Unsung Requiem by C.L. Stone

Come Prima

(As before, typically referring to an earlier tempo)

Sang

We’d barely left the parking lot of the hospital when Kota rang my cell phone.

I was too stunned while looking at his name glowing on the screen, perhaps because we checked up on his mom… like maybe he knew we were here and he wanted to know immediately the answer.

I touched the surface, answering. Not doing so might worry him further.

My heart was beating wildly in my chest. “Hello?” I said timidly through gritted teeth, meeting eyes with Silas and North as I did.

“Where are you?”

I made a face, frantic, not wanting to be the one to tell him. I hadn’t fully figured out how.

“With North and Silas?” I offered, although my voice cracked at the end.

North mouthed to me. Don’t tell him yet.

I agreed. Not just yet. He knew we were going to check up on information about Volto and his mother. All they had was a timeline for his mother. Maybe they should report to Mr. Blackbourne first, figure out the next step.

Kota spoke. “Can you have them meet us downtown?” He gave an address. “You and I are heading out.”

“We are?”

“Yes.” No explanation as to why or what we were doing.

Likely more Academy work. We weren’t supposed to share too much over the phone.

“Okay,” I said, the only thing I had to offer at the moment.

“Let me know when you get there,” he said and hung up.

I sat back in the seat, dropping the phone next to me so quickly it bounced and slid to the floor. I slumped back again. “I can’t do this…”

“You go do whatever this is he’s asking you to do,” North said. He put in the address into his phone. Apparently, he’d heard the whole thing without me having to tell him. His hearing was too good. “Don’t tell him yet.”

“He’s got to know,” Silas said. “This is how we got into trouble last time, by not telling people.”

“We’re still in the same boat,” North said in a short burst of exasperation. “This just means she wasn’t at work. It doesn’t mean she’s…” He paused. “It could be something else. We’re not keeping it a secret. We’re going to report it to Mr. Blackbourne and figure out what’s next. This is what we’re supposed to do.”

I understood what he was thinking. We were desperate. Any hint to prove she wasn’t Volto, we were going to take.

“We have to get back anyway,” North said. “We have to time things at Nathan’s house. After the police leave and it’s vacant, we take out everything he absolutely wants to keep, anything left at least, and any Academy gear left behind, and be on site for when Mr. Griffin comes back. He’s going to expect his son to be there. At least to tell him he’s staying with us. And then we should be in the clear.” He looked at Silas. “We’re bunking in the security trailer for a few nights. We need to monitor the street for a while.”

“Great,” Silas murmured, sarcasm dripping from his tone. “My favorite.”

North turned the Jeep onto a side street next to the hospital and followed the GPS’s map directions. “Baby, you just tell him we’re still working on it. Try not to let on about her not being where she said she would be. Not yet. Telling him could make it hard if we are wrong. I’m worried we’ll tip her off before this is over.”

As he drove, I kept trying to reconsider what we found out.

Why would Erica tell her son, North, and the others she was going to work and then not actually be at work? It wasn’t like she wasn’t working at all. She had a schedule, and she was paying her bills. Clearly it wasn’t she had been secretly fired or anything.

I considered maybe telling Kota, however, with this job, the afternoon of whatever was planned, it could wait that long. If North and Silas were entrusted to make absolutely certain… well, we weren’t certain yet. That was the only conclusion. They needed to confirm with Mr. Blackbourne the next step. Then we’d know.