01 Read online

  “What’s wrong?”

  I paused the vid and reversed it back to the beginning. After we’d watched it from beginning to end, I turned it off.

  “Oh, Keira!” She looked at me curiously. “How many times have you watched this?”

  “Four.”

  “Four!”

  “And a half.”

  “That’s at least three times too many.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I got shot.” I looked at her with tears in my eyes. “Do you want to hear the details?”

  “Um, no. That’s okay.” Aimee sat down next to me.

  “Really? Now you don’t want to know about it?”

  “Well, I sort of already know what happened,” she said quietly.

  “How could you?”

  “Brody told me.”

  “Brody did? What, you mean you two talked about me at lunch?”

  “No.” She hesitated. “At dinner.”

  “You went out to dinner with him too?” Yesterday, that would have made me happy.

  “Not out, exactly. We ate at his place.”

  “What else did you two talk about?”

  “Why? Keira, don’t you trust him?”

  “I thought I did.”

  “Did that change because of me?” she asked. “I didn’t think you’d mind after our conversation this morning.”

  Was it just this morning? “No, of course I don’t mind. I saw Brody heading into the Justice Center with Hisoka today, and I can’t figure out why.”

  Aimee looked at the now blank vidscreen. Understanding dawned in her eyes. “You were following him when they caught you. Did you follow us to lunch too?”

  “How can you even ask that?” I looked at her in surprise. “No, I was keeping shop at Art Fantastique, remember? And then I trained with Eberhardt, okay? Can’t you see I was working out?” I flung my arm toward the teleview. “It was purely by accident that I happened to see them.”

  “Why don’t you just ask Brody what he was doing there? I thought you two were friends.”

  “He’d think I was tailing him, like you just did. And besides, what if we can’t trust him? Do you think he’d tell us the truth if he’s working against us?”

  “Do you really think he might be?”

  “I just don’t know.” I shook my head.

  Aimee took a deep breath. “Well, he already knows who we are. You trusted him with that, right?”

  I nodded. “I told him. Wait, no! I never told him about you. He knows who you are?”

  She nodded. “And Scott too. He said the Gov is after us.”

  “Oh, Aimee. What if I was wrong about him?”

  She was silent for a few minutes. Then she took my hands in hers. “What if you weren’t?”

  ***

  Late Saturday morning, someone knocked on the front door. Aimee had already left for work. I’d slept in and was sitting on the couch, only this time I wasn’t watching the vidscreen. I stared out the window. I didn’t feel like moving. The sound of knocking grew louder and finally, a key turned in the lock. Eberhardt entered and punched in the security code.

  “Why didn’t you answer?” He sat on an overstuffed chair next to the couch.

  I continued to stare out the window. “Did he see it?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “It’s best if you don’t train with us for a while. It could blow your cover and ours.”

  “Then how am I supposed to help?” I looked at Eberhardt. “I didn’t even know who I really was until I met you guys and now,” I faltered.

  “Now what?”

  “Guy wants me to change.” I sighed. “I feel like my wings have been clipped.”

  “I don’t think he wants you to change. I think he doesn’t want to lose you. Here.” Eberhardt held out a card.

  “What’s this?” I asked while reaching for it.

  “It’s a membership card for an Elite gym not far from here. No one would think twice about you working out there. He’ll meet you on Wednesday after work. Now get dressed.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re going shopping. You and Aimee need gowns for next weekend.”

  The benefit. Our first official public date. The tabloids will have a field day, as will those gossipy Elite women.

  “Come on.” He stood up and held out his hand. “We’re picking up Aimee in a half hour, and then I’m dropping you two off at Rosella’s Boutique.”

  “Oh no, that’s far too expensive,” I interrupted.

  “And you may not even look at the sales rack,” he continued, ignoring my interruption.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Do I look like I’m joking?”

  “But that money should be going to help people!”

  “The women at the benefit will be looking for specific brand names and styles. Guy insisted that you have the best. Remember, his mother is now head of the board.”

  I shook my head sadly as I thought, We could send two people to safety in Mediterra for the price of the dress I’m about to buy. Add Aimee’s dress to the mix, and we could save a whole family.

  -Aimee-

  Lunch with Hisoka

  Monday morning passed slowly with only one customer stopping in to look around.

  There were no purchases. If Mondays continued to be slow, I would close shop and use it as a day off.

  Tuesday began the same. No one until shortly after 10:00. That’s when a man arrived with a few large paintings. He set them down and pulled up his left sleeve. A blue serpent tattoo on his inner arm struck at a gold coin. I nodded and waved him into the back room.

  He dropped off the paintings and left.

  I carried some books to the table and began the lengthy appraisal process. I had just decided the first painting was authentic when chimes at the front door announced the arrival of a customer. I looked at the clock. Had so much time really passed? I closed the door behind me as I entered the front room. Hisoka stood waiting with a sketchpad under his arm. I hurried over.

  The corners of his warm brown eyes crinkled when he smiled. “I’ve brought those sketches we were discussing.” He looked around, and his gaze settled on the door to the back room. “Do you have time now?”

  I thought about the stolen painting sitting prominently on an easel against the back wall. Just then, my stomach rumbled, loudly enough for him to hear. “May I see them over lunch?”

  “Of course…I’m sorry…I should have offered. I assumed you’d eaten already.”

  I smiled. “Do you have enough time?”

  “Yes. We’ve been busy at work, were in closed session all morning, but they’re giving us a lengthy break to refresh.”

  “Um, I’ll be right back.” I reached into the back room and flipped off the lights before entering to grab my purse. Returning to the front, I dug out my keys and hung a “be back soon” sign on the door.

  At a nearby restaurant, Hisoka pulled out my chair, a somewhat awkward maneuver with the large sketchpad under his arm. I wasn’t expecting him to pay for my lunch, but he told the waiter to put it all on one bill. Once again, I was struck by how different he was from Lance Beckett. Then I had a most unnerving thought - Would Hisoka constantly remind me of Mr. Beckett precisely because of their differences? I hurriedly pushed the thought away.

  Hisoka flipped through his sketchpad and shared a number of preliminary drawings.

  Simple black strokes stood out boldly against an ivory background. Shading indicated where the sun had been when these were drawn. My appreciation must have been apparent, for when I looked up, his face was glowing with pride.

  “Hisoka.” I hesitated. “What do you talk about in your lawmaking sessions?”

  He closed the sketchpad and set it on an empty chair. “That’s confidential. Would you like to see the new exhibit at the Tkaron Classical Art Museum?”

  “What new exhibit?”

  He looked surprised.

  “I’ve only been in town a short ti
me,” I explained. “What’s the theme?” And we were back to discussing art.

  During the walk to the gallery, Hisoka held my hand. “Lunch was immensely enjoy-able. Thank you, Miss LaFleur.”

  I smiled. “I had a nice time too.”

  “Are you free on Friday afternoon?” he asked.

  “I can be. I sort of set my own hours. I should keep the shop open though. What did you have in mind?”

  “Nothing that would require you to close shop. Have an easel ready. I’ll bring my supplies along, and we’ll paint.” He gently squeezed my hand.

  -Guy-

  Forever Strong and Fit

  Eberhardt pulled to a stop in front of the gym. Bold white letters declared, Forever Strong and Fit. Is that what they’re after? David Harlow had been in contact, and I wanted to discuss a few things with Keira.

  Keira. I pictured the little wrapped box in my gym bag. Hopefully, my gift would raise her spirits. I knew simply seeing her would lift mine. I hurried inside.

  She stood with her back to the room. A small black duffel bag hung at her side as she studied the bulletin board in the lobby. Rules and hours were posted along with a few other official notices. I hadn’t been to a gym since high school, pre-Tkaron, and didn’t relish the thought of working out in public. Yet, I wanted to do this for her. Plus, people would see us spending time together, and that was important. That’s when I noticed three familiar wanted posters.

  I glanced around. A young man sat at the front desk. I walked up behind Keira. She turned as I approached but didn’t smile.

  I leaned close and whispered. “I need to take care of something. Could you distract him for a minute?” I pulled back a bit and shifted my eyes toward the man.

  Keira gave a short nod. Instantly, she wore an expression of happiness and hurried toward the desk. The young man looked up, not at all bothered by the distraction. Keira stood to his left and drew his attention as far from me as possible. Then she leaned over, displaying just a little bit of cleavage and pointed to some papers on the desk. “I’m new here. May I have a copy of the hours please?”

  “Of course! Here, let me put together a packet for you. Do you need a registration form?”

  “No.” She handed him her card. He looked at it for a moment before handing it back.

  As he shuffled papers, I stepped closer to the bulletin board and removed the posters as quietly and quickly as possible. The young man looked away from Keira when I shoved them into my bag.

  “May I help you, sir?”

  “Oh, no thank you. Just getting something for the lady.” I smiled at Keira, and she hurried back with a packet of papers. She set down her gym bag and placed them on top.

  “I got you something.” I held out a small wrapped box with a red ribbon tied around the middle. “Open it.” I handed it to her.

  “You didn’t have to buy me anything.”

  I knew she didn’t want me to spend a lot of money on her, but I had a feeling she would love this. Keira opened the box and pulled out an individual audiovid device. It had holo-graphic capabilities for displaying news and entertainment, but that wasn’t why I’d gotten it for her.

  “I hope you’ll like the music. There’s enough memory for you to add plenty more.”

  She turned it on and began thumbing through the titles: The Sunny Side of the Street, I’ve Got Rhythm, The Big Rock Candy Mountains. Her eyes lit up.

  “Oh Richard, it’s perfect!”

  Though she was putting on a show for our audience of one, the look in her eyes was genuine. Upbeat music from the Great Depression Era of the early 20th Century had been her mother’s favorite.

  “Bring it into the gym,” I suggested. “You should listen while we exercise.”

  She nodded, her eyes still shining. “I will.”

  “Well, let’s get started. I’ll meet you in the weight room.”

  “Um, I’d prefer to warm up with a run around the track before using weights. Would that be okay?”

  After I changed my clothes and stored my business suit in a locker, I went looking for Keira. The track wound beautifully through an interior courtyard. It offered runners the opportunity to enjoy nature in a controlled environment. I found her doing hurdle stretches on the ground near some pink and white tulips. Two men were already competing for her attention. They’d obviously seen the latest episode of Everyday Elite.

  One said, “I understand you don’t know too many people here yet. We’d be happy to show you around.”

  The other said, “There’s a real nature path in Liberty Park. It’s not the ocean, but it’s beautiful just the same. Would you like to go running sometime?”

  Keira kept her head down as she stretched her quads. She didn’t respond to either of them. In fact, she acted like she hadn’t heard them at all. They looked at each other. One shrugged and reached out to tap her shoulder just as I arrived.

  Keira looked up and smiled at me. Then she reached under her hair and removed two wireless earbuds.

  “Oh Richard, you’re here!”

  She looked back and forth at the three of us.

  “Are these some of your friends?” she asked, her voice saturated with innocence.

  I shook my head slightly. “No.”

  She pushed into a standing position, looked curiously at the two men and said, “Excuse us.” She pocketed the earbuds as we walked down the track.

  “That was mean,” I whispered, “but thank you. I wanted to slug them.”

  She grinned. “You’re welcome. The one on the right is married.”

  I gave her a sideways glance and asked, “How could you tell?”

  She shrugged. “Easy. He had the indent of a band on his finger.”

  We began with a gentle jog around the track. By the second lap, we’d settled into a comfortable pace.

  “Did you find a dress for the benefit?”

  “Yes, Aimee too. They’re beautiful and expensive.”

  She picked up the pace. I’d obviously hit a nerve.

  “Vid crews will be there. You should go to a salon the day of. I recommend the Davis.”

  We stopped talking as we approached and passed a small group of runners.

  “Okay.” She ran even faster.

  I began to feel winded, so I stopped talking and focused on my breathing. After the next lap, I left the track and walked over to the weight room. Keria followed about 10

  minutes later.

  I was at the leg curl machine when she rejoined me. I stopped and indicated an open bench press. Keira simply nodded. First, she spotted me, and then I returned the favor.

  Next, I moved to an open leg press machine, and she went to a nearby mat to do stomach crunches followed by push ups. She was listening to her music again. We continued to work out silently, yet in close proximity, for another 20 minutes.

  Finally, we moved toward the locker rooms. I hadn’t worked out like this in years and knew I would be sore tomorrow. I put my hand on Keira’s arm. She removed the ear buds and turned to look at me.

  “Miss James, would you join me for dinner?” I noticed a few people paused to listen to our exchange.

  She smiled warmly. “I’d like that. I’ll meet you in the lobby?”

  I nodded. Keira pushed open the door to the women’s locker room and disappeared inside.

  After we’d both showered and dressed, Eberhardt brought the car around. Keira had taken to dressing semi formally whenever we were out in public. Tonight, she wore a long black skirt with a trendy lavender blouse, a diamond bracelet and black high heels. The diamonds were fake. Keira didn’t want me to buy her real ones.

  “You look stunning,” I whispered. Behind the tinted windows, we could finally be ourselves. “I’ve missed you.” I placed my hand gently on the side of her face and tilted her lips toward mine. “And I’ve missed that,” I said when we pulled apart.

  “Me too.” She leaned in for more.

  Eberhardt coughed. “Do you want me to lose them?”

>   Keira and I both looked out the back window. A news crew van was on our tail.

  “Are you ready for this?” I asked.

  She sighed and leaned back against the seat.

  I looked at Eberhardt’s reflection in the rear view mirror. “Take a detour. We need about five minutes.” I returned my attention to Keira. “Is there something on your mind?”

  “Lots. Aimee, for starters. She’ll need a date for this weekend, right?”

  “How could I have forgotten? Yes, all of the young ladies will have escorts. It’s the men who provide financial support for the auction. Perhaps someone from Burke Investments would do? I’ll find someone.”

  “It’s not that, it’s just…” She touched my hand lightly. “She’s having trouble choosing.”

  My eyebrows shot up, and Keira laughed. “Would you recommend Brody or Hisoka?

  They’re both into her, but did Eberhardt tell you about the other day?”

  “Yes, I did.” Eberhardt’s tone proclaimed, ‘I’m right here!’

  Keira turned in surprise, and I smiled at his reflection.

  “Either would be fine.”

  I looked out the front window. The restaurant wasn’t far. We didn’t have much time. If we circled around again, the news crew would grow suspicious. We could not afford a field day of speculation at our expense. How could I explain quickly?

  “I’ve been coordinating efforts between Brody and Harlow.”

  “Brody?” Keira’s eyebrows scrunched up like they always did when she was concerned.

  “Yes. We’re preparing for a coup, but we need to up our numbers. Can you think of others who might be interested in joining the Resistance?”

  “And have a way to stick it to the Gov with support? Oh yeah!” She nodded.

  “Alright then, I want you to work on that.” I hugged her tightly. “Just be careful. We’ve learned that people are being held right here in Tkaron, in secure facilities inside the Justice Center.”

  She drew in a breath. “Does Hisoka know about all this?”

  “Yes, he does.”

  “Time’s up, kids!” Eberhardt pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant.

  A man in a burgundy uniform stepped forward and opened Keira’s door. He held

  out his arm. I exited close behind, and stepped forward to take his place at Keira’s side.