scowl, and her eyes were fierce, strong, burning with passion.
“You’re both part of TRACE,” said Leah.
Isaac smiled, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. “Yes, we are. You’re a clever girl, Leah.”
“Was the man who gave me the bag a member of TRACE as well?” Leah asked.
“Yes,” said Katherine. She swallowed and blinked a couple of times. “His name was Luke. He was trying to get to me, but Transport found him.”
“But why did they shoot him? Why do they want a stupid circuit board so badly?”
“It’s a data storage module,” said Katherine. “It contains information that Transport doesn’t want us to have.”
“What information?”
Katherine looked across at Isaac. He nodded.
“Transport are planning something,” she said. “Something really bad. The information on that module will allow TRACE to stop them.”
“Stop them doing what?”
Katherine hesitated.
“Tell me,” said Leah. “If you don’t, I won’t tell you where I’ve hidden the circuit board—the storage module.”
“Go on,” said Isaac. “She should know.”
Katherine took a deep breath. “Transport are going to destroy the City. They’re going to kill everyone in it.”
Leah felt her legs crumple. It was a strange sensation. They suddenly felt alien to her, uncontrollable. She stumbled. And then Katherine’s arms were around Leah, catching her just before she hit the floor. Isaac pulled over a chair, and Katherine helped Leah sit down. Isaac took the glass of water from the table and held it up to Leah’s mouth. “Drink.”
Leah took a few sips and tried to make sense of what she’d been told. “I… don’t understand.”
The look on Isaac’s face told her he didn’t, either, at least on some level. “They’re scared of TRACE. We’re becoming too strong; we’re making too much progress. Transport are losing this war, and they’re leaving the city, but they don’t want us to have it instead. They’d rather destroy it than let it fall into our hands.”
Leah stared at the water in her glass. She could see small eddies circling through it. She imagined tiny creatures riding the currents, oblivious of the world around them, and wished she was one of them. “How? How will they destroy an entire city?”
“With a bomb,” said Katherine.
Leah looked out of the window. The streets and buildings of the City stretched out before her. She pictured it being torn apart by an explosion, and a bitter taste filled her mouth.
“And they’re going to do it tonight,” said Isaac.
Leah’s heart stuttered. “Tonight?”
“Yes,” said Katherine, “that’s why we need that storage module. If we can get it in time, we can block the detonation and stop the bombing. We can save the City, Leah. You just need to take us to the module.”
Leah struggled to breathe. Her chest was tight, and she could feel the horror threading its way through her body. “But what about my dad?”
“We can help him,” said Katherine. “TRACE know where Transport are holding him, and we can get him out. But only if we stop the bombing first.”
Isaac reached across the table and placed his hands over Leah’s. “I know this is scary. You didn’t ask to be part of this, but you are, and there’s nothing we can do to change that. But we can save lives, Leah. The lives of everyone in this city—that includes your father.”
Leah looked into Isaac’s eyes. There was kindness there, behind the fear that she’d refuse to help. “You’ll get my dad back?”
“Yes,” said Isaac. “I promise.”
Leah turned away. “No. I want you to get my dad first. Then I’ll take you to the circuit board.”
“There isn’t time, Leah,” said Katherine. “If we don’t get that information soon, we won’t have time to stop the bomb.”
Leah knotted her hands together and looked Katherine directly in the eyes. “Then you’d better go and get my dad right now.”
Katherine looked at Isaac, but he just shrugged. She
“You’re both part of TRACE,” said Leah.
Isaac smiled, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. “Yes, we are. You’re a clever girl, Leah.”
“Was the man who gave me the bag a member of TRACE as well?” Leah asked.
“Yes,” said Katherine. She swallowed and blinked a couple of times. “His name was Luke. He was trying to get to me, but Transport found him.”
“But why did they shoot him? Why do they want a stupid circuit board so badly?”
“It’s a data storage module,” said Katherine. “It contains information that Transport doesn’t want us to have.”
“What information?”
Katherine looked across at Isaac. He nodded.
“Transport are planning something,” she said. “Something really bad. The information on that module will allow TRACE to stop them.”
“Stop them doing what?”
Katherine hesitated.
“Tell me,” said Leah. “If you don’t, I won’t tell you where I’ve hidden the circuit board—the storage module.”
“Go on,” said Isaac. “She should know.”
Katherine took a deep breath. “Transport are going to destroy the City. They’re going to kill everyone in it.”
Leah felt her legs crumple. It was a strange sensation. They suddenly felt alien to her, uncontrollable. She stumbled. And then Katherine’s arms were around Leah, catching her just before she hit the floor. Isaac pulled over a chair, and Katherine helped Leah sit down. Isaac took the glass of water from the table and held it up to Leah’s mouth. “Drink.”
Leah took a few sips and tried to make sense of what she’d been told. “I… don’t understand.”
The look on Isaac’s face told her he didn’t, either, at least on some level. “They’re scared of TRACE. We’re becoming too strong; we’re making too much progress. Transport are losing this war, and they’re leaving the city, but they don’t want us to have it instead. They’d rather destroy it than let it fall into our hands.”
Leah stared at the water in her glass. She could see small eddies circling through it. She imagined tiny creatures riding the currents, oblivious of the world around them, and wished she was one of them. “How? How will they destroy an entire city?”
“With a bomb,” said Katherine.
Leah looked out of the window. The streets and buildings of the City stretched out before her. She pictured it being torn apart by an explosion, and a bitter taste filled her mouth.
“And they’re going to do it tonight,” said Isaac.
Leah’s heart stuttered. “Tonight?”
“Yes,” said Katherine, “that’s why we need that storage module. If we can get it in time, we can block the detonation and stop the bombing. We can save the City, Leah. You just need to take us to the module.”
Leah struggled to breathe. Her chest was tight, and she could feel the horror threading its way through her body. “But what about my dad?”
“We can help him,” said Katherine. “TRACE know where Transport are holding him, and we can get him out. But only if we stop the bombing first.”
Isaac reached across the table and placed his hands over Leah’s. “I know this is scary. You didn’t ask to be part of this, but you are, and there’s nothing we can do to change that. But we can save lives, Leah. The lives of everyone in this city—that includes your father.”
Leah looked into Isaac’s eyes. There was kindness there, behind the fear that she’d refuse to help. “You’ll get my dad back?”
“Yes,” said Isaac. “I promise.”
Leah turned away. “No. I want you to get my dad first. Then I’ll take you to the circuit board.”
“There isn’t time, Leah,” said Katherine. “If we don’t get that information soon, we won’t have time to stop the bomb.”
Leah knotted her hands together and looked Katherine directly in the eyes. “Then you’d better go and get my dad right now.”
Katherine looked at Isaac, but he just shrugged. She
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