Page 64 of Assassin

“Uh, slowly take that vest off,” Jagger said. “You know, before it blows.”

From the vest they were discussing, MATE chortled, and it freaked Jagger out further.

“Did MATE just laugh?”

Maura nodded.

If that wasn’t eerie enough, he wasn’t quite sure what was.

Instead of assuming the worst, Maura tried to have a calm conversation with the system. If not, this was definitely going to escalate.

Even Dimitri looked tense, and he wasn’t wearing one of MATE’S vests.

“Uh, I’m wearing you, MATE. Let’s not blow up with me in this vest at the time.”

The system hummed.

“I would give you sufficient time to remove me and put space between us. I like Maura. It’s Mr. Thundercloud that makes me twitchy.”

Well, that didn’t go well.

Not.

At.

All.

“HEY!” Zayn said over the com. “Did you just hear our AI decide who lives or dies? When will you believe me that she’s going to kill us all and wear our meat suits? WHEN?”

This was a one-way trip to pandemonium.

For.

Sure.

“SHHHHH,” Maura said to him over the com to calm him down. “MATE, show us your location.”

As they drove through the trees, it was clear no one would ‘find’ them there. This was more a ‘hunter stumbled upon the place’ kind of a deal.

It was that far back into the wooded bayou.

When the building came into view, it looked like an average concrete building with green moss growing on it. It appeared to be out here for a while.

MATE’S voice came over the com.

“I am home.”

Well, that said it all.

“Can we go into your home?” Maura asked MATE, as they stopped and stared at the building. “How do we get into your home?” she inquired, thinking that was a far better question.

There were, after all, no doors that she could see.

It took seconds for MATE to answer.

“Yes, you may. Access is only permitted through the garage under the building. Drive around the structure and approach the doors. I will give you and the car behind us access.”

Well, it looked like they were entering the new realm of AI control. Elizabeth had gotten this place up damn fast, too.

---