Sparrow's Story - A Girl Defiant

Chapter 23

Sparrow sits through the rest of her classes, plotting how she’ll get out of LA. Yates was the only person in Exodus she trusted to extract her. Aamir almost missed two extracts, because he got cold feet. But with Yates in jail, she’s pretty much on her own to either get out of LA or find a way to undo her pre-empt. 

She turns the problem over in her head the way Mom taught her. The top private investigator in Southern California before she and Dad married, Mom believed in finding the person who’s dying to help you screw the bad guys. And it occurs to Sparrow that person might be connected to Tabs, the girl she met in New York. 

When classes are over, Sparrow flies down to the Daycare Lab to call Tabs and Imran, but Mr. Bellows halts her at the reception desk. 

“I’m afraid you can’t go in. Your volunteer privileges are suspended.”

“But--”

His lips purse and Sparrow follows his gaze to her shoes, letting her know that he heard about her little outburst, and as the reigning dictator of Daycare, he’s taken it on himself to punish her.  

Bastard. 

Sparrow limps outside. She can’t risk someone overhearing her on the phone, but the only other place she can think of calling from is the shed in back of the ceramics room. If the kiln’s firing, nobody goes near there.

As she crosses campus, girls see her coming and change paths, books squeezed to their chests. So now I’m what? An infectious disease?

The only way to get to ceramics is past the library, so when Mr. Hope emerges with his laptop and gym bag, the two of them are on a collision course.

He’s got to be upset that she didn’t show up for their meeting, but then, he probably heard about her “incident.”

He’s spies her and walks faster. “Sparrow!”

She can’t avoid him unless she leaps over the hedge bordering the path, and from the determined way he’s walking, and her guess is he’d follow. She has no choice, but to try and breeze right past him.

But Hope blocks her path. With the bags hanging off each shoulder, he’s as broad as a linebacker. “You didn’t come see me today.”

“Right, um, sorry about that. How about I stop by on Monday?”

“I’m not sure Monday will work. Your father alerted me to your pre-empt. I guess Congratulations are in order.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Sparrow’s phone buzzes so she checks it, hoping it will be an escape route from Hope. Thank God, it’s Damon. “It’s my bodyguard.”

Hope nods.

She starts right in, not waiting for Damon to speak. “I’m discussing my Contract with Mr. Hope. Call you when I’m done,” and click. As long as Damon doesn’t see Hope in the parking lot, she’s got an hour before Damon starts searching for her. 

When she turns back around, and Hope is staring at her legs. Not her running shoes. Her legs. “ I’ve really got to get going,” she says. “I left some things in McGuyer.”

Hope smiles like a carnivorous fish. “Perfect. I’ll walk with you.” His voice drops and he steps closer. “We really must discuss the details of your Contract.” 

The paths are empty in all directions.

Sparrow moves to the side, and Hope moves with her. “Yeah,” she says. “Too bad I can’t tell you about my Contract, but Dad hasn’t shared the details with me yet.” 

Mr. Hope puts his hand on her shoulder and squeezes hard enough to make her look at him. To the cameras in the trees, he probably appears supportive.