16.9

Worm, Chapter 16.9 Summary

The weight of a body pressed down on Taylor, making it hard to breathe. Struggling, she pushed the body off and realized her vision was impaired, a cloudy white haze obscuring everything. Her eyes felt damaged, burning and irritated. It was her dad lying beside her, but he was alive, breathing, with a pulse.

Using her bugs to “see,” Taylor surveyed the damage. The building’s front was destroyed, the lobby annihilated. Emergency vehicles with flickering lights surrounded the area. Sirens wailed. The reporters at the back, the wounded candidates and director, the dad and son in the lobby - all caught in the blast. The scene was too extensive to grasp without her swarm, but she couldn’t risk revealing herself.

Lacey and Kurt, her dad’s friends, were nearby. Lacey had a possible slipped disc but assured Taylor her dad was okay. Alexander was missing. Taylor, ignoring Lacey’s pleas to stay put, decided to help, guided by her bugs. She found the mayor, barely alive, a knife wound bleeding profusely. Using her sweatshirt as a makeshift bandage, she called for help, but nobody came immediately.

Taylor knew Coil was behind this, and that the “Coil” who died was a decoy. He had staged the attack, taking advantage of the lack of communication and the presence of important figures. The fact that she knew about his power changed everything. He wouldn’t have acted without a backup plan.

Emergency responders finally entered, police officers heading to the worst-hit areas, paramedics checking the wounded. A paramedic reached Taylor, who directed her to the more critically injured, including her dad and the stabbed officials. While waiting, Taylor heard others waking up, the cries of pain echoing around her.

Coil would pay for this. For the lives he’d spent like currency. Taylor was angry but calm, focused on the bigger picture. She wouldn’t panic, not like she had during Leviathan’s attack. She wouldn’t worry about her vision until she knew the extent of the damage.

A paramedic insisted on checking Taylor, despite her protests. They placed her on a stretcher, near other patients. Taylor pondered Coil’s motives. Why attack the event? Why hurt these people? It would only draw attention and make holding the city harder. Was it to assassinate the mayor and the Director? To make his candidates look like survivors, gaining public sympathy? It didn’t make sense.

Thinking about Circus, Taylor realized her enhanced coordination was key. She had likely targeted the knives precisely, killing only those Coil wanted dead. The others were hit in non-lethal areas. Über and Leet’s roles were still unclear, but perhaps Über was a replacement for Trainwreck, wearing a similar heavy metal suit.

Taylor was moved again, carried out of the auditorium. The smell of death was overpowering, incongruous with the calm day. She was taken to the hospital, the same one she’d been to after Leviathan. This time, she was Taylor, not Skitter. No handcuffs, no rough treatment. They cleaned her burn, picked out grit, but the lack of vision was starting to wear on her.

Lisa appeared, confirming Taylor’s dad was okay. He’d woken up and asked after her. Lisa suggested getting a healer, maybe kidnapping Othala, but Othala had left the city. They’d have to hire someone, but that would be difficult, given the Undersiders’ reputation.

Taylor’s priorities were her dad, her territory, and Dinah. Her dad was fine, the fires strategically placed, and the others were safe. Coil was alive, and this was their best chance to get Dinah back. Lisa urged Taylor to get up, to go see Coil.

They checked on Taylor’s dad, who was being moved for an MRI. Lisa had told him she might take Taylor to her dad’s clinic, a sign that Taylor was okay. He agreed, reluctantly. Taylor hesitated, torn between staying with her dad and going after Dinah. She chose Dinah, driven by her guilt and the responsibility she felt for the crimes she’d committed as Skitter.

Leaving the hospital, the cries of pain followed them. Taylor questioned their role in this, but Lisa insisted they weren’t to blame. They couldn’t have known. Taylor could have intervened, but it wouldn’t have been worth the risk.

Lisa suggested a training program, blindfolding Taylor to force her to rely on her power. As they stepped outside, Lisa mentioned they’d stop by Taylor’s place to get her costume, then meet the others. Coil wasn’t at his base; he was sticking to his civilian identity, making things difficult.

Taylor guessed Coil’s identity, but Lisa said it wasn’t Keith Grove. She played a recording from the car’s sound system. A news report detailed the terrorist attack, the explosion, and the aftermath. Director Piggot was put on leave, replaced by Commander Thomas Calvert, a former PRT field agent and consultant.

“Thomas Calvert,” Taylor said, finally understanding.