Page 101 of Tapeworld Induction

They all looked at each other.

“That’s awfully timely,” Isaak said. “But it’s not like I can go. She’ll know I escaped, if she doesn’t already. She knows Sacha too.”

Dylan nodded. “You and Sacha are out of the question. We have to hope she doesn’t know about me.”

“Us,” Talia said. “It’s the perfect opportunity for us to get close to Mrs Fern-Lock. I’m sure I can get us an invite through work!”

Dylan smiled as she bought into her friend’s idea.

Isaak rubbed his beard. “So, we go in and… what?”

“We look out for any trace of the Sleeper,” Sacha said. “Find something to nail her. It could work. I’ll handle the tech.” He winked at him.

“It sounds like we have the makings of a plan.” Dylan’s voice sounded hopeful. “Isaak, you’re our team captain. Do you think we can pull it off?”

Look at you. Pulling me in.

Isaak looked over his “team”. Dylan, who he was getting to know more and more every day, finally opening up to her, who had rescued his ass from certain doom. Talia, her best friend, who looked like a top model fresh out of a gala – she’d fit right in for the Night of Entertainment – and who seemed to be willing to do anything for Dylan. And Sacha. They’d learned so much together playing for the London Lazarus. He regretted the way they’d parted months ago. It wasn’t fair on his younger ex-teammate. And now he was willing to risk his life to help him.

Could they pull it off?

“Of course. Not a doubt in my mind.” He tried to sound as calm and confident as he could.

Dylan grinned. “Then let’s nail that bitch for what she did to you!”

They blipped out of the Tapeworld shortly after, first Talia and then Sacha.

Dylan stayed behind.

“Do you think we should involve your and Sacha’s contact? Elodie?”

He paused, watching the sun setting on the green hills. “She did help you save me… But I don’t know. I trust you guys, and I don’t want to open the circle too wide.” Doubt wormed its way into his gut.

Dylan approached him slowly, leaving a trail in the simulated plasticrete floor, blue and red colours swirling around her feet. “Come here…”

His doubts found a way to disappear.

36

Rarefied Air

Dylan

The Night of Entertainment was a red-carpet affair, rows of nondescript SUVs dropping off posh folk at an even rate.

Talia had finagled the invite after an excruciating forty-five-minute vid call with a woman named Gertrude Presser, who was someone-or-other’s assistant – and in charge of arrangements for the evening.

“Gertrude expecting any favours from you now, Tal?” Dylan asked, as they waited in the cab for Sacha to confirm they were good to go.

Her friend shot her a look through semi-closed eyes, her freshly microbladed eyebrows adding to her “I’ll kill you” stare.

The techie grumbled through the comms. Talia felt pressed to clear the air.

“She’s borrowing one of our high-roller paintings from Jab, for her boss…”

“That’s not so bad”

“For a year.”