“That’s easy,” Logan said. “Trella’s gonna find the active computer in the Trava’s Sector and disable it.”
Unease rolled through me as I remembered when Anne-Jade had commented that the Pop Cops downfall had been due to overconfidence. Lamont had said the same thing about myfather. His confidence had made him cocky and sloppy, leading the Pop Cops right to him.
“And then what?” Anne-Jade asked.
“We regain control of the network and start over with a new Committee,” Logan said.
“What about the saboteurs?” I asked.
“We’re close to finding them, and there hasn’t been any more attempts,” Anne-Jade said.
“Was it the stink bombers? Ivie and Kadar?” I asked.
“No. They taught a bunch of maintenance scrubs how to build bombs. The suspects sleep in Sector F1. I just need to narrow it down.” She peered at me as if I were one of the bombers.
Logan shooed us out so he could repair the locks before his keepers came to check on him. “They usually come every twenty hours, and the new week starts in thirty minutes.”
Anne-Jade and Riley headed back through the corridors, while I climbed into the air shafts.
Before Riley left, he had shot me a significant look. I mulled over what he tried to communicate to me as I crawled through the ducts. Did he want to talk about us? Or just about the situation? At least he knew I had realized my fears and acknowledged my mistakes.
I returned to the infirmary to make an appearance. My mind remained on the task of finding the live computer in the Trava Sector while I disinfected the examination table.
“…see you. Trella, are you listening?” Lamont asked from the doorway.
“Sorry. What did you say?”
“That Bubba Boom is here. He’s waiting out in the patient area.”
I peeked around Lamont. No missing the big uncomfortable man who tried to stay out of everyone’s way, but ended up in the wrong place each time.
Curious, I joined him. “You wanted to talk to me?”
Relief flooded his features and he smiled. His pleasure at seeing me was a nice change of pace. Plus he reminded me of Cogon.
“Is there somewhere private we can go?” he asked.
“Sure. Come on back.” I led him through the exam room and to our sitting area.
He settled on the couch and I perched on the edge of the chair.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I examined that bomb.” Bubba Boom shifted with unease, focusing on his hands in his lap. “I think I know who built it.”
“Why aren’t you telling Anne-Jade?”
“It’s complicated.” He laced and unlaced his fingers together.
“One of your colleagues?” I guessed.
He glanced up. “Yeah. And…it’s hard. He works with me sometimes. But…I don’t want him to damage anymore systems.”
I waited, letting him work through the logic.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “It’s Sloan. He’s getting everyone in Sector F1 riled up and has been talking about forming a resistance and storming the upper levels.”
I’d never forget that name, but it seemed a little too convenient. “Sector F1 was rioting at the time.”
