Free In the Grey by Claudia Hall Christian

Alex
asked.
    Troy shook his
head.
    “ I’d guess that she used
her ability to make the drones to bargain with Hector,” Alex said.
“Maybe for another child. Maybe for better treatment for the boys.
Hector James said that the fact they don’t do anything other than
fly was a secret. It’s possible that your brother didn’t know that.
He could have easily thought the nanodrones were spying on him.
Could have kept him in line.”
    “ He sold the drones to any
interested country,” Patrick said. “Finished product, no
plans.”
    “ We thought that was good
business,” Alex said. “But now . . .”
    “ He couldn’t make them,”
Troy fell back in his chair. “Wow.”
    “ We’d like you to read
your brother’s books,” Joseph said. “He became very famous around
the time Hector James was born.”
    “ Anything else?” Troy
nodded.
    “ We need to talk to the
boys,” Alex said. “It’s probably best to have their therapist with
them so we don’t freak them out.”
    “ I’ll set it up,” Troy
said. “And I’m sorry. I didn’t remember. I’d never hold back
something I thought was important. I didn’t put it
together.”
    Alex nodded. Troy got up
and left the room.
    “ Do you believe him?”
Patrick asked.
    “ I do,” Alex said. “But
he’s holding something back.”
    “ His grief?”
    “ No, something about the
plans,” Alex said.
    “ Do you think he gave them
to Dahlia?” Joseph asked.
    “ I think he knows who
did,” Alex said.
    “ Should
we . . . ?” Patrick asked.
    “ No,” Alex said. “We need
to trust him. He’s never been good with secrets. He’ll tell us
eventually.”
    “ You’re sure this
thing . . .” Patrick gestured to the nanodrone.
“It’s important?”
    “ To the bigger picture,”
Alex said. “I wonder if Hector and Eniac knew each
other.”
    “ Or if Dahlia knew Eniac?”
Joseph nodded.
    “ Troy said specifically
that he would never not say
something . . .”
    “ If he thought it was
important,” Patrick said.
    “ He must not think it
matters,” Alex said.
    “ Why would he lie about
this?” Joseph asked.
    “ No way to know,” Alex
said. “We need to trust him. Let’s give him space and see what he
does.”
    Patrick gave her a hard
look and walked out of the room.
    “ He can be horrifying,”
Joseph said.
    “ Yeah,” Alex
grimaced.
    Joseph touched her
shoulder and left the room. Alex nodded to herself.
    “ Your call from California
is on line two,” Sergeant Dusty said.
    Smiling, Alex picked up
the phone.
    FFFFFF Saturday, midday
    November 6 – 12:42 p.m.
MDT
    Denver,
Colorado
     
    “ I’m out for the rest of
the day,” Alex said to her team. “You can reach me on my cell phone
and . . .”
    Alex dug in her pocket to
hold up the phone.
    “ I even know where it
is!”
    The team
cheered.
    “ Dusty will keep tabs on
me as well. Troy and Colin are with me,” Alex said. “The General’s
team might ask for your assistance. Assist at will, but remember
that you’re responsible for completing your tasks.”
    “ Yes, sir,” the team
called.
    “ Sir,” White Boy raised
his hand. “Any word on Andy?”
    “ Taken care of, Captain,”
Alex said. “Trece is currently being processed at Pelican Bay
Prison.”
    “ Thank you, sir,” White
Boy said. “May I call his wife?”
    “ You may,” Alex
said.
    “ What should I tell her?”
White Boy looked so lost it was all she could do to not hug
him.
    “ Tell her that she can
expect me to return him when he’s done,” Alex said. “She’ll know
what I mean.”
    “ You mean, he’s working?”
Margaret asked.
    “ Did you think I’d give
him a vacation when we have so much work to do?” Alex
smiled.
    The team
chuckled.
    “ Don’t worry. He’s in good
hands,” Alex said. “I won’t let him or any of you get lost, shoved
aside, or caught up in stupid crap. It’s not going to be easy for
him, but I’m sure he’ll have plenty of big stories to tell when he
gets