Already in shock, Ryan reacted with confusion, the absurdity bouncing off him. “Why would we kill the president?”
“I assume you wouldn’t, but they aren’t certain. I’ve been on this a couple of days now, since your family called me, so I’ve looked into things like your social media presence, and there’s nothing that would raise suspicions. We’re already fighting with these agencies, who are trying to say you guys are a national security threat, but we’ve shot that down. I ended up coordinating with the parents of the others a little, and their attorneys, taking point on this.”
Ryan had a thousand questions, but urgency to get away from here led him to ask, “Can you get me out of here?”
“Yes, but it’s going to take a while. They think you evaded them on a motorcycle, and this gave them enough reason to arrest you. They also say you went around cones to get to the accident scene, then tried to push past them.”
“That last one, at the crash, isn’t illegal, is it? I was just worried. With good reason.”
“Depends. They can spin it. It’s mostly stuff like moving violations, so they can’t really hold you over that. Did you flee from them, though? They are saying you did.”
“Sort of. I saw cop lights far behind me and sped up, but if Daniel hadn’t told me the police were looking for me, I never would have known from the lights that it had anything to do with me. I lost them immediately. It wasn’t like some prolonged chase or something.”
Quincy let out a breath. “Okay, that’s something I can work with. You’ll have some stuff to explain at some point, but I should be able to get you out. The police aren’t the real issue here. NSA and all that shit is. They’re outside and they’re being difficult, but your family has clout. And you haven’t actually threatened the president or U.S. or something, so they really have nothing. Besides, no one saw you personally disappear, so what they think they have is thin. They are calling you a person of interest and known associate.”
“Of Matt?”
“Yeah. And Anna.”
Ryan frowned. “Are they going to arrest her or something?”
“I don’t know, but they’re over there now, waiting for after surgery, like she’ll be in any…. Look, don’t worry. I won’t let them pull any bullshit there. When you talk to your friends, you need to tell them not to tell anybody anything without talking to me first. And on that note, I need you to tell me what is going on.” Quincy’s gaze hardened. “And don’t tell me I won’t believe it. I saw the footage. I also saw the stuff you guys bought and which is at the guest house. Daniel told me in private. Your parents know nothing about it. I’m already covering for you, you understand? You’re my client. Never mind that your parents hired me. And from where I’m sitting, I suspect you have far bigger problems than car accidents, the media hounding you, or even these agencies coming after you. Your friend Matt looked surprised and afraid when he disappeared. You aren’t doing it on purpose, are you?”
Startled that the attorney figured this out, Ryan met his eyes and saw certainty. He relaxed, wanting to get a load off his chest. “We have no control over it. We have no idea until it happens, and we can’t control where we return to.”
“You just go back to the same spot?” To Ryan’s startled gaze, Quincy added, “Daniel told me you were at the guest house when you disappeared and again hours ago. Anna obviously reappeared where she was. Look, you need to tell me what the fuck is going on. That includes whether I am in danger, because while I’m determined to help you and your friends, I’m not getting killed, not to mention over some shit I don’t even understand.”
“You’re not in–” The statement died on realizing Soliander might come to Earth for all of them. Quincy saw the look, and Ryan knew the attorney was sharper than he’d realized. He would rather have someone like this on his side than against him, certainly. Having decided, he almost laughed in relief. “Okay. I’ll tell you, but you have got to get me out of here first. They would lock me up if they heard, and I don’t trust that this room isn’t bugged or some shit.”
“They can’t do that. It’s illegal.”
“Don’t care. If they are that worried, they would do illegal shit and worry about the lawsuits later.”
Quincy sat back and looked around. “Okay, fair enough. You’re gonna need to hang tight a bit.”
“I need you to do something. Call Matt and Eric. Tell them where I am and that we’ll meet up soon. Don’t tell them about Anna. Let me do it.”
“Sure. Do you know where they might be? I know where they were when they disappeared, but where would they be now?”
Ryan shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know. I think the better question is where do we go once I’m out? Where can I meet them?”
Quincy thought for a moment. “Your parents’ place is the best option, at that guest house, but you can’t stay there. The media are already going berserk now that it’s known that Anna returned on the highway like that. Let me think of something.”
He stepped out and Ryan put his forehead on the cool metal tabletop, thoughts on Anna. How were they going to get in to see her with media and worse hounding her? He needed to visit her for his own peace of mind, and to let her know they were around. They had thought the situation with summoning was serious on learning she’d left while driving the car, but now it had skyrocketed, their worst fears about her
