Page 128 of Neon Flux

I lowered my hand and just stood there for a moment, basking in it.

The door behind me slid open.

“What the fuck, Cy?” It was just Maddox.

“Guy didn’t have any useful info.”

“So you shot him?”

“He was pissing me off. Accidents happen.”

To my surprise, Maddox just grunted. “I’ll call janitorial.”

CHAPTER 46

EON

I’d fled back to my apartment. DITA was flitting around, her holographic avatar pretending to dust every surface in a little maid outfit.

“DITA, will you put some different clothes on?”

“Am I distracting you, E?” she asked, smirking.

“Yes! I’m trying to work.”

“Whatever you say.” Her countenance flickered, and she was back in her standard little black dress.

I sighed and tried to focus on cyberspace. DITA was still monitoring the data reconstruction while I was still trying to figure out what the hell the programmer who’d altered my code had been doing. Their work was sloppy as hell—so many variables left hanging, layers of nested loops that could’ve been simplified. Amateur stuff. It reminded me of when I was working with…

A message popped up on my Vysor. Cy.

Cy: Looks like we need in at Church of Divine Light. Know anyone?

Me: Need I remind you that I’m a cyberrunner? You’re the one into espionage.

Cy: Yeah, but you’re the one who likes to play dress-up.

I was about to fire back when I remembered—I did know someone with connections to the Church. Even if she pretended that wasn’t who she really was.

Me: Give me a few hours.

Cy: Uh oh. Somebody’s about to get it.

“I like seeing you smile like that,” DITA said, watching me.

I wiped the stupid grin off my face.

I sent another message, this time to Taos.

Me: We need to meet.

I waited. No response. She’d seen it—right there on her fucking face, and I knew she hadn’t blocked me. This was about to get messy.

“How do you think Cy would handle this?” DITA asked.

“He’d make a threat. Force her hand.”

“Hmmmm.” DITA didn’t say anything else, just busied herself with her Sisyphean task of dusting with a holographic body.