Echo

23. Black And White

I barely get in the door at work and my phone goes off.

-Good morning, beautiful.- It's from Scotch. I jump up and down and run to my desk. I can't even stop. I can't believe he likes me.

"We're happy today."

"I had 2 dates this weekend, Kai."

"The new boy?"

"No. Scotch. He took me out twice."

"I thought we were over him?"

"He's nice."

"What did you do?"

Malax and Rye come in from the elevator. Rye tilts his head. "You're too happy."

"I HAD 2 DATES." I hold up 2 fingers.

"Different boys?"

"No. Same boy. He likes me."

"Well, there's nothing not to like, sweetie."

"Every other man in the history of the world has found something, Kai."

She laughs. "What did you do?"

"We went to a movie one night. I had real movie theater popcorn."

"On a suppra?"

"Yea, I couldn't taste it but at least I got some."

"I guess that's true. What's next?"

"He brought fast food to my house, and we ate by the pool. It was some kind of burger and stick potato thing. It was good. I ate so much of the burger. I want momma to learn how to make fast food. But then we went to a concert. It was the Price of Dreams. It wasn't like daddy's concerts. They had laser lights and smoke. People were singing. It scared me at first, but it was so fun. It was like a big party. And now he sent me a message. He likes me."

"What's the message say?"

"Good morning. I have no idea what to say back. What do I say?" I stare at her. I am so lost.

"Ask him how his day is going."

"No, that's stupid. It's 9 in the morning." I put my phone on my desk. "I'll think of something." I sit and stare at it.

The 3 of them stare at me.

I jump when my phone goes off. Then I grab it. "IT'S JASPER." I throw it. "WHAT NOW, KAI?"

"Ask him how his day is going."

"I'll think about it." I sit and stare at my phone again.

It goes off and I throw it. Then I chase it and read it.

"Who is that?"

"Malax telling me to work."

The 3 of them crack up laughing. I give them a dirty look.

"OH. I know. I'll tell Scotch, good morning. And I'll tell Jasper good morning in a week and a half."

Kai nods. "That did take him a long time to send you a message. What are you telling Malax?"

"Well, I'm not telling him to have a good morning."

Kai laughs and answers the phone. "Kagona wants a meeting, sir."

"UGH."

I nod. "So, how's your morning going?"

He shakes his head and goes into his office.

I message for a while with Scotch. He seems to have lots of friends. He's going to do some sport tonight with them. I hope he has fun. Then I nearly fall off my seat when the Kagona lady talks.

Kai laughs so damn hard. "There is a teenager in there."

"I see that."

"She has lots of boy problems this morning."

The Kagona lady smiles. "What happened?"

"There are 2 of them. 1 likes me. The other took a week and a half to send me a message. I'm thinking about taking a week and a half to message him back."

They laugh, then she goes into Malax's office.

Half an hour later, a couple of investigators come in. They show me some pictures and ask if I've ever seen the men. I haven't.

"What happened? Nobody tells me."

"With you being underage, we can't discuss it without your parent present."

"Ok. I'll get daddy." I call him and make him come. "He'll be here in 4 minutes."

"4 minutes?"

"It's a short flight."

Rye and Malax are getting rid of the Kagona lady when daddy and Azo come in. It's a bit of a confusing mess for a minute.

"Good afternoon, sir. We cannot discuss the case without a parent present. She asked some questions."

"We can use my office."

We sit around Malax's table.

"We asked her this morning if she recognized these men. Do any of you recognize them?"

"No."

"These were the men calling to warn Octavia about the bombs. We do have them."

"They were trying to warn me?"

"Yes. We are trying to figure out how they knew about the bombs. The attack was directed at Malax Phade. A group of extremists, for lack of a better word, does not want Crucorix North colonized. They believe we have no right to it. We are killing that planet. Humans are no better than lizards. On and on and on. They are an extremist group. The bombs were placed to scare him off the mission. But somehow, these 2 men figured it out. They were attempting to warn you early so you could get out safely. We have no idea how they knew. They have no ties to the extremist group and they are not talking. We do have evidence they are stalking you, though."

I feel better and worse and scared and happy. I don't know what to feel. But poor Malax. He is just trying to help us. I run and hug him.

"Sweetheart, sit in the seat." Daddy rolls his eyes and waits on me to sit. I pick the seat beside Malax. "What are you feeling?"

I start sobbing.

"Stalking is a strong word, sweetheart. You have extremists as well. But yours think you're an angel or something. They will die for you. They would kill for you. You are perfect. It sounds like they're part of those groups. But nobody can figure out how they knew about the bombs directed at Malax. This is a very odd problem."

I wipe my eyes. "My extremists are better than his, daddy."

Everyone tries not to laugh and daddy nods. "Yours are more insane. Yes."

"Do you want me to ask them how they knew? If they think I'm perfect, they might tell me."

The investigator tilts his head. "That may be a route..."

"NO." I am on Malax's lap. He is not letting go. "She is not going to be in the same room with them."

"That would be up to your father, Octavia."

"Let the investigators work, sweetheart. If they can't break the men, we may let you try a phone call or something."

I wiggle and Malax loosens his grip. I move back to my seat, but he's tense. "They were trying to save me. They're not going to hurt me now."

"That is true." The investigator nods.

"You can't know that." Malax reaches for me again.

"They'll be behind glass with plenty of officers present. They won't be able to touch her."

I throw my leg over Malax's before he gets his hands on me. He grabs my leg and this seems to work.

Daddy nods. "Let's try it then."

Malax picks me up and wraps me around him. "I'm going too."

Daddy rolls his eyes. "She may blow off the roof."

We get in the helicopter and Malax straps me in. "Do we have to do this every time you get weird? I can't breathe when they're this tight."

"You're fine."

"Stop telling me I'm fine. I'm me. I know when I'm fine and this is too tight."

"It is not too tight, and you are fine."

Daddy looks at Azo. "Be grateful it's a short flight."

The helicopter lifts off as I undo the straps. The alarm sounds and Malax grabs me before I can take a breath. He gives me the scariest look. "Sit there."

"I'M TRYING TO BREATHE. THEY ARE TOO TIGHT."

"I AM GOING TO BEAT YOUR ASS."

"AAAAHHHHHHH! DADDY."

"Malax, knock it off. Sweetheart, put the damn straps on."

I put the straps on super loose and glare at Malax. Asshole.

We get out of the helicopter and he grabs my arm. I yank it away from him and walk with daddy.

I get to a room, and it has a window of some kind. They put 2 men behind the window. Then I'm guessing their lawyer comes in.

"Holy s**t. It's her."

I smile. "I'm me. I was told you 2 tried to save me, is that true?"

"Yea, we heard about the bombs at Phade and knew you were working there. We were trying to get your attention, so you would leave."

"Thank you for that. How did you find out about the bombs?"

"There's a bar over on Odin Street. Most of the Phade haters hang out there. We've been snooping around. Hearing what we can. We didn't know if the intell was true, but we couldn't chance it. We had to try to tell you without tipping anyone off."

"Thank you. You can let them out now."

The police laugh. Daddy shakes his head. "That's not the way it works, sweetheart."

"They didn't do anything wrong, and they were trying to help me. Let them out."

The investigator rubs his eyes. "They knew about the bombs, and they tried to contact you instead of the authorities. They will be in front of a judge tomorrow."

"You are mistaken, sir. They did not know if the intel was true. They heard rumors and did not want to cause panic. They were trying to get my attention. I could have checked if it was true."

The men's eyebrows shoot up.

"They will go in front of the judge tomorrow. You cannot stop it."

I smile. "I'll be there. Make sure the press knows. What time is it?"

"10am, ma'am."

"I'll see everyone then." I walk out glaring at Malax. Then I run to the helicopter. I strap in before he gets here.

We get back to Phade and Daddy and Azo keep going.

"So, you're going to be in court tomorrow?" Kai is holding up her phone.

"Yea. They were trying to help me and the police are making them out to be criminals."

"Sometimes everything isn't so black and white, sweetie. Malax, you need to communicate. You're doing a piss poor job of it."

He nods and takes me into his office.