“Yep. We contacted the culinary school in the city and asked for a few students to do a preceptorship with us. We’ve got four of the best bakers in the school with us until March.”
“Man, I love you,” laughed Eli, kissing his wife.
“I know,” she smiled, cuddling into him. When Jonas and Khloe walked in, everyone smiled in their direction, knowing that the couple had made their feelings and intentions known without a word.
By tomorrow, Khloe would be in his cottage and loving every moment of it. Mama Irene and Claudette would be planning a wedding with the help of Kate, Ajei, and the other wives. And by summer, no doubt, Khloe would be pregnant. It seemed as natural as anything in the world could be.
“Hey, brother. How are things going?” Jonas asked Hiro.
“We’re working on the information that Sophia Ann sent, but it’s taking us some time. It’s a huge fucking area of land, and there are hundreds of homes, cabins, and shacks. Trying to find the one is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.” AJ and Tanner nodded, frowning at the table.
“We’re trying, Jonas,” said AJ.
“I know, brother. I wasn’t implying that you weren’t trying. I was just curious if we’d found anything else.”
“It’s easier than you think,” said Wyatt. The precocious genius had come to them at the same time as Victoria, Chelsea, and the others.
“I’m sure it is, buddy, but I haven’t figured it out yet,” smirked AJ.
“But it’s easy,” said Wyatt.
“Wyatt, are you trying to tell us how to do this?” asked Hiro.
“Y-yes, but Mom and Dad said I shouldn’t always show everyone that I’m smarter than they are. It’s rude. So, I’m trying not to be rude,” he said with a straight face.
“Well, I, for one, don’t think it’s rude at all. I’d be grateful for any insights you could give us,” said Tanner.
“Okay. Well, I was talking to Thomas, and he was telling me about the super cool hologram thing he did and then that sound thing where you can bounce sound off one thing, and it sounds like it’s coming from somewhere else.”
“We know what you’re talking about,” smiled AJ. “That technology has been perfected and is being used now.”
“I know,” said Wyatt. “I’m talking about using it to send messages to the guy in the woods.”
“Messages?”
“Yeah. You keep looking for locations based on the messages sent to and from his dad. But if you have his dad’s phone information, you could send a pretend message to him asking him to call, and we could locate him that way.”
“He’s right. We can use the artificial intelligence technology we have and duplicate his father’s voice to have a full conversation with him. Wyatt, you’re a genius!”
“I know,” he said, frowning at them. The three men laughed, racing back to the comms room and gathering all the voicemails they could with Mansur Sr.’s voice on it. An hour later, they were ready to reach out.
Holding their collective breath, they initiated the call using the AI-generated voice of Mansur Sr.
“What do you want now? Have you discovered more ways to ruin my life?” said Archie.
“Don’t be an ass,” said the constructed voice replica. “I’m calling to see if you’re alright.”
“Me? You’re the one that’s in jail. Holcomb told me they arrested you. Are you calling from prison?” Holcomb was his father’s right-hand man. Nothing more than a lackey lawyer who ran errands and fetched coffee. But he was good for some things.
Shit, mouthed AJ.
“I have my ways of getting a cell phone. Are you safe?”
“I’m in a fucking cabin in the middle of the woods. I’m horrible. I’m sick and tired of waiting on you and everyone else to help me.”
“We’re all trying to help you. Stop acting like a child.”
Hiro shrugged at the statement, not sure if the father would have said that or not. Tanner was holding up ten fingers, slowly lowering them as the area in question was narrowed more and more.
