Page 24 of Freedom Fighters
Minnie would be justified if she got mad about Téra constantly at her elbow.Téra didn’t need anyone to tell her she was clinging to Minnie for security. She knew it perfectly well. The need to always be in someone’s company would fade…or so the books assured her.
Not all her reading was fiction. She had read the few medical texts in the house and knew she was suffering a mild form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Minnie probably knew it, too, for she never complainedwhen Téra settled nearby. Duardo would have warned Téra if Minnie didn’t like it.
Rubén Rey didn’t complain either, although he never spoke voluntarily.
Twenty minutes went by before Téra lifted her head and noticed that Minnie wasn’t back. She had been lulled by the quiet click of Rubén Rey’s keyboard. “Do you think she’ll be back soon?” she asked, uneasiness touching her.
Rubén looked ather over the top of his laptop screen. “I hope so. I need her data to finish this order.”
Téra bit her lip. She closed the book. “Perhaps I should look for her.”
“You’re welcome to stay if you want,” Rubén said. “You’re quite safe here.”
Téra could feel her cheeks heating.
Rubén glanced at the door to the room, which was not quite closed. Then his gaze met hers. “I’ve never had the chancebefore to tell you how sorry I am about what Lucas De la Cruz did to you.”
Téra pressed her hand to her stomach, which was hurting. “Doeseveryoneknow about that?”
Rubén shook his head. “It’s not gossip. I was part of the debriefing so I got to hear the details.” His gaze behind the glasses was direct.
Téra was almost overwhelmed by the urge to get out the roomnow.She forced herself to stayseated. Her heart hurt, so fast was it beating. She had broken into a sweat. “Why were you part of the debriefing? You questioned people?”
Duardo had been relentless in his scouring of army personnel, their records, their backgrounds and histories. Those who needed a second look were given a complete, exhausting debriefing. Téra had been one of them, of course. Her debriefing had taken threedays, while every moment she had spent with Lucas had been examined, prodded and poked for nuance and meaning. When it was over, she’d felt hollowed out and empty. She had been incapable of any emotion, including embarrassment that her brother had listened to her describe her sexual obsession with Lucas and how it had played out.
Over the three days of questions, the people doing the questioningand the listening had changed. Nick had been there for one day. Duardo for two days. There were others, always three at a time. She had at first resented the revolving roster of questioners, which forced her to repeat herself and describe moments painful to talk about. Duardo had pointed out that the repetitions and the different listeners were a way to unearth details she had forgotten, or thatno one else had thought to ask.
She never wanted to go through that process again.
It was possible that Rubén Rey had been one of the questioners for other people. Even Duardo had been debriefed because he was her brother and Lucas’ unit had reported to him. Perhaps Rubén had questioned Duardo. Everyone in the big house seemed to trust Rubén, after all.
Rubén shook his head. “I was questioned.”
“You? What for?”
Rubén glanced at the door again. Téra hoped Minnie would choose this moment to step back into the room. Rubén would shut up if she did.
He spoke, his voice low. “Before Lucas De la Cruz set his sights on you, he tried another target.”
“You?” Minnie breathed, shocked. “Why didn’t you report him?”
Rubén’s gaze didn’t shift away from hers. “If someone tries to seduce you, youdon’t automatically think they’re doing it because they want access to the computer networks you control. I didn’t make the connection until after…afterward,” he finished awkwardly. “Then I reported to Colonel Peña and volunteered to be debriefed.”
So many questions! Téra sat still, trying to sort it out in her mind. “He was trying to use you?” she whispered.
“Hetried,” Rubén said flatly. “Idon’t think you were just a target for him, Téra. I think in his twisted way, he was trying to protect you.”
“From him,” she finished.
“From the damage he would cause if he didn’t.” Rubén gave a small shrug and a wry smile. “I don’t know if it helps at all, but in a small way, I know what you’re going through.”
“It does help,” Téra said. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Telling you what?” Minnieasked, pushing open the door and walking in.
“Why she can’t order from the Sears catalog,” Rubén said casually.
