Activated, p.28
Activated, page 28
“He is your dad. Maybe the trouble part comes from him?” Kai says, cracking his knuckles.
We sneak past a line of black vans parked in front of the warehouse, our backs against a wall. “Well, your dad effectively infiltrated the mafia,” I retort, then bite my tongue at my stupidity.
Kai huffs. “Then I guess we have a chance. Ready?”
I nod.
We reach the building entrance, where a door is cracked open. Loud crashes come booming from a lower level. We fly in the direction of a set of metal stairs and the noises increase. Thirty-four feet scuffling. Smashing. Breaking. Grunts and thuds getting louder. I cringe.
At the top of the stairs, we look down into a storage room full of containers. A full-on fist fight is going on. Six security guards are throwing punches. Men are slammed up against racks and metal tubes. Glass casing is shattering on the ground. Cesare and my dad are mixed up in the fight. But I’m not close enough to see if they’re okay.
Kai sighs with relief. “Thank God—they’re not Palermo’s men. They’re Scale Tech security. They won’t recognize me.” Kai looks at me. “If you disable cameras before Palermo gets here, I can swing both ways, hopefully without getting caught.”
“Okay.”
Five more security guards arrive on the scene at the same time we do. My eyes dart to Kai. “You’d better get down there!”
A cocky smile spreads across his face. “With pleasure.”
Chapter 61
KAI PULLS ON his mask and storms into the storage level, vaulting over a row of boxes at a full sprint. I race after him, having no time to tell him that the odds of our plan working just dropped to single digits.
Kai targets those five security guards first. I slink behind racks of supplies, scanning the scene for my dad. My mouth drops. Cesare and my father are going fist to fist against four other men. Both of them are fighting…and not unsuccessfully.
My dad’s legs and arms jolt through the air swiftly, his motions strong and concise. Even if he doesn’t operate with Kai’s elegance, he’s executing all the kung fu moves that Kai taught him—actually holding his own—with a trained security guard. Technically, this is his first real fight. I’m impressed.
As I come around a corner, my dad catches sight of me just long enough to become distracted. I cringe at what’s about to happen—slam! My dad is knocked down by a full body tackle. He flies backwards landing on his back with a hard thud, but somehow carries the momentum of his attacker and reverse rolls out of it and lands on his feet. He bounces up with intensity, blocking an incoming wild swing. The block definitely hurts my dad’s arm but to his credit, he presses on. His footwork is clean, moving in close, twisting from the hips and releasing three more heavy blows to another guard coming at him. There’s a crunch and groan, and the guard actually goes down. I’m pretty sure that guy will wake up soon, but it’ll be with a monster headache.
Kai taught my dad too well. I’m speechless.
My eyes move to Cesare. His face is already a bloody mess but there’s a savage determination on it. A purple knot forming on Cesare’s forehead tells me he used his head to incapacitate the man lying on the ground next to him.
Two more men come at him. Cesare curses, then spits blood on the ground. He tucks his chin and dives into the mix. His moves are fierce, messy, and dirty. He is a street fighter through and through. Kicks to the groin. Knees to the face. Elbows to the neck. He grabs for a piece of metal tubing and slams it into a man’s chest. I cringe. Ouch. Okay. Definitely mafia training.
With Kai’s frequency dancing to the side of me, I crouch behind the rack and text Harrison: I need Felicia to get me into Scale Tech security. I need all camera security rerouted to me and access to the main computer systems.
Harrison: She’s on it. Hold tight. The launch is happening right now on every news channel. I’m guessing you’ll miss it?
Me: Too busy trying to stop it from blacking out Europe. How’s Chan?
Harrison: Safe and sound. Our guards are with him 24/7. Pens is working on his intel now.
I sigh with relief. Nothing can happen to Chan with PSS around.
Harrison: How’s it going there?
I look at the beatdown happening in front of me and scratch my forehead.
Me: Better than expected? Cesare’s really starting to use his head.
I turn back to the fight. My father and Cesare are now cornered but going strong, until one guard brings out a baton like they had in the tunnels in Helsinki. Kai hates weapons. He thinks using them is weak. Like a sixth sense, he sees the baton and hardens.
Barely out of breath, Kai takes down the two guards he’s fighting, then races over to the guy with the baton headed for Cesare and my father. Kai slides into the middle of the brawl, between the legs of a guard in a wide stance. He simultaneously swings out his legs like a break-dancer, spinning around and taking down the guard. A quick elbow to the gut followed by a loud groan and that guy is finished. Jumping to his feet Kai pulls to a stop when he sees my father and jumps in alongside him. Kai grabs my father’s arm and spins him around just in time to stop another attack. My dad uses the momentum to launch his next move. They’re now fighting back-to-back, master and student.
“Hi, Mr. Rivers,” Kai says, over his shoulder.
“Did I just hear K—?” My dad’s relief tumbles out at the sound of Kai’s voice, but there’s no time. A massive kicking fest ensues—mostly involving Kai, who takes down twice the number of men as my father and Cesare.
A right hook, sweeping kicks, punches and jabs. Things I never could have imagined are happening before my eyes. My dad and ex-boyfriend fighting side by side—not to mention that they’re both fighting on Cesare Di Susa’s team, which makes the equation even more unbelievable.
Blood and bravery spill out from knuckles and lips as the fight continues, but I need to make sure these cameras go down before they discover Kai is fighting on the wrong side. We need to maneuver around this place unseen if I’m going to find Noble and Rafael.
I close my eyes, wondering if I can feel Noble’s frequency anywhere close to me. But there’s nothing. Scale Tech is massive, so I’ll need access to the cameras to scan the property for Noble and Rafael—and fast.
A second later, Felicia’s voice is in my ear: “I’ve got eyes on you. Move to the southeast part of the warehouse. On the back wall, there’s a security panel. You need to plug K2 into it, or I can’t shut the cameras down and you’ll be tripping sensors everywhere.”
“Got it.”
Following Felicia’s instructions, I plug K2 into the panel on the wall. Instantly it recognizes my watch as a threat and tries to lock me out, but Felicia is already inside.
“Ok, Jo,” Felicia says. “You should have access. Just need one more minute to gain control.”
While Felicia does her thing to reroute the camera feeds to K2 and our system, I work fast, scanning the footage from each room in the Scale Tech complex on K2’s tiny screen, searching for two people. Fifty-five seconds later, Rafael’s familiar frame pops up, pacing in a small lounge in lab 5, which a sign says is the Aerodynamics Research Lab. A camera in the hall outside the lounge shows three guards stationed at the door. Found you.
After 23 seconds of scanning each lab in the security cameras database, I locate Noble and my heart wrenches. He’s crouched in front of four monitors, madly working on something. His body language is tenser than ever, like he’s balancing two reactive substances about to combust.
A large, dark-haired man sits behind him in a folding chair holding his head in his hand. His clothes are wrinkled, his body a mess of anxious frequencies. He looks up every few seconds at Noble, his face an older version of the boy in front of him. Dark circles hang under his eyes and his face is so drowned with grief my stomach lurches. Dr. James Adams.
Noble’s dad.
But his father is not what makes my calculations skyrocket and our odds plummet.
Felicia’s once again in my ear, her voice starting to tremble. “Scale Tech cameras are now under our control. K2 has full access. There’s only one building I can’t shut down…” She doesn’t want to say it, “The Master Satellite Control Center. It’s a completely different electrical and security system. It’s totally rigged in every way. I’d warn you to steer clear of that building, but it doesn’t look like that will be possible...”
I suck in a large breath, holding back a thousand numerical explosions. Noble is in the Master Satellite Control Center—and what Felicia means by ‘rigged’ is no small thing. Judging by the surging electrical frequency surrounding it, it’s not just security sensors. The whole building is wired with bombs, and they’re ticking.
Chapter 62
THE POWER PULSING from the Master Satellite Control Center is enough to take out the entire building and the lab connected to it. Palermo is taking no chances. He’s covering all his tracks, which means that control center is where I need to be.
With the security sensors down and cameras re-routed to me, I run back to the fight. Sweaty and panting, the three victors stumble over. All the guards have been taken out, hands bound.
I make eye contact with Kai. “Cameras are down.”
“Good.” Kai pulls down his mask, and turns to my dad, impressed and nodding with approval. “Your moves aren’t bad.”
“I had a good teacher.” My dad, bruised and purple, is glowing. He throws an arm over Kai’s shoulder.
Cesare wipes his mouth, then cracks his neck. His hands spread open to Kai. “Ah, the real Capo. Grazie.”
“Cesare.” Kai claps him on the back. I don’t miss the look they exchange. They know each other much better than I think. What has happened in the three months after we broke up?
“Not exactly plan A, huh?” Kai says to Cesare, a shift of urgency in his voice. “Where are your men?”
“They should arrive any moment at the southern gates. Then I confront Palermo’s men and call them back to me.” He grunts, looking over his shoulder at the open door. Blood trickles from a cut on his hairline, but he combs his hair back in place like it’s no big deal. He exhales. “But first, my son. Where is he?”
“I found him and Noble,” I say.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Cesare says. “Let’s go get Rafael.”
The clock ticking in my mind compels me to stop him. “No, he’s okay. He’s not in danger yet. But we’ll all be in trouble if we don’t stop Palermo and help Noble.” I look at Kai. “Rafael’s safe. For the moment. But where they’re holding Noble on the north side is wired with explosives. Doesn’t look good. I don’t have any other details.”
“I need to get my son,” Cesare says, fiercely.
Kai stops him. “Jo’s right. It won’t work. Not with the timeline. The launch is happening right now. You need to gather your men and prepare. Palermo is nearly here to ensure the blackout weapon is ready. If you need to confront his men before he arrives, that moment is now, or you’ll be in far greater danger, and so will Rafael.” Kai juts his chin to the north. “They’re on the north side of the complex by the Master Satellite Control Center, where Palermo will arrive soon. They’ll be ready with far more security.”
“Cesare, I know you won’t like this,” I say, “but I’ll get Rafael and bring him to you. Draw them into the Solar Power lab. We’ll rendezvous there.”
Frequencies scramble in the background, feet pounding and voices. I tense and look at Kai. “We don’t have much time. More guards are on the way.”
“You’re not going alone, are you?” my dad asks.
Kai looks at me. His frequency wraps around mine with a fierce warmth. I shiver. “There will be guards at Rafael’s door,” he says. “I’ll send your dad after I take care of the guards, okay?”
I look at my dad, then back at Kai. “I’ll be fine. I have tasers and a map in my head. What we need is backup. We’re outnumbered.”
Reluctantly, they agree.
I look over at Cesare. “Your men better be loyal.”
Chapter 63
I SNEAK DOWN the corridor, following the floor plan in my head to the lounge where Rafael is held. Frequencies of all kinds spit like grease in a pan, but none of them are human until I peek around the corner and spy on the door where Rafael is being held.
Kai was right. Three guards stand at the door. I pull out my bracelet and test a drone. They’re at 65% capacity, but they should do the job long enough for me to get Rafael out.
I stay hidden behind the corner in the hallway as I prepare my drones—four left. The guards are 24 feet away. Like at the Infinity Dome, I’ll need to get 12 feet closer before I fire the drones to ensure they’re strong enough to take down each man. They’ll see me, but causing confusion always buys time.
My fingers fumble to program the drones. The weight of the calculations coils around me as I think of Noble surrounded by explosives. But I can’t dwell on that now. I ruffle my long blonde hair from my hood. The numbers aren’t exactly in my favor, but I’ve always been good with low odds. With a smile on my face, I turn the corner in full view.
“Moi,” I say, using a greeting from my phrasebook. The guards straighten at the sight of me, rattling off a string of sentences in Finnish.
Seven more feet to go. My chin is up. I stride confidently up to them. “Sorry. I don’t speak Finnish,” I say. “I’m looking for the propulsion research facility?” On the map, it’s down the hall.
“Stop here, please.” They put out their hands. “We need to validate your security level.”
“What?” I ask innocently. Two more feet. I keep walking. They step forward, barricading the hall. But it’s too late, three drones take off. They buzz off me like hornets, striking the guards’ necks before they know what’s happening. The men fall with a crackle of electricity.
I wince, though I’m grateful at how easily they went down. I don’t want to see any more blood today, even if I know that’s not possible.
“Sorry,” I mutter as I step over them.
The lock on the door is not simple. It’s an ultrasonic voice activated key. These aren’t even on the market yet. They detect sound waves in voices as passwords. I groan. Thankfully, these devices are not foolproof yet. I just despise what I have to do.
“K2,” I order, “Record.”
I stand over the guard, who is temporarily knocked out and drop my knees into his abdomen. A painfully large moan comes out. I take the recording to the door, and it opens.
I enter another lab with twenty-foot ceilings. It’s a clean and organized workspace with a lounge. In a common area with a kitchen, there’s a TV screen on the wall. A young man with wavy brown hair sits on a couch watching the ISC rocket carry the Super Satellite up into the sky.
At the sound of the door, he spins around, anxious. But his big green eyes brighten after he sees past the blonde hair and snow gear. He jumps to his feet, wonder in his eyes.
“Mila? Is it really you?” For two seconds, we stare at each other. He’s older now, his jaw even more defined. His shoulders wider. The frequency undulating from him is calm, despite what he must have been through. But then I remember: he is the son of a crime boss. “You’re not the person I expected to walk through that door.” His familiar accent fluctuates like music in the room, flooding me with memories of the Pratt, which hold both darkness and light.
“I got your message,” I say, shrugging.
“It’s good to see you,” he says, “but if you’re here I assume that means we’re in big trouble?”
“Why does everyone assume that when I am present?” I grimace. “But unfortunately, you’re right. Your father is here too. There’s a war about to go down between your dad and Palermo. We’ve also got to stop a massive blackout and the sabotage of the ISC satellite.”
He sighs. “Yes, I know. The weapon is already in the sky.” He strides toward me, kissing both cheeks then he wraps me into a tight embrace. “Thank you for coming, anyway.”
My dad races into the room, panting. Kai sent him. My dad’s eyebrows rise at seeing me in the arms of a different guy this time. He has impeccable timing. “Hello,” he says, slowly.
I slip from Rafael’s embrace and wave him over. “Dad, this is Rafael, Cesare’s son.”
My father gives Rafael the usual Jason Rivers stare down. “So, this is your boyfriend from the Pratt?”
“He wasn’t my boyfriend,” I groan, remembering my earlier embarrassment at Noble’s house.
“What?” Rafael says. “We had something…right? Well, until you met Kai.”
I roll my eyes but seeing that I gave up a chance at escaping the Pratt to save Rafael from drowning on the container ship, I have to admit there was something between us. “Yeah, it was…friendship.”
Rafael beams at me until he notices my dad, then he straightens. “And totally innocent. After I left China, we never saw each other again. Until today.” He reaches out his hand. “Salve. Rafael Di Susa. I am not what you must think I am.” Rafael pours out his charming accent for my father.
My dad stretches out a hand. “Call me Jason. I’ve become acquainted with your father. Better grab your jacket.”
“Ah, father and daughter working together,” he says, a gleam of mischief in his eyes, as he slips into winter clothing and boots. “Family business isn’t always easy, eh?”
“I’ve learned that recently.” My dad gives me a funny glance. I shrug and mouth, “Sorry.”
“Let’s hurry. Your family business and father won’t wait too long.” One by one we step over the guards, my numbers leading us to a back exit out of the building.
“How is my papá?” Rafael asks, zipping up his coat.
“Your old man has still got it,” my dad says. “Let’s go.”
We pace down long, narrow halls designed like a maze to keep intruders out. But with the map in my head, I could take these twists and turns blindfolded.
Rafael speaks with my dad as we make our way. “Your daughter saved my life, a couple of times actually,” Rafael says. “That’s why I messaged her. Palermo is pazzo—crazy. Terra Liberata runs deep, everywhere. But Mila took down King. If anyone can stop Palermo, Mila can.”
We sneak past a line of black vans parked in front of the warehouse, our backs against a wall. “Well, your dad effectively infiltrated the mafia,” I retort, then bite my tongue at my stupidity.
Kai huffs. “Then I guess we have a chance. Ready?”
I nod.
We reach the building entrance, where a door is cracked open. Loud crashes come booming from a lower level. We fly in the direction of a set of metal stairs and the noises increase. Thirty-four feet scuffling. Smashing. Breaking. Grunts and thuds getting louder. I cringe.
At the top of the stairs, we look down into a storage room full of containers. A full-on fist fight is going on. Six security guards are throwing punches. Men are slammed up against racks and metal tubes. Glass casing is shattering on the ground. Cesare and my dad are mixed up in the fight. But I’m not close enough to see if they’re okay.
Kai sighs with relief. “Thank God—they’re not Palermo’s men. They’re Scale Tech security. They won’t recognize me.” Kai looks at me. “If you disable cameras before Palermo gets here, I can swing both ways, hopefully without getting caught.”
“Okay.”
Five more security guards arrive on the scene at the same time we do. My eyes dart to Kai. “You’d better get down there!”
A cocky smile spreads across his face. “With pleasure.”
Chapter 61
KAI PULLS ON his mask and storms into the storage level, vaulting over a row of boxes at a full sprint. I race after him, having no time to tell him that the odds of our plan working just dropped to single digits.
Kai targets those five security guards first. I slink behind racks of supplies, scanning the scene for my dad. My mouth drops. Cesare and my father are going fist to fist against four other men. Both of them are fighting…and not unsuccessfully.
My dad’s legs and arms jolt through the air swiftly, his motions strong and concise. Even if he doesn’t operate with Kai’s elegance, he’s executing all the kung fu moves that Kai taught him—actually holding his own—with a trained security guard. Technically, this is his first real fight. I’m impressed.
As I come around a corner, my dad catches sight of me just long enough to become distracted. I cringe at what’s about to happen—slam! My dad is knocked down by a full body tackle. He flies backwards landing on his back with a hard thud, but somehow carries the momentum of his attacker and reverse rolls out of it and lands on his feet. He bounces up with intensity, blocking an incoming wild swing. The block definitely hurts my dad’s arm but to his credit, he presses on. His footwork is clean, moving in close, twisting from the hips and releasing three more heavy blows to another guard coming at him. There’s a crunch and groan, and the guard actually goes down. I’m pretty sure that guy will wake up soon, but it’ll be with a monster headache.
Kai taught my dad too well. I’m speechless.
My eyes move to Cesare. His face is already a bloody mess but there’s a savage determination on it. A purple knot forming on Cesare’s forehead tells me he used his head to incapacitate the man lying on the ground next to him.
Two more men come at him. Cesare curses, then spits blood on the ground. He tucks his chin and dives into the mix. His moves are fierce, messy, and dirty. He is a street fighter through and through. Kicks to the groin. Knees to the face. Elbows to the neck. He grabs for a piece of metal tubing and slams it into a man’s chest. I cringe. Ouch. Okay. Definitely mafia training.
With Kai’s frequency dancing to the side of me, I crouch behind the rack and text Harrison: I need Felicia to get me into Scale Tech security. I need all camera security rerouted to me and access to the main computer systems.
Harrison: She’s on it. Hold tight. The launch is happening right now on every news channel. I’m guessing you’ll miss it?
Me: Too busy trying to stop it from blacking out Europe. How’s Chan?
Harrison: Safe and sound. Our guards are with him 24/7. Pens is working on his intel now.
I sigh with relief. Nothing can happen to Chan with PSS around.
Harrison: How’s it going there?
I look at the beatdown happening in front of me and scratch my forehead.
Me: Better than expected? Cesare’s really starting to use his head.
I turn back to the fight. My father and Cesare are now cornered but going strong, until one guard brings out a baton like they had in the tunnels in Helsinki. Kai hates weapons. He thinks using them is weak. Like a sixth sense, he sees the baton and hardens.
Barely out of breath, Kai takes down the two guards he’s fighting, then races over to the guy with the baton headed for Cesare and my father. Kai slides into the middle of the brawl, between the legs of a guard in a wide stance. He simultaneously swings out his legs like a break-dancer, spinning around and taking down the guard. A quick elbow to the gut followed by a loud groan and that guy is finished. Jumping to his feet Kai pulls to a stop when he sees my father and jumps in alongside him. Kai grabs my father’s arm and spins him around just in time to stop another attack. My dad uses the momentum to launch his next move. They’re now fighting back-to-back, master and student.
“Hi, Mr. Rivers,” Kai says, over his shoulder.
“Did I just hear K—?” My dad’s relief tumbles out at the sound of Kai’s voice, but there’s no time. A massive kicking fest ensues—mostly involving Kai, who takes down twice the number of men as my father and Cesare.
A right hook, sweeping kicks, punches and jabs. Things I never could have imagined are happening before my eyes. My dad and ex-boyfriend fighting side by side—not to mention that they’re both fighting on Cesare Di Susa’s team, which makes the equation even more unbelievable.
Blood and bravery spill out from knuckles and lips as the fight continues, but I need to make sure these cameras go down before they discover Kai is fighting on the wrong side. We need to maneuver around this place unseen if I’m going to find Noble and Rafael.
I close my eyes, wondering if I can feel Noble’s frequency anywhere close to me. But there’s nothing. Scale Tech is massive, so I’ll need access to the cameras to scan the property for Noble and Rafael—and fast.
A second later, Felicia’s voice is in my ear: “I’ve got eyes on you. Move to the southeast part of the warehouse. On the back wall, there’s a security panel. You need to plug K2 into it, or I can’t shut the cameras down and you’ll be tripping sensors everywhere.”
“Got it.”
Following Felicia’s instructions, I plug K2 into the panel on the wall. Instantly it recognizes my watch as a threat and tries to lock me out, but Felicia is already inside.
“Ok, Jo,” Felicia says. “You should have access. Just need one more minute to gain control.”
While Felicia does her thing to reroute the camera feeds to K2 and our system, I work fast, scanning the footage from each room in the Scale Tech complex on K2’s tiny screen, searching for two people. Fifty-five seconds later, Rafael’s familiar frame pops up, pacing in a small lounge in lab 5, which a sign says is the Aerodynamics Research Lab. A camera in the hall outside the lounge shows three guards stationed at the door. Found you.
After 23 seconds of scanning each lab in the security cameras database, I locate Noble and my heart wrenches. He’s crouched in front of four monitors, madly working on something. His body language is tenser than ever, like he’s balancing two reactive substances about to combust.
A large, dark-haired man sits behind him in a folding chair holding his head in his hand. His clothes are wrinkled, his body a mess of anxious frequencies. He looks up every few seconds at Noble, his face an older version of the boy in front of him. Dark circles hang under his eyes and his face is so drowned with grief my stomach lurches. Dr. James Adams.
Noble’s dad.
But his father is not what makes my calculations skyrocket and our odds plummet.
Felicia’s once again in my ear, her voice starting to tremble. “Scale Tech cameras are now under our control. K2 has full access. There’s only one building I can’t shut down…” She doesn’t want to say it, “The Master Satellite Control Center. It’s a completely different electrical and security system. It’s totally rigged in every way. I’d warn you to steer clear of that building, but it doesn’t look like that will be possible...”
I suck in a large breath, holding back a thousand numerical explosions. Noble is in the Master Satellite Control Center—and what Felicia means by ‘rigged’ is no small thing. Judging by the surging electrical frequency surrounding it, it’s not just security sensors. The whole building is wired with bombs, and they’re ticking.
Chapter 62
THE POWER PULSING from the Master Satellite Control Center is enough to take out the entire building and the lab connected to it. Palermo is taking no chances. He’s covering all his tracks, which means that control center is where I need to be.
With the security sensors down and cameras re-routed to me, I run back to the fight. Sweaty and panting, the three victors stumble over. All the guards have been taken out, hands bound.
I make eye contact with Kai. “Cameras are down.”
“Good.” Kai pulls down his mask, and turns to my dad, impressed and nodding with approval. “Your moves aren’t bad.”
“I had a good teacher.” My dad, bruised and purple, is glowing. He throws an arm over Kai’s shoulder.
Cesare wipes his mouth, then cracks his neck. His hands spread open to Kai. “Ah, the real Capo. Grazie.”
“Cesare.” Kai claps him on the back. I don’t miss the look they exchange. They know each other much better than I think. What has happened in the three months after we broke up?
“Not exactly plan A, huh?” Kai says to Cesare, a shift of urgency in his voice. “Where are your men?”
“They should arrive any moment at the southern gates. Then I confront Palermo’s men and call them back to me.” He grunts, looking over his shoulder at the open door. Blood trickles from a cut on his hairline, but he combs his hair back in place like it’s no big deal. He exhales. “But first, my son. Where is he?”
“I found him and Noble,” I say.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Cesare says. “Let’s go get Rafael.”
The clock ticking in my mind compels me to stop him. “No, he’s okay. He’s not in danger yet. But we’ll all be in trouble if we don’t stop Palermo and help Noble.” I look at Kai. “Rafael’s safe. For the moment. But where they’re holding Noble on the north side is wired with explosives. Doesn’t look good. I don’t have any other details.”
“I need to get my son,” Cesare says, fiercely.
Kai stops him. “Jo’s right. It won’t work. Not with the timeline. The launch is happening right now. You need to gather your men and prepare. Palermo is nearly here to ensure the blackout weapon is ready. If you need to confront his men before he arrives, that moment is now, or you’ll be in far greater danger, and so will Rafael.” Kai juts his chin to the north. “They’re on the north side of the complex by the Master Satellite Control Center, where Palermo will arrive soon. They’ll be ready with far more security.”
“Cesare, I know you won’t like this,” I say, “but I’ll get Rafael and bring him to you. Draw them into the Solar Power lab. We’ll rendezvous there.”
Frequencies scramble in the background, feet pounding and voices. I tense and look at Kai. “We don’t have much time. More guards are on the way.”
“You’re not going alone, are you?” my dad asks.
Kai looks at me. His frequency wraps around mine with a fierce warmth. I shiver. “There will be guards at Rafael’s door,” he says. “I’ll send your dad after I take care of the guards, okay?”
I look at my dad, then back at Kai. “I’ll be fine. I have tasers and a map in my head. What we need is backup. We’re outnumbered.”
Reluctantly, they agree.
I look over at Cesare. “Your men better be loyal.”
Chapter 63
I SNEAK DOWN the corridor, following the floor plan in my head to the lounge where Rafael is held. Frequencies of all kinds spit like grease in a pan, but none of them are human until I peek around the corner and spy on the door where Rafael is being held.
Kai was right. Three guards stand at the door. I pull out my bracelet and test a drone. They’re at 65% capacity, but they should do the job long enough for me to get Rafael out.
I stay hidden behind the corner in the hallway as I prepare my drones—four left. The guards are 24 feet away. Like at the Infinity Dome, I’ll need to get 12 feet closer before I fire the drones to ensure they’re strong enough to take down each man. They’ll see me, but causing confusion always buys time.
My fingers fumble to program the drones. The weight of the calculations coils around me as I think of Noble surrounded by explosives. But I can’t dwell on that now. I ruffle my long blonde hair from my hood. The numbers aren’t exactly in my favor, but I’ve always been good with low odds. With a smile on my face, I turn the corner in full view.
“Moi,” I say, using a greeting from my phrasebook. The guards straighten at the sight of me, rattling off a string of sentences in Finnish.
Seven more feet to go. My chin is up. I stride confidently up to them. “Sorry. I don’t speak Finnish,” I say. “I’m looking for the propulsion research facility?” On the map, it’s down the hall.
“Stop here, please.” They put out their hands. “We need to validate your security level.”
“What?” I ask innocently. Two more feet. I keep walking. They step forward, barricading the hall. But it’s too late, three drones take off. They buzz off me like hornets, striking the guards’ necks before they know what’s happening. The men fall with a crackle of electricity.
I wince, though I’m grateful at how easily they went down. I don’t want to see any more blood today, even if I know that’s not possible.
“Sorry,” I mutter as I step over them.
The lock on the door is not simple. It’s an ultrasonic voice activated key. These aren’t even on the market yet. They detect sound waves in voices as passwords. I groan. Thankfully, these devices are not foolproof yet. I just despise what I have to do.
“K2,” I order, “Record.”
I stand over the guard, who is temporarily knocked out and drop my knees into his abdomen. A painfully large moan comes out. I take the recording to the door, and it opens.
I enter another lab with twenty-foot ceilings. It’s a clean and organized workspace with a lounge. In a common area with a kitchen, there’s a TV screen on the wall. A young man with wavy brown hair sits on a couch watching the ISC rocket carry the Super Satellite up into the sky.
At the sound of the door, he spins around, anxious. But his big green eyes brighten after he sees past the blonde hair and snow gear. He jumps to his feet, wonder in his eyes.
“Mila? Is it really you?” For two seconds, we stare at each other. He’s older now, his jaw even more defined. His shoulders wider. The frequency undulating from him is calm, despite what he must have been through. But then I remember: he is the son of a crime boss. “You’re not the person I expected to walk through that door.” His familiar accent fluctuates like music in the room, flooding me with memories of the Pratt, which hold both darkness and light.
“I got your message,” I say, shrugging.
“It’s good to see you,” he says, “but if you’re here I assume that means we’re in big trouble?”
“Why does everyone assume that when I am present?” I grimace. “But unfortunately, you’re right. Your father is here too. There’s a war about to go down between your dad and Palermo. We’ve also got to stop a massive blackout and the sabotage of the ISC satellite.”
He sighs. “Yes, I know. The weapon is already in the sky.” He strides toward me, kissing both cheeks then he wraps me into a tight embrace. “Thank you for coming, anyway.”
My dad races into the room, panting. Kai sent him. My dad’s eyebrows rise at seeing me in the arms of a different guy this time. He has impeccable timing. “Hello,” he says, slowly.
I slip from Rafael’s embrace and wave him over. “Dad, this is Rafael, Cesare’s son.”
My father gives Rafael the usual Jason Rivers stare down. “So, this is your boyfriend from the Pratt?”
“He wasn’t my boyfriend,” I groan, remembering my earlier embarrassment at Noble’s house.
“What?” Rafael says. “We had something…right? Well, until you met Kai.”
I roll my eyes but seeing that I gave up a chance at escaping the Pratt to save Rafael from drowning on the container ship, I have to admit there was something between us. “Yeah, it was…friendship.”
Rafael beams at me until he notices my dad, then he straightens. “And totally innocent. After I left China, we never saw each other again. Until today.” He reaches out his hand. “Salve. Rafael Di Susa. I am not what you must think I am.” Rafael pours out his charming accent for my father.
My dad stretches out a hand. “Call me Jason. I’ve become acquainted with your father. Better grab your jacket.”
“Ah, father and daughter working together,” he says, a gleam of mischief in his eyes, as he slips into winter clothing and boots. “Family business isn’t always easy, eh?”
“I’ve learned that recently.” My dad gives me a funny glance. I shrug and mouth, “Sorry.”
“Let’s hurry. Your family business and father won’t wait too long.” One by one we step over the guards, my numbers leading us to a back exit out of the building.
“How is my papá?” Rafael asks, zipping up his coat.
“Your old man has still got it,” my dad says. “Let’s go.”
We pace down long, narrow halls designed like a maze to keep intruders out. But with the map in my head, I could take these twists and turns blindfolded.
Rafael speaks with my dad as we make our way. “Your daughter saved my life, a couple of times actually,” Rafael says. “That’s why I messaged her. Palermo is pazzo—crazy. Terra Liberata runs deep, everywhere. But Mila took down King. If anyone can stop Palermo, Mila can.”
