The Q, page 24
It’s just easier to be by myself. Ethan’s earlier words replayed in Lennon’s head.
And I’m just trying to do the right thing for once.
“The Spencers are notoriously brutal on traitors,” Maisie said. “Why risk it?”
“Because whatever they do to me isn’t going to be much worse than my life now,” Ethan snapped.
Maisie’s expression softened.
“I wanted to mess with them a little,” Ethan continued. “Make my dad’s life as miserable as mine. And, yes, he’s the fucking worst, but I don’t want him to get blown up. With my mom and my cousins and—” He cut himself off and took a breath. “I’m just going to take the van and go, okay? I swear I didn’t do this to screw you—I don’t even know how that would work; I just helped you—but I won’t say anything about the shipment or where you are or about Lennon going to the gate; you can just go and—”
“Ethan,” Maisie cut in gently. The way she said his name made Lennon’s chest squeeze in a pleasant way. He already knew what she was going to say, and he adored her for it. “I was going to say that we should try to stop Declan from killing Jonathan.”
He blinked. “Oh.”
“I’m not on board with that,” Beto said. “It’s Jonathan Spencer! He’s a murderer and psychopath, by all accounts.”
“He’s not a psychopath,” Ethan grumbled.
“You really want to start comparing fathers here, Beto?” Maisie asked. “Neither of us has much room to judge.”
Beto glared at her. “I’m still not helping.”
“I was going to suggest that you and Anna stay with the shipment anyway. We can’t just leave it. Lennon will go with me.” She glanced at him. “I’d ask if you were cool with it, but I can already tell you are, from that look on your face.”
“You know my looks so well,” he said affectionately. She smiled at him.
“I can stay with the shipment, but I do not need you running around trying to save Spencers when the smart thing to do is to just get out of here as fast as we can,” Beto said. “You’ve just told a Spencer; he can go warn them. You’ve done enough.”
“I could, but…” Ethan put both hands in his hair and released a giant breath.
“Then you’ll have to tell them how you know,” Maisie finished.
“Make something up,” Lennon said. “Tell them you heard us talking or something.”
“It would take work even getting any of them to listen to me long enough to explain it,” Ethan said. “I could warn my dad, I guess. He might murder me after, but…”
Lennon wondered if Ethan meant “murder” literally. He was worried that he did.
“Do you want me to punch you? Make it look like you had to get away from us?” Beto asked.
Ethan took a step back. “No. Thank you. Just…give me a minute to think.”
“We don’t really have a minute,” Maisie said. “Lennon needs to get to the gate in…” She looked at her watch. “Like ninety minutes. Which means we are cutting it incredibly close.”
“He’s the one who insisted on saving you before going to the gate,” Anna grumbled.
Maisie met his eyes, her lips twitching up. “Thanks for that.”
“Anytime.”
“But seriously, we don’t have time to go around anymore. We have to go through the Spencer compound to the gate if we’re going to make it before the deadline. And it sounds like you have access to it?” she asked Ethan.
“Yeah,” he said hesitantly.
“We can get to the gate from there, right?”
“Yeah. There’s a main road that runs through it for trucks. Once you exit the other side, you won’t have any trouble at the gate. We have a strict no-violence policy in that area, because it’s monitored by the US government.”
“Trust me when I say that the US government is monitoring a lot more than you think in here,” Lennon said.
“That’s…horrifying,” Ethan said. “But if anyone found out that I let a Lopez family member onto the compound, they’d literally kill me with their bare hands.”
“Declan’s got to be going there,” Maisie said. “He may already be there, for all we know. So, there are going to be a lot of Lopez family members on the compound. And if it helps, I know a lot of people who would be horrified to hear that I followed the son of Jonathan Spencer around Northgate.”
“It helps a little,” Ethan muttered.
“After I drop Lennon at the gate I’ll come back and help you,” she continued. “Try to smooth things over. Assuming Declan and your dad haven’t killed each other.”
“That’s quite an assumption,” Ethan said.
Lennon felt a stab of guilt as he thought about Maisie turning around and going back inside Northgate after he went through the gate. He’d return to his normal life, but she was left with this mess.
“I’m just saying, we can help each other out,” Maisie said. “You let us onto the compound, and I will do my very best to stop Declan from killing your family.”
Ethan hesitated for a moment. “Okay. But we have to go to my hub first. Just for a few minutes. It’s right next to the compound.”
“What is your hub?” Maisie asked.
“It’s where I talk to Hadley. I have a whole setup. I’ve hacked into the cameras across our territory, so I can see everywhere. I even set up a few of my own that my dad doesn’t know about.”
“That’s both creepy and impressive,” Lennon said.
“I may be able to find Declan and his guys. See if they’ve chosen a spot to launch an attack. If I can access the cameras, I can see and warn my dad about it. He won’t even suspect I was helping you if I just report what I saw on a camera.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Maisie said, heading for the van. Lennon followed. “Stay with the truck, okay?” she called over her shoulder to Beto and Anna. “If you run into any big problems, just go. I’ll find my own way back south.”
“I think this is dumb, for the record!” Beto called.
“Noted!” Maisie replied.
Lennon climbed into the back of the van, and Maisie slid into the passenger’s seat, next to Ethan.
She twisted around to look at Lennon. “Hand me the radio, will ya? I need to update Hadley on everything.”
He handed it to her, and she paused, her finger poised over the button. She glanced at Ethan.
“One thing, though,” Maisie said. “On a scale of one to ten, how mad will you be if I punch your dad? Not saying I’m planning on it, it’s just…if the opportunity presents itself.”
Ethan started the van. “Zero.”
“Perfect.”
MAISIE
ETHAN DROVE THEM across Northgate. The front windshield was so damaged that they had to smash it a few more times and remove it completely. Lennon had claimed he could see well enough through it to drive, but Ethan had been firmly opposed to that idea.
Cool morning wind blew through the empty spot where the windshield had been. Ethan took them down a back road that was only dotted with a few homes, and it was quiet and almost peaceful.
Maisie glanced back at Lennon, but he was staring out the window. They had a little over an hour to get him out. He must have been nervous.
She, on the other hand, was trying desperately to ignore the sad, sinking feeling growing in her chest as they got closer to the compound.
“What are those?” Lennon asked.
Maisie turned to see what he meant. About twenty cars, all different vibrant colors, were lined up on the side of the road. They were all small, with seats for only two people, and looked more like rockets than cars. The front ends were sleek and pointed, with tail fins extending from the end. She couldn’t imagine them being very useful for anything.
“They’re for racing,” Ethan said.
“I need one,” Lennon said.
Ethan snorted. “My dad would be so thrilled by that reaction.” He glanced at her, seeming to consider his words for several moments before speaking. “I appreciate you standing up for me, by the way. With Beto. About my dad.”
“No problem. It’s true, that neither of us has room to judge.”
“Isaac Rojas…My dad told me once that he was scared of him. And my dad isn’t scared of anyone.”
She laughed. “I wish he was still around so he could hear that. He would have been smug for days.”
Ethan gave her a confused look. “Was he not scary, then?”
“Oh no, he definitely was.”
From the back seat, she heard Lennon laugh softly.
“But, not to me,” she continued. “The way he treated other people was…well, not great. But I knew a different version of him.”
“I don’t know how to deal with it sometimes,” Ethan said quietly, his eyes on the road in front of him. “Everything my dad’s done.”
“This seems to be your way of dealing with it,” she said, gesturing to herself, and then Lennon. “Helping us.”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
She hesitated, looking down at her bruised hand for a few moments. “I kind of compartmentalized it all for a long time. Just tried not to think about everything my dad had done, or made excuses about how he didn’t have a choice. But now, especially with everything’s that happened recently…” She trailed off, turning to look out the window. “It’s harder to justify lately. Now that I’m faced with similar choices.”
She felt a hand on her arm, and she turned to see Lennon leaning forward, a soft expression on his face. He squeezed her arm. “You can love someone who did bad things. He was still your dad. And a pretty good one, from what you’ve told me.”
She smiled at him, but it was tinged with sadness.
Damn, she was really going to miss him.
“Same goes for you,” Lennon said, clapping Ethan on the shoulder before sitting back.
Ethan frowned. “Why are you so nice all the time? It creeps me out.”
“Dude, you have so many issues,” Lennon said with a laugh. “I’m honestly kind of sad that we don’t have time to unpack that.”
Ethan frowned harder.
Maisie pointed straight ahead. “Is that the compound?”
“Yeah.”
It was surrounded by a massive stone wall, like they’d watched those old zombie movies and were preparing for the worst. She could see a few taller buildings inside, but for the most part, whatever was on the other side of the wall was a mystery.
Straight ahead of them, at the end of the road, was the entrance. Ethan took a turn and rolled past it, to a small run-down building about a quarter mile down the street. He parked the van in back, behind a dumpster.
“I’m going to need a minute to figure out how to explain”—Ethan gestured to all the bullet holes as he climbed out of the van—“all of this. Hopefully no one will notice it over here. Or maybe I can just play dumb. I don’t think anyone knows I took it.”
“Is there a reason your hub is outside the compound?” Maisie asked as they walked toward the building. “Don’t you live inside?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly why. Everyone is breathing down my neck in there. Mom used this building for storage, but she said I could have it if I cleaned it out myself.”
He led them to the door, where he typed a code on the panel. The door unlocked.
They walked through a dark, empty front entryway and down a hallway to the room on the left. He flipped on the lights as they stepped inside.
“Uh, wow,” Lennon said.
One side of the space was completely covered in computer equipment. There were four different monitors, three laptops that Maisie could see, and stacks of hard drives and other equipment. Four huge screens were mounted across the wall above it all.
There were stacks of old technology all around the room—she could see two ancient CD players, mountains of old phones, tablets galore, and even some things she didn’t recognize.
Lennon approached a tower of matching plastic cases. “Are these CDs? Are you opening a museum?”
“I saved some stuff from old libraries and bookstores,” he said. Maisie noted that there were no actual books in the room. Maybe he put those somewhere else.
“Why?” Lennon asked.
“I like knowing how stuff works. And how stuff used to work.” He plopped down at his desk chair and his screen sprang to life.
Maisie edged closer to the end of his desk, where an old radio sat. It was scuffed up and the blue back panel didn’t match the rest, which was black. “This is how you talk to Hadley?”
He glanced at it. “Yeah.”
“Did you build this yourself?”
“Yeah. I mean, most of it. I put it together from a few parts.”
“You built the computers, too, huh?” Lennon asked. He was examining a laptop at the other end of the desk.
“Yes.”
Ethan pressed a few keys on a keyboard, and all the screens in the room flickered to life, showing an image of his main screen. “Cameras two and seven,” he said. The images changed to show exterior views of the compound. “Cameras five, three, and one.”
Maisie leaned closer. “Where do you think Declan would come in?”
“Hard to say. Not the back; it’s too hard to get there. Probably the north or south sides.” He pointed to the two cameras. “But, seriously, anyone’s guess. Keep your eyes open.”
“Do you have an alarm system?” Lennon asked.
“Not exactly, but there is someone monitoring these cameras all the time. They should see as soon as we do. In theory. Most people aren’t stupid enough to try, so I don’t know how well they’re being monitored right now.”
“Declan does enjoy being stupid,” she said. “Do you have more cameras on the inside? It’s entirely possible they’re already in there.”
Ethan cast a worried look in her direction. “You think so?”
“I don’t know, just to be safe. They were headed somewhere right after abandoning me. It could have been to the compound.”
He nodded, typing again. The screens split into four different images as he added more cameras.
“Are you armed?” Maisie asked him. “We may be in an intense situation soon if Declan is already here.”
“Of course I’m armed.” Ethan moved his jacket aside to show the gun in his waistband and Ivy’s smoke bombs in the shoulder holster. “I may be the worst Spencer, but I’m still a Spencer.”
She almost laughed. “Good.”
“I don’t see anything yet, though,” Ethan murmured, scanning the camera feeds. He glanced over at Lennon, and then hit another button. American news appeared on one screen. “You can see how things are going out there, if you want. I haven’t checked it in at least a day.”
“You have American news here?” Lennon asked.
“Yeah, I hacked my dad’s network.”
There was a clock at the bottom of the screen, showing just under fifty minutes left, with the words Lennon Pierce Deadline. A news anchor was talking about the new president-elect, and a screen to the left side of his head showed the front of the gate on the other side of the wall. Cameras and lights had been set up, and there was a huge crowd of reporters and spectators behind the fence. Even more than last time he’d seen the news. He spotted a sign that read WELCOME HOME, LENNON.
“Wow,” Maisie said.
“I hope you make it,” Ethan murmured. “Otherwise, they’re going to be real disappointed out there. It’s all they’ve been talking about on your news channels.” He pressed a button and the news disappeared. “Sorry, we can’t watch for too long. Someone might notice. My dad’s tech team isn’t the best, but they’re not totally incompetent.”
“Ethan? Who are you talking to?” The woman’s voice was distant, on the other side of the door, and they all froze.
“Closet!” Ethan whispered, pointing frantically to a door across the room.
Maisie dove around the piles of electronics and jumped into the closet with Lennon. Boxes were piled high here too, and they had to squeeze together next to them.
Lennon pulled the door shut. She held her breath.
“Ethan.” The woman’s voice was much closer now, and full of disappointment. She was in the room.
“Hi, Mom. What are you doing up? It’s the middle of the night.”
“It’s almost eight.”
“Oh. Really? Wow. I guess that’s why it’s light outside, huh?” He laughed nervously.
Lennon shifted, and Maisie felt his hand on her arm, near her elbow. They were so close she could feel the heat of him.
“Who were you talking to?” Ethan’s mom asked.
“Myself,” Ethan said. “And the computer.”
“Did you stay in here all night again? I’ve told you that I don’t want you outside the compound all night.”
“I, uh—I lost track of time.”
“Maybe you should do something besides stare at that screen all damn day and night.” She sighed. “At least come make yourself useful.”
“What?”
“I’ve got to run to the market before they open, but the truck won’t start again. Come help me get it going.”
“The market? That’s a great idea!” he said, too enthusiastically. He was clearly thrilled that his mom would be safely away from the compound.
There was a short pause. “Do you want to come?”
“No! No. Thank you. I just, you know…we need food?”
“Ethan, just come help me. And seriously, hon, you should leave this room occasionally. You’re getting weird.”
“Right. Sorry.”
Maisie listened as footsteps shuffled out of the room and faded away.
“So do we stay in this closet or…” Lennon whispered.
“Let’s just wait another couple seconds to make sure she doesn’t come back right away.”
