Page 35 of Knight Moves

“Or it could be that she’s just scared and lonely and Jax is nice to her.”

It was possible. Frankie always thought the best of people, but I didn’t, so we weren’t always going to agree on things like that.

Frankie opened her book, and I booted up my laptop and began reading my father’s thesis from MIT,Asymmetrical Cryptography: Authentication and Encryption. It was heavy reading, but somehow, it helped me feel closer to him.

Hala came back after her workout, showered, and got into her pajamas. I shut down my laptop and got into my pajamas, too. Frankie was already tucked under the covers, still reading.

I was just going to the bathroom to brush my teeth when Kira walked in. She went to a drawer, picked out her pajamas, and went into the bathroom to change without saying a single word to any of us. Shrugging, I stood at one of the sinks in the outer part of the bathroom and started brushing my teeth.

Kira came out in her pj’s and washed her face and brushed her teeth at the adjoining sink. She didn’t say a word to me, and I had no idea what her problem was. When I exited the bathroom, Frankie was cheerfully asking Kira questions about her day.

Kira was ignoring her until finally she turned around in exasperation. “Look, would you just stop trying to engage me? I’mnotyour friend. I don’t know you, and I don’twantto know you. We’re all forced to share this room, so let’s do it as clinically as possible. You can stop all the pretend friendliness crap.”

I strode to stand between her and Frankie. “Back off, Kira. It’s not pretend for Frankie. She’s actually nice.”

“It’s okay, Angel,” Frankie said quietly. “She’s right. I can be overly friendly.”

“No. It’snotokay for her to talk to you like that.” I glared at Kira. “She can show some common decency. I’m not a people person, either, but that doesn’t give me license to be rude.”

Hala scaled down from her bunk in a pair of blue silk pajamas and came between Kira and me, holding out her hands. “Look, guys, it’s been a long day and everyone is tired and stressed out. How about we get some sleep?”

“Best idea I’ve heard all day.” Kira crawled into her bed and turned her back to us, facing the wall.

I exchanged a glance with Hala, who shrugged. Frankie resumed reading, not seeming upset by the incident whatsoever. Did anything ever bother her?

I climbed up to my bunk and lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, still fuming at Kira’s rudeness.

What the heck was wrong with people?

As I lay there, I realized I missed my own bed, my mom, Gwen, and even Mr. Toodles. For the first time, I seriously wondered if I was doing the right thing by trying out for UTOP.

What am I doing here?

What did Slash see in me that I can’t see in myself?

Do I really have what it takes to be an operative?

My thoughts drifted to my father. Had he been a spy, and if so, was that why he’d vanished without a word, leaving us behind? If he were alive, why wouldn’t he come home?

I rolled over and punched my pillow. Whatever the answers to the questions, I knew one thing. I wasn’t a quitter.

I intended to give UTOP my best shot, however far that took me.

Chapter Twenty

ISAAC REMINGTON

“We’ve got a problem,” Remington fumed, his fist tightening on his burner phone. He’d have to buy stock in an expendable phone-making company if this blasted situation continued much longer. “The Justice Department and the director have agreed to all his terms. The idiots! Don’t they see how he’s trying to manipulate them?”

“Sinclair is a dangerous loose end.”

“I know. I wish the director had retired years ago, so that someone with the guts to defend our country could take the reins and finally whip NSA into shape.”

“That would be hard to do without removing the ShadowCrypt patch. Now the patch is apparently within reach, along with Sinclair.”

“It’s within Candace Kim’s reach,” he spit out. He could feel his blood pressure rising. “They’re even talking about putting the family in WITSEC, on his request.”

There was a moment of silence before his accomplice spoke. “We need to get our hands on Sinclair soon or things could get real complicated.”

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