going to stay with her.”

“That’s nice of you.”

“I often do home care. So as far as they’re concerned, it’s just another job placement for me.”

“Nice for Saundra to have you as her nurse, then.”

Skye eyed me carefully. “Noah told me about the two of you. I have to admit, I’m surprised.”

“We’re kind of surprised ourselves. Is he home?”

“No, he left earlier. This whole thing with his mother is very upsetting for him. Plus, he seems really distracted.” Skye raised an eyebrow, indicating she thought I might have something to do with that.

“Did he say where he was going?”

Skye shook her head. “But if I had to guess, I’d say the church.”

I thanked her and left, hoping that he’d still be there by the time I arrived. When I finally got off the pod at the square, I broke into a trot down the path leading to the back of the rugged building.

I inched the door open and saw Noah’s profile as he sat on the pew staring at the wooden cross above the altar. A guitar rested on his lap. The door whined as I pushed on it, and he turned, seeing me come in. He didn’t say anything, just went back to staring at the cross. I wasn’t sure what I should do or if he even wanted to see me, but I crossed the dusty sanctuary and sat next to him.

The quiet was unnerving, and I set my gaze on the stream of light beaming in from the higher glass windows. Specks of dust swirled and danced around us.

“I shouldn’t have come.” I finally said.

“No, it’s okay.” He shifted slightly, moving the guitar away. He rubbed his hands along his legs. “I come here to feel closer to my dad. And to pray.”

His eyes reddened and he pinched them closed. “I pray that God will heal my mother, and if not, that she’ll have a peaceful existence until he takes her. And that I’ll have the strength I need when he does.”

He faced me then and our eyes locked with an intensity that gave me goosebumps.

“I pray that God will help me fight temptation,” he said.

I stared hard back at him, my pulse racing. He still wanted me.

“And how’s that going?”

He slid down the pew until he pressed against me. He nuzzled my neck with his lips, sending off fireworks. “Not well.”

He swung his legs up, pulling me gently down on top of him, my whole body connecting with every inch of his. My heart raced as he cupped my face with his hands and tenderly kissed my forehead, my eyelids, moving down my cheekbones to my chin.

He traced his fingers down my back, sending a storm of electricity throughout my body. His lips touched mine, soft and warm, and I felt like I was breathing pure oxygen. Our kisses grew harder, full of hope and longing. I wanted to lose myself in him and wondered how things had gotten so passionate so fast.

I’d been with Jackson, but I’d never felt anything as explosive as what I was feeling now.

I reached for the button of his jeans, but his hand stopped mine.

“Is something wrong?”

His chest rose in short breaths. “It depends what you mean by wrong.”

In that moment I considered that maybe he’d never been with a girl before.

I put my hand to my pounding heart, telling myself to breathe.

“I can’t get pregnant, you know.” One of the benefits to being a GAP was fertility could be turned on and off genetically.

Noah went still. “You GAPs don’t leave anything to chance.”

I sat up. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean... nothing.”

“What? Are we back to that? I know I’m a GAP. I’m worse than that. I’m a clone.”

I pushed myself off his chest and back into a sitting position. “You must really despise me.”

He sat up and reached for my chin. “I don’t despise you. I’m falling for you. You’ve put me in an impossible situation.”

My heart stopped at his declaration.

“I’ll never be what you are, Zoe. What you need. Can’t you see that?”

“I want who you are, the way you are now.” I leaned in closer. “It’s scary, I know, but please, don’t shut me out.”

He closed his eyes. The way his eyelids fluttered, I could tell he was trying to think it all through, weighing out the risks. I couldn’t bear it if he rejected me.

“I’m not asking you to marry me, Noah. I just want to be with you. I’m falling for you, too.”

His dark eyes snapped open and bore into mine with such intensity I lost my breath.

“Really?” he asked.

“Really.”

Then he kissed me again.

28

￼

Noah was serious about resisting temptation, and the next thing I knew, we were sitting in the food court with him ordering us sandwiches and coffees.

“How do you like yours?” he asked.

“Sweetened latte.”

He paid cash then handed me my coffee.

“I could pay, you know,” I said.

“Yeah, but I don’t think you should be leaving a money trail right now.”

“I’m easy to find if someone’s really looking for me. Though, I can’t see how they would think I’m a threat.”

“You can get it next time.” He pointed to the clock tower. “Picnic?”

I laughed and followed him.

He guided me up the stairs, fake coughing as the dust swirled around us. The fresh air greeted us at the top as he pushed open the hatch.

“It’s not the Hilton, but it does well in a pinch,” Noah said, leaning against the rail.

I stood beside him and we unwrapped our sandwiches and began to eat. Noah pointed to the horizon over the ocean, between the glass walls of the surrounding towers. Menacing dark clouds rolled like big fists under the crimson sun.

“There’s a storm brewing out on the Pacific. I heard on the news today that we’re in for more crazy weather.”

“Damn climate change,” I said between bites. “Are we ever going to get a handle on that?”

“I thought science had the answers to everything?”

“I thought so, too. But I think our great-grand-people waited too long on this one.”

In addition to massive ice melts, the last thirty years had brought unprecedented flooding and famines to every continent, including North America which also had seen a second dust bowl.

“The worst is over though?” Noah asked.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “Maybe.”

We threw our trash into the common bag, then leaned on the rail, sipping our coffees.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m better now. Ma’s not going to last much longer. I just have to accept that.”

“What will happen to you and your brothers?”

“Jonathon and Davis will go with Skye. It’s already been arranged. I’m eighteen. Old enough to take care of myself.”

“Oh, Noah.”

He reached over and stroked my arm. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m not alone. I have you now. And you’re going to live forever and take care of me when I’m an old man.”

Was he joking? His lips formed a smirk.

“That doesn’t sound so bad to me,” I said.

He pulled me close and started kissing me. His hands moved up and down my arms, settling on my waist.

I pushed him away gently, laughing. “Resist temptation.”

“Am I going to be sorry I confessed that to you?” he said, setting his forehead on mine.

“Maybe.”

“Thought so.”

I shimmied down the side of the rail until I was sitting.

“Is there something else?” he asked, joining me.

“I went to Jackson’s house last night.”

Noah flashed a sharp, worried look and I answered quickly. “It was fine. His mother was there.”

I could tell by his expression he didn’t care if the King of England had been there. He clearly didn’t like me being anywhere near Jackson.

“He told me about the experiment,” I said.

“So, what’s the scoop?”

“My brother died because he was greedy.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was after eternal life.”

“I believe in eternal life.”

“Not the way Liam did. He wanted to interface his mind with a hard drive, and cyborg his body, so when his organic body finally died, he could live on in a robotic one.”

“Wow. That’s junk.” Noah stretched his arm up and around my shoulders. “I’m sorry. This must be hard for you.”

“I think my grandfather is involved.”

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “How?”

“I don’t know. He’s a director of that fake company. There’s got to be a reason for that.”

“But there could be a dozen reasons, none of them to do with Liam.”

“Except that Liam’s chip opened the door.”

“True.”

“I don’t want to believe Grandpa V had anything to do with this, but I can’t rule him out. Who else did Liam know with the kind of money this type of research would take? And Grandpa V is running for president. He might be thinking this technology could come in handy some day.”

“Even if he did finance it,” Noah said, “He wouldn’t have sabotaged it.”

“Grandpa V has enemies.”

“Zoe, if it’s true that your grandfather was involved with illegal research activities that resulted in a death, and we can prove it, he could go to jail.”

I scowled. “If he’s guilty, then he deserves to go to jail.”

“Okay. What do you want to do?”

“Grandpa’s house in Sol City is well secured but empty. I thought maybe Anthony could hack in and disable the alarm system. It’s not as complex as the tower.”

Noah stared off into the distance.

“Am I pushing too hard?” I said. “I know your life has turned upside down since you started hanging out with me. I understand if you’ve had enough of me and my problems.”

“No, that’s not it. I haven’t had enough of you.” He cracked a smile. “That’s part of the problem.”

“So will you help me?”

“You know, Zoe, two weeks ago, the only crime I was guilty of was disturbing the peace.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Is that a yes or a no?”

“It’s a yes.”

I beamed at him. “Good.”

My ComRing buzzed. I tapped it and frowned.

“What is it?”

“It’s a message from Jackson.” I turned my palm so he could read it.

Mitchell is dead. Be careful.

29

￼

“Mitchell is dead?” Noah said. “And why is Jackson telling you to be careful?”

I rested my hand on his knee. “Jackson was afraid they would try to kill him. I thought he was just exaggerating so he wouldn’t have to tell me who the muscle was behind the experiment. Looks like they killed Mitchell instead.”

Noah tapped his feet, fidgeting. “This is starting to get dangerous.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying maybe we should just leave this alone. Nothing we find out will bring your brother back. We already got caught in the lab by Mitchell. I’d hate for something like that to happen again.”

“Mitchell was a surprise, but we’ll be more careful this time. I know I can’t have my brother back, but I can have the truth. It’s the only way I’ll get closure.”

Noah squeezed my shoulders firmly. “You know I’m not letting you out of my sight. You’re stuck with me. Like glue.”

“I want to be stuck to you,” I said lightly.

He held his hand in front of his face and tapped his ring. “Before we do our daily break and enter, I need to call home.”

“Oh, Noah, I’m so selfish. You should be at home with your mother.”

How quickly I’d forgotten that I wasn’t going to drag him into this. I had to release him to go home, maybe even force him to go. I’d have to figure out a way to find out what I needed to know by myself.

“It’s okay. Skye is there. And Jonathon.”

“Are you sure? What if something happens?”

“They’ll contact me if there’s any change.”

He tapped his ring again and spoke Anthony’s name. He gave the instructions, pausing to ask me for my grandfather’s address and telling him to let us know if and when the alarm system was down.

He turned to me. “Any other criminal activities you’d like me to set up for you, Miss Vanderveen?”

“No, I think you’ve done quite enough, Mr. Brody.”

Noah reached up and stroked my cheek, the tenderness of his touch sending shivers down my spine. Then he kissed me lightly, like butterfly wings touching my lips. We twisted together, kissing and laughing, and I thought it was a good thing, at least from Noah’s perspective, that the space in the clock tower was too small for anything too serious to happen. As it was, the light had dimmed, and a red glow was peeking through the slats of the railing as the sun set.

“We should get going,” I said between kisses. “It’s getting dark.”

He took a few moments to get his breath. “Ah yeah, must get back to the life of crime.”

“Have you heard from Anthony?”

Noah checked his ComRing. “He left a text.” He let me see it. It said, DONE.

We held hands all the way back to Sol City. Electric fibers seemed to disperse from his touch, cocooning my being and making me giddy. Was this what falling in love felt like? No one in L.A. gave us or our PDA a second look, and I liked it that way.

My heart stopped for a moment when Noah entered Sol City with Liam’s chip, but again there was no problem. It was Sunday. Tomorrow Paul would probably close up all accounts associated with Liam, and I’d have no way of getting Noah inside.

Which meant I’d just have to go outside.

I could move. Get a job. Be like them.

I could.

We got to my pod–Paul had re-instated my use of it because he believed Noah was no longer part of my life–and I spoke the name of a park close to my grandfather’s house. “Vanderveen Park.”

Noah raised his eyebrows. “You have a park named after you?”

“Among other things.”

“No Brody parks or any other Brody thing that I know of,” he said.

He was underlining our differences. Why did he keep doing that? I supposed it was wise not to forget them entirely. I tried to imagine what the future held after whatever happened next with my grandfather, after Liam’s mystery was solved.

Noah was taking in the Sol City sights: the pristine grounds, the organized traffic control, the creative architecture, the breathtaking landscaping.

“It’s mind blowing,” he said.

“I know you said before that you’d never... but now, maybe, if you had a sponsor, you’d reconsider?”

Could he ever be convinced to become a GAP?

A flicker of disappointment gripped me when he shook his head. “I could never live in a place like this. Sure, Sol City is beautiful, but I’d never fit in. I don’t have the right look, and I don’t have the right philosophy. That will never change.”

We arrived at Vanderveen Park. I’d chosen it because it was widely used and showing up at my grandfather’s house with my pod while intending to break and enter wouldn’t be very smart. The sandy beaches the park breached had remnants of the day’s surfers and picnickers. New arrival partiers logged in for the evening, even though the wind had picked up.

I parked the pod and said to Noah, “Follow me.”

He grinned. “I plan to.”

We walked two blocks south until we came to the gate at the end of a long drive. The old Victorian-style mansion was painted pale gray and had a short iron rail lining the roof top. The security lights that remained on 24/7 had been turned off, which gave the big house a Gothic aura.

“No bats?” Noah said, staring.

The wind whipped off the ocean and through the oak trees that surrounded the house and dotted the extensive yard. I pulled my hair off my face and tied it into a knot. Dark clouds along the horizon added to the haunted effect.

“Anthony does impressive work,” I said.

“I only hang out with the best.”

He motioned to the iron barricade. “I imagine the gate is locked?”

“I know a way in.”

I pushed through the hedges that surrounded a wire fence. We had to balance over tall, dark rocks that jutted into the ocean. The wire fence continued into the Pacific, deterring would-be trespassers.

We came upon a small cove behind the rocks that was hidden by the hedge.

“The fence is pulled up over there. You can’t see it because of the hedge. We spent a lot of time here with Grandpa V and my parents when we were younger, before he started pursuing politics. It's a short cut to the public beach.”

I wiggled headfirst under the fence, wincing as the wire scraped along my back. I wasn’t as small as I used to be. It was harder for Noah, and I pulled up on the wire to help him through. Once inside, we raced across the vast lawn. Lightning streaked the gray sky, followed by a loud crash of thunder.

“Quick,” I said, dodging under a covered patio facing the ocean, just as a deluge of water fell from the sky.

“Now what?” Noah said, shaking water from his head like a puppy.

I pointed to an upper-level window. “The lock on that window is broken. Whenever my parents would travel, Liam and I were shipped to Grandpa V’s. We never told anyone about the lock, because it gave us a way to sneak out and get back in again.”

“How do you get up there?”

I pointed to an oak tree planted near the back of the house with a large branch that almost brushed against the window.

I climbed first with Noah right behind me. Once on the gable, the window opened easily. I swung my legs over the sill and landed with a soft thump on the floor.

The room had a day bed with a lace covering and a slew of pillows. An old-fashioned sewing machine in a wooden cabinet sat next to it. Three headless seamstress mannequins lined one wall adding to the eeriness of the night. Lightning flashed across the darkened room and Noah jumped.

“What is this place?”

“It’s my grandmother’s sewing room. She was into fashion design when she was younger.”

“Creepy.”

I turned on the flashlight feature of my ComRing and Noah followed suit.

“Where is your grandmother now?”

“She was almost ten years older than Grandpa V, too old to take advantage of the genetic alteration procedure to extend her life. She died before I was born. Grandpa was devastated. He never remarried and never got rid of her stuff.”

The hallway outside the room was lined with pictures. Noah flashed his light along the paintings. All were expensive or priceless and by famous artists, new and old.

“Grandpa invests in art,” I explained.

Even though we were alone in the house and the security was turned off, I still felt compelled to whisper and walk softly.

“Grandpa’s office is downstairs. Let’s start there.”

I led the way down an impressive, curving stairwell, lined with lush red carpeting. Grandpa V’s office was toward the back of the house, facing the ocean.

Our rings shone rays on extravagant furniture and ornaments. Glass-laden chandeliers hung from high ceilings in almost every room. Lightning flashed repeatedly and debris blown by the strong winds smacked against the windows.

The door to Grandpa V’s office was closed, but it pushed open without a creak.

I went directly to his desk, and stared at the darkened computer screen.

“I’m not sure what to do here,” I said. “I wish we could just flip through old-fashioned filing cabinets that had copies of incriminating papers, like in old movies.”

“Security is down, but there’s still power to the house,” Noah said.

I pushed the button and the computer whirled to life. “I have no idea what his password might be.”

A voice echoed from the corner, “And you’ll never guess.”

I jumped back into Noah, gasping aloud. The lights in the room snapped on, and I squinted against the sudden brightness. Noah groaned.

In the corner was a brown leather wing-backed chair. I had often curled up with a picture book in that chair. The leather was as soft as butter.

Now Senator William Vanderveen sat in it, his legs crossed, a glass of amber liquid in his hands.

“Checkmate.”

“Grandpa?” I said, not believing my eyes. “I thought you flew back east.”

“I wanted you to think that, honey. But I knew you were digging. I couldn’t leave until I found out how far you’d get. I have to admit, you’ve impressed me.”

I shot Noah a sideways glance. We were in trouble. Big trouble.

“What do you think I know?”

“I know you befriended a natural to help you access places you couldn’t have otherwise.” Dr. Vanderveen looked disgusted. “We just can’t seem to shake free of the Brody family.”

I shifted in front of Noah when I saw him flinch.

“And I know you tried to break into an office in the tower, somehow gaining access to the secured elevators. And, of course, I know you had a lover’s spat with your boyfriend, Jackson Pike.”

“He’s not my boyfriend anymore.”

“Well, you are young. I’m sure you’ll find another boy at the right time.” He sipped from his glass, clearly enjoying it.

“Did you kill Liam, Grandpa? Did you kill your own grandson?”

Dr. Vanderveen scoffed. “I’m not an animal. I did know about the experiment, of course, and I encouraged him. Perhaps a little too eagerly.”

“Did you finance it?”

“Yes.”

“Even though you knew it was too soon, that the technology wasn’t ready?”

“Yes, I knew all that. What I didn’t know was how far Liam had already progressed, and how far he was willing to go to test it on himself. For such a bright young man, he sure could be stupid sometimes.”

“What went wrong, then? Why’d he die?”

“That imbecile, Mitchell Redding.”

“Mitchell?”

“I told Liam he was too squirmy. Didn’t have the guts for something like this. He cut the power.”

“Mitchell sabotaged the experiment? But why?”

“Apparently he was afraid it was going to work. He said he’d turned it back on right away, but of course, it was too late then. The damage had been done.”

So Mitchell had seen the dangers of unleashing a technology like that.

“The boy knew too much.” The Senator re-crossed his legs. “And with his constitution, I just didn’t trust him.”

“So you killed him?” I was incredulous.

Dr. Vanderveen made no reply. He carefully set his empty glass down on the table beside him. “He killed my grandson. And he destroyed a year’s worth of work. We were so close to breaking through, Zoe, so close.”

“If the US military has put a hold on cyber-organic research,” Noah said. “Then why aren't you holding up on research? Unless you want to create the super soldier?”

“Mr. Brody, you are too smart for your own good. It was and still is my intention to...” Dr. Vanderveen shook his hand impatiently. “I don’t need to explain myself to you.

“Zoe, darling,” he continued. “Some people are dangerous. Even though you think you can trust them, you can’t.”

I agreed with his statement, but it was my grandfather who was dangerous, not Noah.

Dr. Vanderveen snapped his fingers. Instantly, two men blocked the doorway. I recognized one of them as Officer Grant. I’d known he was dirty.

“Grandpa, what are you doing?”

“It’s time for your friend to go.”

I looked at Noah nervously. There was no way my grandfather would let him live.

“What about me? Is it time for me to go, too? I know as much as he does.”

“Zoe, Zoe, Zoe,” William Vanderveen cooed. “You’re my granddaughter, I would never hurt you. Besides, you can be fixed.”

Several things happened at once. Noah jumped on top of the desk, leaped for the chandelier and swung himself across the room. He clipped Officer Grant on the chin, knocking him over. As Noah ran for the door, I pushed an iron coat rack down, tripping the second officer.

I ran after Noah toward the staircase as I heard Grandpa V shout, “Get them!”

Halfway up the steps I felt heavy hands grip my arm, throwing me off balance. Someone held me by the waist. I twisted and pulled, but his grip was secure. Grant sprinted by, his eyes set on Noah who’d stopped at the top of the steps. Noah’s eyes filled with desperation, and I could tell he was debating if he should come back to help me.

I shook my head and shouted, “Noah! The tree!”

“I’ll find you, Zoe!”

The last thing I saw was Noah sprinting down the hall, one of my grandfather’s henchmen on his heels.

30

Noah

PART TWO

I crawled out onto the wet branch of the oak tree. The rain pelted my face from an angle, almost horizontal.

I gripped the slippery bark close to my body, inching my way to the trunk of the tree.

My leg was caught. Snagged on a tree stub?

Worse. Grant had the hem of my jeans in one beefy hand. I impulsively jerked my leg. The motion tugged Grant half-way out the window, his bulk precariously dangling two stories from the cement patio. He let go of my jeans but the movement caused me to lose my balance. As I felt my body slip off the branch, I swung my loose leg back up and around. I glanced at Grant, who had pulled himself back into the house.

Our eyes caught for a moment. Grant’s were icy slits of blue evil. He wanted to hurt me; I had no doubt of that. Sheet lightning blanketed the sky and reflected on a metal object in Grant’s hand. A gun was pointed right at me.

I shimmied down the back side of the trunk, flinching as the first shot went off. I jumped the rest of the way, rolling in the landing. I groaned as the air was knocked out of my chest. My back sunk into the saturated lawn. I cracked my eyes open and caught a blurry view of Grant’s bulky back like a bear huddled in a tree. If I didn’t get up, he would reach me.

And I’d be dead.

I pulled myself off the ground and ran. Rain dripped into my eyes and the electric storm left a metallic taste in my mouth. More shots. My heart beat like a thousand tribal drums.

Grant was strong but not very agile. He shouted at another shape from the direction of the front of the house. Both men sprinted toward me. I was in the cover of the hedges, but the continuous flashes of lightning were like spotlights on my back, revealing my position. At any moment I expected to feel the sharp pain of a bullet.

I struggled through the hole in the fence, getting slicked down with mud in the process. I was comforted by the fact that the hole was too narrow for anyone the size of Vanderveen’s men, but I knew that wouldn’t stop them.

My pulse spiked as I pumped my legs, dodging cars and seeking the shadows of buildings and shrubbery, but Sol City was well-lit in the night. I feared I wouldn’t escape. My ears strained for the sound of sirens, or footsteps, anything that might prove I wasn’t imagining the pursuit.

A crack in the sky rattled the earth. I fell hard to the pavement, sand grinding into my cheek. Something very near to me had been struck by lightning. Sleiman Tower? I turned my head in the direction of the imposing building and watched as it went dark, one floor after another like the removal of Christmas lights from a gigantic tree.

Suddenly, all of Sol City was blanketed in darkness. I thanked God and sprinted to the gates. The crowd there was mangled in the darkness, and I pushed past bodies until I’d squeezed through to the other side.

The emergency lights were all that lit up L.A., leaving it in a ghostly semi-darkness. At least the transit was still functioning. I hopped onto the first pod I came to, my chest burning with quick, short breaths. Still looking over my shoulder, I checked for the faces of Grant and his partner.

A sigh slipped out as I realized they weren’t on the pod with me. The thudding in my chest gradually slowed to normal. I was safe. For now.

But I’d abandoned Zoe. I left her with the most dangerous man in the state. The Senator of California and presidential candidate, her grandfather.

If I’d stayed, I’d be dead, and I wouldn’t be much help to her then. No, I did the right thing by running. I had to hide and then think of a way to get back to her. To save her.

I thought about going home, but that would be the first place Grant would go.

My heart stuttered. My family. Were they safe? Vanderveen wanted me, and needed to find me because of the man’s stupid pride-filled confession. Now I knew too much.

But would he go after my family?

I tapped the base of my ring. I needed to warn my mother, but how to do that without throwing her into cardiac arrest?

I’d go through Skye. She’d deliver my message in a calming way. I couldn’t risk being overheard by the other passengers, so I texted her.

Skye, I’m in trouble. I have to go into hiding for a while. Mom and the boys may be in danger, too. Please take them some place safe. I have to ditch my ComRing, so don’t try to respond. I’ll contact you somehow in a few days to explain.

I hated dropping such a heavy message and task on Skye, but I had to make sure my family was safe.

Now, where to go?

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Think, think. Anthony’s? Brian’s? No. They’d check all of my friends. The church? For sure they’d go there.

The warehouse? Vanderveen knew we had found out about the experiment, but he hadn’t mentioned the lab. Was it possible he didn’t know Zoe and I had found it? Even if he had figured it out, it was the last place they’d guess I would go.

I got off at the next stop. They couldn’t track me via a chip since I didn’t have my own and had given Liam’s back to Zoe. But all ComRings were equipped with GPS. Finding the nearest drainage ditch, I slipped mine off my finger and dropped it.

I found the pod line that would take me to the eastern sector. A block away from my destination, the pod lurched to a sudden stop throwing the passengers into blackness. The wind whipped against the pod, flipping it off the magnetic grid. Screams filled the confined space as everyone was tossed about. A blast of pain shot through my side when my ribs caught on the back of a seat.

I covered my face while shattered glass fell around me, and the pod skidded to a halt on its side. I crawled to a broken window, wincing as shards of glass bit into my palms.

Blood dripped onto the ground. Mine? I felt something warm run down the side of my face. I touched my forehead and frowned. I had to get to the lab. There were medical supplies there.

I pushed myself into the wind. At times the force of nature was too much, and I was compelled to drop to the ground, covering my head as I folded into a ball. I pushed onward as the wind whipped my body. Debris and trash whirled above my head. My teeth chattered with the cold, and my skin was prickly with chills. Sheet lightning brightened the sky and was my only guide through the dark neighborhood. I’d never witnessed a storm as freaky and wild as this one in my entire life. I felt like I’d fallen into some kind of wormhole and into an alternate universe.

The door to the lab swung wildly as if possessed. Inside, I pushed the door closed and twisted the dead bolt. The sudden calm shocked me. Even the pelting rain against the windows felt quiet.

I no longer had my ComRing for light, and the warehouse lights were out like the rest of the city lights. The lightning came at wider intervals, but it still helped me get my bearings. In my mind I played the memory game. What did I need, and where was it?

First aid. The box was where? I’d seen it, but where was it? In one of the cupboards? Yes, which one? In the bathroom. Like a blind man, I walked across the room, my arms stretched out, yelping when I banged into the corner of a table.

I patted the wall where I’d spotted a first-aid kit. My hand came upon a tube-shaped handle.

Yes. An emergency flashlight. I flicked it on and jumped.

Bloody hell. The light reflected off the mirror and on my face like a horror movie. Blood thickened on my forehead and in my hair, and more streamed down the side of my face. I opened the first aid kit and got to work.

I flinched as the antiseptic bit through the wound on my skull. Bloodied water spilled into the sink, running past my eyes as I washed it out of my hair. I spit red from my mouth and grabbed the hand towel, patting my face and hair dry then applying a bandage to my head.

Once I had my face washed and bandaged up and the glass cuts on my hands cleaned out, I began a raid on the lab.

I needed supplies. The beam from my flashlight landed on a backpack hanging on a hook behind the door. Perfect.

I grabbed it, holding it upside down. Empty.

My first stop was the cupboard that held the space food. I took the basket and dumped it into the bag. I went back for the first aid kit and threw it in—just in case.

What else? My wet clothes still clung to me. Coming off my adrenaline rush, I started to cool, breaking out in uncontrollable shivering.

Did the lab jerks leave any clothes behind? The hoodie in the closet. I opened the door, my mind returned to the moment when Zoe and I had huddled in there, her body pressed against mine for the first time.

I peeled off my wet shirt and donned the dry hoodie. Better. I checked the upper shelf and was rewarded with a pair of folded gray sweatpants. I stripped out of my wet jeans and put them on, then I rolled my wet clothes into a ball and stuffed them into the pack. Anything else?

The gun. Had Mitchell left it? Which drawer had I put it in? It’d been dark and at the time all I’d thought about was getting Zoe away from Mitchell to safety.

I rummaged through drawer after drawer. In addition to Grant, I’d need protection from would-be thieves and attackers, who were sure to be enjoying the lack of law enforcement going on right now. A gun would make a good deterrent.

Where was it? I ran my hand along the back of the last drawer, my fingers stretching out as I reached. They touched something. Cool metal. I laid it in my palm and examined it. A standard handgun.

Loaded.

31

￼

We can fix her.

What had that maniac meant?

I stood at the dartboard game’s oche line, which my father had marked with a two by four, I held a dart between my thumb and forefinger and tossed it. It arched like a blue-tailed bird and hit the outer mid ring of the board.

I’d successfully stayed concealed in the family cabin for a week and a half. My first two nights were sleepless, but when Grant still hadn’t discovered me on the third day, I started to relax.

I lined the second dart at eye-level, brought my arm back and sent it forward in a smooth arc.

Yes. Inner circle.

On the night of the storm, I made my way to the garage at the back of my mother’s house. As I’d hoped, it was dark and quiet; Skye had cleared my family out. I kept to the shadows, though I hadn’t spotted either of Vanderveen’s men. I took the cash, hidden in a safe in my bedroom, and my computer pen. I rode my father’s scooter through the cacophony of traffic snarls and looting until I arrived at this peaceful, hidden refuge in the mountain forest.

My third dart hit the board with a snap, and I breathed in sharply. The outer bull’s-eye. I’d never gotten this close to the bull’s-eye before. My aim was improving.

I’d made two trips into Capulette, the little tourist town closest to my hideaway. Capulette had a charging station where I charged the scooter, a general store for the locals where I’d stocked up on canned goods and soda, and a coffee/souvenir shop for tourists passing through on their way to the national park.

I postured myself back at the line and threw the first dart of my second round. I let out a disgruntled snort. Outer circle. So much for improving.

I pictured my father standing here. Relax your shoulders, Noah. Don’t lean forward. The dart should float through the air. Young Noah had watched in awe as the dart hit the bull’s-eye again and again.

My second dart arced through the air, missing the center bull’s-eye but snapping solidly into the next inner circle.

I needed to find Zoe. I hadn’t tried to contact her for fear her transmissions were being monitored. She was probably worried sick, or angry that I hadn’t tried. Or weeping, thinking I was dead.

None of these scenarios was acceptable. I needed a plan.

Sweat dripped down my brow, and I paused to reach for my can of cola. I grimaced. It had warmed and flattened in the sun.

An idea came to me a couple days ago. My mind reviewed it over and over. It was risky. I might not find her.

I might get caught.

I bit the inside of my cheek, uncertain. Should I or shouldn’t I? I poised myself at the line and lined up my shot. The dart floated through the air.

Bull’s-eye.

I should.

32

￼

Traffic moved smoothly on the grids once more, but the workers were still sweeping up broken glass and removing fallen palm trees from the storm. My pulse jumped as I entered my neighborhood. I drove past my house and around the block a few times, scouting for suspicious vehicles or anyone who didn’t belong there. I was glad that the helmet concealed my face.

Once I was certain things were clear, I drove down the back alley and parked the scooter in our garage. The lawn had burned completely white, and all but the hardiest of plants were wilted over in a slow death. Davis’s little bicycle lay on the sidewalk. I picked it up and leaned it against the house. I swallowed hard as I entered the small kitchen through the back door. Please let my mother be okay.

The screech of the rusty hinges on the door broke through the quiet stillness in the house.

“Hello?” An unfamiliar voice. “Who’s there?” A short, squat woman in nurses’ scrubs entered the kitchen.

“I’m Noah.”

“Oh, Saundra’s oldest son, I presume. I’m Nancy, the nurse.”

I had hoped Skye would be here, but of course she couldn’t work twenty-four seven.

“How’s my mother?”

“She’s fine. Sleeping. You should come back later.” Nancy casually folded her arms, stepping in front of me. Her lips formed a straight line and her eyebrows arched slightly. She took her job caring for my mother seriously. She had no intention of letting me near Mom, sleeping or not.

“Can you tell her I’m okay and not to worry? I promise to be back soon.”

Nancy nodded stiffly. “Sure. I’ll do that.”

She watched as I backed out the door and closed it behind me, then I heard the soft click of the lock.

I shrugged on my backpack, feeling the weight of the object tucked in the bottom. I slowed as I made my way back to the garage. I was sure I’d closed the door, but now it stood open a crack. I carefully removed my pack, digging deep until my fingers found the gun.

I pushed on the door, concealing myself.

“Who’s there?” I said.

No answer. Maybe my imagination was getting away on me. I dropped my backpack on the ground and held the gun in both hands, finger on the trigger. I wasn’t taking any chances.

Like the police shows on TV, I jumped into the open space, hands braced, gun pointed. “Don’t move.”

My eyes narrowed in the sudden darkness, the only light filtering in was from a small, high-set window.

“Nice gun.”

Grant sat calmly on my scooter in the middle of the room.

I cocked the trigger, my aim sure and steady. There’d been a reason I practiced throwing darts. I imagined the dart board on Grant’s chest.

“Get off my bike.”

“Easy, Noah.” He swung his leg off, his hands lifted half way in the air.

“Why shouldn’t I shoot you now?” I said. “It’s you or me, isn’t it? You won’t stop until I’m dead.”

Grant’s eyes settled on the gun.

“I’m a reasonable man. We can negotiate.”

“Fine. Stay away from my family.”

“I’ve got no beef with your family. All you have to do is stay away from the Vanderveen girl. Stay low, off the grid like you’ve been doing, and I can tell the old man you’re dead.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“You might change your mind.”

“Or, I could just shoot you and get it over with.”

“I’m not Vanderveen’s only man. Are you going to shoot us all? Besides, you might be brave, Noah Brody, but you’re not a murderer.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that.”

“I’m not a betting man.”

Would Grant call my bluff? My heart beat steadily, but my arms remained strong and sure. A fly buzzed around his head, and he swatted it.

“Don’t move,” I said not convinced the man didn’t have his own weapon hidden somewhere on his body.

“Are we at a stalemate then?” Grant’s lip pulled up on one side. “I stand here with my hands in the air, while you point a gun. How’s it going to end?”

“Get against the wall.”

He hesitated.

“Now!”

He moved slowly to the dark side of the garage and leaned against the wall with his hands. I patted him down. Just as I thought–a gun in a side holster and a knife strapped against his leg.

“This must be humiliating,” I said, stripping the man of his weapons. “Getting one upped by a kid.”

“I admit, not my best moment.”

I dropped his weapons into my backpack.

“Here’s the deal.” I kept the gun pressed against the back of Grant’s head. “I watch you walk east down the alley. We agree this never happened. Vanderveen never knows about your incompetence or my whereabouts. I just disappeared into thin air. Deal?”

Grant grunted. “Deal.”

I prodded him to leave the garage and start walking. “And remember, my gun is aimed at your back. Don’t do anything stupid.”

33

￼

The warm glow of dusk stroked the city. I rode my scooter to the beach nearest the Sol City northern gate and I parked at the surf shop, locking my helmet in place. I found the changing rooms and changed into a muscle shirt and surf shorts. I had to look the part.

The guy renting surfboards stared at me oddly when I asked to pay in cash, but money was money. He took it and stuffed the bills into his pocket. I walked down the beach with the board tucked awkwardly under my right arm, and when the rental guy was distracted by another customer, I left the beach, board in tow.

I’d never surfed a day in my life, but the board was large enough there to conceal my face from security. I approached the Sol City gates, waiting across the street until I spotted a group of other guys, college kids, approaching. I stepped up behind them, as they got into the pedestrian line, hoping it looked like we were together.

The guys ahead of me waved their palms through the scanner. I didn’t have Liam’s chip anymore, besides I was sure his code had been erased by now.

What I had was a copy of Zoe’s chip from when she wanted me to break into her locked medical files. I kept my face down, hiding behind the heavy board.

My heart stuttered as I waited. I felt a flare of red creep up my neck. Would this copy clear me?

I held my breath as I waved the concealed chip replicate under the scanner. No sirens or alarms. I followed the crowd as it dispersed, breathing deeply.

Sol City was up and running like the storm hadn’t even happened. This didn’t surprise me. Sol City always got the first and the best. I took a westward path near the transit station and headed for the beach.

Near a park with a playground and public washrooms was a row of lockers. I put my pack in one, paying with Zoe’s chip to lock it. I skipped through hot sand to the water’s edge, dropped the board and slid on.

My arms burned as I paddled along the shoreline. Zoe lived farther south than I’d thought, but I recognized the beachfront of Zoe’s house when I reached it–the odd cube design, colorless lines and the west-facing glass wall. The terraced yard prevented me from being seen from the house windows, at least from the first floor anyway. My hope was if I waited long enough, Zoe would come out.

This was the point where my plan could fail. She might not be home. She might be watching a movie. She could be doing anything.

I was bargaining on her love of the ocean to bring her here at some point in the day. I’d just wait for her. If her heart missed me as much as mine missed her, maybe the ocean would be a respite as she waited for answers.

I didn’t have to wait long before I noticed movement on the terrace. A blond head.

When I saw it was Zoe, my chest almost burst. I’d dreamed of this moment–Zoe catching sight of me and running into my arms.

She paused when she spotted me. Her face didn’t break into her gorgeous smile, and she didn’t dash my way. Instead she waved and said a timid hello.

Maybe the surfer shorts and muscle shirt threw her off. She’d never seen me in anything but jeans and a T-shirt before.

“Zoe, it’s me.”

She tossed her flip-flops off and crossed the sand. She had on a pair of beach shorts and a white button-down, short sleeved shirt. She put a hand over her eyes and stared.

“Who?”

With that word, my heart sank. A heavy knowing of what Dr. Vanderveen had meant when he said he would fix her.

She didn’t remember me.

She didn’t remember me.

I stepped a little closer but worried about stepping into the sight-line of the house.

“It’s me, Noah.”

“Do I know you?”

I collapsed to the sand. What had that psychopath done? A memory inhibitor? The man had no conscience.

“Yes, you know me.”

“I don’t remember.” She sat on the sand a safe distance away. “My brother died, and well, I don’t really remember much since then. My father says I’ve been in shock.”

Paul Vanderveen was covering for his father. I wondered how much he knew.

Zoe gathered her flyaway hair and twisted it into a knot at the nape of her neck. “Were you a friend of my brother’s?”

“No. I’m your friend.”

She tilted her head as she studied me. “Funny, I don’t remember you. Are you a GAP? You don’t look like one?”

I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. How had they done it? Brain drugs? Nanobot injection? But the biggest question was whether it would last. Was there something I could do to bring her back?

Instead of answering her question, I said, “My mother used to be your housekeeper.”

“Saundra?”

“Yes,” I said, excited that she remembered her.

“She was sick, wasn’t she?”

“She’s still pretty sick. You’ve been to my house. Do you remember? It’s on the outside.”

She scuttled a little farther away from me. “I don’t go to the outside. My grandfather says the naturals can’t be trusted, and he’s Senator William Vanderveen, you know. He’s going to be president. He said it’s safer for me to stay inside the gates.”

I sighed hard. It was worse than I’d thought. Zoe’d had her memories wiped and she’d been brainwashed. It was suddenly hard to breathe, hard to swallow. I squeezed my eyes shut, pushing down the pain.

“Are you okay?” she said. “Did you get something in your eye?”

“I’m fine,” I muttered.

“I should go.”

“No, wait. Please. Just sit here with me. We don’t have to talk.”

She hesitated then wrapped her arms around her knees. She seemed at peace, childlike, so unlike the Zoe I’d known, the girl on a determined quest for truth. I wondered if Alison and Paul Vanderveen were happier with this version of their daughter.

I wanted to keep asking questions, wanted to shake her memories awake, but I was afraid she’d take off like a frightened bird if I said anything more. I watched her profile and my heart broke.

“Why do you keep staring at me?” she said.

Because I love you. “No reason.”

The waves crashed to shore. The tide crept up as the waterline moved closer to our feet. Small crabs sidestepped along the darkened sand; seagulls squawked overhead.

“Are you not going to surf?” she said, pointing at my board.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“Oh.”

Every single moment of the crazy weeks I’d spent with Zoe rolled through my mind. She’d worked so hard to get to the truth about what really happened to Liam, to get the truth about her own identity. The truth about how she felt about me.

Now she was worse off than before. Every memory of our time together was gone.

“I’ve missed you, Zoe” I didn’t realize the words had come out of my mouth until it was too late.

She stood. “I really have to go. My mother will worry. Maybe we’ll meet up again someday.”

“I hope so.”

“Goodbye, Noah.”

I didn’t want to say it. She waited, then waved. I whispered after her. “Goodbye, Zoe.”

I watched until she disappeared to the upper terrace and into the house. A hard lump formed in my throat as I tried to make sense of it all.

I had a choice to make. Leave Zoe alone and let her live a make-believe but peaceful, contented and safe life.

Or somehow fight for her memories to return and give her back the truth she’d fought so hard to find.

I lay my stomach flat on the surfboard and pushed away from the shore. I paddled hard against the waves, throwing all my anger and frustration into every stroke.

34

￼

Ma died on Monday. I’d gone home after seeing Zoe and I knew there was trouble when I saw Skye’s face.

I knelt by my mother’s bed.

“Ma? It’s me.”

Her words were low and labored. “Noah, my son. Keep the faith.”

Those were her last words. I held her icy hand as her heart stopped. Skye reached over and gently closed her eyes.

Davis bawled and Skye carried him out of the room, whispering soothing words into his ears. Jonathon stood stiffly on the other side of the bed, his eyes and nose leaking down his face. Though he was almost as tall as me and filling out, in the shaded room he looked fragile and vulnerable.

“It’s going to be all right,” I said to him.

“How? How’s it going to be all right? We’re orphans now.”

I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around my little brother. He sobbed into my shoulder and I swallowed hard, unable to keep my own tears at bay.

After the funeral, Skye moved into our house with the boys. Ma had enough insurance to pay off the house and provide a small monthly allowance so Skye didn’t have to work when the boys were home from school.

I moved out to the cabin. I told them I’d be back, that I just needed some time alone.

Now I stood at the oche line. I aimed and threw.

Bull’s-eye. Only this time it wasn’t a dart I’d thrown. It was Grant’s knife. I stepped up to the board, worked the knife out of the corky surface and returned to the line to throw again.

I could kidnap Zoe and help her get her memory back.

Kidnap was the wrong word. Too strong. Rescue Zoe. I could go back to Sol City to rescue her from her lying, thieving family.

The knife whipped through the air hitting the bull’s-eye with a whack.

At least, when I looked at it that way, I could justify all the laws I’d have to break to pull it off.

Including some lying and thievery.

I slapped away a fly and pushed my hair off my sweating brow. It had grown in the last month and a half. Usually I’d get Skye to buzz it off for me. I was starting to look like a surfer-dude, which, it turned out, would come in handy.

With the knife positioned between my thumb and forefinger, I held it up to eye level and stood at the oche line once again.

Even though I hated to, I had to consider the alternative.

Leaving Zoe alone. She was a GAP girl, through and through. And as much as it tore my heart to shreds, she looked happy, at least a little bit. She belonged in Sol City, lies and all.

The knife handle vibrated like a fish’s tail when it hit the board. Wide this time.

Should I save her? Should I let her go? My heart prayed for a sign.

The heat bearing down on my dark head prompted me to find relief indoors, and the crooked wooden step creaked as I went in.

The cabin had been shut up for two years and had the dust build up and stale air to show for it. I’d found cleaning supplies under the sink and a broom in the closet by the door and I’d spent most of the first day sweeping, wiping and cleaning until the small abode smelled disinfected and appeared orderly.

I hand-washed the bedding that had been left on the bottom bunk in one of the two small rooms and hung the sheets out to dry in the sun.

A bowl, glass and spoon were washed and drying in a dish rack by the single sink. Indirect sunlight brightened the room. An over-sized chair and a couch with a hand-knitted Afghan draped over its back faced a wood stove built into the corner. A stack of wood beside it remained untouched.

I shoved the kitchen table against the outside wall and propped up my computer pen. The virtual keyboard appeared on the table; the virtual monitor waved slightly against the crooked wall.

I didn’t know what to do about Zoe, but I’d decided one thing. I opened my blog page, a site I hadn’t visited for weeks. I set it up with an encrypted address and counted on that to keep Grant from tracking me to this spot.

I breathed deeply, and started typing.

I thought the secluded quiet of the cabin would’ve been conducive to prayer. I’d even found one of my father’s old Bibles which I opened and laid on the kitchen table. Even after I’d put my hands together, closed my eyes and bowed my head, I couldn’t get any further than Dear Lord.

The words just wouldn’t come.

Before I could change my mind, I grabbed my helmet and hopped onto my scooter.

Now I sat on the pew in the church facing the altar, staring at the color-tinted dust particles floating in the stream of sunshine from the stain glass windows. Here I could pray.

But still, I had no answers. Like Ma used to say, no answer was probably the answer no. My chest grew heavy when I thought of her, but she got what she wanted how she wanted it. I couldn’t judge her for that.

I’d leave her to rest in peace. And I should leave Zoe in peace, too. I needed to be strong and to get on with my life.

Ma had also said that my father’s fight was not my fight. Maybe it wasn’t then, but it was now. My determination to pick up where my father had left off was renewed. Someone needed to fight for the rights of naturals and stop GAP exploitation. My grandfather had resisted as a scientist. My father had resisted as a preacher. I would resist, too.

And I’d keep my bargain with Grant and stay away from Zoe.

Despite having made this decision, I felt restless. I tried playing the guitar, but my agitation refused to ebb. I grabbed my helmet and slipped out the back door, pushing my scooter around toward the courtyard and the main road. I stopped half way to put on my helmet, a precaution against being recognized, when I saw a familiar profile.

No way.

Even with a hat and glasses, I’d know that face anywhere. Zoe Vanderveen stood not ten feet away in front of the church steps. Her head was bent back, and she was staring at the clock tower, her face tense with concentration.

“Zoe?”

She stepped back, startled.

“It’s me, Noah. I saw you on the beach a couple weeks ago, remember?”

She nodded her head slowly, removing her glasses. “I remember.”

“What are you doing here? I thought your grandfather told you it wasn’t safe to go to the outside?”

“I was curious.” She took a tentative step back.

“It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Oh, I know, it’s just...”

“Do you remember the church?”

“Oh, no,” she said quickly. “Of course not. I’ve never been here before.”

I felt slapped by her words. Vanderveen had done his job well.

“Are you sure?”

Her eyes narrowed, like she was surprised by my question. “Yes, I’m sure. I would know, wouldn’t I?”

“I suppose.” I shifted my helmet into my other hand. “Would you like to go in? I could show you around.”

Her cheeks flushed red, and she nibbled her lip, considering. “Um, no. I shouldn’t. Really, I’ve got to go. My boyfriend will be worried.”

“Jackson?”

She cocked her head. “Yes, do you know him?”

The jerkwad didn’t care in the least that Zoe had been altered like this? The muscles in my face tightened as I nodded.

“He hasn’t mentioned you.”

“We’re not exactly friends. I wouldn’t tell him about me if I were you.”

“Why not?”

“Trust me. He wouldn’t be happy you were talking to me.”

“I can talk to whomever I want.”

I cracked a smile. At least this version of Zoe still had spunk.

“Anyway, I really have to go. Nice seeing you again, Noah.” She blended into the crowd and headed over the pedestrian bridge.

With my scooter in hand, there was no way I could go after her. My lips tugged up in a satisfied grin. I’d asked for a sign and I’d just gotten one.

35

￼

My email inbox overflowed.

Since I’d gone back to promoting the movement Down with Unfair GAP Policies with gusto, I was beginning to see a return on my efforts. My blog posts were garnering hundreds of comments and more than a thousand visits per day. I was putting a voice to what many people were thinking, and now they were starting to speak out, too.

I answered the ones that needed a response, wrote and published another blog post and linked it to other sites with the same message.

And there was something else.

I cracked my knuckles. I tapped my fingers on the desk top. Rubbed my hands along my legs. Shifted my chair away, and then back to the table again.

Don’t think about how wrong this is. I tapped the keyboard, and a text-message conversation appeared on the screen.

Zoe and Jackson.

I’d hacked into her ComRing—I’d learned a thing or two from Anthony over the years–I started reading.

Jackson: I stopped by your house today, where were you? You need to keep your ComRing on.

Zoe: I don’t have to tell you everything.

I smirked at that.

Jackson: You didn’t try to go outside again, did you.?

Zoe: I already promised you I wouldn’t do that again. Anyway, who made you my babysitter?

Jackson: I’m just looking out for you.

Zoe: I’m sorry for being snappy. It’s just these awful headaches.

Jackson: Did you take your pills today?

Zoe: Yes.

Jackson: Are you still having those dreams?

Zoe: I don’t want to talk about it.

Jackson: Okay. Don’t forget the swim party tomorrow afternoon. I’ll pick you up at one.

Zoe: I might be busy.

Jackson: I talked to your parents. They said you were free.

Zoe: Why are you talking to my parents?

Jackson: Your father does work at the University. I saw him there. Does it matter?

I shook my head. They had Zoe on a tight leash.

Jackson: Zoe? All of our friends will be there. Could be skinny dipping involved.

My fingers made fists under the table.

Zoe: You’re not actually convincing me.

Jackson: I was joking. What else are you going to do? You keep complaining about being bored.

Zoe: Okay. Fine. What beach? I’ll meet you there.

I checked the time. I’d have to get moving. First stop: withdraw cash from Zoe’s account with my copy of her chip. I was counting on the fact that she wasn’t the type to monitor her statements and that her father wasn’t bothering either, now that it appeared she was under constant surveillance.

Then I’d have to trade the scooter in for a used two-seater, solar-electric hybrid car. I knew a guy who’d still deal in cash.

I sent Skye a text: I have a favor to ask. I’ll be by the house tomorrow afternoon.

I spotted Zoe walking toward a group of GAPs–all catalogue ordered: blond, tall and fair. Those GAPs had no imagination.

She wore a white sundress with green bikini straps tied around her neck and sunglasses on her face.

A fire burned in a makeshift pit, and towels and beach chairs were circled around it. She laid her towel out and sat down.

The sound bounced off the ocean, and I could hear them from my hiding spot in the shadows behind the brick restrooms.

“Hey,” Jackson said, squatting down beside her. “You made it.” He bent forward to kiss her, and it was all I could do to keep from storming over and punching the snot out of him.

Zoe turned her head last minute, so his kiss met her cheek. I couldn’t believe how happy that small act made me. It confirmed what I was about to do was the right thing.

“I called you. I wish you’d answer me,” he said.

“I had my ring off.”

“Why?”

“I was in the shower. Do I have to report my every move?”

“Of course not. It’s just, I worry about you Zo. You’ve had a big shock. We both have.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry for being so uptight lately.” She reached for his hand. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

He smiled at her like the perfect boyfriend, but I could tell by her body language she didn’t trust him, even if she couldn’t remember why.

Three girls exited the ocean and walked up to Zoe. One of the girls was close enough to drip water on her bare legs. She yelped, “Hey!”

Another one settled on the towel next to Zoe. “Hey, Zoe, you’re missing all the fun.”

Zoe smiled. “Hi, Charlotte. Yeah, sorry it took me a while to get here.”

The girls chatted rapid-fire about clothes, boys and the latest celebrity scandal, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Zoe didn’t say much, and I wondered if it was because she didn’t care for the subject matter or if she didn’t remember the details.

Another girl, one I recognized from the transit pod the first day Zoe and I dared to go public in Sol City, waved flirtatiously at Jackson.

“Hi, Jackson,” she said.

Zoe squinted and looked confused. I wondered if Jackson had something going on the side with that chick, and it seemed Zoe was wondering, too. Her friend squirmed under her gaze then stood, wiping sand off her legs. “I’m going to the restroom. Anyone coming?” she said.

The other girls jumped up, but Zoe looked unsure. I stepped further back into the shadows.

Then she stood. “I’m going, too,” she said to Jackson.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Jackson, really. You don’t have to chaperone me to the restroom. I’m sure I’ll be okay between here and there.”

He settled back into his towel. “Fine. I’ll be right here.”

Zoe dragged her toes in the sand, obviously in no real hurry to get there. The door to the public facility was wide open and I could hear her friends talking about her.

By the expression on Zoe’s face, she heard them, too.

“Something’s really off about Zoe, lately.”

“I know. She hasn’t been herself since her brother died.”

“Honestly,” the cheater’s voice crackled through the air, “I don’t know why Jackson stays with her. She’s all pouty and solemn all the time. Pity, I guess. They broke up once, remember? I don’t know why he took her back after what she did.”

Zoe sunk back around the corner looking like a lost puppy. She pressed against the outside wall, and waited until the girls left.

This was my chance.

“Zoe?”

I stepped out from behind the trees. I pressed the cloth in my hand against her face, and she squirmed for a few seconds before slumping in my arms.

“I’m sorry.”

36

￼

Zoe groaned in the passenger seat of the car I’d bought the day before, her head leaning against the window. I pulled into our garage, moved quickly to the passenger door and carefully scooped her up into my arms.

“Noah?” Skye’s eyes widened in concern as I carried Zoe inside. “Is she sick?”

I carried her to the sofa and laid her down gently. “Skye, you’re not going to like what I’m about to ask you to do, but I’m begging you to trust me.”

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“I need you to remove the chip from her hand. Now.”

“Are you out of your mind? This is Zoe Vanderveen!”

“I know who she is. Please, she’s in trouble.”

“With who? And wouldn’t her own family be able to help her?”

“Her family’s the danger, Skye. The Senator has messed with her head, stolen her memories. We need to help her get away from him.”

“What? Stolen her memories? Are you sure?”

“I’m very sure.”

Wrinkles formed on Skye’s forehead. “Noah, this is so illegal.”

“I’m aware of that. But what they’re doing to her is immoral.”

Zoe groaned, her eyelids fluttering.

“Do you have something to keep her out?” I said.

Skye went to our mother’s old bedroom, hers now, and returned with a medical bag. “I keep this handy for emergencies.”

She tapped a pill from a jar into her hand. I helped her prop Zoe up, and she pushed the pill down Zoe’s throat, assisting her with a sip of water.

“That should keep her out for a few hours.” Skye lifted Zoe’s hand and felt the fleshy part for the chip. Her eyes questioned me. “I don’t know.”

“I realize this is extreme, but it’s life or death. Please, Skye. Once they confirm she’s missing, they’ll track her here. We need to remove the chip and destroy it before that happens.”

Skye threw her hands in the air in defeat. Then she went to work, moving quickly and professionally. After donning plastic gloves, she applied a local anesthetic to Zoe’s hand. She removed a sterilized scalpel from a pre-packaged sleeve, and with a steady hand, she made a small incision. She mopped up the blood that spurted out with gauze then plucked the chip out with a pair of sterilized tweezers.

Then she placed it in my open palm.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I do.” I took the chip outside to the garage where we kept a few tools. I used the hammer to crush the chip into the sidewalk. “That’s for you, Senator.”

When I got back to Skye in the living room, she was finishing up the last stitch. She bandaged the incision with gauze and medical tape.

“Okay, it’s done. You should probably get out of here before the boys get home from school.”

I picked up Zoe’s limp body.

“I can’t thank you enough, Skye.”

“That’s true. Just promise to visit me if I end up in jail.” She held the door open. “Where are you going?”

I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “It’s better if you don’t know.”

37

￼

I snapped to attention as Zoe grabbed her head and moaned. She’d slept fitfully on the cabin sofa overnight. Her arm reached over to the side grasping at air, like she was expecting to find something there.

Her eyes popped open and moved slowly around the room. Instead of her deluxe bedroom, she saw wood-framed walls, an unused wood stove in the corner, a simple table set for two people. Her nose wiggled. The room smelled like the bacon and eggs I’d prepared for breakfast.

She sat up carefully and her eyes settled on me.

“Where am I?”

“Good morning,” I said.

“Noah?” Her eyes fluttered as she tried to make sense of things. “Why am I here? Did I spend the night?” She glanced down at her clothes and patted at the dress and bikini she had on from the day before.

I brought the frying pan over to the table and dished scrambled eggs and bacon onto each plate. I didn’t answer her questions. “Hungry?”

“I have a splitting headache. I need my pills.”

I placed the empty frying pan on the stove top, and picked up a pill jar. “Tylenol.”

“No, my prescription pills.”

“You don’t need those. Take these.”

She reached with her right hand, then pulled back. “Ow.” She noticed the bandage wrapped around her palm. “Did I hurt myself? What happened last night?

“Just take a couple Tylenol, and I’ll explain everything over breakfast.”

“Did you kidnap me?”

I appealed to her gently. “Let’s eat first.”

Zoe popped the pills, then examined her bandaged hand.

Her face stretched out with fear. “You removed my chip?”

“It was a necessary evil.”

“What are you talking about?” she said, gripping the sofa with her good hand.

I sat beside her, keeping to one end. She curled her legs up and pulled back as far away from me as she could. I hated how frightened she was of me.

Her voice shook when she said, “I need an explanation.”

“Okay,” I said, “but it’s going to sound crazy. I had to take your chip out. Otherwise they would have found us.”

“Who?”

“Your grandfather and his men.”

“Of course they’d want to find me. The question is why have you taken me?”

“You’re in danger.”

She looked at me like I’d just stated the obvious, but I was the one she thought was the danger.

“Four weeks ago, your brother died,” I said.

“Did you have something to do with that?”

“No. No, I didn’t. You wanted to know what happened to him. You asked me to help.”

“I asked you? Why would I do that?”

“Because Liam had been found in L.A. and the Sol City authorities weren’t answering your questions to your satisfaction. You knew me; I helped my mother when she worked for your family. I lived in L.A., and you needed someone who knew his way around.”

She coddled her injured hand on her lap. “I don’t remember this. Why wouldn’t I remember this?”

“They did something to you; erased your memories. I’m hoping I can help you to remember.”

She glanced up at me. “So, if this is true, what did we find?”

“Your grandfather had funded an experiment, advanced cyborg studies, and Liam led it. They didn’t want the university or federal authorities to know what they were doing because they were breaking ethics codes. That’s why they needed a lab outside Sol City.”

Zoe shook her head then put her hands to her temples as if the movement caused her pain. “What are you saying?” she said. “The experiment went wrong? I was told he got in with a bad crowd and was killed by some kid.”

I grimaced. “He wasn’t killed by a kid from L.A. A member of his own team sabotaged the effort, accidentally killing Liam in the process.”

“Who’d do that?”

“Mitchell Redding.”

“I don’t know that name.”

I let out a frustrated breath. “He and Jackson were helping with the experiment. Mitchell was afraid it might actually work and killed the power.”

“Jackson? My boyfriend?”

I scowled at that description. “He’s not your boyfriend, I’m... nevermind. Forget it.”

“You’re what? Are you saying you’re my boyfriend? I don’t even know you.”

She stared at me like I was psychotic. “Do you want money?”

“What?”

“A ransom. Is that why you kidnapped me? You must know my family is very wealthy. They will pay whatever you want. Just don’t hurt me.”

Her words stabbed me. “Zoe, I’d never hurt you.”

She lifted her bandaged hand. “What do you call this?”

“Tough love. Now let’s eat. I know you must be hungry.”

“Okay,” she said cautiously, “but I need to use the bathroom first.”

I pointed to a room at the back and followed her in case she got it in her head to rush out the back door instead. She stepped into the bathroom and locked the door. Good thing the room didn’t have a window. Just a shower, toilet and small sink. Nothing modern or fancy.

I waited until she opened the door again, walked calmly to the table and took a seat. Then I picked up the plates and pushed the food back into the frying pan.

“I need to heat this up. Would you like coffee?”

“Okay.”

I poured us both a cup, putting milk and one sugar in hers.

“Not quite a sweetened latte, but close.”

“You know how I take my coffee?”

“I told you. You know me.”

“What did you do with my ComRing?”

“I chucked it into the ocean.” I put the newly warmed eggs and bacon onto each of our plates.

“They’re going to think I’ve drowned.”

“If you’re lucky.”

She played with her food. “Actually, Jackson knew I wasn’t swimming. He’ll know something went wrong.”

I dug in, responding with a half full mouth. “If you weren’t going to swim, then why the swimsuit?”

She didn’t answer. She took a bite and moaned a little. “This is really good.”

“Thanks. Eat up. You’ll need your energy.”

“For what?”

“A road trip.”

Her expression went flat. Why did I say that?

“Don’t bother trying to get away. You don’t have a chip or a ComRing and you’ll get lost in the forest. I know this is scary for you right now, Zoe, but trust me. You’re better off with me than them.”

She took a sip of her coffee. It was still hot. Steaming. She tossed it in my face and dashed for the door.

38

￼

Springing back from the burning heat, I lifted my T-shirt and wiped the coffee off my face. I looked for Zoe, but she was already out the back door, leaving it swinging wide.

“Zoe!” I sprinted after her.

There was no way she could’ve gotten far. I scanned the grounds, but except for the wind blowing the higher branches of the trees, nothing moved.

She was out of sight.

“Zoe? There’s nowhere to run. You’ll just get lost. You don’t want to run into a wild animal.”

I searched behind the car. “I promise I won’t hurt you. Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

I stepped as quietly as possible to the wood pile. Nothing. This whole scenario made me feel sick. Like I was a criminal.

Which technically I was, but not the evil kind Zoe currently thought that I was.

A twig snapped.

Behind the tree with the dartboard, a shadow moved.

“Zoe?”

She sprung from her hiding place, through the woods, dodging branches and brush like a frightened doe. I sprinted after her.

In her dress and sandals, she was no match for me. I grabbed her arm, jerking her back.

“Let me go!” she flailed wildly, kicking and swinging her free fist.

I grabbed it before it made contact with my face. She squirmed, her breaths quick, her eyes wide, but I held her wrists tightly.

“Zoe, it’s okay.”

Her eyes locked with mine—hers full of fear and loathing, mine full of sympathy and regret. I hadn’t thought it all the way through when I’d decided to take her. I’d thought if I just got her away from her family and Jackson and the pills, she would remember me. I’d made a mistake, but it was too late to turn back now.

She grew still, a lone tear trailing down her cheek. I pulled her into an embrace. What I really wanted to do was kiss her hard on the lips. Instead I rested my chin on her head. She stiffened in my arms.

“Don’t fight me, and I promise you, if in a week’s time you still want to go home, I won’t stop you. I’ll take you back myself.”

I could feel her breath slow, matching mine, in and out in tandem.

“Okay,” she said weakly.

I held her hand until we exited the bush, then she pulled hers away.

“We just need to pack some supplies,” I said. I couldn’t trust her to let her out of my sight. “Come in, okay?”

I motioned for her to go back inside and I followed her. Bits of leaf and twig were caught in her hair, and I reached to pull them out. She stopped as I did it but didn’t turn her head or thank me.

I felt a sudden urgency to leave. We’d been here too long, and even an idiot like Grant would find out about our family cabin eventually. I’d broken our deal, and I had no doubt that he was sniffing out our trail.

I handed a bag to Zoe. “Here are some clothes. My...” I didn’t know how this whole scene was going to pan out and didn’t want to incriminate Skye. “My friend is about the same size as you. She gave me some of her clothes. You’ll find a toothbrush, too.”

Zoe took the bag and went into the bathroom to change. I heard the shower turn on and while she was occupied, I filled a box with all the food that remained in the kitchen along with a can opener, a few dishes, pots, utensils and coffee.

I scooped up my own clothes and stuffed them into a bag. In the bedroom, a packed-up tent and a couple sleeping bags rested against the wall. I collected them and took them outside, stuffing everything into the undersized trunk of the car.

When I went back inside, the shower was quiet. I removed my backpack from the broom closet and set it on the table with a soft clunk. I lifted out both guns and sat them on the table. Earlier, I’d purchased the appropriate bullets and I loaded each gun, one at a time.

I saw movement from my peripheral vision.

Zoe stood, wide jawed, staring at the gun in my hand.

“In case there’s trouble,” I said, stuffing both weapons back into the backpack.

She wore a pair of jeans that fit amazingly well, and a loose gray T-shirt. Her wet hair fell over her shoulders, making dark, damp spots.

“Your friend had an unopened pack of underwear? That was convenient.”

I felt a red blush creep up my neck and looked away. “Yeah, I guess it was.” I swung the pack over my shoulder. “You ready to go?”

“Looks like I travel light.”

I took her by the elbow and led her out to the car.

We were on Route Five, going north. The highway was lined with windmills and Eco “trees.” Recharging stations popped up every twenty miles. My hands were stiff on the wheel, my backpack on the floor under my legs. I glanced at Zoe who stared zombie like out the window. She picked at her fingernails.

“Are you thirsty?” I said. “There’s water in the back seat.”

“I’m fine.”

My plan was just to talk to her, to tell her what really happened, over and over again, if necessary, until her memory clicked in.

Hoping beyond hope it would click in.

“You asked me to help you find out what happened to Liam. We knew where his body was found, in the eastern sector, so you and I went there.”

Zoe raised her eyebrows and considered me. “I went there?”

“Yes, you were quite stubborn about it, actually. And we found the lab where the experiment took place.”

“What was there?”

I described the lab. “We searched around in the dark, with just the light of our ComRings. They’d left in a hurry, forgetting to turn the computers off. Mitchell Redding came while we were there. We hid together in a closet so he wouldn’t find us.”

Her chin dropped, and I thought that maybe I’d said too much.

“Are you okay?”I asked.

She stared back at me with an odd look on her face. “I had a dream that was like that.”

My heart jumped. “You did? That means your subconscious is trying to remember!”

“In my dream I was hiding in a small, dark place.”

“The closet, yes!”

“You had your arms around me.”

I smirked. “It was a small closet.”

“But then he found us.”

“Actually, we thought he’d left, but he was still there when we got out of the closet.”

“Did he have a gun?”

I nodded. “But you distracted him, and I wrestled him down. You picked the gun up off the floor. You pointed it to stop the fight. Then I knocked him out.”

“I had the gun? I don’t remember that.”

“You actually looked kind of hot, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

She eyed me like she couldn’t tell if I was serious or not. “Well, you should see me at the firing range. I’m a pretty good shot.” She flicked her hand to the pack by my door. “So you took the gun?”

“Not then. I stuffed it in a drawer. I went back for it later.”

“Why?”

“I had no choice.” I told her about our attempted break and enter into the Maverick office.

“I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true. Your grandfather was listed as one of the directors. It’s the thing that got you thinking he was involved somehow.”

“Grandpa V? He wouldn’t...”

“Oh yes, he would. We broke into to his house, also your idea, to see if we could find anything else. You thought he’d gone back to D.C., but he was there waiting for us.”

“What happened?”

“He confessed to financing the experiment and having Mitchell knocked off–”

“Mitchell’s dead?”

I nodded. “His two thugs showed up then. The Senator had every intention of getting rid of me in the same way, so I had to run. I had to leave you, Zoe, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m okay.”

I sighed. “No, you’re not. The last thing I heard your grandfather say is that they could fix you. They fixed you, Zoe. They erased your memory. Everything that happened during that time is gone for you.”

She stared out the passenger window. I worried I was giving her too much too fast, but I didn’t have the luxury of time. Grant would be after us, and I had to convince her of the truth. I need her working with me and not against me.

“Our grandfathers were once friends,” I said.

“Who’s your grandfather?”

“Dr. Matthew Brody.”

She shrugged.

“He worked with your grandfather to develop the life extension gene manipulation procedure.”

Zoe twisted slightly to face me. “Why isn’t he famous, then, like my grandpa?”

“Matthew Brody didn’t want to release the procedure to the public. He and William Vanderveen argued extensively about it. It destroyed their friendship.”

“I don’t understand. Why would your grandfather work to develop something if he was against using it?”

I tapped my fingers on the wheel. “Do you know who Robert Oppenheimer is?”

“He directed the Manhattan Project.”

“Yes, the secret project from World War Two that gave us the atomic bomb. He said, ‘When you see something that is technically sweet, you go ahead and do it and argue about what to do about it only after having had your technical success.’ It was like that. Grandpa was excited about the science but had ethical objections to actually performing it on humanity.”

Zoe went back to picking her nails. “Even if he hadn’t been involved, the science would’ve occurred eventually. He couldn’t have prevented us from becoming GAPs.”

“Perhaps.” I signaled to enter a recharging station. “Do you need to use the facilities?”

Zoe nodded. Before she could exit the car, I picked up my backpack and patted it. “Please don’t talk to anyone. I’m sorry, but I’m watching you.”

I made sure the restroom was empty before allowing her to go in. I quickly made my own pit stop, counting on being faster than her, and managed to be waiting when she came out.

“Are you hungry?”

“A little.”

We picked out food for the road and I paid in cash, ignoring the clerk’s look of surprise. I walked Zoe back to the car, and then had the attendant swap out batteries.

In fifteen minutes we were back on the road.

We ate in silence, and I wondered what I should tell her next.

“You and I, we’re friends. You like me.”

Zoe pursed her lips together in a way that made me tingle. “Might I ask,” she said, “how friendly?”

I laughed. “Maybe later.”

She reached for the media center and turned on the music. Apparently she had tired of talking. That was fine with me.

After a couple of hours I spotted the motel I'd mapped out earlier. It had grown dark, and the red, neon arrow flashed to beckon us in.

I signaled and took the exit off the highway.

She sat up straight. “What are you doing?”

“It’s a motel. We’re staying here for the night.”

39

￼

Zoe eyed the two twin beds in the tiny motel room and let out a breath. Even so, she was trembling. If she thought I would force her to do anything, then she really didn’t remember me.

“You can have that one,” I said, motioning to the bed closest to the bathroom. I pushed against the second one until it pressed against the door.

She wrinkled her nose and for good reason. The room smelled moldy and dusty. The faded carpet was dotted with stains, and the light fixture above her head twitched. She disappeared into the bathroom, and let out a shriek.

I rushed to the door, imagining a dead body in the bathtub. “Are you all right?”

Zoe opened it and blushed sheepishly. “Just a spider.”

She took another Tylenol and then prepared the toothbrush I’d bought for her.

“Do you mind?”

I left her and settled in on the second bed, my back against the door, backpack at my side. I flicked the TV on and then wished I hadn’t. A news story played and an image of Zoe’s face appeared on the screen. I muted it when she climbed into her bed.

“They’re looking for me,” she said.

The next image was one of me—a person of interest.

“They suspect you’re with me, but they have no proof,” I said. “That’s good.”

“How do you know they have no proof?”

“If they did, I wouldn’t simply be a person of interest. Plus, the Coast Guard wouldn’t be searching for your body.”

I turned the TV off.

“My mom and dad will be very worried,” she said.

“You always used to call them Alison and Paul.”

“I did? Why would I do that?”

“You didn’t to their faces, but you did to me. I don’t think you had a very good relationship with them.”

“Oh.”

I turned out the lights.

“What are you doing?” she said in a tight voice. “I know self-defense.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Have I ever been anything less than a gentleman?”

My eyes adjusted to the dark and I watched her, fully clothed with shoes still on, slip between the covers.

“I just don’t get why you’re doing this,” she said. “If your story about me is true, why don’t you just leave me to my delusions and move on?”

“Because I fell in love with you.”

There was a long silence before she asked, “Did I fall in love with you?”

“I think so.”

40

￼

Zoe was dreaming. Her eyes moved rapidly under her lids, and by the way she groaned, I couldn’t tell if it was a bad dream or a good one.

I nudged her shoulder. “Zoe?”

Her eyes cracked open.

“Wake up. We have to get an early start.”

She clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Zoe, are you okay? I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Her eyes had a strange glaze to them, like she didn’t know if she was awake or dreaming.

“Were you having a bad dream?”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t bad,” she said, hoarsely.

“We need to get going.”

“Okay. I’ll get ready.”

I heard the toilet flush and then the water run in the sink.

I offered her a breakfast bar when she got out.

“Picked these up yesterday.”

“I just brushed my teeth,” she said, but took it anyway.

I moved the bed to its original position away from the door then led her out of the motel room. I guided her with my hand on the small of her back, a familiar gesture of intimacy for us, but she wouldn’t remember that. I expected her to jerk away, but she didn’t.

I opened the passenger door for her and she got in. I slid into the driver’s seat, but before I could turn on the car, she leaned over and pulled my head to hers and kissed me.

I was too stunned to respond at first. Her mouth moved in a soft, gentle motion that caused my blood to rush and my lips suddenly knew what to do. I took her head with both hands and kissed her deeply.

She pulled back and looked me in the eyes. To say I was confused about what was going on would be an understatement. I swallowed hard as she slid back into her seat and put on the seat belt.

“So, where are we going?” she said with a smile.

I pulled at the collar of my T-shirt and laughed. “I’ll go anywhere with you, baby.”

I started the car and drove onto the highway, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, a grin plastered firmly on my face.

“Okay,” I said. “What was that about?”

“It was a test.”

“A test?”

“I dreamed about you this morning.”

That was what she was dreaming about? “A make out dream?”

“I think my dreams are unlocking my memories.”

“So you believe me now?”

She touched her bottom lip with her finger. “Your kiss kind of convinced me.”

I scratched my head, smirking. “Whatever works.”

“Did we really make out in a church?”

“You dreamed about the church?”

“The church?”

“My dad’s church. It’s mine now. The one you were staring at when I ran into you in the square.”

“You didn’t answer my question. Did we really make out in a church?”

“Does it matter that it was in a church? God invented kissing and all the rest that goes with it, you know. Haven’t you read the Song of Solomon?”

She shook her head. “I’ve read a lot of books, but never that one.” She grinned. “Maybe I should?”

“Most definitely.”

The forest thickened, and after a few hours, I signaled off of the main road. The sunlight through the trees cast a mystical glow. The trees opened up to a meadow and a small lake that sparkled like diamonds.

“It’s beautiful,” Zoe said. “I’ve never actually been anywhere that wasn’t a GAP city.”

“There’s still some natural beauty left on the earth. We’re headed for a fishing camp down this road.”

“We’re going fishing?”

“Well, we’re camping. We could go fishing if you want to.”

We hit a gravel road and passed a sign that said Two Miles and then another set of worn signs.

No TV or Internet beyond this point, and Next recharging station 50 miles.

We pulled up to a rustic cabin with a crooked Check In sign. A cloud of dust swirled behind us.

“Nice place,” Zoe said. I caught the sarcasm, and I didn’t trust her. She was coming on to me, but that was her MO. She knew how to use her beauty and charm to get what she wanted, and right now, I knew she wanted to get away from me.

“It’ll do the trick,” I said, before getting out of the car. “You saw the signs?”

“Yeah. No Internet or TV. You think we can’t be found or recognized here?”

I shook my head. “We can be found anywhere. What I don’t know is if I need to lock you in the car again like at the motel or if I can trust you to come inside and not create a scene.”

“What do you think?” she said, offering a careful smile.

I opened my door, getting out quickly. “I think I’m not fooled by your kiss.”

Keeping the backpack with me, I closed my door and locked her in the car.

41

￼

I removed a ball cap from my backpack and kept my sunglasses on when I checked in with the clerk behind the cluttered wooden counter. The middle aged man wore a white muscle shirt pulled tight over a generous beer belly. His long gray streaked hair hung down his back in a loose ponytail and he had a matching beard that wiggled as he chewed gum. A sign on the back wall said I’d Rather Be Fishing. His name tag said Asher.

“Tent or cabin?” Asher asked with a big, carefree smile.

“Tent.”

“How many persons?”

“Two.”

I collected other items while we spoke. “We’d like to go fishing this afternoon, so add a canoe and fishing rod rental to our bill.”

“Will do. Beautiful day for it. Just restocked the lake with non-modified trout this spring. The canoes are docked at the lake. You’ll find rods in the shop. Just help yourself.”

“Sounds good.”

“Quiet midweek, so it’ll be nice for you and your friend?”

I nodded at the implication, not giving anything away. It was better if he didn’t put me with a blond girl just in case Asher was sneaking in the news on the sly. I registered with two fake names.

“Most folks come on the weekends. Lots of business-types tired of Big Brother. Oh, you can still log in with your ComRing, ‘cause of the global wifi.” He wiggled his bare fingers and nodded at my ring-less hands. “I see you’re hard core, like me.”

I handed over cash.

“Ah, good. You came prepared. You’d never guess how many folks come to an internet free place and then expect to scan their chip.”

I asked for the farthest and most secluded campsite. Asher pointed out the directions on a map. “Just watch out for wildlife. Bears have been spotted near here. They’re coming’ further down the mountains than usual, lately.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” I said, taking the food items I’d purchased.

Zoe was yanking on the door handle when I keyed the code into the door.

“It’s freaking hot in here, you know.” She crossed her arms and pouted. I tried to suppress a smile. She was cute when she got angry.

“That’s why I left the windows cracked open.” I tossed the groceries into the back seat and hopped in.

“I’m not a bloody dog.”

“Don’t be mad.” Until I was sure I’d won her over, I didn’t have a choice but to take every precaution.

I followed the man’s directions, slowly maneuvering my little car over the bumpy road, until I found #36 on the lakefront.

“This is it,” I said.

“Where’s the cabin?”

“No cabin. We’re tenting.” I chuckled. “By the look on your face, I’d say you’ve never been camping before.”

“Camping is for barbarians.”

I turned off the safety locks and Zoe huffed as she got out. I lifted the gear out of the trunk, setting it around the fire pit.

“It’s easy.” I flicked my wrist and let the bundled up tent loose. It unfolded magically into a two man tent. “Now, all you have to do is tether it down.”

“It’s not very...big.” Her eyes grew wide.

“It’s big enough for you. I’ll sleep by the fire under the stars.”

A look of uncertainty crossed her face.

“I’m getting hungry,” I said as I deposited the food items into the tent and zipped it up. “Let’s go fishing so we can eat.”

“We’re going to eat raw fish?”

“No, we’ll cook it. Here on the fire. You really haven’t gone fishing before?”

“I’ve ocean fished. But I’ve never had to clean the fish before and of course, we had an oven.”

“Well, you’re in for a treat then.”

Keeping Zoe in my sight, we walked the path to the boathouse where the canoes and the rods were stored. I dragged a canoe to the water’s edge.

In the boathouse was a cabinet that held the rods and tackle. I placed them into the canoe then motioned to Zoe. “Get in, I’ll hold it still.”

She tentatively stepped in, the canoe bottom shifting under her weight. She claimed the seat in the front before almost losing her balance. I pushed the boat farther into the water, dragging my bare feet before jumping in.

I took the paddles, running them through the lake surface, until we were far enough out to fish.

“It’s very peaceful here,” she said.

“Yes. This is fishing’s main appeal.” I closed my eyes and let the sun massage my face. The tension in my shoulders released a bit as I paddled, soothed by the rhythmic motion. For a little while I could stop worrying if we would be found or if Zoe would try to get away. I could just be.

“But isn’t there supposed to be actual fishing?” Zoe said, then she pointed. “Look, a fish jumped.” I opened my eyes in time to see the circular ripples the fish left behind.

“You’re right. I think that one has your name on it.” I opened the tackle box, getting a rod ready. I handed it to her. “You’ve done this before, you said?”

She took the rod looking nervous. “Well, the rods were attached to our yacht. I didn’t actually have to hold it.”

“I’ll show you. It’s easy.” I moved from the back of the canoe to the short bench Zoe sat on, wrapping my arms around her to grip the rod. “Is this okay?”

She hesitated for a moment but then said, “Sure.”

I put my hands over hers, my chest pressed against her back. I tried to ignore how my heart rate sped up at her closeness. “We’re going to reach with the rod over your right shoulder, then fling the hook and line in a big arc into the water.”

It went exactly as I said it would. “There.” I moved back to my own bench. “You just have to wait for a bite.”

Zoe held on tightly to the rod, though I noticed she kept sneaking glances at me. I wondered what she was thinking. I didn’t bother to hide the fact that I was staring at her.

She noticed. “That’s unnerving, you know.”

“Sorry, occupational hazard.” I rowed gently, horizontal to the shore. “So, did it work?”

“What?”

“The kiss.”

“Um, I’m not sure. I can’t tell what’s real from a dream anymore.”

“That must be frustrating.”

She blew loose strands of hair out of her eyes. “It is.”

I scrambled for what to say next. What was the key to unlocking her memories? More stories? More time?

“Do you think we’re safe... here?” Zoe said.

“Depends what you mean by safe.”

“Well, do you think someone is after us?”

“Not us. Me,” I answered, though I knew what she really meant. Was someone coming to rescue her. “I kind of made an agreement with Grant. I broke my end of the bargain.”

“Who’s Grant?”

“One of your grandfather’s goons. He was supposed to kill me, but I was the one with the gun.”

She stiffened, gripping the rod tighter. “But you didn’t kill him, did you?”

“I’m not a killer, Zoe.”

“You’re a lover not a fighter.”

I stopped short. “Did you remember that?”

“Remember what?”

“Remember me telling you that?”

She shook her head. “I just thought of it myself... I think.”

Then she yelped. “I got one!”

“Start reeling it in.” I moved back to her bench, wrapping my arms around her again. “Just pull up on the rod a little and reel.”

Zoe laughed. I felt her back vibrate against my chest and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her.

“Oh, there it is,” she said with another round of laughter. I helped her reel it into the canoe. The blue/pink scales of the fish sparkled in the sun as it flapped side to side.

She squealed, pushing back into me.

“Careful,” I said lightly, “You’re going to knock us in.”

She turned and held my eyes. Hers blue as the lake, questioning, only inches away.

Time seemed to stop. I didn’t hear the birds chirping or feel the sun’s heat beating on my head. The world shrunk until it was just the two of us in existence. I leaned in. “Please remember,” I whispered as my lips touched hers.

42

￼

The fish cooked on the fire, and it smelled terrific.

I was starving, and I was pretty sure Zoe must be, too. I flipped the fillets over on the grill and thought about that last kiss. It was different than the one Zoe had surprised me with that morning in the car.

I felt fairly certain it wasn’t just a test for her anymore. We were making progress.

I placed the food on plastic plates and offered her one before sitting down on the log near her. The fire crackled, bright against the darkening sky. The flames cast warm light against Zoe’s skin. I refrained from a sudden impulse to reach over and stroke her face.

“This is really good,” she said after taking her first bite. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Besides stay away from you?” I shook my head while taking another bite.

I was flirting with her and by the smile that formed on her face; I could tell she knew it.

“I have a surprise,” I said. “Marshmallows. Not exactly crème brulé, but it works for dessert.”

I took the knife out of the backpack and chiseled off the end of a thin tree branch. I pushed a marshmallow onto the tip and handed it to her. Zoe placed it over the fire.

“Tell me stories,” she said as she rotated the marshmallow. Its white skin bubbled to a sugary bronze.

“You mean scary campfire stories?”

“No, the stories.” She stared hard at me. “Our stories. Did we always like each other?”

I stoked the fire with my marshmallow stick. “Not really. We kind of grew on each other.”

“How?”

“I’m not sure how. It happened quickly, over a week or so. Then you kissed me.”

“I kissed you first?”

“True. You’d broken up with Jackson...”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Well, you did. You suspected him of holding back information about your brother. We knew that someone had taken Liam’s chip.”

“Like you took mine.”

“Well, yeah. Except, in this case, it was Liam’s idea. He didn’t want the authorities to catch on about how often he was leaving Sol City. You wanted to go to the lab at the university to talk to Jackson, but I didn’t want you to go alone.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t trust him. In the end, I was right. You figured out where Jackson had put the chip, and when you tried to get it, he wrestled you away. I heard the commotion and saw that he had his hands on you. Honestly, my blood boiled so fast, before I knew what I was doing, I’d punched him in the jaw. Knocked him out cold.”

“You did? What’d I do?”

“You kissed me on the cheek. Then I kissed you. And you kissed me back.”

She became thoughtful. “I came to visit you in jail.”

“Yes! You remember?”

She jumped up. “I do! I remember. We kissed between the bars.”

Her eyes flickered as the memories came. “I remember the clock tower.” She flashed me a wide-eyed look. “We’ve done a lot of kissing.”

I grinned. “The quota hasn’t been used up.”

“And eating at the food court.” She grabbed my hand, pressing the flesh where a chip would normally be. “You’re afraid of needles.”

I laughed. “Yes! This is great, Zoe. You’re remembering.”

She smiled weakly, then her eyes popped open with a new memory. “We were in Grandpa V’s office. He confessed to setting up the experiment for Liam. And to killing Mitchell Redding. I remember him now, too.”

A sob escaped her throat, and in an instant, I had my arms around her.

“Get away from her.” I jumped to attention, my eyes darting to my backpack on the other side of the fire. Through the darkness and the light of the dwindling flames, we could see a shadow approaching.

“Jackson?” Zoe said.

Jackson stepped forward. His shoulders seemed broader than I recalled. He stood tall, menacing. His face was contorted with anger and loathing.

“I said, get away from her.” His fists clenched, the light of the fire reflecting off them, like they were made of metal.

I moved in front of Zoe.

“Jackson.” She peeked around me. “What happened to your hands?”

“Just come to me.” His eyes were dark, tormented. “Please, Zoe.”

She shook her head slowly. “I don’t want to.”

His look changed. Surprise? Rage? “He’s the bad guy here. You belong with me.”

“I don’t think I do.”

Jackson stepped forward, his fists up. “What did you do to her, Brody? Brainwash her?”

I laughed. “Look who’s talking. I’m not the one who stole her memories. How’d you do that anyway? Was it the pills?”

Jackson’s eyes flickered back to Zoe.

“I know what Grandpa V did to me,” she said. “I remember now. Everything. What I don’t understand is why.”

“It was for your own good, Zoe.” Jackson stepped closer. “Brody knows too much. He’s dangerous to your family. Don’t you see? The senator had to do what he did to save the family name. He had to do it to keep you away from him.”

“How did you find us?” I said.

Jackson chuckled. “You think you’re pretty tricky don’t you. Well, I have a few tricks of my own. I developed a nano-tracker.”

“The pills?” I said.

“Yes, Einstein. It was in the pills. The senator had me design them to reinforce the memory-blocker. He knew the nano-bots would cause headaches, which would perpetuate the consumption of the pills. As long as she took the pills for pain, her memory would remain blocked.

“He doesn’t know I added the tracking system. So even though you removed Zoe’s chip, like I knew you would if you ever got to her, I could still track her as long as she took the pills.”

“But I stopped taking the pills two days ago,” Zoe said.

“It stays in the blood stream for a couple of days, and I have to say, I’m impressed with my own work. I’d have found you sooner, except for a small blip I’ll need to work out in the future. The tracker signals fade out when they’re near the magnetic fields in the road systems.

“Enough chit-chat. Zoe, let’s go.”

Now that Jackson was closer, the fire reflected off the metal mesh wrapped around his forearms and biceps. He’d been outfitted with cyborg parts. The experiment hadn’t stopped; it just switched from Liam to Jackson.

“Zoe!” he demanded.

She clung to my arm. “No.”

“Fine,” he said, his face hardening. “If that’s the way you want it.”

I dove for my backpack, but Jackson was on me with unbelievable speed. Zoe fell to the ground and cried out. Jackson rolled me away from the fire towards the trees, then sprung to his feet in a super-human fashion. He gripped me by the neck lifting me off the ground like I was a rag doll. I thrashed my legs, choking.

“Jackson!” Zoe shouted. “Stop!”

The cocking of a gun.

“Drop him, Jackson.”

Jackson loosened his hold on me as he stared at Zoe. She had a gun aimed at his head. He lowered me to the ground. I collapsed, holding my throat, gasping for breath.

“Why Jackson?” she said. “Why did you keep going with the experiment? Don’t you know Grandpa V is just using you? You’re nothing more than his pawn.”

“I’m no one’s pawn. I’m my own man. I’m powerful, intelligent and strong. And I accomplished what Liam didn’t. I’m the first one, Zoe. It’s just a fused cyborg encasement, but it’s the first step to full non-organic human existence. I will live forever.”

“Unless I shoot you,” she said.

Jackson took a small step toward her.

“Don’t move, Jackson. I mean it.”

“No you won’t. You and I, we belong together. We’re a team.”

“You’ve never wanted me,” she said. Her voice sounded amazingly strong. “You just wanted my name. I’m sorry, but I’m not your ticket into the family.”

“But, I love you, Zoe.”

Zoe scoffed. “You don’t love me. You love yourself.”

She pulled the trigger.

Jackson screamed.

She pulled it again.

43

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The black bear had appeared out of nowhere, standing on its hind legs, reaching over Jackson, ready to attack. Zoe shot Jackson in the calf so he would drop to the ground.

Then she shot the bear.

Jackson cried like a baby, gripping his leg. The wounded bear howled then disappeared into the woods.

Zoe ran to my side.

“Noah?” She stroked my face, “Noah, are you alright?”

“I think so.” My voice was dry like sandpaper.

Zoe crawled over to Jackson. “Sorry about that, but I actually saved your life.” She pulled the ComRing off his finger and called 911.

The ambulance drove away with Jackson inside. Zoe wore my ball cap, stuffing her hair down her shirt. She’d played ignorant when the medics arrived, like she didn’t know this guy. He was some kind of tech-wacko. Maybe they should contact the senator.

A paramedic had examined me and given me pain medication for the bruising on my neck. A conservation officer arrived to ask about the bear.

“He just attacked, without provocation?” the officer asked.

“It was dark,” I said. “And this other situation was going on.”

“Probably looking for food and was startled by the fight. We do what we can to keep the wildlife away from humans, but it’s difficult when we interface so often with their habitats.”

Asher hovered nearby with an emergency light. “Haven’t had this kind of excitement in camp for a long time.” He looked at me warily. “How long are you folks staying?”

“We’re leaving now.”

“It’s late, but yeah, I can see why you’d want to move on,” he said.

I packed up the tent, while Zoe grabbed the food. When everything was loaded in the trunk, I gathered up the backpack, then opened the passenger door for her.

“Where to now?” she said after I got in.

I leaned over and nuzzled her neck. “I don’t know. How does Canada sound?”

She kissed my forehead. “It sounds cold. Let’s go.”

~~~

I hope you enjoyed Perception— I’d love it if you could leave a review. Reviews are really helpful to Indie Authors and help readers find the books they love.

Check out the rest of The Perception Series on Amazon!

Find more at leestraussbooks.com

Read on for the first chapter of book 2 – VOLITION

Get GINGERBREAD MAN free!

Book 1 in A Nursery Rhyme Suspense

When that cute chick you met online is murdered- but shows up for your next internet meeting anyway.

Marlow's just a regular geeky freshman with little to no experience with girls, so when he has a semi-flirtatious chat with a cute girl online, it's almost more than his nerves can handle.

Then the girl is brutally murdered.

Or is she?

Marlow finds himself teamed up with intelligent and savvy Sage Farrell, a girl so far out of his league he feels blinded in her presence - literally - damn glasses! Together they work to find the identity of @gingerbreadman. Can they stop the killer before he strikes in more worlds than one?

Books by Lee Strauss

Young Adult

The Perception Series (dystopian/sci-fi/romance)

Ambition (short story prequel)

Perception (book 1)

Volition (book 2)

Contrition (book 3)

Playing with Matches (WW2 history/romance)

Playing with Matches

A Piece of Blue String (companion short story)

Romantic Suspense (mystery/sci-fi)

Gingerbread Man

Life is But a Dream

Hickory Dickory Dock

Read on for an excerpt from VOLITION, book 2 in the Perception Series.

VOLITION

By Lee Strauss

ZOE

Noah’s eyes repeatedly darted to the review mirror and I swiveled to look out the back window. The sun disappeared behind the mountains bruising the horizon. Shadows stretched across the road and my heart skipped when I thought I’d spotted motion—a vehicle, but then it was nothing.

I felt like we’d been swallowed by a monster, caught in a gel capsule, catapulting down a dark, curving intestine. The car smelled like nervous sweat and the interior squeezed down on me, pressing my lungs against my ribs.

It had gotten dark and I was glad for the cover. I didn’t have to look into the mirror to know I looked like a plate of raw chicken. Plus, it meant I could cry without Noah freaking out, as long as I did it silently. I leaned my head against the cool window, eyes closed, surreptitiously wiping tears off my face

We drove in silence for what seemed like hours, with only the noise of the wipers intermittently squeaking across the windshield.

I wanted Noah to reach over and take my hand or grip my leg, or anything to reassure me that everything was going to be all right.

For us and with us.

He didn’t. His hands remained firmly on the wheel at two and ten.

I dozed off.

It’s pitch black until a strike of lightning jags across the starless sky. Shadows flash, trees bow in the wind. Noah’s face. Water streams down his olive skin, drops falling from long dark lashes.

His hand clasps mine and we run.

The wind whips my hair across my face. I can’t see. My heart pounds, loud with the sound of my rapid breaths.

We are being chased.

But by who? And why?

Rain batters my face. It drenches my hair, soaks my shirt.

Noah disappears through a hole in the fence. I go next.

My shoulders scrape. My shirt is caught. I writhe and twist, but I can’t move. I’m stuck.

They’re going to catch me.

“Zoe!”

I awoke with a gasp.

Noah shook my shoulder. “You’re dreaming.”

The sound of his voice after so many hours of not talking was jarring.

“Are you okay?” he said.

My head throbbed and I drew circles on my temples with my fingers.

“I dreamed about us, running away from Grandpa V’s house. They were chasing us. I got stuck in the fence.”

Noah swallowed. “There’s Tylenol in my pack.”

I reached for it, retrieving the pills and slugging back two with what was left of our stale, days-old, bottled water.

“The battery is low,” he said, lifting his chin toward the dash.

“Are we going to run out of juice before we reach Reno?”

We’d used the back roads to get here which was why it had taken three days. Main highways had better surveillance systems, something we needed to avoid at all costs. Agent Grant was on our tail.

The GPS on the dashboard indicated that we were about ten minutes away from the outskirts of the city. I pulled my knees up to my chest, feeling a strong need to curl into a ball, wishing I could make myself disappear.

Noah glanced my way. “How’s your head?”

“Okay,” I lied. Pain sliced through my brain, but we had enough to worry about without me wimping out with more sickness.

Lights glimmered like jewels in the distance and the sight of it energized me for some reason, like sparkles of hope.

Or at least, something new.

Noah geared down. “We need to get something to eat. I’m starving.”

My stomach twisted at the thought of food, but maybe a few carbs would help to settle it.

“It’s pretty late,” I said. The time on the dashboard indicated 3:17 am.

“Reno is open twenty-four hours. There’ll be something.”

He reached over and tugged my hair. “We’ll have to get a disguise.”

“You want me to cut it?” I was startled at the thought.

He paused and I waited for him to say no but instead he said, “We don’t have any scissors.”

He slowed as we passed an abandoned fuel station, left over from the gasoline years. The wooden structure leaned precariously in the wind and I thought it would cave-in any minute.

Noah pulled up beside it. “We’ll deal with the battery tomorrow. Help me push it to the back,” he said. I groaned with the effort but in a short while it was well hidden in the long grass.

I fished out my shoulder bag from behind the seat and slid the hand gun between my flesh and waistband, sucking back as the cool metal passed along my skin. I jumped when Noah ripped out the interior side board of the driver’s door. My eyes widened when he pulled out stacks of bills and stuffed them in his bag.

“Where’d you get all that money?” I said

His eyes flickered toward me then back to his bag. “I made a rather large withdrawal. Before…”

“Before you took me? I didn’t know you had that much money.”

He shrugged and awareness dawned. He’d had access to my chip.

“You withdrew from my account!”

He straightened and shifted the bag to his back. “I didn’t have a choice. Besides, you still owed me money.”

He was right. I’d hired him to help me find out what happened to Liam and didn’t get a chance to pay. Still, I felt violated though I knew the feeling was irrational. He took it to save me.

I stepped in behind him as we made our way through the long grass back to the main road. We traveled along the shoulder, careful to watch out for the soundless hybrids.

“Don’t make eye contact,” Noah said. “We’re not hitch-hiking.”

I was completely exhausted when we finally entered the first suburb sprawl. I, at least, had slept a little in the car. I didn’t know how Noah did it.

We came to a convenience store.

“We can get something to eat here,” I said.

Noah grabbed my arm, stopping me from entering. “You can’t go in. Someone might recognize you.”

“They might recognize you, too.”

“It’s not as likely.” He pulled a ball cap out of his bag and twisted it on his head.

I was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to touch me again, when he put his hands on my shoulders.

I couldn’t contain my shivering. Noah unbuttoned his top shirt and wrapped it around me. “This should help.”

He maneuvered me toward the window. “Keep your eyes on me. I’ll try to stay in your line of sight. Bang on the glass if you get nervous or scared.”

I nodded and he kissed me lightly on the forehead before heading in. I stared through the glass into the brightly lit store, feeling like I’d just got left behind on the moon. I placed a hand on my lower back, comforted by the loaded gun there.

Noah moved about the store, keeping his face toward me. He was taller than the shelves in the middle isles and he kept his eye on me as he grabbed at items.

The clerk watched Noah’s hands, not trusting that he wouldn’t pocket something without paying. Noah placed a couple sandwiches and something else I couldn’t identify on the counter and paid with cash. The clerk gave him a double-take before accepting the cash, then shrugged and shook his head. No change.

“I have to use the restroom,” I said when he returned.

“I figured. They’re around the corner.” He handed me a key and then shoved something else in my hands. “Put this on.”

“A wig?” I said. “It’s pink!”

“They’re stocked up for Halloween. It’s this or green.”

A deep moan escaped my lips when I looked in the mirror. A bare bulb hanging from the ceiling gave off a green hue. My hair was a mess and my skin was pasty pale due to lack of sleep and too much stress. I looked ghoulish. Perfect for Halloween. I tore the wrapping of the wig open with my teeth. The glossy neon-pink nylon strands were attached to a cheap membrane. I twisted my hair into a pile on the top of my head and covered it with the wig. It felt awkward and I patted it with my hands to flatten the hair underneath.

Noah’s lips pulled up in a tight grin when he saw me.

“Shut up.”

He ran his fingers through the nylon strands. “You look cute.”

I grumbled a response, then unwrapped my sandwich.

Around the corner a motel sign flashed. It was a long, stucco building with paint-chipped trim and wooden doors. The woman in the office sat behind a desk, casually dressed in poor fitting slacks and blouse. Her eyes diverted back to the little TV hanging on a bracket on the wall. I recognized the soap opera, and was glad she found the program more interesting than us.

Noah paid the lady with cash. I kept my pink head down and followed Noah up the steps to the farthest room down the hall on the right.

Noah used the key card to open the door and we were hit with a waft of air that reeked of cigarette smoke. It felt like a cramped storage room, with only a tiny table, two wooden chairs, an ancient TV attached to the wall and a double bed. The orange carpet was worn out to the flooring beneath it. It took two steps to get anywhere, including the bathroom which stank like urine and I winced at the thought of having to use that shower to get cleaned up.

I raised my eyebrows at Noah. “This is the best we can do?”

“It’s cheap.”

Noah closed the door behind us and fiddled with the thermostat. I rubbed my hands together, not sure what to do with myself. For the last three nights we’d slept in the car. This was the first time since we became fugitives that we shared a real, if gross, room together. I tossed my handbag on the table and then sat in one of the wobbly chairs.

“It should warm up quickly.” Noah turned to look at me. “Do you mind if I have a shower first? I’ll be quick.”

“Sure.”

As much as I’d like to stand under a spray of hot water, I wasn’t eager to remove my layers now that I was finally starting to beat the chill. Plus, that shower stall….

I folded my arms and closed my eyes. I started trembling, my heart racing, and my forehead grew clammy. Was this what post-traumatic stress was like?

“TV on,” I said, then chastised myself. Of course it hadn’t been programmed to recognize my voice. I went to it, scanning the surface of the screen. The voice programming feature wasn’t obvious. This model was so old, it probably didn’t have that. I searched for a way to turn it on, finding a hand held remote in one of the drawers. I clicked it and turned it up, barely loud enough to hear. I didn’t want to watch anything; I just didn’t want to feel alone.

Noah reappeared. His hair was glossy and damp, dripping onto a wrinkled shirt. “Your turn.”

I nodded and shuffled to the bathroom and began peeling off the layers. I could smell myself. Yuk. I needed a shower desperately.

I turned on the hot water and stripped down as fast as I could. Noah had left his soap and shampoo for me to use. I sniffed the lid. It smelled like him.

I scrubbed down as fast as I could, finishing just as the hot water depleted. I jumped at a tapping on the door.

“Zoe?” Noah’s voice reached me and I shut off the water.

“Yeah?”

“I’m going out for a bit. I won’t be long. Wait for me, ‘k?”

I wrapped a towel around myself, water pooling on the floor, but when I reached the door to ask Noah what he was going to do, he was already gone.

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About the Author

Lee Strauss is the author of The Perception Series (young adult dystopian), A Nursery Rhyme Suspense (mystery/sci-fi), and young adult historical fiction. She is the married mother of four grown children, three boys and a girl, and divides her time between British Columbia, Canada and Dresden, Germany. When she's not writing or reading she likes to cycle, hike and practice yoga. She enjoys traveling (but not jet lag :0), soy lattes, red wine and dark chocolate.

Lee also writes younger YA fantasy as Elle Strauss.

For more info on books by Lee Strauss and her social media links visit leestraussbooks.com.

Follow Lee Strauss

- @leestraussbooks

- AuthorLeeStrauss

www.leestraussbooks.com
leestraussbooks@gmail.com

Acknowledgments

Though writing is often viewed a lonely, one-person job, for me this is the farthest thing from the truth. I couldn’t have accomplished any of this without my “team.”

Shout outs go to my writers group, the Indelibles, who keep me informed, encouraged, and entertained; my lovely editor, Leigh Moore, who took my words and made them shine; my proof-readers Lori Van Zyderveld and Marie Clarke, both who have a sharper eye than I; my early readers, Denise Jaden and Susan Kaye Quinn who gave insightful suggestions and direction; my cover designer Dale Pease, who blew me out of the water with the cover; my daughter Tasia for being my muse and inspiration; my son Joel who enlightened me on the topic of Transhumanism; and my husband Norm for being a steadfast fan.

I’m also thankful to my friends and family for their constant support and encouragement, to YOU the reader for reading my book and sticking it out through the acknowledgment page (!), and as always to God, a faithful friend.

Perception

Lee Strauss

Copyright © 2012 Lee Strauss

Cover by walkingstickbooks.com

ISBN: 978-1-927547-14-4

This is a work of fiction and the views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author. Likewise, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are represented fictitiously and nay resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual event or locales, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved.

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

ISBN: 978-1-927547-14-4

Contents

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Zoe

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Books by Lee Strauss

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Copyright