Page 100 of Chaos Theory
‘But you’re not going to like it.’
‘Oh.’
‘It involves you. And – unfortunately – it involves Josh too.’
He raises an eyebrow at this.
I sigh. ‘I know. So, the plan is: I’m going to get Kobi out.’
‘Out…?’ I can hear his scepticism.
‘Out of RoboTron. Tomorrow night, when it’s quiet. I can get in with my security pass and instruct Kobi to use my pass to leave the building later, at a specific time. I can’t leave with him or it’ll look suspicious. There’s a security guard on reception at night, but Josh can be there to distract him at the time when Kobi is leaving, and hopefully Kobi can get out unnoticed.’
Shane looks at me. ‘Seriously?’
‘Yes. Let me continue. This is where you come in.’
‘Of course I do.’ He sips his tea.
‘I need you to meet Kobi somewhere nearby, and to drive him somewhere.’
‘Dare I ask where?’
I exhale and allow myself a small smile. ‘The Farmers in Clare.’
Shane almost spills his tea. ‘What!’
I speak quickly. ‘Think about it. It’s actually kind of perfect. They loved Kobi, he loved them. We can hide him there. He can get to watch Lizzie grow for a while, just like he wanted.’
‘Maeve, this is crazy. Hide him? For how long?’
‘For however long it takes. Long enough for the heat to die down.’
‘The heat? You’re not a bank robber in a heist movie!’
‘I thought you loved those movies. I thought you’d find this exciting.’ But I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince.
‘I do love those movies, but that’s all they are – movies. This is real life. And it’s insane. It’s wrong on so many levels.’
‘Which levels?’
‘Well, legally, for a start.’
‘Apart from legally. Morally? Personally?’
‘Okay, then, it’s just legally wrong. It’s too risky. What if you get caught?’
‘I don’t know. But, it’s like you said, we’re all supposed to try. This is me trying.’
There’s silence for a minute. It does sound crazy now that I’m saying it. I planned this in a flurry earlier today, before a security guard arrived to sweep Josh from the robot bay. Even with the minutes counting down, Josh took the time to point out the irony that my plan was very similar to what he’d done when he hid Kobi in Go Ireland. ‘Now do you finally see where I was coming from?’ he asked me. I told him I’d explain the situation to the Farmers, give them a choice to get involved, unlike the way he blindsided me.
I turn to Shane. ‘There’s only one thing that’s not perfect about the plan.’
‘Only one?’ He shakes his head.
‘As soon as Ron knows Kobi is missing, I’ll be under surveillance. He’ll figure out a way to track all my interactions. He’ll probably have me followed, as well as monitor who I communicate with.’
‘So what does that mean?’
