Recompense

THIRTEEN

Emerson can see I know the truth. I'm still in shock when he takes another swing at me, this time aiming for my bandaged wrist. I leap backward and aim a counterblow at his neck, but he uses his momentum to jump into the autopod and slam the door. I grab for the handle. It's locked.

"Emerson, don't do this," I plead, pounding on the window. I don't understand. He and Markay have been friends for so long.

Emerson's face has lost its usual pleasantness, replaced with an intensity of purpose that frightens me. He presses a series of controls and the pod begins to move. He's left me no choice. I reach for my gun.

It's not there.

I left it in my locker.

The pod makes a U-turn and speeds up. As far as vehicles go, it doesn't travel that fast, but I can't hope to follow it far on foot. I slam a button my holoband and scream into it, "Ethan, get here fast! Emerson's taking Markay!"

His voice crackles back at me immediately. "Where are you?"

"In front of the school and to the left. Almost to the main road. They just left in a pod."

"I'm on my way."

I jog after them, trying to keep them in sight. Emerson turns into traffic and I pace in frustration on the corner, knowing I must wait for Ethan. I lose them around a far corner.

It takes only minutes for Ethan to pound up behind me. In that time, I've intercepted another autopod. We pile inside and he starts keying in commands. "I've always wanted to do this," he says. A dash light blinks on and a joystick levers upward from the floor. Ethan grips it, and the vehicle slams into motion. I'm thrown back into my seat.

Ethan throws me a rakish grin. "Military override. Which way did they go?"

"Left!"

I brace myself as Ethan sends us lurching around the pod ahead of us. Though our vehicle emits only a low hum, our lack of compliance with the uniform traffic grid makes us conspicuous. I can see people on the street pausing to watch.

"They turned here." I point as we near the corner.

Ethan pulls a hard right. The pod turns with the precision of a rollercoaster and I slam into him. We blast onto the side road.

It's empty.

Ethan eases up on the throttle. "Where'd they go?"

"I lost sight of them once they rounded the corner. Check the next crossroad."

He powers us forward and then stops in the middle of the vacant intersection. We're off the main grid in a residential neighborhood. There are no autopods, no people in sight. Not even a squirrel. "Which way?" he asks.

"You know the city better than I do. Where do you think he'd bring her?"

"No telling. Did he know you were on to him?"

"He knows. He tried to stab me with a syringe."

"Then he probably led us this way to shake us in all the side streets. When he's sure he's lost us, he'll slip back into traffic somewhere and be on his way."

My heart twists with dread at what could be happening to Markay. To have come so close and then lose her. I pound the seat. If only I'd grabbed my gun.

"Are you all right? He didn't hurt you?"

"I'm fine. Just frustrated."

"What happened?" Ethan chooses a direction and just starts driving, banking on blind luck.