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“He is,” Fiona said. “I don’t know how well this will go.”
The drive through the city seemed to take forever; Fiona felt like every street corner was taking them further and further away from answers. But soon enough they arrived at their destination. The greenhouse was impressive in its size. It was a tall, steel structure with large glass panels that sparkled in the sunlight. The entrance to the greenhouse was framed by lush green vines and vibrant flowers, giving it a sense of life even from the outside. In the middle of the structure, a large fountain cascaded into a pond filled with exotic fish. Fiona couldn’t help but think that even though Theo didn’t land the FBI job, he still had a great place to work. Fiona’s excitement grew at the prospect of seeing all the bugs and plants inside—but she had to control herself.
This was not the time for fun; this was a serious investigation.
If Theo knew anything about the senator’s death, they needed to find out.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The recording devices were set up in a circular formation around him, each with various cords and LCD displays. The cameras had lenses that could rotate and zoom in, with different frequency dials and sound mixers. The microphones were long and thin, with adjustable arms for flexibility.
In the center of the circle was a laptop, with a full-size keyboard and bright display.
Everything he’d ever captured, in all the different ways, on all the different devices, could be altered on here. Made cleaner, crisper, so not a word could be mistaken.
He sat on the floor in the middle of it all, in his basement apartment. The curtains were shut, so only a slight bit of sunlight trailed in from the world outside. He didn’t want anyone looking in and seeing him—the thought made his spine crawl with fright. He had a fear of being watched, of beingseen, of being caught doing something and embarrassed, the same way he’d been when he was a youth.
He’d never forget it; the way his classmates had caught him singing in the hallway and laughed. He’d been humiliated, and had vowed never to let it happen again.
But now he was older, and he’d grown to understand that recording and preserving memories was something to be proud of. With the right equipment, he could capture moments and feelings and recreate them, giving himself the opportunity to experience them over and over again.
Including the sound of the senator’s death.
He smiled to himself as he played back that recording. Buzzing sounds filled the air, along with the man’s screams for help.
The hornets had truly done a number on him. He had feared them so much, but in the end, they had liberated him.
No, it was me who liberated him.
I did this.
He should be thanking me.
Turning off his recording, he relished the blissful feeling, knowing he’d ended someone’s suffering, freed them from their fears.
He had fears too. So many of them. It was more than just being watched; he was also scared of the dark, of heights, of unfamiliar people and places. Some of those fears he had conquered. He’d put himself out there to unfamiliar people and places and managed to face that fear.
But he had more. So many fears.
Spiders. Large crowds.
Germs.
The unknown.
Failure.
Loneliness.
Being taken advantage of.
Abandonment.
Rejection.
He sat in the middle of his recording circle and sighed, feeling a weight on his shoulders as he thought about all the fears that had been holding him back for so long. He knew it was time to face them, to put himself out there and try something new, something that would challenge him and help him grow as a person. He was ready to take on the world, one fear at a time, but he couldn’t help others until he had helped himself.
He had to cross off one of his fears… face it. Then he could earn the right to liberate someone else.
