Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
London turned to me. “Where do you dash, Ada?”
Why are you doing this? You know nothing will come of it. “Gate Park.”
All government gate divers ran - not for distance or endurance – but to survive. A 100-meter sprint, a walking lap around the track, rinse and repeat for an hour, then go home, and take ibuprofen for the aching knees. Three times a week. Five would be better, but three was what I usually managed. The DDC had mandatory PT tests every six months to keep us in shape. When a noncombatant faced a threat in the breach, running to the gate was the best and often the only way to stay alive.
“Maybe I’ll join you sometime,” London said.
Again, why? “You’re out of my league. It would be a waste of your time.”
“Never,” he told me.
“How fast do you dash, Escort Captain?” Stella asked London.
“Let me put it to you this way: I could pick Ada up and give you a three-second head start, and you still wouldn’t beat my time.”
London smiled at us and moved on.
“Is he lying?” Stella asked Melissa.
“No,” the mining foreman told her. “Combat Talents are on another level. We can’t keep up.”
London was sending out all sorts of interested signals. He was nice to look at, charming, and he’d clearly been around the block enough to know what he was doing. By now, he’d had enough experience not to fumble and enough patience to pay attention when it mattered. If I agreed to go on a date, it would go smoothly and end well.
However, the DDC forbade fraternization with guild members. I was supposed to stay neutral and refrain from forming any personal attachments. Even the work-hours friendships like the one with Melissa were frowned upon. Getting involved with a guild Talent would get me fired, and I had two kids and a mortgage. As fun as London would be in bed – and he would be very fun – he wasn’t worth losing my job.
My phone vibrated. Hino Academy. Please don’t be a problem, please don’t be a problem…
“Yes?”
“Ms. Moore?”
Gina Murray, the assistant principal. That wasn’t good.
“We have a problem.”
Of course, we do.
A woman emerged from the gate and waved. A scout the assault team had left behind. An hour had passed without incident, and it was time to go in.
“Alright people!” London called out. “You know the drill. Last gear check. Move out in two minutes.”
“What happened?”
I needed to fix this fast. Phones didn’t work inside the gate. There was no connection, and if you tried to take a picture or record audio, you only got static. London had to stick to schedule and account for any delay. If we went inside five minutes late and a disaster struck, even if it was completely unrelated, the Guild would drag him over hot coals for it.
“Tia left campus without permission.”
Melissa rolled her eyes.
“Okay.” What was that kid doing…
“Before she left, several students and a member of the faculty heard her make a self-harm threat.”
“What?”
“We are required to contact the police…”
“Please don’t do anything. Let me speak to her first. I’ll call you right back!”
I ended the call and stabbed Tia’s number in my contacts.
Beep.
She wouldn’t. Tia wouldn’t. Not in a million years.
Beep.
Beep.
I knew my kid. She would not.
“Yes, mom?”
“Are you going to hurt yourself?”
“What?”
The mining crew formed up in front of the gate. London gave me a pointed stare.
“Oh look, Stella’s dog is malfunctioning,” Melissa said too loudly.
Stella pretended to shake Bear’s leash. “Won’t turn on. Something broke.”
London headed for us.
“The Academy called. You told them you were going to hurt yourself and left campus.”
“Well, you know what, maybe I should kill myself because they just assigned us a fifth essay due next week…”
“Tia!” I couldn’t keep the pressure from vibrating in my voice. “This is really serious. I need you to be honest with me. Are you thinking of hurting yourself?”
London cleared the distance between us. “What’s the hold up?” he asked quietly.
“Give her a minute,” Melissa told him. “It’s her daughter.”
“No. I was in the cafeteria, I failed Latin again, and then there was the fifth essay due…”
London met my gaze. “Three minutes.”
Thank you, I mouthed. Three minutes was a gift.
“…Mr. Walton made a snide comment about not applying myself and I said, ‘Just kill me, it will solve all my problems…’”
And…?
“…And then I went to get Starbucks! I always sneak out to get Starbucks. Everybody does it. Nobody cares!”
It wasn’t a real threat. Someone overreacted. The relief washed over me like an icy flood. Not a real threat.
“Mr. Walton hates me!”
“Tia, I’m about to go into the gate. The school wants to call the cops.”
“What? Why?!”
“If this happens, things will get very complicated, and I can’t help, because I’ll be inside the breach. I need you to return to school and fix this.”