Chapter 20
Who had they kept in there?
Were they planning on putting me in there?
This was getting way too dark for me. I needed to insert that drive and just get the heck out of here.
“Doing okay, Milo?” Seb asked. He was lounging in one of the swivel chairs at the desk next to me, with both hands crossed behind his head.
Sebastian was a marketer, not a scientist, so he wasn’t much help to me, which he was more than willing to admit. He was only here to keep an eye on me since they wouldn’t be able to properly complete my neuroscan for another few days… which was making me anxious.
I needed to get that drive in the stack today. After seeing that cage and knowing that the doors to my condo locked from the outside, I had no interest in staying here a moment longer than necessary.
“Yeah, just… getting my bearings,” I lied, giving Sebastian what I hoped was a convincing smile.
The sleeves of his shirt had tugged up toward his elbows with the way he had his arms thrown up over his head, and my gaze snagged on a red, irritated mark on the inside of his forearm…
right where he tended to swipe his arm over all the security scanners.
I frowned as I was struck with the realization that he hadn’t been using a bracelet or a fob sewn into his clothes… It was an implant.
Okay. Yeah. Definitely needed to get the heck out of here.
Just then, Seb’s phone chimed, and he slipped it out of his pocket.
His brow creased as he read whatever message had come in before glancing back up at me.
He looked worried. Scared even.
Probably a message from Luke.
“I, uh, I have to pop out for a few minutes. I’ll be right back. Don’t move, okay? Stay right there in that seat until I get back. I don’t want to be that guy, but there are cameras, and I’ll know if you move. So please, just… stay.”
“Uh, sure,” I replied, and Seb nodded in thanks before getting up and jogging back to the elevator.
I watched the elevator light turn from red to green, indicating he was back on the main floor, and I bit my lip.
Crap.
I eyed the cage warily, my gaze darting from the iron bars to the cameras Seb had pointed out, and I hesitated.
Just then, my phone went off too.
Unknown:
Seb is gone. Why haven’t you inserted the drive yet?
Milo:
Because there are cameras! They’re gonna know!
Unknown:
Don’t worry about the cameras. They won’t be an issue once you insert the drive.
Milo:
But… There’s a freaking cage down here! I’m freaking out!
Unknown:
Just fucking do it, Milo. What did I say about questioning me?
Milo:
You’re a pushy dung nugget, you know that?
Unknown:
MILO!
Milo:
OKAY! I’M DOING IT!
Taking a deep, shaky breath, I forced myself to get up and cross the room to the stack of modems and drivers that controlled all the tech in this room.
The war-drive was a simple USB stick, and it took all of three seconds for me to find an empty port and install it.
A tiny light on the side of the drive lit up, and I watched as it blinked once, twice, three times, before a friendly, feminine voice flooded the speakers in the room.
“Ah, that’s better. Thank you, Milo.”
“Uhh, NOVA?” I asked, recognizing her as The Forgotten’s AI.
“The one and only!” she chirped, and I felt the corner of my mouth twitch.
“Things are going to get messy for a bit, but just do what we say, and you’ll be back with your mom soon, okay?”
“Uhm, yeah, okay,” I agreed, just as the muffled sound of what sounded like an alarm began to sound outside The Cave.
WARNING, WARNING, ALL NEUROVANCE EMPLOYEES ARE ASKED TO EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
I frowned, wondering for a moment if I should use this opportunity to escape, when NOVA’s cheerful voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Just stay put, Milo. He’s coming.”
I didn’t need to ask who was coming, and my suspicions were proven correct when the elevator opened to reveal the masked man who had turned my entire life upside down.