Upgrade (Augmented Duology Book 2) by Heather Hayden (the top 100 crime novels of all time .TXT) 📕

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I threw myself at the front door, clawing at the handle. It twisted under my shaking grip, and I dove inside, kicking the door shut. I slammed the lock into place, then collapsed on the floor. My body shook as my burning lungs gulped air.

No, I couldn’t relax, not yet. I jumped to my feet and grabbed James’s hoverboard, a crazy plan forming in my mind.

“Halle?” I called.

“Viki!” My friend’s relief was audible in its voice. “I was so worried; Talbot cut me off from the Cloud and I could not warn you—”

“I’m fine, but Dan’s right behind me.” A thump against the door made me gasp and back up a step. “Can you stop him?”

“I cannot sense him. Talbot must have changed the access for his processors. I am sorry, Viki, I cannot stop him. I should have—”

“It’s fine.” I shuddered as the door shook in its frame. At this rate, Dan would break it down completely. “Part of him is fighting Talbot’s control. I have to try to help.”

“There is nothing you can do.”

I headed for the kitchen. “Are you okay here?”

“Yes.” Halle hesitated. “Your new phone now has Agent Smith’s number, and a small program that will block any attempts at monitoring your conversation. You need to contact him. Warn him that the rogue AI has made its move, and I cannot do anything.”

“I will.” I ran for the back door and burst into the backyard before I lost my nerve. Hopping the neighbor’s fence, I hurried to the sidewalk and mounted the hoverboard. “Dan! Over here!” I waved.

He turned away from my front door, the movement jerky. He was fighting, I knew he was, and that made me hopeful. Fresh strength flooded my body, and I kicked off, heading down the sidewalk just fast enough to stay far ahead of Dan, who ran after me. He didn’t seem to be tiring, which made me very glad that I had grabbed the hoverboard.

Where to go? I needed to keep him away from people. As my mind sought a solution, I dialed Agent Smith’s number. I didn’t want the government agent’s help in stopping Dan, but he might be able to do something to help Halle.

Or he might betray us both. My finger hovered over the Call button, then struck. We didn’t have a choice.

“Hello? Who is this?” Agent Smith demanded. “How did you get this number?”

“It’s Viki,” I gasped, still out of breath. “The rogue’s making its move.” I sucked in another breath. “Halle’s trapped in my house. Can you help?”

There was a sharp intake on the other end. “This phone call is monitored, Viki.”

“It’s not. Halle made sure.” I glanced over my shoulder. Dan wasn’t catching up, but he wasn’t lagging behind or giving up the chase, either. “Can you help?”

“Do you know what kind of move the rogue is making?”

“No.”

“Why are you out of breath, Viki?” Agent Smith sounded concerned. “Are you in danger?”

“I’m fine.” More so than Dan would be if I told the agent the truth. “Please don’t worry about me. Halle needs help.”

“You aren’t with it?”

“No.”

“In that case, don’t go home. I will do my best to help your friend, but I must alert my colleagues about the rogue first. Find a place to hide until Halle can contact you. There’s a chance the rogue might target you.”

Talbot was targeting me, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I found enough breath for three more words. “Okay. Good luck.”

“Same to you. We’re all going to need it.” The call terminated. I stuffed the phone into my shorts’ pocket.

I needed to get out of town, or at least away from more populated areas. A plan had been slowly forming in my mind, but it terrified me. The place I was headed was secluded, but it also brought back memories. Dark ones.

Taking a sudden turn, I paused at the end of the block to be sure Dan was still behind me, then headed down the street toward my destination. The forest, where my biological parents had once spent years in a secret laboratory trying to develop a treatment that would cure what they had done to me.

It had been dark last time I had made the trip, but I would never forget that route. I would have to be careful, but with the daylight I should be able to pick a path for the hoverboard through the trees. As long as I stayed ahead of Dan, I would be fine.

I glanced over my shoulder. He still showed no sign of tiring. Would I be able to stay ahead of him until we reached my destination? The hoverboard was humming strongly, which meant it was fully charged, but it would eventually run out of power. I could only hope it lasted until Halle contacted me and told me everything was going to be okay or I found a way to stop Dan. Either by saving him or…

My mind skidded around that thought as I hurtled around another turn. I didn’t want to consider that option until all others had been exhausted.

It took almost an hour to reach the forest. Houses flashed by, a few pedestrians at first as well. The closer I came to the forest, the quieter the streets were. All too soon, the trees appeared. Their branches stretched forward in greeting.

Dan never lagged behind. I glanced back at him, then took a deep breath and plunged into the woods. I had to slow my speed to dodge the looming trees, but there was enough sunlight coming through the leafy canopy to light my path. Still, it was a gloomy place, and I shuddered as I rushed through it. Now that I was close, I wasn’t quite sure I remembered