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“So how is it going?”
“Right, after I create a virtual machine to act as a decoy,” I said. “We’ll lose some files but it’s better than losing everything. If I can divert the virus to attack the decoy, it will buy us more time to track down Brady and put an end to this.”
"Does that mean it's going well?"
I smiled. "It means I'm trying my best."
Sofia nodded. “Do whatever it takes,” she said. “We can’t let him win. So you definitely don’t think it was him.”
“Brady?” I asked as I looked at the code. “No chance. This is difficult, expensive, bespoke work. This is a black hat hacker forhire and I don’t think Brady would have had the means to hire them.”
“So it was my dad.”
I nodded, my mouth dry. “Yeah, I think there’s a pretty good chance your father has been pulling all the strings here,” I said.
She looked like she was about to cry. “Jace, I haven’t heard from Sam in days. If he’s with my dad...”
I looked up at her. “I put a trace on his phone, but it went cold last night,” I said. “He either lost it or destroyed it. Your father wouldn’t have taken care of his phone along with him. If anything, he would’ve used it to lure us to his hiding place. Sam didn’t want to be found. There’s a reason he stormed out of here. And your brother isn’t stupid, Sof. He’s done everything he can to take care of himself.”
“But what if he’s in danger? What if my father has done something to him?” she said, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Then we’ll find him and bring him back. Don’t worry, okay?” I said. “Teo isn’t just going to let anything happen to him. None of us are.”
She smiled at me. “I know. Thanks, Jace.”
I turned back to my task, clicking away as Sofia watched me. I only stopped when I heard the sound of my door and turned to look at her. She’d paled. “Were you expecting someone?”
“It’s just me!” Victor shouted from the other side of the door when I didn’t open it.
Sofia got up. “I’ll get this,” she said. “Victor, hi.”
“Hi, Sof. Jace,” Victor said. He was holding Oliver, who looked much better than the pictures he’d shown me, and was meowing in his hands and sporting a dark green collar now. “I would have taken him to HQ but Midnight is there and she can be territorial. Can you look after him for a couple of days until I go home and figure out a way to introduce them to each other?”
I nodded as he walked in. “Sure,” I said. “But you can’t just keep the victim’s cat.”
Victor raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, watch me.”
Sofia laughed. “Alright, okay,” she said. “Do we want to close the door after you or…”
Victor smiled at her, taking a step into my apartment. “Sorry,” he said. “I was so focused on finding a safe place for the little guy I didn’t even think about that.”
Sofia closed the door behind him. “It’s not a problem,” she said. “Jace is just working on the USB stick we found at Brady’s.”
Victor set the cat on the ground. “Did you get anything from that?”
“Nothing but a virus designed to infiltrate and bring down our entire system.”
“Can you do something about it?” Victor asked, still crouching behind Oliver, who was looking around curiously.
I nodded. “It’s done,” I said. The screen’s glow died down to a soft hum of success as I leaned back in my chair, the viruscontained like a venomous serpent within the confines of digital glass. “It’s done,” I exhaled, a palpable relief washing over me. The Blades’ systems were safe; our mission was still cloaked in the shadows where it belonged.
“Damn,” Victor said. “Good job. Can I get some water or something? I’m really winded.”
“Yeah, make yourself at home,” I replied before I could catch myself.
Victor smirked at me. “I’m going to take you up on that,” he said, sitting on the bed. “Did we get anything else useful out of our little excursion to Brady Thompson’s apartment?”
“My old phone,” Sofia said. “The one the Strangler had. Why was it in Brady’s apartment?”
