Page 76 of Coldwire
“So what is this all about?” Hailey asks, sitting upright. “You have to give us the full scoop on your top secret mission now.”
She makes it sound like a game we’re playing, leaning forward to debrief with her team members in the school courtyard. Hailey Murray has never been the type to take anything seriously: during formal classes, her uniform will be unbuttoned too low, and she’ll insist on her civil right to keep the rings on each of her fingers when we’re supposed to have changed for PE. It’s not like any of her bad behavior at the academy matters after she graduates—NileCorp can’tnottake a Murray.
Kieren Murray, on the other hand, is an anomaly for working so hard.
“The overview is that we have a Beam-Man smart key to a safe we want to open. We need, one, a distraction to keep building security away so we can get into the apartment”—Kieren nods to a flustered Rayna—“and two, a method to bypass the fingerprint scanner that accompanies the smart key access.” On the second part, he rolls his eyes at his sister, and Hailey grins as though he’s paid her a compliment. She’s scraped her blond hair back into a tight ponytail, which means, shockingly, there’s much more resemblance between them than usual. Clean and proper.
“Sorry,” Rayna says. It comes out a squeak. She clears her throat, acting as though she’d gotten dust stuck in there, before speaking again at normal volume. “Did you just say I was keeping security away? I thought I was helping with retrieval.”
“You are,” I offer. “Helping us get in is a part of retrieval.”
“I mean,” Rayna says, “I’m pretty good at running cloning sequences on devices too.”
Hailey quirks a brow. She rests her left elbow on the back of the couch, her entire posture slumping in that direction. “You want to take over for me instead?”
“Absolutely not,” Rayna rushes to correct. “That wasn’t what I was implying.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” Hailey singsongs.
“Do you not want to be here or something?” Kieren asks his sister.
Hailey pouts. “When my dearest brother asks, howcouldI say no?”
A bell goes off at the kitchen window. While Kieren and Hailey start to argue, my attention pivots away, and I watch a serving bot roll over to collect the tray. It shrinks itself down to a lower height before rumbling to the elderly couple, depositing the soups. When they thank the bot, its neutral emoticon changes to a large smiley.
I open my display, keeping my gaze on the bot so no one can tell I’m typing.
LIA: Rayna…
RAYNA: WHAT’D I DO
LIA: stop touching your face like you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown
RAYNA: i kind of am tho
LIA: are u going to use this as an opportunity or not!!!!!!
RAYNA: okay fineeeee!!!!!!!!!!!
“We need to get started,” I cut in, interrupting whatever point Hailey was on. “Do you think you can manage it? Trigger the fingerprint scanner of a Beam-Man safe?”
“Yeah, of course,” Hailey replies casually, crossing her legs. “My dad’s computer was probably harder. I can adjust the exploit I already have.”
“Great.” I swing the laptop bag off my shoulder and throw it at Hailey. She catches it smoothly. I give Kieren a weighty look, a silentI told you sothat I knew his sister would be useful. “You’ll be okay to go remote here?”
Laptop bag bundled in her arms, Hailey slides across the couch to the farthest end, up against the window, where she can get a good look into Chung’s apartment. “Sure thing. You can wave at me from his kitchen if I’m not pointing signals in the right direction.”
“Rayna, do you want to stay here to trigger security remotely?”
Rayna makes the biggest, most startled eyes I’ve seen on a human being. I have half a mind to think she’s fusing with an owl. A were-owl.
“Yes. Yes, totally,” she manages.
Hailey pats the seat beside her on the couch, signaling for Rayna to join her.
I yank Kieren up by the arm, and we make our prompt exit. “Wait for our cue,” I call to Rayna. “Thank you! Love you!”
We’re outside Chung’s apartment building in six minutes. I eye the giant bees’ nest that’s hanging off one of the water pipes, unable to believe what I’m seeing.
