Page 65 of Knight

I open my mouth to respond, but Knight’s attention has already shifted from me. Whatever he’s looking at holds him completely, the tapping of his fingers finally stopping as he leans closer to the screen.

Without that subtle sound, the silence feels heavy. Almost like the quiet in the library after closing. But this isn’t the peaceful solitude of empty stacks and closed books.

This is the silence that happens before something breaks.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Knight

With every stringof Victor’s code I unlock, more information comes to light. It’s never-ending, and the more I read the more confident I am that this is a warning, and not a threat.

The letters and numbers on the screen blur together, my eyes are burning, but I can’t stop. Not when each new sequence reveals more about how thoroughly Victor has broken down my entire world.

Properties I own. Access points. Security protocols. He’s detailed everything, and after each string, there’s a key, a coordinate, and a question. I need to figure out all three to access the next string … and the next.

As I scribble it all down, another new pattern forms.

“Fuck.” The word escapes before I can stop it.

Glitch stirs from where she's been half-dozing in the chair. "What’s wrong?"

"This place is compromised.”

She straightens, suddenly alert. "What do you mean?"

"I mean ..." I shut down the laptop. "This location isn't secure enough. We need to move."

"Move? Now? Where?" She glances at the window, where darkness has fully settled outside.

"Yes, now. This place was only meant to be temporary anyway." I slide the laptop and flash drive into my bag. "I have somewhere even more isolated. Better protected. And more importantly, not listed in these logs as somewhere Victor has discovered."

“Moreisolated? There’s nobody here!”

“Right now there isn’t. That could change at any time.”

I make sure the false wall is securely in place, gather up the few things I need—laptop, flash drive, the few supplies I bought earlier, and lead her out.

“We need to find transport.”

“From where? There’s no one here. What’s wrong with the car you used to get here?”

“That will have been reported missing.” I wrap my fingers around her bicep and pull her along with me. “There’s a mall not far from here. We can find something there.”

“Parking lots arenotcar sales courts!”

“Then it’s a good thing I wasn’t planning to buy one.”

Finding suitable transport doesn’t take long. Another unremarkable sedan that won’t draw attention. Glitch waits quietly while I handle the logistics ofborrowingit, but I can feel her judgment every time I glance over at her.

“Where are we going?” she asks once we’re finally inside.

“Somewhere secure. There’s a safehouse I have that has no paper trail. Paid for in cash years ago. It wasn't listed in Victor’s logs.” I navigate through quiet streets, heading toward the outskirts of the city. “It’s far more isolated than our last place.”

The drive takes a couple of hours. Glitch drifts in and out of sleep beside me, her head occasionally dropping toward my shoulder before she catches herself and shifts position. Eventually I turn off the main roads onto a dirt track. The bouncing and jostling wakes her up, and she straightens in her seat, peering through the window.

The cabin, when it comes into view looks exactly like what it is. Rustic, isolated, and unremarkable.

“Stay in the car. I need to check around first.” I check my gun, flick off the safety, and get out of the car, pocketing the keys, just in case she does decide to run away.

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