Page 48 of Violet Spark
Mom, Dad, Dad#2… I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “They’ll be so sad and confused.”
“Would they be happier knowing their son stole top-secret technology and was offering it on the dark web to the highest bidder?”
“Oh shit.” Dane had just confirmed my worst fears. “And now that tech is in me, right?”
He shrugged. “Not that a few grainy mall CCTV pics prove anything—I erased those, by the way, you’re welcome. I warned you not to experiment.”
“You also told me you’d come find me and tell me what’s going on and then I waited and…” I choked down the rest of my whining.
“I had someone watching you. You were safe enough. I had other pressing matters to attend to.”
“Other matters like getting me fired? I needed that job.”
“You are a danger to yourself and others. And you not having to work today buys us time to figure out what is going on with you and your glove.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on.” I didn’t mean to sound so pathetic. But there it was.
Maybe just as well because Dane finally let go of my wrist. I tucked my hand against my stomach, still shaking from wielding my powers.
“If you hadn’t encrypted your phone, I might have more answers for you. You’re more tech-savvy than you let on.”
Jacksalot was the genius behind the encryption. I prayed that he was listening through my phone and that he was getting this whole conversation on video. A clear shot of Dane’s face would be perfect.
“You could’ve just left me alone. Or”—I snapped the fingers of my right hand, not loud since my reflexes were shot, but the sarcasm came through—“you could let me go right now.”
“You want to meet up with whoever shot your boyfriend?”
Huddling in the seat, I shook my head.
“Brayden Price put himself in the path of some very bad people. Unless you want to follow him, I suggest you stop running from me and listen.”
“I’m listening.” Not like I had a choice.
“When we were notified that Price had taken the moths—”
“Moths?” I interrupted. “What the fuck withmoths?”
“Technically identified as Molecular Tactical Hives—MoTH, because who doesn’t love an acronym. But the targets we’re tracking just call them moths.” He fisted his hand—the one he’d used to grab me—on the thigh of his nice suit.
“Seems appropriate for something creepy coming at you out of the dark.” I cut a disbelieving look at him. “Uh, so moths freak you out that bad?”
His eyes narrowed. “Nobody likes bugs. Until last week, we believed nanotech R&D was still, at best, an emerging technology, largely unrealized. Based on the darknet chatter we followed, moth tech was deemed too unworkable, unstable, and unrealistic based on current cost/benefit/risk analysis.” A grimace distorted his chiseled features. “Obviously, we were wrong.”
Obviously,he hated being wrong as much as he hated bugs.
“Who iswe?”
“The people who’ll save your life.”
“Are you with the government? At first, I thought you were a lawyer or an insurance adjuster,” I needled. “Or a mortician.”
Ignoring me, he went on. “Price stole the only extant sample of viable moths from BantaMatrix. Its worth is…incalculable. Engineering, medicine, electronics, consumer products—all will be impacted by this breakthrough.”
“Not to mention the military industrial complex,” I muttered.
Dane ignored me some more. “By the time we identified the threat, he’d already made initial contact with three potential buyers, at least one of which is already on several terrorist watch lists. Price had a burner identity spoofed under his primary accounts. We were on the verge of getting through to him when he rabbited.” This time, Dane’s gray glare was as icy as the mall in August. “He ran to you. Left the moths with you. And then ended up with an extra hole in his head.”
Like that was my fault? This was all too much for me. I just wanted out.
