Chapter 31:

Protection

Saturation: Blue

The situation was plain for all to see.

I stared at the wall while others talked. “It’s not your fault,” I heard Bobbi whisper to me. It was.

The consensus in the room was that I would be contacted again and should await demands. No one was hazarding a guess as to what they would be, but from knowing what the Sect was about, we all shared a sense of foreboding.

Morons.

Did she have – suspicions? Did she try and tell me? At any point?

I knew right then and there that…

“I’ve missed something!” I said out loud, instantly feeling embarrassed that my thoughts had spilled over into speech. Keep control. Prevail.

“What is it, Adem?” Robbie spoke to me as calmly as he could.

“Bobbi, tell me about when you last went to my apartment. You know, before I moved in.”

“Okay. Blue had just returned from her short break at home. She was very unsettled and kept mentioning being watched wherever she went – I figured that was from her being monitored for evaluation and confidentiality reasons. We went to your apartment to do some finishing touches. She brought the guitar, plushies, and the digital photos along. I left a note, she did too – she tried to hide it from me – then we reprogrammed the kitchen bin. Then, we left. She was allowed to see you the very next day in the facility – that was the final time she saw you there. Oh, and I returned to your apartment by myself on the night before your release to connect up your music and initialise the systems, and I also swapped an upgraded note for the one I had left before.”

I thought for a second. Hang on.

“You left your note, and –”

“– She left hers, like I said.”

I was stunned. “Hers?”

“The one in the blue envelope.”

“What – Where did she leave it?”

“Oh, she tucked it into the guitar case.”

I drained of all colour.

I stood up. “Robbie, Steph – update me. I’m gone, guys.” I made for the door.

Fisher spoke. “Wait – where are you going?”

“Time is short.” I wasn’t going to tell him anything. I moved quickly, through the swishing doors, along the corridors. Destination: nearest exit floor.

Bobbi ran up behind me. “Stop!” I wheeled around, eyes angry.

“Blue was so right! You’re pushing us away again.”

“Who is ‘us’? I’m pushing away those I can’t fully trust.”

Bobbi was stung. “I’m included in that?”

I gestured to her wedding ring. “I can’t afford to make mistakes. Again.”

She shook her head. “No, Adem, no –”

“– Go back to your husband.”

“Adem!”

I broke into a sprint, activating my own holomask, then deactivating it when I saw the floor security from earlier.

“Adem,” The guard recoiled at my alarmed face. “Everything all right?”

“I need an autotaxi, pronto.”

The taxi drew up to my place, and I made straight for the bedroom. I grabbed a digital photo frame out of the bedside unit, immediately switching it on. While it powered up, I opened the catch on the guitar case, pulling out the Stratocaster.

Underneath, almost entirely hidden in a pouch, was a blue envelope with a heart-shape drawn on it.

I didn’t open it lovingly – I tore it asunder, more like – and started quickly reading:

‘Adem my lovely tiger,

‘There’s so much I want to say to you that I can’t. It’s not because I’m scared to.

‘Because of my conduct, I’ve been placed under surveillance while at work, and when I went to see my family. Today, I’ve had a chance to slip this envelope in. I think anyone who sees it outwards will presume it’s just a love letter. Oh, how I wish!

‘I’m trusting that you know how I feel about you, and honestly – I want to say that to you in person. So badly. They tried to convince me that it was wrong I felt this way, my feelings were fake, lies – but it only just clarified my thinking.

‘I hope I am putting two and two together and making five, but the guards have been acting strange as well. Sometimes I feel they are following me, trying to listen in to my conversations. Maybe I’m being paranoid. I might be talking about certain guards who I feel are morons. I would love to point at the morons. Do you get it? If I ever use the word around you, assume that something very bad is going on! If I ever get angry and aggressive, it’s for someone to pay attention!’

‘I don’t know who to trust. I know you know how that feels! I can’t talk to anyone right now. I wish I could talk to you. I will try again as soon as I can.

‘All I know is, if you are reading this, you are finally free now. I just hope it works out for you. I hope we work out. I believe in you! I want to say more, but with spoken words, as soon as possible to you!

‘I’m sure this letter seems utterly weird, but it’s the best I can do right now.

‘Someone you know said to me: true love waits, and yes, I’ll wait for you. Forever. Until I can tell you.

‘From your Blue-haired chicken,

‘Belinda Blue XXX’

I felt so many things, all at once. But I had no time to unpick them all.

I took the Sensoback from the front room. “Play a week ago” I commanded it and worked back from there.

Eventually, I found what I was looking for: “AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE LOOKING AT? GET OUT OF MY WAY, MORON!”

Yep. Loud enough to be heard. Staring straight at the camera to be noticed. For me to notice?

I had a clear view of the guard’s face. I walked out of my position, went right up to him and took a close-up picture of him.

I then moved to see Blue’s face more closely, as it pointed up to the camera. It showed her beauty, sadness, loss, anger…belligerence (I had finally learned that word).

My Belinda Blue. Determination stirred from deep within me.

I then examined the photos, flicking through them all. I came across one where Blue was acting strangely. She was stood by a guard, pointing at him while opening her mouth wide and crossing her eyes. And then there was another one like that – the photos stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the other mementos meant for me. I uploaded these two shots to my holophone.

Just after I finished, my holophone alerted me to an incoming, so I deactivated the Sensoback, shrank it so it became button-sized (but bizarrely still felt the same weight as before) and stored it in my trouser pocket.

It was Robbie. “Hey chief, hope you’re okay.” I nodded. “Right, man of few words tonight! Well, we’re done, not much else happened, just Fisher discussing hypotheticals and saying we should all wait, and not contact the police.”

“First things first. Are you out of the facility?”

“Yeah, we’re on our way to…” He winked at me. I could see Steph sat beside him in the back of an autotaxi. “Hi,” she waved at me.

Dirty dog. “I don’t want to know. As long as you’re not back there. I can’t trust any of them, right now.”

He nodded his consent.

“Robbie. What do you think?”

“Methinks Fisher doth protest too much. Maybe he’s scared for his job, I dunno.”

“You’re mom’s a cop, right?”

“Yeh. I could go to her…but –”

“– I’ve got something for her.” I sent through the photo of the guard, and the video of the hooded guy. “Have that ready to send her. Possible suspects.”

“I think police AI will slice and dice that.”

“Great! Just keep it up your sleeve. Be ready to use it. Steph, start gathering evidence.”

“For what purpose?”

“To prepare to launch a big media storm, if it will help…” keep Blue alive.

“I’ll certainly get the eyes and clicks, if needed.”

“And check the pics I sent Robbie, see what you can dig up yourself.”

Robbie came into full view again. “Are you okay there by yourself, shall we come round? Are you even safe there?”

“I think so.” Otherwise, why take Blue and not me?

Step chimed in again. “They won’t have your address. Security was totally focused on protecting you, not really about anyone else so much.”

And that’s why it was so easy for them.

“Right guys, enjoy your…evening together.”

“You too, chief. We’ll check in with you tomorrow morning. Stay safe!”