Page 105 of Ezra
“How do you know?”
“One of the assailants called me a tin can,” I reply, arms folded across my chest. To Deion, I look at ease, pensive, perhaps. But my visual feeds behind my eyes are a constant rush of images, notes, and information. “TerraPura doesn’t do that. They treat like us gods. They call us master. Tin can—that’s something from somebody who hates androids. More akin to Humanity First than anything else. It’s just not like them.”
“I feel that,” Deion mutters. “Humanity First has been nothing but a pain in the ass. I don’t know that I buy this new idea of making peace, but I’m struggling with the motive too. TerraPura has every reason to want him dead. He’s anti-android. But Humanity First? You said only his direct family knows, as far as you can tell. Killing your anti-android leader before he’s even said he’s gonna retire, I’m struggling with that. Not everybody’s going to be happy when they learn the old man’s leaving, it’s true, but he hasn’t even made that move yet. Why would his own people try to kidnap him and the others? If someone in Humanity First wanted him dead, why not just kill him?”
“I don’t know. Something doesn’t add up.”
“Well, hopefully they feel like talking.”
“They’ll talk,” I reply stoically, barely stifling the undercurrent of anger that courses through my circuits when I return to the image of Katrina being held captive by them, being in danger. “I’ll make them talk.”
Deion doesn’t try to deter me. He just nods. “I tell you, if Robert Carson wasn’t finished in this town before with the museum bombing, he definitely is now. Nobody’s going to want to touch him or be in the same room with him.”
There’s a long pause between us. Deion glances at me. “You gonna tell me what all that was about, by the way? With Carson and Kat?”
“I knew you were going to bring that up,” I grumble.
“What can I say, I’m a predictable person,” Deion says. “Kinda looked like Daddy figured out you and Katrina might be up to something. What happened?”
“Nothing, actually.” I sigh, remaining vague simply because I can. “He just walked away.”
“You sly devil.” Deion chuckles, shaking his head. “That’s gonna be hard for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I like her. She’s nice. And I get why you noticed her, I do. But I’m not sure she has the fortitude to keep up with someone like you. This isn’t a ride-into-the-sunset gig.” He glances at me. “The precinct has their claws in you tight. You’re not going anywhere. Is she okay with that?”
“We’ve discussed it. We’re taking things slow.”
“Well, just be careful. With TerraPura and whatever the helltheseclowns are rearing their ugly heads for...” He points to the cruiser ahead of us. “It’s dark times for you and me. We ain’t coming out of it any time soon.”
Reluctant, I send Katrina a message.Don’t wait up for me. This may turn into an all-nighter.
She responds within a few minutes.I know. That’s okay.Just come when you can.
Extracting a confession from the shooters is the first order of business, and much to my irritation, these particular suspects absolutely refuse to buckle under my interrogation.
I’m capable of intimidation. More than capable. I could make these little punk-ass dickheads shit themselves. Ripples of anger course through my circuitry as I slam the interrogation roomdoor behind me. It’s never been personal like this for me before, but now it is.
They almost made off with Katrina. That’s something I can’t forgive.
The moment they grabbed her, all my professionalism, all my training, took a back seat to a rage I’ve never experienced before. I stared at them with pure unadulterated hatred for having their hands on her. For threatening her life, using her as a shield. It was the first time I ever truly wanted someone dead, and would’ve happily been their executioner.
The terror in her eyes, her vitals going off the charts, the cold steel pointed at her—I never want to see it. Ever again. I never want to witness that fear or wish someone dead. I never want to have to stop myself like that, because it wasn’t enough to take down the person who held her life in her hands. I wanted to rip the spine from her back.
And I could do it. I’m strong enough.
I’m beyond angry. Deion knows. He can read me and takes over the interview the moment they clam up and start sweating. He sends me right back out again. I’m benched, only allowed to witness the interrogation from the other side of the glass.
Deion uses their trepidation against them and tries to build a rapport, talking about how I walk around like I own this place, how useless androids really are, how they’re stealing everyone’s jobs. It’s odd, hearing him talk like them, but it doesn’t bother me. He’s my brother, and it’s an act. Their walls start to lower, so he puts the pressure on.
Jayne is in the room with me. “You don’t have to be here, you know,” she says quietly to me.
I set my jaw. “I need to do my job.”
“They aren’t your typical TerraPura, if they are in cahoots.” Jayne reaches out and touches my sleeve. “You can’t play god with these folks. We got this.”
“Where is it you think I should be?” I’m trying not to lose my patience with her. She means well—and I’m anticipating what she’s going to say.
