Rook Winters - Weight of Ashes

Where do I find safe water to drink? Or food?

Taking a moment to think, he became aware of the uncertainty of his situation. He didn’t know where to go for anything.

He stopped walking and leaned against the wall. Kane left him trapped in Toronto. Where did the advocate say they had been? New Boston? Court had never been keen on geography; he didn’t know the distance between Toronto and New Boston.

How am I going to help Elle? Where’s the data vault? Who took it? Was the copy safe?

A shuffling noise startled him. A small animal, possibly a rat, made its way along the edge of the hallway. With his heart pounding, Court decided he needed to keep moving. He needed to get away from the university.

When he reached the doors to the outside, the sun was high in the sky. Either he had been out through the night or not very long at all. He licked his lips. He was thirsty but not completely parched; it was still the same day.

There were no signs of anybody nearby so he burst out into the daylight and walked away as fast as he could, trying not to look suspicious. With urine-soaked pants, he hoped anyone he encountered would give him a wide berth.

He was reasonably sure that he could find his way back to the Rofchild, and there was a place near there that had food. Maybe if he pled his case, someone would help. A little food and time to think were all he needed for now. Then he would figure out how to get to Elle.

Petra looked at the notification on her wrist computer.

“Well, this is interesting. My boss made a little trip up to Toronto. And he took your friend with him.”

“Which one?” Britt asked.

“Court. He must have taken him to find the data vault. Sounds like Kane abandoned him at the university. I just picked him up on a video feed walking away from the building where you were captured. He’s by himself on foot.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would Kane let him go?”

“Hold on.”

Petra scrolled through a flood of data on her wrist computer, flicking her finger and taking in the information at a rate Britt found unimaginable.

“Kane sent me a message asking for someone to go pick up Court. He left him there unconscious. Something obviously went wrong. Kane wouldn’t bother trying to drag out an unconscious body himself when he can send his team to do that for him. He’s on his way back to New Boston, probably to question one of you. He’s going to be royally pissed off when he realizes they let me bail you out.”

“What will he do when he finds out?”

“He won’t find out who did it. I’ve already hacked the records, and the detention facility had an unexplained technical malfunction with its video archiving today. This is sort of my area of expertise.”

Petra gave a smug smile and Britt felt relieved that she was helping instead of hunting them.

“So Kane left Court behind, but Court’s on the move. Where’s he going?”

“I’ll track him as he pops up in video feeds. From that, we should be able to extrapolate his approximate destination, if he even has one. He doesn’t know the city, right? He might be wandering aimlessly. I could send a car to pick him up and patch into its audio system so we can talk to him. It would have to be short and vague. I’m not the only one who monitors the unsecured audio and video feeds.”

“I know a place he can go. You send a car for him. I need to make a call.”

A car stopped a few feet in front of Court and he heard Britt’s voice telling him to get in. He looked inside but the car was empty.

“Where are you?”

“Get in quickly, please, and I’ll explain.”

Court did as instructed.

“Just listen and don’t use any names. I’m with a new friend. There’s more going on here than any of us realized. I can’t promise you that everything is going to be fine but I think we’re going to be able to accomplish what our friend asked us to do. We can’t talk long. There’s a chance that somebody might overhear this conversation. Your car is taking you someplace safe. When you get there, go inside and look for a man not much older than you with long red hair. Say that you need to talk about a coffee delivery. Tell him as little as possible for his own safety. He’ll know what to do. Then you just need to lie low until we can come for you. Do you understand?”

“I understand the instructions but I don’t understand what’s going on. Who is this guy?”

“I know it’s a strange situation but you need to trust me on this.”

“What about Elle?”

“I said no names. We need to get off this connection. We’ve already been talking too long. Remember, you need to talk about a coffee delivery. After that, wait for us. We’ll come find you eventually, when it’s safe.”

“How long will that be?”

No reply came.

The car delivered Court outside the rundown-looking building with a hand painted sign posted on the door that read FOOD AND BEER.

Inside, a man behind a long wooden counter had hair as red as a ripe apple tied back in a high ponytail, exposing the shaved sides and back.

“What can I get you, pal?”

“I need to talk about a coffee delivery.”

“Right. Come with me.”

He led Court down a flight of stairs into a musty, old cellar.

Great, another basement.

For a second, Court worried that this could be some form of elaborate trap. Maybe the voice in the car wasn’t the real Britt. Maybe this wasn’t a safe place to talk.

No, that doesn’t make any sense.

“Through here. We’ve got a soundproof room built inside a Faraday cage in back. Toronto’s most private place.”

Outside the door, the redheaded man asked, “Is Britt alright?”

“She said that I should tell you as little as possible for your own safety.”

“Well, that sounds like her. The others are waiting for you inside.”

“Others?”

The redheaded man pulled the door open. Inside, Ainsley waved from a chair and Wilm jumped to his feet to clasp Court in a tight hug.

“Glad to see you’re alright, mate. You smell like piss, though, and you look like an inmate. Mac, can you get our friend here some food and some clean clothes, please?”

“Sure thing, boss.”

“What do you mean she’s not here?” Kane’s spit sprayed on the window separating him from the clerk.

“We released her on bail.”

“How could you release her?”

“The authorization was in order and someone made payment. It was by the book.”

“By the book? Are you kidding me? She’s basically a walking state secret. There’s no book for that.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but—”

“You need to recall her. Revoke her bail and get her back here this instant.”

“I can’t do that.”

Kane read the name badge stuck to the guard’s shirt.

“Do you know who I am, Jensen? Do I look like I’m in the mood for bureaucratic horse shit right now?”

“It’s not that, sir. I literally can’t. I’m not authorized to override a legitimate bail release. The system won’t let me. You have to go a few rungs up the ladder for someone who can.”

Kane slammed his fist into the window and Jensen jumped in his chair. By the time Kane finished playing chase the middle manager, L37 could be anywhere doing who knows what. He’d have to go directly to Kantarka-Ta, which he was loath to do.

“Just tell me where she is then.”

“I don’t have access to that either. I just do the processing.”

Kane stormed out and climbed back into his grav flyer. He didn’t need people witnessing his humiliation while being ridiculed by the Qyntarak. Even though the detention facility was part of Kantarka-Ta’s organization, somehow it would turn it around on him and make the loss of L37 his fault.