Five minutes. Every nerve in my body was tingling, every part of on the verge of panic. I considered putting on more than once, but I wasnt certain how it worked. It wasnt sothing I felt safe testing, even with any of my allies. If I put on the mask, and soone saw , would they be able to logically deduce it was still ? Or would I just fade into the backdrop, an unknown person taking my place.
Couldnt risk it. No way in hell. Especially in a crowded public place.
Where the fuck was Swat Guy? He wasnt a User, and he was dressed like the Unabomber, so why couldnt I find him?
The simple answer was that there were just too many people. My conversation with Estrada hung heavy in the back of my mind. Any outbreak of violence here, especially with the swift repercussions it would et, would be irrevocable. People would see first hand the damage and violence Users were capable of, and the inroads the groups were making would shatter.
Maybe that was partly a good thing. It was a given that most of them werent good people. Exploitation of labor and indentured servitude were both serious possibilities. But it was a far cry from the possibility of genocide.
The word ticked sothing in my brain, sending my thoughts down a distant path. Perhaps Id been too hasty, thinking that Swat Guy wouldnt ss with other cops. Cops cooperating with Users might be worse than the actual Users in his mind.
I doubled back, heading towards the Dallas Police Departnt recruiting table. Swat Guy wasnt there.
Iris was, though, sitting on a bench, doodling into her sketchbook. A middle-aged female officer with a kind face was sitting beside her, looking over her shoulder. A half-dozen faces tracked as I headed straight to her.
Iris spotted and waved. To anyone else, it would look like a normal greeting, but her index finger was bent. It was a non-ergency signal that basically ant, Im stuck, bail out.
Iris quickly scrawled a ssage on the notebook as I approached, showing it to the lady cop. The woman glanced it over, a strand of salt-and-pepper hair falling into her face. Your brothers here?
Finally found you, I said, Ready to go, kid?
Iris nodded vigorously.
Is everything alright? The woman asked. She had a young face, and an almost regal bearing that threw off. Not a typical cop.
This is my friend, Yulia. Iris emphasized the word friend, as if she was expecting to be rude.
I shook Yulias hand quickly, Hi Yulia, thanks for keeping an eye on my sister for .
Shes very talented. And its easy for the little ones to get lost in a crowd. Yulia said, a slight European accent evident on, little ones.
I really cant thank you enough. I could, and I had.
Four minutes, twenty-five seconds.
Yulia looked between the two of us. Iris said she couldnt without permission, but now that youre here, why dont you co have sothing to eat with us? We might not have anything gratuitous Her eyes flitted to the Local Relief table. but we have plenty to share.
Four minutes even.
Going to have to pass, I said. And I didnt have ti to delve into her with but I was pretty convinced this was the beginning of a soft sell.
Yulias eyes narrowed in suspicion. Why the hurry?
Fuck. Another bind. If I wasnt under a ti limit, I might have actually sat down with Yulia and had a conversation. She seed decent enough, had looked out for Iris, and hadnt co off as overly judgntal towards for losing track of her.
Look, Ive been through enough tables today that I know the deal. You wine and dine . I glanced at the coolers behind the tables. Or beer and snack , then you pitch on recruitnt.
Thats not Yulia started.
And yes, there are obvious benefits. The camaraderie, being a part of an established institution, and so on. Trust , I get it. Our father was an officer. But its not for . I let a touch of sadness color my expression.
The best lies are closest to the truth. It was a touch dramatic, but I was in a hurry. And now Id given her the perfect excuse for why I was rushing to get away from a table full of cops.
Yulia was fast to pick things up, her scowl fading quickly. To her credit, she looked genuinely empathetic. Best of luck. Our door is always open.
You too. I extracted Iris, forcing myself to walk at a normal pace.
Once we broke line of sight, I pulled Iris aside. Now that her sunglasses were off, she stared at , horrified.
How bad is it that youre willing to bring up dad?
Really bad. Stay on the sidewalk and run that way. I pointed down Akard Street. Find a place you can sit down. Inside, but next to a window. Ill co get you soon.
Iris took off running, her shoes hitting the pavent.
Two minutes.
I pushed my way through the crowd, feeling like I was retreading the sa ground for the hundredth ti.
What if hes not outside?
It hit like a sledgehamr. I ran up the stairs into one of the side doors, barreling into it and throwing it open. He had to be here. The interior was slightly less packed, but no less littered with people.
One minute.
I was running now, the white walls blurring as I accelerated. I cast on my legs and took the stairs three at a ti, my montum carrying through a hairpin turn at the top of the stairs.
It led into an open space, lined with countless bookshelves. There were a half-dozen people in the room. I found soone too large to be anyone but Tyler, chatting with Sara. Tyler was positioned in such a way that his associate was blind to the hooded gunman walking towards him with clear intent, hand reaching towards his holster.
I hit Swat Guy with infusing the sentint of caution with a massive helping of fear. Swat Guy paused, mid-step, then started forward again.
I reached out to Sara, and felt my attempt shredded to nothing. The rejection wasnt as strong as it was against the wolf, but it was close.
Finally, out of options, I shouted for help, and ramd shoulder first into the gunman. He collided into the bookshelves, catching himself, and attempted to draw his weapon. Reginted polyr bit into my palm as I trapped the gun in the holster, using every bit of my strength to keep it there as he struggled.
His jagged scar was inches from my face as he turned his head to see . You
Tylers aty fist slamd into Swat Guys jaw, dropping him. A cold red sphere extended around us. I looked behind and saw a younger looking, dark-haired man with a grim expression on his face. Every other person in the room had disappeared.
Shit. Accidentally caught the kid. The man said.
Dammit, ArthurThis is amateur hour, Sara rolled her eyes. Do we need a new shared instance?
The kids fine. Tyler caught my eye, and gave an appreciative nod. Person of significance, indeedsaved my ass. You did a solid, so Ill do you one back. Can you walk out of here and pretend you didnt see anything?
It sounded like a friendly question. But was tickling at the back of my mind, subsequently warning that an ability was being used.
Lie detection?
I saw the man behind grow closer out of the corner of my eye.
One hundred percent. I said. If Tyler had a way to tell if I was lying, it had the convenience of being the complete truth.
Hes good. Tyler said to the others. Tyler took Swat Guys aviators off. More importantly, Sara? This him?
Sara bent down to look, and her lip curled. She drove a foot into Swat Guys stomach, the blow landing with a loud thud. Yeah. No question. He killed Logan.
The man Sarah called Arther hoisted up abruptly, light blue eyes taking in derisively before he shoved away. Co on, kid, get outta here.
I stood, my heart racing, and approached the end of the instance. Unlike my first encounter with an instance when I t Daphnes group, this one was imperfect, showing a shimring black surface where the instance ended.
The smartest thing, short-term, would be to leave. Tyler had so manner of detecting the truth, which put on shaky ground at the best of tis. Add in the fact that Swat Guy nearly shot , and succeeded in killing other Users. He was a problem and an unaddressed threat. If this instancing worked the sa way, they could effectively deal with him and leave no trace. It was a win-win.
But I had to think long-term. And the more I thought about it, considered the circumstances at the hospital, and what had nearly happened here today, the more it felt like a terrible move. I turned around.
The fuck is he doing? Arthur said.
Saving your ass, I said, directly to Tyler. Again.
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