Page 109 of The Dis-Graced

The door to the aircraft opens, and men on the ground wheel over a set of stairs. Amanda’s silhouette comes into view, clutching baby Annabelle.”

“Oh, God!” Grace gasps.

“Don’t worry; they won’t hurt her.”

Amanda descends the stairs looking shellshocked. Clearly unsure of what’s going on. Her face is red; she’s choking back tears. If I had to guess, I would say she was innocent in all of this.

Grace rushes towards her, greeting her at the bottom, and I take a place by her side.

“What’s going on?” Amanda says in a shaky voice. “What the hell is going on?”

“Sure, I’m sure you have no idea,” Jim says in a gruff voice as he pulls out a pair of handcuffs.

“Wait! I think she’s telling the truth,” Grace says. “She explained to Irene the Brigger situation, and she wouldn’t have done that had she been working with Luke.”

Jim casts us a skeptical look.

“She’s right,” I say. “Luke had a hand in setting up the Grace scandal, and Amanda was looking to clear her name. By telling my mother, she’s essentially telling me. There’s no way she would have done that had she been in on it.”

“We’ll get this sorted out,” Jim says, putting away the handcuffs. “Can you take the baby while we take her in for questioning?” He nods to Grace.

“Of course!”

Amanda looks reluctant to hand the baby off, but she complies, and Grace takes Annabelle and her diaper bag. Amanda gives Annabelle one last kiss, then follows an agent to a car.

Jim holds the megaphone up to his mouth. “I’ll say it one more time. Step out of the aircraft with your hands in the air, or else we’re coming up.”

A silhouette appears in the doorframe, and Grace leans into me, her body trembling.

He descends the stairs looking cool as a cucumber.

Five agents surround him and read him his rights, but before he’s carted away, Grace and I approach him.

“Why?” Grace pleads.

He casts me a glare. “I don’t belong in the shadows, second to someone who was handed everything.”

“But…I tried to do right,” I say. “You were like a brother to me.”

“We were never brothers. I was your poor friend. I’ve never been more than that.”

“But I tried to treat you as an equal. Even when it came to the company.”

Luke’s eyes narrow. “Then why did you make Elliot chief operations officer?”

My jaw gapes open. “Are you serious about that? We paid for your college, took you everywhere, gave you a job, and that’s why you’re upset?”

“Yeah, thanks for all that,” Luke says. His eyes shift to Grace. “Will you help Amanda and Annabelle?”

“Yes. I’ll do everything I can to help out.”

“By the way, ALAN failed,” Luke says. “I tried to upload him to the internet, and the file just went caput. I guess you’re not as much of a tech genius as I thought.”

My throat grows tight. I choose to say nothing.

Jim tugs on Luke’s elbow. “Time to come with me.”

“Wait!” Grace shouts, hurrying after them. I follow closely behind.