Elusion(61)

It’s like the universe is throwing me a lifeline.

“Really?”

“Make it quick, okay?” His voice is warm and kind. “And don’t die on me. That would really ruin my shift.”

“Thank you so much.” I reach into my bag for my passcard so I can credit him, but the man waves me off.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says. “Just be careful.”





THIRTEEN


I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES ME to find the ice cave, but it definitely seems more difficult to do on my own. The rappelling moves slowly because my ExSet isn’t at an advanced level like before. I also have to stop a few times and force myself to remember what exactly I’m in search of.

Thankfully, not one bit of frustration registers on my emotional spectrum. My mind and body are like balloons, rising into the frosty air, totally weightless and free. When I see the emerald-green archway that leads to the cavern, a surge of happiness wraps around my waist and chest as I remember the last time I was here.

Josh kissed me.

My head tips upward, shifting my gaze. Above me are thousands of bright electric-purple stars, twinkling like glittering pinpricks in an ink-black sky. I follow the glow of the deep red moon, which leads me into the cave that still appears to be made of grass-colored ice. As I walk inside, the shadows from the column-shaped stalagmites and shimmering icicles dance around the soft, snow-covered floor, swirling with gorgeous pigments to form an ethereal yet distorted rainbow.

About twenty feet away, I see Josh kneeling in front of the gargantuan ice formation that stretches through the ceiling of the cave. He’s wearing a navy parka and heavy, industrial boots. A backpack is securely fastened on his shoulders. His brow is furrowed as he draws something in the dazzling cherry-blossom snow.

From behind a large, gleaming green icicle, I watch him for a bit, each one of his movements deliberate yet graceful. I’m aware that I was angry with him back home, but I’m having trouble recalling why. Then I hear a little voice in my mind telling me the reason is no longer important.

Trust him.

He’s your friend.

He cares about you.

So I listen and step closer, looking at what Josh is trying to create in the snow—a makeshift sketch of the firewall. But once I recognize it as the looming frozen structure in front of us, I feel a sharp, squeezing twinge near my temples. Another voice, not reassuring in the slightest, pops that amazing balloon-like feeling, and all that’s left is a searing rage that almost knocks me to my knees.

The firewall.

Suddenly, I remember.

My father.

Orexis.

The QuTap.

Principle Caldwell’s son.

Avery.

Everything connects in a matrix of gut-wrenching images, and I’m so furious I’m trembling. My head begins to throb with a relentless pressure behind my eyes. I close them tightly and press my fingers against my temples, but it doesn’t alleviate the pain. “Regan?” I hear Josh call out, his voice questioning, like he’s surprised to see me.

He walks swiftly in my direction, reaching out when I’m close enough to coax into a hug, and I quickly step to the right, dodging him and causing him to stumble. High doses of adrenaline are fueling every one of my nerve endings.

“Stay away from me!” I shout.

Josh doesn’t seem as aggravated as I am, but his posture stiffens until he’s as unmovable as the ice walls surrounding us. “I told you, I can explain.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to hear this story,” I say. “I bet you and Avery came up with a great excuse for using me as a pawn in whatever scheme you two have going.”

“There’s no scheme,” he says.

“So then why the hell did you give her the QuTap?”

“Because it belongs to her. She gave it to me. So you and I could complete our mission.”

My hands ball into fists. He can’t possibly be that stupid. “What?”

“Her father’s a cybersecurity specialist. She has access to the equipment we need to decode the QuTap.”

My fists are turning white with anger. I feel like pummeling him into the snow. A drop of moisture falls from the ice-covered ceiling, splattering against my pale, clenched knuckles. “So you went behind my back and asked for help from my worst enemy? Were you just playing me the whole time, so you could get information that would screw my father’s old company over?”

“No! That’s not what happened!” Josh yells. Apparently his feelings of aggression are now matching mine, fire for fire.

“And what about the photos of the warehouse? Did they just magically appear in the journalists’ possession?”

“Look, I had to show those to Avery, too. What she did with them was kind of impulsive, but—”

“Impulsive? Do you have any idea how much trouble she can get Patrick and me in? She despises us!”

Another droplet of melted ice splatters and then another, but I’m so consumed with anger I brush them away without thinking.

“Us? Someone is in a hospital, hooked up to machines because of Elusion, and you’re still worried about Patrick? That’s pretty twisted.” The expression on his face contorts into fury, and all of a sudden I’m reminded that Josh nearly beat a guy to within an inch of his life. I’m not scared that he will physically hurt me here, but it’s another reason to lash out at him.