Transient - Complete Book One (Episodes 1 - 4) (Transient Serial) Page 20

  We’ve become a tourist attraction, Rae mused.

  Well, it’s better than nothing.

  On the twenty-second day, Drew got out of his car and walked up the steps to talk to them.

  “Hi,”he said, addressing Rae.“Remember me?”

  “The guy from the plane,”she said as they shook hands at the top of the steps.“Drew.”

  “That’s me,”he replied, unabashed.

  “You’ve been watching us a long time.”

  “You’ve been here a long time.”

  “I never see you walk into the building.”

  “I don’t work here,”he told her.

  “You said you did.”

  “I said I workedhere - years ago. I left. I’m still a consultant, but not for OBK. I don’t want them, and they don’t want me.”

  “Why didn’t you say hi before now?”

  “I wanted to see how serious you were.”

  “Dead serious.”

  “Determined, at least,”he said with admiration.“I think I can help.”

  “How?”

  “I probably know more about the cryptograph system than anyone outside the company.”

  “I’m interested,”Rae said.

  “I thought you might be. But I want something in return.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A dinner date.”

  She was a little taken aback.“Business or pleasure?”

  “Both, I hope.”

  “Benny calls you my stalker.”

  Drew laughed at that. His smile was disarming.

  “I’m not sure I should go on a date with my stalker.”

  “Is that a no?”

  “It’s a yes, but with a caveat.”

  The following evening, Drew picked her up at her hotel after the protest had finished for the day. He drove her to The Lobby, a new seafood restaurant on Mission Street.

  “Best lobster in town,”he told Rae.

  The place had an inner courtyard decorated with fish tanks the size of movie screens, and flowers hanging from the ceiling. Though about a mile inland, the air inside the dim intimate space was redolent of the sea. Candles lit their way to their table.

  Drew pulled a chair out for Rae, and then sat across from her. He wore a suit much like the one she’d met him in, again with the tie loose and top button open. She just wore her floral dress and sandals.

  He took her on a tour of the menu, which he seemed to know by heart. She was tempted by the salted sea bass, but in the end ordered butter poached lobster tails with caviar mousse. Drew ordered lobster diavolo, and promised let her try some. He also chose a bottle of medium dry Riesling from Mosel, because he liked the German Rieslings best he said. It was much dryer than Rae was accustomed to, but she warmed to it. Much like she was warming to being wined and dined.

  “I like San Francisco,”she said.“How long have you been living here?”

  “It feels like I’ve spent most of my life here, though it’s only been a few years. I was born in Visalia, and came north for college. I love the weather here, the people, the vibe.”

  “And OBK.”

  He smirked.“What makes you say that?”

  “You worked for them.”

  “In the early days. Like I told you before, I was just a kid, really, still in school, still naive about a lot of things. They took advantage of that. A whiz kid who didn’t yet know the way of the world.”

  “And you know the way of the world now?”

  “I know a lot more than I did.”Drew took another sip of wine as if to hide his thoughts. Then he revealed them.“I know more than I should.”

  “Sounds dangerous,”Rae said.

  “It is.”

  She didn’t know what to make of this guy, but suspected he’d asked her out to probe for information about the protest and their plans. Rae was happy to play along, and had discussed this‘date’at length with Apollo who agreed. He hadn’t found anything out of the ordinary on a background search and while what Drew had already told her seemed to check out, she wasn’t leaving anything to chance.

  “Why OBK?”she asked.

  Drew stared at her. His gaze had a steely edge. There might have been a threat behind those eyes, but she couldn’t be sure.

  I’ve touched a nerve.

  He glanced away, surveyed the room a moment, and then said,“Why did I work for them?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It was glamorous,”he replied.“It paid well. Extremely well. It was cutting edge stuff. But most important, it was challenging. I love a challenge. Always have. That’s what gets my engine going, you know? Doing something no one has done before. Or at least something Ihaven’t done before. Climb the mountain, run the marathon, build the system.”

  Rae eyes widened.“You built the cryptograph system?”

  “No, the system’s too big. Way too big. Teams of programmers around the globe built the cryptograph. And not just OBK programmers. It’s a huge conglomerate now, and back then it was growing fast and had growing pains. I helped alleviate some of those growing pains, on the engineering side - the back end - you might say. The core team did the research, the science, came up with the algorithms, and perfected the system to the degree it is or isn’t perfect—”

  “You have your doubts.”

  He smiled and looked around a little.“This is the part where we keep our voices down.”

  “Understood.” She nodded, almost holding her breath, waiting.

  “If you really understood Rae,”he continued,“you wouldn’t ask me something like that in public.”

  She exhaled in disappointment.“Is that your way of getting me in private?”

  He grinned.“Could be.”

  Their food came, and conversation shifted to the meal, and the wine, and the venue.

  “I take it,”Rae asked,“this isn’t your first time here?”

  “It’s one of my favourite restaurants.”

  “For business?”she probed.

  “And pleasure.”He was holding her gaze longer now. For some reason she did not feel threatened by it anymore. The food or the wine and the conversation had seemed to soften his hard edges. His expressions were becoming less guarded. He was opening up to her more and more.

  The waitress came to clear their plates.“Anything for dessert?”

  Drew ordered cheesecake to share, and two coffees.

  When the waitress left, Rae said to him.“What if I don’t like cheesecake?”

  “You do.”

  He seemed completely sure of himself. He smiled at her, as if waiting for an argument or confirmation.

  Rae thought back on their earlier exchanges, and wondered if she had mentioned cheesecake to him, but they hadn’t talked at all about dessert, and there would be no way he would know cheesecake was her favorite.

  Everyone loves cheesecake, she rationalized. Lucky guess.

  Another thought crept in: He knows things about me.

  Drew had seen her on television, and watched her protesting for weeks on end. He was practically her stalker, though he seemed harmless enough and had never acted in a threatening way. The idea that he might possess some secret knowledge about her favorite dessert did not rise to the level of real concern, but in other circumstances, it could have been unnerving. Yet for some reason that thought didn’t freak her out, but made her more curious about him.

  The waitress brought the cheesecake and coffees, along with the check. Drew signed without looking at the bill.

  Rae said,“I tried looking you up online, despite not knowing your last name. Didn’t find much. No Facebook page, no Cracker or Twitter account, no public profile in the normal places. Nothing in the news archives. Nothing from OBK either.”

  “There’s a reason for that,”he said with the hint of smile.“And for the record, my surname’s Archer.”

  Archer. For some reason she liked that.

  “What reason?”

  He didn’t answer, but sipped his coffee and kept his gaze on
her eyes, as if waiting for her to tell him.

  “You’re hiding from something,”Rae ventured.

  He didn’t answer.

  “Living off the grid.”

  He set his coffee cup down, but said nothing.

  “You’re running from OBK?”

  “No,”he said, meeting her gaze head on.“They’re running from me.”

  “Why would they—”

  The sudden realization hit her. The idea had been there all along, at the edge of her awareness, that familiarity she felt with him, and that sense of edgy danger she couldn’t quite place. She and Drew had met before the flight to San Francisco. Long before. It was no accident that he was seated next to her on the plane. He had planned it that way. He had studied her, watched her, tested her. He was testing her now. The look in his eyes was a question, a demand, the key to unlocking the mystery of their meeting.

  Hi steely gaze was saying: Tell me who I am.

  “Apollo,”Rae said, breathlessly.

  He smiled, pushed his chair back and stood up from the table.“Let’s talk about this in private.”

  PART FOUR

  THE CELL

  Chapter 21

  Apollo drove them back to his hotel, which was only a few blocks from Rae’s. It was a short drive, with the traffic moving slowly and the lights against them.

  Rae sat quietly, not knowing what to say. She was having a hard time processing this new information.

  Drew was Apollo. Her online friend, confidant…saviour of sorts.

  He wasn’t how she’d pictured him. She’d thought he was younger, about her age, but he was eighteen - two years older and looked older still.

  Not that it bothered her. He was attractive and charismatic, not terribly tall, but taller than she was. She liked his hair, the way it was a little on the longer side which made him seem free-spirited and laid back. She liked his smile and the kindness in his eyes. He didn’t look as nerdy as she had imagined. He wasn’t her image of a hacker. Again, more like a businessman or lawyer.

  He’s cute, she decided. She’d thought that several times before about‘Apollo’, but now needed to reassess.

  “What are you feeling?”he asked, looking sideways at her from the driver’s seat.

  She liked the way he said that. Most people ask what you’re thinking, but he wanted to know her emotionally, to understand what was happening in her heart.

  He does seem to care about me.

  “I’m feeling okay,”she said.“It’s a bit of a shock.”

  “A good shock?”

  “I don’t usually like surprises. This was a nice surprise. I’m glad we could meet. I wondered a lot about you.”

  “That much is mutual.”

  “But you know everything about me.”

  “Not everything,”he replied.“But I’d like to know more.”

  He drove the car to the front of his hotel. The valets opened the doors and both Apollo and Rae stepped out. It was cold, and the breeze seemed to be picking up. Apollo gave the valet his keys and a tip, then circled around to meet Rae. He took her arm and led her inside.

  They took the elevator up to his penthouse suite. It had a great view out the window, toward the water and the Bay Bridge. The city was lit up like a holiday.

  “It’s beautiful,”she said.

  “I love this city.”

  The suite was large, with a living room and separate bedroom. The bathroom was massive, with a sunken tub. She closed the door and checked her makeup. She could hear him on the hotel phone, ordering room service. Two bottles of wine, and a bowl of strawberries with whipped cream.

  Rae stepped out of the bathroom.“I love strawberries,”she said.

  “I know.”

  His cell phone buzzed. He checked the display then turned on the television. He flipped the channel past sports and dramas and commercials to find the local news station.

  Logan and Jenny were onscreen, being interviewed by a reporter. Rae moved closer.“Turn up the sound,”she urged Apollo who was only too happy to comply.

  “We’re only trying to let people know that the cryptograph is accurate,”Logan was saying.“The results are absolutely conclusive. There is no valid argument for not taking the test.”

  The reporter said,“What about the questions raised by the Tetrad?”

  “It’s easy to raise questions,”Jenny said,“but the answers are out there, for anyone to see. People die on their expiration day. It’s not a good thing or a bad thing. It’s the truth. Everyone dies, we’ve always known that but now we know when.”

  “It’s better to know,”Logan added.

  “Exactly. And you may not like the answer you’re given, but it is the answer.”

  “This is science, not religion.”

  “The Tetrad kids need to face reality, and stop trying to confuse people. It only makes things worse for everyone.”

  The reporter asked,“Have you been to the protests?”

  “No,”Logan responded,“but I saw it on the news like everyone else.”

  “It didn’t seem like much of a rally,”Jenny added.

  The reporter asked her,“Why do you think that is? Why so few people at these protests?”

  “It’s just the one protest.”Logan clarified.

  “I know they mean well,”Jenny said,“and I can see their hearts are in it.

  “Our hearts go out to them actually.”

  “Of course, because they’re our friends, especially Rae. We love her and we care for her, but she’s gone astray.”

  “There’s a ringleader,”Logan said.“But it’s not Rae. She’s been dragged into it by someone else.”

  The reporter checked his notes.“The mysterious figure calling himself Apollo?”

  Jenny said,“Apparently, he’s some kind of cult leader. It’s sad, really to see Rae fall for something like that. A movement dreamed up by some charismatic rebel.”

  “If you look at the history of cults,”Logan said,“you know this can’t end well.”

  “Logan, Jenny - if you could say one thing to your friend Rae now, what would it be?”

  Logan turned to face the camera directly.“Rae, I hope you’re watching this. I hope this reaches you. You know how much we’ve always cared about you. I understand what you’re going through. Life isn’t fair. The cryptograph isn’t fair–not for you. You didn’t get the result you were hoping for. The one we were both hoping for. It’s sad for all of us. Not just for you, but for your family and friends. For the entire community. We’re not the enemies here. Jenny myself, even OBK. We’re not the enemies. We all want the best for you.”His faux concerned expression and patronising tone was making Rae feel sick.

  “I know it’s easy to feel cut loose, and to need something to hold on to,”Logan continued. “An idea, a movement, a guru, a leader whatever. But you’re being led astray. This hacker whoever he is, he doesn’t want the best for you. He’s using you for his own agenda. You can see that, can’t you? Somewhere, down deep, I know the old Rae, my friend, my best friend, the dearest person to me, I know that girl still lives inside you. Not even Apollo can turn you into something you’re not. It’s time to get help, Rae. It’s time to reach out to those who truly care for you. It’s time to move on. You have my number. Call me. Call me anytime. Please. I want only the best for you. So does Jenny. And your family. It’s not easy, but you can do it. Pick up the phone. Call me. And come home safe.”

  Rae took the remote control from Apollo, and turned off the television.

  “I’ve heard enough.”

  He sank down into the sofa, which was turned to the window, looking out on the dark sky and the cityscape below. Then he reached for a bottle of water on a side-table nearby. He pointed to the brand name on the bottle.“Ever thought about what Evian spells backwards? Pretty much sums up OBK’s attitude to the world.”

  She’d never noticed it before but now Rae read the word, and instantly understood. Repackage to the masses something that’s already freely avai
lable, but get them to pay for it.

  “I’ll drive you home now, if you want.”

  What do I want?

  Rae stood in front of the television with the remote in her hand, frozen by a moment of indecision. She knew she wasn’t the one being led astray. It was Logan and Jenny who had changed. They’d been co-opted by OBK, their new paymasters, and were saying the things they were paid to say. To an outsider it sounded heartfelt, and no doubt Logan and Jenny had convinced themselves of the righteousness of their cause. But their cause was corrupt, and the world needed to see that. The world needed to know the truth. The world needed her and Apollo and the Tetrad.

  And what do I need?

  She studied Apollo’s…Drew’s profile as he stared out the window.

  Logan is my past, she thought. Drew is my future.

  But she’d known that all along, hadn’t she? When she’d made to decision to leave her family, fly to a different city and take up this…cause. She cared about the truth and wanting to change things, but deep down wasn’t much of that because of Drew?

  Rae put the remote down on the coffee table and went to the window, following his gaze. Her voice was almost a whisper.“Right now, there’s only one thing I want.”

  She heard him rise from the sofa, and then felt his hands on her hips. He was behind her, and he moved his arms around her waist, encircling her. They felt solid and strong–secure.

  She felt his cheek against hers and his warm breath in her ear.

  And then Apollo’s lips were on her neck, and he was kissing her tenderly, his arms tightening around her, the warmth of him, the strength of him holding her up as her legs felt weak beneath her.

  He turned Rae around in his arms, and their gazes locked for a moment before he moved forward and kissed her cheeks, and her chin and the tip of her nose. She smiled, feeling his light tender kisses over her skin. He kissed her eyes, and Rae realized she was crying, and he was kissing away her salt tears, but they were tears of joy, tears of emotional release. And she took his face in her hands and kissed him on the lips, feeling the soft warm wetness of his kiss, and the hardness of his teeth, and the tenderness of his tongue.