Breed

Chapter Fourteen

A television anchor stared into the camera, and licked her lips before beginning. "Early reports confirm that the leak of the NSA spying program was a response to the arrest earlier today of 14 year old Mahmoud Mohammad." They flashed video clearly taken on a cell of a scrawny Middle Eastern boy being led away in handcuffs, blood still trickling from his nose. "The bloodied boy was led from his school in handcuffs after bringing a thermonuclear device to the school's science fair. The 'perp walk' following the arrest was caught on video by several students using their personal phones.

"Police have thus far been unable to explain why force was necessary to restrain Mohammad, who weighs less than 120 pounds, and by all accounts cooperated fully with the police, and did not resist when they took him into custody. A police spokesman said he, 'Must have resisted arrest.'

"Local officials, as well as a spokesperson for the Department of Energy are still uncertain how the boy came to possess fissile material enough to build such a device. Police have been reluctant to rule out a terrorist connection."

"That's insane," Mikaela said.

"That's a heap of insane things," Demi said.

"What does it mean?" Sonya asked, trembling.

"Right now," Linc said, "it means you all need to be careful. This is the kind of thing that gets people riled up. Keep your heads down, try and stay in groups. In fact, if you want, you could all use my Netflix, order a pizza, and stay in here." His phone started to ring. "Crap. Got to take this. But discuss, figure out your options."

"Drake?" Mikaela asked.

"He had me at pizza."

"Demi?"

"I've been held worse places under the threat of violence."

"What about you?" Drake asked her.

"There's no way in hell I'm going back to my apartment. So I'm either crashing here or your place."

"And we've only just gotten the scent of your sleep-toots out of the couch. So yeah, we'll stay here."

"Sleep toots?" Mayumi asked.

"I made the mistake of spending too much time with Drake. He eats pizza for two and a half meals a day. It'd make anybody gassy."

Ben was having trouble listening to what Rox was talking about, because he was close enough to Mikaela's group that their voices were blending together. But he had heard them talking about being gassy, and he'd been holding something terrible in since they came inside. A peaceful grin spread across his lips.

Rox smelled it first. "Goddamnit, Tso," she said.

"Sorry," he said. "I overheard them talking about having gas, and..."

"Sympathy gas is both not a thing, and definitely not a special ability."

"It feels special."

Cris smiled at him.

"Don't encourage him," Rox said.

"I'm all for staying," Mira said, and also smiled at Ben, "and dibs on the chair."

"Oh, man," Cris said, crinkling his nose. "You two are going to share the chair, aren't you?"

"Why the thought had never crossed my mind," Mira said, batting her eyelids innocently, "but now that you mention it..."

Rox looked to Cris, and raised her eyebrows. "Yeah. Not the first time I've been on lock-down. Guatemala is super Catholic, and even as a little tyke I wasn't the most masculine kid. So whenever there was a hate crime anywhere near our home, my mom would lock me up like I was Anne Frank. So this will be like old times, only I'd kind of pity the idiot bigot who stumbled onto this campus."

"'Rene?" Rox asked.

"If you're staying, I'm staying," she said, unaware that she was staring at Ben when she did.

"Sonya? That just leaves you."

"So long as somebody's willing to huddle with me for some warmth, I'm good."

"I'm sure there'll be plenty of body heat to go around."

"Kae, Rox," Linc said from the quieter half of the room.

They both walked towards where Linc and Anita were standing. They exchanged a look, and Mikaela gave a little nod. "We're staying," Rox said.

"Think we'll stay, too," Mikaela said. "And Kae?"

"I heard Demi call you that, and I like it. I had an aunt named Kay."

"And I remind you of her?"

"Not in the slightest. She was an old lady who collected way too many creepy dolls. And she married a man who looked like Orville Redenbacher."

"That does sound hot."

"You'd be surprised; Ernie worked that bow tie. But it's also not why I called both of you over. That was the boss."

"God?" Mikaela asked.

"Worse. The Dean. Ms. Fessuns' going to stay here with the rest of the students, as much to make sure this doesn't turn into a kegger. But he wants to fly you to to Seattle."

"If he wanted us, why did he call you?"

"He wants me to do the flying."