Daughter of Zeus ✔

18.3

"I want my daughter back," he said.

"You can't afford to be so fickle."

"Where are you? Let's talk without the tech in the way."

Her location uploaded to his screen. A holographic map leapt from the wristlet with a green dot marking Erma's place and a red dot marking his. Moretz followed the map to the blinking green dot. Eventually, the corridor became a dead end. The green dot was to his left, and he went left into an unknown room.

Small cylinders brought light into the large space. Erma stood near a desk holding multiple panels. Their clear surfaces were like glass as they were useless without electricity. By her side was a pistol, but she held it casually. Even as he approached, she didn't raise the gun to threaten him.

Beyond Erma's desk was Ada. She was in a room adjacent to the monitoring station, naked on a clear slab. He wanted to run to her, scoop her up, and flee, but Ms. Julane would never be so accommodating as to let that happen.

"What did you do to her?" He scanned Ada's brain and found no response.

It was good the State was unable to break through Kressick's command, but it was bad because he wasn't sure if he could break through it either.

Erma shifted her stance. "Nothing save stripping off all her clothes and laying her down. The real question is why are you breaking our agreement? You aren't the regretful type, or even the fatherly type."

He moved closer to Ada. He wasn't really listening to Erma. He let her talk as it gave him time to decide what exit to use, how to grab Ada, and run. Erma raised her gun.

"You're more powerful than you let on," she said, her eyes glittering behind the lenses of her glasses. "You could have subdued me and every other agent in this complex, but after that, the State would come for you and for Ada. They're quite persistent, you know."

He thought of the two times he'd been taken in by Ms. Julane. Nine years had passed between the occurrences, and he assumed he was off their radar after turning in Ada. He realized now the State never forgot, they only waited.

"Yes, I know," he said.

She smiled and pushed her glasses up. "Then let's make a new deal. Another trade." She aimed a finger him then at Ada. "You for her."

The deal could've been a lie. Moretz was a politician, and he knew when he came across a false promise. A trade could have been successful, if Phennell hadn't left. But there was only Moretz. Once he surrendered to the Sammie, there was nothing to stop her from taking the troublesome father and daughter.

He knew this, but he nodded his consent anyway. From the hallway, they both heard a new voice say, "Sounds good to me."

Erma aimed her gun at the doorway. The owner of the voice appeared with his arms up in the air and a sheepish grin on his face.

"Just here in a back-up capacity, ma'am," Shylar said.

"He one of yours?" she asked Moretz.

He sighed gratefully. His father had really planned for every contingency, excepting his death. Or had that been part of the larger plan as well?

Moretz gestured for Shylar to join him at Ada's side. Quickly, he asked about Darcy's well-being, at which Shylar nodded.

Then Moretz turned back to the Sammie, "Yes, he's one of mine. He's here to get Ada."

Erma tightened her lips into a thin line. "Fine." She nodded the gun in Ada's direction. "Take her."

Shylar moved, but before he could get to Ada, Moretz held up his hand. "I have to wake her first."

"Thought as much." Erma chuckled darkly. "Nothing we tried would revive her."

Moretz hoped he could. Kressick's tricks were practiced and near impossible to reverse. Still, he had to give it the ol' 'lectric try. He placed one hand on her forehead and sent a small but focused shock through her body. She twitched, but otherwise remained unchanged.

He realized the deep sleep went deeper than a mere physical manifestation. He needed to talk to her. Moretz closed his eyes, and imagined the deep layers of her brain. Most of the connections lay dormant, but he located a bright, blue tangle abuzz with activity. To the tangled mass, he whispered a plea. Wake up. Sparks from the tangle branched out slightly, then retracted. He tried once more, changing the inflection of his voice to resemble her husband's.

Wake up. She woke instantly, wheezing for air. Her gaze went from Moretz to Shylar, and then to the woman with the gun. She didn't wait for details. Strike first and survive second were her thoughts. Energy hissed and built inside of her. Ada would have taken all three of them down with a strong energy surge, but Moretz's words gave her pause.

"Let her go. I'll stay without a fight." A decision was taking place on Erma's face as she compared father and daughter. Her gun stayed level with both of them, even as Moretz or Ada could have easily disarmed the laser pistol from a short distance. In an apparent surrender, Erma put the pistol down on the desk.

"I'm more honorable than you are, Congressman," she said, painting a self-righteous note into her tone. "They can go." She pointed at Shylar and Ada.

Her permission inspired Shylar to move fast. In seconds, Ada was in his arms and they were out of the room.

Ada's voice echoed from the hallway: "Put me down, you idiot. And where are my fucking clothes?"

Next came the sound of receding footsteps, followed by silence. Moretz and Erma stared at each other in the light of the ELS cylinders.

Finally, he asked, "What happens now?"

Erma shrugged, then she smiled.