She glanced out the window at the two inspectors now both studying our IDs. "Shit," she muttered, putting her phone down as she grabbed her purse.
One of the guards moved back to my window, handing me my driver's license. Glancing past me, he eyed Kennedy. "Ms. Frazer?"
"Yes?" she asked, all innocence.
"Is there a reason you chose not to disclose your employment status with the government?"
"Huh? No. I didn't think it mattered now that I'm a civilian."
The guard frowned. "Our records indicate you work for Congresswoman Green."
"I did up until last week." She dug around in her purse and came up with a credential that had the word VOID stamped across the front. Handing it to him she added, "I stepped down when Gunn and I decided to get married. I'm moving home after the wedding."
The guard took her government ID and retreated once again.
"What's this all about?" I asked her, every nerve in my body on edge.
She shrugged, but bit her bottom lip. "Not sure. Usually I use my credential and just sail right through."
We sat waiting for what felt like forever until finally the guard returned. "Sorry about the delay, Ms. Frazer." He handed the government ID back to her. "You're still listed as an active employee in the database. We suggest you contact Congresswoman Green's office to correct the issue. Otherwise you'll have trouble leaving the city."
"What? Why?" she asked. "I didn't have any trouble last week."
"The city is on heightened security. Government employees are barred from leaving. Unless you get this fixed, you won't be able to leave town."
Fuck. If the city was on lockdown, that could mean just about anything was about to happen. The chances of updating records were risky at best. I leaned over to her and whispered, "Maybe we should turn around now."
"That's not an option, Mr. Arnot," the guard interrupted. "Like I said, government employees are on lockdown. Welcome back to Gravity Bay." He took a step back and signaled for us enter the city.
Every muscle in my body tensed as we crossed into what felt like enemy territory. "This was a mistake."
"We didn't have a choice. Would you really be willing to leave Naomi here?" she asked me.
"Yes. I'm not sacrificing you for anyone," I said, scanning the roadway for any unusual activity.
She glanced over at me, her eyes troubled. Then her expression went blank as she said, "It'll be fine. All I need to do is notify the office. They'll take care of it."
"I hope to hell you're right." We'd driven for two days to help Naomi escape Gravity Bay, but right at the moment, all I cared about was making sure Kennedy didn't get caught in a city controlled by Azurites.
She grabbed her phone and dialed. After a few moments, she scowled and said, "No answer. You better head downtown. Looks like we're going to have to make a visit to the congresswoman."
I nodded then reached over and slipped my hand over hers, holding it tenderly.
She stiffened at first, but as she gazed at our connection, she visibly relaxed and let out a small contented sigh.
9
Kennedy
"This is where you worked?" Gunn asked in disbelief as we stepped into the deserted office.
I moved to the middle of the room, standing there in utter shock. Fear crawled up my spine as I took in the eerie scene. Everything was gone. The desks, the political cartoons that used to line the walls, the espresso bar that used to sit in the back of the room, the coat rack. The only things left were the stained gray carpet, a metal folding chair, and a vintage, olive-green rotary phone sitting under the window. "What the hell? I've only been gone a week."
Gunn walked across the room and pushed open the door that led to Congresswoman Green's office. Shaking his head, he turned back toward me. "Empty."
"Shit." I spun, heading for the door. "We have to get out of here. Now."
Gunn was by my side in two strides, his hand on the small of my back. "What do you think happened?"
"I don't-"
The phone started to ring, the shrill sound echoing in the empty space. I stopped and glanced back at the metal folding chair.
"Let's go," Gunn said, tightening his hold on my waist.