“This is your last warning. Never again doubt the consequences of disobedience. Obey, and they live. Disobey, and they die. Help me, Michael, and live forever.”
Michael’s heart sank. Now his problems had spilled over into Sarah’s life, jeopardizing her parents. Kaine was insane. He was totally, utterly insane. He’d taken—and probably hurt—Sarah’s parents just to prove he could. To ensure he’d get what he wanted.
But something was off. The NewsBop lady’s voice hit him in waves. It took a few moments until what she was saying finally sank in, a light piercing the fog of his jumbled mind.
“Oh no,” he whispered. “No.” How could everything have fallen apart so suddenly?
“What?” Sarah asked, the look on her face reflecting the terror Michael felt.
Without answering, Michael turned and left the kitchen, following the anchorwoman’s voice to the living room, where the HoloProj still broadcast its images onto the wall. He didn’t want Sarah to see, didn’t want what he’d heard to be true, but there just wasn’t a choice. Sarah was already beside him, staring at the screen.
A huge picture of Jackson Porter filled half the wall.
Jackson Porter. Also known as Michael.
Words scrawled across the bottom talking about a nationwide manhunt for the missing teenager, wanted for crimes related to cyber-terrorism. A large monetary reward for anyone with information.
He turned to look at Sarah, and the look on her face broke his heart.
“I can explain.”
How many times had he heard someone say that in the movies? He might as well admit guilt. Sarah’s expression didn’t change. Michael figured he had ten seconds before she pulled up her NetScreen and called every official authorized to carry a gun within a hundred miles. Or worse, she might attack him herself.
“The Mortality Doctrine,” he said. “I was just about to tell you. It’s Kaine. He did this to me. To that kid, Jackson Porter.” He pointed at the wall, but the NewsBop had finally moved on to another story, mercifully removing his face from the enormous screen.
“What are you talking about?” Sarah responded. At least she’d stayed.
“Look …” He searched for the words to begin his story. “Can we sit?”
“My parents are gone!”
Michael knew he was about to lose her. “I know, I know.” He could see how upset she was and wanted to touch her, to connect with her somehow.
Before he could, though, she turned from him and walked away, reaching up to squeeze her EarCuff. Over her shoulder, she said, “For all I know, you distracted me so one of your buddies could kidnap them. Next you’ll be asking for ransom. I’m calling the cops.”
“I was a Tangent, Sarah.”
She stopped in the doorway. Her NetScreen hovered in front of her, illuminating the hallway with an eerie green glow. With a few swipes of her fingers she’d already reported her parents’ abduction. Hopefully, just the abduction. She had to do it; he knew that. But he also knew he couldn’t be around when the authorities showed up.
She finally faced him again. “Okay. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know that you’re Michael. You better go before the police arrest you. Obviously I won’t tell them you were here.”
Michael desperately wanted her to understand. “It’s what Kaine was doing. He lured Tangents to find him, setting it all up so he could find the best programs for his experiment. I think he even duped the VNS. I passed the test, and somehow he transferred my … whatever you wanna call it. He put me in the body of this guy. Jackson Porter. He killed him. I killed him, Sarah. I … stole him.”
Sarah was looking at the floor. A tear dropped from one eye. In the Sleep, she’d almost never cried.
“Kaine sent two guys to take me to some meeting, but I got away,” Michael continued when she didn’t respond. “This news report about Jackson might be a trap. Kaine setting me up. Or, hell, maybe Jackson really is a cyber-terrorist. I don’t know! I set up a fake ID and tried to come here without anyone knowing. But I’m sure Kaine assumed I’d search for you.”
“You need to go,” Sarah said.
“What?” Michael couldn’t imagine leaving. He needed Sarah. “But we have to talk.”
She moved toward him, reached out and clasped his arm, squeezed.
“Let’s hope Kaine found us only because he knew you’d come here,” she said. “Not because he’s cracked your identity. But you have to go. Find a safe place. Let me know where you are somehow. I’ll find you, then we’ll find Bryson.”
“Okay.” She was going to help him. His eyes welled up in relief.
A few seconds later he was running down the street, darkness falling on the world as the sun sank for the night. He didn’t know if Sarah even realized what she’d been saying, but Michael had heard it just the same.
Because of him, her parents were gone. Maybe dead.