Cogent

THIRTY-ONE

The engine idled as Tess and Noah stared out the side window, watching several nurses pick Jen up off the ground and carry her through the emergency room doors. It had only taken them a minute or so to find her. "She'll be okay now," Tess said comfortingly. She sounded sure, but Noah wasn't.

"I should've brought her in. I can't believe I just left her there. What kind of son—what kind of person does that?" he demanded, hatred in his voice. He pressed his face against his palm, angrily smearing tears away from his cheeks. "I'm a piece of shit. A piece of fucking shit," he hissed, hitting himself. "It should be me in there, not her!"

"Noah, stop it. Noah, stop!" Tess reached out and grabbed his shoulders, putting out her arm to absorb the blow he'd directed at his own face. She winced and then slid closer as he crumpled against her, unable to hold back his sobs. She didn't say anything as he cried, just held him. His hands clutched at her shirt and he clung to her as if she'd disappear at any moment.

"Don't go," he whispered, sucking in a tight breath.

"I'm right here," she told him gently. He exhaled shakily, his whole body trembling as he slowly released her and sat back in the seat. Tess used the back of her hand to brush the moisture under his eyes. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

"You don't know shit," he mumbled, shaking his head. "Nothing can be okay."

"I don't believe that." She replied assuredly.

Noah peered up at her, all anger gone from his eyes. He just looked open, earnest. "You haven't seen what I've seen."

Tess watched him carefully. "Are you scared?" she asked, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. His jaw twitched as he considered the question. A lie flitted across his brain. He could taste it. Sour, like old milk. He swallowed the lie.

"Yes," he confessed without looking at her.

"Me too," she took his hand. Her fingers were warm against his cold skin.

"The Eraser..." he started, pausing in thought. "Does he know about you?"

"I don't know."

"If he did...would he try to kill you?" this time his voice held an edge—the smallest hint of warning.

"Yes," she replied without hesitation.

"If Lenny told you about him, then she must've known you were in danger."

"And you," Tess said. "She was more worried about you than she was about me. I never got caught using my cogency. There's a record of yours. And the others, too. The ones from school. They all got into trouble before she could help them. She said they were marked...targeted."

"Because we're dangerous," Noah surmised.

"We're not dangerous, Noah." Tess shook her head. "We're just...in the way, I think."

He frowned, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Tess hesitated to say more, glancing out the windows. "I think we should go," she said as she put the car in drive. "We still need to find your brother."

Noah nodded. She was right. If Jen was on the side of the road getting high, where was Kaleb? It was dangerous for him to be out at night like this. He would avoid it if he was smart. Go someplace safe. "Did you ever go to Lenny's place?" he asked Tess.

Tess pursed her lips, thinking. "No...why?"

"I think he might be there. Kaleb, I mean. He used to hang out in her basement. She gave him permission and everything. He might be hiding out, waiting for me. I can tell you where it is." He said, giving her directions. Tess drove slowly, headlights beaming through the fog that began to fall over the road. "There, the blue one," he pointed and she parked the car out front.