I look over the paper. It’s titledRevelation According to St. Therese of the Reeds.
“I have to go,” he says. “I don’t want to stay in any one place for very long, just in case someone’s watching me.”
“Why would they be watching you?”
He shrugs. “Who knows? I know they watch everyone so if anyone asks why I was here, say it was because we were friends or something and I was saying goodbye.”
“How do you know about the tomb seal?”
“I mine data. All of it, even SCU data. I have a few tracers of my own included in the official search terms. I stumbled over some conversations and it scared me. Now I have to go.”
I lead him to the door.
“Take care,” he says. “Watch your back. I know you can fight, but I also know you haven’t been fully trained. I don’t know what’s coming, but I have a bad feeling about it.”
I close the door behind him.
Join the group.
Revelation According to St. Therese of the Reeds… I tuck the paper into a mental file markedSuperstitious Nonsenseand plan to read it later, when I have nothing else better to do.
Chapter 21
“Take away love and our earth is a tomb.”
Robert Browning
THE NEXT FEW DAYS PASS SLOWLY as I try to adapt to my new life no longer employed by the SCU. I tried to go back to the warehouse but there was no response when I went to the service entrance and rang the bell. I couldn't get in and Vasily never answered my calls. Instead, I go back to my tiny apartment, feeling completely abandoned by everyone. I haven't heard from Julien or Vasily and I feel completely cut off from my life of the past few months.
Finally, I hear a knock at my door and I check the peephole. It's Vasily. I open the door.
"Eve," he says. "Why haven't you answered my calls? I've been so worried about you."
"What do you mean? You never answeredmycalls!" I go to my cell and check, but there are no calls registered on my phone from Vasily. "There's nothing here…"
He shakes his head. "I've been calling and calling. I came by your apartment but there was no answer. You weren't at SCU."
"I'm fired."
"What?"
I close the door behind him and we sit on my couch.
"I went to Ramallah to track Soren and when I got back, Vasquez fired me. I went to the warehouse but there was no one there."
"You went to trackSoren?"
"I told you before I went. Don't you remember?"
He rubs his head, grimacing as if the very idea hurts him.
"You must come back to Julien's. You are not safe here. I can't believe you've been alone all this time…"
I sit there, so confused. Once again, I suspect that Soren's at the bottom of this. I fill my cat's dishes with fresh food and water and leave my tiny flat for Julien's warehouse.
"Where's Julien?" I say as we drive through the narrow streets bordering the waterfront. "I thought he'd at least call me."
"He is on operation."