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

I grab the closest napkin and Slick. One of Slick’s appendages is like a pen, so I use him to draw out a map of what I remember. Every twist and turn I made following Jinx. Then I pass it to Toby.

“You couldn’t make this digital?” he asks.

“Hey, not everyone has a level three or above baku,” I quip back. Then I turn serious. “Are you sure you’re okay to do this?” Last time one of us went into the headquarters, we were attacked by menacing security bakus. Tobias might not be safe.

“Of course,” he says, his voice somber. “My dad will be there. And if what you remember is correct, and they’re keeping Monica against her will, then it’s not right.”

There’s no more reason to stick around at the café, and besides, for once, I want Tobias to leave as quickly as possible. We settle up the bill and scurry out, half-full bubble teas abandoned in the booth.

We say goodbye at the streetcar stop. Tobias is heading over to Moncha HQ, the others are going home, and I am going back to my apartment building.

While I wait to hear from Tobias, I know I need to get back to tinkering. Companioneering. Fixing things. I need my hands to be busy. I need my mind to be focused on a problem I can actually solve.

But I need to take it step by step.

And the first step while I wait to hear from Tobias is to fix up Slick.

11

The basement of our building contains my sanctuary: a storage locker assigned to our unit that I have commandeered for my tinkering purposes. I’ve customized it to my exact specifications with shelving, storage boxes, and hanging units, all secured to the cage-like metal webbing that surrounds the units. The other lockers hold rusted bikes and long-forgotten ski equipment. But my locker is my haven. It’s filled to the brim with spare parts, wires, electronics, a scavenged 3-D printer, an old-fashioned desktop-style computer for off-line coding, and, of course, plenty of power outlets to power the equipment and leash up bakus.

This is where I fixed Jinx from a hunk of rubble at the side of a train track to the fully functioning baku he became.

I use Slick to unlock the padlock, then I send a message to Zora: In the basement a bit earlier than expected. Top’s was a bit more exciting than we thought. Catch up with you soon.

Once that’s sent, I take a deep breath. Then I set Slick down on the table. Time to get down to business.

>>Is there anything I can help you with, Lacey?