Free In the Blood by Jackie French Page B

an artist. It’s not the same.’
    He accepted this. ‘So—I call up this friend of yours. How do I know he’ll talk to me?’
    ‘Mention my name. Say you have a message from me. Then put it on high amplification and he’ll hear my voice through your Link.’
    Another hesitation. Then: ‘Very well,’ he said.

Chapter 14
    I t wasn’t as hard as I’d thought to watch Theo Link. Not hard, but not easy either.
    ‘The name is Michael Forest,’ I said, and gave him the Link code. ‘Or maybe it’s Michael Doddens again now. It doesn’t matter. That’s his private code.’
    ‘What if he’s changed it?’
    I shrugged. ‘Why should he? Apart from me, anyone who might embarrass him is dead.’
    Theo nodded and shifted the control on the monitor. I could just hear the code as he pulsed it in, bat-like and far away.
    Ten seconds, eleven, twelve…for a moment I thought Michael wasn’t going to answer, that the number was void or he’d switched to message mode. Then suddenly Theo blinked and a second later Michael’s image was on the screen.
    I had thought he would look different. But of course it had been only two months since I’d seen him, Linked with him, made love with him. He looked the same as he always did at work. Also nonplussed, then irritated.
    ‘How did you get this code?’ he barked. Michael was never one for pleasantries.
    ‘I have a message for you,’ said Theo gently. ‘From Danielle.’
    Michael’s eyes widened. ‘Danielle.’ The tone was impossible to read.
    I moved in front of the monitor. ‘It’s me, Michael.’
    ‘Danielle, for freedom’s sake, what do you think you’re doing?’
    There was no need to interpret the tone now. Anger, shock and growing fury.
    ‘Michael, I’m not calling on a whim. Believe me, I wouldn’t call you if this weren’t serious. Trust me. You always could trust me, remember? I need to speak to you.’
    A hesitation. ‘Well, go on then.’
    ‘Not like this. Michael, I’ve discovered something. Something that might be very bad. I need to bring the evidence in with me.’
    ‘Come here? Danielle are you insane? If this is some kind of trick to get access to…’
    The rejection stung. I glanced at Theo, ashamed that he’d seen a friend, someone who had been a friend, treat me like this.
    ‘It’s no trick, Michael. I promise you. I just need, let’s say, two hours. Ten minutes to explain it to you, two hours tops of lab time. Believe me, I wouldn’t bother you,’ the bitterness seeped into my voice here, ‘if it wasn’t urgent.’
    His face looked more dubious now. ‘I’m not sure…’
    ‘Remember the water contamination scare two years ago? Finchel wouldn’t have been elected mayor if I hadn’t spotted the possibility, if I hadn’t given you the data.’
    ‘Are you telling me I owe you?’
    ‘No, I’m telling you to trust my judgment.’
    ‘You always were the best of us at correlations,’ he said slowly.
    ‘That’s because I never specialised,’ I said lightly. ‘Well, Michael?’
    He bit his lip. ‘I’ll see what I can do. Give me your code,’ he said to Theo. ‘I’ll call you back.’ The screen went blank.
    I discovered I was shaking. I sat back down on the sofa. Theo sat beside me. He hesitated, but didn’t touch me. ‘I’m sorry…’ he began.
    I tried to smile. ‘You’re always comforting me.’
    ‘Not very successfully. He was a close friend, wasn’t he?’
    ‘Was it obvious? Yes, very close. All of us were close. But he was closer than most.’
    Theo looked like he was trying to choose his words. ‘I was surprised when you came alone. I expected more of you. I would have thought that those who chose exile would have stayed together.’
    I shook my head. ‘There was no one left to join me.’
    His eyes widened. ‘You mean they all chose alteration?’
    ‘No. I mean they are all dead, or as good as dead. Brain wiped, except me, and Michael.’
    ‘I didn’t know,’ said Theo slowly. ‘They didn’t give