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

wall. Meeting the end of the wall, he turned the corner and continued down the wood beams.

This apartment was built years ago, when old bulky wires and round pipes had to be run in a labyrinth behind walls. Now construction was more efficient, but this left ample space for Sketchy Lou’s crazy plans. They didn’t seem so crazy now though. And the EMP Marco let loose in the apartment would limit their tracking abilities.

He held in a sneeze and continued down, the rough wood scratching his hands. Feeling like a trapped rat, his thoughts spun of who could be after him. The men were dressed in dark military garb, like government goons. Or if not, they had to be something bigger that could pay the government to look the other way.

His sister could garner this kind of attention, but why him? He didn’t even know where she was. Ari’s abilities as a warper emerged over the last year. She could change programs and data inside virtual reality programs with the whim of a God. It was a talent he was jealous of more than he wanted to admit. Instead of unique and profitable powers inside the VR, he just had the knack for conning people in and out of them. That wasn’t a talent, but a skill he had honed for years. Honestly, he felt more comfortable inside than outside of VRs. They sure weren’t as dusty as this pathway.

Marco may have helped Sketchy Lou buy tech for this escape route, but he never took it himself. When he hit the bottom, he found another small door. Opening it, he found the edge of Lou’s alley. The street only feet away. His heart raced at what could be waiting for him, a group of armed men ready to drag him off. He didn’t have much of a choice though, did he?

The after work rush crowded the sidewalks. And as the sun began to fall, Marco slipped into a large group exiting a nearby tram. He ran a hand through his hair to brush off any dust he may have picked up along the way. As his feet carried him away from Lou’s, he waited for someone to stop him. People with these resources wouldn’t let him leave this easy.

There was something he was missing but couldn’t see it. He stayed on the street for a couple blocks before taking a shortcut. He wanted to get back to his apartment but knew he couldn’t. They had to have the place watched.

Marco lived with his mom in a small two-bedroom condo listed under a friend’s name. But if they knew about Sketchy Lou, Marco had to assume that they knew about everything. He stopped mid-step, almost tripping at the realization. His mom.

He began sprinting down the alley, slowing only when he had to take the public streets. If they knew about Lou, they may know where his mom would be. She must be finishing work, a cleaning job he got through a connection. It paid well for her discretion. It took Marco days to convince her to take the job.

They had a place to meet at if they were in trouble, but did she even know there was trouble? These people were too good to show their hand like that. He couldn’t chance calling her either. His Hub wasn’t hacked or traceable since he made it himself, but it didn’t mean they weren’t scanning the waves looking for them. If she got caught, he doubted he would ever find her again. Not after all this. How would he be able to tell his sister?

If they didn’t already take her, his mom should be on the way home from work. It took another ten minutes to get there. He discreetly watched the street she regularly took, scanning for any sign of his mom. Every second that ticked by, his pulse sped up a little more.

He couldn’t help the slight gasp of breath he took when she walked out of a market with a small bag on her arm. Her tan skin and dark hair blended with those around her, but he could always pick her out. She wrapped her hair up in a bun for work, and even from where he stood her brown eyes looked tired. Her petite frame made her look weak, but she was nothing close to it. She worked harder than most he knew, which would help them survive their uncertain future.

Lifting his hoodie up over his head for coverage, he strode across the street to intercept her. He weaved through the crowd carefully. Once next to her, he itched to grab her hand and never stop running, but he had to play it cool to not draw attention.

“Follow me,” he said, staring straight ahead.

His mom’s breath hitched. “Marco? What’s going on?”

“Just trust me, Mom.” He turned off the normal path onto a nearby street.

His mom slowed her step. “I don’t want to run again, Marco. I’m tired of running.”

“Keep moving.” He gritted his teeth, anger and guilt pulsing through his tight limbs. This argument between them was getting old. They couldn’t stop here to have it though.

At the end of the street, he turned. Another block and he headed into a busy district and pulled his mom into one of the shops. The flood of people off work made it a great place to get lost in.

With a deep breath, he tried to be patient. “We don’t have a choice. Someone’s after me.”

“They are always after you. I’m not running anymore.” She lifted her chin in defiance, a defiance she had been sporting more and more lately.

He heard the harshness that trickled into his voice. “I met with Ari today. Someone hacked our meeting.” Seeing his mother’s worried look, he quickly added. “Ari will be fine. She has the resources to protect herself. But there were men waiting for me when I got out. I barely escaped. If they catch us, best-case scenario is they send you