Page 103 of Ezra
I don’t think I can sit around and wait to announce Dad’s retirement. I don’t have time to think about this anymore. This will have to happen tomorrow. I have to move quickly, in the hope it will take the target off his back.
But will it mark a crosshair that much brighter on me? Am I strong enough to carry that burden?
I don’t have a choice. I have to be.
My mother’s tears have dried. After making their statements to police, I do the same. For the first time, I’m the one who feels robotic, just going through the motions, too stunned to do anything beyond stare at the pavement.
Zoey and Diana stay with me for a while, but I can’t stand the thought of them remaining here. I don’t feel safe right now. Zoey already had a close call. Diana has her husband, who loves and needs her. The thought of my friends getting hurt again, just for being associated with me, is too much. After convincing them I’m okay, they offer me half-hearted goodbyes.
The tremors in my hands have settled for now. But I feel like any moment, they might come back. It’s off and on.
“You shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
I turn when I hear familiar voices. Ezra and Oliver emerge from the building. Ezra’s brow is furrowed, the corners of his mouth turned down.
“Your people left. I had no other choice,” Oliver answers matter-of-factly.
“You could’ve stayed put.”
“I was a military prototype. I’m incapable of allowing terrorists to walk off with defenseless hostages.”
“I have it on good authority that your faulty military programming was deleted before you were placed in your box. You’re not authorized to use force of that magnitude. Give me your hand.”
I watch quietly as Oliver and Ezra share what appears to be a handshake, but their eyes meet, and their pupils shutter for a moment before Ezra breaks away.
Now, Oliver is irritated. “I could’ve done that myself.”
“I had to be sure. No footage.” Ezra says. He glances at me, aware of my presence. I give him a faint, forced smile. All I want to do is run to him. But he addresses Oliver with the authorityanyone might expect from a detective, hard at work. “You should leave.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing more I can do?” Oliver says. “Technically, I handled two out of four problems for you, and I did it without lethal ammunition.”
Ezra doesn’t seem pleased in the slightest. “You gave two suspects concussions and have basically buried me under a mountain of reports to offset your involvement.”
“People were in danger. I simply acted.”
“You’re a military prototype, Oliver. I told you last time, you’re supposed to be lying low. It’s hard enough keeping you hidden from interested parties that would just love to pick apart your motherboard when you’re married to a public figure. It’ll be near impossible if you start playing hero.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Oliver doesn’t appear apologetic. “And you’re welcome, by the way.” He nods at me. “Miss Carson. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Thank you, Oliver,” I say. “It was really amazing what you did. Are you okay? They shot you.”
Oliver smiles, and doesn’t seem concerned about the bullet holes peppering his fancy clothes, stained with ivory blood. “You’re very welcome. I’m perfectly fine. Nothing a visit to Tin Man’s Heart won’t fix. Until next time, Detective.”
“There better not be a next time,” Ezra grunts and waves him off. Oliver returns to his wife.
Officers secure the perimeter and ignore the calls from reporters as the two suspects well enough to be transported are placed in the backs of separate cruisers. Ezra also ignores them as he holds a brief discussion with Deion. They both glance at me, and Deion nods.
Reporters shouting their questions over each other.
He studies them for a moment, then continues his conversation with Deion before they part ways. Ezra approachesme. Turned away from the world with his white eyes focused directly on me, his harsh frown and crinkled brow fade into something different. Softer concern now crosses his features as he closes the distance between us.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” I try to reassure him. “My dad took the brunt of it. Was this another TerraPura attack?”
He shakes his head. “No. That’s why Deion called off the extra security detail. We checked everyone, staff included. No TerraPura activity or association.”
“But you stayed,” I whisper. “Did you have a feeling?”
