The Operator

Eyebrows high in challenge, he reached for the door, never dropping her gaze.

“Please, continue. It will make my life so much easier,” she said, smiling painfully. She wanted a memory that would only hurt her. Had she and Jack really been squirreling money to buy bikes? Her bank account had once held more than enough. The money behind the frame had been a promise, not a gathering of funds.

Jack hesitated, then eased back into the seat. “You are such a bitch when you don’t get your sleep,” he said, and satisfied, Peri tucked the Glock away as two late teens got into the Jag and drove off. They were laughing at her Pinto, and Peri scowled. She didn’t do anything without a reason—even if she didn’t know what it was, exactly.

Her phone, on the dash in case Silas called, lit up. She scrambled for it, her adrenaline falling when she saw it was Cam. “I’m taking this,” she said, thoughts shifting to her cat. “Keep your mouth shut.”

“I would’ve brought you back your favorite candy bar,” Jack grumped, falling into an untidy mess in the back.

“You don’t know my favorite candy bar,” she muttered, hitting the accept key. But the truth was, she didn’t know what it was, either; her memory of it being a Three Musketeers bar when she had been ten was probably out-of-date. “Hi, Cam. Everything okay?”

“Peri!” Cam’s voice was warm and concerned, making her feel guilty. She’d forgotten all about him. “I half expected your voicemail. I was calling to ask you the same thing.”

Jack opened his mouth, and she jiggled her grip on the phone so she could aim the Glock at him. Grimacing, he changed his mind. The shot would be awkward with one hand, but at this range, even a miss would hurt. “Could be better,” she said. Hurry up, Silas. “How’s Carnac?”

“Fine. Do you have a better idea of when you’ll be picking him up?”

She could hear the soft patter of a news program and the whirr of a can opener. He was working from home, then. “Uh, no. Sorry.” Jack was laughing at her, and her face flamed. “Hey, this actually isn’t a good time,” she said when Jack draped his arm over the back of the seat so he could hear better.

“You’ve got a strange man cat sitting for us?” Jack asked loudly.

“There is no us,” she whispered harshly, phone to her shoulder to block her voice. Then to Cam, “Can I call you back?”

“Sure, no problem.” He sounded embarrassed. “You are coming back. Right?”

Peri half turned away to hide her flush from Jack. “Right.” But even as she said it, she knew she was never going to return to the coffeehouse again—apart from clearing out the weapon’s stash, maybe. The peace she’d found there was gone. Bill had stolen it, and she had let him.

“You’re not coming back,” Cam said flatly, and Jack, hearing everything, smiled cattily.

“Cam,” she pleaded, hating Jack for seeing this. “I want to.”

“No, I got it,” Cam said, his tone almost hiding the hurt. “Don’t worry about Carnac. He’s a good cat. I’ll take care of him.”

“Cam— Hey!” she exclaimed when Jack yanked the phone from her.

“God, Cam,” Jack said, laughing as he fended her off. “Give the woman a break. She’s got a lot on her mind right now.”

“Knock it off!” Smacking Jack smartly, she got the phone and settled into the front seat. “Cam?” But he was gone, and she hit the end icon in disgust. “Did he hear you?”

Still smiling, Jack shrugged. “He sounds as if he’s got money. Is he nice?”

Her head was pounding, and she glanced at the convenience store and the flickering e-board ads as she considered calling him back. But what would be the point? “Let’s play the quiet game, okay?” she said as she put her phone away.

Jack’s smile grew wider. “Why are we in this piece of crap?” he asked, kicking the back of the seat. “I think someone threw up back here.”

“Because I normally wouldn’t touch it, and the less I am of myself, the longer I’ll survive,” she said sarcastically as she tucked the Glock away. If he left now, she’d let him get halfway across the parking lot before she shot him in the back—the government’s high-Q drones dropping in and out be damned.

The satchel was beside her, and she moved it to the floor out of Jack’s easy reach. It shouldn’t take this long to turn bills to p-cash, and worry tightened her shoulders. “Why did you agree to take Michael’s place at the arena?” she finally asked.

“Ahh, thinking at last, eh?” he said, eyeing her from under his lowered brow.

“Never mind,” she muttered, turning her back on him.

“Aww, come on, Peri,” he coaxed as he leaned over the seat again. “Don’t you get it? I’m not here for Bill. I’m here for you. After you get your Evocane from LB, why don’t we just run?”

“Run?” she said bitterly as she fingered her coat’s zipper. The familiar scent of Jack’s aftershave plinked through her, triggering half memories that lingered to feed her doubt. They’d been good together. It was in the way he knew just what to say; she had sensed it when they had escaped. She could feel it in her soul as clearly as she could feel Silas’s longing for her to remember.

“Why not?” he said, sounding reasonable. “Just put the car in drive, go to the arena, get the Evocane. And . . . leave.” He hesitated. “With me,” he finished softly. Vulnerably.