Cipher, page 9
“Processors. Five of them.”
No way. “I thought you said you didn’t have any.”
“I didn’t. I made them this afternoon.”
I’d been impressed before, but now I was blown away. He’d made this many by hand in a matter of hours? How was that even possible?
“What do I owe you?” I reached for the box, but he held it out of reach.
“A date.”
I took a step back. I liked to deal in cash-only transactions. But a date? Not going to happen. “No date. I’ll pay for them. Normal rate?”
“Nope.” His grin meant trouble. “The date clause is non-negotiable.”
What was his deal? A date with me couldn’t be worth the grand I was willing to pay him. Why would he turn down the money? I didn’t trust it. No one wanted a date that bad. Especially not with me. I wasn’t sociable enough to be desirable. “Say I agree to a date, how do you know I won’t change my mind later?”
“I trust you.”
He trusted me? That was going to make me feel like an asshole when I blew him off.
Screw it. I probably wouldn’t be in the area long enough to keep the promise. Leading him on wasn’t cool, but I needed those processors. “I’ll try. Depends on when you want to go. That’s the best I can do.”
He lowered the box, and I snatched it from him before shoving it in my bra.
“Here you go, Cipher,” Sandra said as she slid my drink along the bar.
“Thanks.” I took a sip, letting the sweet tang run down my throat. “Perfect.”
She grinned and handed Knight a bottle. He paid for both of us before I could stop him.
A thought occurred to me. “Um. So this counts as the date, right?”
“No. A date is when I pick you up at your place, and take you someplace nice and quiet and we share a meal. This is not nice or quiet, and we’re not eating. But good try.”
I spotted a bowl of nuts on the bar, and grabbed a handful. “I’m eating,” I said as I munched.
He gave me a grin that nearly melted my knees.
“There you are,” Mona said, cutting off the retort that I was just about to come up with. If my brain would start working again.
Mona wore one of her trademark micro dresses and perilously high heels. If she could pull that kind of outfit off, which she could, why not rock it? Oliver towered behind her with another guy who had shoulder-length blond hair. I’d bet good money he was Dex.
Staying much longer was a bad idea, especially now that I’d gotten what I needed. It was time to go. I downed my drink in one gulp and set the empty glass on the bar. The metal railing zapped me lightly with static electricity as I brushed against it.
Oh no. Losing control here would be beyond bad. “Well, thanks for the date, but it’s getting late. Time for me to head home.”
“Go? What? No! You can’t bail yet.” Mona blocked my path to the exit.
She was going to be pissed no matter what. I couldn’t do this whole normal thing. I was a live wire, ready to zap anyone who got too close, and Knight made me feel things I shouldn’t be feeling. The hold I had on my ability was already weak. I didn’t need anyone around who made me weaker.
“Wanna head out with me or are you staying?” I asked Mona.
“No. You’re—” Mona started, but I cut her off.
“Going. Later.” I spun.
“Wait.” Knight stepped in front of me, blocking my way.
A blast of electricity shot out of me before I knew what I was doing. The lights overhead flickered, and the monitors around the club blinked off and on.
A chorus of curses rang out through the room as the games reset.
I froze.
Shit. That didn’t just happen.
I swallowed as the hand around my arm pulled me in. Why wasn’t he on the floor? He should be dead.
Why couldn’t I feel the buzz of electricity pushing against me anymore?
“Hey,” Knight said as he ran his finger down my face. He tilted his head to the side, staring at me. Studying me. But he didn’t seem bothered by the voltage that was flowing into him.
There was no way he didn’t feel the shock. Why wasn’t he letting go of my arm? I struggled to break free, but his grip wasn’t budging.
“Emma?” He whispered the words almost reverently.
I gasped. No one knew that name.
Panic swept through me and I stomped on his foot, finally breaking his hold. The little bit of control I’d grabbed slipped away again. The light over my head exploded, raining glass down on us.
His hand gripped my arm again. His light green eyes were wide as he searched my face.
“What did you call me?” I fought to pull away. How did he know my real name?
“It is you.” He pulled me against his chest and took a deep breath.
What was going on? I squirmed. “Let go.” I punched him in the stomach, but he didn’t even flinch.
“It’s her,” he said.
The music shut off as a group of men in all black entered the bar through the side door.
Oh God. How did they get here so fast? Did Knight send them?
The three guys moved as one to block Mona and me from the Black Helixes’ view.
I glanced at Mona. “How fast can you run in those shoes?”
“I can run in anything. Why? What’s going on? What just happened?”
“You’re not running,” Knight said.
“Yes, I am. Mona, we need to go. Now.”
Knight held my shoulders. “Don’t move. Don’t run. If you do, they’ll see. You have to stay hidden here until they’re not looking.”
I tried to break free of Knight’s grasp, but he didn’t let me go. “Your buddies are about to make my life hell. Let go now or I’ll make you let go.”
He leaned down, talking softly. “There are too many of them. You can’t outrun them, and they’re watching for anyone who leaves.”
“Staying’s not an option. It’s run or get caught for sure. At least if I run, I have a chance.”
I reached for the electricity, but it was gone—I could still feel it there, but it drained away as fast as I could pull it. As soon as I jerked away from Knight, it was back, stronger than ever, and three more lights exploded overhead.
Knight pulled me into him, blocking me from the falling glass. With his hand clamped firmly on my arm, the current drained away. I reached for it, but it was like he was sucking it all away through his skin.
How could he absorb all that and live? Knight was blocking my ability. “What—”
He shook his head. “Let me help you,” he mouthed the words.
I wanted to know how first, but I didn’t have time to debate with him.
My best choices were always based on intuition.
It took me all of two seconds to decide that I’d have a better chance getting out of here with him than without. He had a dual helix, but he also had a Raven. He wasn’t like any other helix I’d come across.
The Black Helix soldiers were busy cornering the people in the gaming area. They checked IDs, throwing anyone who hesitated to the floor. It was chaos, but that wouldn’t last for long.
I spilled my plan. “I’m going to blow the transformers, knock out all communication and surveillance, and get out of here in the dark. But you have to let go of me.”
“It’s not a bad plan,” Oliver said.
At least Oliver was on my wavelength. “I know. Now get your guy to let me go.”
“Fine,” Knight said. He let go and the electricity was mine again. It licked along my skin as it built. I didn’t have long. The electricity would make me a beacon in the room as my skin started to glow.
“Better close your eyes,” I said, but Knights’ gaze stayed open and focused on me.
I counted to three as power gathered, and then let it rip—hoping I’d built up enough energy.
The lights exploded, raining glass down on everyone. Monitors sparked and went black. Voices shouted.
“We have to hide you,” Knight said in my ear.
“We can exit through the cellar. There’s a hatch in the floor behind the bar.”
“Good. We’ll move toward the end of the bar. One at a time, go under the gap.” I slid a hand along the plexi surface, pushing behind the people in the way as I felt my way in the dark. When we got to the end, I went around the corner and under, tugging Mona behind me. Knight, Dex, and Oliver stood frozen, blocking the break in the bar from the rest of the room.
What the hell were they doing?
“They’re coming this way. Hide. Don’t make a sound,” Knight whispered.
My pulse raced. “Then we need to run. Now.”
“Black Helixes can see really well in the dark. Just stay where you are. Trust me. Don’t move.”
I felt Mona shaking next to me, and pulled her into my side as I tried to keep a grip on my ability. She grasped my hand in hers, gripping tight. This was why I didn’t have friends. I got people killed.
“Marquez,” a deep voice said.
I knew that voice. My Uncle Jack. I struggled to keep control of my emotions. I’d never forgive myself if I zapped Mona.
“Yes, sir.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised to see you here. I heard Colonel Santiago put you on task to find the Red. We got a few fluctuations here tonight, and I took a chance.” A throat cleared. “Where’s the Red? Have you confirmed that this one is Emma Jean Boyd?”
I put my other hand over my mouth to cover the gasp that wanted to slip through. Knight was the one hunting the Reds? And I’d trusted him?
I hoped I wasn’t wrong about him. This could be the biggest fuck-up of my life. The last fuck-up of my life.
Chapter Eight
KNIGHT
The lights were still off, but a few of the Blacks had cracked their chemlights. It was more than enough for me to see every wrinkle in Parson’s face. He was a Seligo of the worst kind. Every time I was on a mission under him, shit went fully FUBAR. Civilian casualties were always high, and everyone knew about his wicked vendetta against the Red Helixes. Probably because he’d let Emma slip past him, and rumor said Dr. Nagi was only giving him enough serums to stay alive—nothing more. The guy was aging, and not well.
“Sir, I’d narrowed the search area down to this club and the surrounding area when the lights blew. No physical target yet, but I’m certain she’s within a half-mile radius from this spot.” My voice didn’t waiver. I’d learned to lie a long time ago, and did it well. “Would’ve called you if you hadn’t shown.”
He looked around the room, assessing the layout. Five teams of five were working the space, but I was sure the club was surrounded, and more were likely waiting to jump in if the crowd got out of hand. “Good work. Your record shows you’re always spot on about this kind of thing. When I noticed your tracker signal right in the middle of the fluctuations, I knew you had her cornered here.” He clapped my shoulder and I wanted to break his face with my fist. “Good work, Sergeant. Fast, too. We’ve got all the exits blocked. She’s in here. I can feel it. She blew three transformers, but this is the confirmed epicenter. We just need to figure out which one she is.”
“Yes, sir. If she’s still here, we’ll find her.” My words were harsh and cold. Distant. I crossed my arms. “My best guess is she’s hiding with the gamers in that area.” I pointed toward the cluster of kids the helix team was interrogating.
“Excellent,” Parson said, turning toward the group now huddled in the corner. They were surrounded by one of the teams. Colonel Santiago was with them, organizing their movements. “If she turns up, you’ll get a hefty bonus.”
“Thank you, sir.” Now fuck off.
I counted to ten as he walked away before breathing again.
I should’ve gotten her away as soon as there was even the slightest possibility that she was Emma. Why had I played that stupid game with her? I should’ve grabbed her and run. Asked questions later. So unbelievably dumb.
How in the hell were we going to get out of here?
I kept it together by concentrating on smooth breaths, even if my heart was racing.
“We have to go,” Emma whispered. It was hard not to react to the sound of her voice. A little low with a hint of rasp, like she was a smoker, but I knew she wasn’t. She smelled like coconut, not cigarettes.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” I continued to watch the team as they moved through the club.
Oliver caught my eye. He pointed to himself and Dex and then nodded.
They were saying they were with me, but that wasn’t an option. “No way,” I mouthed. They couldn’t blow their cover for this.
Oliver moved a little closer. “You need someone to watch her back. You can’t get her out of here without getting caught unless you have our help. We’re out anyway. Everyone knows the three of us are like brothers. If you leave now, we’re screwed by association.”
Three Raven covers blown in one night. This wasn’t going to go over well. There weren’t that many of us within the helix ranks. The Lady put in years of work to secure every covert operative and build cover stories.
She was going to be so pissed.
The tracker deactivation device was the size of a pinky nail, and each of us had one on hand just for this kind of nightmare. I set the micro-needle against my helix and pressed the button, killing the code that linked me to the Seligo satellites.
Dex and Oliver did the same. Had we been outside the blackout zone, the Citadel’s computers would’ve known within a matter of seconds and someone would’ve instantly scrambled to find out why three helixes just went missing.
With the blackout, we could fall under the radar for a little bit. Long enough to get us out, at least. Once the system was back online and we showed up as missing from the system, our covers would be officially blown. I should probably regret it more than I did, but I wouldn’t hate leaving the lies behind—especially not with Emma at my side.
Now it was time to run like hell. The farther, the faster, the better.
The other Black Helixes were separating everyone in the club into manageable groups. They’d separated the girls from a few guys. The guys started yelling and shoving—one took a swing and in five seconds, that whole side of the room was brawling. The attack team scrambled to control the crowd that was now fighting back.
Time to go.
I dropped to the floor and crawled under the break in the bar. Sandra opened the hatch in the floor. For whatever reason she was helping, I’d take it. She opened her mouth to talk, and I put my finger against her lips. I moved to whisper in her ear. “Thank you.”
She was shaking, but there wasn’t anything I could do. I had to get Emma out. Now. Taking Sandra with us wasn’t an option.
I went down the dark stairs first, grabbing Emma’s hand as I moved past her. I put her hand in my back belt loop so she could hold on while I kept both hands free. It also kept her within arm’s reach. After years of searching, I’d finally found her. I wasn’t about to let her get away again.
Emma pulled Mona along behind her. Dex and Oliver followed, closing the hatch behind us. There was barely enough light to see by. Rows of metal shelving along the walls were stacked high with cases of alcohol. Kegs were piled in groups of three and four, but even in the well-organized room, we wasted nearly three minutes looking for the way out.
“It’s an empty room,” I said. “We’re trapped.”
“No,” Emma said. “There’s an abandoned tunnel system here. Drug runners built them. Sandra was telling me about them last night. We’re just not looking hard enough.”
I checked my watch. The blackout probably wasn’t that bad, and with Parson in the area, the attack teams would move fast.
“Tap the walls. One of them has to be fake,” I said.
The guys and Mona each took a wall, but I kept Emma with me.
Metal screeched against concrete. A second later there was another crash.
“We’re trying to do this as quietly as possible.”
“Shut up. I found it. Down here,” Dex said. “There’s a corridor. It’s narrow and made for little people, but this has to be it.”
Dex had moved a bunch of kegs off to the side, and punched a hole in the drywall. “Good work.” I hunched down and took the lead.
The tunnels were dim. Only small, motion-activated lanterns broke the darkness, but navigating was a basic skill that every Black Helix had to master. Drop us in the middle of nowhere with a blindfold on, and we’d have to find our way home. This required memorizing maps of the major Voids, and I didn’t remember seeing any tunnels in this area. That meant the Seligo didn’t know about them.
I focused on counting turns and the angles of the tunnels. Getting lost could get us all killed. I tried to keep us headed northwest toward the market district, but the tunnels wound and broke off—some were completely blocked. The crude ceilings and walls made just being down here unsafe. Bits of dirt rained down as cars rolled overhead. How had these paths even held up?
As we moved through, frustration gnawed at me. We couldn’t turn back now, but this could easily go south. There didn’t look to be a way out and time was limited.
Sweat dripped down my back as we reached a fork.
Voices sounded in the distance.
I motioned for Dex and Oliver to take cover. Not that there was much. Shielding Emma and Mona behind me, I pulled my weapon from my ankle holster.
Three Black Helixes ran through the tunnel in our direction.
“Stop,” a voice echoed toward us.
I didn’t think about who they were or that maybe I’d fought beside them. I couldn’t. Not and still pull the trigger.
Dex, Oliver, and I shot at the same time, downing two of them. The third pulled his gun, but I put a bullet between his eyes before he could fire.
“There’ll be more on the way.” I didn’t dare meet Emma’s eyes—killing in front of her didn’t make me feel good, but better them than us. Instead, I turned back to the fork in the tunnel. No time to debate. From the way we were going and what I remembered of the area, if we went left we’d end up in some apartment buildings. Right veered toward a shopping district. Shopping was better. More chaos. More people to hide among.
