Chapter Thirty-Seven #3
“I have to hack into their identities and steal them—probably soon. ProtoDark likes for me to tidy up the game as soon as it ends. I do part of the wiping, and I pass the identities on to other people who finish it. Less chance of being traced.” That grim look he had in Madrid returns, when he told me about deleting people.
“All other players are deleted, but if someone played before and got deleted and they play again, there’s an offer of redemption.
ProtoDark likes it when people come back for more.
They think it shows tenacity. They’ll be offered an opportunity to work it off—in labor for ProtoDark. ”
I grimace. “What are they going to ask me to do for them?”
His arms tighten around me almost imperceptibly.
“They know you’re really good at solving ciphers.
And I think you can put them off for a while, but we need to be careful.
After I won the Enigma Challenge the first time, I didn’t hear from them for almost six months.
I thought that was the end of it. But then I got an order to refuse a security contract I had lined up with the government of a South American country—and to hack into the government servers instead.
It was clear that there would be consequences if I didn’t.
The fact that they knew I had the contract in place was disturbing because the discussions took place over tight encryption. ”
“Did you do it?
“Yes. Then I played the Enigma Challenge for the second time, and I was told I would do the deleting for the Enigma Challenge—and that I couldn’t play again.
This year, I was told to escort you through the game and bring you to them at the end, and it was one of those jobs that couldn’t be refused. ”
“Will they accept me as the winner in lieu of you bringing me to them?”
“I’m sure they will. But Luca and I will be confirming with our contacts.”
I shake my head in disgust. There’s really no way out of this. “What if Allard won? Then they’d have a psycho working for them.”
“I’m pretty sure he was never going to win on his own. He can’t solve puzzles. But with how close he came—I don’t know. ProtoDark has a lot of thugs on their payroll.”
“What about Eric? He was playing. You have to delete him now?”
He bites his lip. “That’s an interesting one. I got an email from my ProtoDark contact saying Howland has deletion immunity.”
“But he didn’t win or…deliver me, which is a disgusting term,” I say.
“I pointed that out, but there was no reply. Do you want me to push it and see if he can be deleted?”
“I think,” I say slowly, “that I dislike him for so many reasons, and I really hate him for shooting you, but he has to live with himself. And I think the fewer people that are deleted, the better for everyone.”
He nods. “You have a kind heart.” He kisses my forehead.
“I’m leaving Chessmont,” I say, deciding it as I say the words. “I won’t work under him anymore, and I’m pretty much done with my postdoc anyway. Once we leave Scotland, we can go there and tell him.”
“We.” There’s affection and relief in his voice as he repeats the word.
We are quiet for a long time, just our hands and fingers moving over each other in affirmation of being here together and alive.
We doze off for a few minutes, but the sound of the front door closing and the muffled, hushed voices of the others bring me fully awake.
Dane smiles at me, the kind of smile you give someone when they’ve been out of the room or asleep and you missed them even for the short time they were gone.
“Are you afraid?” I ask. “Of ProtoDork?”
He laughs. “I love that you call them that. But no, I’m not afraid.
From what I understand, the organization is huge and has a lot of interests.
I’m insignificant to them. Besides.” He whispers the word into my skin.
“Xhan and I have been working on fail-safes for all four—now five—of us. Putting everything through blockchain, which can’t be deleted.
We have accounts set up that are virtually untouchable.
All four of us are taken care of, and Xhan’s already working on things for you too. ”
“Xhan and Luca and Araceli are good people,” I say. “They’ve been incredibly kind.”
“They see you as family. They know what you are to me. Xhan saw it right away. And…I think they want you as family, which is different. Believe me, you have no idea how happy that makes me.” He sweeps a hand over my shoulder and down my arm.
“They’re my closest friends. They’re my family.
Luca is like a brother to me, Xhan a sister.
And Araceli’s been with me for a long time.
” He shifts slightly, his leg clearly uncomfortable.
I move to get up and help him, but he keeps me where I’m nestled against his side.
“Found family is sometimes the best kind,” I say. He nods in a small, distant way that makes me add, “But you can always keep trying with your real one. If you want to. If you want support to do that.”
“I might.” His thumb drags over my lips, and I see the possibilities of a future unfurl before us.
I don’t fool myself that it’ll be all roses and glitter.
We’ll have to work out our quirks and petty annoyances.
He kisses me again, and the last coherent thought I have before losing myself in him is that I know he heard me and what I need.
I don’t think he’ll make the same mistake again.