Page 46 of Nolan
We’re being sent to the bridge.
“Suit up,” Apollo orders as we all rush to the truck. The dispatching information streams into my optics, which I scroll through swiftly.
“They need me,” I explain as we rush to don our suits. “They need me to deal with Ezra. And there are injured inside the vault.”
“Deal with him how?” Apollo demands. We pile in together, and I take the front passenger seat with Travis at the wheel.
“He’s been compromised,” I say. “He’s TerraPura. He could hurt a lot of people in his current state.”
Apollo sets his jaw. “And you’re the only one who can stop him?”
I glance at him and nod.
Apollo clenches his fists. “No. No, no, no. I hate this. What if he turns you into TerraPura too?”
“He’s right. I mean, we could lose you to whatever virus they’re installing on these bionics that go around bombing people,” AJ says worriedly. “We can’t let you anywhere near that guy.”
“Ezra has a steel mainframe just like mine,” I explain. “He’s absolutely lethal in all aspects. They can’t send people in there with him. He could kill them without even trying. Like swatting a fly. It’s up to me. You have to let me take point and do my job.”
The Weekenders fall silent. Travis increases speed. The sirens are blaring above our heads.
I can only hope we get there in time before there’s irreversible damage done.
When we arrive on the scene, I all but jump off the truck as we slow to a halt. We’re all headed for what appears to be the base of operations. NCPD Chief Jacobs is there with his team.
“Thank fuck you made it,” he says to Apollo at his approach, not so much as acknowledging me. “We need you to get your bionic in there.”
“What’s been happening?”
“We’ve lost control of Ezra,” Jacobs says dourly. “He’s knocked out two on SWAT. He won’t let any of them get near him.”
There’s a detective next to him, one I think I recognize. “Washington, right?” I ask. I’ve seen him on the news plenty of times, and in interviews alongside Ezra. He’s Ezra’s handler and working partner. “Deion Washington.”
“That’s me,” the man agrees. I scan him. Beneath his cool, professional veneer, the man is a wreck. The stress of this situation is wracking his body. High blood pressure, heart rate, everything. He clearly cares about Ezra. He’s scared.
That makes him the man I want to talk to most of all.
“Are you listening to me?” Jacobs demands. It didn’t even register that he was addressing me at all.
Ignoring him, I fixate on Washington. “Tell me what to expect.”
Washington sighs, glancing toward the surrounded utility vault. Police line barricades, and the SWAT team is still here. Paramedics in ambulances who already arrived on the scene are evacuating anyone injured. He speaks to me in a low tone, a deep crease in his brow. “I don’t think Ezra’s fully reprogrammed.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Have you ever heard of a TerraPura droid knocking someone out instead of ripping them apart or bombing them to hell?”
Washington has a point. If Ezra is truly and completely lost, he should have no such restraints. That might work well to my advantage. “What do you want me to do?”
“Man to man, I want you to try to reason him out of it or grab him and secure him so we can get him the hell out of here without him being shot to scrap metal,” Washington instructs. “Think you can do that?”
“Yes, sir.” I check my surroundings and notice a slim young woman with short hair watching helplessly closer to the bridge. “Who’s that?”
Washington follows my gaze. “Katrina Carson. Hostage’s daughter.” He looks at me. “Ezra’s girlfriend.”
Girlfriend. So I’m not the only one seeking companionship. She must be worried sick. Mia would be too, if she knew where I was.
Knew what I’m about to do.
