There wasn’t time to think about Harini. This meeting wasn’t over. Not at all. One of the most dangerous people in the world sat across from them with a smile on his face and, because of Harini, he knew where they all lived.
Maxim let them soak in the betrayal and then continued. “Would you three please reconsider my offer? I value your gifts. Mankind always has a dark side. If we can monitor it and keep it under control, mankind benefits in the real.”
“Really?” The disgust turned Ari’s stomach. With losing her dad to a VR addiction, she had firsthand knowledge of the darker side of the VR. “Don’t try to tell us that dark dealings are for the benefit of mankind. They are for the benefit of your pocketbook. I’ve seen what you do.” She had studied him enough with Tricky and those nightmares were hard to shake off.
“That is all I can offer.” Standing, Maxim dusted his hands as if he got dirty by just associating with them. “Please head our warning, we may not be allies, but we don’t have to be enemies.”
Patrick stood as well. “If you think I’m going to let you steal my people, filling their heads with poison and lies—”
While Patrick continued his string of attacks on Maxim, Blur began slowly tearing apart Maxim’s defenses. Concentrating on the code around them, Ari witnessed Blur’s beautiful anger. Though he was systematic in not triggering an alarm, he forgot that Maxim now had a warper on his arm.
Harini pushed back, challenging Blur. But no one usually got the upper hand on Blur’s speed.
She motioned to Maxim. “We need to leave.”
He chuckled, obviously not ready to admit defeat. With the tools and power at his disposal, he posed a major threat. And who knew what Harini was willing to do for him.
Maxim tried to attack Blur with the virus. The code fell away, doing nothing. Maxim’s eyes widened in fierce anger. It didn’t faze Blur. He continued towards him, wiping away the business room, the expensive décor, and pointless office.
Ari continued to watch Harini, making sure she didn’t interfere. The hatred built and soon she realized she was on her feet walking towards the traitor. She didn’t know what she would do and didn’t care.
Harini stepped backwards, then in a last ditch effort flung something at Patrick and left the VR. Confused at why she left so easily, Ari turned to find Patrick was on the ground, hands clasping his temples. Harini had infected him with the virus.
The moment of strength she felt stalking her prey shattered on the ground as she sprinted to Patrick’s side. She shouted to Patrick, gripping his shoulders. Why wouldn’t he leave?
The pained expression remained on his face, and he struggled to not call out. Ari scanned the code and the familiar virus flowed into him. Searching the code, she found what kept him there. A small line of characters that kept him tied to the program. It was something she had never noticed before. Similar to what Tricky had, and Ari could do nothing to change it. Why didn’t the old tech protect Patrick?
Harini. She set him up. He was supposed to be on the old tech, but if Harini was his partner who knew if she installed the right firmware to protect him. She knew he would die in here while she ran away.
Fighting down the rising panic, Ari continued working in the code. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t touch the virus that ate away at Patrick’s mind. Blur appeared at her side, and with a quick glance she realized that Maxim had left too. Her chest tightened as the seconds ticked by, Patrick’s eyes now dark and unfocused.
“Why isn’t he leaving?” Ari practically screamed at Blur.
He focused on Patrick, an empty look in his eyes that told Ari she was working in the code. “He’s trapped. We can’t help from inside here.”
“We’re not near him. He can’t be trapped. He’ll never…” Ari couldn’t say it.
Harini better be running far and fast, because Ari would strangle her with her bare hands if she ever found her. How could she leave Patrick trapped? Stuck in a VR with this virus eating up his brain?
“I can’t leave him.” Ari’s gaze turned blurry with tears. As she lifted her eyes to her friend, her world blackened around her.
Ari choked on a sob as she woke up in the small VR shop. The onslaught of pain shooting through her mind was nothing compared to the ache for her friend. They were thousands of miles from Patrick. Harini, who she’d counted on as a friend, was gone, leaving him to die alone. Ari shoved back the grief and the dark hole she wanted to bury herself in. She needed to get to Patrick.
Ripping out the cable, she found Blur already up and grabbing their bags. “We have to get a message to the others.”
Joe and Marco were in Taiwan and much closer to Patrick. They had pulled out early, probably already delivering the file and missing the confrontation. They could get there in within the day if they pushed it.
Ignoring her skewed vision, she pulled on her bag. “Let’s go.”
She followed Blur through the now busy streets as he sprinted through the crowds. If Harini worked for Maxim now, they weren’t safe. No one was. Her head throbbed with every step, but she ignored it. She had to focus on Patrick.
My name is Ari. I’m eighteen. This is the real. I can do this. We can get to Patrick in time. Her mantra changed, but it helped focus her scattered thoughts with her pounding headache as she followed Blur.
“Here.” Ari pulled Blur into a nearby motel. It looked more like a brothel than a motel, but hopefully it had a connection they could use to contact the team.
Blur turned back and with a quick nod followed her in. She paid for the room as Blur worked on the HUB on his
