Hart’s eyes meet mine, pausing for a beat before he nods. “I don’t know why you got the message, but I promise I will find out.” He takes another long look at my screen. “I also promise I’ll take care of it.”
I nod, tell him thanks even though my stomach’s twisting. He’ll take care of it. That’s what he’s supposed to do, right?
So why doesn’t it feel more reassuring to be saved?
14
“What was that about?”
I jump, slamming my hip into the desk’s corner. “Jeez, Alex! I’m going to get you a bell.”
“Yeah, yeah. So I noticed you and Gray are a thing? Why’d you say you didn’t know him?”
“Sorry.” I pause. “I should’ve told you.”
“Whatever. It’s what people like us do, isn’t it?”
I don’t answer and Alex doesn’t seem to care. She rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet, trying to see my computer screen. “Seriously, what’s going on?”
I hesitate. Hart didn’t say not to discuss it, but the message—and what it implies—doesn’t seem like something I should just blab to anyone. Only . . . only if anyone would know more about this stuff, Alex would and I kind of can’t help myself when I say, “Any idea who might send me this?”
I move to the side so she can lean closer. I click on the virus first and watch Alex’s brows draw together.
“That’s not even . . . it’s gibberish,” she says at last. “Why are you all worked up?”
I run the hex dump, then show her the article, deliberately skipping my eyes over Bay’s name. It surfaces too many memories I want to forget.
Alex’s expression never changes, but for a very brief beat, she stops breathing and the skin along her neck slides as she swallows.
“Whoa,” Alex says at last. She straightens and looks around. “Kent! C’mere.”
“No.”
“Now.”
Kent heaves himself to his feet with the grace of a water buffalo and stomps toward us. “What? I’m busy.”
“Who could’ve sent her this?” Alex points a finger at my screen, and unwillingly, Kent’s eyes drag to the message. He waves one hand when he’s ready for me to switch to the other window. “You have a problem,” Alex says.
“What is it?” Milo. I didn’t realize he was back until suddenly he was. The heat from his skin pushes chills across mine.
“Nothing.” Kent pulls himself a little straight and a little taller. “Just something stupid.”
“It doesn’t look stupid.” Milo’s eyes flick from my computer screen to Kent’s face. “It looks like something you need to fix. No one’s supposed to be able to reach her here.”
“And I’ll fix it.”
“I thought you were supposed to be good, man.”
Kent exhales hard and he steps into Milo’s space. Milo has an inch or two on him, but Kent has an easy hundred pounds on Milo. If it were me, I’d be backing down, but this is Milo and I don’t think Milo’s backed down from anything in his life.
“I am good.”
“Prove it,” Milo says with a smile so full of teeth it makes Kent wince.
“Don’t put this shit on me,” Kent says. “We’re supposed to catch viruses and this one’s caught. Maybe she just knew to check it.”
I go still. “What are you trying to say?”
“That the virus hasn’t done anything to the system. It’s just a message. For you. Maybe because someone knew you would be checking it.”
I gape at him. “That’s stupid. Why would anyone want me to know this, Kent?”
“The hell should I know? You think I have time for your shit? Do you have any idea what’s going on with our firewall? I’m plugging holes as fast as I can and they’re still able to make inroads. I have way bigger issues to deal with.”
“Look,” I say. “Odds are, there are two kinds of hackers trying to get in. The first? Some kid who wants to look around. The second? Someone you should be more worried about.”
Kent tenses. “Like who? Someone you know?”
I blow out a long sigh and rub my eyes. It’s no good though. Griff’s face blooms in the dark. “I don’t know, Kent. Trust me, if I knew, I’d tell you.” I drop my hand and keep my face plastic smooth. “Michael—my dad—used other hackers. What if he hired one to find me? I’m here kind of because of him.”
I mean, it’s possible. I guess. It might not be Griff. If it is though—I smother the idea.
“Wick?” Everyone pivots. Hart’s at the double doors, smiling. “Norcut wants to see you. Now.”
I’m half expecting small talk, but Hart doesn’t say a word as we walk to Norcut’s office. He knocks twice on the door, watching me like he did that first day, like he’s afraid I’m going to run.
“Come in.” Norcut’s voice is muffled. “Wick?”
“Yeah.” I’m barely through the door before Hart shuts it behind me. Norcut’s at her desk, and as I walk closer, she slides paperwork from the blotter into a folder and locks it away in a drawer.
“How are you feeling?” she asks.
“Fine.”
“And the arrangements? Rooming with Alex?”
“Fine.”