Waylaid by Kim Harrison

Author:Kim Harrison [Harrison, Kim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Adult, Fantasy
Amazon: B01AS3WJXY
Goodreads: 29087051
Publisher: Pocket Star
Published: 2016-04-04T05:00:00+00:00

4

The three-lane road to the front gate of Opti Health was well maintained and brightly lit, the clandestine government agency hidden in plain sight in one of Detroit’s new tech industry parks set out among a mix of old and new trees. The regular rise and fall of the land showed where there had once been homes, and the largest trees were in regular rows where streets once ran. Nothing but the sewer and underground electric lines remained, having been repurposed to industry.

The remaining road was heavy with cameras, and Peri drove through the wide, multilane, general entrance with an unusual quickness, appreciating that there was no traffic at this hour. The light was brightening at the horizon, but it was still dark, and fatigue tugged at Peri, pushed aside by practice and a lingering worry.

Jenks had perched himself on the rearview mirror almost as soon as they had gotten in the car. He’d been silent most of the way, watching the droneway lights with an intent curiosity that begged Peri to ask what he was thinking. The fake accelerator was in her purse on the passenger’s seat. Rachel was in the trunk. Convincing her to get in it hadn’t been easy.

Jenks’s wings hummed for balance as Peri took the soft right that led to Opti’s small cluster of buildings where an elementary school had once been. The small man was swinging his feet, which were wrapped up in a tissue to ward off the cold, and somehow managing to look like he was all that—with caramel sauce and sprinkles.

“Rachel says you have a lot of kids,” she said, not comfortable with the silence as they wove through the trees and Opti’s technological, hidden fence. On average, it killed three deer every year, mostly in the winter.

Jenks shrugged, his dust shifting to a pretty gold. “Used to. They’re on their own now.”

“You don’t look old enough to have kids, much less any on their own.” Peri’s grip on the wheel tightened as the road shrank to one lane. It was heavily monitored, and if they couldn’t pull this off, the cameras would likely analyze her trip in, seeing her car was riding low.

His attention coming back from the brightening skies, Jenks smiled. “I’m over twenty. Oldest pixy in existence.” His flash of pride vanished, replaced with a lingering sadness.

He’s alone, even with his friendship with Rachel, Peri realized. “Well, I appreciate you convincing Rachel to get in the trunk. I know it wasn’t easy for her, but there’s no other way to get her past Opti’s gatehouse without alerting them. You they’ll overlook, but a tall redhead with attitude will be remembered, and once that breaks, I lose my job. Everything.”

Her pulse quickened at the sight of the brightly lit guardhouse, Opti’s buildings beyond. Getting Rachel past the front desk without her being seen was going to be difficult as well, even with Rachel’s plan of distract-and-evade. Peri could draft to fix a mistake, but if he were awake, Jack would feel it and know something was wrong.

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