Chapter Two
We left with the newly indoctrinated techs, nobody even attempting to stop us or cause problems – nobody even indicating they knew what we were. A security guard bumped against me, jostling the crowd as he pushed through to a corridor running off this one and I tensed, freezing as I felt the folded piece of paper that hadn't been in my pocket a moment ago.
I kept moving, not reaching for it, a low whistle letting me know Fang was still close behind me. I took a deep breath as I felt the sunlight on my face again, glad to be free of the institution style corridors and floors. We threw the coats back onto the rack and found our way discreetly back to the others.
I waved them down and we started towards the nearest mall. "Did you see the girl?" I said, turning to Fang without filling in the others. Iggy and Gazzy were involved in whatever explosive discussion they'd been having before and were happy to keep it going until we'd compared notes on what we'd seen in there. Nudge and Angel were almost doing the same – Nudge talking a mile a minute while Angel barely listened to her and concentrated on what was in our minds.
"She wasn't really a girl," Fang said, "I'd have pegged her at twenty-one, twenty-two," he said softly, wavering his hand.
"That's if she was completely human," I pointed out, not finding fault with the idea she was part animal – maybe a new kind of Eraser, I added silently, remembering the predatory gleam to her eyes.
"I suppose she could've been his bodyguard,"
"What?" I said, snapping out of my musings.
"Jeb's bodyguard – if she was an Eraser or some new combo she might be trained to protect him. She was sitting by the door, remember? And the way she looked around? Could've been checking for threats,"
"Oh… yeah that's pretty possible,"
"Jeb was there?"
"Uh huh, let's find somewhere to talk and eat," I said.
"Let's have a picnic!" Nudge announced as we passed family groups on bright blankets.
"We don't have any food, yet," I said, wondering what was so different about a picnic here than our normal 'picnics'. "Okay, we'll get some sandwiches and drinks and have a picnic… but not somewhere this public," I added, heading for a snack van.
It wasn't hard finding a less public place that was just as picnic-y, even in the city there were plenty of parks and greenery. We found a huge old park that was deserted – it didn't have covered picnic tables or a park barbeque, earning it very few points in reputation for the city-goers but was perfectly fine for us. If we had to take off fast we didn't need it being caught on family videos – or going splat on a table's shelter either.
I lowered my voice unconsciously as I told them what we'd seen – it wasn't much to go on but the circles of power in the company seemed to have shifted if Jeb was given a new facility and a bodyguard.
"How much use could a girl be as bodyguard anyway?" Gaz asked innocently, earning a mock-glare from me, he'd have definitely caught a whack over the head if I thought he meant it. Gazzy grinned, trying to stifle a giggle and I stared at him suspiciously, then glanced at Angel who'd come over to my side of the table a moment before.
I second later Iggy stiffened, "The Gasman should really go play or something," he said, emphasizing the name as he turned his face away to breathe.
Gazzy grinned, jumping up on his seat, "I still got it!" he exclaimed, doing an adorably idiotic dance and laughing.
I heard a crack go over my head and leaped to my feet, my eyes going wide at the sight of Gazzy.