25
knight
CALIX’S PHONE IS ringing, and the number takes over the screen on his car, and he glances at it and shrugs. He hits a button to ignore it. “Probably a spam caller,” he says to me. The screen is taken back over by the maps app. I told him to put an address in there that I remember, but it’s not really an address of anything, just a spot in the middle of nowhere, a place to dump bodies.
Next to me, Dr. Acker sits rigidly, staring straight forward, but I can see that she’s thinking hard, trying to figure a way out of this. Shouldn’t underestimate this woman, after all. She’s an evil genius.
The phone starts ringing again. Same number.
“Answer it,” I say from the back seat.
Calix punches the button on the screen. “Hello?”
“Calix, it’s Striker.”
“Oh,” says Calix. “So, you guys went and bought phones? I thought we decided that might not be a good idea. How’d you even activate them without credit cards—”
“This is, um, Arrow’s ex-wife’s phone,” says Striker. “It’s a long story. But I’m glad you gave me your number, anyway, because we have to leave this house.”
Shit.
“I see,” says Calix.
“I know you’re at work right now,” says Striker. “So, I don’t mean to keep you, but—”
“Actually, I’m not,” says Calix. “It’s also a long story. Knight insisted that he come along—”
“Yeah, we kind of figured that,” says Striker.
“Wait, you did?” I speak up from the back seat. “But I left you guys that note!”
“We sort of have a hostage,” says Calix.
“Dr. Acker?” says Striker.
“Hello, my good boy,” she says in a breathy voice.
I slap her. “Shut your mouth, bitch,” I growl.
“You can’t kill her, Knight,” says Striker to me, evenly. A pause. “But I guess you can’t let her go either. We just don’t have anywhere to go.”
“I might have an idea about that,” says Calix. “I was setting something up for Lotus when I sprang her. I was going to take her someplace with the Polloi. Back then, I thought she was brain damaged and mute and everything, so it wasn’t going to be ideal, but I knew I couldn’t leave her with my sister. Let me text you an address. We can go there. We can take Dr. Acker there, too.”
“Wait, we can?” I say.
Calix looks at me in the rearview mirror. “Most Polloi compounds have punishment rooms. They’re less fun than they sound.”
I don’t know what to make of that.
“We’re going to a Polloi compound?” says Striker. “Is that a good idea?”
“No,” says Calix. “Pretty much the definition of a bad idea. But in terms of keeping us safe from the authorities and Cedar Falls and being accommodating to all our pack dynamics? Probably the lesser of several evils at this point.”
“Well, okay,” says Striker. “Send us the address. Can we get there using public transportation?”
“Yeah, I don’t know about that,” says Calix with a sigh. “How long will you have access to this phone?”
“Not much longer,” says Striker.
“Damn it,” says Calix. “Okay, I’m pulling over. I can’t figure this out while I’m driving.”