Page 54 of Cinder
“The photos aren’t very clear. It would be easy for facial recognition to miss them.”
“And you’re certain they’re not AI?”
Bram looks surprised. “Why would they be AI? You think she’s hiding something?”
“There’s not a lot there.”
“No, there’s not. But then if anyone ran the same checks on me, they wouldn’t find a lot either.”
“Because you’re on the run from the law, and the FBI is still chasing you for hacking into their databases, not to mention the military wants your ass for the same thing,” I remind him.
Ten years ago, a warrant was issued for Bram’s arrest. Lucky for him, we found him first, and he’s been our crazy hacker ever since. He knows he’ll always be running. But he’s stealthy enough to never be found.
“Touché,” he says. “Sometimes I forget I’m a fugitive.”
“What about her family?”
“No siblings. Both parents are gone.” As he speaks, he brings up a couple of death certificates on the screen. “Motherseveral years ago. Cancer. Father only recently. Car accident.”
“How recent?”
“Three months ago, according to this.” He brings up a newspaper article with a photo of a wrecked car.
“There’s more about her parents than her. Which is strange for a twenty-something woman.”
“Maybe she values her privacy.” He pushes his glasses up his nose. “More and more people are digitally detoxing. Maybe she’s one of them.”
Maybe.
My gaze is glued to the images on the screen.
My gut tells me something is off.
Or maybe it’s the attraction I feel toward her getting in the way of my good sense.
CHAPTER 25
Ella
I wakeup the next morning with the heavy weight of guilt sitting on my chest.
Because Lars is wrong.
What happened with Stone yesterdaydidaffect me. Just not in the way he thinks.
It fills me with guilt.
Gut wrenching guilt.
And all last night I wrestled with it. Tossing and turning, my dreams fractured.
Because I remember what Viktor said to me.
I have a man on theinside.
And it’s haunted me all night.
I need to tell Lars.
