Kelly shut off the hot water, stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. When she wiped the fog off the mirror she leaned forward and tilted her head to examine the bluish-purple bruises that had formed around her cheekbones and jaw. Her shoulders had raw pink splotches around the cuts and scrapes, but her skin was still red and flush from the shower. She massaged her knuckles, drank a glass of water and cleaned her teeth. Then she cleaned and dressed her more severe wounds, specifically the slashes she received from that switchblade that had started bleeding again under the hot water. Finally, she got dressed; pulling on a pair of cargo pants and a flannel shirt.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K3dnnjPk1 維尼
Things were quiet downstairs. Santiago read some documents from a glass tablet at the bar while Penelope sat beside him and ate a bowl of cereal. Kelly stepped behind the bar and poured herself a mug of black coffee. I should ask Santiago to get us a serving droid, she thought. Maybe later. She looked over at Dunstan, who had turned an entire booth into a computer lab equipped with four monitors and an assortment of other tech that Kelly didn’t bother to understand. She knew that he intended to use this tech to hack into Julia Van Buren’s Neural Interface, she didn’t care how as long as it worked.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsXkbRY08A 維尼
“The good news is that it’s doable,” Dunstan explained when she went over to him. “It’s gonna take some time though so get comfy.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4SSnc1Umja 維尼
“ETA?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43lKu9FeCH 維尼
Dunstan shrugged. “Hard to say. A few days?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGyJWegIYo 維尼
She tapped him on the shoulder. “Good work. Send a report to Connors but—” she glanced quickly at Santiago and lowered her voice “—don’t mention anything about Julia’s informant.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9wjjZajk7 維尼
Kelly was in her room practising slow Tai Chi when Santiago knocked on her door and asked if she’d give him a hand setting up a perimeter around town. One high-ranking cult member was dead, another was believed to be dead, and in two days they’d heard nothing from Anton or his representatives. It was time to go on the defensive.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vnfKud1PZ 維尼
“Does it work?” Santiago asked Kelly as they stepped outside and walked towards the garage down the road. “The Tai Chi? I never got into it myself.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡtw2mcWrGnK 維尼
“To be honest I don’t know,” Kelly replied.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡNE01Mb0lho 維尼
Santiago opened the roller door of the garage. On one side were two quadbikes and a bundle of tall metal stakes with sensors attached to their tips.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhbW1WhphQ 維尼
“I think I first started learning Tai Chi when I was in high school,” Kelly went on. “I used to fight competitively; Karate, Jiu Jitsu, then Tai Chi and kickboxing when I got older.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtlkTmGMOG 維尼
“I could tell right away that you were a fighter.” Santiago grinned.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0FCRuBlu8 維尼
Kelly leaned against one of the quadbikes and said, “So, what are we doing?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡqY4BVNx9Oy 維尼
Santiago handed her one of the bundles. “Take these and stick them right around the northern perimeter of the town, about ten meters apart. Make sure you activate them first.” He demonstrated by flicking a switch that activated a blinking red light. “Try to keep them inconspicuous. Then, if anyone comes our way uninvited, your man Dunstan will be the first to know.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CNb6lfTQx 維尼
The task was easy enough. Kelly was skilled with all kinds of ATVs, though she preferred bikes. But she cruised from point to point, finding a rhythm in driving forward, activating the sensor and sticking it in the ground. In an hour she was finished and she rendezvoused with Santiago at the garage. He grabbed her a beer from the minifridge and they sat in silence on the hood of a decommissioned transport vehicle. Kelly decided she liked Santiago; he seemed straightforward, as decent as they get.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlQ45uCgSB 維尼
And then there was Penelope, who strolled into the garage without a care in the world carrying a little black cube and a screwdriver.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRsM8qrLgF 維尼
“Dad, I fixed it!” she cried, handing Santiago a miniature holographic projector. Santiago beamed as he took the device and switched it on. He ruffled Penelope’s hair and told her how talented she was. Kelly’s still had trouble understanding the little girl. Penelope seemed out of place, and remarkably talented for her age. Her beautiful eyes lit up as an idea swept into her mind. “I’ll show Dunstan!”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIVuTuD7IG 維尼
When Penelope was gone Santiago sighed and said to Kelly, “Go on, ask.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOgtzIb85B 維尼
“I just don’t understand—”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXj6SKk3sh 維尼
“What she’s doing here, at a time like this?” Santiago finished. “It’s a long story, but the short version is… her mother’s gone and there’s no one else I trust to care for her. Penelope isn’t like other kids, she’s smart.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6RuZY7v48 維尼
“So you just travel around? What about her friends? Her school?” Kelly paused. “I’m sorry, I’m being impolite. Both my parents were in the army so I lived in a lot of different cities. I mean a lot.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJKPSiRJDV 維尼
“Well, you’re young, do you have kids?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡCF2sb54xoL 維尼
Kelly couldn’t help but laugh—she didn’t mean to, it just came out, much to her own surprise. “I do not.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡokBvUtb50Z 維尼
“I learned pretty quickly that the only person I trust to keep my daughter safe is me,” Santiago went on. He glanced forward longingly. “I hope someday soon Penelope can be just like all the other kids.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwf0XK3YIZ 維尼
“God forbid she doesn’t turn out like me,” Kelly remarked, and then immediately regretted it, but Santiago said nothing.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡazaXawFkgc 維尼
“No, in fact I intend to make sure she has a happy and normal life.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NloHikm0u 維尼
The conversation lulled for a moment. Kelly finished her beer.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJxB0muPRx 維尼
“Hey, can I ask you something?” she said.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbVfBfNEQR 維尼
“Go for it.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGggFIu5Bq 維尼
“How do you know you’re making the right choices? With Penelope, that is. How were you not scared shitless of raising a kid?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsTwCmtXJb 維尼
Santiago chuckled. “Oh, no doubt I was scared. Penelope was never planned and there was no way I ready to raise her. I spent the better part of a decade thinking I’d fucked everything up. But in the end do you know how I knew that I had made the right decisions?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvFFDmdoKB 維尼
Kelly shrugged. “How?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJizHhzgFw 維尼
“When we moved to Arizona one of the first things I did was take her to the Grand Canyon; you should have seen the way her face lit up! I was terrified up bringing her up in such a big and scary world but I tell you, that view was absolutely beautiful. Seeing her happy like that – that’s how I know I’m on the right track.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4ibrpm1ip 維尼
“What happens when your big scary world is all around you? Say I wanted… I mean, how could someone like me…?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡPln7YfsiSi 維尼
“So you do want kids?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCuo5QMY2e 維尼
“I mean, I’ve thought about it, a little, that maybe one day I’d adopt, or something. The thing is, I’ve killed people. I’ve done all kinds of things I think I’d rather forget but I don’t regret any of it. I followed my orders, I served my country, I protected my life and the lives of my squad. I do what I was made to do, but then I think about what happens after, and I don’t see a picket fence at the end of that path.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1lNGXbpAY 維尼
Santiago stood up and tossed his empty beer bottle into a bucket. “It’s a tricky path no matter which way you go, but you’re smart, you’ll be fine.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqLCDUkgGO 維尼
“You’re a wise man, Santiago. I should head back, check on Dunstan.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tPBessAuG 維尼
When Kelly returned to the hotel she found with some surprise that Dunstan had set up two VR decks—essentially office chairs covered with duct tape and wires, and nodes designed to attach to the cranium. Dunstan spotted Kelly and began plugging himself in.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVRJbLP7xg 維尼
“Good, you’re here,” he said.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡht82GnQhyW 維尼
“Have you found something?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLO962LA0E 維尼
“I think so.” He gestured for Kelly to connect herself to the other chair. “Plug in and I’ll show you.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡamT92eUA5j 維尼
Kelly had used VR dozens, maybe hundreds of times in the army for training and recovery; but never one as makeshift as this. There were dangers to using unstable VR servers with bad connections.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zgtTrrYZz 維尼
“It’s quite safe,” Dunstan urged.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJ8ltxlsx4 維尼
Kelly plugged in.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡW70N8PfUH7 維尼
Slowly, gently, her senses faded to black, and the crisp aroma of sea air found its way into her mind. She tasted salt upon the splash of crashing waves and the cool sea mist caressing her face. Then she felt coarse sand between her toes, smooth pebbles and sea glass rolling back and forth as the tide washed around her ankles. Her pants were rolled up halfway around her calves and she wore a tank top under a familiar leather jacket. She inspected the sleeves and realised she had owned this jacket when she was a teenager.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyafYk3Ps6 維尼
Every mind is wired a little differently; while a VR server is loading the mind is taken to a place known as the Construct. For Kelly this place was a beach, for others it may be a room, or a field, a hallway, or any place imprinted deep within the mind.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡGF4OZ574J0 維尼
In a bright folding motion the Construct disappeared and became an enclosed room with fierce blue lighting. The rest was completely bare until Dunstan manifested from nothing.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4oDphbWc4 維尼
“That won’t do,” he remarked, and accessing a terminal on his wrist he selected a more natural lighting for the room. “There.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cL3dqIpfp 維尼
“What are we doing here?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbpeNtUvOU 維尼
In reply Dunstan waved his hand and a holographic map of the US appeared before them. Dunstan zoomed in on their general area in Arizona and said, “Cherry van Buren owns a chain of nightclubs all around the surrounding states.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVtjolYHka 維尼
The map zoomed out and little blips appeared indicating the locations of a dozen nightclubs.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrrb7Dqu8p 維尼
“She’s also been buying dedicated servers and setting up Verclubs.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVpmDfRhru 維尼
“Verclubs?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡjU8gNYLzLC 維尼
“Virtual nightclubs.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhneKUtpsE 維尼
“Ah.” Kelly waited for Dunstan to go on. “So she’s well-established. I take it she’s doing something with her new businesses?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9IZWsW2up 維尼
“Well, she’s violating privacy laws, for one.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPtUkawNLr 維尼
Kelly shrugged. “No surprises there.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCnFMN6KuN 維尼
“But it’s how she’s doing it that concerns me. I don’t have a lot of proof but I think Cherry has found a way to pair VR tech with the Neural Interface. Imagine a VR that you can’t turn off, and she’s running the show. Lieutenant, I think Cherry is using this technology to warp the realities of potential members of the cult; she’s using private data stored in their interfaces to… not necessarily brainwash them, but at least nudge them towards a certain direction.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡcREZkg5MwO 維尼
“VR explains why Connors couldn’t find any mass cultist gatherings, they were all online,” Kelly said. “Okay, so she’s overriding the user’s connection to their neural interface and then manipulating them with VR, but I still don’t understand how she could sever the brain’s connection to create an opening… unless…”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXnndO55qg 維尼
“Hex,” said Dunstan. With a twirl of his hand a digital file on the cyber-drug appeared in front of them. “Remember what that doctor was saying? The drug disabled synaptic firing in certain parts of the brain; it was creating a back door in the user’s defences.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjYK7LUYAB 維尼
Kelly crossed her arms and said, “Johnathan was breaking them down with Hex and Cherry is building them up with VR. That’s how they’re creating their following. Okay, we’ll have to get this to Santiago and the interrogation team to see if they can use it against Johnathan. I guess this is good news; now that we know what she’s doing we can work on a plan to stop it.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqzZq8At9y 維尼
“That’s not all the news that I have,” said Dunstan.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡDw0yBeEO0K 維尼
He pulled up the same map of the region but this time the pale blue hologram was splayed with red circles.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Eextw9AXh 維尼
Kelly felt something tighten in her stomach, and seeing as she was in virtual, it probably had something to do with what she was seeing.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUxGTXQ70F 維尼
“Gustav Lynwood has finally gone militant,” Dunstan reported. “That is, if these projections are to be believed, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t be.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeEybO0Mr8 維尼
“What are his movements?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3QnG9DCcv 維尼
“Acquisitions.” Dunstan pulled up files of financial reports and resources from locations and corporations all around the Mid-West. “According to Julia’s data Lynwood’s mercenaries have already assaulted groups of protestors and other forms of opposition to the cult. Now that their influence has spread Anton plans on using Lynwood’s forces to steal the rest of the land, money and resources that his cult needs to fully establish itself.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡarlabzQ5fq 維尼
Kelly shook her head. “He wouldn’t make a play that obvious, he’ll expose himself.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5W1RuEajvN 維尼
“Lieutenant, I’m not so sure he cares anymore.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡOD0nm9RSqA 維尼
Upon hearing this news Kelly finally felt what had been lurking at the back of her mind since Miller died: that she was fighting a losing battle. She didn’t know if Anton intended to start a war with the US government, but even until then how could three people hold back the storm? She pinched her brow and said, “Shit… tell me that’s all there is.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6oZbG2L0Z 維尼
“There’s more,” Dunstan said grimly. “But I… I’m not sure how to say it. This is the bad news, anyway.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoPyM4KAk7 維尼
“This is the bad news? What the hell is it?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3gZA9ZjZg 維尼
“I followed a data stream stored in Julia’s interface that confirms the cult had an informant inside the CIA, or at the very least an anonymous benefactor with access to high-level government secrets has been leaking intelligence to all the wrong people.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oIcjcELYe 維尼
“Jesus fuck, you think it’s Connors?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡttAmtvV1Ua 維尼
Dunstan quickly shook his head. “I didn’t say that. But it could be. Why do you think I’m telling you this in VR?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOhdbvsUks 維尼
Kelly nodded. “You made the right call. Now, all we need is some good news.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡDflOBbqdJV 維尼
“There is one last thing,” Dunstan added. “Though, I’m not sure if it’s good or bad, in fact I’m not even sure what it is.” He pulled up the digital file labelled Project 7 and Kelly looked carefully and the flickering symbol of a lock placed in its centre. “The other files on Julia’s interface had a fairly complex encryption but they weren’t impossible to unlock. Whoever put this here was not Julia Van Buren; their security systems are more advanced than anything I’ve seen before.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLxlyeI7WS 維尼
“Project 7,” Kelly murmured. “Will you be able to unlock it?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQNRFLmjJu 維尼
“I’ll do my best, Lieutenant, but it could take time.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡteCy41INdA 維尼
“What do you suppose it is?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIiuc10TQM 維尼
Dunstan thought for a moment, and said, “It’s hard to say, but I don’t think it’s just anything.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡOR1vfg0hO9 維尼
“I agree. Whatever this may be I’d say it’s important to Anton and the cult.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJXdCvrbUj 維尼
Dunstan pulled up the rough schematic of the Neural Interface that he made from studying Julia’s model. “There’s still so many things we don’t know about this technology. This file could have the information we need to finally figure it out.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSaw7PsYOQ 維尼
“Or…”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡVE4CEapHTI 維尼
At last Kelly found a glimmer of hope.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1womjt0EP 維尼
“It could have what we need to bring Anton down.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡyffRoTrTPu 維尼
A few days dragged on with little excitement or action. Kelly didn’t want to risk going out into the field unnecessarily while the cult were tightening their grip on the region. She mostly stuck to the hotel; training, drinking and reading. Whenever she was needed she’d help Santiago perform some task for the benefit of the town, like taking out a group of raiders who were stealing supply shipments, or repairing a water valve to ensure they town still had fresh water. Kelly began to feel that she was staving off the apocalypse, one move at a time, and that was an unsettling thought.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6oklN6VkD 維尼
The rest of her time she spent researching the cult. She’d created a board with the faces of all the top members on it. And now she sat in a booth at the hotel with a laptop and a cup of coffee in front of her. Gustav Lynwood was on the move and Kelly needed to put a stop to him. The research was slow and Kelly took few breaks. She mostly just read files that Dunstan provided for her. So far she learned that Gustav had only recently associated with the Harrell’s, that he was indeed the head of a mercenary group, and most interestingly, that the cult wasn’t nearly paying him enough for his services.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1zZSk0IqA 維尼
Kelly leaned towards her computer. She felt that she’d been staring at Gustav’s profile for hours.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTEEq6md4g 維尼
“Why work so cheap?” she murmured. “What do you owe him?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SlXeMOFxJ 維尼
She snapped back to reality when Santiago stepped into the room with Penelope trotting along happily behind.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8B8VFgJSre 維尼
“Hey guys,” he addressed Kelly and Dunstan. “I’m heading out of town for the rest of the day to deliver some supplies to one of our teams out in the field. Would one of you mind watching over Penelope for me?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyIm0ieSCn 維尼
Dunstan raised his hand. “I volunteer to not do that.” He leaned out of his booth, a sly smile on his face. “Lieutenant, you got this one? I am technically making better use of my time here.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhD0Vy2znA 維尼
Santiago gave Kelly a questioning look and she had to remind herself that she was a soldier and a lieutenant, and it was no good shying away like this. She corrected herself.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3o2uJodOC 維尼
“Of course,” she said, though a little reluctantly.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡULDIUXU7HC 維尼
“Great,” said Santiago. “I’ll see you tonight. You’ll be fine.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpZkftaOGE 維尼
When Santiago left, Kelly figured there was nothing wrong with continuing her work while also keeping an eye on Penelope inside the hotel. The little girl floated around, from the pool table to the bar to the lounge. At one point Penelope was reading the label on a bottle of whiskey. Here, Kelly admitted defeat. Nothing was wrong, but she felt she wasn’t doing a good job. She stood up and joined Dunstan in his booth.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hJzAWAh4g 維尼
“What do a do?” she demanded.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXAWlTVOdD 維尼
“You’re fine,” Dunstan replied. “All Agent Santiago asked was that we keep an eye on her. As long as she doesn’t get bored—”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJFksFf3Fr 維尼
Even as he spoke Penelope called out in an excited voice from behind the bar: “Kelly, this box has a shotgun in it!”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWidZPXVes 維尼
A chill ran down Kelly’s spine.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1t2PAASa9c 維尼
“The gun safe was locked, right?” she asked Dunstan.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUHaFkbxo5 維尼
“Pretty damn sure,” he replied.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2893Svv78 維尼
Kelly called over to Penelope. “Please don’t touch that!”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqcTXCHIG7 維尼
“Okay, listen,” said Dunstan, seriously. “I’m ten years older than my little sister. You want to keep her in check, the trick is to keep their little brains occupied.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡK671trJZ2J 維尼
Kelly thought about this for a moment. Play a game, maybe take her for a walk, ask her what her favourite dinosaur was.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡerFmHBGt2c 維尼
Sure, I can handle this.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ6TGVZWoZ 維尼
“Got it.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYq6ySyxNv 維尼
Kelly stood up, took Penelope’s hand and led her away from the bar, and looking around for something to do, noticed the chess board in the lounge.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGdVK2LkTM 維尼
“Do you know how to play chess?” Kelly asked.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUBJl1VEnL 維尼
“Do you?” Penelope replied.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRAPXXTq21 維尼
Kelly smiled. “I like to think so. Come on, let’s have a game.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2SKP572SC 維尼
They sat down in the lounge and Kelly set up her own pieces and then Penelope’s. Kelly played whites and made the first move. Penelope responded accordingly. She wasn’t just moving her pieces at random, she had obviously played with her father in the past. But to Kelly’s relief this strange little girl at least looked interested, and Kelly’s lips curled into a subtle smile.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡZICT5sF00Z 維尼
“So the gun safe was locked when you found it, right?” said Kelly.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡFndU0mrNTs 維尼
“Nope,” Penelope replied in an aloof kind of way.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡaC2ekDvgPs 維尼
Kelly was taken aback. “Oh, okay.” She wasn’t sure if Penelope was telling the truth, but why would a ten-year-old girl lie about that? Who would have left the safe unlocked? Santiago could have given her the code, Kelly supposed. Still, it was weird.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPjzfAUcB6 維尼
“Well, it doesn’t matter.” Kelly moved her bishop to protect her king. They played a few moves in silence and then Kelly went on the offensive, taking a few pawns with her knights and rooks. She lost a few herself, too. “You’re good at this.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsCveLIiFF 維尼
“So are you,” said Penelope. “You think like a soldier and a commander. I can see why they made you a Lieutenant.” Penelope make a few more moves, a strategy that Kelly completely missed opened up in front of her. “Check,” Penelope announced.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3C6uarxYP 維尼
“What the—”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pwqflpxiM 維尼
“I’m actually pretty good at chess,” Penelope smiled.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yLHMo7Blp 維尼
Kelly’s eyes scanned the board. “Clearly.” She blushed, feeling a little embarrassed. In a few more moves Penelope had won the game.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjRdjJvtp7 維尼
“And checkmate!”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDVl6THAK3 維尼
Once the game was finished Kelly told Penelope to wait outside while she returned to her booth to pack up her laptop and research materials. Dunstan came by and nudged her with his elbow.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVM3hsJioK 維尼
“That was nice of you, letting her win,” he said.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdcVAoKtl0 維尼
Kelly could only laugh awkwardly. “Yeah, I guess.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRmVNiddIz 維尼
Kelly shuffled her feet uncomfortably again as she stood outside the Hotel with Penelope in silence. The little girl held her hands behind her back and swayed from side to side, not looking at anything in particular. Then she raised her pretty blue eyes at Kelly, and the Lieutenant almost took a step back.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZbEjUJUMj 維尼
“So, what should we do now?” Penelope asked.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtql09bzio 維尼
Kelly shrugged. “I’m going to level with you, kid, I don’t know what I’m doing.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGyuczLjm2 維尼
To Kelly’s surprise Penelope smiled. “I know,” she said. “Dad said you needed a break. Come on, what’s something you’d want to do?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vhjGwyTlf 維尼
“Me?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcDt7J1Y5A 維尼
Kelly looked around. She figured this kid was getting weirder and weirder the more time they spent together.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46pfAoxEG2 維尼
“Santiago wanted you to spend time with me?” Kelly asked.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrHmYfyVKy 維尼
“Yep.” Penelope continued to smile.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJEvlcj2SM 維尼
And just then an idea came to Kelly’s mind. She took Penelope to the garage where in one of the side rooms were some bows designed for professional archery; a compound bow that was just about Kelly’s size, and a smaller recurve bow for Penelope.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYJQI9HQj7 維尼
“Uh, we need a target.” Kelly fished some cans from a waste basket. “Perfect. Okay, I know a spot.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgLgfmIXrG 維尼
She led Penelope to an empty carpark behind the hotel. Grass and shrubs were beginning to sprout from cracks in the concrete. But the space was quiet and they had plenty of room. Kelly set up the cans on a piece of railing near the back wall of the hotel, then placed an old sheet of plywood against the wall to avoid damaging the arrows. Penelope learned quickly. Kelly showed her how to grip the bow and properly knock and draw the arrows. Kelly left Penelope to practice and had a go herself with the compound bow, standing as far back as she could. Her arrow whistled through the air and pinned the can to the wall.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZUZgkuzZ0 維尼
“Amazing shot!” Penelope cried. “How did you do that?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMG6wPyUj3 維尼
Kelly laughed. “Practice. Lots of it.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡka4FFQzzS9 維尼
Kelly was about to observe Penelope make another shot when her phone buzzed: a call from Santiago. She answered.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YNtO5qDNv 維尼
“Yeah?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkchRz2EHf 維尼
“Are you with Penelope?” Santiago’s voice was strained with panic.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6PKb7kwej 維尼
“Yes, of course. What’s going on?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aApBDC3FM 維尼
“Gustav. I don’t know how but he knows where you are. He’s sending an assault team.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrHQzlYD74 維尼
Kelly immediately took Penelope’s hand, urged her to drop the bow, and walked back towards the hotel.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfnEjSWPvm 維尼
“How much time do we have?” she asked. “I’ll take Penelope. Tell us where to go.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjGAxGyztq 維尼
Her phone buzzed again and displayed an alarm and a video feed of a solitary armed figure approaching the town.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwYoYvfCS4 維尼
“No good. He’s already got scouts watching your perimeter. You’ll be safer where you are.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡtG9bb3t8ni 維尼
“We’ll be trapped.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaITxkF32m 維尼
“Listen, I’m on my way. I’ve got some people with me. The town is defendable, our best bet is to hold up.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYsDJy79CV 維尼
“Santiago, he has an army.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKPtSL9leo 維尼
“Just look after Penelope until I get there. You keep her safe, you hear me?”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡExF7O0yCVu 維尼
Kelly took a deep breath. Already in her mind she was making plans for fortifying the town. But with her, Dunstan, and maybe a handful of volunteers, how long would they last?8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2nuvGs82U 維尼
“Understood,” she told Santiago. “Get here as quick as you can.”8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHo5mvkZ4j 維尼
She ended the call and marched into the hotel.8964 copyright protection178ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZJ62pAc3K 維尼
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