And now, he’d stayed longer than he intended, trying to get it to work.

Tr0lz stood in the kitchen, kettle in hand, making yet another cup of herbal tea. He suspected that was all she existed on. She threw a pointed look at his laptop. This time he could read her expression: why aren’t you working?

“I’m just going out for a bit.” He would just bluff his way out of here. “My head is about to explode.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Where are you going?”

He shrugged. “Outside. I need some air. I can’t think right now.”

For the first time since they met, she appeared agitated. “Don’t be too long. We don’t have a lot of time. We need to have this all in place for 0500.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back in an hour.”

She slipped into the seat he had vacated. “I’ll work on the code while you are gone. But don’t be late.”

He hurried from Tr0lz’s apartment building. The temperature had cooled since his afternoon on the railway tracks. It was like a different world, standing outside in downtown Halifax on a beautiful summer’s night.

Sometimes he forgot what a happening city Halifax could be. He watched beautiful young couples strolling hand-in-hand, millenials in trendy clothes geared for the nightclubs, students in sandals and denim shorts. Why should their lives be so goddamned perfect when his had been one crap thing after another?

They had no idea what was about to come down.

And he wasn’t about to tell them.

He slung his backpack onto his shoulder and headed toward his future.

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

12:44 a.m.

Matt had been counting down the minutes until Aiden arrived. And now, here he was, with a smirk on his face. Matt could smell the rank odor of Aiden’s sweat. The rank odor of his cowardice.

The rank odor of a man who had left a vulnerable woman to die.

He wanted nothing more than to punch Aiden in the face. But instead, Matt had a job to do: he had to cajole Aiden into revealing his identity. Sweat pricked his underarms. “Aiden, thanks for com—”

Aiden shoved his shoulder against the door, causing Matt to stumble backwards.

He held a knife.

“Watch your mouth, Condor. You’re not in charge any more.” Aiden waved his knife at Joey. “Give me Leah’s laptop.” It was on Joey’s knees.

“Aiden, look we just want to talk to you.”

“I don’t want to talk to you. Give me the laptop.” He pointed the knife at Matt.

Joey threw a panicked look at Matt.

“Aiden, we want to work with you. You obviously have some other exploit going on. We’d like in on it.”