Free Exo: A Novel (Jumper) by Steven Gould

name, probably in another country. But Millie wanted her in their home.
    She’d said, “I don’t know how long I’ve got. If you knew your mother was going to die soon, wouldn’t you want to spend as much time with her as possible?”
    That was the clincher. He certainly hadn’t known how soon his mother would die when she’d been killed thirty years before. He’d have given anything for more time with her.
    “Have you talked to Cent?”
    “Not yet. Mother only just agreed. I don’t think she’s ever had a gun pointed at her before.” Millie’s mouth drew down into a tight line. “I was worried she’d have heart failure or go into respiratory distress. Instead she just suggested that you stay longer next time.”
    Despite the grim look on Millie’s face, Davy laughed, tried to stop it, then laughed some more.
    Millie’s mouth softened and one corner turned up.
    Davy said, “Well, the gun was empty, at least. He had no intention of hurting her.”
    Millie raised her eyebrows.
    Davy told her about his conversation with Mr. Hunter.
    “God. That’s got to be his real name. No one would assign that to an agent, would they? So, not them ?”
    Davy shrugged. “I don’t think so. Doesn’t mean someone above him isn’t.”
    She sighed.
    Cent appeared on the living room side of the island counter. “Hey.”
    “Hey, yourself,” said Davy.
    Cent spotted the gun and hypodermic on the table. “Anything wrong?” Her gaze moved back and forth from Millie to Davy.
    Millie summoned a smile. “I told you about my mother’s new injury?”
    Cent nodded, her eyes wide. “She’s not—”
    “Oh, no. She’s okay. But I don’t know how long we’ve got. I’m bringing her home next week, to live with us.”
    “Oh. That’s good, right?” She gestured at the gun. “What’s with that?”
    “CIA tried to snatch me.”
    Cent turned to Davy. “Are they okay? Do I need to avoid the pit?”
    “They’ll … be all right.” He took out his cell phone and showed her a picture of Hunt’s face. “In case you see him.”
    Cent studied it. “Right. About Grandmother, do you want to use my room? I could move downstairs.”
    Millie smiled. “I was going to talk to you about that. Would you be comfortable sleeping in the Eyrie? We’re going to bring in some help and I was hoping to put them in the sewing room and the library.”
    Cent looked at Davy. “Uh, there’s not exactly any privacy at the Eyrie. It’s all one big room and all.”
    Davy said, “I don’t have to go there.”
    “What about all those books, Daddy? You have as many there as you have here . What if I have … company?”
    Davy grimaced. “I can move my books,” he said. “I’m going to have to clear out the library here, anyway, so I thought I’d take over part of the warehouse. We’re going to cut back on the relief work while we’re taking care of Samantha, and the supplies we haven’t used can all go into one corner.”
    Cent looked shocked. “Uh, Move the library? It’s always been there.”
    “Not always,” Millie said, smiling at Davy. “It’s been moved before.”
    Davy rubbed at his forehead. “It was smaller back then, but yeah.” He pointed at Cent. “I’m just moving the books. You can use the shelves in the Eyrie.”
    Millie nodded. “When do you plan on starting that? I want the room completely ready by next Tuesday.”
    Davy sighed. “I’ll get right on it.”

 
    FIVE
    Cent: Fainted? I don’t faint
    Friday afternoon I met Tara at her apartment while her mom was still at work. “What’s the story?”
    “I told her I’m visiting Jade.”
    I raised my eyebrows.
    “I told her that the two of us went in on the price of a plane ticket,” she said. “That I’m taking the bus to Salt Lake City International. The tricky part is that Mom’s going to drive over there on Sunday to pick me up.”
    I winced. “I don’t have a jump site in Salt Lake City.”
    “Shit! What airports do you have?”
    “I avoid