window. Maybe I’d fallen from a great height? I buried my head in my arms, and waited for the hammering to dull.
A guy spoke to Adele. The vehicle shifted beneath me. I carried on regulating my breathing, and the fierce pain eased a fraction.
Who am I? What the fuck have I done? Where am I going? When will my memory come back?
The list of questions played on auto-repeat in my head.
“Hey.” Adele sat on the bench seat next to me, and placed a hand on my back. “Hang on in there.”
More questions—Who was driving, and did I know them? I craned my neck to see the driver, but he was obscured behind a partition. I looked instead at Adele. Really looked at her. My girlfriend? Why didn’t I know her? Her blonde hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. Long strands drifted onto her face, and I reached up to touch them. The softness of the cut reminded me of something—or someone. A different girl with blonde hair falling onto her forehead. Like a kaleidoscope, the image in my head shattered and faded to black.
“What’s going on?” Feeling helpless and out of control was alien to me; I knew that instinctively. I was used to being in charge.
She sighed, and then took my hand. “The police were coming to arrest you.” Her gaze skittered away and focused on her shoes.
“Why?”
“They think you’re a terrorist.”
“What?” I’d never heard anything so ludicrous. Or had I? My head thumped again, when the Mag-Car took a corner at speed, and I struggled to speak clearly. “Why would they think that?”
“You were seen setting a bomb on the Mag-Line.”
Chapter Two
The Mag-Line . A sensation hit me in the chest. A feeling of heat, intense pressure, and fear, all colliding with me at once. “A bomb?” The words tripped over my tongue. Was that where I’d been injured? All the cuts and bruises... “Is that why I’m”—I gestured to my body—“hurt?”
Adele squeezed my fingers. “You were caught in the blast.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” I swallowed once, and then again. My throat was dry and gritty.
“I know. I’m on your side, baby. We just need to figure it out.” Her easy use of ‘baby’ grated on me. I was sure I didn’t like being called that, but it felt awkward to mention it. She gave my hand another squeeze. “We’ve got a plan to get your memory back.”
“We?”
She jerked her chin toward the driver. “Donny. You’ve forgotten my brother?”
I’ve forgotten you. “Things are a bit fuzzy.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re remembering things? How much?”
I shrugged, and instantly regretted it when my shoulders screeched in pain.
“We’ll be there soon,” she said.
The Mag-Car dipped sharply as it took another corner, and I wondered where ‘there’ was. There were no windows in the back. I couldn’t tell if we were still in Emerald City or out in the slums.
My mind latched onto that thought. Emerald City. Did I live there? I closed my eyes and rubbed at my aching temples. No matter how hard I tried, there was just blackness inside my head. What had the doctor said? Retrograde amnesia. I knew that term—or at least, I’d heard it before.
I watched as Adele squeezed through a narrow gap, to sit at the front of the vehicle. She leaned to speak in the man’s ear, and then turned to smile at me. Donny? Should I know that name? A shaft of pain pierced the front of my head, and I stopped trying to think. It would come back eventually. Maybe.
It was a few minutes later, when the Mag-Car lurched to a halt, and the engine switched off. I lifted my head. Adele scrambled into the back again to crouch beside me. “We’re here. How you doing?”
I licked dry lips. “Peachy.” Her eyebrows shot up into her wispy fringe. “Where exactly are we?” I asked.
“The CyGes offices.” She studied my face, as though looking for a reaction. “You have a lab here.”
The sliding door rattled open, and distracted me from Adele’s words. I stared at the swarthy man
A guy spoke to Adele. The vehicle shifted beneath me. I carried on regulating my breathing, and the fierce pain eased a fraction.
Who am I? What the fuck have I done? Where am I going? When will my memory come back?
The list of questions played on auto-repeat in my head.
“Hey.” Adele sat on the bench seat next to me, and placed a hand on my back. “Hang on in there.”
More questions—Who was driving, and did I know them? I craned my neck to see the driver, but he was obscured behind a partition. I looked instead at Adele. Really looked at her. My girlfriend? Why didn’t I know her? Her blonde hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. Long strands drifted onto her face, and I reached up to touch them. The softness of the cut reminded me of something—or someone. A different girl with blonde hair falling onto her forehead. Like a kaleidoscope, the image in my head shattered and faded to black.
“What’s going on?” Feeling helpless and out of control was alien to me; I knew that instinctively. I was used to being in charge.
She sighed, and then took my hand. “The police were coming to arrest you.” Her gaze skittered away and focused on her shoes.
“Why?”
“They think you’re a terrorist.”
“What?” I’d never heard anything so ludicrous. Or had I? My head thumped again, when the Mag-Car took a corner at speed, and I struggled to speak clearly. “Why would they think that?”
“You were seen setting a bomb on the Mag-Line.”
Chapter Two
The Mag-Line . A sensation hit me in the chest. A feeling of heat, intense pressure, and fear, all colliding with me at once. “A bomb?” The words tripped over my tongue. Was that where I’d been injured? All the cuts and bruises... “Is that why I’m”—I gestured to my body—“hurt?”
Adele squeezed my fingers. “You were caught in the blast.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” I swallowed once, and then again. My throat was dry and gritty.
“I know. I’m on your side, baby. We just need to figure it out.” Her easy use of ‘baby’ grated on me. I was sure I didn’t like being called that, but it felt awkward to mention it. She gave my hand another squeeze. “We’ve got a plan to get your memory back.”
“We?”
She jerked her chin toward the driver. “Donny. You’ve forgotten my brother?”
I’ve forgotten you. “Things are a bit fuzzy.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re remembering things? How much?”
I shrugged, and instantly regretted it when my shoulders screeched in pain.
“We’ll be there soon,” she said.
The Mag-Car dipped sharply as it took another corner, and I wondered where ‘there’ was. There were no windows in the back. I couldn’t tell if we were still in Emerald City or out in the slums.
My mind latched onto that thought. Emerald City. Did I live there? I closed my eyes and rubbed at my aching temples. No matter how hard I tried, there was just blackness inside my head. What had the doctor said? Retrograde amnesia. I knew that term—or at least, I’d heard it before.
I watched as Adele squeezed through a narrow gap, to sit at the front of the vehicle. She leaned to speak in the man’s ear, and then turned to smile at me. Donny? Should I know that name? A shaft of pain pierced the front of my head, and I stopped trying to think. It would come back eventually. Maybe.
It was a few minutes later, when the Mag-Car lurched to a halt, and the engine switched off. I lifted my head. Adele scrambled into the back again to crouch beside me. “We’re here. How you doing?”
I licked dry lips. “Peachy.” Her eyebrows shot up into her wispy fringe. “Where exactly are we?” I asked.
“The CyGes offices.” She studied my face, as though looking for a reaction. “You have a lab here.”
The sliding door rattled open, and distracted me from Adele’s words. I stared at the swarthy man
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