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Sabrina’s throat tightened, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Family. It felt like family, but for once, she was a part of it. The feelings were aimed at her. Their unwavering support caught her off guard, a stark contrast to the uncertainty that had plagued her before. Freddy’s grip on her hand tightened, a silent reassurance that she wasn’t alone.
Before she could explain how she’d used the bots new code that allowed them to follow subjective commands, the lawyer arrived in jeans and t-shirt with a sparkly, rainbow-horned unicorn on the front. In her hands was a Burberry briefcase Sabrina recognized from her dream scrolling online. Thecontrast between the woman’s well-worn sneakers and casual attire and her high-end bag and brisque confidence was jarring.
Striding right up to Sabrina and holding out her hand, the woman introduced herself, “Hi, you must be Sabrina. I’m Heather Goodwin. Did I hear correctly that you’re waiting for me before speaking to the police?”
Sabrina just nodded her agreement. She wanted to be that self-assured. Most of the time, she liked to think she came close, but today had been… exhausting. And it wasn’t done yet. Sabrina steeled herself for everything she knew they had to get through before she could call it a day and collapse on her couch in front of a mindless video game. “Yes, I’m Sabrina.” She shook Ms. Goodwin’s hand. “Thank you for coming out here.”
“Oh, of course. Now, tell me what happened. All of it. Then we’ll decide on the best course of action. We can step away from everyone and go chat in my car if you’d like.”
The weight pressing down on Sabrina lifted significantly. Heather was here for her. She was offering to step away from the Taylors and focus just on Sabrina. “That’s incredibly tempting, but honestly, I’m, uh…” She squeezed Freddy’s hand.
“My parents haven’t heard the story yet, either,” Freddy volunteered. Then he turned to face Sabrina and cupped her cheek with his free hand. “If it’s okay with you, we could tell all three of them together and fill in the gaps for each other?”
It was exactly what Sabrina wanted, so Heather glanced around, declared the corner clear enough for privacy and told Sabrina to start wherever she’d like. There were several crates and boxes stashed there, and Sabrina was happy to find a seat beside Freddy.
Feeling so many eyes on her blew open the filter between Sabrina’s mind and mouth. She blurted the part that had been playing on a loop since she saw Josh lying perfectly still on the warehouse floor.
“I stole the bots from Taylor Industries. Well, technically they belong to Dynamic Solutions, so I stole bots from Dynamic Solutions, but I used Taylor Industries’ software, so I guess I stole that, too. I used them to save Freddy. I swear. They weren’t supposed to kill anyone. I just wanted them to protect Freddy and distract Ellie and Josh. I never wanted anyone to get hurt, let alone die. I mean, I guess we need to add some code about them not doing whatever they did that killed Josh, but I don’t even know what that was, and I will add that code. If I’m not fired, which I would understand. Because Josh is dead, and I didn’t want that to happen.”
The words tumbled out, each one feeling like a nail in her own coffin. She’d saved Freddy, but at what cost? A man was dead. Her career was over. Prison loomed on the horizon. She yanked her hand away from Freddy’s and covered her face to hide her tears. If only she could disappear.
Chapter 29: Freddy
Ms. Goodwin knelt beside Sabrina, her voice calm yet firm as she addressed her.
“Sabrina, I need you to slow down and take a deep breath,” Heather instructed, placing a reassuring hand on the distraught woman’s shoulder. “Can you do that for me?”
Sabrina nodded, her body trembling against Freddy’s as she struggled to regain her composure. Freddy tightened his embrace, murmuring words of comfort and support. “It’s going to be okay, Sabrina. We’ll figure this out together.”
Heather waited patiently until Sabrina’s breathing evened out before continuing. “Now, I need you to answer a few questions for me. Where did you get the bots, and how were you able to access their commands?”
Sabrina swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper as she responded. “I had access to everything because of my work at Taylor Industries. Freddy and I were testing the latest software updates, and I used my remote access to take control of the bots.”
Heather nodded, her brow furrowed as she processed the information. “And you said your intention was to protect Freddy and distract his captors, correct?”
“Yes,” Sabrina confirmed, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. “I never meant for anyone to get hurt, let alone killed. I just wanted to save Freddy.”
Freddy pressed a gentle kiss to Sabrina’s temple, his heart aching for the pain and guilt she was experiencing. “You did save me, Sabrina. You were so brave, and I’m so grateful for what you did.”
Heather sighed, her expression softening as she took in the couple’s distress. “Alright, let’s take this one step at a time. I have a ton more questions I need to ask, but I think Freddy should get checked out. He’s still bleeding, and we need to document the extent of what they did to him.”
Sabrina nodded along with Heather, so Freddy leaned over to check, “Are you okay with her for a bit? I promise I’ll come back over as soon as they let me.” Feeling her nod against his chest before sitting up and pulling from his embrace, Freddy was awed by his friend’s strength. He needed to talk to his dad, and it would be nice to at least bandage the cut on his eyebrow so it would stop dripping blood into his eye.
“I’m okay, Freddy. Really, you should let them take care of you before your eye swells shut.” Sabrina even managed to give him half of a smile.
“I won’t go far,” Freddy promised. “Dad, will you step over here with me for a second?” he asked, gesturing toward a spot a few feet away from Heather and Sabrina.
Freddy stepped away from Sabrina and Heather, his father following close behind. When they were out of earshot, Freddy turned to face Nathan, his expression a mix of confusion and frustration.
“Dad, what were you and Patrick planning to do to save me?” Freddy asked, his voice strained with emotion. “I mean, if Sabrina hadn’t shown up with the bots, what would have happened?”
Nathan looked at his son, his eyes filled with a depth of emotion that Freddy couldn’t quite decipher. Instead of answering the question directly, Nathan asked, “Do you love her, Freddy? Do you love Sabrina?”
Freddy blinked, taken aback by his father’s unexpected response. He had been expecting a straightforward answer about rescue plans or ransom negotiations, not an inquiry into his feelings for his coworker and friend.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Freddy asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. “I don’t understand why that matters right now.”
Nathan placed a hand on Freddy’s shoulder, his grip firm yet comforting. “It matters because love is a powerful thing, son. It can make people do incredible, brave things–like what Sabrina did for you today.”
