Jack

She’s still out there, waiting. Heard her in the hall—think everyone did. Outraged that they’d interrogate me here, now, barely out of anesthesia. I blink and lick my lips, playing up the morphine haze.

“Mm, yeah.... Can’t prove it—I had proof, a hard drive, two data sticks, but, uh...those were in my safe. In my penthouse. Which is currently spread over, oh...half a city block?” I giggle stupidly. It’s not fake—this really is some good shit. Better than last time. Or maybe I’m just happy. She’s waiting for me. Twenty minutes, half an hour, I’ll see her. Tell her I’m okay. Promise her...a lifetime of better days.

“Okay—try to focus, Mr. Brightman. What kind of proof did you have?”

“Personnel movements. Transfers, assignments, patrols—compare those to news stories from the...from the uh, the affected regions, you....” I wave my hand, wincing as the IV tugs under my skin. “Ow. Shit. Uh, and Erik, he...they, him and Magnus—they admitted it. Tried to kill me for it. Stella, too. Twice.”

“And you amassed all that in a few hours?”

“Amassed...that’s a funny word.”

“Please focus—just a little longer.” She’s stern, this detective. Mean, like a...mean person.

“Yeah, I...amassed it. Not hard, when you know what you’re looking for.” That much is true...sort of. “Stella was right. Those guys...suck.”

“And you were shot rescuing Miss Rossi from the resulting hostage situation—just you, on your own?”

“Shot.... Yeah. Hurts.” It doesn’t, not right at the moment, but anything that’ll get me out of this faster....

“You’re lucky, there. Clean through-and-through, no organ damage. Don’t think I need to tell you how much worse it could’ve been.”

“Mm....” I close my eyes, willing the detective to go away. It’s Stella I want, Stella I need—she’s been through so much herself. Want to sit up for her, show her I’m all right. I’ll be walking out of here in a couple of days.

“So, I want to keep this short, but I do need to ask about Erik Moss. I should tell you, we do have you on camera, leaving the scene.”

“Yeah.” I do a loopy smile. “That was some other guy.”

“Excuse me?”

“Some...random....” Maybe I’m laying it on a bit thick. “I—sorry. It was—a disgruntled employee, I think. It was dark. I was hiding. Didn’t really see his face. Seemed like he was...personally offended by...by....” I swallow, feeling sick. What offended Starkey was...me. “He’d figured it out, too, what was going on. Said it was a disgrace to his country. His uniform. Everything that mattered to him.”

“So this man, this disgruntled employee—you saw him shoot Mr. Moss?”

“Yup.” I shiver—that’s real, as well. The look on Starkey’s face... If Stella hadn’t been pregnant, I think he’d have shot me too. “He had a rifle. One shot, just...bang.”

“Did you see what happened to him after that?”

“He....” What did happen? “He told me to go. I ran out of there pretty quick—guess he must’ve taken off.” I drop my head back onto the pillow with a groan. “Is that... Do you need anything else?”

“Not for now. We’ll be speaking.” She goes to stand up, and stops with her hands on her knees. “No, one more thing: if you knew Miss Rossi was investigating you, why’d you let her get so close?”

The wacky, drugged-out part of my brain wants to warble love. But this is a perfect opportunity. “Because I didn’t think I had anything to hide, besides kind of an offbeat sex life. And who doesn’t have that, one way or another?”

“Right. Well. I suppose that makes sense. You rest up, then.”

I listen to her gather her things. I’m not handcuffed to the bed—that’s got to count for something. Not under arrest. And Stella isn’t, either, not if she’s here. Whatever she said, it must be holding up, at least for now.

“Jack!”

And there she is—“Finally!”

She runs to my side, stopping short at the edge of the bed, like she’s afraid to touch me.. “You—why didn’t you say something? You were shot, and nobody told me... I didn’t even know till a couple of hours ago!”

“Ssh....” I reach for her, slow and careful. “Gimme your hand.”

It’s warm again, her hand—so they thawed her out, at least.

“They treat you all right? The cops?”

She shrugs. “Asked a million questions—held me up all day, when I should’ve been....”

“Nah. Nothing you could’ve done. You’d just have driven yourself crazy, out there in the waiting room.” I reach for her hand, brushing our fingers together. “If anything, they did you a favor.”

“They lied to me,” she says, sinking into the chair vacated by the detective. “Told me Magnus was up, pinning it all on you. But....” She looks away, tight-lipped.

“He’s dead?”

“They both are.”

No surprise there. The silence after the crash—that wasn’t promising. Especially the way Magnus was breathing beforehand, snuffling through his crushed nose. It’s over, then: Blakemoor; this weird, artificial life; all of it. And Stella.... “Are you all right?”

“I think so.”

It’s so white in here. So sterile. I want my own home, my own bed—but it doesn’t exist anymore. Keep bumping up against that—thinking about what I’m going to do when I get back. Picturing myself propped up on my familiar pillows, watching the stars from my favorite chair, frying bacon in my same old frying pan...none of which exists. Even my telescope—that one kind of hurts.

“Want to go to the Hamptons? When I get out of here?”

Stella’s looking out the window. “I was thinking my place. But then I was like... What was in that smoke? Probably still stinks—and the window’s broken.”

“We’ll find somewhere.”

She leans back in her chair. Even after the mugging, she didn’t look this tired. The smudges under her eyes are nearly as black as her hair. Her eyelids are drooping, refusing to stay open. I’m getting worn out just looking at her.

“Hey, they got me on so much morphine, I’m going to fall asleep any second. You should find somewhere, do the same. Maybe they’d wheel in a bed for you.”

“Got a room across the street.” She bends over and kisses my forehead. “But I don’t want to leave you yet.”

“Then hold my hand and rest your eyes.”

I feel it when she falls asleep, hand going slack in mine, pulse slowing way down. Didn’t have this last time, someone who’d watch over me, stay with me till she couldn’t any more. Magnus and Erik visited a couple of times, and Starkey—mostly to yell at me—but they didn’t stay long.

Whatever it takes, nothing’s going to ruin this for us. Nothing and no one.