Generation by Heather Hildenbrand

Author:Heather Hildenbrand [Hildenbrand, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Alloy Entertainment
Published: 2015-10-12T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Chief Hawthorne says something about fetching coffee before he disappears again. The moment he shuts the door, I whip out my phone. I dial Melanie first, but after several rings, it goes to voice mail. I grind my teeth and dial Linc instead.

Linc answers on the first ring. “What’s wrong?” he asks immediately.

“McDowell’s been replaced,” I say, breathless with my panic over choosing the right words to relay the information the fastest. “Antwon—”

“I saw the press release,” Linc says grimly.

“Chief Hawthorne thinks I’m rebelling. He called Titus,” I say on a whisper because saying it aloud would threaten my control. And I can’t break down. Not here.

Linc curses softly. I hope I’m not compromising him by calling with this. “He’ll already have checked Eva’s bed by now. He’s going to know it’s you.”

“I know,” I say.

“You can’t be there when he arrives,” Linc says.

“I know,” I hiss again.

“Where are you, exactly?” he asks, and his voice is strained. In the background, footsteps pound out a quick rhythm.

I press my ear to the door and listen before answering softly, “Chief Hawthorne went for coffee. I’m in his office.”

“Get out of the building. Do whatever it takes. I’m coming,” he says. On his end of the line, a door bangs shut.

“Melanie’s got the car outside,” I say.

An engine flares to life, low and growling, and he raises his voice to be heard over it. “Then it’s whichever one of us you see first. And, Ven, if you’re not outside when I get there, I’m coming in.”

The line goes dead, cutting off my response, and I shiver at the threat. I take a deep breath and blow it out, squaring my shoulders. Get out, he said. I hope it really is as simple as that.

I turn the knob carefully and then remember I’m supposed to be Raven. And she doesn’t do anything timidly. With that in mind, I yank the door wide, arranging my features into something more wild. Determined. It isn’t hard.

The hallway is empty for the moment and I stride quickly along. Farther down, I hear the low hum of noise that carries from the break room I passed on my way in. Just past that is the door marked REAR EXIT. I’ll have to pass several offices—now well-lit and ajar—to get there, but it’s closer than trying to go all the way back to the lobby.

I move fast but stay light, glad for the thin carpet that masks the clip of my shoes. Just before the break room, I hesitate. The hum of voices and movement inside is louder now, and my mouth goes dry. At any second, Chief Hawthorne will return with coffee and realize I’m trying to slip away. If that happens—

At the far end of the hall, a door opens. I falter as a man steps through. He’s wearing a dark blue uniform with a patch for a name tag and pushing a bucket with the help of his husky belly. It rolls slowly along over the thin carpet, its wheels squeaking as they go.

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