Page 135 of CHOICE Lover
He explains how Chryl came to be and her brief stint with him. Then how he gave her to Tommy, which is why she’s traipsing around his building. He widens his eyes, nodding to Wanda, hoping Sable will understand that there is more to the story that he can’t say in front of a NHOS inspector.
Sable’s eyes narrow. “I see.”
He runs a hand through his hair. “08:25.”
“You can stop telling us the time now,” Wanda says without looking up. “It worked. They verified it. They’re releasing her in a different connected building’s lobby in the same quadrant.”
“That’s a relief.” Sable flops down into the chair next to him. “I failed to mention he’s MSP’sself-proclaimedgreatest hacker, but now that we know it worked . . .”
He clasps her on the shoulder. “I won’t have to murder you and dump your body in a batch of recycling?”
Wanda glances up. “Is that something you’ve done before?”
He and Sable both break out into peals of laughter, and he feels a little like he’s going insane. Must be the sleep deprivation.
“We’ve got a visual.” Wanda shifts the video she is watching onto the large particle pane. They watch as a large man drags Electra by the arm from the bank of ground floor elevators toward the airlock that leads outside. He releases her, picks up an air mask, and throws it at her. It smacks her in the chest, but she catches it and quickly puts it on. He tries to grab her again, but she flings an arm out, sucker-punching him in the neck. He staggers back, hand flying to his throat, and starts sputtering.
“Good Zorg, that was awesome. Maybe I’ll be friends with her too,” Sable says.
“Just get in the airlock, Electra,” he instructs the video.
As if she’s heard him, she darts over, cutting in front of the next person waiting. She gives them a little apologetic wave before stepping inside. She turns and watches the doors close and lock. The large man recovers, rushing over to pound on the door with both fists.
“It won’t open, will it?” Sable asks. Thankfully, because Res6’s heart is caught in his throat.
“I’ve got a team member overriding the controls,” Wanda says.
He breathes a sigh of relief. Electra doesn’t know that, but she doesn’t look scared either. She raises her hand, holding up her middle finger to the man.
“I take it that is a rude gesture from her time?” Wanda asks.
Curious, he does a quick search. “DumBot says it meansfuck you,” he says.
Both Sable and Wanda chuckle.
Behind Electra, the door slides open. She doesn’t hesitate as she runs out into the street, looking both ways before her attention lands on the single SAT hovering on the mag track in the center of the road. It only takes a couple of seconds for three operatives wearing jumpsuitsthat say Private Extraction Services to fly out of the SAT and surround her. They speak to her for a moment and she nods, looking at them and back at the SAT. A smaller operative, possibly another woman, takes her by the arm and gently guides her around to the front seat, helping her in. The rest of the operatives pile in, and within a moment the SAT carrying the most precious thing in his world is zipping across the city back to him.
Tears well in his eyes and fall unfettered. Sable and Wanda stare at him like they are unsure what to do. “I’m fine,” he waves them off. “Just . . . thank you. Thank you.”
He excuses himself so he can have a moment alone in his private locker room. He drops onto a bench, leaning back against the wall, letting the horrible events of the last day wash over him. He also carves out space in his mind for one of the most beautiful moments of his life that also happened during the same twenty-four hours. Zorg, he’s exhausted.
The prospect of losing her and being a part of the effort to get her back was the hardest thing he’s ever experienced. And now that he’s moments on the other side of it, he feels like he’s been hit by a SAT. He needs to gather himself and set his emotions aside. After what Electra just lived through, she is going to need him more than ever, and he needs to be the man she deserves.
He closes his eyes, taking a few deep breaths to center himself. He remembers her exercise that she uses to ground herself. Just think of three real things.
That’s easy.
Electra.
Electra.
Electra.
His phone pings, and he jolts awake. Shit. He glances at the message.
It’s Sable.She’s on her way up.
He stuffs his phone in his pocket and runs out of the locker room. His fatigue evaporates the second he sees her walking toward him at the other end of the hall.
