Page 71 of Knight

“There’s power to the apartment now.” He doesn’t look away from the screens. “There’s a coffee machine in the kitchen. Might as well make yourself useful while I contain this thing.”

The normalcy of making coffee feels surreal after everything that’s happened, but the routine helps settle my nerves, and gives me something to focus on besides watching Knight wage war against his own computers.

When I return to his workspace with two mugs, he’s completely absorbed in whatever he’s doing. I set his coffee beside him and sink into a chair, every muscle protesting from the climb up the side of the building.

I have no idea how long passes while he sits hunched over the keyboard, but he barely touches his coffee, attention fixed on the streams of code scrolling over the screens. Occasionally he mutters something that sounds like swearing, but in languages I don’t recognize.

My stomach cramps, reminding me we haven’t eaten since yesterday.

“The power is stable enough now.” Knight reaches for the phone he brought with him, without taking his eyes off the screen. “I’m going to order food. The elevator should work now.”

"Is that safe?"

"Wouldn't suggest it if it wasn't." His attention stays fixed on his work. "I’ve cut off the virus from everything. It can't touch anything now."

He makes a call, ordering enough food for both of us, then stands and stretches. "Keep breathing and try not to touch anything while I'm gone."

I stay in my chair while I wait, not really wanting to move anyway, and study the screens without understanding anything displayed on them. The lines of code might as well be hieroglyphics.

The elevator chimes, announcing Knight’s return, he brings the smell of hot food with him.

“Come out here.”

I drag myself out of the chair and walk out to meet him in the living room. He’s setting containers out across the coffee table.

“Help yourself. I don’t usually eat while I work, but I need to follow something before I lose it.” He takes a container for himself and returns to his computers, leaving me to eat alone.

“Got you, you fucker.” The words break another long silence. “Trying to cloak yourself in execution logs? I don’t fucking think so.”

I heave myself off the couch and walk over to the door. “Have you found something?”

“My system is clean now.” His fingers don’t stop moving. “Now to see what other presents Victor left for me.”

More hours pass. Tiredness makes my eyes heavy, but there’s something about Knight’s intensity that keeps me from drifting off. There’s an edge to his focus that suggests whatever he’s looking for is important.

“Fuck’s sake.” He slams his hand against the desk, and I jump. “Stop playing games, old man.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Multiple encryption layers.” Frustration adds an extra bite to his voice. “Each one triggers a new security code. He’s buried something about Horizon Tech in here, but he’s making me work for every fucking piece of information.”

His frustration draws me closer, and my hand lifts to touch his shoulder. The muscle beneath my palm feels like steel cable. For a moment, I think he’s going to shake off the contact. Instead, he goes completely still.

“Don’t.” The word comes out rough.

“Don’t what?”

His hand comes up, catching mine before I can pull away. For a heartbeat, we stay frozen like that. My palm against his shoulder, his fingers wrapped around my wrist. Then he draws in a sharp breath and turns, using his grip to pull me closer.

“This.” His other hand comes up to cup my face, but there’s nothing gentle about the touch. “Thisis exactly what he wants.”

A sharp sound from one of the computers cuts through the moment. His hands drop away and he spins back to the screen.

“Let’s see what you’re hiding in here about Horizon Tech, you fucker.” Knight’s attention fixes on the displays. “What is it about them that was worth breaking years of silence?”

The name of Michael’s workplace snaps my attention back to reality. The hours of watching Knight work, the tension building between us—none of that matters as much as finding my brother.

“What the fuck?”

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