Page 109 of Over the Edge

Kate exhaled hard. “Jesus, this thing could wipe out a block while leaving the building next door untouched.”

I pushed off the wall. If Benítez unleashed that in Caracas, he could take out all of his dissenters and plunge the country into even deeper chaos.

Ethan nodded. “Flag it. Ozzy, track all chatter around Benítez’s network. If he plans to use that for a coup, I want to know.”

“Already listening in,” Oz said. “His passwords are tragic.”

“Huh,” Kate said and highlighted another series of transactions. “Northern Koreans were there too and they got…” She paused, frowning. “That’s interesting.”

“Define interesting,” Decker said.

“They purchased agricultural nanotech. Drought-resistant seed enhancers.” She glanced up at Ethan and then me. “Not exactly a weapon.”

“Famine is a weapon.” I’d seen starvation used as a control mechanism too many times to view this purchase as benign. “They’re not planning to feed their people. They’re strengthening their hold over them.”

The room fell silent, the only sound the soft hum of cooling fans and fingers on keyboards. This was the reality of our work—seeing beyond the transactions to the human cost. Every piece of technology sold or stolen at that auction would impact lives, and rarely for the better.

The door opened, drawing everyone’s attention away from the screens. Well. Everyone’s attention except Ozzy’s. If that man could implant a screen in his eyes, I had no doubt he would.

Leo hurried in, looking like he’d just stepped out of the shower. His dark hair was still dripping. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Hot date last night?” Nolan asked.

Leo flipped him off, settled into a chair, and scanned the group. “Ah, c’mon. I’m not even the last to arrive.”

“Flynn and Lyric aren’t coming in,” Ethan said and returned his attention to the screens.

“Aye,” Nolan said with an eyebrow wiggle. “They’re definitely fucking like bunnies right now.”

Alistair shook his head. “Jesus, Nolan.”

“What? We all know they are. I’m just stating facts.”

Despite myself, I smirked. Truthfully, I hoped they were. They’d both been through hell and deserved a break. I turned my attention back to the screens, where a new set of data had just populated.

“What’s this?” I asked, nodding toward a list of buyer IDs that Kate had just pulled up.

“Secondary purchases,” Kate replied, highlighting a section. “Smaller tech that didn’t hit the main auction block.” She scrolled down, her brow furrowing. “These were handled through a separate system. Lower profile, but still dangerous as hell.”

I scanned the list of names and purchases. Most were unfamiliar, likely shell companies or proxies for the real buyers. Standard operating procedure in the black market tech world.

“Wait.” My blood ran cold as a familiar name jumped out at me and I pushed off the wall, stepping closer to the screen. “Stop. Go back.”

“What did you see?” Kate’s fingers paused over her keyboard as the entire room shifted focus to the transaction record displayed on the main screen.

I had to be wrong. Maybe I just saw it because she’s been on my mind?—

“There.” I pointed to a line midway down the screen. “Buyer ID 45721. NeuroLink-II system.”

“Neural interface technology,” Ozzy said without looking up. “Military-grade mind-machine interface. Nasty piece of work. Military applications for enhanced soldier performance. Welcome to the future, where mind control isn’t just science fiction anymore.”

“Mind control?” Decker echoed.

“Yep. Not the crude kind, either. This would allow the controller to make suggestions that feel like the subject’s own thoughts. The perfect sleeper agent delivery system. Your target wouldn’t even know they were compromised.”

But I wasn’t listening to Ozzy’s explanation. My focus had narrowed to the name listed beside the purchase.

Evelyn Phillips.

---