“Nothing. I already told you, I’ve got this. When I need help, I promise to let you know.”
“Kyle Higgins, you said. What about his family? Any potential threats?”
“None. An older brother, Hunter, works from home. Seems quite boring. Their parents are out of town, and Kyle is staying him.”
“Okay, Byte. Keep us informed on this. You might not see him as a threat, but I can’t imagine at Kyle’s age, you would’ve dropped something as interesting, especially after you’d seen blood in the water. This kid’s curiosity will not let him simply quit.”
Byte knew Ghost was right. She wouldn’t have backed down if she felt she’d found something valuable. Byte’s identity and location were extremely valuable, which was why Byte was keeping an eye on Kyle’s activity. Once she knew where he was going with his searches, she’d redirect them.
“Can I go now?” Byte asked.
“Sure. Do you need me to push you back into your office?” Ghost smirked.
“I’ve got it.”
“Byte,” Ivy said in earnest. “We have your back, you know. You don’t have to go it alone. Those days are over. We are family.”
Family was what Byte yearned for the most, but she also knew it came with a price tag. Not that Ghost or Ivy had set one, but it was there for anyone looking. Byte’s weakness was also her strongest desire… her family… her ALIAS family… her Karma family. She couldn’t let anything happen to those she loved. Not on her watch!
The team watched Byte wheel herself out and shut the door behind her.
“What are we doing?” Ivy asked.
“You heard her. She’s got it under control,” Voodoo said. “She doesn’t want us involved.”
“And when has that ever mattered?” Ghost asked. “We are her family. Remember how torn up she was when she thought you were running away? She might not need our help, but deep down, she wants it. She wants us to have her back.”
“Then what’s the plan?” Ivy asked again.
“Okay, here’s what I say we do…” Ghost began outlining his plan, what needed to be done, and enlisted Chaos to get them actionable intel.
“Well, if it works, we are heroes, but if it doesn’t… we will have one really pissed off blue elf,” Seven stated.
“I’d prefer to be a hero in her book. Sounds like I’ll have a lot to prove,” Falcon stated.
“Proof, for Byte, is measured by your actions. Words mean nothing to her. Show her you are a good guy and she’ll have your back,” Voodoo stated.
Half the people in the conference room had little understanding of who Byte was. She wasn’t an easy person to get to know, and although Ghost, Ivy, and Voodoo were ones she’d considered friends, it had only been in the last month that she’d opened up to them. Aria, Carter, Seven, and now Falcon would have to prove themselves worthy of Byte’s trust.
“We’ll be ready for our mission once we get what we need from Chaos,” Ivy said and left the room.
“Gentlemen, I think we should regroup at eight tonight,” Ghost stated. “I have an idea.”
“This is going to be fun,” Carter said, rubbing his hands together in a mischievous way. “So much fun.”
“And I’m glad we aren’t involved,” Voodoo said including Aria. “Nothing good is going to come from whatever you have brewing, Ghost.”
CHAPTERFIVE
“What have you done, Kyle?” Hunter demanded.
“I screwed up!”
“Yeah, I figured that out already,” Hunter mocked. “I want to know what you screwed up on.”
Hunter had spent the night with his hands duct-taped behind his back. He hurt each time he tried to readjust his hands.
They’d left the game both in sour moods. The Longhorns lost by a field goal, but Hunter’s attitude wasn’t because of the game. Kyle wouldn’t engage with him, no matter how hard Hunter tried.