Merrick

  I sat in my Piper K gaming chair with my supercomputer on the wall. With Fox breathing down my neck. His breath smells like fried horse meat and garlic.

  That forty-year old man just won’t leave me alone.

  “Fox we’re not hacking that car or that compound. It has a royal fire wall, safe to say we’re not getting in.” I said opening up cat videos.

  Fox just looked at me with that look that said, “Figure it out or he’ll make do pushups.”

  I hate pushups.

  Fox leaned closer, and I shoved my chair back with a groan.

  “Personal space, man. You ever heard of it?”

  He crossed his arms, looming like a bouncer at a dive bar. “Kade said I quote, ‘If you can’t hack it, I’ll blow the twelve-ton door off.’”

  I turned back to Fox. “So yeah, Kade maybe ex-special forces and a pyromaniac.”

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  I opened my hacking tool again and watched my AI bots get work. This would take 15 more seconds, and they would come again with failures.

  The code spat back another angry red wall of text.

  ACCESS DENIED.

  I threw my hands up. “See? Denied. Locked tighter than the king’s thoughts.”

  Fox just stormed out and slammed the door behind him. He’s probably going to come back with his flask. Might as well pull out my calculus homework and call dad.

  I dragged the calc textbook onto my lap, numbers blurring like they were written in some ancient draconic script.

  “Integrals or infiltration,” I muttered. “One kills my GPA, the other kills me.”

  My phone buzzed. Kade. Great. Eather blow summing up or fix his computer.

  I clicked answer.

  “Hello, Fixer, I found myself a new rune weaver,” Kade said, enthusiasm dripping like oil.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That tone means one thing. The new kid can make bombs.”

  “Not just bombs,” Kade countered, smug. “She’s got a dragon. Stronger runes, stronger payloads.”

  Greaaaat. Exactly what we needed—another trigger-happy recruit with a murder-lizard.

  Something’s going to go sky high tonight, I just know it. And when it does, Dave gets his payday, Fox gets drunk, Kade gets his adrenaline rush…

  …and me? I get to pick through the wreckage and hope no one notices my GPA circling the drain.

  At least May isn’t here bossing me around and worrying about my GPA.

  “Fixer? You there?” Kade asked.

  “Yes, I’m still here.”

  “Ok can you fly a drone over these coordinates and report on your findings. Fletcher over and out.”