"There's not a lot of time for explanations, Nina. I know Ginnie sheltered you from the truth about her life. She was a NonCon. I'm sure you've figured that out by now."
I nodded.
"Do you know much about Ed?"
"He's a Chooser, Dee's father, and a horrible person."
"He's also an ex-B.O.S.S. agent who's been trying to prove that your father's alive ever since that night he allegedly drowned in the Chicago River. Ginnie took up with Ed to keep Alan's secret safe. And to keep you from any harm."
Relief flooded through me. "I knew he was alive. I knew Ginnie wouldn't lie to me about that." I blinked back the tears that rose up. "And I knew Ed was a government agent, but I didn't know he was ex-B.O.S.S."
"It was B.O.S.S. who put your mother on the machine at the hospital. As soon as we found out B.O.S.S. was putting Ginnie in the Infinity machine, our operative at the hospital fixed the audio so that nothing your mother said was recorded. But someone was listening and told Ed what Ginnie said to you. Do you remember anyone there in the room with you?"
"A nurse." I nodded. "A nurse was in the doorway when Ginnie told me that my father was alive. Even though Ginnie had me sing to her so no one would hear what she was saying."
"What else did she say?"
"That all the answers are in a book I'm supposed to give to my father."
"Where's the book now?"
"In a safe place." I'd been so eager to hear about my father that I'd let down my guard and was blabbing everything Ginnie'd told me to a woman I'd just met. But there was no turning back. I had no more secrets, not anymore.
"Hmm, Ed must not have told anyone else about this or else you'd have more than just him following you. Probably wants all the glory of catching Alan Oberon for himself. If the GC knew, they'd have picked you up by now. Ed believes you're a direct ticket to your father."
"The night Ginnie died she had an envelope with your name on it," I said. "Had you been in touch with her?"
"Often," Rita said. "We met the night she was murdered. I never would've left her alone if I'd thought she was in danger."
"You were with her?" And here I'd thought Ginnie didn't have any friends. There was so much I didn't know about my mother. "Do you know what happened? Do you know who killed her?"
Rita shook her head. "I have an idea, but without proof-or even with proof ..." She sighed. "No one cares about the death of a tier-two woman, do they?"
I told her about B.O.S.S. taking Dee and me home from the hospital after Ginnie's death, and ransacking our house. "I guess they were looking for anything they could find about my father."
"Nina, B.O.S.S. believed that Alan died in that accident. Ed did not. They thought he was obsessed, on a wild-goose chase. That's what got him demoted from agent to Chooser. He'd give anything to prove Alan is alive."
"And he is, right?" I didn't even need to wait for the answer. At least some of the puzzle pieces were falling into place. My dad was alive. He and Ginnie were NonCons. "What should I do? Ed knows I have something he wants-and I'm pretty sure he knows it's the book. I have to get it to my dad."
"For the time being, stay close to Sal or Wei. She's a good friend to have. I'll work out the best way to get that book to Alan."
"Uh-huh." I didn't feel so great. My head was exploding from all the new information I was learning about my life. And my body was still humming from Sal's touch, about which I was feeling very conflicted. I wanted him and I didn't. Too confusing.
Rita checked her chronos. "Sal," she called, "time to leave."
We both stood up. "I know this has been a lot for you to take in, Nina."
I may have been confused about everything else, but there was one point I was very clear on. "I'll give my father the book. No one else but me is going to do that. How do I find him?"
Rita sighed. "I told him you would feel like this."
"Told him? You've spoken to him? About me?"
Sal had returned to the room and was watching us. "I'll go get Max." He raised his eyebrows as he walked past me. I didn't even stop to wonder who Max was.
"When can I meet him? Doesn't he want to see me?" I couldn't believe I was so close; my heart was pounding.
"Of course he does," Rita said. "Knowing he has you is what's kept him going."
"Does he know about Ginnie's death?"
"Yes."
"When can I see him?" I was about to burst.
"It's too dangerous right now. Not just for you, but for Gran and Pops and Dee. If Ed, or the GC, gets wind of the fact that Alan really is alive, you will all be in danger. You have to be patient ... and careful. Many lives depend on you. I know you can do this. You mustn't say anything about this to anyone."
"I'm sure Gran suspects. I've told her Ginnie said my father was alive. She dismissed it at first, but I think she knows Ginnie was right."
"Does she know about the book?" Rita put her arm around me and we walked out onto the porch.
"Sort of ..."
"Well, the less she knows, the safer she is. Poor woman has been through so much." She squeezed my shoulders. "I feel for the families. You have no idea how difficult it's been for those of us, like your father and me, who disappeared, leaving our families behind grieving for us. I know it's hard for you. But Ginnie raised you well. You won't let her down."
I bit my tongue. No, I wouldn't let her down. I was okay with not telling Gran about the book, but I was determined to get it to my father, and sooner rather than later. Now that I was positive he was alive, I would find him. With or without Rita's help.
Just then Sal showed up in front of the house with an older-model multitransport. "Max is on his way."
A man emerged from a building I hadn't noticed before. "What's that?" I asked.
"The Lodge. NonCons who need to lay low for a while stay there. That other house"-Sal pointed behind the log home to a smaller version of it-"is where Grindy and Mobley live. They're the horse handlers. Dammit ... I forgot." He turned to Rita. "I was going to show her the horses."
"That will have to wait until next time," Rita said. "I have things to take care of. And so do you." She gave Sal a peck on the cheek and me a hug, then disappeared into the house.
Sal and I hopped into the back of the multi and Max got in on the driver's side. I stared out the window until I couldn't see the house or the valley anymore. I felt further from my dad and Ginnie than ever.
We hopped a trans outside the express station. When we got to my stop, Sal looped his arm in mine. "Let's walk to the river. I don't want to let you go yet." We ended up at the DZ oasis.
"This isn't as nice as where we were," I said.
"Nice enough for me. You're here."
He pulled me close and kissed me. His lips were warm and soft. I wanted to get lost in his kisses, but I couldn't stop thinking about my dad.
Sal must've been able to tell I was preoccupied. We just sat together, my head on his shoulder, watching the murky green water of the Chicago River until the sun disappeared and night crept in.
"Can I meet Gran and Pops?" he asked.
When we walked into the apartment, I could hear Gran, busy in the kitchen preparing supper.
"Is there enough for one more?" I called down the hall.
"Yes."
"Who's that?" Pops looked up from his zine. His artificial leg was propped on the floor beside the chair.
Oh great, I thought. The leg, right off the bat. I took a deep breath. "Pops, this is Sal."
"Excuse me for not gettin' up." Pops chuckled. "Ain't got a leg to stand on. Do I, now, Little Bit?"
I could feel my face reddening, but I forged ahead. He was, after all, my grandfather, and I loved him.
"Doesn't look like you do, Pops. So, you'd better stay sitting."
"Smart girl-just like her father." He and Sal shook hands. "Sit, sit." Pops motioned us to the couch. "We've got company, Edith," he yelled.
Gran came out of the kitchen, dish towel in hand. She plonked Pops right on top of his head with the towel. "Don't go hollering at me, old man. Think this pile of reconstituted sand and sludge is soundproof? I heard 'em come in, I'm not deaf. But I will be if you keep shouting every time anything happens around here."
She tucked the towel in her waistband. When she saw Sal she paled, reaching for the arm of Pops's chair.
I leaped up and grabbed her. "Gran, are you okay?"
"Fine, I'm fine." She shook free and waved me back to my seat. When she regained her composure, she said, "You've got to be Brock's son. My Lord ... the spitting image. He and my son, Alan, were friends in school. I thought I'd stepped back in time."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's not your fault-you had no way of knowing how the resemblance ... well, uncanny, that's what it is." She wiped her glasses on the towel, adjusted them on her nose, and studied Sal.
"I knew I looked like him," he said. "But it's been ages since I've seen his high school pictures."
"I heard the news," Gran said. "Four years ago-wasn't it?"
"Yes. They were on assignment, researching Nina's father."
"Lost in the ocean, wasn't it? Leviton went down-no survivors."
"That was the story." I was startled by the bitterness in his voice.
"Damn lie," Pops muttered.
"What? Speak up," Gran prodded him.
"Lies, I said. Everyone knows that Media used a suicide robot for that flight. No one was supposed to survive. Anyone gets too close to the truth about Alan ..." He made a cutting motion across his throat.
Sal was half smiling, but I saw his jaw muscles working beneath the surface. Pops could be as bad as Sandy sometimes, blurting out things that hurt other people without thinking.
Gran looked at us and almost imperceptibly shook her head. I realized there could be surveillance.
I jumped off the couch, grabbing Sal's arm. "Let's go to my room? You don't mind, do you, Pops?"
"Go on with you." He waved us away. "Kids don't care nothin' about nothin' anymore, anyway." He reached for his zine, burying his nose in it.
Gran accompanied us partway down the hall. "Ignore the crazy talk from that old man. His leg's been bothering him so much lately. I gave him some pain medicine half an hour ago; it obviously affected his head. I am very sorry about your parents, Sal. Go on now." She motioned toward my room. "I'll call you when dinner's ready"
"Where's Dee?"
"She's doing her homework with a friend."
I panicked. "Gran! You let her go out?"
"She's on PAV in her room." Gran pinched my cheek. "Wasn't born yesterday, dear."
Even if Ed was after me, and not Dee, I wasn't taking any chances where she was concerned. I peeked into Dee's room and waved to her, just to be sure she was there.
Dinner was minus Pops. The pain meds had knocked him out for the night. Sal helped me get him into bed after we ate. Then I walked Sal to the elport.
"I have so much to think about," I said. "I don't know what to do, what to think ..."
The doors opened, Sal kissed me and stepped inside. "I have just one thing to think about," he said. "You."
The doors closed.
When I got back to the apartment, Gran was waiting for me. "Nina. Something was taken during the break-in." Her voice was strained.
My thoughts flew-Gran hadn't said if she and Pops had a second scrambler, or something else illegal. Something that could mean really big trouble for Pops if the authorities found it. And Gran had filed a police report. My "what?" came out more like a squeak than a word.
"Your FeLS contract is missing. I doubt I would've even noticed, but I had this feeling that I should put it in a safer spot. When I went to get it-it was gone."
The tiniest shiver of fear started at the base of my neck. "Maybe you just misplaced it, Gran." I didn't mention her advanced age and that old people sometimes forget things. "Besides, the FeLS agency will have a record of the buyout, right?"
I could see the relief spread across her face. "Of course they will. I didn't think of that. I'll call first thing on Monday." She patted her cheeks. "Silly to get all upset now. Everything will be fine."
She breathed easier, but I didn't. I didn't want to think about what could happen, what might be ... It all felt too much, almost too much to handle.
When I went to my room, instead of going to bed, I took out my pad of paper and a special rapido Ginnie'd given me when I started art classes. I sat at the window and drew the shapes of the buildings outside. Rectangles and squares stacked side by side and up to the sky. Neat, orderly, controllable. The complete opposite of my life.
If the FeLS agency didn't have a record of my contract buyout, I would have to apply to the program. Unless I was able to get my Creative designation before the Choosing. My birthday was coming up, but I didn't know when the Choosing was going to be, or when I'd be able to get my designation. I stacked the last square on the paper and went to bed.
XXXIV.
I woke up to the tones of my PAV. It was Wei.
"Wanna go to the zoo?"
"I'll be ready when you get here."
By the time I'd scarfed down breakfast and dressed, she'd arrived.