Nora sighed deeply, painfully. “You need security clearance.”

Mackenzie stared at her sister for a few breaths. “You mean clearance to get into Hanstech’s restricted areas? Or do you mean federal security clearance, giving access to classified information?”

In that case, this could be about much more than Hanstech or saving her sister.

“Hanstech secured government contracts for a classified project.”

“This whole time you’ve known. Why didn’t you tell me? You wasted my time.”

Nora stepped closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I told you to go home, didn’t I?”

“And you also need my help. You want me to help. You’re sending me mixed signals.”

“My hands are tied.”

“Then get me security clearance. Get me into that other system, and I can stop this . . . whatever it is, and whoever is doing this.”

“I can’t. Even with sealed records, your particular background would come up in the vetting process. It takes months anyway.”

Nodding, Mackenzie pursed her lips. “And . . . we don’t have that kind of time.”

“No, we don’t.” Nora chewed on her lip. “Look, if you’re going to do this, then you have to find your own way in.”

Nora had clearly hoped Mackenzie would do that on her own without even asking about the other system. So it was like that, then. Mackenzie had thought as much, but she wanted to hear Nora say it so that she wasn’t second-guessing what her sister truly wanted from her. What Nora suggested was illegal, and Mackenzie wasn’t a criminal anymore. Though she didn’t want to go that route, she didn’t see another way. Unless . . .

“Then let’s go to the Feds today. Let’s get help—”

“No. We can’t. You don’t understand.”

“Then help me to understand.”

But Nora slowly shook her head. Someone had a chokehold on her. Mackenzie recognized that she wouldn’t get anything more from her terrified sister.

She took a step closer. “Okay, Nora. I’ll find my own way in. You do your thing and don’t worry about me.”

Looked like she would have to become a cybercriminal—again—to fix this.

NINETEEN

Alex pushed his thoughts of the drone Owen had shot down out of his mind, at least for the next hour. He wanted to look into it more, but he’d needed to head to Mom’s for lunch. Besides, he’d confirmed that Keenan was sending him both drone detection and countermeasure devices. Keenan had also texted him regarding Nebulous 2.0. He’d been able to quickly discover that the cybercriminal remained at large. The Feds never identified him or made an arrest, though they had assured Mackenzie they would.

Had Nebulous 2.0 returned for revenge? Alex was leaning toward yes.

He pushed those thoughts away and cleared his mind for what came next.

Mom.