Synched

by DeAnna Browne

  “Okay.” He finally lifted his gaze. “I’ll give you twenty minutes. If you get caught, I’m saying you broke in and stole access. I won’t go down for this.”

  “Of course. Antoine,” she waited until he met her eyes, her own emotion fighting to get free, “I’m so sorry. I want you to know that.”

  He shook off her hand. “No. You don’t deserve any sympathy or forgiveness until I have her back.”

  “That’s fair.” She couldn’t deny the mistakes she made, which were many. “The sooner we get in, the sooner we get her back.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  The sun had settled behind the mountains and darkness settled in the valley as they boarded the tram. They needed to get to Antoine’s office back in town. Only a few silent passengers littered the car, making for a quiet ride through the dark of night.

  Buried deep in thought, Ari wondered exactly where Kari was. Did she have some type of illness, or maybe Niomi was right and she sold out? Ari wasn’t sure what to hope for.

  And what would the cost be of going back in? Was her life like an hour glass? Every trip or manipulation ticked off a few more days or weeks of her life?

  Antoine offered her a drink of the large wine bottle he’d taken from the restaurant. “You look like you could need a drink, too.”

  “No thanks.”

  “Do you have someone here with you? Family nearby?”

  Ari turned to him, wondering why he asked. “No.”

  “I’m just surprised you came all the way here to tell me this.”

  “Me too.”

  They rode the rest of the way in silence, interrupted only by him finishing off the bottle of wine. They stepped off the tram, and the cold slammed into them full force. She burrowed deep in her jacket, but the cold still penetrated.

  “Up this way.” He motioned to the right, then watched as she put on her thick gloves. “You really aren’t from here are you?”

  “No. I can’t say I care for it.”

  “People wonder why we drink so much.” He buttoned up his thin coat and headed into the wind.

  Tall old buildings lined the street, and he motioned to the brick one on the corner. “Keep your head down. I can erase the security feed, but in case they beat me to it, we don’t need our mugs pasted everywhere.”

  Surprised at his ability to erase the security feed, she pulled her hoodie up and focused on her steps in front of her. Every step felt surreal, like she was back in VLEX living someone else’s life. Someone who escaped off islands, stowed away on boats, and went with tall dark strangers in the middle of the night to break into buildings. Kari’s life almost felt normal in comparison to her own.

  He quickly got them inside the building, bypassing the security with ease.

  “What do you do for work?” Surprised at his ability, Ari didn’t think most diplomats or aids could hack a system like Reed or Marco.

  “I started here as IT. After a few years, I got assigned to provide technical help inside the VLEX.”

  That’s convenient.

  Heading upstairs, she pulled off her gloves, rubbing her hands together to warm them. Then she pulled out the small drive from her necklace. “I’ll need you to upload this to the server when I get in.”

  “Why?” He took the miniature drive and turned it in his fingers. “What’s on this? Codes for stolen cryptos?”

  “Nothing that exciting. It’s just me.” Files and characters that boiled down to be the story of her life. Sad to think everything she had and was could be hidden on something so small. That was all she had left. Yes, inside a program she may have vast possibilities, but out in the real world, it felt insignificant.

  “Okay. Have a seat.” He powered up a nearby station. “Now, I warned you. Twenty minutes is all I can give you before security is alerted and is on their way down. I want Kari’s real address, her physical location. If not, I turn you over to the authorities. I have enough proof even now to throw you away for a while. Do you get me?”

  Mouth dry, Ari nodded. “The drive has everything you need on me to help you put me away for a while. I’ll put Kari’s information on the drive I gave you. If things get bad, take it and run.” If things went bad, jail time for breaking into here would be her least concern.

  Pushing her hair aside, she plugged into the machine and leaned back. The cold leather chair sent a shiver down her spine. Closing her eyes to the real world, she wondered if reality would look the same when she woke.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Since she was signing in under an unfamiliar account, she was careful how she entered the VLEX. Keeping her presence a secret was imperative. As she entered the VLEX, she awoke to the code surrounding her. Antoine put her outside his office building. Because of the time zone change, she barely beat the rush hour. Checking the code for time in VLEX she realized she had a few minutes until most offices opened. For now, mostly security and overzealous employees roamed the open streets.

  She thought of just stealing the data from Kari’s old office without even appearing in the program, but the mass amount of data to sift through was too much, even for her. She didn’t need Kari’s real address. Tessa already searched that out and didn’t find Kari. Ari would have to locate her family home or some other connection to find her.

  So, between one second and the next, Ari donned Kari’s familiar skin and stepped out from the shadows of a nearby building. She followed the familiar cobblestone street to the building where she had spent so many hours. It was quiet as she took the elevator up to her office. They had changed the access codes from those she previously knew, but a quick hack of the code and she was inside.

  She dug through files wondering where someone would put their own childhood address. It’s not like she’d be writing a personal plan for a visit. Despite Antoine’s threats, Ari really did want to find the address, to find out for herself whether she killed Kari by being willing to take over her life.

  File after file and she couldn’t find anything. Ten minutes had passed, and she still had a lot to do besides this. Ari turned to Kari’s email in hopes maybe she found a meeting with someone for coffee or something. Then she remembered she wouldn’t contact outside people or at least she shouldn’t. Ari had been reading her emails for weeks now and would have seen something. When else would someone refer to something personal at work? Then it came to her. School.

  Ari searched for any mention of schools, colleges, and then resumes. She found it. A message from a college six months ago that mentioned an upcoming reunion. It wasn’t an address, but it would have to be enough. She saved the information to the drive Antoine could access. At least she found the school Kari had gone to, and who knows, maybe she grew up nearby. Ari closed the computer then stood to leave when President Higgins walked in.

  “Good morning, sir.” She stiffened slightly, realizing she had no idea what VisionTech told him when she left. They oversaw the real life deception of this program.

  Pausing mid-step, he looked at her with bewilderment. “What are you doing here?”

  “Just finishing up a few things. I’m all set, so I’ll be heading out though. Have a great day.” She walked past him, eyes focused on the door behind him.

  He reached out and grabbed her arm. “You should not have access to this floor anymore. You shouldn’t be here.”

  “I’m leaving now.” She pulled on her arm, but he didn’t loosen his grip.

  “Security,” he yelled. He didn’t have to yell, since inside the VLEX calling for security notified them electronically. They would be here in mere seconds.

  “I wish you wouldn’t have done that.” She considered fighting him. He was tall, but with his age, she’d have the advantage. She couldn’t chance though that she couldn’t be gone before security arrived. They could track her electronic signature and possibly track her down physically.

  As he started to drag her outside, she focused on the code around her. In mere seconds, President Higgins was left grasping on to thin air.
She poured through the code enough to find herself outside nearby the fountain. A small pain throbbed behind her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose until it passed, not dwelling on what it meant.

  Instead of donning Kari’s appearance, which may now be linked to security. She chose another of the skins she memorized, Stacee. Her dark skin blended with the variety of ethnicities found in VLEX. Ari kept the clothes and hair simple focusing more on getting through the shops undetected.

  When she arrived at Emil’s offices, she waited impatiently at the door. A few passersby gave her awkward glances as she waited in front of a door that was obviously open. Finally, an unfamiliar man opened the unseen door to Emil’s rooms and without a word he escorted her in.

  Once inside Ari spoke, “I need to see Emil right away.”

  “He’s been waiting for you.”

  They entered the room, where Emil stood to the side of his desks staring at an empty screen. Empty to her at least. Who knew what Emil saw in this place.

  “You shouldn’t have alerted security.” He remained focused on the screen. “The place is on high alert.”

  “I have my file,” she told him, uncertainty tightening her stomach.

  “I know. I found it when I realized you were here. You’ll need to learn how to hide your information better in here.” His calm demeanor infuriated her.

  “I need help and I need money. I’m no longer with VisionTech.”

  “Good girl.” He turned with a smile. “Go to worldwide game Gaia and search out Bacchus. He will set you up with what you need.”

  Ari recognized the reference to Greek mythology but had no clue where to find this Gaia. “Don’t you get it. I’ll be homeless by the end of the week, stranded in some foreign country.”

  Emil stepped towards her. “You’re smart and more than capable if you got away from VisionTech. We can only do so much inside the VLEX. We have connections all over the world. You’re part of the team now and will be taken care of, but it’s not for free. You have to do your part.”

  Ari swallowed, wishing for damn water, as she wondered what exactly she’d have to do. She’d do what she had to, to get by and then get those she loved and get the hell out of here. “Okay. I’ll talk to you in Gaia.”

  “Not yet. I have a task for you before you leave.”

  “A task?” He made it sound as simple as getting coffee, but she knew better than that.

  “Yes.”

  “I have now,” she checked the time on her HUB, “eight minutes before I need to leave.”

  “Then we better not waste time debating this.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Then I won’t be able to help you financially.” His smile vanished, an icy demeanor chilling her to the bone.

  “So that’s it, huh?” Ari didn’t have much to bargain with, but at the same time, it’s not like she could really hurt anyone in here. If Emil wanted money or something of the sort, he could get it himself.

  He waited for an answer.

  “Okay. I’ll give you five minutes, then I’m gone.”

  “Good choice. We’re ready to announce to the world that we are watching them. Hints and rumors have flown through the years. It’s time the world leaders know that they are being watched and will be held responsible for all their actions.”

  “And you want me to say that to who?”

  “To everyone.” His chagrined smile returned, full force. “I assume you can figure that out. I uploaded the short speech to your drive.”

  “Everyone.” The magnitude hit her, but she couldn’t dwell on it. On the physical cost it would take and how it would be painting a target right on her. “You have four minutes.”

  Without thinking too hard on it, she focused on what she had to do. As she fled his office, she realized she had wanted to do this for some time. Tired of the hiding and the lies, people needed to know warpers were real. Presidents and those in power already knew as they used them for the tools and weapons they could become, but everyone else should know. Parents raising their kids, and people whose lives were run by their oppressors.

  Ari knew exactly where she needed to be. As she worked the code through her mind, a code she learned back at school which felt like an eon ago, she rushed to the main fountain. The morning rush was heading in. People appearing outside buildings, some headed for a morning coffee. Was she really going to do this?

  Don’t think. Just do. With that thought she climbed on the edge of the fountain and turned to face the crowd. A few people glanced her way, but no one stopped. A quick glance on her HUB and she realized she had two minutes. Taking a deep breath, she put the code in place, pulled up the speaker, and exhaled.

  “To the people of VLEX.” Her voice boomed through the courtyard, startling her for a moment before she continued. People in the square now stopped with confused expressions. Ignoring their shocked faces, she stared at the building in the distance. “This is a warning. Warpers are rising up. We’re taking off the chains you want to bind us with. We’ll no longer be slaves to the highest bidder, no longer doing your dirty work. We’ll fight for the world we want to create. Starting now!”

  A firm hand gripped her arm as she finished the sentence. A tall guard pulled her to the ground. “You’re under arrest.” He quickly slapped something metal on her arm.

  After pulling back for a moment, she focused on the code, retreating to safety. As the code appeared around her, she realized the guard slapped her with something more than a mere restraining device. It was a tracking device of some sort. She didn’t dare take it back with her. If they traced her back to the real world, she didn’t have the means to relocate or escape. Anger and frustration boiled under her skin.

  More security appeared in the courtyard, surrounding her. A myriad of thoughts colored in panic fled through her mind. The security guard locked her hands behind her, and it pulled her out of the code. Twisting, she kicked at the guard, and it took him by surprise. He stumbled back, and she took that moment to free her hands. She couldn’t flee though not until she took off the tracking device.

  She saw the tool on the guard’s hip. She moved towards him and another pair of hands fell on her. The alarm she’d set on her HUB began beeping. If Antoine pulled her out now, they would know where she was. Rage exploded coloring her vision, and she struck out at the man behind her. Instinct must have flowed through her as the guard flew backwards ten feet or so.

  Code flew in and out of her vision, mixing with the images around her. She didn’t think, just acted. She took the tool from the guard’s belt, some kind of program but made for an idiot. She hit the key which unlocked the tracer on her just as she was tackled to the ground. Others joined him, pressing down on her.

  Pain struck at her, clouding her thoughts. Just leave. But fuzzy spots blocked her now. Her vision blanked in and out, a sharp pain stabbing in her mind, and fury exploded. She screamed, the sound echoing through the program, blocking out all conscious thought, but it gave her the out she needed to leave.

  Soft hands pulled the cable out of the back of her neck as black stars danced in her vision.

  Antoine’s dark eyes bore down on her.

  “I got Kari’s information.” Her words slurred slightly.

  “Wonderful, my dear. Some were surprised you’d go through all of that. They even doubted your power when they saw you dancing with me.”

  He continued rambling on, and Ari wondered if that last trip caused some type of brain damage. Why was Antoine talking about dancing? She struggled to sit up.

  “Give yourself time, my dear. You’ve been through a lot. We have time to rest, then I’ll take you back to the others. Sarah has a great remedy for our special kind of torturous hangover.”

  Our? Our special kind of headache. Slowly sitting up, her vision finally cleared, and she struggled to put together the pieces of what was happening.

  Looking up into his dark eyes, Ari remembered what happened after her first trip to VLEX and Niomi’s surprise
that Kari had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who stuck with Kari despite Ari impersonating her, a boyfriend with amazing abilities to hack security feed, and a boyfriend who put her inside VLEX without much resistance.

  “Who are you?” she asked.

  “I think you know.” A familiar smile flashed on Antione’s face, or who was also known as Emil. “Welcome to the team.”

  END OF BOOK TWO

  Thank you for reading SYNCHED.

  If you’re looking for more from DeAnna, keep reading for a peek into her Urban Fantasy, DEMON RISING, the first in her Dark Rising Trilogy.

  Want a peek into the Dark Rising world? Don’t miss out on the prequel novella, EVIL ETCHED IN GOLD, now available!

  Do you want to share your exciting discovery of a new read? Help others add it to their To Read lists by rating and/or writing a review:

  Goodreads

  Amazon US

  Amazon UK

  Sign up for DeAnna’s newsletter for the latest news, free releases, and new release information HERE

  Or you’re welcome to come for a visit at: Deanna’s website

  Demon Rising

  A Dark Rising Novel

  Some sacrifices cost more than death…

  The tattoo on Becca’s neck prickled as she walked the crowded path to work. Searching for the possible source of magic, she continued forward, with coffee in one hand and the other resting by the knife at her waist.

  She moved amid a throng of people, shuffling along the worn walkways. Heavy clouds were scattered across the sky, while dilapidated buildings surrounded them, a haunting reminder of what once was. A young man pushed past Becca, dressed in blue coveralls. He must be heading to the line.