(Eli) 9:35. MCM has uploaded, and I’m puzzled. Where was this encoder chip from? And why does she have a bank routing ID, considering that she wasn’t the original Tundra? Is something wrong with me, that I cannot keep up? Frazzled and slightly fried, and it’s midnight over at my end. (Anybody have answers?) Here be the outline:

MAY 19, 2039 — BOLTON, CANADA
Kani escapes to a nearby shop, hides behind a dumpster. Kaso asks if she’s okay.    Helping because she’s cute, and he needs a girlfriend.    Joking.    Says you can’t be too careful these days, with all the rotten apples. Kani agrees, not really understanding.

Kaso asks her for her bank routing ID, so he can snag some cash for her to get through the next few day. She says she owes the mob money, so it’s probably empty.    He says not to worry about that, just give him the number. She says she doesn’t remember it offhand, has it written on a paper at home.

Kaso gets quiet. Asks what ELSE is at home. How about the secret coding chip? Does she have THAT? No, it’s… at home. Now she has to go home and get it. Very secure info on that. Gotta be done. But the cops are there! He says not to worry, they’re probably gone now.

She arrives, they’re not gone. Kaso says he’s make a distraction, and she can run in and get the chip.    A second later, the house’s phones ring.    Police officer answers. Kaso says: “We have your daughter.” and proceeds to go on a rambling story about kidnapping and Russian brides and the square root of 25. She’s on a ship out of town as we speak. Better get moving!

The cops start to race out, and Kani sneaks in. She gets to the top floor, into her room. Can she see it? Yes, she’s got it. But then there are footsteps! She hides, her father comes in, sits on her bed, upset. She hangs up.

Father is upset, falling apart. Gets out the phone, stares at it. She’s upset, watching him. He dials, listens, and then suddenly… RING.
Oh crap.

QUESTIONS
Something electronic. An object in the bedroom. An escape route from a house.

I’ll let Anne take over, with hopefully more coherent thoughts. (I shall now go back and reread the earlier chapters … may have missed something important …)

(ANNA) 9.47am and hoping the capital letters will teach Eli a lesson!
(That’s strike three by the way, Eli: you are no longer God in my head.)

On to the chapter itself: I liked the sentence “She smelled pineapples, wine.” Not sure why, but it was a striking image. And I continue to very much like Kaso as a character. His voice reminds me a lot of MCM by the way, not sure if I’m alone on this!

I’m curious to see how MCM is going to do the big reveal; by now Kaso was supposed to know who Kani actually is (if I’m not mistaken). Surely her lack of knowledge about certain things is giving her away? And how will they react when they find out?

And my questions are the same as Eli’s: what’s this secret important chip? Why did Kani pretend she had it? And the bank router id? And what is her father going to say? Questions, questions….

I assume Kani is just blagging on the encoder front, and may just give Kaso her own bank number if that’s possible? After all if she gets cash, she can pay off the mob and free Stacey, right? That’s assuming she’ll manage to escape from the clutches of her father!

Very much looking forward to the next chapter, and very smug that Jan is missing out on the fun (she’s gone to work and will be back in 6 hours).

So, yes. That is all. ANNA signing out.

p.s. Eli, I know it’s midnight your time and you’re tired. You’re forgiven now.

(Eli) 10:00 am: I’m sorry, ANNA M. HARTE! MCM update: he says it’ll all make sense later, and that they’re valid questions, and he included a with that message, so I suppose everything is quite alright.