I’m sorry I’m unable to help Mr. DeSoto again at the moment. It was of key importance for her father’s company to utilize his resources for everything she needed. Now the shoe is on the other foot.

“It’s definitely cryptic,” Vee considered, pacing back and forth along a small path near the window of Tomás’s office. “I think it’s safe to say he can’t communicate openly. It’s on a handheld, for heaven’s sake, and completely unidentifiable. If we didn’t have a countersign prepared, I wouldn’t have recognized him.”

“He has to know that recognizing the source of that message on an unaligned device would be like picking out a firefly in a lineup of lightning bugs,” Sophie shrugged.

“But,” Hazel protested, “there was meaning in what he said. I know that making information out of data is his specialty, and he would never just say pointless ‘words.’ He specifically talked about Sophie’s father and how she utilized his resources, and he used the word ‘key.’ I think he’s referring to his Wire, how Mr. DeSoto dissolved Sophie’s link.”

“I’m willing to consider the possibility,” Vee countered, “but it’s too drastic a step to take on a hunch. Are you willing to risk leaving him with diminished capabilities in case he gets into a dangerous situation?”

“If the alternative is a dead Rel, then yes,” Hazel pressed.

She had somehow managed to convince two out of the three prospects that she needed to deploy the exploit to counteract the glitch. If she lost Rel, though, after losing Peter? Hazel didn’t believe she had the strength to manage.

“I would need his key, which I can access through a lot of red tape or deceit. But that’s another point against the probability that he would ask me to do that.”

“How would you feel if you were walking around with a bomb in your head?”

Vee reached a hand to Hazel’s arm in a comforting gesture. “I just might be, Hazel. Everyone with a Wire is. If this goes south, and my role in helping Tomás is revealed, my Wire will be as vulnerable as anyone else’s. More maybe, because I am unimportant to any of the major players therefore not needed alive as a bargaining chip.”

“Let’s find your last accomplice, Hazel,” Sophie urged, placing an arm around the taller friend. “Maybe Rel will send another message before you’re done. The Partie starts in an hour, and let’s face it – Rel doesn’t play a role in all this. He’s doing the responsible thing by staying away from us and redirecting attention away from you.”

“Assuming Peter is even strategic enough to monitor Rel,” Vee agreed. “He is obviously the best chess player in the match, but he misses some conspicuous plays. He only contacted Rel because he was at your best friend’s house. If I know Rel, he has offered a rational explanation for that. It’s possible Peter believes it.”

“Counting on Pete’s ego is a safe bet, I guess,” Hazel allowed. “He is used to dismissing other people’s intelligence, though he has an instinctive ability to detect and exploit goodness and honor.”

“Which means that he won’t just go after Rel. Peter will want to use the man instead of kill him or knock him out.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve made Peter question his knowledge about me. I have always been a big coward – for years – and I have always avoided conflict. What I did yesterday? That would upset his long-held beliefs about me. Still, as long as Peter doesn’t know how much it would hurt me to go after Rel, maybe Rel is safe. If Peter figures it out though? He is capable of being very small-minded and vindictive, even in his calculation.”

“You’re not going to solve this before you need to play, Hazel. Let’s go get ready for the Partie,” Sophie commanded.

Once the girls had left, Vee called to Mr. DeSoto across the lobby. “Would you do something for me?” she begged as she approached him. When he stepped closer than quite socially acceptable, Vee forced herself to smile. She couldn’t let herself consider how neatly Tomás fit into her formulas – not until the current situation was handled.

“What is it, Vee? Anything, if I am able.”

“I think that Rel sent us a message, some kind of duress message. I think his wire has been compromised, but I have no right to ask you to dissolve his link.”

“I am not sure how I can help you, then,” Tomás pressed.

“How far can you go toward dissolving the link but keep it intact? Can you go part way down the path and stop? Do you have to have a person’s key to even start?”

“You make a very good point, Vee. I will see what we can do. I will need the key, so let me know when you have that.” He placed his hand on her arm, a comforting familiarity.

“Thank you,” Vee managed as she peered up into the man’s onyx eyes. Shaking herself, she smiled at him and turned to follow the girls. Not that she cared to watch them play their game, but she needed space to breathe – at least until the situation was resolved.

++++++++++++++

Mollified by the conversation in the office, Hazel entered the Rendering with significantly more composure than she had expected. Everything about playing settled confidently into her skin as she donned her avatar and logged into the arena.

For half an hour, Hazel and Sophie tag-teamed through the side streets near Brussels parliament, knocking down several rounds of Pros before settling in under trees in the Parc de Bruxelles.

“This is surreal,” Sophie hummed as she gaped up at overhanging branches that rested just beyond her fingertips.

“If you had your Wire working, I bet you could feel and smell them, not just see them.”

“Not if I was in a coma or dead,” Sophie snickered, and Hazel rolled her eyes at her friend’s morbid sense of humor. “Have you talked to everyone about tonight? I mean your team – not the other stuff.”

“I can’t believe it, but no. I mean, sort of…I’ve got you as a Berserker, I’m the Ranger, Dibs is the Healer, Pender209 is my Thief – you don’t know him because I met him while you were in a coma. I’m supposed to have ExDominus as Mage, but he hasn’t been responding to my messages. With all that’s going on, it makes me nervous.”

“You better have a backup plan. Do you know anyone else?” Sophie took down a cluster of the little uniformed Pros as she waited for Hazel’s answer.

“I don’t know any other Mages who aren’t committed.”

“Maybe ask around in the bars by Saint-Hubert.”

“Not a bad idea…” A blast of light to her right distracted Hazel, and the room around her moved until she stood behind a tree a few feet from a character battle. “KnifeLife versus Bizracki. This should be interesting.”

“You going to throw in?”

“Maybe in a minute. A mage and a thief – not sure it’s worth helping Bizracki, though. I don’t really want him on my team.”

Hazel should have known Sophie wasn’t the type to wait. Before Hazel could protest, Sophie had stepped out into the Vauxhall courtyard and had begun dispatching all the Pros that would otherwise have attacked Bizracki.

“Have fun with that,” Hazel mumbled aloud as she took up position under the Vauxhall dome. She guessed Sophie had spent too much time in stasis to want to wait for anything anymore.

MadLady’s back, huh? The words rolled across the top of Hazel’s screen.

DayBender? Hadn’t he met her as Tryptech? She needed to be careful. Hazel Hops, and yeah. MadLady is back. How do you know her? As she reflexively noted Sophie’s success with the battle, an idea formed in Hazel’s mind, but she would have to act carefully. She needed another teammate, but if she started acting like she knew DayBender, he might not trust her.

Are you new?

Made elite yesterday.

So, how do you know MadLady?

There was a pause, and Hazel wondered if he had gone AFK for a minute.

I’ve watched some broadcasts by ExDominus. He used to play with you guys, and. I watched you because you’re Wire-free, like I am.

Wire free? Hazel hedged. The whole situation with DayBender seemed so unlikely. Would he have happened on her both in the Trifecta and out in regular play? Of course, she had been the one who had approached him in Trifecta, so he couldn’t have planned it. So, do you have a team? she tested.

Maybe. There’s someone named Tryptech88 who asked me to play, but he’s gone missing.

I’m pretty sure that Tryptech had to bow out, Hazel asserted, hating herself but unwilling to acknowledge the truth. Now that she didn’t trust Peter, she didn’t want her Trifecta name getting out to anyone.

She’s good…DayBender offered suddenly, and Hazel had to pause for a moment to realize he was talking about Sophie.

She is good, Hazel agreed as Sophie dispatched the last of her opponents and walked her avatar back to Hazel.

“Who is this?” Sophie wondered skeptically. She exchanged glances with Hazel in the Rendering but managed to keep too much irritation out of her voice as she prodded for information. “An assassin, I see.”

DayBender, this is MadLady. MadLady, DayBender. I usually hate when people lead with this, but in the circumstances, I thought you would find it interesting, Maddy, that DayBender is Wire-free.

Sophie physically spun to make eye contact with Hazel.

This is DayBender’s first year to make elite, Hazel informed.

So, are you playing tonight? Sophie demanded.

No team, DayBender lamented.

Too bad. Sophie pursed her lips at Hazel, tilting her head in consideration.

MadLady and I were just finishing up a few things before taking a break, but if I needed to contact you, do you have a link?

Almost before the words were out of Hazel’s mouth, the connection floated into her vision a foot in front of her face. She accessed it and added DayBender to her game contacts.

I plan on watching the tournament tonight, he declared. Will you broadcast?

Hazel and Sophie exchanged a look, and when Sophie shrugged, Hazel answered in the affirmative. She shared the link to her Stream, and DayBender’s avatar swung through it with his katana. Gotcha. Cool. Good luck tonight.

Thanks, both girls answered before shutting off the rendering.

“What was that about, Hazel?” Sophie demanded as soon as they had disconnected.

“We are missing a mage –”

“An assassin is not a mage.”

“But I’m a crossover. I have some crazy good spells. Dibs can heal. Even Pender209 is cloaked up right now. And DayBender is Wire-free…”

Sophie pulled in a breath. “I’m Wire-free. We don’t need another. Besides, is he even from the right location? We need Africa – how likely is it he is from there?”

“I’ve been thinking about that. We were only planning to address the four Medium Earth Orbit satellites, and we haven’t found anyone for Africa, but the geosynchronous management center is in Utah. Either you or DayBender, if he is in the U.S., could protect the geo satellite, and the Bridge would maintain coverage even in Africa, though at a slightly less consistent rate.”

“And you’re willing to ask this guy you just met?” Sophie scoffed.

“I’ll just test him out. Give him part of the story and see how he responds.”

“That would be a sucky first tournament,” Sophie claimed.

“I don’t know. Might be kind of fun to be able to be a part of saving the world.”

As they approached her dad’s office, Sophie shrugged. “I guess it could work. Let’s see what my dad’s guys have for us, then we’ll grab some dinner before we start.”

“I’ll have to go back a few minutes early to recruit DayBender.”

Resigned, Sophie raised her hand and knocked on the wood.

+++++++++++++

Peter had found her.

Not only had he found her, he had convinced her to invite him on her team.

Though he wanted not to care, Peter couldn’t arrest the thrill that ran through him at the thought. Hazel had run from him, she had judged him…and she had invited him into the most important sanctum of her life. Of course, he now had confirmation that she had lied to him about Tryptech. He had told Tryptech both that he was Wire-free and that he had just made elite, and Hazel had repeated the story as if she had forgotten where she had heard it.

Maybe he would have laughed at her for stealing his Trifecta identifier – before she had turned against him. Now that she had betrayed him? Now she had actually stolen from him, and he would make sure it would cost her in the game. At some point in the Partie, he would sabotage her play and hold it hostage until she came back to him.

Pulling up the rendering, Peter searched for her signal amid the lights, hoping to pinpoint her physical location. For some reason, though he had her signal in the game, he could not find her. How was that even possible? Obviously, she had turned off her handheld, but he should be able to trace the signal – unless she was behind some pretty intense firewalls. He needed to see her, to touch her, to convince her.

He knew that the only way for him to calm her down and get her back would be if he could look her in the eyes – maybe confuse her with a kiss. Whatever happened, he needed to distract her until the Deconstruction was complete and her other resources had turned powerless.

For a brief moment, his mind burned with jealousy as he thought of Rel Martins. He had not found opportunity to observe them together after that first night, but he had seen their connection even then. Something about it had latched more tightly onto Hazel than even her loyalty to Peter. And at least a few times since that night, Hazel and the agent had spent time in each other’s presence. If she had done so for some ill-conceived conspiracy to interfere with Peter’s plans – if the agent had merely courted Hazel to get at Peter – Peter might have ignored it. Something had changed in Hazel, though. Even as she should have been pulled more intensely toward Peter, while every moment pulled her physically closer to him, he felt like he was losing her mind, her heart. On a personal level, it hurt. In reference to his plans, it was highly inconvenient.

Fortunately, Martins was someone Peter could track – should have tracked sooner. In a couple of hours, Peter could find out if the agent had been at the restaurant the night before – part of Peter wanted to risk shutting the man down, since likely no one would detect it before the Deconstruction. Still, there was only a twenty-four hour delay on agent info, so Pete really needed to wait to within twenty-four hours of implementation.

There were other things Peter could do to the agent, though, that might not draw oversight but would keep him away from Hazel. A quick filtering showed Martins at a small apartment at least a twenty-minute Queue ride from Dragnet, which should have reassured Peter – at least the agent wasn’t with Hazel. Would Hazel play the tournament at the other man’s apartment? When Peter pulled up the specs on the Stream speed there, he literally laughed out loud. Apparently, Rel Martins could not afford anything near normal, much less something like Peter’s or Sophie’s. No, Hazel would not play there.

If Peter did not bring her back to his own apartment in the next twelve hours, there was little chance he would get her back. The Deconstruction was ready; he had not only checked everything a dozen times, he had linked Ziyad, Chad, and Leo into the plans, and each of them had verified that it was ready.

He could afford to spend a few hours making sure all of his plans worked out, including his plans for Hazel. Was she worth the trouble? It didn’t really matter. After everything they had been through together, for her to betray him? To attack him? He deserved better.

With a quick shake to focus, Peter logged onto Tripartite.

+++++++++++++++

For the first time she could remember, Hazel felt butterflies of anxiety rather than excitement as she signed into her game – probably because she had never gone into the game with winning as her secondary objective.

Closing her eyes, she centered her mind, preparing herself to accomplish something she had never tried before. Persuasion and sales were not really her thing. She did not at all feel competent to the task of convincing a player to help her interfere with the most powerful person in the world. If she believed in something, though, she hoped she could be convincing.

Immediately, she sought out DayBender, and the butterflies increased when she found him.

Glad you’re on, she offered. You want to play with us?

I was hoping you’d ask. I’ve been on since we talked, trying to get a few last-minute weapons before the tournament. I really appreciate that you guys are taking a risk on me.

Hold that thought, Hazel interjected, and her heart joined the rhythm of the butterflies. She really did not feel confident about doing what she needed to do.

Oh…Did you find a mage?

It’s not that, she explained. I am just not sure you will appreciate playing on my team today.

I promise I will, even if you guys don’t do as well as your reputation. I know you had to throw things together at the last minute.

Not that either, she began, and she sucked in a steeling breath before continuing. Have you ever heard of SOA?

That depends…is there an answer I give that will make you less likely to let me play?

Well, obviously you have, and no. I wouldn’t do that to you. Since you’re Wire-free, I thought you might think favorably of them.

Do you think favorably of them?

Hazel rubbed her neck – this was incredibly stressful. I am okay with them. I know most of them are idealogues who don’t believe in drastic measures, but there are some who I think are a little scary.

I would agree with you, DayBender shot back, and I’m a founding member.

Blinking her eyes, Hazel stilled her mind which had started to batter the inside of her skull with thoughts.

Do you know who Peter Donovan is? She finally managed.

For several seconds, DayBender didn’t answer, and Hazel wondered if she had scared him off.

Finally, The guy who made the Bridge, yeah.

And the Wire. And if you’re SOA, I imagine I wouldn’t have to sell you too hard on the idea that Donovan has some pretty bad intentions regarding the Wire.

Again, silence.

Where are you getting your information? came the eventual reply.

I’m his best friend.

Some friend…

Well, Hazel suddenly felt defensive, he’s changed, and I’m not sure I ever really knew him. I was seventeen when we met, and my dad had just died.

Why should I believe you?

Look, I only have about half an hour to convince you, because the tournament is going to start. I’m going to give you a list of names – elites who have disappeared out of play for the past month or so. You go see if you can find them registered in the tournament, go to their broadcast pages for their creds, and get back to me when you’re convinced. Peter Donovan took them out so he could crash the Bridge, and I’m going to bring the players back so he fails to do so.

She typed out a list of the people who had gone missing, excluding Sophie, and DayBender agreed to check out her claims.

“The exploit is done,” Sophie declared a few minutes later, as she entered the room. “And Enzo has managed a partial severance on Rel. It will only take him about five minutes to complete the separation once he receives the green light.”

Putting down her controller, Hazel ran and threw her arms around Sophie. “Thank you!”

“Okay, okay…I’m not Rel, and I’m not even Enzo. Let go of me.”

Hazel snickered, but turned back to the game. “You’re half of Rel,” she leveled, “and you like Enzo.” For her teasing, Hazel received a wadded-up piece of paper to the back of the head.

“Anyway…how’d it go with DayBender?” Sophie pressed.

“Um, interesting? He claims to be a founder of SOA, and he didn’t believe me that I was Pete’s best friend. I gave him an assignment, and he’s going to come back and tell me if he believes me.”

“Cutting it pretty close. I’m not sure how I feel about him – he has one of those rich-boy cloaks. You can’t trust rich people.”

With narrowed eyes, Hazel stared at Sophie to see if she would recognize the irony.

“Oh, yeah,” Sophie laughed. “I guess I’m rich. Changing the subject…before I forget. Copy this code for the exploit.”

Pulling up the code, Hazel laughed at her friend, scanning quickly over the information. “Brilliant,” she exclaimed after she read it. “Your dad’s guys give Pete a run for his money.”

“Except they are simple problem solvers. Peter has that whole insane visionary thing going for him.”

“My money’s on the problem solvers – literally, since I’m giving up a tournament and a good chunk of support to stop Peter.”

After she pulled up the relevant names, Hazel shot the code along with the instructions off to the players from Sino-Russe and Eur-Russe who had agreed to help. In short order, there would be no turning back. She couldn’t worry about Peter anymore…I never have to see him again.

Even as part of her mourned the loss of her friend, another part knew that friend may never have existed, and he definitely did not exist anymore.

“You’re staring into space, Hazel. I think your guy is back.”

Hazel forced herself to stay cool as she linked to the message.

I’m in. That thing with Piroulette was really disturbing.

Hazel exchanged glances with Sophie. It was even worse being there. Okay. So, all I need you to do is hold the team together while MadLady and I go fix the problem.

How will you fix it?

It’s really complicated, honestly. It involves using a glitch in the game. You and I will clear a path, but then you and our teammates will hold down the fort while Maddy and I manage our job.

Got it, DayBender agreed. I’m on it.

Sophie and Hazel cheered silently, then they spent a few minutes psyching themselves up for the game.

“This is really fun, actually,” Hazel grinned. “You ready?”

Poised with her controller in hand, Sophie gave Hazel a nod. “Game on.”

Quickly, Hazel added DayBender to her roster, then she and Sophie checked in, waiting for their teammates to add their names to the board.

“Just to make sure you know, Sophe, there are two entrances: in Breslau and in Brussels. We’re going to Brussels. It’s kind of sick how this Rendering shows you your perspective and me my perspective while we’re standing, unmoving in the same room.”

“It’s very trippy – yeah.”

Both of the ladies led DayBender down the Cathedral Bridge to Cathedral Island, battering a seemingly endless swarm of Pros that barraged them. On the back side of the island, they could see the enemy team taking position to defend the island. When their ranger, clad in German blues, moved through the light cast by a streetlamp, Hazel started her explanation to her teammates.

After DayBender and I knock out their ranger and mage, she offered, MadLady and I will be out. I can’t tell you guys how much I appreciate this.

I’m the one who appreciates it, Dibs replied. If you hadn’t managed it, this Wire in my head would be a worthless piece of junk by tomorrow.

Pender209 agreed. Yeah, Hazel. None of us has been particularly kind to you in the last couple of years, with all the Wire shit.

Doesn’t mean you deserve to be in a coma. And if you’re going to go Wire-free, that should be your decision. Now, back to the game. Dibs, you know the drill. Stay back, keep an eye on the health. Pender209, I would love for you guys to last until I finish and can come back. Maybe we can still win this thing. If you could manage to steal some serious health – so you could hand it out to DayBender and Dibs and keep the team up – that would be great. DayBender, you and I are going to go take out that warrior and mage. MadLady, keep Dibs safe until we get back, and kill anything that comes close.

Just as Hazel said the words, a volley of shots zipped past her toward Dibs, but Sophie deftly interfered, throwing up her shield and hardly taking any damage. “You didn’t need a Wire after all,” Hazel spoke aloud, and Sophie laughed.

++++++++++++++

Peter’s vision went red.

Somehow, Hazel was going to try to stop him – and she honestly thought she could pull it off. Not only had she rejected his advances, not only had she judged him. She had the audacity to try to stop him. Of course, there was little chance she could do it, whatever her plan.

Even worse than her betrayal, though, she had spread the word about his Blueprint. So much of his plan depended on image control before the collapse. After the Bridge failed, people needed to look to him for solutions, not as the perpetrator that caused the problem. He had intended to minimize the collateral damage so that he could salvage as much of the system that fed him as possible. Hazel, though, might have made that an impossibility.

Linking to his trio of collaborators, he quickly formulated a plan.

“We have a problem,” he informed his collaborators. “Leo, we are going to have to prep the Failsafe.”

“Hell, Peter,” Chad breathed. “What happened?”

“It’s why it’s called a Failsafe, Chad. I just need Leo to stand next to the fire ax and be ready to break the glass. You are going to set a couple of things in motion to try to prevent the need. I need you to set off the Wires on our satellite operators.”

“Like the DeSoto girl?”

“The first run. We just need them crashed for long enough to send their parents into a panic. That should be enough to remind them not to screw me over.”

“And me?” Ziyad wondered.

“Your job is just to make sure that my armory is well protected.”

Ziyad laughed. “You’ll have the best stocked weapons vault on the planet.”

“Okay, get to work.”

The links flashed off, and Peter returned his gaze to the rendering.

Whatever it took, Peter would effect the end of the Bridge. How he did that would depend on how Hazel responded to his threats. He would threaten her game, he would threaten her new boyfriend, and he would try to work around her by threatening the satellite operators. If none of those efforts worked, though, Peter would bring it all down. He knew well enough that he would be the one standing even if he were standing in a pile of rubble.