Move! You have to move!
Impossibly heavy, her feet shuffled forward, and she stumbled and almost fell. It was ridiculous to think anyone could know what she was up to just by looking at her, but they might notice her erratic behavior, and she couldn’t afford that. Whatever it cost her, she had to keep moving or everything would fall apart. She would be caught and Andersen would find another way of bringing Shah down. Dara wasn’t integral to his plan. The reminder gave her the impetus she needed to quicken her pace.
Few people were out, for which she was grateful. They passed her without a second glance, lost in chatter with their friends or distracted by their own thoughts. She saw it all as if from a distance. She felt separate from the action going on around her, invisible, as if she could see everyone but they couldn’t see her. So this was what it was like to be trapped in her own private hell.
Nearing Shah’s apartment, she invented and discarded several cover stories. Planting the memory stick wasn’t the only risk she was taking. She’d have to hope no one paid attention to her, because if they did they would wonder why she wasn’t anywhere near her own apartment.
Fortunately for her, the corridor was quiet, but the silence made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. What if this was a trap? Andersen wouldn’t go to such elaborate lengths to assure her capture, she told herself. It would be too inconvenient for him. But could she know for sure? Maybe he’d grown suspicious of her and saw this as his chance to dispense with two of his adversaries at once.
Sweat trickled into her eyes, and she swiped it away with the back of a gloved hand. Her breath came in short pants, no matter how hard she tried to regulate it. Scanning the area, she decided that the coast was clear, and she jabbed the chip into the access port with shaking fingers. Her whole body vibrated as she slipped inside the apartment, frantically closing the door behind her. Collapsing against it, she closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing.
She could walk away. She could refuse to play Andersen’s game, grab her father and flee the dome, but without her in place as Andersen’s assistant, the Free Thinkers would have no one in a position to keep a close eye on him. Mal’s data miners would have caught wind of the project eventually, but Dara had bought them time by making them aware of it when she had. Without her, there would be no more tipoffs, just frenzied attempts to sort through the data in time. She couldn’t leave the domes, not yet. Not until she knew the extent of Andersen’s plans.
For a split second she thought about not planting the evidence. She could tell him she’d been unable to do it because the corridor leading to Shah’s apartment had been full of people, and someone would have spotted her. Yet this plan was as flawed as the other. He must have known that the area would be deserted, and he wouldn’t buy her claim that she was unable to get into the apartment unnoticed. Moreover, he had told her he would call the Authorities while she planted the evidence, and if they showed up and failed to find anything, it would cast Andersen in a bad light. There would be no end to his wrath then, and she would destroy the advantage she’d had as his assistant as surely as if she turned around and fled the dome.
Pushing away from the door, she moved through the apartment on wobbly knees, going into Shah’s study. Leaving the stick in Shah’s desk seemed too obvious, and she tried to ignore her rising panic as she racked her brain for a decent hiding spot. A Magnum print hung across from the door, and she hurried over to it, her fingers scrabbling around the back edge of the frame, catching on a loose corner. Working as fast as she could, Dara pried the backing off, creating a cavity big enough for the stick, and thrust it inside, smoothing the backing over the hole.
Terror shredded her nerves, but she left the apartment slowly, peering down the corridor in either direction to ensure no one was coming. She tore the gloves from her hands and shoved them in her suit pocket, smoothing down the bulge. Every muscle in her body strained, desperate to run, but she made herself walk at a normal pace. Clamping her lips together, she struggled to keep the contents of her stomach where they belonged. The searing pain in her abdomen almost forced her to double over, but she could hear voices and footsteps in the distance, and she couldn’t draw attention to herself.
Her mind raced. She was running out of time. She had to get to Javier, but if Andersen found out—
No, she wouldn’t allow herself to think of that. Inside she was screaming, railing against what she had done. Fighting back tears, she lifted her chin, straightened her back, and strode away from Shah’s corridor as if this were any other day. As if she hadn’t just ruined someone’s career and robbed them of their freedom, possibly their life.
Javier and Shah weren’t the only ones at risk, Dara knew. Her involvement in this whole thing could be uncovered. Careful as she’d been, she couldn’t rule out the possibility of having left physical evidence behind.
And why would the Creators care, in that case? Andersen must have assurances that the Authorities’ investigation will uncover other, more compelling evidence. Once they unravel whatever it is Shah has been involved with, they won’t care if they discover Andersen had me plant evidence. They’ll be too busy falling all over themselves thanking him to care.
The thought was no consolation. She could spend the rest of her life attempting to justify what she had done, but the bottom line was that she had knowingly committed a crime. She had put lives at risk. That it had been necessary for the greater good offered no comfort, and she was glad she felt that way. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she started reducing every casualty to an unfortunate consequence of her quest for change.
At any second Dara expected to hear the heavy boots of the Authorities pursuing her, but the corridors were quiet. She felt reasonably assured that no one had seen her entering or leaving Shah’s apartment, but she knew she couldn’t count on her feelings. As surreptitiously as possible, she studied the few people wandering the thoroughfares, scanning their faces and trying to determine if she knew them. Was one of them spying for Andersen, pretending to be out for an evening stroll while watching for her, ready to report their findings to him? It was possible, though she did her best not to think about it.
Time slipped by, and she was aware of the loss of every excruciating second. She wanted to run straight to Javier’s apartment, but she forced herself to take a circuitous route, one that wouldn’t make it glaringly obvious what her destination was. The hope that she would chance upon him or Shah hadn’t faded, but she had no such luck. She jogged whenever she could, trying to make up for the time she was wasting in attempting to obscure her trail.
Reaching the corridor leading to his apartment at last, she surveyed her surroundings with a critical eye, ignoring her racing heart. She saw no one, and she kept her back to the apartment across from Javier’s, making sure not to stand directly under the light.
“Dara,” he said, his surprise plain as he opened the door. Seizing his arm, she hauled him out into the corridor, hoping his startled cry wouldn’t rouse the neighbors. Going into his apartment was too risky; Andersen might very well have it bugged.
“What the hell are you doing?” Javier asked, annoyance and confusion making his voice gruff.
Stepping closer to him, she tightened her grip on his arm and tugged, making him bend down toward her as she stood on her toes. “You have to warn Shah. Andersen is after her,” she hissed in his ear.
“What?”
“Lower your voice!” she growled, watching his eyes widen and his face drain of all color.
“What do you mean he’s going after her?”
“I don’t have time to explain. The Authorities are on their way. Tell her to get out, hide somewhere. You’d probably be wise to get out too. Andersen may be after you as well. Go.” She gave him a light shove toward his apartment door, and he sprang into action.
“Thank you,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at her.
With a curt nod, she hurried away from his apartment, taking several more detours before returning home. Her father was waiting for her in the living room, his face tense.
“Are you okay?” he asked, jumping up from the couch. “Letizia called on the unsecured line and—”
“She did? What did she say?”
“To be prepared, in case we need to go tonight.”
“Do you know if they’re sending someone?” Blind terror roared through her, making the edges of her vision go black, and her father steadied her as she swayed on her feet.
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything more. What’s happening, Dara? Please, tell me.”
“Andersen made me plant evidence against Shah, told me he was going to contact the Authorities.”
“What?” Her father’s voice was little more than a whisper, and his face turned ashen.
“I told Letizia about my meeting with him before I went, but she doesn’t know what he asked me to do. I wanted to be sure she was prepared, though.”
“Creators…” Joshua looked like he might be sick, and it was Dara’s turn to steady her father. “He made you plant evidence? What if you’re caught?” His face flushed suddenly, and his eyes flashed.
“No, Dad. We have to stay here, make sure we listen for the unsecured line. Are you ready to go or is there anything else you need to grab?”
“I’m ready. I packed an emergency bag, like you told me. I convinced myself I wouldn’t need it.” He barked out a humorless laugh, and she wrapped her arms around him.
“I’m so scared,” she whispered, a violent tremor running through her and making her cling to his neck like she had when she was a little girl.
“I am too.” He hugged her fiercely, and they stood holding onto one another for long minutes, both of them tense, listening for the tone of the unsecured line.
When it didn’t come, they paced the living room for the next hour. It was driving her crazy not to know what was going on, and she kept picking the line up and putting it back down as she debated calling Letizia. Her former master might be busy, and if Dara called her she would tie up the line, possibly make Letizia miss a critical call, so she forced herself to leave it alone.
Hours passed, and when her adrenaline wore off, she was so exhausted she had trouble remaining upright. Neither she nor her father was willing to go to bed, though, so they collapsed in the living room, Dara curled into a tight ball on a chair while her father sprawled over the couch. In the middle of the night the unsecured line rang, and she snapped awake, blood roaring in her ears.
“Today is a fine day to contribute, wouldn’t you agree?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“Dara, it’s me,” Letizia said sharply. “We can’t find Shah.”
“What? Did the Authorities get her?” Panic almost made her hyperventilate, and she dropped her head between her knees, fighting for control.
“No. We had eyes on her, but she left the location before the team could get to her. They’re searching for her.”
“She must be hiding somewhere. I told Javier to warn her.”
“You did what?” Letizia’s frigid tone seemed to stab through the phone and sink into Dara’s ear like a needle. “You’d better hope we find her before the Authorities do. I have to go.”
“Wait, Letizia, what happened to Javier?”
“He and his family are out.”
“Thank the Creators.” Dara sagged with relief. “What about us?”
“Stay where you are. Mal doesn’t think you’re at risk right now.”
“Thanks, Letizia. I—” Her former master disconnected without another word, and Dara broke out in a cold sweat. She couldn’t bring herself to regret having warned Javier and telling him to warn Shah, but it hadn’t occurred to her that doing so might make it more difficult for the Free Thinkers to get her out.
“What’s going on?” Joshua asked, his voice rough with urgency. She gave him a recap of her conversation with Letizia, and his relief was palpable. “We should still be prepared, just in case.”
“Just in case,” she echoed in agreement.
“Will you be okay, Dara? Will you be able to make it through tomorrow?”
“I don’t have much choice, do I?” Her throat closed, making it impossible to swallow.
“Jasmine Shah has disappeared,” Andersen said, his voice grating on Dara’s ears. He had summoned her to his apartment first thing. She was a wreck, her head and body aching, her nerves scraped raw. She lifted a hand to her head, coaxing a loose strand of hair back into the sleek knot she’d spent far too much time perfecting, determined not to appear as disheveled as she felt. Discreetly, she dabbed at her ear, surprised when her fingers didn’t come away bloody.
“Disappeared?” she asked, hoping her voice didn’t sound as odd to him as it did to her.
“She’s nowhere to be found. The Authorities have searched all night, but it’s beginning to look as though they won’t find her. She must have fled the dome sometime during the night.”
“Wh—what does that mean, sir?”
Andersen’s eyes gleamed at the sound of her unsteady question. “Don’t worry, Dara. No one knows you were in her apartment last night. I vouched for you and told the Authorities I walked you home after our meeting. I assure you, you have nothing to fear. After all, you’re not the criminal, are you? Shah is. She may have slipped through Magnum’s fingers, but her disappearance speaks clearly of her guilt, as does the disappearance of Mr. Gutierrez.”
“What? Javier is gone too?” she asked, widening her eyes and pretending she hadn’t known.
“He is indeed. Two teams of Authorities are searching his home and Shah’s. I understand they’ve already found some very suspicious things.”
“Evidence that Shah was plotting against Magnum?” She had to be careful when she posed the question. His information truly did surprise her. Though it had been obvious that Shah was working hard to discredit Andersen’s project, Dara hadn’t for one second believed that Shah or Javier was plotting against Magnum. Could she have been so off base?
“Evidence of illegal activities, though I don’t know their exact nature. One thing is clear: both Jasmine Shah and Javier Gutierrez committed serious crimes against Magnum. Disappearing was the only smart thing either of them ever did. As a matter of routine, the Authorities may wish to speak to you about what you saw in Shah’s reports. I’m certain you’ll give them the information they need.”