Sidekick (26 page)

“Perhaps we should go over the main points of what we have learned before we decide on a course of action,” Choden said when we were through.

Bart and I nodded in agreement.

“Your father has developed a chip that can turn people into slaves and also into lunatics.”

“Yes.”

“Your father has implanted these chips into some, if not all, prisoners at the maximum security penitentiary on the outskirts of the city.”

“Yes.”

“Further, you found a memo which suggests whatever your father has planned, it will be occurring tomorrow evening.”

“Yes.”

Choden took a sip of tea. “Hmm, this does sound quite bad.”

“But I just don’t understand why he would want a bunch of prisoners to go nuts,” I said. “I mean, he’s trying to sell this technology as a cure for criminal behavior.”

“And why develop the kill switch?” Bart added taking his own sip of tea. “This is fantastic by the way.”

I slammed my palms down on the table. “Okay, you guys need to be a little more freaked out!”

“The situation is quite serious, child,” Choden said calmly, “but hysteria will not help us. Is there perhaps something more you haven’t told us?”

I slumped back into my chair. “I can’t stop thinking about something my father said.”

They waited.

“That I should know he would never think on such a small scale. Whatever is going down tomorrow night…we’re missing something. It’s bigger than we think.”

“Well, if it’s that big, he can’t be planning to simply cure these prisoners,” Bart said. “Bad guys playing nice doesn’t interrupt your regularly scheduled programming.”

“Exactly,” I said, stopping myself from nodding too vigorously. I still hurt. “So we need to think bigger. Badder. What’s the worst thing that can go wrong in a prison?”

“A riot.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “But why?”

“I don’t know,” Bart said furrowing his brow. “Maybe I can hack into the prison’s computer system and snoop around a little…see if there is anything unusual happening tomorrow night.”

“Good, but in the meantime, we have to be prepared to go there. I feel like we’re on the right track, and that track is leading to something really bad. We have to be there to stop it.” Suddenly I noticed Bart was texting. “Are you even listening to me?”

Bart glanced up from his phone. “Of course I’m listening…listening while I snoop around the prison’s computer system. You’re welcome.”

“Holy crap,” I said. “You seriously got into it that fast from your phone?”

“How many miracles must I perform before you believe, Bremy?”

I had to admit I was impressed. Even Queenie was now looking at him with something like interest.

Choden spread his palms wide. “The universe has kindly brought you to us, Bart.”

“Okay, let’s not get crazy,” I said dryly. “What have you found?”

“Changes have been made to the staff schedule. They’re working a skeleton crew tomorrow night, and someone just arranged for some last minute maintenance. Give me one more second,” he said holding up a finger. I scoffed. Well, now he was just showing off, hacking with one thumb. “Oh, you’re going to love this.”

“What?” I said.

He passed me the phone. “Look who’s been issued a new employee ID.”

I looked at the phone’s screen. The Sultana’s face stared back at me.

“Crap,” I whispered.

“Breathe, child,” Choden said, moving his hand to mine.

“What do we do?” I said looking to him.

Suddenly a new voice came from behind me. Chills ran up my arms.

“I’ve always found that it is better to stop the disaster before it starts.”

I turned.

Ryder.

Chapter Thirty

Everyone froze as Ryder slowly walked into the room.

She wore a simple white robe, her face still half-covered in bandages.

“Ryder,” I said. “You’re awake.”

I didn’t realize it at first, but Bart had gotten to his feet and was reaching one hand towards her in supplication.

“She walks in beauty like the night,” he began.

“Bart!” I ordered. “Sit down! Your nerd is showing.”

He slowly sank back down into his seat, arm still outstretched.

Ryder looked quizzically at him with the interest one might pay a quasi-fascinating bug. She raised an eyebrow at Choden. He smiled slightly, and something passed between them. I guess Choden won because Ryder sighed then moved to lower herself into a chair. Her movements were still fluid, but they were also more careful.

No one spoke for a moment. Even Queenie seemed a little intimidated by Ryder’s presence.

Ryder, however, only had eyes…or eye, for me.

Guilt filled me all the way up.

“Listen, Ryder, I am so sorry—”

She held up a hand, her main form of communication with me.

“You have changed,” she said.

I didn’t know what to say. I was so tired. It had only been maybe six, seven hours since I had jumped from my father’s building. I still felt overwhelmed by the pull of Choden’s medicine and the throbbing pain of my injuries.

But beyond all that, I knew I had changed. Everything about me had changed.

“Now,” Ryder began, “as I was saying, in this situation, I think it best that we stop whatever it is Mr. St. James has planned before it starts.”

It was so nice to hear someone refer to him as Mr. St. James and not my father.

“What is your plan, oh Glorious One?” Bart’s asked, hand once again rising from the table. I slammed it down with my own. I turned my face towards him. He startled a little. I guess I needed my beauty sleep.

“How do we do that?” I asked. “Should we call the warden?”

“I’m sure he’s already on the company payroll,” Bart said, finally sounding a little more normal.

“Then what?”

“Tell us again about the memo you found,” Choden said.

I inhaled deeply before speaking. “It said something about all the interested parties being notified of the events to take place at the prison tomorrow night at nine.”

Ryder pulled slightly at the bandage by her eye. “This sounds like an invitation only event.”

“Well, you had better not be thinking of crashing,” I said suddenly. Thankfully, I stopped myself before I tagged on
young lady
.

Everyone froze at my audacity.

“What? She’s in no condition.”

“She is right,” Choden said gently. “You must heal.”

Ryder flexed her jaw. “I am aware of my current limitations. I was thinking, perhaps, we could invite the media.”

“That’s brilliant,” Bart said dreamily.

I rolled my eyes at him. “What do you mean, Ryder?”

“Normally, I would challenge my target directly and disrupt his plans, but as you have pointed out, I am not in the condition…and there is no one else.”

Ouch.

Okay, it shouldn’t have stung. It was clear that I had no real skills or abilities when it came to crime fighting, but I had gumption. And wasn’t gumption worth more than anything else? Why would reality TV lie?

“Inviting the media prior to the event might disrupt Mr. St. James’s plans,” Ryder said smoothly, “especially if reporters spot him entering the building.

“Wait, we don’t even know if he is going to be there,” I said.

“Regardless, I do not see any other way for us to stop this unknown event beyond shining a bright light on it.”

Bart cleared his throat. “Well, back at my store, actually the store isn’t the important part, my lab is where my genius is fully realized—” He cut himself off when he saw Ryder’s face. “Anyway, Bremy and I were thinking—”

“Nothing! We were thinking nothing,” I interrupted.

Bart looked at me quizzically.

“It was nothing. It was stupid,” I said.

Bart made a face like I had just kicked him in the nuts.

“I have not done a stupid thing in my entire life,” he said with some pretty wild eyes. “Stupid and I do not associate, not even when
you
invite stupid in.”

“Okay, okay, sheesh,” I said. “Anyway let’s go back to the media thing.”

Ryder gave me a questioning look, which almost made me crumble. Luckily, she didn’t pursue it. “We would need to find some way, a pretext, to get the media to the prison.”

“You could do that Bremy,” Bart said, slapping me on the shoulder a little too hard.

“We broke up.”

“I wasn’t talking about Muscles. I was talking about the paparazzi. Those guys are vicious, and that’s what we need. They’ll get to the bottom of whatever’s going on, especially if you offer them a bikini shot.”

A couple of months ago I wouldn’t have been offended by that comment. Then again, a couple of months ago guys like Bart didn’t exist in my universe.

He had a point though. If there was one skill I did possess, it was creating a media stir, but the thought alone made my stomach sink. I didn’t want to be that girl anymore.

But how could I say no? This was bigger than me.

“No.”

My eyes snapped up.

“No,” Queenie repeated.

“Why not?” Bart asked.

“She has only just recently become less annoying. You will ruin all my hard work.”

“I agree,” said Choden. “We can alert the media without using Bremy’s celebrity. Her father’s name will be enough to bring them out.”

Bart shrugged.

“So when do we start calling people?” I asked, feeling cheered.

“Well, we don’t want to tip off your father,” Bart said.

I looked around. Ryder had leaned back slightly into her chair. It was hard to tell, but I thought she might be in pain.

“Okay, so we wait until tomorrow night, and in the meantime, we sleep.”

“Yes, everyone should rest,” Choden said rising to his feet. “But first, I would like you to come with me, Bremy.”

“What?” I asked wiping anticipatory sleep drool from my chin. “No,” I whined. “Sleep now.”

“Sleep soon.”

“No knuckles?”

“No knuckles.”

***

Dawn took its first breath as we emerged onto the city streets.

Ryder had retreated into the subway cave, and once the rest of us were topside, Bart left with Queenie—God help them both. Meanwhile Choden and I headed for a maze of alleyways and side streets.

We ended up at yet another abandoned-looking building. This one had at least ten floors, and the elevator wasn’t working. Every part of my body hurt, but when Choden opened the doors to the rooftop, I couldn’t help but gasp with pleasure.

“This is the garden where I grow all of my medicines,” Choden said spreading his hands out to encompass the vast display of raised teak boxes overflowing with plants. “In the winter, a glass canopy transforms this entire area into a hothouse, but we are not quite there yet. Come,” he said, waving me on.

He took me to a small fountain and gestured for me to sit on a pillow.

I couldn’t take it any longer.

“How many freaking buildings do you own?”

Choden simply smiled.

I carefully lowered my beat up body. “No, no,” I said shaking my head. “The smile’s not going to cut it this time. Where do you two get all of your money?” I searched his eyes before I pressed on. “You see…well…my rent’s due tomorrow, and I think I have been working pretty hard at this crime fighting thing and—”

“Have you given any thought to what I said about your father?”

“Pah!” I shouted.

“So you have,” Choden said.

“I think you misinterpreted my
pah
,” I replied sullenly.

“Both times, when you fought the Sultana with Ryder…”

“Yes,” I said suspiciously waiting for his
man on the mountain
mojo to attack.

“What do they have in common?”

“I was awesome and underappreciated.”

Choden didn’t answer.

I groaned. “Fine, I suppose I made a few mistakes.”

Golden rays of sunlight sliced across the rooftop, illuminating Choden. I wanted to throw a cape over my head and hiss.

“What mistakes?”

“I didn’t listen to Ryder.”

“And why not? You have said she is everything you want to be.” He tilted his head in question. “You admire her, yes?”

“Yes.”

“You think she is strong and capable?”

“Yes.”

“Do you trust her?”

“Of course, I—”

“Not so fast,” Choden said holding up a hand. “Think about this question. If you trusted her, wouldn’t you have listened to her?”

“I—I guess so.”

“Do you trust anyone, Bremy?”

Jenny was the instant answer, but I couldn’t even say
her
name with certainty anymore.

“If you do not trust our plan—if you do not trust us—you are a liability,” Choden said gently. “I know you want to defeat your father, but perhaps you are not ready.”

I shook my head. “But I am so ready to be ready,” I replied. “Just tell me what I need to do.”

“I asked you if you could forgive your father. I am still waiting for your answer.”

“Well, I’m not going to lie to you,” I said, breaking eye contact. “The answer is no.”

“A Christian philosopher once said to forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

I said nothing.

“Please unfurrow your brow, child. Your petulance has been noted.”

I ran a hand over my face.

“Ryder was right. You have changed. You can change more,” Choden said patting my hand. “Will you consider what I have said?”

I mumbled something like an agreement.

“Then go sleep.”

“Wait! You’re kicking me out of the garden?” I asked. “Where am I supposed to go? My father will be watching my apartment. I don’t—”

Choden calmly pointed to a divan-type thingy with blankets nestled in between big-leafed plants.

“Oh,” I said. “Thank you.”

“You can change if you wish. There are linens in that shed.” He pointed to a little structure. “I will clean your suit.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I said hoping he’d ignore me. My stink was turning into something dangerous.

“It would be my pleasure,” he said offering me a hand up. “I would like to examine it. The work is exquisite.”

“Yeah. There’s a mask too. It’s folded in the belt,” I said looking myself over. “Queenie’s a good friend. But don’t tell her I said that.”