escape?”
“Someone named Ingrid helped me out.”
“Ingrid? Are you sure it was her? Maybe I’ll
go easy on her for that.”
“Ingrid was a man.”
“Well, she was a woman the first time we met
her,” Quebec said.
“I am not Hess.”
In a sudden motion, Quebec
swiped her laptop from the table, sending it crashing to the floor.
“You’re not Hess? Then why does everyone think you are? Do you
think we’re stupid?” Her voice grew shriller. “There are a million
different ways for us to identify each other. We know. So please
stop the act. Please .”
“I’m sorry, Quebec.” Zack closed his eyes to
block out her pain. “Was he your husband?”
“Husband ?” She shook her head. “Never my husband. Never. Marriage is
what these people do to ease their insecurities. They try to bind
love in a contract. We never needed that. You chose me world by
world, moment by moment, again and again. We’ve spent lifetimes
together. I don’t even know who I am without you.” Quebec wrestled
herself back under control. “Who else is with them?”
“Erik. A guy named Drake. I heard them
mention someone named Griff, but I never met him.”
“So Erik, Drake, Griff, Ingrid, and Kerzon.
I might be able to handle the five of them.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said.
“You’re not exactly Rambo.”
“I have enough muscles to pull a trigger. It
takes over five minutes to regenerate after a death. If I can
surprise them, then my only trouble will be restraining the bodies
before they wake up.”
“They were going to bury me in the ground.
What if they do that to you? It would be a lot worse than getting
on an elevator. And Erik has a few kinks that almost make you want
to go underground.” Zack raised his chin. “I won’t tell you where
they are unless you promise not to go after them.”
She bent to retrieve her laptop. “I can find
them without you.”
“They’re not where you think they are.”
“Then I go back to your trailer and wait for
them to pick up their truck.”
“Enough people have been hurt already,” Zack
said.
“Your wife?”
“Her name’s Lacey. Erik threatened to cut
the baby out of her.”
Quebec looked at him. “Do you love her?”
“I like her most of the time.”
“The baby isn’t yours. Observers are sterile.”
Zack shrugged. “She was pregnant before I
met her. What does it matter which body made the baby? Lacey needed
someone. Her baby will need someone. Why shouldn’t I do something
useful while I’m stuck here?”
The hint of a smile played at the corner of
her lips. “What do you see when you look at these people? Do you
dream of a better world for them?”
“They make such a mess of their lives,” Zack
said. “But they’re happy with it. I don’t understand that. I wish I
could, but I can’t.”
Quebec nodded, serious again. “Sometimes
happiness seems impossible.”
“Promise me you won’t go after them.”
“Show me where they are and I promise to
stay away.”
Chapter 20 – Elza / Iteration 1
The late winter snow was beautiful as it twirled
to the ground. Elza watched the frosted landscape around their
tent, breathing in the chill air. It was almost time for them to
leave the north, but not quite yet. The world promised more days of
snow, more long, cold nights.
Hess emerged from the tent with a long, thin
spear in his hands. “I’ll be quick.” He bent to kiss her, wrapping
her tightly in his arms.
“The fire will be ready to light when you
get back,” she said.
They stood there a moment,
eyes locked. Since the day they agreed to separate once they
traveled south of the mountains, their partings had grown longer.
Hess bent to kiss her once more. When he straightened, she rested
her forehead on his chest. This needs to
end.
“I better go now if we want to eat,” Hess
said.
“Hurry back.”
The way he looked at her in the moment
before turning away . . . . Elza watched him disappear through the
frosty
“Someone named Ingrid helped me out.”
“Ingrid? Are you sure it was her? Maybe I’ll
go easy on her for that.”
“Ingrid was a man.”
“Well, she was a woman the first time we met
her,” Quebec said.
“I am not Hess.”
In a sudden motion, Quebec
swiped her laptop from the table, sending it crashing to the floor.
“You’re not Hess? Then why does everyone think you are? Do you
think we’re stupid?” Her voice grew shriller. “There are a million
different ways for us to identify each other. We know. So please
stop the act. Please .”
“I’m sorry, Quebec.” Zack closed his eyes to
block out her pain. “Was he your husband?”
“Husband ?” She shook her head. “Never my husband. Never. Marriage is
what these people do to ease their insecurities. They try to bind
love in a contract. We never needed that. You chose me world by
world, moment by moment, again and again. We’ve spent lifetimes
together. I don’t even know who I am without you.” Quebec wrestled
herself back under control. “Who else is with them?”
“Erik. A guy named Drake. I heard them
mention someone named Griff, but I never met him.”
“So Erik, Drake, Griff, Ingrid, and Kerzon.
I might be able to handle the five of them.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said.
“You’re not exactly Rambo.”
“I have enough muscles to pull a trigger. It
takes over five minutes to regenerate after a death. If I can
surprise them, then my only trouble will be restraining the bodies
before they wake up.”
“They were going to bury me in the ground.
What if they do that to you? It would be a lot worse than getting
on an elevator. And Erik has a few kinks that almost make you want
to go underground.” Zack raised his chin. “I won’t tell you where
they are unless you promise not to go after them.”
She bent to retrieve her laptop. “I can find
them without you.”
“They’re not where you think they are.”
“Then I go back to your trailer and wait for
them to pick up their truck.”
“Enough people have been hurt already,” Zack
said.
“Your wife?”
“Her name’s Lacey. Erik threatened to cut
the baby out of her.”
Quebec looked at him. “Do you love her?”
“I like her most of the time.”
“The baby isn’t yours. Observers are sterile.”
Zack shrugged. “She was pregnant before I
met her. What does it matter which body made the baby? Lacey needed
someone. Her baby will need someone. Why shouldn’t I do something
useful while I’m stuck here?”
The hint of a smile played at the corner of
her lips. “What do you see when you look at these people? Do you
dream of a better world for them?”
“They make such a mess of their lives,” Zack
said. “But they’re happy with it. I don’t understand that. I wish I
could, but I can’t.”
Quebec nodded, serious again. “Sometimes
happiness seems impossible.”
“Promise me you won’t go after them.”
“Show me where they are and I promise to
stay away.”
Chapter 20 – Elza / Iteration 1
The late winter snow was beautiful as it twirled
to the ground. Elza watched the frosted landscape around their
tent, breathing in the chill air. It was almost time for them to
leave the north, but not quite yet. The world promised more days of
snow, more long, cold nights.
Hess emerged from the tent with a long, thin
spear in his hands. “I’ll be quick.” He bent to kiss her, wrapping
her tightly in his arms.
“The fire will be ready to light when you
get back,” she said.
They stood there a moment,
eyes locked. Since the day they agreed to separate once they
traveled south of the mountains, their partings had grown longer.
Hess bent to kiss her once more. When he straightened, she rested
her forehead on his chest. This needs to
end.
“I better go now if we want to eat,” Hess
said.
“Hurry back.”
The way he looked at her in the moment
before turning away . . . . Elza watched him disappear through the
frosty
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