Disruption by Jessica Shirvington Read Free Book Online Page B

hand over his face as he considered the dire result. Yes, if Thomas had been there, he’d already be under investigation.
    I feigned a sigh. ‘Look. You’re a neg,’ I said, ignoring the way he flinched at the word. ‘The second you turn on your Phera-tech again, you’ll tip over the three limit and there’s nothing you can do about it. Your flag will activate and then … you know the drill. You’ve got until the end of the month to register another rating. My advice, don’t turn it back on until you figure out what you’re going to do.’
    His eyes were so wide they were mostly white. ‘I can’t do that.’ He pressed his lips together. ‘My family.’
    I gave him a considering look, as if measuring him up. ‘Your family will understand,’ I said.
    He swallowed. ‘We both know that’s not true.’
    We did.
    I pulled a stick of gum out of my pocket and popped it in my mouth. ‘Sorry, not my problem.’
    His eyes flashed. ‘Just getting a kick out of delaying the inevitable then?’ he said bitterly.
    I took my time, watching as the fear and hopelessness continued to seep into him. It was all on the line and every second that passed intensified his desperation. Finally, I let out the breath I was holding. ‘I might know a way I could help you.’
    His eyes narrowed. ‘You can’t cheat the system!’
    I leaned into him, just like he had done to me on the steps earlier that morning.
    ‘If you want to be all high and mighty, go for it. Turn on your Phera-tech. Take a few ratings. It’ll give you something to talk about over the dinner table tonight.’ And with that I left him standing in the hall, knowing that if I hadn’t covered for him in there, he would already be under neg suspicion. But then, as I stalked down the hall, I cringed. Because if it hadn’t have been for me, Quentin Mercer would not have rated negative at all.

Six
    H alf running to work that afternoon, I wondered how long it would be before I saw Quentin again.
    If he’d had enough guts to turn his Phera-tech back on, he’d know by now that the earlier readings had been bogus. The disruption chemicals he’d inhaled at school would’ve already stopped affecting him.
    Still, I had to wait for him to come to me. If I appeared too keen, he’d know something was up.
    I entered the Clarendon M-Store. Even the glaring white light and wall-to-wall light boxes couldn’t suppress the feeling of darkness that came over me the moment I crossed the threshold. I hated working there, but being on staff at the M-Corp accessory and products store for the past year had served my needs. I had access to tech training, company manuals and their staff computer systems. It didn’t get me access to the good stuff, but small things were helpful every now and then. The biggest thing the job had given me was Gus. He was the head M-Band programmer at the store and if I hadn’t been stuck there working the register late one night, I never would’ve caught – or recorded – his illicit M-Band trade in the back alley.
    Gus was anxiously awaiting my arrival in his back room office.
    ‘You’re late,’ he said by way of greeting. He had changed out of his suit and back into his thrifty-style thigh-hugging pants, with an orange T-shirt and skinny grey tie. He was also sporting his favourite tweed fedora.
    ‘I’m so sorry, Arlington bus and metro mustn’t have received your weekly schedule,’ I snarled. He knew I came straight to work from school yet he persisted in making my start times impossible.
    ‘So?’ he prompted, ignoring my comment.
    I looked over my shoulder as I hung up my bag. ‘So, everything is on track. He’s hooked. Now we have to wait.’
    ‘And?’
    I blinked. ‘And what?’
    ‘We both know and what , Miss Excuse-me-while-I-beep-up-a-storm.’
    I moved into the curtained excuse for a change room to put on my work clothes. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ I called out.
    I heard the creak of Gus leaning back in