“Not GPS, I hope?” I’d have to adopt a self-flagellation policy if I led them straight to us.
“No, nothing like that, though we might be able to trace the signal back to its source.”
Hawkins stops his pacing. “You said it wasn’t working.”
“Because it’s not on,” Watson says, losing his patience. “The insides are still soaking wet.” To my surprise, he stands up, facing Hawkins down. “Do you want me to turn the power on now? Fry everything inside? You might be a magician in the woods, but we’re not fly fishing or tracking down a deer, here. Just—just, leave. Go find a tree to climb.”
Watson sits down, picks up a hair dryer and resumes the task of drying the goggles’ insides. I meet Hawkins’s eyes, offer him a consolatory smile and the motion for him to leave with my head. He’s not exactly pleased, but he follows my lead.
To his credit, Hawkins stops next to Watson and taps him on the shoulder.
The hair dryer cuts off. “What?”
“Sorry,” Hawkins says. “I just get nervous...about Lilly.”
Watson moves his head in a weird way that I can’t discern as a nod or a head shake. It might be both, some inner battle between competing emotions. Then he waves his hand behind his head. “I get it. Just give me some space.”
“You got it,” Hawkins says and leaves, heading downstairs to where everyone else is currently congregated, having dinner. The FC-P headquarters is in what once was a large brick mansion set atop the highest point of Powder Hill in Beverly, Massachusetts. The insides feel old and regal, with thick wood floors that creak when you walk on them, wide staircases with polished banisters and large brick fireplaces on each floor. It feels like a museum, but with bedrooms, computers and kick-ass WiFi. The kitchen, where Collins, Cooper and Joliet are waiting for us, is large enough for a gourmet chef to have a field day. I mostly use the microwave. The building is old, but it has stood the test of time, an assault courtesy of the deceased General Gordon and the ghost of old Mrs. Rosen, who most of us believe still roams the house, spying on the weirdness that is our day to day.
When Hawkins is gone, I push myself toward Watson. The chair rolls over the wooden floor and doesn’t stop until it bumps into Watson’s desk. I lean my head back. “So...”
That’s all it takes. He’s already smiling.
“Piss or shit?” I ask.
“What?”
“Which one was it?” I say. “You’re only this grumpy on days when you’ve been pissed on or shat at. So which was it.”
He glances at me without moving his head. “Both.”
“Gross.”
He lifts his right hand up. Wiggles his fingers. “There was a hole in the wipe. Fingers right through it. Have you ever had bright yellow crap under your fingernails?”
I’ve endured a lot of horrible things in the last few years, but nothing as horrible sounding as that. I wince and lean away from his hand. “Nasty.”
“Our talks are always so helpful,” he jokes.
“It’s what I’m here for.” I spin around and face the desk, looking at the open goggles. The insides are a mess of wires and small microchips. They’re kind of like Google Glass on steroids. Beyond that, I’m clueless, and so is Watson, so I stick to the personal stuff. “Getting much sleep?”
“A little.”
“How about Coop?”
“Less.”
“Listen...” My hesitation draws his eyes. “I want you guys to take a break soon. I know you believe in what we do here. We all do now. But you guys are wearing yourselves out.”
He opens his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. “I know, I know. We need you guys, and it’s true, but we need you at 100%, not half-asleep and covered in poo. Just...when you’re done with the goggles, take a few weeks. If I need you, I can reach you at home. You don’t need to be here.”
“Cooper’s not going to like it,” he says.
“She’ll get over it.”
“Just...try not to ruin the place while we’re gone. And don’t let Paul Bunyan use my computer. Or Lilly. Or you.” He smiles. “Maigo can use it, though. Kid’s got a mind for this stuff, you know. She’s a pretty good hacker already. Showed her a few tricks, but she’s moved pretty far on her own.”
“I didn’t know,” I say.
“She must be holding out on you,” he says, smiling.
“You have no idea.” I stand and pat his shoulder. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Just let me know the moment you figure something out. Then you and the missus are out of here, okay?”
He just nods as I show myself out.