"No."
It was the only word Mattie had left. She had forgotten how to say anything else. "No, no, no..."
The phone was chirping, forlorn on the floor, as Mia answered, calling Mattie's name.
Mattie landed on her knees beside Leo, pulled open his shirt collar, thrust three fingers against his neck.
He was cold, but as she pressed harder, seeking a pulse, Leo's eyes flickered. And there came his heartbeat, precious under her hand.
She rolled him over, exposing his data port. "Christ." His shirt and skin were smeared with blood. The power cable lay three feet away. The data cable was nowhere.
Mattie cleaned the power connector with a corner of Leo's shirt, and looked around for a wall socket. "You stupid fool."
Where was Fred? What had happened here? She brushed Leo's tangled black hair off his forehead and revealed a swollen red lump above his right eyebrow, split. So Hobbs, or his people, had been here. Violence was their calling card.
"The code was broken," she told his unconscious face. "There wasn't enough time to upload the new code to Fred, trick him into sharing, before Hobb got here."
She opened her laptop and busied herself connecting him so she could see what the damage might be. "They could have taken you. Killed you, you stupid, stupid, idiot."
Tears ran down her cheeks. She dragged a power surge protector from her rucksack, plugged it into Leo and then the wall. "If you're dead it will break Mia's heart. What is wrong with you? We talked about this for fuck's sake."
Power was running into him but he did not respond. His body began to shiver and twitch. Physical shock. She abandoned the laptop and snatched up the blanket which had once covered Fred. When she had covered Leo's legs, she lifted his shoulders and lay him awkwardly over her lap. Perhaps some body heat would transfer.
She chafed his hands between both of hers. "If you don't wake up I'm going to officially revoke your genius badge." She rubbed his thin, cold fingers. "Come on Leo. You're my friend." A hard truth struck her and her voice cracked. "My best friend."
He was taking on power. With any luck a full charge would trigger a reboot. If not-
Mattie bent her head over his and closed her eyes. "Come on," she said. "We've been here before. Do you remember? Max brought you back, and you showed me your memories. It made me cry." His hair smelled of rain and dust. "You didn't trust me to start with, but then you did. Why couldn't you trust me today? You stupid, stupid-" Before she could think of a better insult, a sob shook her body and escaped her mouth in a stifled yelp. Then another, and another, and then she was half-smothering him, heaving out heartbreak and guilt even though it was all his fault.
"Hey."
She did not hear him the first time.
"Hey. Let go of me."
She started. Leo was struggling in her arms. The laptop showed a half charge. Not enough for him to get up and walk. But enough for consciousness.
Leo said, "The synth... They took him. Or he chased them. I don't know."
The synth. "What happened to your head?" If Hobb had been here, he would have grabbed Leo as well as Fred.
"Some goons walloped me. I played dead."
"Well thank god for goons. They must have not known who you were."
Her words triggered terror in his eyes. "Who I am..." He sat up fully and his eyes searched her face. He saw the laptop, the wires, and traced them back to his own body. "What the fuck-?"
He was always pale, from a lifetime of hiding, but now his face took on a sick yellow hue. "What's going on? What have you done to me?" He shook off her hand as she moved to reassure him, and instead gripped her wrist, capturing it with all his wiry strength. "Who the hell are you?"