Glitch in the God Complex (AmpCore #1)

28 - Someone's Getting Fired for This

Senior Operative Adeyemi didn't look very happy.

She peered at Odiye from across her desk, bright, brown eyes appraising him with both annoyance and resignation. She had dark skin, rounded features, and her hair was cut to just below her neck, bundled into thick black braids. Her black jacket hung open, revealing a strong and sinewy frame beneath.

Her shoulder patch bore the cobalt circle and diagonal line motif of Code and Vector Incorporated. An ally, one of the few he had in any position of influence, and he'd just used one of the few favours he could realistically ask of her.

But a promise was a promise. He was sick of being made to feel like a liar.

"Well?"

"This is not a good idea."

"She's got a right to see them."

"She's got the rights the academy says she has, Odiye," Adeyemi snapped. "As you well know. Idealism and high morals are not enough."

"Will you just pull the logs?" Odiye gave her a beseeching look. "If we don't give her this – if we don't keep her on our side, then none of this is going to matter. She'll snap – sooner or later – and then Demir and the rest will have her put down like a dog."

That cut through some of Adeyemi's protests. Her posture stiffened; the corner of her eye twitched with irritation.

"Wasteful fools," she muttered. "So, you really want to take her out there? With the wraiths hunting her?"

"I killed the last wraith," he reminded her.

"There's another at large."

She said it so matter-of-factly that he almost didn't register the weight of her words. He looked at her for a moment, then managed an uncertain, "what?"

"We had reports of another wraith – close to the financial districts."

"I didn't hear about that."

"It's not common knowledge, because no-one knows where it is." Adeyemi frowned, steepling her fingers together. "It killed four people. We had a drone tracking in the area but there was some kind of interference generated from the wraith's systems. There's no clear footage."

Odiye looked at her in disbelief. "And they have no idea where it is now?"

"Not that I've been told." She lowered her voice, leaning closer to him. "This is not common knowledge, Odiye, so for the love of the gods, don't go blabbering this to your friends – especially Operative Knox."

"Of course."

"No further deaths have been reported, but it's still out there somewhere."

He bit his lip, one foot knocking uneasily against the table in front of him. In the end he shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he told her. "We know where the safe house is. We can plot a safe route and we'll have an escort. She'll be safe."

"Do you want to promise me that?"

"Don't you trust me?"

Adeyemi smiled grimly. "I trust you. I'm not so sure about the girl."

"Please, Usua," Odiye said. "You told my father you'd help me, if I needed it."

"I meant it." Her smile faded. "But are you sure you want to risk us both over... this?"

"I am."

Usua Adeyemi let out a heavy sigh. "As you wish."