The Hacker

"Wait... you think he's guilty, don't you?" (32)

"Follow him!" Amira slapped PJ's shoulder until he jolted awake.

"What's going on?"

"Follow him!" She repeated before fumbling to say it again in the walkie talkie.

"Amira..." Kai calmly said her name. "We'll get him," he reached out to rest his hand on hers.

"How... how is this possible? I thought you said he was in New Orleans," she was starting to panic.

"It made sense at the time. I was wrong but that doesn't mean he'll get away again. Look at me," he demanded. Once they made eye contact, he took deep breaths with her. "Do you understand me?"

Amira nodded but inside her mind, memories started to resurface and she couldn't concentrate. When they were chasing some faceless bomber, she didn't think about her past as much. She only had one goal in mind but now seeing Paul's face... everything about Tom also came back to her. PJ caught the drift and immediately started the car; following Paul's black Mercedes car.

She didn't know what she would say if they ever caught him but she just knew that they couldn't lose him again. PJ followed closely behind the car as they drove back into the city's center. Paul's car pulled up in a parking lot behind a restaurant and Amira thought this was her only chance.

The moment she saw him come out of his car, she pulled her door and ran after him; ignoring Kai calling her back.

She ran up and grabbed his elbow. When he turned around, Paul was shocked beyond belief. His eyes widened before they narrowed in anger. He roughly pulled his elbow from her grip and scowled.

"You're still alive," he commented.

"Paul. Where's Xavier?" She didn't waste any time with her questions.

"Do you really think I'd tell you that?" He scoffed. "I fucking hate you. You killed my brother!" He gripped her arm and pulled her closer to him. "You'll surely pay," he seethed.

Suddenly, his hand was removed from her arm and Paul was shoved a few inches away from her. Kai pulled her to his side as he squared up with Paul.

"If anyone's gonna pay, it's you. You and your brother murdered innocent people over the years because of greed,"

"Innocent?" Paul came closer. "Those people were monsters!"

"Including your own parents!" Kai exclaimed, not caring that a few onlookers were standing a few cars away from them. "Tom has been manipulating you and he didn't even tell you he was alive!"

Paul took another step and bumped his chest into Kai's; ready for a fight. Amira looked at them and she worried that Kai would injure himself more since his shoulder was still wounded. She inserted herself between them and tried to appeal to Paul.

"Paul, please. What Xavier is doing isn't right. We can save innocent people from dying. We need your help,"

Paul took a step back and looked at her properly. "You've changed,"

"What?"

"The old you would never have begged me for anything. Now you're this weak, dependent, sad person standing in front of me. At this point I don't even think you're worth killing. You'll probably kill yourself soon," he eyed her. This woman was broken. It was ten times as entertaining than having her killed.

Amira was speechless. She didn't think it was that bad but when Paul said it, she knew he was right. She was weak... too weak to have laid all of this to rest from the beginning. She couldn't let go of Tom and it brought her here— but she did at least have one thing to say to him.