BooksBarbecue
Back Unleashed Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. Part Two
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. Part Three
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. Part Four
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. Part Five
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. Epilogue
  54. Acknowledgments
  55. About the Author
  56. Back Cover

“But what I still don’t understand is why he wants Jinx so badly,” I say. “Jinx was out in the wild for a month, and no damage was done to Moncha. Can’t he just be left to live in peace?”

“There must be a reason,” says Mr. Baird.

“When Jinx comes back, I’ll ask him,” I say with more confidence than I have.

“When?” Mr. Baird asks, one eyebrow raised. “Do you think he escaped from Lake Baku?”

“I have to believe it.” I lean back in the car and turn my head so I’m facing the window.

Even though Jinx is too far away by now to be able to hear me, I talk to him. I just don’t know if we’re doing the right thing. Leaving Dad there, not having Monica with us… I feel like we’ve come away with nothing.

As if I could hear Jinx’s reply, there’s a little doubting and…

And I can’t believe Tobias told his mom. After all our planning, all the measures we took… I trusted him.

He betrayed me.

I wonder what he’s doing right now. Tobias would have had to go back to the cottage and his parents. Would they consider what happened to be a triumph for him or a failure? Maybe all Tobias needed to do was prove his own loyalty. He’s done that. To his parents, to Moncha Corp—and not to me.

With those thoughts swirling in my head, the adrenaline rushing through my veins finally drops. The leather seats seem to mold around me, and I feel my muscles relax for the first time in a long time. My eyelids droop, and the scenes of the countryside rushing by lull me to sleep.

34

When I wake up, we’re back at the BRIGHTSPRK headquarters, a tall office building uptown. For a moment, in my post-waking-up-haze, as we pull up outside the tower block, I think Mr. Baird might have driven me straight home, and my heart lifts. I’m not used to being so far away from home for so long, and with everything that’s been going on, I’m yearning for my own bed and a hug from Mom.

But I can’t go back and face Mom, not yet. Not until I have a way to reverse the update. And not until I can give her a solid answer about Dad.

Zora reaches out and squeezes my hand. “I wonder what my sisters are up to at the moment.”

I give her a small smile. Inside, though, I’m cursing myself. I’ve been so wrapped up in myself—and the discovery of my dad—that I haven’t been thinking about Zora.

“I bet they’re missing you a lot and can’t wait for you to be home.”