Clare’s throat was tight and her stomach upset, but she still ate. They couldn’t afford to raise suspicion. As far as Ezra was concerned, it was a normal morning.
The heater was already on, and Clare sat near it as she worked her way through an apple. She barely tasted it. Dorran ate as well and positioned himself carefully to keep Ezra in his peripheral vision without making it obvious he was watching. Ezra didn’t so much as lift his head from the laptop.
Clare threw away her core, and Dorran passed her another apple. “Eat,” he murmured, bending close to make sure the man at the desk wouldn’t hear. “You may need the energy.”
She was sick of both apples and nuts by the time she was full. She downed a bottle of water and tried to relax. That was impossible as long as Ezra was in the same room. Still, though, he didn’t look up from the computer, and Clare didn’t dare interrupt him. She felt awkward just sitting there and turned towards the bookcase. She picked up a novel indiscriminately—a well-worn thriller—and opened it to a random page. She stared at it without reading.
Is he faking? Or does he genuinely not suspect? Maybe he’s telling the truth; maybe he seemed off last night because I startled him. Is it possible he isn’t worried about what’s in the lab?
That seemed impossible, but on the other hand, Ezra seemed completely relaxed. He would either need to be an exceptional actor… or his nonchalance was genuine.
A chair creaked, and Clare flinched. Ezra leaned back at his desk, arms reached high as he stretched his back. He sagged back down with a hearty sigh then unplugged something from the laptop as he stood.
The familiar smile greeted them as he sauntered towards the chairs. Clare knew if she was going to establish trust, this was the time to do it. She put the book aside and leaned forward, affecting friendliness. “Dorran and I were talking about our plans for when we leave here. We know a group of survivors less than an hour away; we thought we’d stop by there and see if any of them would take the data to Evandale.”
Ezra dropped into a chair opposite and pulled one leg up underneath himself. “That sounds great. Did you meet many people before you reached the tower?”
Clare desperately hoped he wouldn’t hear the lie in her voice. “Yeah, quite a few. I’m looking forward to checking in on them and making sure they’re okay. And telling them about your cure.” Easy, easy, don’t oversell it. “I think it’s really brave. To pick up Ezra’s project and… and try to make things right. A lot of people would have just run. But you didn’t. And I think that’s admirable.”
His face lit up, though he tried to shrug it off. “Hah. Well. There isn’t anyone else who could have done it, and… it’s not for me. It’s for everyone surviving out there, you know?”
Clare nodded encouragingly. “They’ll be grateful. I know I am. To think we could have our world back… it’s more hope than I ever let myself have before.”
“It’s going to be a long road. But we’ll get there. Humans are nothing if not resourceful.” You especially.
“That’s what I was just coming to tell you.” Ezra lifted his hand. A silver USB drive sparkled in his palm. “I pulled an all-nighter, and I think I finished my code.”
“You…” Clare stared at it. “Really?”
“Uh-huh. I don’t know if it will work yet. It’ll need testing. But that’s all up to the people at Evandale now. You two can leave as soon as you want.”
Clare’s heart flipped. It seemed too good to be true. She dared a glance at Dorran, but his expression remained inscrutable.
Is it possible… Ezra wants to get us out of the tower just as much as we want to leave? His smile was broad and easy. Clare hunted for signs of tension underneath but couldn’t detect any. Maybe he doesn’t want a confrontation. Maybe he just wants us gone.
“We… uh… that’s amazing.” She fought to phrase herself diplomatically. “We… we’re really looking forward to going home. We could leave today. Take the USB as close to Evandale as we can, find someone who will carry it the rest of the way, and, uh…”
“That sounds marvellous.” Ezra glanced over his shoulder, towards the window. “The rain is pretty bad, but I can give you some waterproof covers. And load you up with food. And of course, use the spotlight and radio to give you protection for as long as I can. I think you have a really good chance of getting out of the city.”
Please. Please let this be honesty. Please let him keep his promise.
“Thank you,” Dorran said. The words sounded warm, but Clare knew they cost him a lot of effort. “You have been a generous host.”
“Ah. Just doing what I can to better a messed-up world.” Ezra tucked the USB back into his jacket pocket and clapped his hands. “How soon do you think you’ll leave? You could go right now, if you wanted. It’s probably smart to get a head start early in the day. Maximise your hours of light, such as it is.”
Clare licked her lips. “That’s a good idea. I’m ready to go.”
“Fantastic. Let’s get you some supplies. Come with me.” Ezra bounded out of his chair and moved towards the door. Clare’s hope was tempered with a sense of foreboding. She didn’t like the idea of following Ezra into strange parts of the building, but she didn’t have an excuse not to.
Dorran’s smile had faded, and his eyes were sharp. He took her hand, and together, they stood and followed Ezra across the room.
“Where are we going?” Clare asked.
Ezra held open the door for them, rocking on the balls of his feet, one arm directing them towards the stairs.
