Chapter 22 · Neon Deadline: Glitch Hunt - Chapter 22: Old Friends, New Guns

"Don't move. Not a muscle, Kaelen."

Seth’s voice wasn't a warning; it was a blade. He had me pinned against the rusted corrugated wall of the alley, his forearm pressed hard against my collarbone. I could feel the heat radiating off his chest, the smell of ozone and expensive corporate soap clashing with the stench of rotting trash around us.

I gasped, my lungs fighting for air. "He's... he's helping us, Seth. Jax knows the backdoors into the Cloud District."

Seth didn't loosen his grip. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. "Helping us? Or selling us for a clean slate? In this city, 'help' is just another word for a down payment on a betrayal."

I tried to twist away, but he shifted his weight, crushing me further into the metal. The friction of his tactical gear against my thin jacket felt like a brand. I looked past his shoulder. Jax was standing ten feet away, leaning against a hover-bike, grinning like he hadn't just spent the last three years ignoring my desperate pings for help.

"C'mon, Seth!" Jax shouted, tossing a data-chip up and catching it.