Page 64 of Ezra
“Oh.” I can hear in Jacobs’s voice that isn’t the response he expected. “Well, I’ll be sure to pass that along to his handler.”
Handler. I bristle with anger I can only restrain in silence. Police dogs can win medals for bravery. For my work, a human gets thanked.
“You should also pass along that I won’t be voting for Commissioner Winters next election,” Katrina declares with fire behind her words. “I’ll be encouraging my organization to avoid doing the same.”
Jacobs pauses. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“You only have one BNP99 in the entire city, Chief Jacobs,” Katrina replies. “It’s both inefficient and a waste of resources to place your most capable officer in charge of one civilian’s welfare, something any new officer could’ve done with ease. Ezra’s far too valuable to be kept out of matters involving TerraPura. I consider this incompetent city leadership. And I’ll make my opinion known.”
I get up from my seat and stalk toward the window, staring out at the city as rivulets of rain water trace the glass. I’m bewildered by Katrina, yet grateful as well that she not only stuck up for me, she shoved a metaphorical boot up my boss’s ass. Deion and Jayne are the only others who’ve ever defended me in that way to my superiors. Now, it appears I have a third in my corner, from a position I never expected. It was satisfying to hear her indirectly chew Winters up and spit him out—but I doubt it’ll make a difference.
Jacobs is either amused or flustered; it’s hard to say which, but he recovers quickly. “I’ll keep that in mind. At any rate, it’s best you continue to lie low for the time being. We’re still trying to make sense of what happened at the museum. Until then, it’s a possibility there could be other attempts on either your or your father’s life. We just want to make sure we’re taking all the necessary precautions.”
I glance over my shoulder. Everything about Katrina’s body language suggests she’s closing herself off. Her brow is knit, arms and posture tense. I turn away again.
After he rehashes all the same information Jayne already gave us, Katrina ends the call. “Well.”
I turn to face her. “Well?”
She comes to stand next to me. “I guess you’re right.”
“In what way?”
“Everyone in charge of you is kind of an asshole.” She gives me a half-hearted smile. “Except Deion, of course.”
It’s so strange that we are friends. We’ve stated as much. I never expected this. I never thought I might find someone else, beyond the Washingtons and Jayne, that I might actually begin feeling comfortable with. Enough to vent my frustrations, discuss the issues I face. That the entire city faces.
Not only that, but we crossed a boundary together that I never imagined. We haven’t talked about it, but we both know it’s there. Replays of our stolen night return with a vengeance from my memory banks, sending my gratification drive into a whirlwind of need.
I hold back. My own desires don’t matter in this instance. It’s clear that this isn’t something we can explore, so why should I try to talk about it? What do I expect her to say?
As if sensing my self-restraint, Katrina changes the subject. “You must be ready to get out of here too.”
“I am, yes,” I reply as we face each other. Her perfume is mild and pleasant. I’ve grown used to that smell in my short time here with her. My scent receptors immediately identify bergamot, jasmine, and vanilla. I’ve never really cared about a woman’s scent before, nor have I been so quick to memorize it. But it’s not the perfume itself I find solace in.
It’s Katrina. Her presence.
“You’ll head to your new apartment?” I ask her.
“That’s the plan.” She nods. “An air mattress and takeout. That’s all I need. What about you? Do you think you’ll catch the people responsible for the bomber droid in the museum?”
“I don’t have a choice,” I say. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“I know.” When Charlie playfully skitters across the floor and harmlessly pounces at her ankles, she scoops him up. “Yes, yes, I know. I’ll miss you too, Charlie. But I have to go.” Katrina can’t seem to look at me directly for very long. She scans the apartment. “I’ll have to call Dr. Schroeder, thank him for letting us stay here. I need to call Liam too, see if he answers. Before it’s too late. I’ve put that off for too long, and I’m ashamed of myself.”
“I’m sure he’ll understand. You could stay, though. This isn’t a bad place for hiding.”
“It’s definitely not bad, but it’s awkward. It’s a reminder of a rift my family will never mend. It’s like stomping on the gravestone of my father’s friendship with Schroeder. There’s nothing I can do to fix that, you know?”
“I don’t think it’s your responsibility to rebuild that bridge, Katrina,” I say softly.
“You’re right.” Katrina ruffles her hair. “Guess I’ll pack up. Do you think you could drop me off at my new apartment?”
“Of course,” I reply.
After she’s gone to gather her things, I steal a few moments of standby. Even as I partially shut down some of my functions to rest them, my processor is racing. I’m looking forward to returning to investigating and to resuming my directives at Deion’s side. I’ve even begun to miss Jayne and her lighthearted, well-meaning jokes. Yet, a part of me is reluctant.
I question myself, trying to understand. Shouldn’t I be relieved? This wasn’t a job I wanted in the first place. Not that I’ve ever had a choice. If I were human, I would’ve never beenmade to sit here and watch over a civilian—Jacobs and Winters wanted me out of this investigation, that much is certain.
