Oracle

Chapter 18

My fingers race across the keyboard as I start to connect the possible dots. The first Clench victim death was a social services worker; makes sense because if there was a kid on the streets social services would be called in. But who called them? I highly doubt it would be Ra's.

I hear footsteps, more like feet dragging, behind me. "Hey." I mumble as I continue to search file after file.

Dinah yawns, "It's almost nine o'clock in the morning... did you even sleep?"

"No."

"Jesus, Barb, you have to rest."

"I've been trying to pinpoint this kid's location based on the people he has inadvertently killed with the virus."

"And?"

"The victims, when you take in their time of death and their whereabouts at that time, seem unrelated. But, I created an algorithm to-"

"Too techie; rephrase."

"I created a program, to calculate the approximate time these people were introduced to Ebola Gulf-A from the CDC's report on the virus's progression... and by using all the data from cell phone records, wifi usage, credit card purchases, traffic cameras, I might be able to see where this kid has been and possibly where he is going."

"Wow."

"Yeah, but now I am looking at the first few victims to see where this all started."

"And?"

"Nothing yet, but if I keep looking-"

"Barbara, stop." Dinah commands as she forcibly turns my office chair around. She looks worried. "I get that you want to help, but you'd be able to help a lot more if you were rested."

My stomach decides to chime into the conversation by growling loudly...

"And fed."

My eyes burn as they adjust to the light of the room instead of the screen. I take my glasses off and rub the indentations left in the sides if my nose. "I hate it when you're right..."

"Feels good for a change," Dinah smirks, but notices the glazed look in my eye, "You okay?"

I feign a smile, "It's like you said: I just need to sleep."

As I wheel away, my chest collapses in pain. I hate lying to my friends. It feels so shallow, and yet so necessary.

******************************

"Did she say what was upsetting her?" Dick asks from the privacy of the janitor's closet.

Dinah sighs, "No, but I know something is. When you grow up as the daughter of a cop, your face reading is usually correct... even when you wish it wasn't."

"She tries to stay busy. In her mind that's how she deals with it... it keeps her preoccupied so she doesn't have to confront it."

"What exactly is she dealing with?" Dinah asks as she looks over her shoulder at the closed bedroom door.

"I don't know. She won't talk to me unless it is the last resort... even then, she doesn't say anything. I used to think it's because she did not know what was wrong, but I know now that it's because she knows exactly what is causing her so much pain but she's afraid to confront it."

Dinah chuckles, "You sound like your step-father."

"Yeah... well, observing him all my life has made it easier to spot in other people."