Jessica leans closer with her chin resting on her hands. Her brown eyes turn up to him.
“Nope. He’s afraid I’m in danger without him to protect me.” He downs Jessica’s glass of milk and sets it out on the edge of the table for a refill.
“What kind of danger?”
Matt scans the restaurant and lowers his voice. “We’ve had some close scrapes. Before we moved here, we lived in Santa Teresa, a New Mexico border town. We came home to our little house one night and found some commandos in tactical armor on the inside, tearing the place apart like we were terrorists, looking for jaxes and memory cubes, according to my dad. Good thing we saw them first, or we might be dead. That was just before we moved here. Seven years ago.”
“Are they still after you?”
“Nothing’s happened since then. Dad says we’re still in danger, but it’s been a long time.” Matt stretches out his legs and leans back in the seat, hands up behind his head. “I’m willing to take my chances. Sooner or later, I have to get away, on my own. I’ll go crazy otherwise. Besides, Dad’s taught me a lot. I can take care of myself.”
“Well, you
are
prone to accidents.” She squints out the window of the café at a billboard across the street with white letters against a blue background that says
Find Peace through Shinto
. “Doesn’t he see what a great opportunity this Japan trip is for you?”
“It’s complicated.” Matt slips the rock back into his pocket. “My dad’s a good man. A truth-and-justice type of guy. Just a little too paranoid for my taste. My guess is that they’ve given up looking for us. Dad’s done too good a job of keeping us out of sight and off the grid.” Matt slumps down in the seat and takes another big whiff of Jessica’s hair. Then he lets it out in a long, steady sigh. “You’re lucky. You have a normal family.”
Jessica rolls her eyes. “All my dad cares about is money. And putting his name on buildings.”
“But you have brothers and sisters, a mom and dad. Your family laughs together and goes on vacations together.” Matt grinds his teeth. “Your dad is out there in the world doing things, not afraid to attract attention. Putting his name on buildings. That sounds so cool. My dad doesn’t have that option, if he wants to stay alive.”
She puts her hand on Matt’s. “Can you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“Tell me why your dad is running. Who he’s running from.”
Matt feels his chest tighten. Talking about the past, especially his dad’s past, is the last thing he wants to do. “He hasn’t done anything wrong, but some very powerful people want him dead.” He decides not to tell Jessica about the threats against himself. “When I hop on that transport tomorrow, I’ll be leaving all that behind for good. That’s all I can say.”
“But Matt.” Jessica lifts a hand up to his chin and turns his head so he can’t look away. “I need to know. People are asking questions.”
“What
kind
of questions?” Matt’s eyes narrow.
“About you and your dad.” Jessica’s hand slips off Matt’s, and her voice trembles. “Like why your jax ID changes all the time. Most people just get one when they’re born and keep it for the rest of their life.” Her gaze drops down and away from Matt. “I really don’t care. I know who you are inside. I don’t care about your past. But—”
“It’s your dad.” Matt reaches for a fresh glass of milk, just refilled by the waiter.
Her hand goes up to her eyes, and her fingers come away wet. “He said he’s worried about me. He knows how much time we spend together.” She picks up a napkin and wipes her nose. “I think he hired someone. To do some looking. He says there are too many questions, too many unexplained gaps about you and your dad.” Jessica’s mascara is running in black streaks down her cheeks.
“I’ll tell you everything. Just not right now. Trust me.”
Her fingers are trembling. “You know I
“Nope. He’s afraid I’m in danger without him to protect me.” He downs Jessica’s glass of milk and sets it out on the edge of the table for a refill.
“What kind of danger?”
Matt scans the restaurant and lowers his voice. “We’ve had some close scrapes. Before we moved here, we lived in Santa Teresa, a New Mexico border town. We came home to our little house one night and found some commandos in tactical armor on the inside, tearing the place apart like we were terrorists, looking for jaxes and memory cubes, according to my dad. Good thing we saw them first, or we might be dead. That was just before we moved here. Seven years ago.”
“Are they still after you?”
“Nothing’s happened since then. Dad says we’re still in danger, but it’s been a long time.” Matt stretches out his legs and leans back in the seat, hands up behind his head. “I’m willing to take my chances. Sooner or later, I have to get away, on my own. I’ll go crazy otherwise. Besides, Dad’s taught me a lot. I can take care of myself.”
“Well, you
are
prone to accidents.” She squints out the window of the café at a billboard across the street with white letters against a blue background that says
Find Peace through Shinto
. “Doesn’t he see what a great opportunity this Japan trip is for you?”
“It’s complicated.” Matt slips the rock back into his pocket. “My dad’s a good man. A truth-and-justice type of guy. Just a little too paranoid for my taste. My guess is that they’ve given up looking for us. Dad’s done too good a job of keeping us out of sight and off the grid.” Matt slumps down in the seat and takes another big whiff of Jessica’s hair. Then he lets it out in a long, steady sigh. “You’re lucky. You have a normal family.”
Jessica rolls her eyes. “All my dad cares about is money. And putting his name on buildings.”
“But you have brothers and sisters, a mom and dad. Your family laughs together and goes on vacations together.” Matt grinds his teeth. “Your dad is out there in the world doing things, not afraid to attract attention. Putting his name on buildings. That sounds so cool. My dad doesn’t have that option, if he wants to stay alive.”
She puts her hand on Matt’s. “Can you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“Tell me why your dad is running. Who he’s running from.”
Matt feels his chest tighten. Talking about the past, especially his dad’s past, is the last thing he wants to do. “He hasn’t done anything wrong, but some very powerful people want him dead.” He decides not to tell Jessica about the threats against himself. “When I hop on that transport tomorrow, I’ll be leaving all that behind for good. That’s all I can say.”
“But Matt.” Jessica lifts a hand up to his chin and turns his head so he can’t look away. “I need to know. People are asking questions.”
“What
kind
of questions?” Matt’s eyes narrow.
“About you and your dad.” Jessica’s hand slips off Matt’s, and her voice trembles. “Like why your jax ID changes all the time. Most people just get one when they’re born and keep it for the rest of their life.” Her gaze drops down and away from Matt. “I really don’t care. I know who you are inside. I don’t care about your past. But—”
“It’s your dad.” Matt reaches for a fresh glass of milk, just refilled by the waiter.
Her hand goes up to her eyes, and her fingers come away wet. “He said he’s worried about me. He knows how much time we spend together.” She picks up a napkin and wipes her nose. “I think he hired someone. To do some looking. He says there are too many questions, too many unexplained gaps about you and your dad.” Jessica’s mascara is running in black streaks down her cheeks.
“I’ll tell you everything. Just not right now. Trust me.”
Her fingers are trembling. “You know I
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