Fractured | The Portal Series book 1

Chapter 36 - Jessica

5:19 a.m. SWT – 9/14/341 U.M.

8:19 p.m. BTS – 9/13/341 U.M.

I burst into Tess' and my room.

"Tess, wake up!"

"What," she asks groggily, not opening her eyes.

"Jack. I think he's a spy."

"We all are, Jessica," Tess mumbles, turning over.

I go over to the other side of her bed, and say, "But for a different agency. And... I think that he knows that I'm suspicious."

Finally, she sighs and sits up. "What?"

"We need to find out what he's been hiding," I say anxiously.

"The only place we'd find that sort of info is Mr. Urich's office," she tells me.

"Okay," I say impatiently as Tess swings her legs out of bed.

"No, not okay," Tess corrects, "If we were caught, we

would be jailed. No more missions."

I huff irritably. "If, Tess, if. We're the best team, remember? And besides, if I am right, and he isn't caught, then the results would be catastrophic! He could be erasing any critical data at this very moment! It's our job to investigate these things."

Tess sighs. I can tell that she doesn't quite believe me. Or, maybe it's just early morning attitude. "Alright—"

"Then let's go!"

"Let me get dressed first."

I scoff and turn towards the window as Tess goes into the changing room. The atrium is getting busier by the minute. While I wait, I go ahead and grab both pairs of our techglasses.

After Tess comes out, her uniform slightly wrinkled, I move to the door, but she is dawdling.

"Tess, come on!" I exclaim, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the room.

——

Tess rubs her face tiredly with her arm. "What exactly am I looking for?" Her gloved hands are poised over the keyboard—waiting.

"Anything on Jack. Or his team, for that matter."

I turn my back to her, keeping watch. For us, it was frighteningly simple to get in here.

"Alright, I'm in," Tess tells me, "Looking for relevant info...."

I am wearing my techglasses, and am connected to security feeds. If anyone gets within a fifteen-meter radius

of us, Milica will tell me.

"Jessica, this might be pointle—wait."

I go around the desk and look over Tess' shoulder. "What'd you find?"

"All this info, it looks fake," she says, flipping through holographic files.

"Who faked it?" I ask urgently.

"I... I can't tell. But all of this, even his name!"

"How come nobody found out?"

"Me, being the trained hacker I am, had a hard time even though I was looking for problems! I was about to give up when I found this. Look, his birth certificate, fake; transfer order, fake; Competition permit, fake!"