Frank and I stood in the garage as the Kelly's Retailers androids were unloaded from the truck. With three 757 guards at their sides, I watched them, a little uneasy with who escorted them to the other Lyons floor. I rolled my fingers into fists. "They know we're not disposing of them, right?"
"They do," Frank cleared his throat, "or they should."
Should. Right.
I looked at Victoria, and with my head, motioned toward the guards and the androids. Her gaze slid over in their direction. "Do me a favor, Vicky. Can you follow them, please?"
"Of course," she said with a small smile. Her hand peeled out of Reggie's as she headed in their direction, and he quickly moved to follow her.
I put up my hand and stopped him. We locked our eyes. I'd noticed for days now that he and Victoria were attached to the left hip, but he couldn't be at her side now. It wasn't safe for him. I knew if it were up to Katherine, he'd be set to be dismantled in a heartbeat. "Stay with me," I told him. "We'll go upstairs in a minute."
Reggie didn't argue, nodding as he stepped back against Frank's car.
A slow breath left me as Frank cleared his throat. "So, with what you saw out there, are you able to make this update or fix what Katherine wants?"
"By tomorrow?" I blinked. "That's impossible. I'll need more time than that."
He nodded, understanding, and looked at the floor. His bottom lip slid between his teeth as he bit down. "She needs something that would prevent what went on today. I don't know what you can do, but I think, for both of our sakes, you should try to do something."
Both of our sakes? I sighed and looked up at the garage ceiling. "I know she doesn't get it, but I know you know by now that an update isn't going to fix this, Frank. You saw evidence out there with your own eyes. The androids are mad, and they have every right to be."
His gaze lifted as he met mine. "I know..."
"Do you?" I chewed on the insides of my cheeks.
"I do." Frank's hands went above his head as he growled in frustration. I knew by the sound of it, and the look in his eyes, that the feeling wasn't toward me. If someone was constantly breathing down my neck to do something now, I'd be frustrated, too. I knew my current situation was the same, but it'd only just begun for me.
What he felt hit the air, so much so that I knew Reggie felt it. The larger android rubbed his hands together as he looked at the two of us, then he looked at his feet. I wish I could read his thoughts; I knew there was a storm in his head.
He saw with his own eyes what the world had to offer androids when it came to people. What kind of look was that for androids?
Frank put his hands over his face as he pushed off his car. "Look, I understand that this issue is global and beyond Lyons at this point."
Oh, he's getting it. I nodded. "So, then you understand there's no magic fix for this."
He lowered his head. Defeat radiated from him. I felt it hit my chest, seep into my bones, but I had to shake it off. I had to figure something out. "Um, Frank, earlier today—"
"At Kelly's?" Frank eyed me.
I quickly shook my head. "No, no, before that. With Logan, I—"
"Look," his brows shot up as he sighed, "it's not any of my business who you talk to. Logan, despite his rule-breaking, is a good employee."
Good employee. That was the only compliment he could think of, huh? I snickered and passed my hand over my neck. "I wasn't going to talk about him like that."
I'm just trying to think of what to do.
Frank gave me a side glance. "You sure? I mean, the way you were looking at him, I figured he'd be all you wanted to talk about."
Oh, really?
I smirked. Frank was blushing and that wasn't my imagination. His cheeks were pink. Reggie had to have noticed because he eyed me for a second then moved to the other side of the car as if to give us some space. I respected that.
Slightly biting my lip, I cocked my head. "Are you jealous?" I asked. "I didn't know that you—I mean, I never thought to ask if you—"
"Something else that isn't my business." He cleared his throat. His cheeks reddened. Brighter, an embarrassing hue.
My jaw dropped slightly as I slowly rubbed my fingers together. I couldn't force him. His reactions were basically what I'd said to him when I thought he and Katherine had a thing; the way she touched him and looked into his eyes, only made sense. For all I knew, there was something, but now I also knew that Frank did have feelings for others.
But like he said, it was none of my business.
"Fair," I said, taking a big gulp from my glass of whiskey. It burned as it went down, so I hissed. "But I wanted to talk about what you said. The rumor about your parents being the employees from the story."
"Okay," he hissed the word.
"Um, that rumor you mentioned your parents helped two mechanics who broke the rules." I looked back at him. "I think my father and grandfather were those mechanics."
"I know," he said as he closed his eyes. "I realized that after I read through your files; the ones you had me steal."
I laughed. Well, shit, Frank wasn't as innocent and honest as I thought. "So, you did read them?"
Finally, a smirk graced his face. He pushed a fork into his food as he nodded. "I did. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"No, no." I was still grinning like crazy. "Don't be sorry! I'm surprised at how well you lied. Reggie didn't even pick that up." The larger android glanced at us at the sound of his name. "That's amazing, like beating a lie detector."
"Well," he passed his hand through his dark hair, "it took a long time to learn how to lie like that. It was either do exactly what they say and lose myself—"
My grin fell slightly.
"—Or learn to lie to keep my humanity."
I felt what he said. Was that what was happening to me? I stood at the incident, deciding which side of the altercation needed my help the most. It didn't take long to figure it out, but losing ourselves or losing humanity—was that the current condition of the world? People like that manager or people like me?
In this, would I lose myself as I did what Lyons wanted me to do? Or could I learn to lie like Frank and save myself instead?
Frank faced me, a weak smile on his face. "Since we're talking, I wanted to tell you that I know you're right."
I pinched my brows together. "Right, about what?"
He sighed and glanced at Reggie. "That we're both prisoners here."
***
I felt like Frank and I connected on a new level. Once I was back in my apartment and had news from Victoria that the androids from the retail store were safe, I felt like I was able to sleep. Despite what happened and what I knew I needed to do; dreams were minimal.
When morning came, I knew I had to make my next move. I expected endless messages, or even Frank letting himself into my apartment; what I hadn't expected was Victoria standing in the living room with a phone in her hands.
Standing in my open doorway, I passed my hand over my groggy face and blinked for a second. "What's that?" I asked her.
Victoria wiggled a finger, then she smiled, dipping her head so that her long waves fell over her bare shoulder. I liked the cute outfit. A new tank top, pink, with Lyons' logo across the front. I could've done without branding, but clothes were clothes. "This came to the door earlier this morning," she said. "There was a new text alert the second I received it. I think Katherine believes you were the one who came and accepted the delivery."
My brows pinched together as I extended my hand. "Oh?" As soon as the phone hit my palm, I unlocked the screen. No passcode to get in? A little dangerous Lyons, don't you think? I glanced up at Victoria as she continued to stare at me. "How did you know it was from her?" I asked.
She pointed at my hand. "Her name is the contact that sent it. Frank's phone number is saved in there as well."
Pressing my lips together, I stifled my laugh. "You know, when I hoped for a phone, this wasn't what I was expecting."
Regardless of what I wanted or needed; this phone arrived because Katherine needed to be able to contact me. When I taped the message icon, Katherine's text came up first. "Welcome to Moto," was second.
Her text read: Elijah, the world is in desperate need of some kind of resolution. I know you touched on the situation from yesterday and acted as you thought was necessary, but you've been here over a week and our clock is ticking. The fact is my company is investing a lot in you and we need an update to combat what just happened. Please send it to me however is most convenient for you by one o'clock this afternoon.
My brows shot up as my jaw dropped. "By one?" I sputtered and looked at the time at the top of the phone. "I only have a few hours. She doesn't understand how any of this works."
"She doesn't." Victoria frowned. "But that's why she needs you."
Right, she needed me. Her company killed her greatest assets over ten years ago, I felt I had to expand on what my family started. They were the masterminds in understanding the androids. "Okay, well, I think I have a plan."
"What's the plan?" she asked, looking at me curiously.
Walking back into my room, I dug into my closet. There were casual clothes—jeans, shirts, three pairs of joggers—but my eyes settled on the dressier sets at the end. The slacks and suit jackets. My hand wrapped around the color of a black blazer. "I'm going to call Frank since I have his number because I think he'll understand, but first," I turned, holding the blazer to my chest, "you said you processed all my father's notes? Or my grandfather's? I know they're handwritten on paper."
As light passed over her eyes, she reached over my shoulder, flipping through the hangers in my closet. She came back with a white button-up shirt. I smiled. I didn't ask her to help dress me, but I appreciated it. "Yes," she said. "What does this have to do with a plan?"
"Okay, good," I said. "Are they codable? If it is and I wanted to pass the file to Katherine, would she be able to use it?"
Victoria's brows pinched together. "Are you sure you want to do that?"
She was worried, and concerned, and didn't trust Katherine at all. I knew that, but my boss was demanding data and some androids were getting restless. "Just work with me, babe," I whispered. "Please."
Victoria placed her hands in front of her, rubbing her fingers together. Her nervous tick. It'd been a while since I saw her do it. All of this bothered her, didn't it?
Sighing, she met my gaze. "With your family's data, if you work on it long enough, it will be codable, but there isn't a way to get that done in a few hours. It will probably take weeks, months. I know it's everything you've ever been taught, but it isn't something you've pieced together on your own. I say this to also say, you're the only one who'd be able to use it, too."
Shit. I knew this dilemma wasn't a quick fix, but months? I thought I'd be here just a few weeks and then we could go back home. Foolish of me to think it was that easy. It was more like hopeful thinking. "Katherine needs it," I sighed, my hand falling to my side. "Lyons needs it."
"Your history needs it," Victoria said.
"I know," I sucked in a breath, "but you've already said the world and its androids need me more, so."
All she could do was smile. I added that winning sentence in, didn't I? The world needs me, androids need me; I knew Katherine was at the top, but she wasn't my focus at the end of the day. Today, she was my focus until one o'clock.
"Okay, do me a favor," I took the shirt she'd grabbed from her and hung it over my arm with the blazer, "pull up all of Lyons' attempts at upgrades, the base codes, and put them into a USB drive. I'm going to shower, change, then I'll call Frank. I've got a plan to put some bullshit together for Lyons."
"How?" Victoria asked as she followed me out of the room.
When I walked into my living room, I saw Reggie sitting on the kitchen island. He held a tablet in his hand. It looked like there was news on the screen. He swiped at the glass for a second before he turned and looked at me. Nodding, he gave me a small wave. I did the same.
Then I looked back at Victoria. "I'm just going to rewrite what they already have, tweak it a bit, and make them think it's brand new. Think of a rip-off handbag. If the stitch is good, you can't tell the difference."