Sunday, May 13, 2012

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Different Kind of Team

James entered the kitchen area of the ship, hoping to convince Eric to listen to him. He figured he would have a captive audience while Eric was preparing Kate’s meal. She hadn’t come out of her room since James last spoke to her.
“I told them,” James said.
“Told them?” Eric asked without looking up.
“Told them The Machinists were listening in.”
“Who did you tell?”
“I sent a message to the Alexander compound.”
Eric still did not look up. “How did you do that?”
“I used Kate’s code,” he said. “Some things never change.”
Eric smiled. “I meant, how did you send a secure message?”
“It wasn’t secure,” James admitted. “It’s likely they were listening in.”
Eric stopped preparing the food, and this time looked James in the eye. “I thought if you could listen to them, you could get around their security,” he said.
“I can’t listen to them,” he told him.
“Then how do you know what they’re up to?”
James paused, unsure if he should tell Eric the truth. But, after a moment he realized he had nothing to lose. “I know someone,” he admitted.
Eric set down his utensils and walked right up to James, stopping inches from his face. “So, you have been working with them,” he said.
“No,” James told him. “I met someone after I got here.”
“And why would one of them tell you what they know?” Eric demanded.
“Because I told them what I know.”
“What?” he screamed.
“I told them how to get Lucas,” James said, trying to look away.
“Once a traitor, always a traitor,” he said, then pushed James against the wall.
“I did not do it to betray my family,” James said. “I did it to save them.”
Eric stormed out of the kitchen, and headed down the corridor toward Kate’s room. James quickly followed. “They want to help us,” he tried to tell Eric. “They want to join the fight.”
Eric paused outside Kate’s door as James came running after him. He caught up, and desperately tried to make his case. “Lucas is the one person who might listen to them,” he told Eric. “He’s in no danger. I’ll prove it the moment we land.”
Kate opened the door and looked at the two standing in the corridor.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Eric looked at James, wondering just how to respond.

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