story.”
I’ve never seen those two before in my life, Robert replied, using his mind to communicate directly for the first time. But judging by the way that guy is talking into his wrist,
I’d say they’re not alone.
Hack turned his attention back to the man. Robert was right – he was whispering into a mic concealed in the sleeve of his coat. There was a receiver in his left ear.
They’re not with you? Hack thought. He’d never had the chance to use the telepathic communication all fall virus-altered kids shared, but in the presence of the other boy it
seemed completely natural.
Believe me, it’s not our style, Robert replied. You’re picking a fight with the wrong person. Whoever those two are, they know how to find you. How much do you want to bet
that guy’s calling in backup? When you get off this train, you’ll find more of them waiting and there’s nothing —
“Okay, okay,” Hack said. “I get the idea.” His head was spinning. The man and woman weren’t Triad and they weren’t HIDRA either, so who were they? The train
began to slow as it approached Tsim Sha Tsui station, the closest stop to the GC.
“All right,” Hack said, “let’s say I want your help. What’s the big plan?”
“I teleport us to street level this minute. Two HIDRA hovercopters are en route to the city. I’ll call in our position and they’ll pick us up for transport to our mobile
base.”
“There’s something I need to do first,” Hack said. “A friend of mine is in trouble and I’m not leaving the city until I know he’s safe.”
He fully expected the other kid to make some argument about how they didn’t have time or how it was too risky to go after Jonesey when people were following them. But Robert merely
nodded.
“Fine. We’ll help your friend.”
Hack said, “Okay, let’s get out of here then.”
Robert took his wrist… The brightly lit, enclosed space of the carriage faded away and was replaced by humid night air and a darkened alleyway. Hack felt momentarily disorientated by the
teleport and just a little nauseous. He bent over and took a couple of deep breaths.
“You okay?” Robert asked.
Hack nodded. “Yeah, still getting used to that.”
“Do you know where we are?”
Hack looked left and right, spotting the buses crowding Nathan Road at the far end of the alley. He estimated they were only a few streets away from the GC.
“This way.”
Hack led Robert through the backstreets at a run, checking behind to make sure they were no longer being followed. Teleporting directly out of the subway system seemed to have done the
trick.
“That’s a pretty useful ability,” he told Robert as they ran. “Have you done that before? Jumping off a building to save someone, I mean?”
“Never,” Robert said.
“Then how did you know it was going to work?”
“I didn’t.”
As they reached the ground level entrance to the GC, Hack stopped and gave his companion a look. “You didn’t know it was going to work? Then you could have been smashed to a pulp
along with me.”
Robert shrugged. “My sister told me to look after you. Didn’t want to let her down. She’s real mean when she’s angry.”
Hack was suddenly a whole lot more grateful for what the other kid had done for him that night. There weren’t many people for whom he’d jump off a building, especially not if
he’d just met them.
“If he’s here, Jonesey will be on Level 6,” Hack said, indicating the open entrance to the GC. It was almost 10 p.m. and the market was shutting down. Evening shoppers and
stallholders poured out of the building.
“Okay, let’s get going.”
“We’re not teleporting up?”
Robert shook his head. “Best to take the stairs. I’m getting tired and we might need to get out of there fast. I’ve probably got a couple of ’ports left in me this
evening, but let’s save them.”
Hack understood what Robert meant: using his own power for any extended length of time
I’ve never seen those two before in my life, Robert replied, using his mind to communicate directly for the first time. But judging by the way that guy is talking into his wrist,
I’d say they’re not alone.
Hack turned his attention back to the man. Robert was right – he was whispering into a mic concealed in the sleeve of his coat. There was a receiver in his left ear.
They’re not with you? Hack thought. He’d never had the chance to use the telepathic communication all fall virus-altered kids shared, but in the presence of the other boy it
seemed completely natural.
Believe me, it’s not our style, Robert replied. You’re picking a fight with the wrong person. Whoever those two are, they know how to find you. How much do you want to bet
that guy’s calling in backup? When you get off this train, you’ll find more of them waiting and there’s nothing —
“Okay, okay,” Hack said. “I get the idea.” His head was spinning. The man and woman weren’t Triad and they weren’t HIDRA either, so who were they? The train
began to slow as it approached Tsim Sha Tsui station, the closest stop to the GC.
“All right,” Hack said, “let’s say I want your help. What’s the big plan?”
“I teleport us to street level this minute. Two HIDRA hovercopters are en route to the city. I’ll call in our position and they’ll pick us up for transport to our mobile
base.”
“There’s something I need to do first,” Hack said. “A friend of mine is in trouble and I’m not leaving the city until I know he’s safe.”
He fully expected the other kid to make some argument about how they didn’t have time or how it was too risky to go after Jonesey when people were following them. But Robert merely
nodded.
“Fine. We’ll help your friend.”
Hack said, “Okay, let’s get out of here then.”
Robert took his wrist… The brightly lit, enclosed space of the carriage faded away and was replaced by humid night air and a darkened alleyway. Hack felt momentarily disorientated by the
teleport and just a little nauseous. He bent over and took a couple of deep breaths.
“You okay?” Robert asked.
Hack nodded. “Yeah, still getting used to that.”
“Do you know where we are?”
Hack looked left and right, spotting the buses crowding Nathan Road at the far end of the alley. He estimated they were only a few streets away from the GC.
“This way.”
Hack led Robert through the backstreets at a run, checking behind to make sure they were no longer being followed. Teleporting directly out of the subway system seemed to have done the
trick.
“That’s a pretty useful ability,” he told Robert as they ran. “Have you done that before? Jumping off a building to save someone, I mean?”
“Never,” Robert said.
“Then how did you know it was going to work?”
“I didn’t.”
As they reached the ground level entrance to the GC, Hack stopped and gave his companion a look. “You didn’t know it was going to work? Then you could have been smashed to a pulp
along with me.”
Robert shrugged. “My sister told me to look after you. Didn’t want to let her down. She’s real mean when she’s angry.”
Hack was suddenly a whole lot more grateful for what the other kid had done for him that night. There weren’t many people for whom he’d jump off a building, especially not if
he’d just met them.
“If he’s here, Jonesey will be on Level 6,” Hack said, indicating the open entrance to the GC. It was almost 10 p.m. and the market was shutting down. Evening shoppers and
stallholders poured out of the building.
“Okay, let’s get going.”
“We’re not teleporting up?”
Robert shook his head. “Best to take the stairs. I’m getting tired and we might need to get out of there fast. I’ve probably got a couple of ’ports left in me this
evening, but let’s save them.”
Hack understood what Robert meant: using his own power for any extended length of time
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