“She’sjust your mark, huh?Anasset?Whatis she to you?”Fortalking in a near whisper, he sure sounds accusatory.
“She’snot just my asset.Imean, yes, sheismy asset, even though she doesn’t know it.Butshe’s notonlythat.”Idon’t want to explain more, soIadd, “She’sthe one who took the accidental brush pass of theEradicationProjectkey.”
“Ahh.Isee.”
“Whyare you here?Whatis she to you?”
“Icame for the event, just likeIhave been for months— as a normal person, not as an operative.Mackenziehas been doing my physical therapy for just as long.Sincelong before she became your asset,” he says a little defensively.Hepauses a moment, then asks, “Doyou like her?”
“Ido.”I’mnot sure whyIadmit it to him.
Abrahamnarrows his eyes. “Ido, too.Wealldo.Idon’t know where the mission is going to take this, but you better not hurt her, or you’ll have all of us to answer to.”
“Noted.”
ThenAbraham’seyes go wide and he smacks his hand on his forehead. “Oh.Oh!Ican’t believeIdid that.Iwas the cause of yesterday’sCodeFourteen!Ididn’t know who her ‘mystery man’ was, andIsuggested that she drop in at his work.”
“Youdid that?”
“Hey, in my defense, it’s not likeI’mon the floor anymore and get filled in on those kinds of details. ‘Needto know’ and all that.”
I’mshootingAbrahama look whenMackenziewalks back through the door and says, “Okay,JanaeandMarshallare going to be a little late, so they’ll meet us there.Let’shead out.”
“Ihope you have fun tonight,”Abrahamsays. “It’sgood to getOutsidetheBubblenow and then.”
LikeIdon’t already do that for a living.
Abrahamslips away to talk to the sisters who look alike, andMackenziewalks over to me with a big smile on her face. “I’mglad you came.”
“Iam, too,”Isay, and mean every word.
Wewalk as a group down the sidewalk, andIhear whatIcan only guess is a band doing a sound check, and it’s close.I’mguessing we are headed toward the sound, but as much asItry to think of things in that direction and within walking distance,Icome up empty.SoIaskMackenziewhere we are headed.
“ToBeaton theStreet.Theyclose off a big section ofMainStreet, and we have an outdoor concert right smack in the middle of the road.”
Itisn’t an event that was around whenIlived here, so it must’ve started in the past few years.It’llbe nice to sit and enjoy a concert after the last two daysI’vehad.AlthoughIcan’t really see it as a big stretch out of a comfort zone bubble.
MainStreetis only a couple of blocks from the library, and as soon as we round the corner and buildings are no longer blocking us, the stage is in view and so are all the people gathered to watch.Theyreally did close the entire street down, and it is currently filled from sidewalk to sidewalk with a few hundred people, each seated on a camp chair.Stringsof lights stretch overhead from the tops of buildings on one side of the street to the other.Afew local vendors have snack, soda, and treat shops set up under portable awnings along the sides and at the back of the crowd.
“Oh,”Isay. “Wewere supposed to bring our own chairs.”Mymind starts running through how far it is from here to my mom’s house,Blake’shouse, andCharlie’shouse, adding up how many chairs each of them might have, and guessing how quicklyIcould borrow them.
ButMackenziesays, “Wearen’t going to need chairs.”Mybrain hasn’t fully processed her words before she adds, “Weare going to be right up front, dancing to the music.”
CHAPTER21
DANCING LIKE NOBODY IS WATCHING WHEN EVERYONE IS
JACE
Asif on cue, the male lead singer who is standing on the portable stage that is nearly as wide as the street, complete with a back and lighting, starts introducing their cover band.Thenhe says that they’d like to invite everyone to get up and dance to their music.
“Why…why…why are we going to be dancing?”Iask, sounding likeI’meleven andIwas just asked to… well, get up and dance in front of my class.
It’snot thatIcan’t dance.I’vebeen trained in social dances for many different cultures.Ican hold my own on a ballroom floor.Butdancing at something like this?Dancingin the street calls for movesIdon’t have.Notonly doInot have the moves, butIdon’t even know what they are. “Whydon’t we just sit and watch?”
Brendais apparently close, and she starts shaking her hips and says, “Because, if you’re going to be up early, you might as well kiss the sun!”
Theband is playingFunkyTown, and there are lots of young kids in the street in the space between the stage and the first row of chairs who are already moving their bodies to the music.Afew people from our group are entering the fray and dancing right along with them.
