Page 23 of Jump or Fall
Mara drank her coffee slowly, making herself linger, so it would look natural. If she was being watched, leaving too quickly would raise suspicion.
She bounced her knee impatiently while flipping through notes on deploying the synth-minds. The functionality was only intended for the enforcers and Silvers, but it would need to be introduced in phases. If something went wrong, they’d be in deep shit if it affected everyone.
Gordon had mentioned finding an exploit. Maybe they could deploy that in a similar way to avoid detection. But she was sure he had already thought of that.
She wondered how much Silva had relayed from the meeting. Part of her hoped he would leave Dawson’s presence out of it. Nothing had happened, but the implication was still there.
Mara finished her coffee and walked home with her suit in tow. The streets buzzed with commotion—commuters rushing past, displays scanning her appearance and trying to catch her attention with the latest skincare product or gadget. But it all blurred at the edges. Her mind was too full to focus on any of it.
As she turned a corner, a woman she didn’t recognize slowed in front of her, locking eyes in a hard, unblinking stare. Mara faltered mid-step. There was something sharp in the woman’s expression.
Mara muttered, “Excuse me,” and stepped around her, but the woman didn’t move or respond. She just kept staring.
That was strange. Did she know her somehow?
The confusion stayed with her all the way back to her building. Just before reaching the front door, she risked a glance over her shoulder—and her stomach dropped.
Max was parked outside, watching her.
She ground her teeth together and retreated inside, heart pounding.
Dawson was suspicious. Or maybe he was looking for an excuse to get rid of her. He’d chosen Nella for his after-work entertainment.
Maybe he’s getting bored of me.
How long was Max going to sit there? At least she could see him from the window.
***
It was 7:30, and he was still there. She couldn’t wait any longer. Being early was better than staying trapped in her cage.
Mara pulled on her hooded coat and hid herself as much as she could. The sun had nearly set, and a low rumble of distant thunder vibrated through the air.
She turned on the auto-activity setting for her tablet, letting it scroll through pages at a reading pace before leaving it on her desk.
Mara took the stairs and slipped out the backdoor into the alleyway. The path was crowded with trash bins and overgrown plants. Staying concealed in the alley was easy, but dodging spider webs was not. The last thing she needed was to get bitten by something.
The thunder grew louder, the tremors buzzing in her feet. Flashes from the sky lit the alley in pulses.
Once out of the alley, she stuck to the side streets, avoiding the main roads and hoping not to get lost in the darkness. There were few cars and fewer people, but she kept to the shadows.
The tunnel entrance was deserted.
She slid the key into the slot. Was it the right way up? It was impossible to see.
The lock disengaged.
She pulled the door open just enough to slip inside.
Relief washed over her at the sight of Gordon sitting against the wall, tablet in hand. He nodded in greeting before standing and dusting himself off.
They started walking toward the place Silva had called “Crux”. Mara was grateful for the shorter walk, but she couldn’t help wishing they were headed back to the sea.
Something felt off, like eyes were on her. She looked over and found Gordon staring at her face. His expression was difficult to read—somewhere between angry and sick.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He turned away. “We have medi-spray in the safe house.”
