Page 19 of Jump or Fall
“Is there a way to access that information from here?”
Again, she got a small grin out of him. “Yeah. I’ll show you sometime.”
“It’s amazing how you seem to be able to crack into anything.”
“Not that amazing when you find out most of the city runs on the same programs. If you learn one, chances are you can get into almost anything.”
She snorted. “That doesn’t sound very secure.”
“It’s not,” he agreed. “But keeping everything uniform makes it easier for them to control.”
“I hope we’re able to make a difference,” she whispered.
“We will.”
The pain in her eyes just then tugged at something deep. Mara needed this rebellion more than he did. For Gordon, it was revenge. He knew nothing could heal what had already festered—but at least he could give them a bigfuck youas the system fell apart.
For her, it was about freedom. About being more than a psychopath’s toy.
The memory of their first meeting made his throat burn. He’d known Knight and the other Silvers were sick—he’d heard their stories—but seeing her like that, so broken down, had rattled him. She wasn't just a random person on a screen anymore. And the scars he’d glimpsed on her body… he’d looked away the second he realized she was undressing, but what he’d seen had stoked a fire in him.
He needed to do everything in his power to protect her.
Their steps echoed softly, and the smell of damp concrete mixing with the faint scent of ozone filled the air. The lights above flickered occasionally, painting their path in alternating pulses of white and orange.
If only they could walk up top.
But this was the reality. She was a prisoner. He was an outcast.
At least for now.
“Have you always liked armor?” he asked. “Or… do you actually like what you do?”
“Growing up, I always watched the enforcers closely—fascinated by what they were wearing. They scared me since I couldn’t see their faces, but I couldn’t look away. I wanted to know how it all worked.”
Mara peeked over at him. “I know you’re not ready to tell me about your mysterious past, but were you always hacking everything?”
He let out a small laugh. “I guess so. I used to take things apart and try to put them back together. Drove my mom fucking crazy. I just wanted to see what I could make them do.” He wasn’t quite ready to tell her how far that interest and subsequent skill had taken him.
They rounded a corner, and he realized with a pang of disappointment that the exit was close.
“You know,” she said softly, “I don’t think I’ve felt this… normal in a long time.”
“Wandering through damp tunnels at odd hours is ‘normal’?”
“More normal than being a ghost in my own life.”
Those words struck deeper than he expected.
The exit was just ahead. She looked up at him. Her eyes were such a brilliant shade. For a brief moment, he forgot about his scar—about therules of their world.
“Thank you again,” she said as they reached the stairs. “For showing me the water.”
“Everyone deserves to see something beautiful once in a while.”
He turned his head before she could mistake the comment for something it wasn’t. Or maybe for exactly what it was.
At the landing, she paused. “I’ll hear from you soon?”
