Space Runners #4 by Jeramey Kraatz

Author:Jeramey Kraatz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-06-25T16:00:00+00:00

13.

Pinky was going to be the first to realize what was going on.

If she didn’t know already.

Trevone was right when he’d said they were acting suspiciously, and the fact that they’d turned off their comms probably put Pinky on high alert. From the moment they’d set foot on the Moon, she’d been there, always listening and watching. Even when they were on Vala’s ship and her abilities were limited, she seemed to constantly be around, popping up out of nowhere and walking out of walls—an all-seeing ghost in the machine.

When they powered their comms back on halfway down the stairs back to the courtyard, Benny half expected her voice to ring out in his helmet, asking them why they’d disappeared. But there was only silence, which was somehow even worse. It was like when his dad or grandmother had been upset with him and his brothers back in the Drylands and instead of yelling or explaining why you shouldn’t wander off into the desert at night or scare people with holographic spiders, they were quiet and disappointed.

Hot Dog and Drue didn’t speak either. They knew what they had to do: collect whatever they needed and meet in the garage. Benny would get Jasmine and Pito. Drue would stop in to say good-bye to his father. Hot Dog would grab supplies—first aid and extra food for the journey. They’d talk to basically no one else until they were back on Vala’s ship, when it was too late for Elijah or Ricardo or anyone else to stop them.

Of course, they would still need to know what was going on inside the Taj to make this work.

“Pinky,” Benny said as they approached the building. “Can you give us an update?”

There was a slight pause before the AI spoke, one that most people probably wouldn’t have noticed. But Benny had gotten used to Pinky responding within an instant anytime he needed her. Now the seconds between his question and her answer seemed to span minutes.

“Elijah’s spoken to Senator Lincoln,” her voice finally said. “He was helpful, actually. We think we have a way of contacting the president directly through some channels that shouldn’t be blocked off by Earth’s firewall. Elijah’s called Major Stokes to his office while I try to complete a connection.”

“Excellent. That’s great news.”

He gave Drue a thumbs-up. The medical wing was all clear.

“Benny . . .” Pinky said.

“Yeah, Pinky?” he asked as they climbed the stairs to the lobby.

A few more seconds passed. “Make sure you and the others are getting some rest. You’re likely running on fumes at this point.”

This, more than her accusing them of plotting, made Benny feel like he was doing everything all wrong.

“Will do,” he said.

Once inside the lobby, the three of them split up, nodding to each other one more time before going their separate ways. Benny headed for the stairwell that led to the basement, passing no one as he went—the EW-SCABers would all be in their rooms or grabbing food or maybe sitting around their common areas, wondering what was going to happen next.

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