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

just maybe, it was Reed trying to find her. It didn’t matter. She had to find out for sure. She’d gladly give up her freedom for his. Whatever her old trainer, Niomi, promised, it evidently hadn’t worked. Reed didn’t deserve to pay the price for her choices.

The following day passed in a blur of takeout and staring at their computers. The third day, Ari woke with a headache and chased it away with caffeine, aspirin, and a hot shower. She dressed quickly and packed a few extra toiletries in her bag. With less than a day remaining until the meet-up, this was the day she had to leave. She just hadn’t figured out how yet.

She stepped out of the bathroom to find Marco and Joe already back at work. They had made progress in their search, narrowing it down to two guys and one woman. While they continued to watch over Echo’s apartment building, they expanded their search.

Various breakfast items were scattered on the dresser, and Ari picked up a bagel. Marco stood and stretched his back. Joe used the only desk, so Marco and Ari made makeshift desks on the beds. Marco grabbed a drink and leaned against a dresser. “Did you get a chance to go through the list of local VR forums?” he asked Joe.

“Yeah, most the Sprawl game series. But a few local ones for socialization.” Joe leaned back in the chair and focused on Marco. “Want to start going in?”

“Sure,” Marco shrugged, but Ari worried it meant more to him than that. He had the propensity to be a VR addict, wishing he could live in the VR instead of out of it.

“Maybe you should go in,” Ari turned to Joe, “being a warper and all.”

“There’s a lot of places to check out,” Joe said. “It’ll need all three of us to find info about a local programmer for hire. Locally is probably one of the few places he shows his face.”

She glanced at her brother but didn’t say a word.

He must have noticed her worried look. “I’ll be fine. I have barely been in and it will be for shorter stints.” Marco smiled his salesman smile, and then turned to Joe, who had been watching them, to explain. “I had a little episode a year ago with the VR, and my sister worries, but I’m fine.”

“I trust you to know your limits.” Joe pushed back from his desk and stood. “I have to do some work with the cameras we installed and add a couple more near the closest VR joint. I’m hoping we’ll get some matches between them. So, if both of you can hit up the VR joints today, I’ll take the shift tonight or tomorrow.”

With the bagel halfway to her mouth, she froze. This was her out. They both would be busy and wouldn’t realize she was gone for awhile, but Marco…

Her brother had been in a VR coma not even two years ago and would now be spending the day back inside. And if she left, that would make even more work for him, putting him at more of a risk. What kind of sister would do that?

Marco set down his drink, oblivious to Ari’s dilemma. “I’ll head out in a bit. I’m going to take a shower first.” Glancing at Ari, he added. “Don’t worry, sis. I’ll be fine.”

Swallowing the sick taste in her mouth, she set down her bagel. Disgust and guilt never tasted good. Marco went to shower, while Joe packed a bag.

He glanced up at her. “You alright? Marco has been doing very well. I’m sure he’ll be fine, but if you’re worried you can talk more to him. It’s okay if we stay longer and just you and I go in the VR.”

Pursing her lips, she nodded. “Thanks for offering, but you’re right. He knows his limits.” She wondered who she was trying to convince: Joe or herself.

“Alright. I’m heading out then. You’ll probably be gone by the time I return. You know how to get ahold of me.” Joe motioned to their HUBS on their wrist. They had an encrypted channel he set up for the three of them to use.

Alone in the room, she stared at the electronic watch on her wrist. The seconds ticked by, and she realized it was now or never. If she saw Marco again, she wouldn’t be able to hide it from him. Or face him, feeling like she was picking Reed over him. Her justification was that Marco would want her to do that. He loved Reed like family. Before she could change her mind, she grabbed her bag, and headed out of the door.

Nerves made her heart rate pick up, and she left the hotel. She messaged her brother that she was headed out to start on the VRs, then added an additional message to be delivered at lunch. She didn’t want to worry them when they found out she was missing.

Flipping through her HUB, she considered whether to take a plane or tram. There wasn’t a flight for a couple hours, and she worried Joe would be able to track her in the airport. With tighter security, she’d have to use the identification Joe created for her to get on a plane. That wouldn’t work. After checking the tram station and schedule, she turned off her HUB and disconnected the battery. If anyone could figure out how to track her HUB, it would be Joe.

Marco would be mad but would get over it. Since he also cared for Reed, hopefully he would understand why she had to do it, and without him. She couldn’t chance Marco becoming another piece for VisionTech to manipulate her with.

It only took twenty minutes for her to make her way to the tram station. She soon had her route scheduled to get her to the Spanish sector. She took a couple trams to get her there in time.

Despite the quiet dark tram, she couldn’t sleep. She closed her eyes and