Unless someone read the outline before he even wrote the book. Unless someone fed him the plot knowing what he’d do with it.
Henry whimpers in his sleep. Emmaline stirs, an instantaneous reaction even from the depths of sleep.
“It’s okay,” he whispers. “Go back to sleep.” A sob slips out as he speaks.
Now he’s done it. She reaches over and clicks on the lamp.
“Are you crying?”
He hands his phone so she can read the news alert. It’s easier than trying to explain.
“Oh those poor people. Wait, is this like the Turkey thing? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
He nods.
“Caleb.” She sits beside him, takes his hand. “Talk to me.”
“It’s my book,” he says, and his voice sounds distant, not his own. “Both attacks. They’re from my books. Someone’s using my books as blueprints.”
“That’s not possible. The Takedown hasn’t even been published.”
“But the outline exists. Someone had access to it. Someone knew what I was writing before I wrote it.” He looks at her, sees his own fear reflected in her eyes.
“Em, what if I’m helping terrorists? What if I’m complicit?”
“You’re not.” Her voice is fierce. “You didn’t know. You were writing fiction.”
“But people are getting hurt. Because of my books. Because of plots I wrote.”
She grabs his face, makes him look at her. “You are not responsible for this.”
She pulls him into a hug. He holds onto her like she’s his lifeline.
He needs to tell her he didn’t write the outlines. It’s very important that he tell her this right now.
Before he can, his phone rings. He ignores it.
She picks it up. “Hello?”
She hands the phone to him. “It’s Biz.”
He presses the device to his ear. It feels alien. As if he’s never held a phone before.
“Hi,” a dull, rough voice says. It takes him a few seconds to realize it’s his.
“I take it you’ve heard.”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you put me on speaker,” she suggests kindly. “We should loop Emmaline in.”
He glances at his wife, their sleeping newborn, then the hallway.
She follows him and they sit on the cool hardwood floor, their backs against the wall. He balances the phone on his knee and hits the speaker button.
“Caleb? Emmaline?”
He cringes at her loud voice breaking the quiet of the night.
