6:03 P.M.

I hit "Send" on the email to Dusan, shutting down my computer the second the automated confirmation popped up. There was still some work left to finish, but I didn't care. I needed to get out. Every nerve felt frayed, thoughts from last night clinging to me like static, making my skin crawl. The longer I stayed, the more paranoid I felt.

Once I reached my car in the parking lot, I dug out my keys from my purse, glancing around with my free hand hovering over the revolver. My eyes darted to every shadow, every parked car, every darkened corner. I unlocked my car and slipped inside, but when I turned the key, the engine sputtered and died.

"Seriously?" I muttered, fighting the urge to slam my fist on the dashboard. I tried again, glancing out the window, half-expecting to see someone lurking outside, ready to smash through the glass. The engine finally roared to life, and I didn't waste a second. Tires squealing, I sped out of the lot.

I had to make a call.

"Y-ello?" came the familiar robotic voice.

"Where are you?" I asked bluntly.

"Uh, in my garage. Why?" Wrench replied, sounding bemused.

"Text me the address. I'll be there in a few."

"Wow, somebody's eager." He snickered, but I hung up, rolling my eyes. Seconds later, my phone buzzed.

I followed the directions on Nudle Maps, weaving through narrow streets until I ended up in a dark alleyway. At the end of it was a large, nondescript garage door. I left the headlights on as I stepped out and approached. The door slid open automatically, and I quickly turned off the lights and locked the car before heading inside.

The garage was packed with tools, mechanical parts, and every possible device a tech nerd could dream of. It was a mechanic's playground—or, for someone like me who couldn't tell a wrench from a spanner, it was a nightmare.

Wrench was in the far corner, hunched over a toaster of all things. He looked up as I approached, dusting his hands off theatrically.

"You know, it's rude to hang up on people," he said, his mask flashing two animated dots.

"Before we begin, I need to make a few things clear."

The dots on his mask blinked. "Okay, I'm all ears."

"One, I'm not working with you out of some shared vision or ideal. This is about a common enemy. That's it."

"Uh..."

"Two," I continued, cutting him off, "I'm my own boss. I call the shots for myself. Got it?"

He folded his arms, chuckling softly. "Aren't we all?"

"And three," I said, voice lowering dangerously, "my services don't come cheap."

A winking emoticon lit up on his mask. "How much are we talking?"

I shot him a warning glare. "I'm not a street corner hire, so watch your tone."

He held up his hands in mock surrender, snickering. "Alright, alright. But technically, we did pull you out of the belly of a corrupt company, so…"

"One more thing," I interjected sharply. "Before I agree to work with you, I need to deal with a loose end. Nemec has dirt on me. I need it wiped—completely."

His mask shifted to show two exaggerated X's over the eyes as he clutched his chest. "Ouch. Someone's been bad."

"Look, Wrench," I said pointedly. "Either it's gone, or the deal's off."

He hummed thoughtfully, the X's on his mask fading. "I'll have to run it by the rest of the crew, but... yeah, we'll figure something out. Meet us at HQ later and we'll hash out the details."

I nodded, hesitating only a second before saying, "Fine. Let's get this done."

6:31 P.M. DedSec Hackerspace

"Let me get this straight," Miss Side-Ponytail said, "You want us to hack Blume and wipe whatever dirt Dusan has on you?"

"No," I corrected coolly. "Not Blume."

Her eyebrow arched skeptically. "Oh? Then where?"

"It's on Nemec's executive drive—on his laptop or tablet, most likely."

She laughed dryly. "'Most likely' doesn't inspire much confidence."

I shrugged. "I gave you two options. Your call. Whatever it is, it's supposed to have a tight security system."

She narrowed her eyes, but turned to the others with a smirk. "I really hope you're worth the trouble." Then she looked back at me, her smile sharp. "And you're going to have to pitch in, sweetheart."

I met her gaze evenly. "Excuse me?"

"Breaking into Nemec's devices won't be a walk in the park."

I matched her smirk with one of my own. "Why do I get the feeling you're about to make this my problem?"

"Because you're the only one here who can walk into his office without raising an alarm," she shot back.

I let out a slow breath. "Fuck…"

"Get us into his laptop—or whatever device it is—and we'll take it from there. Got it?"

"Yeah, fine. Makes sense," I muttered.

"You should probably head out now," the cocky hipster added with a shrug. "Say you're working late or something."

"I won't even be lying," I muttered, turning toward the door.

"Wait," Wrench called, tossing me a small earpiece. "Here."

I caught it and raised an eyebrow. "And what will you be doing in the meantime?"

"Background work," he said cheerfully. "We'll keep an eye on the cameras while you do the heavy lifting. Just let us know when you're in."

I slid the earpiece in, giving him a nod. "Don't wear yourself out."

"Right back at you."

7:17 P.M.

I parked near the main entrance and sent a quick text to let DedSec know I'd arrived. The building loomed above me, dark and foreboding, with security guards stationed all around. I strode up to the entrance, trying to look as casual as possible.

The guards eyed me as I passed, but offered polite nods and a murmured "Good evening, Miss Foster."

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.

"Any trouble with security?" Wrench's voice crackled through the earpiece.

"None. So far, so good."

The doors slid open, and I stepped out, glancing around. The place was empty—no patrolling guards, no movement. Just silence.

"I don't see anyone around," I murmured. "Weird."

"Keep moving," Wrench urged.

I approached the seating area when a strange hissing sound caught my attention. Smoke billowed faintly from a corner.

I quickened my pace, and there it was: a busted steam pipe, with three guards slumped unconscious beside it.

"Holy shit," I breathed, moving past them carefully.

A loud thud sounded further down the hall. Heart pounding, I crept forward.

Three more guards, this time knocked out by a powerful electric shock.

"Did you guys do this?" I whispered.

"The work of yours truly." Wrench's voice was smug.

"Impressive, Wall-E."

"You're welcome. But seriously, it's Wrench."

I chuckled. "Sorry, I'm terrible with names."

"Please, I think your nicknames are a little too on-point."

The main office was just ahead. I tried the handle.

"Locked."

"Yeah, no kidding," Wrench muttered. "Give me a second."

I tapped my foot impatiently as the line went silent.

"Wrench?" I hissed. "Wrench! Those guards won't stay down forever!"

The lock clicked softly.

"Got it. Electronic lock. Amateurs."

I slipped inside, closing the door quietly. The room was pitch black, but I spotted the laptop sitting on the desk. Right out in the open.

Too easy.

"Yo, something wrong?" Wrench asked.

"I don't know if I can do this," I admitted.

"What? Why?"

"This is too easy. It feels like a setup."

"Teagan," a female voice cut in, firm and calm. "This is your only shot. Do it."

"And if I get burned?"

She sighed. "We'll deal with it. Now, do it."

I exhaled slowly, then stepped forward. Do it, I told myself, my hands shaking as I reached for the laptop.

I managed to open it on the second try. And then...

Dead-end.

"It's locked. Can you handle it?"

"Piece of cake," Wrench said confidently. "Give me a second."

I leaned against the desk, heart racing as I waited.

I leaned against the desk, scanning the room as I waited. I hadn't paid much attention the last time I was here, but seeing it now made my blood boil. The polished mahogany desk, leather chairs, and walls lined with expensive art—all bought with other people's blood, sweat, and tears. His framed certificates and smiling photos were a testament to his ego, each one showcasing a fake, self-satisfied grin.

Genius, they called him. Visionary.

Yeah, a visionary who couldn't survive a day without backstabbing or blackmailing half the city. He had everyone wrapped around his finger, and no one dared to pull back the curtain to see what a twisted, conniving snake he really was.

A sound from the hallway snapped me out of my thoughts. Voices. I bolted under the desk, heart hammering.

"Thought I heard something," a man's voice murmured, barely audible.

"You're being paranoid," another replied dismissively. "The company's got a garbage maintenance crew. This place is probably falling apart."

Then, an explosion—loud, sharp, reverberating through the walls. My heart leapt into my throat.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Someone's screwing with us. Let's go!"

The door slammed shut. I waited a heartbeat, then another. Slowly, I peeked out from under the desk. Clear.

"Thanks for the warning," I hissed, getting up cautiously.

"You mean, 'thanks for the save, Wrench,'" he retorted.

I rolled my eyes. "Where are we on that password?"

"We're in. You've got access."

"Finally," I muttered, flexing my fingers before diving into the files. "Took you long enough."

"Hey, don't push your luck. We could've just left you hanging, you know."

"Relax, I'm just teasing." I couldn't help the small smirk tugging at my lips as I scanned the folders, one after another. "Alright, I'll take it from here."

"What?" Wrench sounded surprised. "No, no, we can handle it. Just let us—"

"No." The word slipped out before I could stop it. "I want to do it. Please."

I didn't wait for his response. Instead, I plunged into the sea of files, scrolling through endless folders—contracts, emails, photos, videos. All of it used to hold people hostage. Dusan had dirt on everyone, and I mean everyone. Politicians, CEOs, celebrities. People whose lives would implode if any of this got out. Every document, every piece of leverage carefully cataloged and sorted, like a twisted little library of control.

"Bastard," I whispered, shaking my head as I continued my search. Then I froze.

There it was. My old ID, my new one, and every bit of private information I'd fought to keep buried. He had it all—addresses, bank accounts, places I'd hidden from for years. One misstep, and anyone I'd been running from could find me. And Nemec knew it. He probably thought he could use it against me one day, keep me under his thumb. I could feel the bile rising in my throat as I stared at the screen.

I shoved the fury down and pulled out a USB drive, plugging it into the laptop. The files transferred quickly, one by one. Then, on impulse, I did the same with every other folder. Blackmail, bribes, scandalous photos—every single piece of leverage he had. If he wanted to play dirty, then I'd be ready to bury him with his own game.

"Teagan?" Wrench's voice cut through the silence. "What's taking so long?"

"Just making sure I don't miss anything," I murmured, watching the progress bar inch forward. "Almost done."

The moment the files were saved, I shut down the laptop and slipped back into the shadows. Moving as quietly as I could, I cracked the door open and peered outside. Empty. I slid out and stuck close to the walls, keeping low as I crept toward the emergency stairs.

Halfway down the hall, a guard rounded the corner. I ducked back, heart slamming against my ribs as I pressed myself into the shadows. I held my breath, waiting.

He didn't see me. I watched him pass, his footsteps echoing down the empty corridor. The second his back was turned, I dashed for the stairs and slipped inside, my pulse roaring in my ears.

I took the steps two at a time, making it down to my office floor. It was empty, thank God. I darted to the elevator, silently praying as the doors closed and it descended to the ground floor.

When the doors opened, a different set of guards was standing at the exit. My heart dropped.

"Gentlemen," I greeted smoothly.

"Miss Foster," the guard on the left replied stiffly. His tone was anything but friendly. "May I ask what you're doing here this late?"

I shot them both a cool smile. "It's only 7:30. Had some unfinished business to take care of, and I forgot to clock out."

The guard on the right frowned. "Patrols passed by your office earlier. You weren't there."

I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. "So, are you accusing me of something?"

They glanced at each other but stayed silent.

"You know," I continued, voice dropping. "Maybe I should take this to HR and tell them that two Blume guards decided to overstep their boundaries. Or better yet, I could bring it up with Mr. Nemec himself. What do you think?"

"No—no, ma'am," the left guard stammered, eyes wide. "That won't be necessary. We didn't mean it like that."

I turned my gaze to the other one. "And you?"

He shifted uneasily. "It's just… some guards were found unconscious on the top floor. We were concerned."

I barked out a humorless laugh. "That old pipe finally gave out, huh? Call the maintenance team to take a look at it tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am," the left guard murmured, stepping aside. "Have a nice evening."

I sauntered past them and out the door, a small smile tugging at my lips.

"Damn, you treated them like dirt," Wrench's voice snickered through the earpiece.

"You have to establish respect one way or another."

"That was pretty badass. Gotta admit, it kinda turned me on."

"Don't get too comfortable, Wrench," I warned, but there was a hint of humor in my tone.

I slid into my car and started the engine, leaving Blume HQ behind.

"So," Wrench asked as I drove off, "you feeling better now?"

"Not really. But I got some good stuff."

"But the leverage wasn't destroyed?"

"I mean, I have it, but I'm sure he's got a backup somewhere. Still, with what I've got, we could absolutely ruin his career. Maybe worse."

"Whoa, whoa. Hold up." Wrench sounded incredulous. "Did you just say we?"

I let out a dry laugh, unable to contain it. "Yeah. I guess I did."

He let out a triumphant whoop, and I winced as it nearly blew out my eardrum. "Ladies and gentlemen, Operation Blumesday is officially a go!"

Despite myself, I smiled. Blumesday, huh? Nemec wouldn't know what hit him.

"Let's burn him to the ground."