19

19

Three police cars showed up, and even though we’d told them about the dead scrabs, they were horrified when they saw the bodies. One of the officers actually screamed when he spotted the scrab in the parking lot. They made us move far away, and then spent a really long time making sure the scrab was dead. We could have told them that it definitely was, but they seemed intent on doing it themselves.

We all had to go to the station to answer questions, and Maddie gave them Agent Simmons’s number at the FBI. The Lubbock police were thoroughly baffled by us. But they didn’t seem to suspect that we were responsible for the deaths of the people in that lab, which had been a real concern of mine, especially since we went inside. We pointed them to the computer where we’d found the evidence that MDG created scrabs, since we’d already admitted to going inside. Seemed best to give them a solid reason to take every computer in the place.

My second concern was that they’d insist on calling my parents, since I was the only minor in the group, but no one seemed particularly worried about that. One officer asked me after the interview if I needed for her to call them, but didn’t press when I said I was fine.

Maddie told the officers we’d be in town for at least a few more days if they had more questions. They asked us not to talk to reporters for the time being. Maddie said that she couldn’t make any promises. The Lubbock police didn’t seem to like us much.

Agent Simmons was exasperated, as usual, and asked us to go home to New York. I didn’t think she actually expected us to do that, though. She was realistic at this point.

The rest of the team was waiting for us in the parking lot of the police station when we were finally done, gathered around the van. Maddie gave them a quick rundown of what we’d seen.

“So, you told them what you saw on the laptop?” Laila asked. “The FBI?”

“I told Agent Simmons that I’d seen some logs on the computer that went back at least fifteen years,” Maddie said. “I told her there might be some information there worth looking into.”

“What’d she say?” Laila asked.

“She said she’d pass that on. They’re sending some people out here.”

Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it from her pocket and held it out. “Hey, Hannah. You’re on with the whole team.”

“Hey, guys. Maddie texted me earlier. Holy shit, huh?”

“To put it mildly,” Dorsey said.

“OK, so this is probably nothing, but I just got a tip, and I needed to pass it on. Julian’s going to that conference in Dallas in a couple days.”

“Why?” I asked.

“One of my Reddit bros said that he’s a surprise guest speaker. He’s always been a hero to that crowd, since he’s constantly defending them.”

“True,” Maddie said. Edan made a face.

“I don’t think we’re going to the conference anymore,” I said. “Our first priority is finding those missing scrabs.”

“No, I know,” Hannah said. “But get this. Julian’s already in Texas. He was photographed in the Dallas airport yesterday. Which is really early to get to the city if he’s just going to the conference.”

A brief silence settled over the team. Maddie and I exchanged a look.

“He . . . Did he stay in Dallas?” Maddie asked.

“I don’t know,” Hannah said. “There’s a picture of him arriving at the Dallas airport yesterday afternoon. That’s all I’ve got.”

“That drive is . . .” Patrick looked at me. “What is the drive from Dallas to Lubbock?”

“Five hours,” Hannah said before I could answer. “I checked.”

“So, there’s a possibility that he jumped in a car, drove to Lubbock, and stole all those scrabs last night,” Maddie said slowly.

“It is very possible.”

“He knew we were coming,” Edan said. “It can’t be a coincidence that right after we discovered where Dust Storm is, he shows up and takes all the scrabs.”

“Or could have told someone at MDG,” Maddie said. “Or Brian did. They had a couple days to get all those scrabs out before we found it.”

“Wouldn’t they have destroyed all the evidence too, though?” Edan asked. “If MDG knew in advance that we were coming, they would have just blown that place up like they did in France.”

“True,” I said. “And Julian doesn’t even work for them anymore. So, he had no reason to give them a heads-up.”

“And also, no reason to take those scrabs,” Priya said.

“Except he’s chummy with these league guys who are all about trained scrabs,” Hannah said. “You should see some of the shit they post. I have to wonder if Julian would be willing to help some of them get their hands on a few.”

“Especially if they were willing to pay,” Maddie murmured. She bounced on her heels. “OK. New plan! We’re going to Dallas tomorrow. Hannah, see if you can find out which hotel Julian is staying at.”

“Got it,” Hannah said.

“We’ll tail Julian and see if he leads us to the scrabs. If he doesn’t, we’ll come back here or follow the next lead. Hannah, stay on the Reddit bros and see if any of them say anything suspicious.”

“Got it.”

“Good,” Maddie said. “Everyone else, get ready to go to Dallas.”

---

I went downstairs that evening and found a quiet corner of the hotel’s patio. Maddie was in our room, and we were still avoiding talking about anything important. It was getting awkward, and I worried that if I stayed, we’d end up fighting again.

I sat in one of the chairs, buttoning my jacket as a cold wind whipped across my face. I dialed Scarlett’s number and pressed the phone to my ear.

She picked up right away. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You guys OK?”

“We’re fine. I just wanted to let you know that we found it.”

“Really.” She sounded impressed.

“Yeah. I’m not sure how much you want to know . . .”

“Not much, honestly.”

“I’ll just say that we are eternally grateful to you. And you should maybe keep an eye on the news.”

She laughed softly. “I’ll do that.”

“Your brother hasn’t heard from Julian, has he?”

“Definitely not.”

“OK.” I leaned back in my chair.

“Everything OK otherwise?”

“Yeah . . .”

“That was the least convincing yeah I’ve ever heard.”

I sighed. “We’re going to Dallas tomorrow. My family is there, and it’s just . . .”

“Complicated?” she guessed.

“Yeah. And Julian is there too. It’s like the universe hates me.”

“Are you coming back to New York anytime soon?”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

“Call me if you do, OK? We’ll go get lunch or something.”

“I would like that.” I paused. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you about something you said about not investing in the teams. You said they were shortsighted?”

“Yes. That’s what I told Grayson last year when he approached me about it.”

“What did you mean?”

“I don’t really understand how sending a bunch of amateurs out to fight scrabs hand to hand is that helpful. I think that his time and money could have been better spent elsewhere.”

“Like addressing some of the problems scrabs leave behind? Like homelessness and destroyed businesses?” I asked.

“Exactly like that.”

“If the St. John teams built a program that did that, do you think that more people would want to invest?”

“Oh, definitely. Are you doing that?”

“I don’t know. I’m hopeful that I can change some things.”

“Let me know. I’d be very interested in hearing about that.”

I smiled. “I will.” I spotted Edan walking through the door to the patio, and I straightened. “I should let you go, OK? I’ll update you in a couple days.”

“OK. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” I hung up the phone as Edan began to make his way across the patio.

“Hey.” He pointed to the chair next to me. “Mind if I join you?”

“No, of course not.” I slipped my phone into my pocket. “I was just updating Scarlett on what happened today. Sort of, anyway.”

He sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Sort of?”

“I think she wants plausible deniability. I left out the details.”

“That’s probably for the best. I have talked to far too many police and FBI officers over the past six months. I’m really over it.”

“Same.”

“Did you talk to Maddie yet?”

“Not yet. I will. We’ve been polite to each other, though, so at least we’re not fighting anymore. Maybe.”

“Ah yes, the avoidance route. Pretending the problem isn’t there and just hoping it goes away. Also a favorite of mine.” He turned to look at me. “Never works out the way you want, though.”

“I know,” I said, pushing my hair back with a sigh. “I’m going to talk to her. She was just really focused on finding that facility, and now with the missing scrabs . . . I’m waiting for my moment.”

“Or avoiding your moment.” He grinned.

“I am strategically waiting for the best time.”

He laughed. “As someone who is also very good at running away from problems, I sympathize.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that.”

His phone buzzed, and I looked over to see him reading a text. His lips twitched as he answered it.

“Hannah?” I guessed.

“Yeah.” He was still typing.

We sat in silence for several seconds, a lump forming in my throat. I suddenly needed to know. Desperately. Knowing seemed better than always stressing about it.

“Are you and Hannah dating?” I blurted out.

He looked up with a start, nearly dropping his phone. He caught it and put it on the table between us. It buzzed with another text.

“Are Hannah and I . . .” He trailed off like he didn’t understand the question.

My cheeks burned, and I regretted this already. “I was just wondering. You know. If you were.”

He blinked. I’d never seen this expression on his face before, and I didn’t know what to think. It was like a mixture of confusion and . . . annoyance? I could have sworn he looked annoyed, like he didn’t want to be asked this particular question. Maybe he thought it was none of my business. Maybe it was none of my business.

“I, uh, I didn’t mean to pry, I just . . .” Why had I opened my mouth? His confusion seemed to be intensifying, and I had no idea how to get out of this without looking like a total idiot. Or more of an idiot.

“It’s fine!” I blurted out the lie too loudly. “If you and Hannah are dating. I was just wondering.”

“It’s fine?” Now he looked truly bewildered.

“Sorry. You don’t need my approval on your dating life.” I tried to laugh, but it came out kind of weird and strangled. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“How did you mean it?” he asked.

My heart was beating too quickly, and it was making me feel sick. “I was just wondering. You guys seemed to have hit it off.”

His eyebrows drew together. He slid forward in his chair like he was going to bolt, but he just angled his body so that it was facing me. “But . . . you’d be fine with me dating Hannah?”

Well now I’d really screwed things up. “I, uh . . .” I couldn’t bring myself to lie again. A long, familiar awkward silence stretched out between us.

“I’m not dating Hannah,” he finally said softly. His gaze was downcast, but he glanced up at me as he spoke the next words. “I was waiting for you.”

My breath caught in my throat. Waiting. For me.

I opened my mouth. No sound came out.

“It’s OK, you don’t have to say anything.” He laughed a little, but it sounded more embarrassed than joyful. “I probably shouldn’t have just sprung that on you like that, I just . . .”

The buzzing in my brain was making it hard to think. Part of me wanted to jump up and down and celebrate because he wasn’t dating Hannah. He’d been waiting for me.

But the other part of me felt terrified, because I hadn’t planned this. I hadn’t made a decision about whether or not I was going to date Edan. Part of me had liked that limbo we were in, and I’d just gone and destroyed it.

“I, uh . . .” Nope, I still didn’t have any words.

“It’s OK, Clara,” he said gently. He stood, grabbing his phone and avoiding my gaze. His cheeks were pink. “I’m going to go back upstairs and try to get some sleep.”

I considered stopping him, but he practically bolted away from me. I would have done the same, and I couldn’t bring myself to haul him back and embarrass him even more. Not to mention that I still had no idea what to say to him. I could tell the truth—that I actually wasn’t at all OK with him dating Hannah—but then that would lead to more, and I hadn’t decided on more yet. More still felt dangerous.

So I watched him walk across the patio and disappear into the hotel, and then I sat in the dark by myself until my fingers were frozen.