Now, at least, she had a tool. She scanned the pages again. Here, in the originals that Holtzman had sent Lisa Brandt, were details that hadn’t been released. The names of programs, code words she’d never heard of. HARBINGER. SENTINEL. CALVINIST.

Code words that searches of the classified archives her maximum security clearance gave her access to didn’t find any hits on.

All tied up with the black op that was the PLF.

Each of those words, every detail associated with them, was a trap, a trap she could spring on Miles Jameson.

Or on John Stockton.

Her breath was coming fast.

Jameson. Jameson first. He was her top suspect.

Then Stockton.

All she had to do was find a way to get to Jameson.

And if her worst suspicions were true, she had to find a way to stay alive

63
Bouncing Back

Tuesday 2040.12.18

“Axon,” Tempest said. “You need to see this.”

IS NEXUS FUGITIVE RANGAN SHANKARI BEHIND DC RIOTS? (PICS)

Rangan stared at the headline, his heart sinking.

The rumors had been building for more than a week. Anonymous posters on message boards had claimed to have seen him at the Mall protests, at the ongoing riots and clashes with police around that had been going on around the city since the protesters had been pushed off the mall. The claims had largely been met with disbelief, with the observation that someone so high on DHS’s most-wanted list should be as far from DC and public places as possible.

This wasn’t a message board, though. This was Eccentric, one of the top alt-culture sites online. The header showed him the article was already racking up tens of thousands of views.

He scrolled down.

“What the hell?”

The images were of him… But they weren’t him. They showed someone of his rough build, holding up a sign, calling for Nexus legalization.

With his face, dark skinned, unpainted. Bleach blond hair. Bare hands. A camo jacket he didn’t own.

That wasn’t him. These were all fake.

He went back, scrolled through the text of the article. It was based on an anonymous tip, with quotes from the tipper.

The last quote struck home. “Shankari should take better care of himself, instead of exposing himself to this kind of danger. People have gotten hurt out there, even killed.”

“It’s a warning,” Tempest said. “He’s telling you to stay out of his way, or next time, there won’t be a next time.”

“Fuck him,” Cheyenne rumbled. She was back from the hospital, Nexus freshly re-installed after her backup-and-dump, her arm both casted and slung, slow release growth factor capsules speeding the healing of bone in her arm and soft tissue in her shoulder. “He’s the one needs to be warned.”

“I don’t get it,” Rangan said. “If he’s going to fake photos… why not some that looks like I looked?”