Chapter 27 · Neon Deadline: Glitch Hunt - Chapter 27: Ghosting the Grid

"Move your hand, Kaelen. Now."

Seth’s voice was a low rasp, barely audible over the scream of the server cooling fans. He had me pinned against the cold metal of the mainframe, his chest pressing into my shoulder, his breath hot against the shell of my ear. He wasn't gentle. He never was when the clock was ticking.

"I'm almost through the firewall," I snapped, my fingers dancing across the holographic projection. "Give me ten seconds or we both walk out of here in bags."

"You have five," he countered, his grip tightening on my waist. I could feel the hard line of his holster digging into my hip, a constant reminder of who held the leash in this relationship. "The Enforcers are two floors down. They aren't coming to negotiate."

I gritted my teeth, the God-tier plug-in in my brain pulsing with a violent, electric violet light. Three seconds. That was all the plug-in gave me. I saw the ghost-image of the security door sliding open—and then slamming shut on my head—before it even happened.

"Shit!" I jerked my head back just as the real-world door hissed shut, missing my nose by an inch. "See? I need the time!"