Page 27 of The Last Morgan
A backpack stuffed to bursting. A hard-shelled suitcase covered in nerdy stickers. Two boxes filled with coiled wires, blinking LED panels, and half-built gadgets. And, of course, a tote bag labeled "Snacks & Power Banks."
Barnaby barely acknowledged the staff as he sprinted toward Lucy and flung his arms around her, hugging her tightly.
"I missed you, Lucy."
Lucy smiled, hugging him back just as tightly. "I missed you too, Barnaby."
From the other side of the car, Corey crossed his arms and called out, "What about me, Barns? No love for your favorite grumpy brother?"
Barnaby turned his head with a grin. "Yes, hello, Corey. Unless you've started giving hugs now, I think I’ll stay right here with Lucy. She gives the best cuddles."
Lucy burst into laughter, and even Corey cracked a smirk as he followed behind.
"Come on, genius," Lucy said, taking Barnaby by the shoulder. "Let’s get you settled."
They led him through the grand entrance and up the eastern wing of the estate. Barnaby’s eyes darted everywhere—his head turning so fast it was a miracle his neck didn’t snap.
"This place has more rooms than I have socks," he whispered, trailing his fingers across the carved paneling and elaborate wall moldings.
When they finally reached his suite and opened the door, Barnaby stepped inside and stopped.
"Is this a house... inside a house?" he said slowly, eyes wide.
The guest suite was nothing short of a techie’s dream come true. The central bedroom featured a large bed with dark satin sheets and an entire wall of built-in screens. To the left was a mini lab—a workbench already fitted with task lights, soldering irons, magnifiers, and heat-proof surfaces. On the right, a private lounge area had been converted into a media den with surround sound and a curved ultra-wide monitor.
"Are those noise-cancelling walls?" Barnaby asked, knocking on the panel near the workbench.
"They are," Corey said as he walked in behind him.
As if summoned by magic, some of the Morgan Groups tech team entered the suite in silent formation. They carried towers of equipment—servers, processors, cooling units, multi-port docking stations, LED rigs, and a tangle of neatly wrapped cords. One staffer was even wheeling in a beverage fridge filled with various imported bubble teas.
Barnaby’s mouth dropped open. For a second, he just stood there, speechless—an extremely rare occurrence.
"You did all this... for me?"
Lucy shrugged. "You said you wanted a challenge. Now you have one. You’re going to be working with David and Corey. They’ll bring you up to speed."
Barnaby nodded; eyes gleaming. "So where do I start?"
"Start by getting some rest," Corey said. "You've had a long trip, and we’re pulling long hours from here."
Barnaby frowned. "Rest is for the weak."
"And dead," Corey replied. "You want to survive this, you pace yourself."
Lucy stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Barnaby's shoulder. "Trust me. We need you sharp, not passed out in a tangle of wires."
Barnaby sighed dramatically but relented. "Fine. One hour of rest. But then I'm taking that system apart and mapping every byte of the breach."
He turned back to the room, spinning slowly in place to take it all in again. "This is insane. You know that, right?"
"We live in insane now," Lucy said. "You ready for it?"
Barnaby grinned. "Oh, I've never been more ready."
Lucy and Corey exchanged glances. For the first time in days, she felt a flicker of reassurance.
Barnaby had managed to grab a good few hours of sleep, but he knew time was against him. The breach was serious, and the longer he waited, the further the trail could vanish. The moment his eyes opened, he rolled over, checked the time, and groaned. 11:47 PM.
