Page 63 of Knight

Against both of us.

My eyes land on the burner phone sitting just behind the laptop. Its presence reminds me that I need to let Bishop and Rook know what’s going on. They’ll have heard about my apartment by now. They’ve probably already tried to contact me, and if I don’t respond to them soon, they’ll start looking into things, which means they could walk into whatever this game is.

But then something in the logs catches my attention. A sequence I’ve seen before, but not ever in surveillance data.

“Fucking hell.”

“What?”

I expand the sequence, enlarge it, double-checking that I’m reading it right. “These aren’t just surveillance logs. They’re test runs.”

Glitch leans closer, even though she can’t possibly understand what she’s looking at.

“Test runs for what?”

“For taking someone.” My hand slams down onto the tabletop, making her jump. “They weren’t just watching your brother’s routine. They were testing different scenarios. Different approaches. Working out exactly how to make someone disappear without leaving evidence.”

When she finally speaks, her voice carries an edge I haven't heard before. "They used my brother as apracticerun for someone else?"

"Yes and no." I study another sequence. "Victor has hidden three concepts in here, but the way he’s written the third … that one was successful. I think they were looking for ways to specifically take your brother."

"Why?"

"That's the real question, isn't it?" I lean back, mind racing through possibilities. "What does your brother know to make him worth kidnapping? And where does Victor come into it? Why would he go to all the trouble of targeting my systems with a virus, and then leaving me messages in the logs about what it means?"

Because that's what this is —these logs are one long letter to me from my mentor, showing me exploits, weaknesses, and all the ways the virus has been built to infiltrate my systems. But why? Is he threatening me … or is he reaching out for my help?

I need to focus and figure out what Victor is really telling me. I also need to warn my brothers about what they might be walking into.

Instead, I'm achingly aware of Glitch’s proximity, of how her presence affects my ability to think clearly.

Victor would see this as another weakness to exploit. Maybe he already has. Because all the surveillance logs are showing that the virus wasn’t just about gathering intel. It’s also about finding vulnerabilities.

And right now, I'm looking at mine.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Evangeline

Knight’s handshover over the keyboard, but his attention keeps shifting to the cell phone on the table. One hand moves, fingers tapping an irregular rhythm against the desk while he stares at the small black device like it might bite him.

For the past hour, I’ve watched while he worked through the information on the screen, scribbling notes in an illegible shorthand only understandable by him. Each new discovery seems to wind him tighter, adding layers of tension to his already rigid posture.

He mutters a curse, straightens abruptly, and snatches the phone up. His fingers move over the screen, hitting numbers without any hesitation, and then he lifts it to his ear. I can just about make out the sound of ringing … and then someone picks up. The voice is male, but the words aren’t clear to me. Whatever they are, they make Knight roll his eyes.

“I’m fine.” His voice carries that familiar sardonic bite. “The apartment situation is handled. Stay out of it.”

Whatever response he gets makes him press his lips into a hard line. The fingers of his free hand spread against the desk surface, then curl into a fist.

“And that’s why you need to leave it alone.” The fist on the desk tightens until his knuckles turn white. “I’ll explain when I can. Right now, I need you to keep him from doing anything stupid.”

I pretend I’m reading the words on the laptop screen in front of me. The incomprehensible logs scroll past, while I try not to obviously listen to his conversation.

“Tell him to stop. This isn’t his kind of problem.” He shifts in his chair, tension radiating from his shoulders. “Someone is playing a game. Don’t help them by walking into it.”

Silence falls. My fingers clench in my lap, as the tension builds in the air.

“It’s bad enough that I’m telling you to stay out of it.” His voice drops lower. “Look, I’ll be in touch when I can. Just … stay clear until then, alright?”

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