He refused to meet my gaze. “There has to be a better way.”

“I’m sure she’s open to ideas. Have you talked to her?”

“I would if I had one. I’m more of a support person.” He finally looked me in the eye. “You’re the one who has the knack for coming up with new ideas.”

I flopped back. Not this again. Time to change the subject. “What have you been doing since the fire?”

Pressing his lips together, he swallowed his obvious ire over my dodge. “Once I knew you and Logan would live, I’ve been checking the computer network. Logan said it had been compromised, but I’ve yet to find evidence.”

“Did Anne-Jade search the Travas’ rooms?”

“Yep. None of the computers they found were connected to the network.”

Interesting word choice. I asked, “Do you suspect they have a hidden connection?”

“It’s possible, but not probable. I think we have another person or persons with Logan’s ability to ghost through the network. He or she would be all but impossible to catch.”

This conversation felt familiar, and I wondered if eighteen weeks ago, Karla Trava had a similar discussion with her lieutenants. The arrival of Lamont to check my vitals was a welcome distraction. Although she declared they were all strong, she remained vague about when I’d be able to leave the infirmary.

When she went to check on Logan, Riley raised his eyebrows. “You were…civil to her.” He sounded surprised.

“With my tendency to end up as her patient, there’s no sense being nasty. Besides, everyone else seems to think she’s okay.”

“Oh no. I’m not going to believe you’d be influenced by others. That’s not the Trella I know. Are you sure it isn’t because she saved your life?”

I shrugged. “Well…it helps.”

“Uh-huh. And how about the confirmation that she’s your mother? Did that help?”

“Not at all.”

“Whew! I was beginning to worry the fire had burned more than your skin,” he teased.

Glad to see Riley smile, I relaxed. Too often lately, our conversations had transformed into…not fights, but arguments. Right before the fire, he had accused me of not caring about Inside, and I had… A memory pulled on the edges of my thoughts.

“The scrub file,” I said.

“What?”

“White light flashed on the screen probably the same time Logan was attacked. Then it erased the list.”

He leaned forward. “Are you sure?”

“You might be able to find evidence of tampering in that file if it is still there. Or perhaps where those files are stored.”

“It’s a starting point.” Energized, he kissed me on the forehead, tucked Sheepy next to me and left the infirmary.

Happy to contribute to his search, I squirmed into a comfortable position. But it didn’t take long for me to miss him and wish for something to distract me from the sting of my injuries. Perhaps I should ask for a painkiller.

I scanned the infirmary for Lamont and spotted Jacy. None of his goons accompanied him. Guess he felt safe visiting a half burnt scrub. That or he didn’t want to make an impression on the two ISF officers stationed next to the door. Now why did I automatically think scrub? Whenever I saw him, he always reminded me of the time before the rebellion. Even though he helped, I always wondered why. Jacy’s life had been better than most under the Pop Cop’s control.

He swiped his bangs from his eyes and sat in the chair next to my bed. “You look terrible,” he said.

“Gee, that really cheered me up. Thanks for visiting.”

He flashed a grin. “You do know the Committee is unhappy with you. Don’t you?”

“I figured they weren’t keen about us keeping our suspicions to ourselves.”

“Keen is such a…mild word.”

“Jacy, if you keep trying to scare me, I’m going to have Lamont toss you out of here.”

Not bothered by my threat, he shifted into a more comfortable position. “Just trying to warn you.”

“How about you tell me who’s been endangering our world instead?”

He tapped his fingers on his leg. “Wish I could.”

“You’re lying. You know—”

“Nothing.” The word tore from his mouth as if it hurt him to speak it. “I used to have eyes and ears in every Sector and Quadrant. But my sources turned blind and deaf after I joined the Committee. I have a few loyal supporters, but not enough to discover who set off that bomb in the power plant.”

I studied his expression. He seemed truly disgruntled, but it could be an act. “If you didn’t know, why did you tell me Bubba Boom’s name then?”

“You asked for an expert. You didn’t ask for a suspect.”

True.

Jacy pulled a small bag from his pocket and tossed it on my stomach. I couldn’t open it with the gloves on. When Lamont had changed them earlier, my palms were still raw.

“Your part of our bargain,” he said, pitching his voice lower. “I need you to plant them in air duct seventy-two, ninety-five and eighty-one.”

His list of ducts targeted all the critical areas of Inside—the main Control Room, Anne-Jade’s office, the brig and the Sector full of Travas. I hefted the bag, calculating how many microphones might be inside.

“That’s three different shafts. You only gave me one name,” I said.