It took only seconds for her to pull out of the virtual world. Glimpsing the basement, she didn’t bother looking around but spoke to the others standing nearby. “Did we get it?”
“Yes,” someone confirmed.
She closed her eyes again and went back in the same way. The less time alone with Maxim the better for Tricky. Ari blinked a few times to get oriented; switching back and forth could make her dizzy.
“File received,” Ari told Tricky, who remained near Maxim. With weary eyes, Ari tried to warn Tricky to cut her losses and leave. They wouldn’t get the other information. Not today.
But Ari’s eyes weren’t as expressive as she thought, or maybe Tricky didn’t care to get the message.
“Good,” Tricky purred softly, like a cat ready to strike.
“Nice to have business taken care of.” Maxim ignored the fire in Tricky’s eyes and moved his fingers further up her hip.
Tricky grabbed his hand and bent it at an unnatural angle. A sickening crack sounded. Even in VR, Maxim would feel that to some extent, his mind telling him it was real. That was the difficult part of VRs. When the program could duplicate real life down to the hair on a head, the human mind struggled to differentiate.
Maxim yelled out in pain. Before he could instinctively flee the VR, Tricky changed the landscape to that of his real world apartment, a penthouse suite with views over the city. Ari and Tricky had scoured through all the research and pictures they could get a hold of. Tricky’s recreation could be close or very far away, but the fact that Maxim remained in the program caused Ari to think that maybe Tricky got it right.
Tricky created this scene as if he was just waking up from his VR chair. A sleek black reclined chair stood in the middle of the room. Tricky’s clothes changed as well, her features still beautiful but not exaggerated perfection. In a fitted black suit, she leaned towards the frantic man. “Oh, dear Maxim, business is just getting started.”
Chapter 2
Ari quickly altered her image as well, even though Maxim’s attention was all for Tricky. Still a man, she changed into dark jeans and a black shirt, and moved to the other side of Maxim. Things were escalating quickly. Once Maxim figured out that he wasn’t in real life, he would flee and they wouldn’t get a chance like this for months, maybe more.
“What the hell is this? How dare you invade my private—” Maxim struggled to get up.
Ari grabbed the sides of his head and forced him back down. He had no power in this realm and, as long as he remained here, Maxim was at their mercy. Speed was of the essence.
He continued to rant as she dug at his connection to the real—which was harder than she expected. Sometimes information traveled between the real and the virtual, things like files or cryptos. To most people it was fine. With a warper around, it left the person’s information vulnerable. Yet even though Maxim wasn’t a warper, he had highly trained programmers and possibly other warpers at his disposal. He could use any number of abilities, back exits, or defenses. If only she could find an address of where he was coming from…
The yelling stopped, and his eyes became cold and calculating. “How did you get by Stevens?”
Tricky didn’t miss a beat. “Your security isn’t as good as you think.”
An unnerving smile grew on his face and Ari knew Tricky got it wrong. That phrase was probably a security question, many people had them on in the inside. He had figured out they were still in the program. Code sped by, something unique that she couldn’t decipher.
Then in a flash he was gone.
Tricky swore, her empty fist grasping onto thin air.
“We need to go before they start digging for us.” Ari noticed her breath coming out in pants.
Tricky looked up, and the anger in her eyes made Ari flinch. “Yeah, we better.”
In a flash, they were back in the basement. Laying on her back, Ari woke to a ceiling fan spinning above her. Lights and noise surrounded her, people rushing to see how things went.
Tricky’s anger was evident in the tirade of swearwords. Her notorious temper didn’t faze Ari. She lay there a minute, making sure everything was alright.
Pulling her tight hands up from the arm rests, she went over her mantra in her mind. I’m Ariana Mendez. My friends call me Ari. I’m eighteen years old. I’m fighting for freedom, for my family, for me. It was something she tried to say every time she left the VR. Something that rooted her in reality.
Pain pricked behind her eyes, threatening a migraine. The cost of going in the programs and of changing the program with such ease. Every warper had a shelf life, and she planned to make the most out of hers. This mantra helped her remember who she was, and why she was doing this. I’m Ariana Mendez. My friends call me Ari. I’m—
A warm hand touched her arm. “Welcome back.” Patrick’s warm eyes looked down at her.
“Hey.” Ari moved to take out the cable in the back of her neck. “Glad to be back.”
“Quite the adventure, huh?” He motioned to Tricky.
Ari only glimpsed the sight of Tricky’s long blonde hair as she stormed off, probably in search of her twin brother.
“It didn’t go as planned. I screwed up. Maxim did an out-of-program transfer, then fled before I could get much more from him.”
Patrick offered a hand, then helped pull Ari up to a sitting position. “He was always slick. Weapons traders usually are.”
“If someone else was there, they would have gotten it.” Ari rubbed a sore spot under her port.
“You tried.” Patrick smiled and handed her a mug. “A drink for your headache.”
“Thanks.” She took the warm drink. “So, you knew we would fail?”
He shook his head. “We got a list of known politicians involved in the underground trade and their IP addresses. Only Tricky would think of it as a total failure.”
“True.” Ari swung her legs over the side of the chair and took a sip. The herbal concoction helped with her headache and supposedly countered the effects that warping took on a body. Not that it kept them safe. With warping, many a mind was still lost. Ari thought of Sketchy in particular, a thirty-something warper that they lived with. She would take anything that would help increase her chances.
“Here, let me help you up.” Patrick helped with a hand under her elbow.
She tried to ignore his proximity and the fluttering in her stomach. At first, she thought the chemistry between them was because he was attractive. With his smooth skin, strong jaw, and chocolate eyes, no one would disagree he was good-looking. Even though they hadn’t pursued a relationship, guilt gnawed at her. Guilt from the fact they kissed in a virtual reality program when they both pretended to be someone else. Guilt that she left her boyfriend, Reed, on an island in the middle of the Pacific.
No. It didn’t matter. They were friends, that was all.
“I’m okay.” She waved him off. “Thank you for the drink. I’m going to go outside for a bit, I think.”
“Okay. I should probably go check on Tricky.”
“Good luck with that,” Ari said, meaning it.
Tricky had worked on this since well before Ari joined the team, and she didn’t take disappointment well.
Ari just needed a few minutes to unwind and let Tricky cool down before she dealt with that mess. Leaving the VR room, she passed through the gym. Usually she’d get in a run or hit on the workout dummy for a while. Exercise helped keep a warper’s mind fresh when they used their ability in the virtual. It was just one of a few tools they used to fight the effects of warping. But today, the empty gym felt too confined. Crossing the gym floor that took up the majority of the basement, she headed up the stairs to the main level. When Patrick first brought her to this home, she was blown away by the size and scope of this so-called cabin.
Patrick’s cabin was actually a large mountain home outside of a small town in the Northern Americas, more north than anything Ari knew existed. It had two stories on top with a myriad of bedrooms, a large kitchen and
dining room, and enough tech to make Ari’s old grade school look bad. Not that that was difficult given where she came from.
Yet living in the mountains gave her a sense of security and freedom she never had before. Setting her mug down on the entry table, she zipped up her jacket. She rubbed her arms, grabbed her drink, and headed out.
“Another walk?” Sketchy whittled on the porch. The small piece of wood looked like a donkey head morphing into the Hindu symbol for love. As he focused on his work, his cap was pulled low with his peppered colored hair sticking out. The faded tattoo on his hand peeked out of his glove.
“Yeah.” Ari sipped the warm drink. “Just need to stretch my legs.”
“Stretch, stretch, stretch. Just like a rubber band.” He continued talking but in Russian, where Ari assumed he was from.
She smiled, but he didn’t bother looking up. “Have a good day.” Part of her hated calling him Sketchy, which everyone did except his wife. Sue called him love but said she didn’t mind the nickname.
Names and identities could be worth a lot. And even though Sketchy’s mind was missing a few beats, it didn’t mean those he cared about were in the clear. Nicknames were safer.
Stepping down the path, she breathed in the chilly mountain air. The tightness in her mind loosened as she continued over the muddy ground. The winter snow recently faded, making way for all the green and left a damp wet path for Ari to follow. Turning to the right, she took a narrow path up and waved at the security cam along the way. Patrick or Joe would be notified that it was alerted and double check the movement. Still climbing, her legs ached from their previous inactivity as she found her usual spot.
Her endurance had improved since she arrived, even though the quarter mile hike left her breathing hard. But standing next to the thick grouping of pine trees and looking down the valley below… it was so worth it.
Chapter 3
A small village, from where they got most of their supplies, nestled amid the vast mountain range. Thick trees surrounded Ari, providing security, but from her point of view, she saw freedom. This beautiful town was a mirage of normalcy which she knew would be always out of her grasp.
Watching the town, she realized she didn’t want a fresh start here with Patrick and his team. While she was grateful for all that they did for her, letting her use her ability when and how she wanted, she didn’t want to start fresh. She wanted to save the life she used to have. The problem was last time it almost killed her.
As a small child, Ari had always enjoyed listening as her mother read stories of daring adventures, magical creatures, and picturesque worlds. While Ari’s father would just tell Ari to turn on the electronic narration feature, her mother would always turn it off and read to her daughter. Her mother’s voice would change between characters, turning gruff during the dark parts, and flowing over the happy ever-afters.
Looking down at the valley below, Ari could hear her mother’s voice flowing over these gorgeous hills, down around the idyllic lake, and curl into these petite houses whose flower beds had just begun to grow. There would be a hard-working father, a loving mother, and two or three children in this story. There may be magical monsters, or not, but each day they would cuddle in front of a live fire and listen to their mother tell stories. This daydream of Ari’s had carried her through many a hard time these past weeks.
For when the fairytale ended, she’d be left with the realization she was in a foreign country surrounded by people she barely knew and had no clue if this was the right step. For the past year she had felt like life had been taking her on a roller coaster that she couldn’t get off.
First it was her assignment at school, where she learned she had a rare ability. Once she learned her worth as a commodity, she fought for the only freedom she knew with a private company. VisionTech wasn’t a bad company… well, maybe for some people. They expected her to take over people’s virtual lives and not ask questions. They also failed to mention this amazing warping ability that everyone wanted would eventually kill her or drive her insane.
A cold chill ran up her spine at that thought and she stepped out into the sun. She wasn’t going to go crazy. Patrick and this group of misfit warpers were working out a way to protect themselves. This was the first choice she had made in some time.
She had met Patrick through her last job inside VLEX, a worldwide government virtual reality program. He had been Antione then, posing as the boyfriend for one of the skins she assumed. Things got a little closer than she imaged. Once she learned about Patrick’s team, she had to prove herself inside the VLEX by announcing to the world they are on watch. It made her a bigger target than she wanted, but she couldn’t do anything about that now. She joined his team to find a better life for herself and her family.
The problem was those she loved had been hurt too much in the process. Reed, her boyfriend, had gone with her to VisionTech’s secure island. When they had tried to escape, he had been captured by their security team right before she’d boarded the ship that brought her here.
Her trainer, Niomi, had promised to look out for him, but Ari hadn’t heard from Niomi or Reed. Her mom and brother were somewhere out there as well. Ari’s only contact was through her best friend and old roommate, Tessa, who she hadn’t been able to reach either. So, what started out as a way to protect those she loved, now appeared very selfish since she had no way to protect, help, or even know how the others were doing. She bit the inside of her lip.
“Those don’t look like happy thoughts,” Patrick said behind her.
Ari jumped, knocking over her near empty drink. “Crap. Dang. You surprised me.” She picked up the mug and shook off her wet hand.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to.” He stepped next to her and turned to watch the small village below. “I thought this was your happy spot, but you don’t look too happy right now.”
“It usually is.” Ari shrugged, scooting sideways to make sure he had enough room. “Just…” She didn’t want to complain about home sickness.
“What?” Patrick pushed for more information. “Come on.”
“I’m frustrated.” Once she said it, the flood of anger and emotion opened up. “I’m supposed to be this warper, worth millions and I can’t help anyone. Not Tricky during the mission. Not my family. Not Reed.”
“Mistakes were made, but we did gain the list.” Patrick pointed out. “That list you bought shows us the European officials working with Maxim for illegal weapons, guns, and sex trade. It tells us who to trust. That saves lives.”
She let out a big breath. He was right, but it didn’t make her feel better. “Not that our work isn’t important, but what about our families?”
“This is my family.” Patrick’s jaw tightened, and coldness crossed his face briefly. He softened it and turned to Ari. “You miss your family.”
Being free and now living with Patrick almost felt like a betrayal to her boyfriend. “And Reed. He’s stuck with VisionTech because of me. I have to make that right.”
“You’re not the only one that came to us with baggage. You just need to practice a bit more, so you’d have the power to do that.”
“I’ve been trying, but with Maxim in there… I just…” She trailed off trying to keep the tension out of her voice.
Patrick turned back to the scene in front of them. He rubbed his neck, quiet for a moment. “Okay. I think you’re right.”
“About what?”
“I think you need to contact your family and make sure they are safe. Once that stress is off your plate, you’ll have more time to devote to improving your abilities.”
“Really?” Ari didn’t know whether to trust this hope building inside.
He turned back to her with new resolve. “Yes. We’ll contact Tessa and try to find your family.”
“And Reed?”
He lifted a hand. “Let’s take one step at a time. I can’t promise anything.”
“I have to find him.”
“You will, just give it time.�
� Patrick lost his smile but reached out his hand to shake on it.
Ari grasped the warm hand in return. “Thank you.” A flood of emotion warmed her cheeks, and she turned away. Ari wanted to start working on this as soon as possible. Contacting Tessa would need a lot of people, for security and whatnot. People would be watching Tessa for any trace of Ari.
Just then, the HUB on her wrist beeped with a reminder that she was on kitchen duty right now. “I gotta go before I’m in Sue’s bad graces.”
He checked his HUB as well. “Yes, we better go.”
Ari and Patrick found their way to the dining room. The large room had a high ceiling and a dark intricate chandelier. The dark wood table sat ten. The chairs were oversized with tall fabric backs. Nothing she’d ever thought she’d get used to, but she had. Over the last couple of months, it had begun to feel like home.
They were early to lunch and helped Sue set up. Sue was a jack-of-all-trades and the Matriarch of the house, one may say. Not only was she married to Sketchy, but Sue was also the team doctor, cook, and ruler of all things house related. Secretly, most of the people thought Sue ran this place. Patrick was ‘technically’ in charge but no one else could take dessert off the menu when they thought people were getting a bit too lazy.
There were six warpers in Patrick’s team, including Sketchy, and one wife, Sue. With so few people here, they all learned to pitch in and help. Patrick wanted to keep it as small as possible, knowing new people could be a threat to security.
Even though Sue oversaw the kitchen, everyone was expected to help with clean up and set up depending on the rotation. So far there weren’t many problems. Sue had a way of keeping people in line while smiling the whole time. Maybe she was smiling because she usually got her way.
“Set out the sandwiches, people should be piling in here soon enough.” She pushed back a curly hair with the back of her wrist then motioned to Ari and Patrick.
Hard Wired Trilogy Page 53