Page 76 of Even Robots Die
It doesn’t sound like a question at all, more like an order.
Daniel looks at me like he doesn’t know how to answer. We cannot very well say that he is some kind of bodyguard. I don’t think the bird would like that answer and I don’t want to test what would happen if he indeed didn’t find the answer to his taste.
“He’s my boyfriend,” I tell the bird as I pull Daniel closer to me by the arm I’m already holding.
“He’s going to kill me,” I hear Daniel mutter.
It’s so low I don't think the bird actually heard him, but I also don’t think I was supposed to hear it either.
It doesn’t take me long to realize the ‘he’ Daniel just referred to is Brice, but I have yet to understand what would warrant a death threat from him.
The bird looks at us like he doesn’t believe my answer and I can’t really blame him. We don’t really look like a loving couple. Other than when I grabbed Daniel’s arm, we didn’t even touch and neither of us is sporting that lost puppy look that most people in love wear like an armor when they’re in the first stages of their relationships.
“Kiss him,” the bird commands.
“What?”
What the fuck is wrong with this man?
“I threw up in the jet,” Daniel says right after me.
The bird’s face contorts in disgust before he enters Daniel’s name in his database, and then his eyebrows rise in surprise when the address that comes up with his name is Notre Dame.
I guess no one thought about updating where he actually lives lately.
It occurs to me that the mere presence of Daniel might endanger my sisters. If the birds start thinking that they can get their hands on oneof Elhyor’s men by raiding my home, I don’t think they’re going to think twice.
We are either going to be collateral damage, or worse, we’ll be prisoners.
Knowing what they did to Brice, I almost prefer to be collateral damage.
“Milton, any chance you could jump in that thread and find me that database?” I mouth without a sound while the bird is still toying with something on his holo.
Surely, he’s currently reporting to his superior about Daniel’s presence, and probably calling backup to apprehend him.
“I'm in,” Milton answers faster than I had expected. “What do you need to know?”
“How long do we have?”
“According to my calculation, four minutes and forty-seven seconds.”
We better hurry.
“I guess I’ll see you later,” I tell the bird with a fake smile and this time, when I pull Daniel after me he doesn’t stop us.
I unlock the door, let Daniel in and lock it again after us before my sisters are all running to us.
“At last, she arrives,” Elodie says dramatically.
I don’t have time for this.
I stop them all with a sign of my hand.
“I have,” I say.
“Four minutes and thirteen seconds,” Milton says on the speaker from our living room as if he can read my mind—and more often than not it feels like that’s the case, but it’s born from my mind so I guess it’s not so surprising.
My sisters hold their breath, and Daniel does the same.
