Winning Choice: 2. “…pay a visit to Mandeville. If this is a trap, then I’m going to find out what else he knows.”
Author Note: Again, I am so sorry this chapter took so long! We had a friend pass away, I changed jobs, had a huge project going on, and I just ran out of time. But I think this one came out well, and I’m trying to get back into the groove. Thank you SO much for your patience and continued support!
Recap: Brandon raided an NSA facility to get technology to help Ryan and his team find Nicole. During the raid he got angry and what he saw the NSA doing and destroyed much of the facility. Meanwhile, Ryan overheard some communication about a “Control Asset” being moved which could be Nicole, but they also traced a call from Mandeville warning the Control Asset was a trap. Brandon decided to use the traced call from Mandeville to track him down.
Apple was always my favorite, but I’m not picky right now as the last forkful of the cherry pie disappears into my mouth. Ryan’s refrigerator is nearly empty now, as I’ve cleaned the poor guy out. My hunger is back in force, and Tyler thinks I may be ramping up for another transformation.
“You used your powers like crazy on that raid,” he says.
“If I get new powers, that’s fine by me. I’m getting used to this, and it will be more tools I can use to shut down Mandeville and get Nicole back.”
“But the hunger might-“
“Don’t care. If I have to raid a Taco Bell on the way, it can’t be harder than breaking in to the NSA, can it?”
“You sure you want to track down this Mandeville guy and not go after Nicole?” Susan asks.
“Control Asset,” I correct her. “You’re not sure it’s her, and I think Mandeville’s right in this case. They’re not going to hurt her yet. They want something from me, and if I know more before I go in, I have a better chance of not hurting anyone in the process.”
Susan shrugs. “Your call. I just prefer the easy wins over the mysteries.” She hands me a sturdy belt of black nylon. It looks like it was part of a harness and could hold a ton and a half. On the back are three pouches, each holding a different device.
“We made three devices for you,” Ryan says. “The first is a communicator. It’s higher powered than the last one, so just leave it in your belt and we can hear everything going on around you. You can even whisper and we’ll hear you.”
“How do I hear you back?” I ask.
“Earpiece!” says Ryan, and tosses it over to me. “It works with the pack on your belt, which gives us more range and it will last longer. A bit clunkier setup but it’ll work better.” I stick it in my ear.
“The second device is a mobile hacking unit, just like the one you used before. You don’t need to plug this one in, though. We’ll activate it when you’re somewhere good and start sniffing out and breaking into any systems we can see,” says Susan.
“And the last one is a scrambler,” says Tyler. “If you turn it on it will shut down pretty much any communication going on. Cell phones, radios, even most computer networks will go sideways. But you’ll also lose connection to us. It’s kind of a last resort, but thought it might be handy.”
Strapping on the belt, I see Tyler grinning at me. “Yes?” I ask.
“It’s a utility belt,” he says, his grin widening. I roll my eyes. This kid is committed, I’ll give him that. But if he suggests a cape I’m going to drop him out a window.
“Anything else?” I ask.
Cocking her head, Susan considers for a moment. “Can’t think of anything. You know where you’re headed, and we’re ready on this end to back you up. Should take you about an hour to get there.”
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Power Shift (Book 1)
Science FictionBrandon Stamp is abducted on his way out of a grocery store. He doesn't know who took him or why, and when he finds out what they want him for his confusion turns into terror. Frantically searching for clues to the group behind his abduction, Brand...
