"His finger?"
She grabs me by my shirt. "It's only a finger, Locke. And he doesn't need it anymore. I have a knife in--"
I jerk away from her grasp. "I can't believe we're even talking about this!"
"And I'll tell you what I can't believe, Locke! I can't believe someone was able to buy my mind and then put me on display like I'm a trained monkey! I can't believe he's allowed to keep me here against my will! I can't believe Jenna has been living the high life while we've been crammed into a box and forgotten for over two hundred years! I can't believe I'm never going to see my mother or--"
Her voice catches, and she reaches down to the desk to steady herself. Her chest rises and falls in careful breaths.
"There has to be another way, Kara." I reach out and pull her into my arms. I hold her, feeling her body melt into mine, feeling like I would do anything to protect her. I rub her head, feeling the silk, the sheer miracle of being able to touch her and smell her after so many years of wanting, and I don't even care that there's a bleeding body at my feet.
"Jafari," I whisper into her ear. "He's here in a rental. Or a car service. It had a driver. I saw it through my window earlier when it arrived. If it's--"
She pushes away and runs to the window. "It's still here! Jafari's probably waiting in the solarium for Gatsbro to return. We need to hurry!" She grabs my hand and pulls me with her as we run out the door and down the stairs.
All I can think of as we run down the hall, down the stairs, out the door, as we run across the lawn, down slate walkways with our footsteps echoing behind us, her hand so tightly grasping mine that not even Gatsbro could separate us, running, afraid to look back, running to the other side of the house and cobbled drive where the car is parked, all I can think is Where can we go? Where can we possibly go when everything that we've ever known is gone?
PART II
THE OUTSIDE
Chapter 12
We enter the open area near the circular cobbled drive and slow to a walk just in case someone is watching from a window. I casually look around. Kara does the same.
"I don't see anyone," I whisper.
"Me either."
We approach the car.
"The driver's eyes are closed."
"Is she asleep?"
"What are we going to tell her?"
"Just don't startle her," I say. "Slide in. Natural like."
Kara opens the door and slides in. I am right behind her. The driver opens her eyes and turns to look at us. She smiles. "Hello. I'm Dot. This Star Cab is reserved," she says. "Would you like me to call another for you? It can arrive in approximately"--she pauses briefly and bobs her head twice--"forty-four minutes."
"Mr. Jafari told us he wouldn't be needing this one anymore and we should take it."
"We're in a hurry," Kara adds. We both look around to see if anyone is coming for us.
"I'm afraid I cannot release the car without confirmation from Customer Jafari. I'd be happy to call another--"
"You heard us. Move it," Kara says between gritted teeth. "Now."
Dot's smile disappears, and she turns back to the console. She looks back at us through a transparent screen that spans the whole top of the windshield. It acts like a mirror so she can see everything behind her, but more important right now, so we can see her. "Your tone is hostile. Please exit the vehicle. Star Transportation policy does not allow for unruly passengers."
"We're not going anywhere. I have a gun in my pocket and if you--"
"Correction. You do not have a weapon. Star Security would have detected it within five meters of the vehicle. Please exit immedi--"
"Please," I say. I lean forward and put my hands on the back of her seat. "This is an emergency. We really could use your help. Can't you make an exception?"
Dot looks sideways at me. "I like your tone. And I would like to help you out, but if I don't follow company policy, I'm afraid I will be released, and this is all I have."
Seeing Dot respond to me, Kara leans forward too. "We'll make it worth it to you. Somehow," she says. She glances at me and adds a contrite "please." Her voice wobbles. I don't know if it is for effect or real desperation, but we are desperate.
"And your tone is improving," Dot says. "I will send another car for Customer Jafari. It will probably arrive before he even knows I am gone." Without any movement of her hands, the car makes a series of tones like a musical instrument, a message display reads ENGAGED, and we begin to ease forward. Dot raises her hands to what must be a steering bar. I look behind us and see Miesha coming out the front door. Hari is behind her.
"Hurry!" I say. And she does. Kara and I are thrown back in our seats. The gate is a half mile away, but we're there almost instantly. Dot slides her finger over a spot on the driving panel and the gate begins to move, but when it is only about halfway open, it begins to shut again.
"It's them. They're closing it," I say. "Go, Dot! Hurry before it shuts all the way!"
"The vehicle may incur damage if--"
"Screw the vehicle!" Kara says. "They want to kill us! Go!"
Dot makes the car move forward at incredible speed. The antique gate is what incurs the damage, iron bars flying off as we speed through it. Dot maintains her high speed for about two miles and then slows. "We will draw less attention if we proceed within the Norms. So, you're Escapees! What's it like?"
Escapees? Kara and I look at each other. "What do you mean?" I ask.
"Are you afraid?" Dot smiles like the thought exhilarates her.
"Yes, Dot, we're very afraid," I tell her.
She jumps on my answer. "But are you glad? Is it worth it?"
Her urgency makes me pause. Something doesn't seem right. "I don't know yet if--"
"Yes," Kara says firmly. "It's worth it. Every second. Every mile. Every risk. Being trapped is the same as no life at all. We were prisoners." Kara turns to look at me. "We've been prisoners for too long."
Dot nods and accelerates the car, seemingly pleased with this information. "Where to, Escapees?"
I look out at the countryside and then at Kara. This was not a well-thought-out plan. Where can we go?