left him feeling drained. He could only imagine the amount of mental energy expended in jumping from one
physical location to another.
They entered the GC and rode the elevators past the floors of gadgets and software. Lights and screens were shutting down everywhere. Hack always found the market a little eerie at this time of
night – without the hustle and bustle, the GC became a place of shadows. Level 6 was in near darkness. The upgrades area never stayed open as late as the computer stalls below. Hack scanned
the empty cubicles, eyes adjusting to the light, and then turned to Robert.
“Wait here. I need to deal with this myself.”
He and Jonesey had gotten themselves into their present situation. And if Hui was there, as Hack somehow sensed he was, it was up to them to sort it out. Robert seemed to understand this,
because he nodded and leaned against the wall by the escalator.
“Just shout if you need me,” he said. “I’ll be there quick.”
“I bet.”
Hack headed across the floor towards Jonesey’s cubicle. Sure enough, he found his friend sitting in the middle of his workspace – wrists and ankles secured to the swivel chair with
duct tape. Jonesey’s eyes widened as Hack approached and ripped away the piece of tape covering his mouth.
“You escaped!”
“Yeah. I had a guardian angel.”
“You shouldn’t have come here. It’s a trap!”
Hack nodded and looked around the cubicle. The PS5 sat on the workbench, linked up to the LCD. Jonesey read his mind.
“It works.”
“Let’s get you free.” Hack kneeled and tore away the tape around the other kid’s ankles.
“Just go!” Jonesey protested. “All this is my fault.”
Hack started on the wrist bindings. “We got the evidence that Goodware stole your idea. It was worth it. Right?”
Jonesey shook his head as Hack removed the final piece of tape. “He’s here.”
Hack straightened up and turned slowly. Hui stood in the cubicle doorway. In his right hand he held a squat weapon that Hack recognized from a lifetime of first-person shooters as an Uzi
9mm.
“Well, you are a talented young man,” Hui said, aiming the machine gun in their general direction. “Even I would have found it difficult to escape that tower in the position I
left you. I’m beginning to think that shooting you would be a terrible waste.” He studied Hack with his dark, calculating eyes. “Come with me. I’ll make you a billionaire
before you’re twenty.”
Hack played for time. “What about Jonesey?”
Hui chuckled. “He’s a fat slob with a moderate talent for fixing laptops. Toss a rock in this city and you’ll hit ten kids just like him. You, however, are truly
unique.”
Hack picked up the PS5 from the workbench. “And what about this?”
“Just something my bosses want,” Hui said with a shrug. “Sony will pay to get the prototype back rather than have it cloned, just like Microsoft did when we stole theirs.
Everyone will be happy.”
Hack looked at Jonesey from the corner of his eye and then turned his attention back to Hui. “So, I guess if it got full of bullets, your bosses would be pretty annoyed, huh?” He
stepped in front of Jonesey, holding the PS5 before them like a shield.
Hui gave an exasperated sigh. “You’re really starting to—”
Hack threw the PS5 at Hui, making him choose between catching the console and shooting them. He chose the former. As he grabbed the machine, both Hack and Jonesey went for the back of the
cubicle.
They vaulted the wall and landed on the other side. Hack grabbed his friend’s arm and pulled him in the direction of the fire escape. The back of the cubicle exploded as Hui fired a burst
of rounds. The two boys staggered back. Bullets impacted the plasterwork ahead. They ducked round the side of another cubicle and crouched there, all too aware that the cardboard walls were no
protection at all.
“You disappoint me, kid!” Hui shouted. “I’m offering you the chance to
physical location to another.
They entered the GC and rode the elevators past the floors of gadgets and software. Lights and screens were shutting down everywhere. Hack always found the market a little eerie at this time of
night – without the hustle and bustle, the GC became a place of shadows. Level 6 was in near darkness. The upgrades area never stayed open as late as the computer stalls below. Hack scanned
the empty cubicles, eyes adjusting to the light, and then turned to Robert.
“Wait here. I need to deal with this myself.”
He and Jonesey had gotten themselves into their present situation. And if Hui was there, as Hack somehow sensed he was, it was up to them to sort it out. Robert seemed to understand this,
because he nodded and leaned against the wall by the escalator.
“Just shout if you need me,” he said. “I’ll be there quick.”
“I bet.”
Hack headed across the floor towards Jonesey’s cubicle. Sure enough, he found his friend sitting in the middle of his workspace – wrists and ankles secured to the swivel chair with
duct tape. Jonesey’s eyes widened as Hack approached and ripped away the piece of tape covering his mouth.
“You escaped!”
“Yeah. I had a guardian angel.”
“You shouldn’t have come here. It’s a trap!”
Hack nodded and looked around the cubicle. The PS5 sat on the workbench, linked up to the LCD. Jonesey read his mind.
“It works.”
“Let’s get you free.” Hack kneeled and tore away the tape around the other kid’s ankles.
“Just go!” Jonesey protested. “All this is my fault.”
Hack started on the wrist bindings. “We got the evidence that Goodware stole your idea. It was worth it. Right?”
Jonesey shook his head as Hack removed the final piece of tape. “He’s here.”
Hack straightened up and turned slowly. Hui stood in the cubicle doorway. In his right hand he held a squat weapon that Hack recognized from a lifetime of first-person shooters as an Uzi
9mm.
“Well, you are a talented young man,” Hui said, aiming the machine gun in their general direction. “Even I would have found it difficult to escape that tower in the position I
left you. I’m beginning to think that shooting you would be a terrible waste.” He studied Hack with his dark, calculating eyes. “Come with me. I’ll make you a billionaire
before you’re twenty.”
Hack played for time. “What about Jonesey?”
Hui chuckled. “He’s a fat slob with a moderate talent for fixing laptops. Toss a rock in this city and you’ll hit ten kids just like him. You, however, are truly
unique.”
Hack picked up the PS5 from the workbench. “And what about this?”
“Just something my bosses want,” Hui said with a shrug. “Sony will pay to get the prototype back rather than have it cloned, just like Microsoft did when we stole theirs.
Everyone will be happy.”
Hack looked at Jonesey from the corner of his eye and then turned his attention back to Hui. “So, I guess if it got full of bullets, your bosses would be pretty annoyed, huh?” He
stepped in front of Jonesey, holding the PS5 before them like a shield.
Hui gave an exasperated sigh. “You’re really starting to—”
Hack threw the PS5 at Hui, making him choose between catching the console and shooting them. He chose the former. As he grabbed the machine, both Hack and Jonesey went for the back of the
cubicle.
They vaulted the wall and landed on the other side. Hack grabbed his friend’s arm and pulled him in the direction of the fire escape. The back of the cubicle exploded as Hui fired a burst
of rounds. The two boys staggered back. Bullets impacted the plasterwork ahead. They ducked round the side of another cubicle and crouched there, all too aware that the cardboard walls were no
protection at all.
“You disappoint me, kid!” Hui shouted. “I’m offering you the chance to
Similar Books
