“Tripled the dose.”
I look down, realizing I almost finished my glass. But I feel fine.
“Like this is our first show,” Lori tsks. “I’m totally sober. Pour another one.”
As they keep chatting, the gnawing feeling in my gut doesn’t fade. It makes me feel restless. I leave a sleepy Noodle on the sofa and move toward the glass wall. The view is even prettier at this time. Today, the sky is covered, but the sunrays still poke through the clouds, illuminating small fragments of life far down on the street.
“Still worried?” Lori asks from behind me. He sounds serious. “It won’t have any effect on what happens.”
I spin around to look at him, apparently too fast for my feet. My hands reach back and find cold glass to stabilize me.That margarita was strong.“And what is going to happen?”
“We don’t know.” I hear Sari’s voice. “But they will finish this one way or another.”
“And while they do it, we’ll just sit here, drinking alcohol and doing nothing?”
“If you keep pacing, my eyes will come out of their sockets.” Lori huffs.
“You look too calm!” I clip.
“I’m very good in crisis, always have been. Especially when I was the crisis.”
“You are always part of the crisis,” Michael states.
“You’re getting on my nerves,” Lori counters.
“That’s more like it,” he banters back.
“Hey, sexy skyscraper, stop that and come here,” Lori orders me, brushing his fingers over Noodle’s sleeping form.
Are they so used to having their partners in danger that they don’t worry much anymore?
“Do you want to hear the plan or what?” Lori huffs at me.
Plan?
“Shouldn’t you wait for Linda?” Even Sari knows?
Wait, Linda?
Serena suddenly announces the arrival of Linda Bear-Stone—Ramiel installed the AI as a security system in all the bros’ places. The elevator chimes, and Linda steps out wearing all black, tight pants, sneakers, and a down jacket. Her hair is up in a topknot. Eyes observant as always.
“Are we going?”
“Linda!” Lori greets her.
“How’s Meg?” Michael asks her.
“No changes, which is good news, but I don’t know how much longer she is going to hang in there.”
“Your wife is strong, and I’m almost there.” Sari’s words of encouragement make her smile a little. From what I’ve heard, even if Sari successfully creates the antidote, that doesn’t mean that Meg will magically wake up.
“She certainly is. Are you guys drinking?” Linda asks.
We all nod—Sari too. He’s so cute sometimes.
“I gotta go back to work. Please be careful and keep me updated…about Uri.” Sari sounds as worried as I feel. He waves goodbye and disappears from the screen. Uri placed thirty bodyguards around Sari. It’s a little over the top, but we are up against a terrible enemy. I just discovered last night some of the horrifying things Nine did.
“Are we going somewhere?” I ask.
