Page 43 of Lethal Sins

Except for that kiss.

He tried to shrug it off. Everyone was entitled to a lapse in judgment. Okay, fine. He’d had more than his share. Deal with it.

Paige’s fingers flew over the keyboard, her brow furrowed in concentration. Tai leaned in, occasionally muttering under his breath. Cody wanted to help, but he knew better than to intrude. Plus, Paige was way better at this than he was.

“You sure this is going to work?” Mason’s voice was a low rumble, his skepticism clear.

Cody nodded, keeping his tone steady. “It’s our best shot. The virus is complex, but there are patterns. We just need to find the right one.”

Graham snorted, crossing his arms. “And you’re the expert on that, huh?”

Cody met his gaze, unflinching. “I spent years studying their tech. If anyone can figure this out, it’s us.”

“Why don’t we just fry the thing?” Mason asked.

“We have no idea how easy it would be for them to make another one,” Cody responded. “Better that we figure out how to create an antidote.”

Paige glanced over her shoulder, her expression guarded. “Give him some space, guys. We need his expertise.”

Mason grumbled something under his breath but stepped back. Graham hesitated, then did the same.

Cody exhaled, focusing on the screen. The data scrolled by, a complex dance of code and encryption. He could almost hear the hum of the laptop, the faint clicking of keys as Paige worked.

The memory of the kiss flickered in his mind again, unwelcome and persistent. He tried to push it away, concentrating on the task at hand. He couldn’t afford distractions, not now. Not even self-created ones.

“Anything yet?” Tai’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“Still looking,” Paige replied, her eyes never leaving the screen.

Cody felt a surge of determination. They had to succeed. He wasn’t just fighting for redemption; he was fighting to take down the very organization that had once controlled his life. And maybe, just maybe, proving himself to Paige and her team in the process.

“Let’s get this done,” Cody said, his voice firm. “For all our sakes.”

He tried to ignore the lingering sensation of Paige’s lips, ordering himself to focus on the now.

But even as he told himself that, another part whispered that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t want to forget it entirely.

One thing at a time. Save the world first. Everything else could wait.

Paige squinted at the screen, the blue light reflecting off her eyes. “I’ve got the first layer of the file directory on screen. We’re ready to access the inner files. Tai, any ideas?”

The huge Marine leaned closer, his finger tracing the air above the keyboard. “We could try a brute force attack on the encryption. It’s risky, but it might get us in faster.”

“Not a good way to go,” Cody insisted. “Consortium won’t respond to direct assaults. There’d be blowback built into the program. There’s usually a back door in these codes, something the creators use to access it without the hassle.”

Paige shot him a sideways glance, her lips quirking in a reluctant smile. “Back doors, huh? Like the Tanner persona?”

Cody chuckled softly. “Exactly.”

Tai typed furiously, the clatter of keys filling the room. “Alright, let’s see if your back door theory holds up.”

Meanwhile, Bridger, Fenn, Kate, and Mason gathered their gear. “We’ll secure the perimeter,” Bridger announced. “I wanta clear perimeter one mile around the embassy. Tai, are your drones online?”

Tai nodded without looking up. “They’re ready. Just need to launch them.”

“Good. Let’s move,” Mason said, leading the group out of the safe house.

Cody’s attention snapped back to the screen as Paige clicked through the first several layers of code. The lines of encryption peeled away, revealing deeper layers of the virus.

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