Page 36 of One Cry Too Loud
“This isn’t our first time at this, Charlie. You’ve never not gotten to me in time,” I said. “In fact, you’ve never disappointed me at all.”
“Really? Because the way I see it, the last time I tried to help you, I almost got myself killed,” he said.
“Almost getting ourselves killed is the nature of the job. We’ve both got the scars to prove that,” I said. “Besides, you didn’ttryto help me. Youdidhelp me. You saved my ass actually.” I took a deep breath. “I’m not liking this line of questions, though. Are you doubting yourself?”
He shook his head. “I never doubt myself about what I do, about what I know. But this time is different. We’re in Holly’s world. I’m afraid I might not have the imagination necessary to guess what’s coming this time.”
“That’s why we have the kid,” I said, throwing a thumb in Tag’s direction.
“I can drink a beer, vote for president, and die in war. I’m not a kid,” Tag said.
“Who’s Bob Seger?” I asked.
“The Secretary of State?” He replied.
“You’re a kid,” I replied. “And you’re an ass of a kid at that, but you’re talented.”
“Look at that, a compliment from Jack Harrington. I guess I can mark that off my bucket list,” Tag muttered.
“We are taking a risk with you, though,” I said.
“I figured there was a second act to that compliment,” the kid said.
“You did a good job of hiding us from Nefarious by duplicating our virtual presence or whatever. You even did a good job of hiding us while we visited ALice Masters, given that we figured Nefarious would be looking there too. I’m still not quite sure how you did that.”
“I took a day’s worth of previous security footage, tampered with its metadata to make it look current and ran it on a loop for the duration of your time at the Masters’ house. It’s pretty rudimentary stuff. I mean, that’s what the bad guy did in the movie Speed.” He smiled in my direction, the same cocky smile he always had. “See? I know some old stuff.”
“These computers, they’re going to put us on the grid, though,” I said, ignoring his last comment. “If-”
“Nefarious is not getting through my security systems,” Tag said.
“If he did it the first time-”
“He didn’t do it the first time,” Tag said. “I’m not quite sure how those two freaks with the bow and arrows found us in the swamp, but it wasn’t because of my system.”
“Good, because if it was, we’re basically sitting ducks,” I said.
“And why be sitting ducks when you can be lemmings?” Charlie asked. “Marching toward the cliff.”
“You really think this is a trap?” I asked.
“I think it’s a really good possibility,” he answered. “It feels like a trap.”
“You guys have been trapped so much that you know what it feels like just through proximity?” Tag asked, rolling his eyes. “No wonder you got cancelled.”
“We didn’t get cancelled. There were budget cuts,” I replied.
“Aren’t there always?” Tag replied.
“Stick to the plan,” I said, once again ignoring the kid. “Charlie, you stay here until you get the word from me. Tag, you keep those keypads warm. Hopefully, I won’t need either of you.”
“You will need this, though,” Tag said, handing me a tiny white box.
“What is this?” I asked, opening the box up and seeing a single contact lens floating in clear liquid.
“You remember the glasses I gave you back in New Orleans, the ones that let me see what you were seeing and provided a cyber overlay?” Tag asked. “Well, this is the upgrade.”
“If I remember correctly, I hated them so much that I think I threw them away,” I said.
