everyone presumed. Or maybe it was his old hero-worship surfacing, or guilt, that influenced his thoughts.
He was still a lanky, awkward teenager when he'd first met the former gang leader. Jonah's parents had tried to keep him away from the gangs, but the opportunity to be like Dex was too tempting for a fourteen year-old to resist. Mechs were new technology then, and Dex knew a doctor who'd do the implants on the cheap. The good stuff, too. Not the junkyard metal that'd corrode and poison the bloodstream in a matter of months. He and Dex had been friends once, and he'd even thought of Dex as the brother he'd never had. But that was before Dex's brain blast. Before he'd changed sides.
But even through the anger of betrayal, he couldn't accuse Dex of ever lying to him, or anyone else in the Dragons, and now he wondered if Dex had really betrayed them, or had he left the gang in order to save them?
A little voice in the back of his mind said Dex's motives didn't mean a damn thing now. Any feelings Dex might've had for his old gang would have been destroyed when the controller mech was implanted. The unshielded wiring went right through the amygdala, and after a few stints at a control panel, the damage was irreversible. No more emotion. No more emotional decisions. Mech logic circuits took over. Trouble was, it made sense. Controllers couldn't make the calculations and adjustments needed to save the world if they were worried about saving their families.
And by tomorrow night, he'd be just like them in order to save his family.
"Got everything packed." Corene slung a bulging pillowcase over her shoulder. "Where are we heading?"
"One of the churches. Not in Fountain City, though. Can't go to one associated with the Dragons." He cradled Mary in his arms. "We'll go to the baptist church on Washington Pike."
"Jonah, you know I can't. There's got to be other places. Anywhere but a church."
He kicked the door open with his foot and carried Mary through. "We don't have time, and I'm hoping Hadrian's goons feel the same way about the churches. Besides, you don't have to spend the night there, or even go in. Text Stran and tell him where to pick you up, but I need you to hold Mary on the bike."
CHAPTER SIX
"Don't talk to me." Mary grabbed her hoodie from the bed where she'd dumped the contents of the pillowcase and slipped the sweatshirt on over her t-shirt. "What were you thinking?"
"We all thought you were having a brain blast."
"Not another word from you. I have one little bleeding ulcer and you let Dex use it to take advantage of you."
"I made the deal to save your life."
She kicked the bed. "I won't thank you for that. It's just trading your life for mine." Taking her anger out on the furniture hadn't helped. It still boiled just under the surface. "Hell, he probably programmed the nanites to cause the damn ulcer to get your cooperation." She picked up her bloody clothes from the floor and walked out of the room. The Falcons had converted the classrooms on the second floor of the church into wards. Thankfully, she and Jonah were the only ones in the room.
Jonah followed her. "Even if he did, I don't care. I'd make the deal again. You're too important."
"According to Dex?"
He caught up to her and blocked her way. "You're too important to me." Jonah ran his hand through his hair. "Look, I have no idea what Dex's plan is, or why he thinks Hadrian can't hurt us, or what he thinks we can do to help take Hadrian down, but every instinct I have is telling me Dex is on the level with this."
She laid her hand on his arm. Softened her voice. "Look, he's not the same Dex you knew, no matter how much you want him to be."
"Last night, Corene called him a friend. I don't think he's so different now."
She skirted around him and stopped at the top of the stairs. "I hope you're right." Halfway down the steps, she realized she hadn't seen Corene. She was probably in another room waiting on the all clear. "Better tell Corene
He was still a lanky, awkward teenager when he'd first met the former gang leader. Jonah's parents had tried to keep him away from the gangs, but the opportunity to be like Dex was too tempting for a fourteen year-old to resist. Mechs were new technology then, and Dex knew a doctor who'd do the implants on the cheap. The good stuff, too. Not the junkyard metal that'd corrode and poison the bloodstream in a matter of months. He and Dex had been friends once, and he'd even thought of Dex as the brother he'd never had. But that was before Dex's brain blast. Before he'd changed sides.
But even through the anger of betrayal, he couldn't accuse Dex of ever lying to him, or anyone else in the Dragons, and now he wondered if Dex had really betrayed them, or had he left the gang in order to save them?
A little voice in the back of his mind said Dex's motives didn't mean a damn thing now. Any feelings Dex might've had for his old gang would have been destroyed when the controller mech was implanted. The unshielded wiring went right through the amygdala, and after a few stints at a control panel, the damage was irreversible. No more emotion. No more emotional decisions. Mech logic circuits took over. Trouble was, it made sense. Controllers couldn't make the calculations and adjustments needed to save the world if they were worried about saving their families.
And by tomorrow night, he'd be just like them in order to save his family.
"Got everything packed." Corene slung a bulging pillowcase over her shoulder. "Where are we heading?"
"One of the churches. Not in Fountain City, though. Can't go to one associated with the Dragons." He cradled Mary in his arms. "We'll go to the baptist church on Washington Pike."
"Jonah, you know I can't. There's got to be other places. Anywhere but a church."
He kicked the door open with his foot and carried Mary through. "We don't have time, and I'm hoping Hadrian's goons feel the same way about the churches. Besides, you don't have to spend the night there, or even go in. Text Stran and tell him where to pick you up, but I need you to hold Mary on the bike."
CHAPTER SIX
"Don't talk to me." Mary grabbed her hoodie from the bed where she'd dumped the contents of the pillowcase and slipped the sweatshirt on over her t-shirt. "What were you thinking?"
"We all thought you were having a brain blast."
"Not another word from you. I have one little bleeding ulcer and you let Dex use it to take advantage of you."
"I made the deal to save your life."
She kicked the bed. "I won't thank you for that. It's just trading your life for mine." Taking her anger out on the furniture hadn't helped. It still boiled just under the surface. "Hell, he probably programmed the nanites to cause the damn ulcer to get your cooperation." She picked up her bloody clothes from the floor and walked out of the room. The Falcons had converted the classrooms on the second floor of the church into wards. Thankfully, she and Jonah were the only ones in the room.
Jonah followed her. "Even if he did, I don't care. I'd make the deal again. You're too important."
"According to Dex?"
He caught up to her and blocked her way. "You're too important to me." Jonah ran his hand through his hair. "Look, I have no idea what Dex's plan is, or why he thinks Hadrian can't hurt us, or what he thinks we can do to help take Hadrian down, but every instinct I have is telling me Dex is on the level with this."
She laid her hand on his arm. Softened her voice. "Look, he's not the same Dex you knew, no matter how much you want him to be."
"Last night, Corene called him a friend. I don't think he's so different now."
She skirted around him and stopped at the top of the stairs. "I hope you're right." Halfway down the steps, she realized she hadn't seen Corene. She was probably in another room waiting on the all clear. "Better tell Corene
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