Page 78 of Delusional

CHAPTER 96

KIMMY WAS WATCHING Tom Owens work. He enjoyed spending time with Kimmy. She might not have been the smartest girl he’d ever met, but she seemed to get him—or at least seemed like she was trying to understand him emotionally. He knew it wasn’t easy. That part of his life had never been easy.

As he got older and better educated, he’d really started worrying about the big issues in life. Government control, the environment, the tentacles of tech companies. Sometimes Owens felt like he might be the only person who could stop them. The only person who could save the world.

Kimmy said, “So are you planning to help Ellis with his idea for funding the cause?”

Owens stood up from the table, marched over to where his newest device sat, and carried it back. He set it right in front of Kimmy. “I made this device for Ellis. If he finds the right place, it should do the trick. All he has to do is turn on the remote under here.” He held the remote control up so Kimmy could see the black switch on the bottom of the handle. “Then whenever he pulls the trigger, the bomb will be armed and go off in two seconds. It should have enough power to do what he wants it to do.”

“You haven’t shown this to Ellis yet, have you?”

“I showed it to him yesterday. But I wanted to focus on the bomb I made for the detective’s car. We need that one to work.”

Kimmy was silent and looked away. Owens was never good at social cues, but he realized that bombing the detective’s car was something Kimmy didn’t like to think about. She was a kind soul. That was one of the things he appreciated about her.

With no warning, Ellis Warrenton stepped through the doorway into Owens’s workshop. He stopped in front of the table and the satchel bomb.

Ellis looked at Owens and said, “I have found the perfect bank to use this bomb on. Thank you very much. I’m going to use it today whether you like it or not.”

“I expect the bomb on Michael Bennett’s car will detonate today as well. You don’t think that’ll draw more attention to us?”

“Don’t lecture me on how to run my own organization. We brought you in to make bombs. Now it seems like you’re trying to micromanage everything.”

“On the contrary, I would prefer not to have any responsibilities other than making the bombs,” Owens said. “It’s because you’re such a poor leader that I’ve had to step up and take over things you should be doing.”

“Oh, yeah? Like what?”

“Finding us this house, for instance. Breaking into the NYPD computer system. And half a dozen other things you’ve asked me to do.” He glanced over at Kimmy and saw that she seemed scared of him. That’s not how he wanted Kimmy to view him. He looked again at Ellis and said, “Let’s talk outside.”

Ellis snatched up the bomb and the remote. “That’s probably a pretty good idea.”

CHAPTER 97

TOM OWENS FOLLOWED Ellis Warrenton out of the house. But not nearly as dramatically. He noted that Ellis took every opportunity to slam a door or stomp on the hardwood floor. The only thing Tom paused to do was throw on his heavy coat. The winds had calmed down, but the temperature was still chilly.

Owens wasn’t exactly sure why he’d even suggested that they go outside to talk. Probably because he didn’t want to be humiliated in front of Kimmy. But in truth, Owens really didn’t have anything more to say to the loudmouth. Ellis had been a disappointment to him almost from the beginning. His big talk about changing the world was nothing more than a cover. Ellis’s only real goals, Owens determined, were to make money and boss people around.

Owens followed as Ellis cut across the brown, brittle grass on his way to where Pry’s pickup truck was parked in the street. Ellis held the satchel containing the bomb under one arm and the remote in his other hand, then stopped short in the middle of the yard.

Owens halted a few feet behind. He shivered but wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or from fear.

Ellis spun in the grass until he was facing Owens. Owens may not have been incredibly accurate reading people’s emotions, but he recognized the look and coloring on Ellis’s face indicated anger. Maybe “rage” would’ve been a better word. “I really thought you could help us. Instead, you’re ruining everything.”

“How?”

“By contradicting me every opportunity you have. I was fighting this fight when we just called ourselves anarchists! Do you know how hard it is to get people to listen to hard truths?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”

“So what’d you do about it? Write a few articles? Withdraw from society? If you hadn’t joined us, you’d still be wasting time up at that nasty cabin near Millwood. Tell me how that changes anything. How does that get people’s attention? Action is what people respect. Action is what captures people’s attention.”

Owens snapped right back. “So what do you want to do now? Rob a bank? That really makes a statement for people.”

Ellis dropped the satchel and remote in the dead grass.

Owens flinched, even though he knew just dropping the satchel wouldn’t do anything.

Kimmy stepped out onto the porch. Seeing her blond hair blowing in the cold, light breeze was enough to catch Owens’s attention. To distract him.