“How did things end with you two? I have a hard time believing he wanted to stay. Despite what I said earlier, he has been watching you for some time. The only thing that held him back was me, I think.”
She willed herself not to cry, not to open that box filled with old memories and regret. “I hurt him and his mom a lot. They finally got things in order and didn’t need me messing things up.”
He cocked his head to look at her, confusion creasing his forehead. “Did you even talk to him?”
“I had a long talk with his mom and spoke briefly with him for a moment.”
He started to say something, but she placed a hand on his arm. “Please, Marco, just drop it. It’s for the best.” Her voice betrayed her as it tightened with despair. “I already said my goodbyes, and I need to focus on our work here.”
His pinched mouth softened. “Okay, I won’t say anything else.”
“Thanks.” Her hand fell away, and she turned back to the forest. “Are you happy here, Marco? I know you always liked your independence. We can talk to Patrick, find you a job somewhere. I don’t want you to feel trapped in this life, even if you can’t go back to your old one.”
He thought on that for a moment, his finger tapping against his leg. “Yes, I’m still angry about what we left behind. Not so much at you, but just at life, you know. This is the hand we’re dealt, but it doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it. But we’re safe right now, we have money and resources we never had before. So maybe I’m not happy but I’m as close as I’m going to be. I want to stay with you and Mom. We’ll see how this next mission plays out. Things may be changing, not just for us, but for everyone.”
“They can destroy people through the cables. I never thought it would happen.” She rubbed a cold spot on her arm as the fear of the repercussions of such power crept into her mind.
He huffed. “I’m honestly surprised it didn’t happen sooner, but maybe that was the plan. Get everyone hooked, then control them how you want.”
“Can you even imagine a life without it?”
“I haven’t been plugged in for a while, so I think I can.” He finally slipped his e-cig back into his pocket. “Were you serious about weaponizing the program for our benefit? It doesn’t seem like you.”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure, but we have to do something. What they do in VLEX? It isn’t right. People have lost their humanity long ago, everyone is just another part of the program. Lives are created and destroyed at the whim of those in charge.”
“It may just up the stakes, making everything more dangerous.”
“That’s probably why Patrick didn’t want to do it. Plus, it would be hard to hurt people when you’re not even sure who they are on the other end. But if push comes to shove…”
“Maybe Tricky is rubbing off on you?”
“Is that a bad thing?” Ari admired Tricky’s strength and determination.
“Look how that ended up for her. She’s lucky to be back among the living and she’s now mentally closer to Sketchy than her twin now.” Marco stood to leave but stayed watching the trees. “So, now that Reed is gone, you going to end up with Patrick?”
“It’s not like that.” There was an obvious attraction with Patrick, but it had no bearing on her decision to leave Reed.
“I see how he looks at you. The others have even mentioned it.” He didn’t look at her, but she heard the disgust in his voice.
“We’re both committed to the mission and the team, that’s all.”
“And here I thought you were smart.” He started to walk away.
Ari got up, catching his arm. “Marco, I don’t want to fight with you.”
His face softened. “Don’t worry. We’re good. I’m just dealing with my own stuff.”
“You want to talk?”
“Nope, but thanks for the offer.” He rubbed the top of her hair. “Just stay safe in there, okay.”
“Always.” She watched him walk away. Things weren’t perfect between them, but it never was. It wasn’t supposed to be. They were family, they loved each other, and that’s all that mattered.
The rest of her day was spent reading and helping her mom in the kitchen. It had been years since they cooked together. They made tamales, from Ari’s abuela’s recipe. It was a long task but in the steady rhythm of work, they found contentment. The silence was lit with sorrow for the loss of her dad, but they were together. That’s what mattered.
Everyone showed up for the evening meal, and Ari felt a little guilty for her day off. Obviously, Patrick, Sketchy, and Blur had been hard at the machines all day. It wasn’t anything Ari could help with. While she could fix a simple bot or most of the electronics—since she had to out of necessity—VR machines were a whole different level. One that Ari avoided as much as she could.
The progress was slow and finding an expert they could trust was proving to be just as hard. Most turned them down, and the only possibility was a thousand miles away. This wasn’t something that could be done over the cables.
Dinner was good, laughter and conversation flowed throughout the room and the spicy smell of the food highlighted the evening. Ari realized this was enough, surrounded by family and friends. But would it last?
Between them all, they were fugitives from at least ten different countries and that only because the other countries didn’t know about them. They were fighting powers stronger than all of them combined. Their power was only in the VR and the board had just taken that away too.
Patrick must have noticed her forlorn thoughts. He stood to clear his plate and stopped by Ari to pick her up. Leaning over her
