Page 44 of Factory Thief

I’m in love with her. I know it’s true. It happened so fast I almost can’t believe it.

But I do believe it. I have to get out of this mess somehow so I can tell her.

I have to tell Victoria I love her, no matter what.

VICTORIA

The metal armature of the swing set legs suck the warmth from my back as I lean against them. My eyes bore into the Xtera corporation’s tech campus a half block from the park I’m lurking about in.

I’m not just trying to scope out the campus, nor am I waxing nostalgic about the halcyon days of youth spent on a swing set. Rather, I’m awaiting the arrival of a man who infuriates me to no end.

I’m not sure if this is the right move. I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I’m still not sure I’m doing the right thing, but the Factory has resources I lack.

Bringing them in was my only option. The Factory has a much better chance of finding Jack than I do by myself. They’ll do it quicker than I could ever manage on my own, as well, and I have a sour feeling time is of the essence.

I’m not sure if I can trust Andrew.

The last time we spoke, I lied to him, then I took great pains to drop off the radar and disappear. It’s an unwritten rule that you don’t cross the Factory. I was lucky to have stayed out of their clutches as long as I had been able.

Whether or not I can trust Andrew seems irrelevant. It’s not like I have a choice. There are no other allies I can call upon, no favors to trade in. The only friends I have ever had were the girls I shared my room with in the 84th Street townhouse.

That leaves me stuck out here waiting on Andrew’s whim.

Someone jogs past me. He looks like an everyday, average, balding thirtysomething man. Yet, there’s something about his manner, the way he moves, that makes me feel dead certain he’s a Factory agent.

I also believe the man with the bird-watching binoculars and avian-species guide is Factory too.

Or maybe I’m just being paranoid.

Though, it is a great way to keep someone under surveillance while appearing perfectly innocent. I guess there’s a few tricks Andrew never taught me at the Factory.

Like his uncanny ability to just appear as if out of thin air, even when you’re looking for him.

“Hey, kid.”

“Holy fuck, Andrew,” I say, relaxing out of my fighting stance. He looks the same as ever. If he’s angry, it’s not written anywhere on his lackadaisical expression.

“I’m surprised you called me, Tori. In fact, I lost a ten-dollar bet on it.” He puffs on his cigarette, the red ember giving his face a sinister glow. “So what do you want?”

“Andrew…” I sigh. “Look, I know the Factory wants Jack.”

“Of course we do. So why didn’t you hand him over a long time before now?”

I fidget a bit, squeezing my hands into fists so tight my nails dig into my palms.

“I—I want to know what the Factory is planning to do with Jack once they have him.”

Andrew blows out the smoke in a long stream, locking his gaze on mine the entire time.

“That’s none of your damn business, Tori. I’m surprised at you, asking questions you know I can’t answer. Big rookie mistake.”

My eyes narrow. “Can’t answer? That implies you don’t know, and I’m betting that’s not true. I’d say you know exactly what they’re planning for Jack. You know, and you won’t tell me. It’s not a matter of can’t.”

“Tori,” he sighs, crushing out his cigarette on the edge of a metal-rimmed waste receptacle. “You know that nothing is ever as simple as it seems.”

“Damn it, Jack, I have to know if I’m sending him to his death. I took on the responsibility of his wellbeing, so it is my business what happens to him.”

Andrew stares at me for a long moment. I can’t tell if he’s furious or not. Then, his face splits in his jagged-toothed grin, and he laughs.

---