PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

LXXIV. Hacking a BRAD

Chapter Seventy Four:  Hacking a BRAD

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"We still don't know what Kash's next move is," Brooklynn whispered.

They were in the jungle surrounding the compound and waiting for Darius to come out and meet them.

"Or why he wants to control those dinos," Eva added bitterly.

"Uh, I do. I know why. The dude's a total psycho," Kenji said.

"His behavior, lack of empathy, his actions..." Eva trailed off, lost in thought. "Definitely makes sense to call him a sociopath."

"Psychopath, sociopath, they're the same thing."

Eva shook her head. "Mm, no they're not. Psychopaths are more manipulative while sociopaths are more violent—"

"Guys, focus," Brooklynn snapped.

"Look, the point is, the longer Darius is in there with him, the more danger he's in."

"He's late," Ben bit.

"What if something happened to him?" Sammy worried, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Nothing happened to him," Yaz reassured with a smile. Then she looked down at the grass, her eyes widening. "Oh, what if something happened to him?"

The door clanged open, and out came Darius. Eva stood up, brandishing a smile as Darius ran out to meet them. Her eyes widened when she noticed an all black, deadly looking robot appear to the side. "Watch—!" her words fell on deaf ears as a blast threw Darius forward. He stumbled over his feet, crashing into the ground.

Eva immediately ducked back behind the tree her, Kenji and Brooklynn were hiding behind.

The robot looked like a BRAD, but easily stood seven feet tall, and instead of electrical blasts, it shot out mini explosions.

Kash exited the building. "I see you've found your new babysitter. Or rather, it's found you. It's part of my new fleet of upgraded models. I call it BRAD-X. After you disappeared, it seemed like a good time to take this baby for a spin. BT-dubs, what are you doing out here?"

"Honestly? I've been cooped up all day, and I'm bored. Can't I go for a walk?" Darius lied through his teeth.

"Sure you can. And from now on, BRAD-X will be right there with you. And in case you get any ideas..."

Kash beat the BRAD-X with a golf club until the club was bent every which way, and the BRAD-X was seemingly untouched.

Eva squatted to the ground, sitting back on her heels. She was so done with the hand of cards life had dealt them. It seemed like every experience they had just seemed to be bad, worse, and totally suckish.

How were they supposed to get in contact with Darius if he has a terrifying, super robot following him everywhere? Their leader was trapped with a sociopath, the only sensible adult on the island was still gravely injured, and once again, they were trapped on yet another island, saving dinosaurs that couldn't save themselves. It was almost comedic, always drawing the short straw. Eva's luck may have been bad on the mainland, but now, it was just funny.

Eva breathed in deeply through her nose, then out through her mouth. Okay. She could stay here, help the others protect the dinosaurs. She had an out coming in eleven days. Until then, she could hold it together. Killer robots and hungry, hurting dinosaurs. Can't be worse than anything they dealt with on Nublar. Can't be worse than her dozens of near deaths.