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ABE ENTERED HEADQUARTERS WITH SILUK AND Marco. For the first time all day, he felt like they might actually have a chance. He planned to drop Marco off with Edrice and hoped he could convince Siluk to stay as well. He did not expect Imara’s sister to appear a few minutes after they arrived.
Just as he prepared to explain the plan to Edrice, Naki marched into the room. “What are you doing here?” he asked, taking a step back.
Her eyes narrowed as she jabbed her pointer finger toward him. “I hate you,” she said.
He grimaced. “That’s not wholly unexpected.”
She jabbed her finger toward Edrice and said, “I hate you too.”
Edrice furrowed her eyebrows. “Who are you again?”
“That’s Naki, Imara’s sister,” he said.
Edrice’s face fell, and she averted her eyes to the floor. “Oh.”
Unaffected, Naki turned on her heel until her finger pointed at Marco. She raised one eyebrow and said, “I have no idea who you are, so I’m neutral on you.” She turned a final time and her finger pointed again. “Siluk, as usual, you’re good. Also, the news in Kenya has been going nonstop about the mess here, which leaves me with only one question. Where is my sister?”
Abe tucked a stun gun into his belt. “Did you want to help us fight? Because that’s what we’re about to do.”
“Fight?” she said with a shriek. “I thought I told you to keep her safe.”
At that moment, Keiko burst through the door. This door opening thing was starting to get old.
“I have magnets for you,” she said. “They’ll protect you from the drones.”
As she explained how to use them, Naki’s face twisted at every new word. “What is going on here?” she asked. She turned on him again. “I thought I told you to keep my sister safe. I don’t care if you aren’t dating her anymore; she’s still your responsibility.”
He dragged a hand down the side of his face as he rolled his eyes.
Keiko passed around the magnets but stopped in front of him with arms folded over her chest. “I just barely found out you guys were even dating. Since when did you break up?”
“Since never,” he said with a scowl.
Naki scoffed. “Imara broke up with him earlier today.”
“Oh yeah,” he said with a nod. “She broke up with me. Sort of.”
Naki turned in on him and glared. “What do you mean sort of?”
He shoved both hands through his hair at once. “We have more important things to worry about at the moment. Namely, reinstating the Egyptian Council before Takara gets back from Alaska.”
“Right,” Keiko said as she slammed a fist over the door opener. “Let’s go. I’ll explain everything else on the way.”
He glanced back at the others as he ran after her. “The rest of you stay here. Siluk, explain everything to Naki. Edrice, you keep Marco safe.”
