Page 17 of The Same Flesh
He shut the closet door, and they made their way back to the kitchen.
It wasn’t until then, as the adrenaline chilled and jellied in his veins, that he realized what was wrong.
“There aren’t any lights on.”
“Bingo bango bongo,” Jem said.He crouched in the doorway to the sunroom and shone his flashlight at the jamb.“And check this out.”
Tean leaned closer, and Jem traced his thumb along a scratch that marred the wood of the jamb and then ran across the strike plate.A fresh scratch—Tean could tell that much at first glance.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Someone popped the latch,” Jem said.“And did a fucking bad job of it, too.”
The house seemed to get bigger around Tean.Vertigo washed over him.He put out a hand and found himself grabbing the freestanding range, and a distant, childlike part of him flaring up into a delayed panic at touching a burner—you’ll burn yourself, it’s hot.Hewas hot, a flush prickling across his chest.
Jem was still crouched, staring at the strike plate.
So, Tean made himself say it.“They were here.”
5
Jem parted the blinds with one finger and watched the street.
Dark.
Quiet.
So, why did he feel like someone was staring back at him?
Behind him, Amy dumped another armful of clothes into a suitcase.She was breathing too quickly.The sound was close to tears.But she didn’t cry; she leaned on the suitcase, forcing it closed while she ran the zipper.And then she said, “Okay, I think that’s it.”
“Hopefully, it’ll only be for a few nights,” Tean said.
Amy nodded.
Jem wondered if any of them actually believed that.
“You’re sure you’d rather stay in a hotel tonight?”Tean asked as he rolled one of the suitcases toward the door.“Not with family or friends?”
“Are you kidding?They’re going to think I’m having a nervous breakdown.”She dragged the suitcase off the bed, and it landed on the floor with a thump.“I’m going to push the dresser in front of the door, and I’m not coming out.”
“That’s a good start,” Jem said.He dropped his hand; the blinds fell back into place, and the street was gone.He moved past Tean to get to the front of their three-person formation and led the way to the back door.“As far as we know, they’re not doing anything fancy—no hacking accounts, that kind of stuff.We don’t know how they got on to River yet, but once they did, they had to do it the old-fashioned way, which meant following her with eyes on the ground.They got to you from River, and they’re back to the same tricks.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“Maybe.A little.As long as we make sure we aren’t followed to the hotel, they won’t have any idea where you are.Stay off social media.Don’t send friends or family any pictures.Do you have your location shared with anyone?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Check,” Jem said.
“We’ve got an episode coming out in two days,” Amy said.“I’ve got to do some promotional posts for that.”
“Could you skip this one?”Tean asked.
“This is my job.This is how I make a living.”
“If you want tokeepliving,” Jem said, “let this one go.”
