The Trap (The Hunt 3)

“No!” Sissy shouts. “What did you do?”

“Nothing! I just hit SEND. ”

“What happened?”

I smack the back of the TextTrans. “It was probably just a glitch. Inside circuits dried up in the sunlight, then sent a phantom message in error. ”

“Or it could’ve been Epap. ”

Before I can reply, the TextTrans comes alive again in my hand, vibrating hard and furious. I almost drop it.

“Gene!”

“I know, I know. ” Faces pressed together, we read the screen. And again, I almost drop the TextTrans.

Guys? Is that you, Sissy? Gene?

Sissy and I stare at each other. With thumbs that suddenly seem too big and cumbersome and slow, I type out a reply.

Who is this?

We wait for what seems like an eternity. Then:

Sissy and I glance at each other, eyes hopeful. I type: Resend.

The TextTrans hums, and this time when we read the screen Sissy lets out a cry.

Epap.

I start typing furiously.

Where are you?

Not su_a. In bu?ing

You okay?

No. Broke leg.

RU in Convention Center?

No. Tall bu?ding. Tallest one ar?_nd.

Large atrium inside?

Y. l?ts of glass. And sun.

Good. Coming now.

K. hu_ry.

“He’s in the Domain Building,” I say to Sissy. “Makes sense. Lots of sun inside. A good place to hide. ”

Sissy taps her mouth with a curled knuckle, forehead furrowed. She glances at the TextTrans. “How can we be sure it’s Epap?” she says. “What if it’s someone pretending to be him?”

I stare down at the TextTrans, my body chilling over despite the sunshine beating down on me. Sissy’s right. On the other end might be someone who has just finished devouring Epap, and has now lucked upon a way of luring two more unsuspecting hepers.

“The Domain Building’s

sun-proofed,” I say. “No dusker would hide in there to lure us. Not in the daytime. It’s got to be Epap. ”

But Sissy’s not satisfied. “Daytime will be nighttime in a few short hours. ” She rubs the back of her neck. “If we’re going back into the metropolis with night fast approaching, we need to be sure it’s him. ” She grabs the TextTrans out of my hands.

I’m coming, Epap. And on your birthday, too.

She stares intently at the screen. “His birthday’s eight months away. ”

The TextTrans buzzes. We read the characters before the TextTrans blanks out completely. It will be the last characters to ever appear on the TextTrans finally gone kaput.

Thirty-seven

I HEAD OVER to the carriage. I’m reattaching her horse to the traces when Sissy catches up with me. She stands on the other side of the horse.

“What are you doing?” she says.

“What we are doing. ” I pull the leather strap through the latches, hard enough to cause the horse to snort with complaint. “We’re going back for Epap. Together. ”

“You don’t—” she begins to say.

“It’s already late afternoon. We don’t have much time. We certainly don’t have time to argue. I’m coming with you. We’re both doing this. ”

She stares at me silently. She starts shaking her head. “Gene—”

“By the time we get to the Domain Building, dusk will be almost upon us. We need to slip in and out quickly. Find Epap, then get the hell out. ” I reattach the horse collar, fastening it securely. “There’s going to be no room for error. No room to get your bearings, to find your way. I know the Domain Building. You need me. ”

Sissy doesn’t say anything, but I feel her eyes scrutinizing my every move. I slide between the two horses, double-check the axle. The carriage is ready. Sissy is still staring at me. I walk to the nearest tree. “Getting fruit for Epap,” I tell Sissy over my shoulder. I pluck a few of the larger dangling fruit, cradle them in the nook of my arm.

I throw the fruit through the window into the carriage. As I walk around to the front, I see no sign of Sissy. She’s not inside the carriage, nor is she standing by the horses. I scan the trees.