Page 24 of Cruel Malady: A Necrosis of the Mind

“You already agreed,” she says, and starts off again. “You wanted excitement, you’re about to get it.” She tosses a crooked smile back at me.

“Any sage words of advice?”

“Yeah. Don’t fuck up.”

8

TEASE

BLAKELY

The arousing scent of freshly brewed coffee awakens my senses. I accept my double espresso from the young barista with a neck tattoo and take a steaming-hot swallow before I push through the coffee shop door.

Alex is waiting for me at the corner. “Did you know that processed coffee has more toxins than any other food or beverage?”

I take an extra-long swig as I stare at him over the brim of the paper cup.

His smile is mocking. “Noted.”

“Come on, Bill Nye. Unlike you, I’m not on vacation, so I do have a day job to check in with.”

We cross the street at the crosswalk, and I let Alex lead me to his apartment building. In order to use the information that Alex’s application siphoned from Ericson’s phone, we need to clone it onto a new device. Then I can figure out the next step of this insane plan.

Normally, making shit up as I go is not how I operate, but I rarely have to devise a whole new revenge scheme mid job. Besides, keeping Alex in the dark is a necessary measure at this stage. Despite his apparent trusting nature, I don’t trust anyone. He’s an intellectual type who has zero experience with men like Ericson and the ruffians he associates with. That’s not only a huge disadvantage, it’s a liability.

First, before I allow Alex to go anywhere near these men, I need to see how he interacts with people in a tense setting. If we move forward with this plan, I’ll be sending him directly into the wolf’s den. Or lion’s den. Whatever it’s called.

Not that my conscience is what’s making me hesitant; I don’t know Alex. He’s not a central part of my life. Not like Rochelle or Lomax. If he can pull this off, Alex could be a future asset. But if he can’t…

Then I’ll just steal his hacking software and send him back to the lab.

Hell, I need to get something out of this deal. He did botch my job, after all. I should be collecting the final payment from Lenora right now.

So my hesitancy is in whether or not Alex is worth the risk. I don’t want to sacrifice the guy—but if this job comes down to me or him, I’m always choosing me.

“Here we are,” Alex says as he unlocks his front door.

The building where he lives is nice. Not as nice as my place in Tribeca, but I would’ve pegged him to live in a more minimalist apartment. Something stark white and sterile, like a science lab.

I set my coffee cup on an end table. As I take in the space around me, I note all the little details. Warm beige and earthy tones. Regency artwork leaned up against the wall. Not a Jackson Pollock or any other abstract art in sight. There’s one dark-gray couch and one armchair. The apartment is an open floor plan like most city lofts, but he’s divided the rooms well with strung material, making the whole thing feel cozy and spacious.

Alex offloads his backpack onto the wood desk in the middle of the living area. “What? Not what you expected?”

I set my camera case and bag on the armchair. “I’ve learned not to make assumptions about people,” I say. “Although, I didn’t peg you for a Regency fan.”

He walks around the desk, turning on monitors. He has three. “I’m not, really. The paintings were my sister’s.”

I feel validated that I haven’t lost my touch at reading people. I wait for him to say more, but when he doesn’t, I mute my phone and slip it into my bag. People have a bad habit of interrupting. Rochelle especially. And I don’t want to be interrupted.

I watch as Alex readies his equipment. He’s a different person in front of technology. Efficient, quick, dexterous. I can imagine him sitting in front of his screens for hours, the world moving past all around him as he’s zoned in on his work.

“Oh,” Alex says. He looks up from his screen. “Pull up a stool from over there”—he nods toward the kitchenette area. “I imagine you’re interested to see how this is done.”

I am, of course. I work mostly with software; hacking, websites, social media. Hardware is a different capability—one I just might have to get better acquainted with.

I set the stool beside his chair and anchor my boot heels on the lower bar. “How long will this take?”

“Not long.” He links a USB cable to a port in a crude device with cables that looks like a bare-naked computer board. “It’s a prototype that I designed myself,” he says, as if reading my mind. “I don’t like the idea of purchasing this type of hardware from someone.” He adjusts his glasses.

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