Hard Wired Trilogy DeAnna Pearce (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📖

different worlds. I don’t need you watching me,” Ari snapped. Heart racing, she averted her gaze, struggling to come up for an explanation of what happened.

“Your vitals were amped. What happened?”

“Your easy in and out mission wasn’t as simple as you thought.” Ari got out of the chair and headed over to get a drink. The cool water quenched her thirst and gave her a much needed minute to calm her shaky hands. Could she really believe Hailey? What would VisionTech do with the names? On the opposite side of the coin, Hailey almost turned her in. She wasn’t playing any more. They wanted Ari with them, or Hailey would soon turn into an enemy not an ally.

Standing with arms crossed over her chest, Niomi stood waiting for more information. Obviously, she wasn’t going to read it in the report. “Did you get the data?”

“No.” Ari traced a finger around her glass. It was a lot worse than that.

“What. Happened?”

“Someone found out that I wasn’t Rajit!”

“Someone? What? How?” She didn’t even wait for an answer but rushed to her computer. Fingers flew over the keyboard. “Keep talking. We need to let Security know.”

No longer under Niomi’s intense gaze, the lies poured easily from Ari’s mouth. “A co-worker noticed I wasn’t Rajit. They must have had some relationship or something.”

Niomi’s pounding fingers ceased and she turned to Ari. “What exactly happened? Word for word?” She hit another switch and a red light flashed from her screen. “I’ll record it, so you don’t ever have to write the report.”

Ari rubbed the back of her neck around her port, her clammy skin wet under her hand. “It was a pretty girl, woman actually. She approached as I was working on his computer. I didn’t see her behind me.”

“How long was she standing there?”

“I’m not sure. She was behind me.” Ari let the sarcasm highlight her words. How much should she tell her? And would telling Niomi the truth help Ari get the information she needed?

“Okay.” Niomi swallowed, obviously trying to get her own emotions in check. “What did she say?”

After weighing the consequences, she made her decision. “She told me to give her the list in my pocket.”

Niomi pulled back, her eyes darting around as she computed what Ari didn’t say.

“You told me I couldn’t leave the program with the list, so once security was approaching, I left,” Ari continued.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Niomi raised a hand. “Let’s go back. How did she know the list was in your pocket? It’s not like you use a computer so anyone can see you. Did you?”

“No.”

“She read the data on the chip you kept in your pocket? That could only mean…”

Ari waited, for once it was nice to not be the person in the dark.

“The woman was a warper…” Niomi turned back to the computer.

Ari assumed she would have to report that to Security as well, but Niomi’s fingers hung heavy over her keyboard. She turned back to Ari, “Did she hurt you or restrain you in any way?”

Ari swallowed. “No. She just wanted the data I stole. Told me that we had no right to spy on and hurt any of the candidates on the list.”

“And just like that, she let you go?” There was a hint of disbelief in her voice.

This part was the truth, though. “Yes. She was more interested in the data than me. Granted the security guards didn’t appear to have the same belief.”

“Hmmm…” She turned back to the computer. “Come have a seat. I want you to start again from the beginning. Losing the list was unfortunate but finding another warper working for the UN throws a whole other kink in this. Right before session breaks too.” She trailed off and took an incoming call.

Ari turned back to the water dispenser and filled up her glass again. Fear prickled along her spine and she wondered why she had to do her report in person. Could the computer tell she was lying? She had heard of that kind of software before. She stuck close to the truth and that would help her. Taking another drink, she mentally prepped herself. Maybe it was good that she had so much practice lying lately, because her gut told her these lies would be some of the most important lies she had ever told.

Her digital reports took the whole morning, leaving her back aching with every step. Maybe she’d take the company up on the massages they always offered her. After a nap… and a bite to eat.

She plopped down in the kitchen with a large variety of food, enough for probably a family of four. Guilt nibbled on her, thinking back to the days when her mom couldn’t afford to feed them this well. She resolved to talk to her mother this week. Whether through Tess or Niomi, she needed to see them. It had been too long.

Before she even made it through a third of her courses, her AI announced Vinh. Soon appearing in the doorway of the kitchen, his gaze traveled to the food in front of her. “Did Niomi make you skip breakfast and lunch all week, or something?”

Ari shrugged. “Starving and not sure what I felt like. Don’t worry, I eat leftovers.”

“I guess you’ll be set for the week then.” He plopped down and grabbed a nearby fry.

“You here to hang out or do you have to run some reports? You may have to do them in my sleep. After this morning, I’m not going to last long.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “What happened?”

Letting out a low moan, she dipped her fry in a nearby shake. “I’ve told this story a million times. Can’t you just read the report?”

“Reading is overrated. I’d rather have the firsthand account.”

She watched him for a moment, his finger drumming on the table. Rarely even twitching, Vinh exuded an awkward energy with his eyes flashing away and back to Ari. Shaking off her paranoia, she pulled her hair band out and began re-braiding it.