“At Gold Morning. Her home address was one of the cities hit hard. No sign of her after the fact. Authorities investigated when the word about this attack first came up. Which leads me to think you’re lying through your teeth.”

“People visit family, go out of town for work, have stays in the hospital… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked to people who narrowly dodged being in the wrong place at that one critical time.”

“Stop,” I said. “I caught you in one lie, let’s leave it at that.”

Blindside fell silent.

I heard a scuff. My head turned-was allowed to turn—as Blindside moved around to my side. I backed away a few paces.

I heard Blindside stop moving.

“Change your stance,” Blindside said.

“My stance?”

“Your head is turned as far to the right as it can go. If I move to your right, the reflex is going to be to move your head further right. You could snap your neck. You’d probably close your eyes first, but I’d rather not risk it.”

I obliged, shifting where my shoulders were, so my left shoulder pointed at them. I was aware that it made it easier to circle behind me.

“And raise your chin a bit.”

“Why?” I asked.

I heard the sound of Blindside moving too late. I reached out to block or catch the incoming attack, and hit the wall where I couldn’t move my arm too far toward them.

Something swung at an angle that avoided my arm. I brought my forcefield up just in time for the thing to hit me on the chin. An uppercut with a blunt instrument that should have broken my jaw.

Before Blindside could recover or figure out what had happened, I went on the offense. I couldn’t hit them with my hand, I couldn’t point at them, but if I swung my hand at them, elbow jutting out—

I felt muscles seize, locking up. Blindside caught my arm, pushing me in the direction I’d already been going, and shoved me to the ground. Martial art.

The blunt instrument—I saw the tip of a metal bat—struck down toward my shin.

It rebounded off of the forcefield as the field came back. The metal sang.

“Ah fucking hah,” Blindside said. “Fuck me. You’re a cape.”

I lurched to my feet, putting some distance between myself and them.

Elbows didn’t work either.

The muscles in my arm and shoulder twitched with the lingering strain or sprain that had gone with the interruption.

I backed away until my forcefield came back up. I drew in a deep breath.

“You’re full of surprises,” Blindside said.

I undid a buckle and pulled my armored vest over my head in one smooth motion.