Chapter 29 · Neon Deadline: Glitch Hunt - Chapter 29: Blood-Red Lockdown

“Don’t move. Not a muscle.” Seth’s voice was a low rasp, his hand clamped tight on my shoulder, shoving me back against the cold brick of the alleyway.

Behind us, the city was screaming. Every neon sign from the slums to the Cloud District had flipped to a violent, pulsing crimson. It wasn't just a warning; it was a beacon. The broadcast was live. My signal was bleeding into every optic nerve in the city, and the hunters were already closing in.

“I can’t just—!” I gasped, struggling against his grip. My neural link was frying, a thousand white-hot needles stabbing into my temples. “The plug-in is lagging, Seth. I can’t see them coming!”

“Then shut up and let me think,” he snapped. He didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned closer, his chest pressing against my shoulder. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the smell of ozone and expensive leather. His eyes were scanning the rooftops, but his grip on me was possessive, almost bruising. “You’re a walking flare, Kaelen. Every corporate dog in a ten-mile radius knows exactly where you are.”

“Maybe I should’ve just let the drones take me,” I spat, though I didn’t pull away.