Part 46 (1/2)

”It's up to you,” Hughes said.

Thomas thought of Charon's relentless, vindictive ambition. If the Alley had helped Alpha, they could be

involved with Charon.

”I can't send my guards away,” Thomas said.

”Then I cannot speak.”

Thomas wanted to hear out this enigma who might or might not be human. In the past, he had a.s.sumed

the stories were tall tales. It would be fitting if the legend were actually an EI in Sunrise Alley. But Hughes had a point. An EI couldn't have existed when those legends took root. Maybe the myths had come first, and the Alley created Hughes based on them. Maybe Hughes had once been human. Or

maybe he had been a rogue EI that redefined itself from the legends.

Hernandez still had his gun trained on Hughes. Thomas spoke to the sec-tech, ”Stay with me, but move out of earshot.”

”Sir-” Hernandez clearly wasn't happy. ”We can't risk your safety. General Chang would skin us alive.”

”I won't let Chang skin you. And I'll be fine.”

Spaulding cleared his throat. ”Sir.”

Sir again. It didn't bode well. ”Yes?”

”You say this a lot, that you'll be fine. Then you get kidnapped and nearly die.”

Thomas smiled wryly. ”I'm not asking you to leave. Just step away.”

”We can't go more than ten yards,” Hernandez said.

Thomas doubted they would give more than that. So he said, ”All right.” If Hughes wouldn't talk under

those conditions, he would be pus.h.i.+ng Thomas's trust too far anyway.

His bodyguards withdrew until they were dark figures, far enough away to hear only if he shouted or used his visor.

Hughes glanced at the mesh glove Thomas wore on his left hand. After considering him, Thomas

brushed his finger over the mesh. It took only seconds to deactivate. His glove would make no further record of this meeting.

Hughes lifted his hand toward the field. ”Shall we walk?”

Thomas kept his hand on the magnum in his jacket. ”All right.”

So they went. Hughes took it slow so Thomas could manage with his cane and cast, and Hernandez and Spaulding kept pace. The moon gave enough light so Thomas could see without his visor, but the park was full of darkness.

”We expected Alpha to come to us,” Hughes said.

Cold fingers walked up Thomas's spine. Us. Not they. Hughes considered himself part of the Alley. He almost said, You helped her escape, but he held back. Better to see what he could learn first.”To the Alley?” Thomas asked.”Yes. We shelter formas.””How would she know about you?””We told her.”Thomas clenched the gun. ”You did help her.” They were the ones who had set him up. ”How did you get into the safe house?”

Hughes spoke carefully. ”Some of our EIs are former military codes.”

Thomas had considered the possibility. ”Too old, too limited. I don't believe they could crack our

security.”

”They didn't.”

”Then how did Bart know what I posted at the NIA?”

”Your granddaughter.”

Thomas stiffened. If the Alley had interfered with Jamie, they were declaring war against him. ”Leave

her out of this.”

”She contacted us,” Hughes said. ”With an NIA mailing label.”

That got Thomas's attention. ”Go on.””Apparently she was playing with a mesh-controlled label. She didn't realize she had opened a backdoor that could be used to access the NIA post office. Bart told her how to close it.” Hughes regarded him with a sphinxlike gaze. ”We were not aware children her age were capable of such.”

”Neither were we,” Thomas said dryly. Inside, he felt a rush of pride. Smart kid, his granddaughter. He

had to be careful, though. ”I take it Bart helped her close the door with himself inside the NIA.”