Chapter Twenty-One
August 3, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Shadow Zone
Jia glanced at Erik from the passenger seat of the MX 60, a knowing smile on her face. He tried to ignore her, but it was hard. It was easy to read her when she was serious, not so much when she was in a good mood.
“What?” Erik finally caved. “You look like you just won a contest for best duck recipe.”
Jia chuckled. “If only, but this isn’t about me. It’s about you.”
“What about me?”
“You’re enjoying this far too much.”
Erik’s gaze cut toward her as he pushed through the border separating the Shadow Zone from Uptown, the air thickening with pollution. Even though the Shadow Zone Taskforce was more a name than a group at this point, their presence in the taskforce made passage into the Zone trivial. It
