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

arm. “These people are dangerous. I’ve seen what they can do.” My eyes pleaded with his stubborn green gaze. “Please, Dan, just wait here.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, frowning. “All right. But I’ll be watching from here. If there’s any trouble, I’ll come to back you up.”

“Thanks.” I headed down the sidewalk at a slower pace.

Car doors opened as I approached. In unison, eight men stepped out. They formed a semi-circle between me and the front door. I halted the hoverboard at the base of the driveway.

“Vicissitude Wandel?” one asked.

“That’s me.” No point denying it. “What do you want?”

“I’m Agent Newman. Agent Smith has sent us to take you into custody for your protection.”

I flinched back. “What?” He hadn’t said anything about that. But we hadn’t had much time to speak. “I don’t need—”

Agent Newman’s hand lifted toward the handcuffs clipped to his belt. “We have our orders. If you refuse to come quietly, we will use force.”

My teeth ground together. Halle needed my help now. I didn’t have time to deal with these men. Why would Agent Smith send so many, anyway? My brow furrowed as I glanced over the men again. “He sent all of you to take me into custody?”

“They have their own orders. We believe the rogue may have infiltrated your school; it is possible your house may be compromised as well. Now, please, come along.” He gestured toward one of the cars.

I pushed back, letting the hoverboard slide onto the sidewalk. They didn’t know about Halle—that was a relief. “What reason would the rogue have to target me?” I asked, stalling for time as I glanced down the sidewalk, away from Dan’s hiding spot. I could never outrun their cars.  But drawing them away from him might be possible.

Agent Newman scowled. “That is unknown at this time. However, suspicious activity was detected in the vicinity of your house. Several unauthorized icewalls are in place, blocking all communication to and from the Cloud. They are likely the work of the rogue AI.”

No communication in or out. Halle was still in there, trapped. I clenched my fists. I had to get inside.

Agent Newman took a few more steps forward, fingers curling around the handcuffs. “I’m not going to ask you again. Get. In. The. Car.”

Every moment I wasted arguing was another Halle might be tortured. I could dodge Agent Newman easily, but the others would tackle me before I reached the front door.

It was a trap, it had to be. Talbot had come for Halle. Maybe even set it up to take the fall while the rogue escaped.

“Don’t you think it’s odd?” I asked, continuing to stall. “Why are you just detecting the rogue now, when it’s been missing for a while? And why would it target me?”

“Maybe it knows you had a hand in the death of another rogue earlier this year.”

Fury surged through me at the accusation, but I held it back, knowing that I couldn’t let the truth slip. There was one last card I could play, one person who might be able to help me. “Where’s Agent Smith? I want to talk to him.”

“He has other duties to attend to.” The agent’s expression twisted with annoyance. “You will come with me. Now.”

“No way!” I shoved, and the hoverboard slid back in a spray of gravel from my kick.

They all drew their guns, aiming at me. The weapons were clearly stun guns, with the white stripe down the length of their short barrels, but would still hurt if I was hit. I froze in place.

“Stand down!” Agent Newman ordered, but his gaze was focused behind me, not on me.

I whirled. Dan was standing there, chest heaving, hands raised in a fighting stance—he must have sprinted down the sidewalk from his hiding place.

“Suspected rogue cyborg has been sighted,” one of the agents murmured, likely making a report to someone.

Even Agent Smith wouldn’t be able to get us out of this one. I tensed. “Don’t hurt him!”

“We would prefer not to use force,” Agent Newman said in an overly calm voice. “But if you give us no choice, we will fire. Come forward with your hands up and let us take you into custody. That goes for you, too, Miss Wandel. I’m starting to suspect that you know more about what’s going on than you should.”

I hesitated, not sure what to do. What could I do, against eight trained men wielding guns?

“Get down!” Dan shouted. Rough hands yanked me to the side, behind one of the cars.

I slammed into the gravel, the hoverboard skidding from under my feet. Energy bolts from the stun guns hissed by. I huddled on the ground, hands over my head. A soft whimper filled my throat. My knees and forearms ached from the impact and from the earlier fall on the school track. My muscles protested against the constant abuse. Adrenaline dulled the pain but sent my heart slamming into my ribs. Part of me wanted to curl up and lie there, but I couldn’t. Halle needed me. Dan needed me. We couldn’t let Talbot win.

Shouts echoed in my ears as the firing stopped. I lifted my head a fraction and opened my eyes. Moving slowly, I peered out from behind the car’s front wheel. Dan was nowhere to be seen. The men were spreading out to surround the house, trampling over Mom’s garden beds. Our front door was shattered into white fragments. Did Dan escape inside? I hoped so.

Taking advantage of the agents’ distraction, I got to my feet as quietly as possible. I gritted my teeth against the pain.

Something vibrated in my pocket. I pulled out my phone automatically to check the text message. The bright pink case startled me for a moment. My thoughts swirled back, reminding me of my theft. I checked