Page 113 of Ezra
Even if it isn’t, I don’t care. He wouldn’t let me go; I won’t let him go either. I’ll go to France, do what I need to do, but I’ll still be his. He’ll still be mine. And I’ll return whenever I can. Long distance. People do that all the time when they’re in love, don’t they?
I can return to the States happily if I’ve done all I set out to do. See Lascaux, see Chauvet, go to digs, make my contribution. Then come back and teach what I love to others. Compromise iseverything. We’ve compromised ever since we met each other. We’ll keep doing so.
Isn’t that what a relationship is?
After a little while, I check my phone. There are a few missed messages and calls. Texts from Jayne, asking if I’m okay and telling me not to blame myself for the gala. I respond to her while I have the mind to do so. Messages from Ashley Barnes that I’ve ignored, offering me condolences about the gala. I’m not interested in speaking to anyone from Humanity First. Not now. I check my texts from Ezra, and there’s nothing. He’s listed as last being online a half hour ago.
That’s weird. His ability to text is hardwired into him. If he’s not in sleep mode, he’s online. That’s how androids work.
I haven’t heard anything. I know he’s probably busy, but I’m anxious to hear from him. I shoot him a text. He doesn’t read it. I finally cave and call. There’s no answer.
There’s a stabbing feeling in my gut. That doesn’t feel right. Do I call again?
Yes, I do. One more time. Two missed calls doesn’t look desperate yet, just persistent. When he doesn’t answer again, my shoulders sag and I lean forward, sighing. “Come on, Ezra. Please.”
Minutes pass. Then an hour. It’s almost two a.m.
Then my phone rings, and I practically jump out of my seat to answer it. I accept the call before it even registers in my mind who’s calling me. “Hello?” I hold my breath.
“I shouldn’t be calling you. Deion would kill me.” It’s Jayne, keeping her voice low. “But I want you to know we’re doing everything we can. Please don’t worry.”
“What?” Utterly confused, I check the caller ID. Yep, it’s Jayne. “What’re you talking about?”
She sounds just as confused as I am. “I figured you were watching the live broadcast.” She sounds sheepish, and I hear voices behind her. “I gotta go.” She disconnects.
Rising from the sofa, I clear my throat. “TV on.” It snaps to life, and I flip channels until I find the local news station.
“We’re watching the action unfold on the North Side of Vanderbilt Bridge, where we believe PureEarth terrorists are holed up in a nearby utility vault underground,” the anchor reports to the camera. “An inside source tells us a locator beacon was activated by NCPD’s sole BNP99 android police unit, a kind of bionic SOS, along with footage of?—”
My heart drops into my stomach. This can’t be happening.
They have Ezra.
Here I was, fretting like an idiot about why he might not be answering my texts, wondering what could have possibly happened. But then, my gut already knew the answer—something was wrong. Because Ezra would never ignore my calls or texts, not when he was built to multitask.
They have him. My enemies have him. My hands start to shake.
“No.” I try to breathe through it. “No. No. No.” I can’t have a panic attack. I can’t lose it.
Not now. I need to focus.What do I do? How do I help him?
The broadcast suddenly goes dead, the TV flickering with an old circular logo surrounding a tall letter A. I’ve never seen it before. A distorted voice comes through my speakers, prickling the hairs on the back of my neck.
“Humanity has lived beyond its useful purpose. Only the righteous will ascend. The earth will be purified.”
I swallow. It’s TerraPura. The screen blips as the news station likely fights for control of its systems again. After a few minutes of this message, repeated over and over again, theperplexed anchor finally returns to the screen and immediately begins discussing what happened.
I tune them out when my smartphone thrums in my trembling hand. I answer it again. “Mom?”
“Your dad still hasn’t come back.” She’s been crying; I can hear it in her voice. “He said he was going out to meet with Barnes about announcing his retirement, but he won’t answer my calls?—”
I try to steady my breathing so she can’t hear how scared I am. Part of me thinks this can’t be coincidence, but I’m not sure of anything right now. “Okay. I’m picking you up. We’re going to the precinct.”
“Do you think he’s there?”
Honestly, no. I’d be surprised.But I can’t tell her that. If we’re both hysterical, it won’t help anything.
“We’ll find out,” I reply, gathering my keys and my purse and flying out the door. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
