The Inventor (Regenerate #5.5)

Part I

Jess is in a church. Not exactly where I would have expected to find him. He's in the back pew. I slide in next to him.

He rolls his eyes when he sees me. "What's it going to take to get rid of you?"

"If you really wanted to disappear right now, I'm sure you could manage," I say.

"You'd just track me down again."

"Yes," I say. "That's true. The church surprised me though. You don't strike me as particularly religious."

"I'm not," he says. "It's a good place to think."

"I like it here," I say. "Peaceful."

"I thought so too until you showed up."

I lean back, remembering that most pews seemed designed with the intention of being uncomfortable. These are no exception.

"I'm not planning to bother you for long," I say. "Just checking in."

"Are you some sort of therapist now?"

I shake my head. "More of a strategist. I like to keep tabs on people with powers. I wonder where you're planning to go next."

"I was mostly planning on finishing high school. Probably."

"And that's it?" I ask. "Sounds like you could use a side gig to keep yourself busy. I don't think high school is enough to keep you entertained."

"If you're inviting me to join the Geek Squad, the answer is no," Jess says.

"Who said I was inviting you? We have a teen club now. That's where you'd be. Not with the adults."

He responds with another eye roll. "Because you are so old and wise. What are you, twenty something?"

I stand. "Well you know where to find us if you change your mind."

As I'm walking away, Jess says, "My mom would probably appreciate it if I took on some extracurricular. And maybe you guys are cooler than chess club. Slightly."

"I'm pretty sure I could take your school's chess team," I say.

"The longer you stay, the less likely I am to consider the offer."

I hold up my hands in surrender before walking out to the street. A snide non-commitment is probably the best I could hope for from Jess.

Even though he hasn't really joined, I'm thinking through all the ways we could utilize his abilities. I'm so absorbed in thinking about it that I nearly run into somebody turning a corner.

As soon as I catch the person's face, I leap back in surprise.

It's Dr. Grey.

Who was supposed to be in Intrigue's possession. I can't imagine that Intrigue would have readily let him go. Or that Grey would have easily escaped.

He doesn't react at all to seeing me.

He looks... younger?

Which is also weird. I can't very well apprehend him in the middle of a busy street and while dressed as a civilian. I do the next best thing and plant a tracker on him.

He walks away without saying anything else to me.