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In other words, De Luca wanted Ghost all to himself and did not like the hacker winning for his opponents from time to time... How ironic, thought Eden. Many hackers were probably dying to work for one of the Zodiacs. It was the promise of protection and money, two of the most valued things around. Yet, it came at the high cost of being tied down to one master... and bearing the consequences of failure.
It also explained why De Luca needed a new hacker. Even if they didn’t die during their dives, the others had probably paid for their failure with their lives. She frowned.
“...I am in no hurry to die. You heard your... that guy. No one has ever beaten Ghost. Why would I be different?”
“I didn’t say you only had one try.”
“You didn’t say I wouldn’t die if I failed either,” she retorted. “Why don’t you ask one of the hackers on the Black List?”
“I fear there are no more available at the moment.”
Eden stayed silent, shocked.
There were no Black List hackers available? The Black List was supposedly a register of the best hackers for hire. Only the best were allowed in, and they were ready to commit even the worst cyber-crimes as long as one was willing to pay the price for it. In reality, this was no different than mercenaries, the worst and best of them. However, it seemed unthinkable that none of them would be available... unless someone had used the whole list.
“...I guess that means less competition,” she whispered.
“There’s only one win that matters. Against Ghost.”
“You make no sense. Why don’t you ask me for specific information instead of asking me to beat Ghost? No one knows what Ghost will be after next. It may be of no value to you. I’ve never heard of someone being more interested in the competition than the prize.”
“Consider it a personal vendetta then. I do not like someone making me lose face, and Ghost has been an issue for quite some time. If he doesn’t work for me, I need to find someone better and get rid of him.”
Eden squinted her eyes.
“...You want to kill Ghost?”
“I want to kill anyone who ever dares to stand in my way. Ghost has done so about... sixteen times.”
Eden bit her lower lip. Pissing off a Zodiac sixteen times wasn’t just a lot, it was a death sentence. She had never thought there would be someone that petty, though. The Dark Web was a very, very big sea anyone could fish in. Ghost had never meant to stand in someone’s way; like any hacker, Ghost did their job and disappeared as soon as it was done.
While she remained silent, Eden was trying to think fast. Would it even be doable? She could always ask for Loir’s help, but would he be willing to do such a crazy thing? Well, Loir was always happy or crazy, but still... In her arms, Bullet suddenly barked, reminding her of his presence. The pups... She was worried about Beer, about Jack, and whoever else had survived the attack at the club. In any case, she was... trapped now. Could she even find a way to escape somehow?
“While we wait for Ghost to show up,” said De Luca, “you will be welcomed here to work as my bodyguard. I have to say, the previous one met an unfortunate fate last night, and you’ve proven your worth already.”
“Boss, we can’t have that woman protect you!” said George, looking shocked. “You can’t be serious! She’s a wh... I mean, she’s clearly not a bodyguard! Look at her!”
Eden glared at him. She was getting annoyed at all his interruptions and wondering how he still had a tongue.
“People who judge others by their appearance are idiots,” she said.
“Don’t you dare call me an idiot, you damn bitch! You’re just a Part! All you did was take a few bullets for the boss! Do you know how much it cost us to repair and heal you?”
“I did not ask for it.”
“Well, you should at least be grateful you’re even alive!”
“Enough.”
Although he wasn’t loud, George went silent as soon as Dante glared at him again. However, just after a few seconds of silence, he regained his composure, even putting his hands back in his pockets with a little smile.
“...Since you’re so curious, George, how about we test my new bodyguard?”
“What? But–”
“Take her to the training room.”
Right after those words, Dante turned around after one last glance at Eden and left. She glared at his back. That was it? Was he already considering that their negotiations were done?
