The whole theme kept with warm coloring to pair well with the polished wood accents.
Despite being pissed I flip the laptop around. I can’t be too mad at the men. I did agree to this semi-kidnapping. My eyes immediately home in on the blinking cursor and I scroll through several sections of the coding language that looks like cyborgs busted in and dropped a new language on humans. It takes years for most people to learn this stuff but it came second nature to me. By the age of twelve I hacked my school database. By fifteen I found out how to erase exam scores and put in new ones among a handful of other ‘abilities’. Not that I ever acted on these talents. But I had the knowledge.
Not the best start to life and not one I recommend. My secrets.
A short while later Warren joins me, taking the seat beside me. Snow dusts his hair and shoulders.
“Is this your creation?” Because if it is, I want off this plane, but I want an answer too. Color me intrigued which I think is their point. “Do you know what this code is?”
Erik and Daemon enter the cabin and both spread out in chairs, strapping in. “This kind of thing can land us all in some really hot water if anyone sees this, I’m serious.”
All three level their eyes on me. “We know. What did you find? Something you can fix?”
“Oh no. My questions first.”
No way I put my digital signature anywhere near this thing until I have answers. Before I can reiterate my questions, the engines grow loud. All my questions drop away and I plunge head-first into another problem. “I have a confession.” I clutch the arms of my chair and hope I’m not ripping the soft leather with my nails. We ease forward. “I’ve never flown before.”
A large hand takes mine. “Have you been on a rollercoaster?”
My eyes go wide and I won’t lie, I’m kind of hyperventilating at Warren’s question. “You mean like those carnival death traps that do loops and twists and turns? Yes!”
Warren chuckles, damn him. “Well this is nothing like that. Relax. You’re perfectly safe.”
“But what if the runway has ice?” I look out the tiny window across the aisle. “What if the wings ice over? How bad is the storm?”
The nose of the plane tips up. I squeeze my eyes shut and grip the laptop.
“You worry too much, baby. I assure you; you are in safe hands.”
“Speaking of hands.” Erik moves Daemon to the side, pops my buckle loose, pulls me over the arm of my chair—still death gripping the laptop—and into his lap.
Stubble covers his chin and I moan when he kisses me. “There. I think I’ve found the one sure way of getting you to stop worrying.” He moves me back into my seat and fastens the belt. “Soon as the plane is in the air, I’ll pop that belt again and we can take this conversation into the back.”
“Back? As in the bathroom?”
“As in bedroom.”
If the devil were ever a human, he’d be Erik Black.
“You’re too tempting for your own good. How about we start with this?”
I point to the coding. “Mind sharing why you’re showing me a code designed to maliciously unlock half the government computer systems around the world to anyone with a keyboard and a connection?” Now that I’ve had a moment to process everything I’ve seen I know the men would not risk their reputation over something like this. “Seems kind of irresponsible on multiple levels and a little over my head. Why would you be showing me?”
“Because you’re brilliant and you’re not just anyone.”
“Not to us.”
“This isn’t something we’ve written. It’s a virus picked up off the black market by our potential client—a few acronymed agencies. They want a shield built to protect against someone with this virus or something like it. And rightly so.”
Daemon picks up where Erik leaves off. “Catch is, there’s an issue with the code. Whoever created this didn’t complete it. So far, none of us or our teams have been able to write the tail end. In order for us to create the cure, so to speak, we need a completed virus.”
The plane finally levels out and so far, I’m not dead so, ya know. Feeling grateful. I unclench and settle into my seat.
What they say makes sense. “And you need my help?” Seems like they are reaching.
All three nod. “You have a unique way of reading between the lines. Of seeing what’s not there. You’ve solved every equation we’ve thrown at you, every broken code sequence. If you can read it over and see if we’re missing something, we are in the position to repay you in kind.”
Daemon is serious.
“As in work for you?”
“On a temporary basis if you’re willing. See if we are a good fit.” Daemon’s expression is pure wolfish.
A tiny part of me screams with excitement. But I keep it under lock and key. My gaze lands on each of them in turn and I grin sheepishly, “What if I charge upfront?” I know the second it is out of my mouth I willingly trip into the trap they purposefully constructed.
Smart of them, silly of me.
I watch three predatory smiles form. “By all means, please do. We are willing to pay in full.”
Warren is on his feet, scooping me up in his arms. “Let us show you.”