“What do you need from us?” Jacy asked me.
“We have to confirm that our plan can work first, and then we’ll need a few workers we can trust from every system.”
“Okay, I’ll find you three for each. Is that enough?” Jacy asked.
“Yes.”
He nodded and turned to leave.
“Jacy, you said you needed me. What do you want me to do?” I asked.
He glanced at Riley. “You might as well tell her everything. Then get back to those wires.”
Riley gave him a mocking salute. “Aye-aye, Captain.”
Jacy smiled and left the room.
“Can you tell me in the cafeteria?” I asked. “I’m starving.”
“No,” Sloan said. “You’ll have to be rescued by maintenance. I’ll go get everything set up and come back for you.” He shot me a sour look before leaving.
“I have a feeling I’m not going to like this,” I said.
“I don’t like it at all, but it’s our best chance,” Riley said.
“Just start from the beginning.” I sat on the table in the place Jacy had cleared. No way I would sit inthatchair again.
“Here’s the condensed version. Bubba Boom is working for the Outsiders. He built those bombs and attacked Logan. We don’t know how he contacted them, and we don’t know who else is helping him. We suspect Hank but have no proof. Jacy and I are trying to bypass the Outsiders by building another computer network independent of the existing one. Then we’ll switch controls over to the new network. But we can’t do that if Bubba Boom is just going to hijack the new network. We need to know more.”
I connected the logic. “You want me to get closer to Bubba Boom and find out how he is communicating with the Outsiders?”
“You’ve been hanging out with him so…yeah.” He didn’t look happy about it.
“He’s supposedly helping me with finding the active link to the Outsiders. And searching for Sloan and company. But he doesn’t know about Logan.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah. I guess he wanted to make sure I didn’t join Jacy.” Fooled me big time. Why was I so easily convinced? Perhaps because I had lost faith in my own judgment.
“He did save your life,” Riley said.
“So did you. I never would have washed off the chemical so fast.”
He shrugged. “If you trusted…never mind.”
I grabbed his arms and forced him to look at me. “Idotrust you. I would have told Jacy to go recycle himself if you hadn’t come in here. I didn’t trustmyself. I now know I made a mistake by listening to Bubba Boom. A big…huge mistake and I paid dearly for it.” I huffed. “That’s why I didn’t want to be in charge. What if I make another wrong decision?”
“Then we’ll deal with it. I’d rather have you make a mistake then have Outsiders tell us what to do.”
“Are you sure? I’ve made some doozies.”
“I’m positive. Besides you’re not the only one to mess up. Jacy screwed up your recruitment, I’ve done and said things I regret, and your mother has had a couple lapses in judgment. Hopefully, Bubba Boom and the Outsiders will make mistakes that we can take advantage of.”
His comments helped, but I didn’t fully agree with him. “You shouldn’t have anything to regret.”
A sad smile touched his lips. “I regret my harsh words. I regret my anger.”
“You shouldn’t. I needed to hear those words and to be woken up to Inside’s problems. Although, I don’t have a death wish!”
