Seeker (Riders #2)(6)

Marcus crosses his arms and listens, his gaze moving from me to Cordero. Jode's attention's more like a satellite: unfocused and landing nowhere specific but taking in everything. I wrap things up, describing how I'd sprinted after Daryn-the direction Anna indicated-getting the attention of the military police on base, but coming up with nothing. Daryn had disappeared again. Even now I feel the echo of that moment. Brutal.

"Okay," Cordero says. "What do we know for sure?" She steeples her fingers and taps them together as she thinks. I used to be able to do that. "We know she didn't come solely to give you the key. It has no real value and she could've found a much easier way to deliver it if that was all she wanted to do. She came for another reason. What was it, and what caused her to veer from her plan?"

"How do you know she veered from her plan?"

"I'm making an assumption based on the distress your sister picked up on."

"You think she saw a threat of some kind and changed her mind?"

"Or had a change of heart."

Cordero and Jode exchange a look. Marcus drops his head and stares at his feet.

I don't like this. "Spill, Ellis. Marcus … ? Someone, talk."

Jode looks at Cordero. I think I see a slight nod of approval from her. "What if she didn't come because of Sebastian?" he asks.

"Daryn might have come for strictly personal reasons," Cordero adds.

"Ah. Got it. You think I'm the personal reason. Solid theory, but you're wrong. Daryn would never show up for that reason. She's dedicated. All Seeker business all the time." Why are they saying this-to test me? Or do they really think it's a possibility? "Anyway, this part of the discussion isn't up for discussion."



       
         
       
        

"Maybe it should be," Cordero offers. "Maybe you should consider that she might've shown up to see you and left because she wasn't ready."

Marcus crosses his arms. "She could've seen your prosthetic."

"You mean this?" I raise my robohand. It's capable of fifty distinct gestures, but the bird's one of my top-used ones.

Marcus is already smiling. He knew it was coming.

"It might have taken even less," Jode adds. "One look at you could've sent her running."

An image flashes through my mind. Daryn seeing me, then doing an about-face and hauling ass like she's in a B horror film.

I have to laugh. It's just so sad. "How is this relevant to anything?" I'm sweating and I can't sit any longer. I stand and brace my hands on the back of the chair. "Hey, Ben," I call into the warehouse. "How's your personal life? You got any rejections you want to dissect with our psychologist-boss?"

Ben jumps up and rounds his desk. "Definitely. I'm the king of rejection."

"Dude, then I'm your co-monarch."

"Blake," Cordero warns.

"We'll talk later, Ben. Keep after it. You're doing great."

Ben spins and goes back to his desk.

Cordero sighs. "This is a relevant line of inquiry, Gideon, because her appearance the other day could be a false lead. She doesn't seem to want to be found. We have to consider that she might want no involvement in the search for Sebastian. And since she controls the key … "

I shake my head. "I'm not on board with this line of thinking. If Daryn isn't willing to go after Bastian, we're nowhere. And I'm not throwing in the towel before we even find her. We assume she showed up because she wants to go after Sebastian, or what's the point?"

"All I'm trying to understand is why she'd leave without approaching you if she wanted your help."

"Because that's what Daryn does."

At this, Cordero's antennae go up. It's subtle, a quick blink, like she's afraid she might miss something. "Explain what you mean by that."

"She's not the most open book out there."

"Can you elaborate for me?"

"If she were a book, you'd only be able to read a few pages."

"Elaborate better."

I pull in a deep breath, then let it out. How can I say this without throwing Daryn under the bus? "She's not one to ask for help when she needs it. She's  …  I don't know. She's skittish." 

"So she might, for example, attempt to approach you for help, then get cold feet and back away?"

Marcus and Jode both look at me. We all know where this is going.

"She might do that."

"And then?" Cordero asks.

"She'd go after it on her own."

The silence that falls over us feels like it reaches out to the warehouse. Like the team out there has felt a shift, too.