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

“What happened?” I ask. If there’s one thing I’ve never had to wonder about with Carter, it’s his devotion to his baku. He wouldn’t have let this happen out of choice.

“This is what my dad does when I decide to disagree with him.”

“Eric did this?”

Carter nods.

I whistle through my teeth.

“Do you think you can fix him?” The hope in Carter’s voice almost breaks my heart.

“We can definitely try.” My brain is already putting a plan into action. I pick up a pair of oversize tweezers from my toolbox and start by separating out some of the broken pieces that need to be thrown away from what I think can be salvaged. I know I have some of the shiny red metal wiring that matches in one of my containers, but if we want to get him absolutely back to perfect, then we may have to scavenge for some new parts.

“So, you’ll help?” Carter asks.

“Of course,” I reply. “Look, you and I have had our differences, but that’s no reason to take it out on a baku. I have a lot of the parts here. For some of the stuff that I don’t have, we might have to go scavenging if you’re up for it, or maybe you can afford to buy it new?” I shrug. Carter is still the son of one of the richest people in the city. He might not have to go scavenging. He might be able to access the spare parts we need legitimately.

Carter wrinkles his nose. “I…I’m not sure I can pay you. My dad’s not exactly in a generous mood toward me at the moment. But I can offer you something else.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“I think I know a way to reverse the update.”

“What?” I drop the tweezers onto the desk with a loud clatter. My eyes are as wide as saucers. “You know how to reverse it?”

“I think I do. I think you’ve had the key all along.”

“The key?”

“Why do you think my dad has been so desperate to capture that baku of yours? There’s only one thing that can stop him in his tracks. And it’s hidden inside your baku’s code.”

Jinx is the key.

Jinx emerges from the shadows—one paw, then the other, slowly catching the light. He stares up at me, his shiny black eyes unblinking.

>>Tell me what I have to do.

37

“Slick, send a message to Zora telling her to meet us at my apartment ASAP. Make sure to write that it’s an emergency.”

>>Done.

It doesn’t take long for her to respond. Zora is there when we step out of the elevator onto my floor. Her face is puffy from crying, but she does a double take when she sees Carter exit with me. “What’s he doing here?”