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He was thirteen. She knew what it was like to be thirteen and curious about the virtual world. Only his life was the complete opposite of the one she’d lived.
She pulled up the bio sheet she’d just printed.
Kyle Wayne Higgins, age 13. Youngest son to Wayne Lincoln Higgins, age 58; and Marcy Elizabeth Higgins, age 54. Kyle was most definitely a surprise baby for the parents in their forties.
Wayne was a recently appointed partner at his law firm. Marcy was a tenured educator at the Rolling Hills Christian Academy for the past twenty-two years.
Neither parent seemed to be a threat. Their background checks came back clean, not even a parking ticket.
Kyle had an older brother, Hunter, twenty-eight-years old. He was an audio talent, meaning he did voice-overs and recorded audiobooks. On a scale from one to ten, Hunter was a sad two when it came to posing a threat. The only reason why he was even a two was because Byte couldn’t find anything on him, aside from what you’d standardly find on a twenty-something. He had a Facebook account, both a business and personal one. He was buying a home that doubled as his recording studio on the well-established east side of Austin.
Byte’s findings were interrupted when Ghost knocked on her door.
“Munchkin, it’s time for our debriefing.”
“Um, what?” Byte asked.
“You’re a little distracted lately. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I’m okay.”
“Try again.”
“Ghost, stop bugging me. I said I had everything under control.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to fly. Let’s go,” Ghost ordered as he pushed her chair out the door with her still in it.
“What gives! Ghost, stop. I have a lot of work to do.”
“Yep.”
“You’re so frustrating!”
“Back at you, kid.” Ghost rolled her into the war room where everyone was already gathered.
Aria giggled as she watched a very unhappy Byte being rolled in by a smiling Ghost.
“Lazy day?” Voodoo asked.
“Shut up. This big oaf wouldn’t let me be.”
“Since when have you ever wanted to be left alone?” Ivy asked.
“When she has something to hide,” Ghost answered.
“I’m not hiding. I’m working.”
“On what?” Carter asked. “Maybe we can help.”
“Unlikely… unless you’re a computer savant I wasn’t aware of.”
“Wow, you’re not kidding. Something is bothering you,” Ivy surmised.
“Hey, it’s us. Talk. Let us help,” Aria said.
Byte hadn’t wanted to involve the team. She had secrets they didn’t know, nor ever would if it was up to her. She also solved her own problems. She learned long ago that she would never completely hand power over to someone else. Even those with the best of intentions would fail her one way or another.
“It’s probably nothing, which is why I don’t need to involve you. I’ve been having some weird activity on my end… not with ALIAS’ mainframe. It’s only isolated to my personal data.”
