Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things Novels #1)(50)

Children were exhausting. But also? Kind of wonderful.





3.


Brenner sat behind an oak desk large enough to make a point. This barrier between me and you is not just symbolic. We are separated in power by many degrees.

“They’ve met with each other at the garage twice, sir,” the security man said, addressing himself to a point just over Brenner’s right shoulder. The trick would’ve fooled most people into assuming eye contact.

Brenner wasn’t most people. “And you have video or audio?”

The gaze over his shoulder intensified. “I’m afraid we’ve been unable to do that. A man went in to do a sweep, attempting to sell the Johnson girl’s uncle a security system. He showed off a bit of his own—there’s no way to be certain he wouldn’t film us placing it. He has cameras very cleverly hidden.”

Brenner took his time responding. “So…what you’ve come to tell me is that a mechanic has outsmarted what is supposedly the best security and intelligence force on the planet?”

“Not the words I’d use.” The man waited and when Brenner didn’t speak, he went on. “But yes, if you choose to see it that way. My take is that we have decided the risk of being exposed is not equal to the value of having footage of secret meetings between college students you’ve been pumping full of LSD. We’ve managed to plant listening devices in the Ives and Flowers residences, both at the dorms and at home. That is sufficient.”

“Get out,” Brenner said.

The man’s mouth opened and closed, and Brenner expected an argument to spout forth. But instead the man shook his head, rose, and said, “You’re just like I heard.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

Brenner never understood those who worried about collegial threats. He didn’t care if this man liked him, didn’t even truly care if he respected him. He cared about respect of his authority though.

“Also, officer?” Brenner asked, and the man stopped at the door. “You can expect to be reassigned. Our work here is of crucial importance, even if you don’t understand it. Classified information is classified for a reason.”

“I look forward to the day someone rains on your perverse parade.” The man slammed the door, not waiting for a response.

It hardly mattered. He wouldn’t have gotten one.

Of course, Brenner could have given Terry another assignment—to bug the garage. But he no longer trusted her not to tell the others. And he couldn’t be confident in giving her a hypnotic suggestion to forget it while she was on her guard.

Time to go check in on Eight, who kept giving him drawings of the two of them and a third person with a circle head and question mark face, to represent the friend he’d promised her. He should add them to her file, but something about them made him vaguely angry. He threw them out instead.





4.


Terry rolled over in bed to see Andrew staring at her. “Was I drooling in my sleep?”

“You know I think that’s adorable.”

“Adorably disgusting.”

“Your words.”

They smiled at each other. “What time is it?” Terry asked.

“Early.”

Terry reached over and cupped a hand to his cheek. She preferred to wait for kisses until they’d both brushed their teeth. Morning breath was not a turn-on for her. Andrew was well aware.

“Why are we awake then?” she asked. “Should we go back to sleep?”

Lately she could fall asleep anywhere as if on command. Did she sit down in class? At the diner for a break? Did no one bother her for a few minutes? Bam. Out. She was developing a theory it was the lack of natural sunlight.

“Babe?” Terry asked, because Andrew was staring at her with his hesitation face on.

“Nothing. You’ve been talking in your sleep again.”

What have I been saying? “I’ve always been a sleep-talker. I believe Stacey warned you about that when she introduced us.”

He gave a half smile. He remembered. “She did. You’ve been telling me not to go, in your dreams. To stay.”

“And?” She was afraid she might have said something about Brenner being behind Andrew’s departure.

“You’ve also been talking about Kali and Dr. Brenner.”

He didn’t elaborate, so it couldn’t be that. “So?” she prompted.

“We need to talk. About the first part.”

Terry removed her hand from his cheek and sat up, cupping the sheet to her where normally she might have let it fall. “Okay.”

“Don’t do that,” Andrew said, sitting up against the headboard. “Sometimes even Frodo and Sam have to have tough conversations.”

She could feel the tears at the backs of her eyes, waiting to spill out at the drop of a stray word from him. That couldn’t happen. She had to be strong for Andrew. Her dad had always been strong for her mom, her mom strong for the rest of them, and Terry had always quietly resolved to do the same.

Now’s your chance, don’t screw it up.

“I appreciate that your feet aren’t as hairy as Sam’s.” She was amazed she kept her voice normal, level. “Hit me.”

She memorized him, sitting in profile beside her. He turned to look at her. His brown-green eyes were so serious. His hair mussed from sleep. “All right. I want to preface this by saying, I don’t want this. I don’t want any of this. If I could go back…”