Page 10 of Decoding Morse

“Sorry,” I said to both her and her mom.

“The military.” Amelia shook her head with a fond smile. “Turns everyone’s vocab to shit.”

“So does high school,” Morgan added. “Pretty sure there’s nothing you can say I haven’t heard.”

I’d never attended high school, so I’d have to take her word for it.

Amelia ushered me toward the kitchen, and I took in the familiar sights along the way. Seventeen years had passed since I said goodbye to the Hansens and left for basic, but almost nothing had changed. The photos on the wall and bookshelf had been updated, and a string of fairy lights now hung from the doorway leading into the kitchen, but the home still felt like safety and acceptance.

“Where’s Theo?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“Idaho State.” She beamed with pride. “He’s studying to become a pharmacy tech.”

“Nice.”

She nodded. “He’s thriving there. Can I get you anything to drink?”

“No, thank you.”

Her demeanor seemed downright serene, considering the danger she was in. Shouldn’t she be panicking or something?

“We don’t have time for hospitality.” I tried to snag her gaze, but she flitted around the kitchen, dumping dishes in the sink and wiping down the countertop. “I’d like to get you all packed and out of here as soon as possible.”

“You seriously think Amelia’s in danger?” Thia’s dubious tone made me want to rip out my hair. She casually slid onto a kitchen chair and gestured for me to do the same.

I stayed where I was, still trying to convey the urgency of the situation. “Yes. And the longer we stay, the more exposed you all are.” Then, knowing how it would affect her, I added, “Andthe more exposed my men are. They’re watching both entrances, covering us while we have this conversation.”

Amelia remained standing as well. She leaned against the counter, arms folded across her chest, and stared me down. “What’s going on, Levi?”

“It’s Morse, now.” I pointed to the patch on my cut, realized how goddamn lame that looked, and promptly dropped my hand. It smacked against the back of a chair so hard I had to bite back a curse.

Amelia winced. “You okay?”

“Great.” My knuckles throbbed. So far, this was going swimmingly. A+ performance. “As I was saying, I go by Morse because code is my specialty. I’m a bit of a hacker.”

“I remember. That’s how you escaped the cult.”

“Wait.” Thia slapped the table. “I’m missing some vital information here.”

Thia’s opinion was important to Amelia. Their body language and shared glances made it clear the two had grown close over the year they’d lived together. I needed to win them both over, and we didn’t have time for that shit. As much as I hated telling anyone my story, I needed to give her something.

“The abridged version is I grew up in a cult, hacked into the priest’s computer, and found Ted. He got me out. I’ll gladly give you the full story once you’re safely tucked away.”

“Ted recruited Levi… I mean Morse… for the Air Force.”

I gave Amelia a smile, grateful she’d respected my road name. Not like I’d expected less. She’d always been kind and accepting, which was why I knew she’d give the club a shot. If I could convince her the threat was real.

“Yeah. Anyway, I have a habit of hacking into shit I shouldn’t and pissing off powerful people. To protect myself, I invested in a program that monitors the dark web for any mention of my name.”

Confusion furrowed Amelia’s brow, and she met my gaze. “What does that have to do with me?”

Afraid she’d see too much in my expression, I looked away and replied, “And the names of anyone I care about.”

“The dark web is real?” Thia leaned forward, her expression fascinated but skeptical. “I thought that was fictional. Something they made up for action movies.”

“Trust me, it’s very real, but it’s found on the part of the internet you can’t access with search engines. It’s mostly used for trafficking and other illegal transactions.”

“I still don’t see what that has to do with Amelia. My girl is as straight and narrow as they come.” Thia frowned at her friend, but mischief glinted in her eyes. “It’s her biggest flaw.”

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