Anticipation stirring in Riley's gut, she sauntered up to the alley for Wrench's garage, hearing the loud rock music even from outside. She gripped her bag a little tighter and bit back another wide smile. She was dressed in something a little fancier—and, dare she say, a little more risqué—than what she was used to. But, it was a special occasion, she supposed. She had a reason for it.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpR40F8mmv 維尼

It was her birthday, and she was eager to spend the night with Wrench. Of course, he'd promised to have something special planned for her the week before since she hadn't had any plan or clue as to what she wanted to do, but he hadn't given her any clue as to what he had in mind. The anticipation had been killing her all afternoon, but she'd refrained from texting him, wanting it all to be a surprise. He'd done so well for their first real date, that she wanted to give him the same room to work his magic again for her birthday.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmjww3f9qn 維尼

Still, unable to sit at home, and with it being already 9 at night, the sky black and inky now that the sun was gone, Riley hadn't been able to take it anymore and had decided to show up to his garage to see what he had planned for her.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFCWKIuSMx 維尼

Gripping the handle of the door, she sauntered her way inside, making sure to give her hips an extra sway just in case Wrench happened to be looking her way as she entered. Maybe give him a little preview of what she-8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQ6P8ljDab 維尼

Oh.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHwTT5snrS 維尼

The smile was wiped from her face, spotting the massive stack of empty and partially crushed beer cans on the floor by the couch. She spotted an arm slung over the side of the couch belonging to the masked hacker himself, lying limp and dangling there. Careful not to step on any of the cans, she made her way to the front of the couch to see the scene better.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zceOVIbuU 維尼

Sure enough, both Wrench and Marcus were passed out on the couch, obviously the beer had been too much for them. They snored nasally, puncturing the garage with long drags of breath. Wrench had his mask sitting on the couch beside him and Riley picked it up idly, staring into the eye slots where his emoticons would always appear.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpG4js6PrO 維尼

Had he simply forgotten about her birthday, or perhaps he didn't care? Maybe he hadn't wanted to spend the day with her after all? If that were the case, why would he promise to plan something special for her? So the more likely option was that it had simply slipped his mind. But, honestly it didn't really matter how innocent of a mistake it might have been.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡbImmvYVxAI 維尼

To say Riley was pissed was a severe understatement. She'd taken the time to get herself ready for a nice night with her boyfriend, doing all of the necessary self-care things needed for something…a little more after their birthday date together. It was the first time she would have offered up such a suggestion, encouraged by the special occasion and by the closeness of their 6-month anniversary of their relationship. Riley didn't really believe in celebrating the milestones in between the full year marks, but she supposed it was still significant in some way.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdzWxHLY3c 維尼

And to see the boyfriend in question casually passed out after having what she could see was an apparently very fun night of hanging out with his best friend on her birthday of all nights, Riley couldn't help but feel slighted. Forgotten. Neglectfully ignored. The longer she stared at his sleeping form, the more it just angered her.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtskQdHh90 維尼

Fine. There wasn't any other reason to stay here, besides riling herself up more by having to stare at the heavily sleeping Wrench. She tossed his mask back beside him carelessly and trudged her way back to the side door, not caring how many beer cans she noisily kicked over along the way. It wouldn't have woken them up anyway.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyTKMQND3b 維尼

Wrench stumbled into the hackerspace the next morning, still somewhat fuzzy due to his lingering hangover from the night before. Marcus was only a step behind him, sunglasses in place so the lights of the basement wouldn't blind him. They'd both been lucky not to cause an accident driving the way here. The sun had been so blinding they both swore they'd crash the vehicle.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJddfsm90j 維尼

Sitara stood at her printing machine and looked up at the two arrivals, but his eyes immediately sought out his lovely girlfriend who currently typed away at her laptop from the couch. A happy expression on his mask, he separated from Marcus and wandered over to her, a spring in his step.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdBV5Gc3PW 維尼

"So, watcha workin' on there, my beautiful hacker babe?" He asked curiously with a wink, stooping down to her level to see the screen. Frown still set in place, she gave him a sidelong glance before snapping the laptop shut and sitting up. Confused, he backed up a space as she stood from the seat and walked away.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9vP2cDDXU 維尼

"Ok, so…not a good nickname?" He called after her, but she only slung her bag further up her shoulder and disappeared behind the stairs to the game shop above. Wrench cocked his head, unsure whether he should go after her or let her cool off from whatever was bothering her. He'd never encountered this particular mood from her before. What was her problem?8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGmdh2V8ue 維尼

Well, if she wasn't in the mood for talking, maybe Sitara was. That female was a hell of a gossiper, and if there was anyone who knew what had Riley's panties in a bunch, it would be her. They'd grown closer over the past few months and she tended to talk about her problems to the only other female around. He sauntered over and pointed towards the stairs.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhu8oqXwry 維尼

"So…any idea what that was about?" Question marks appeared on his mask, emphasizing that he had no clue what was going on.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡWClGpofwWt 維尼

Sitara looked unamused, pissed off even, and crossed her arms. "Yeah. What about you?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DWKFLhzAx 維尼

"Uhh…" He froze for a second, trying to search through his foggy brain, as if this was some puzzle he knew the solution to. "No? That's why I'm asking."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDWi2tvRe0 維尼

The artist shook her head and rolled her eyes. "She's pissed because you forgot her birthday."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83hiIRIJn6 維尼

Wrench cocked his head, even more confused. "It's not until the 19th."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrHlw5DLLw 維尼

"No, dumbass. It's the 14th." Sitara corrected with an attitude, clearly unamused by his ignorance. "Which was yesterday."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6i5nSIgLhm 維尼

It was as if the Red Sea had parted to reveal the answer to his question, and Wrench's mask cleared into two wide circles. He stood straighter, as if the involuntary defensive reflex would somehow help against the shame that washed over him.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7zeh83YNe 維尼

No wonder she hadn't responded to any of his texts that morning. And he'd been too wasted with Marcus the night before to think about texting her while they had hung out. Then again, she hadn't reached out to him at all but…shit. He forgot her birthday? That was like…rule number one of the boyfriend code!8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0hNJvBdBH 維尼

"So you've got some hella explaining to do if you're gonna get on her good side again." Sitara continued, still flaunting her disappointment and irritated expression. He'd nearly forgotten that females got pissed in packs. As soon as one was slighted, they all were, once the drama was out. "I wouldn't keep her waiting, to be honest."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDM1OAAGUj 維尼

"God damnit…" He muttered, already taking the steps two at a time up the stairs to the game shop. Hopefully she was still there if he was lucky.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfqpAgdMCr 維尼

No such luck. Riley had already left by the time he got up to the building, and she was nowhere to be seen even when he checked both ways on the sidewalk outside. Gone. Fuck. He pulled out his phone and called her, hoping she wouldn't hate him too much for doing this by phone.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCuHeWsnBb 維尼

"Yeah?" Was her monotone reply when she finally picked up. Not her usual cheerful greeting he normally received. Yeah, he was definitely on her shit list today.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEQeTfH2Bv 維尼

"So, uh…I'm so sorry about yesterday. I completely spaced your birthday, I thought it was on the 19th! I was planning something for you and everything-"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYn5z5cntr 維尼

"Wrench, I specifically told you a few days before what the date was. You told me you'd take care of it. It took me like two hours just to get ready and then I go over there to find you and Marcus passed out in the garage? Is it unreasonable of me to be a little pissed off right now?" Well, she certainly sounded like she was. And now that she spelled it out, he could see why she was.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRQwQGWpbp 維尼

"No, it's not and I know…" He said, but she interrupted again.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOVBMnVJje 維尼

"Just leave me alone for awhile, ok? I don't really want to talk right now."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEfugS7bfq 維尼

And with that the call ended. Wrench held the phone up to his face to see the screen, in slight disbelief that she'd just…hung up on him. His kind-hearted Riley was being so cold to him, and he didn't quite know how to handle it. She understood that she'd be mad but…was this really necessary?8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVZvBSMgEQ 維尼

Shaking his head, both because he was pissed at himself and because he wished Riley would just listen to him about this, he turned around and walked back towards the hackerspace.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1YnL7hhM2 維尼

Riley stared up at the ceiling from her position on her couch, unable to shake the irritation that Wrench's carelessness had caused. It should just be some simple, stupid thing that the brunette could forgive easily, but for whatever reason the anger still stuck with her. It wasn't even that big of a deal, when she thought about it. It was just a birthday. They could celebrate it a few days late. It wasn't the end of the world. But the fact that he'd just forgotten and she'd spent so much time in anticipation just to be let down wasn't easy for her to let go.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1JkgBOWCf 維尼

She'd been looking forward to an actual fun birthday this year. Last year's had been spent staking out some warehouse where a supposed drug deal between major corporation figures was to take place. That had turned out to be a bust and she'd spent hours sitting in a parking lot in the middle of the night waiting for something that would never even happen. And by the time she called it quits, she'd been too tired to even care about buying herself a birthday cake on the way home.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyEQx4FWJY 維尼

So much for turning 23. It came and went without fanfare or celebration. Just another day on the job.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡO06YOc994j 維尼

So it went without saying that she'd expected this year's to be enjoyable. Her DedSec friends were a zany bunch to begin with. But Sitara and Josh had been the only two to even remember that it was yesterday. They'd wished her a happy birthday in private, at Lexi's request, because she truthfully just wanted to spend the day with Wrench.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7SxwQdTm2 維尼

The disappointment just stung too deeply to let go without mulling on it a while longer. Maybe that made her a bitch, but the brunette was too upset to care. She deserved to feel angry every once in a while.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBiWEf3yNp 維尼

It felt…tense in the hackerspace. Not only did it lack a brunette presence he'd come to enjoy having around all the time, but the only other female in the room was also pissed at him on her behalf. He could feel Sitara burning a hole in his back every time he wandered anywhere else besides his Wrench Bench. As if his own guilt wasn't already doing enough to make him feel bad about this.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsnTSAASkY 維尼

Riley still had yet to talk to him, and it was midday. She hadn't made an appearance to the hackerspace either, maybe ignoring him or avoiding him. Ok, sure he deserved her anger for forgetting her birthday, but a part of him was irritated by how long it was taking her to even talk to him again. This was getting ridiculous and was bordering on petty.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7c3vFqv4A6 維尼

Marcus was away for the afternoon too, checking up on a lead that Ray had uncovered in the Galilei hack. Wrench had wanted to go with, but it really only required one person since they weren't even sure what they were going to find.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡE74F9F0Aio 維尼

So Wrench was stuck in the graffitied basement of the game store, sulking on his loneliness and slowing growing more frustrated with his girlfriend's behavior as time went on. At this rate, he'd have more reason than her for being angry.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmv3ctTXtX 維尼

"Hey Josh, run this picture through your database and see if you can find out who he is. Focus on Asian colleges or graduate programs." Sitara said, coming up to stand beside him. Wrench heard what she said from across the way and came to investigate what was going on.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡErIxPGO8aT 維尼

"Should just take a second." Josh took the picture from the artist and scanned it into his computer, holding it out for her to take back, but Wrench snatched it out of his hands before she could get to it.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡItEyFmIoZq 維尼

"What're we looking this guy up for? Have you discovered a new genre of bondage porn?" He inquired, noticing the bloody nose and zip-tied hands, but she only rolled her eyes.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dKF8Ej0B2 維尼

"Marcus found him in the Shu's shipping container. They smuggled him in, complete with an expensive luxury suite on the inside. He's got to have some sort of value for them to have used such resources just to get him over here." She explained, cocking a hip and placing a hand on it. She snatched the photo back from him and placed it in her pocket.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Fkf6RDW7o 維尼

"Got him." Josh said, eyes already scanning the contents of his profile. "Marcus was right. He is very well educated."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHCubfXLP1 維尼

Sitara read his profile over Josh's shoulder before patching through to Marcus on the comms again. "Marcus, I found your guy."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNKtn4tM3i 維尼

"Whatchu got?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqmoMLegd8 維尼

"Graduate of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He's got a double Masters in Statistics and Business…" She quoted from the file, scanning lower to his credentials. She put two and two together fairly quickly. "He's a quant."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCGzkvL1Pp 維尼

"They definitely need him to number crunch that Stock Market data, which means the Auntie Shu boys are in the business of insider trading."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5rz3xOuq1 維尼

A small grin grew on the hacker's face, and she rubbed at her chin thoughtfully. "I have a contact in Chinatown who's connected to the Auntie Shu boys. I'm sending you his coordinates. Maybe he can help you get some answers."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTDtSzHNh5 維尼

"Got it. I'll keep you posted."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbnfI6u2Jy 維尼

The comms disconnected and the three hackers broke apart. Sitara's curiosity temporarily distracted her from the irritation she was feeling towards Wrench. But when he spoke again she was reminded of his own idiocy once again.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Q0uwmgBLq 維尼

"You're not giving Marcus all the fun missions again, are you?" He pleaded in a sad tone, and she shrugged.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiTzRK49Ya 維尼

"You're not off the hook with me just yet. Make it up to Riley and maybe I'll let you blow something up today." With that, she walked back to her art station.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡZihQhfKmlP 維尼

"Alright, would you like the good news or…ahh…the bad news first?" Marcus asked with a hiss over the comms, and Sitara sighed.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhzviNR5Dm 維尼

"Please tell me you found something at the safehouse."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7ALnaPk7k 維尼

"Well, these maps and charts I found in their safe definitely pinpoint a floating server farm out in the middle of the ocean. Auntie Shu's base of operations for the Stock Market hack if I were to take a guess."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f6MpTHIXc 維尼

The hacker smiled. "Well, it's a start. We'll have to see if we can use the satellites to figure out how to go from here. Now, what's the bad news?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡktCPBT8th6 維尼

"There is a 100% chance that I sprained and or broke my ankle while getting these documents. Fuck…that hurts!"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqIDhgTTiP 維尼

"Damnit, are you out of there?" Sitara went into worry mode, ready to pull out her laptop and start hacking if it gave Marcus a better chance of getting to safety.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjC8zfpN9A 維尼

"Yeah, grabbed a car out. On the way to the hospital to see if they can take a look at it." He hissed again, holding back another curse from the pain. "You'll probably have to have Wrench do the rest of this op. I'll be down and out for several days at the least."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡorCFggsBTD 維尼

Sitara glanced over at the hacker in question, who was moping and grumbling over at his Wrench Bench. His mood was slowly souring the longer Riley gave him the cold shoulder. She could use this as an excuse to get him out of the hackerspace. Wrench was bringing the atmosphere down a major notch, and Sitara figured it was time the couple made up. It had been just an honest mistake, no matter how much shit she was giving Wrench for it.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Zvvbbyzt9 維尼

"Alright, I'll take care of it. Just…get better, ok?" She tried not to let the worry seep through the comms too much.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡAf4gHmv3eg 維尼

"Don't worry about me, girl. I'll be back at it in no time." He said, reading her mind. There was a buzz on her phone a moment later. "I just sent over the maps. Have Wrench take a look."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡozPhEDJahb 維尼

She disconnected with Marcus and stood from her printing machine. With a sigh, she pulled up the files Marcus had sent and went over to talk to the masked hacker.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPHPzMSW0S 維尼

Riley threw her car into park and grabbed her laptop, getting out of her car and slamming the door behind her. The lighthouse had a lot of visitors today, and she blended in well with her sunglass, crop-top, and shorts. San Francisco was in the middle of a heat wave, and most tourists were dressed in the absolute minimum required to stay decent.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbRjuvtlAj 維尼

"I'm here." Riley relayed over the comm system. She was still sort of pissed at Wrench, but she wouldn't let her sour mood get in the way of the operation. Right now all she wanted to talk about was the barge and anything to do with it.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vkP3eorRs 維尼

"I'm almost to the dock." Wrench said, obviously disappointed that she wasn't in her usual cheery mood. But he wisely said nothing about it. "Did you get the coordinates I sent you?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6OCr829XN 維尼

"Yeah. I should be able to find the barge without too much trouble." She replied, crossing the wooden bridge to get to the lighthouse itself. She was already inspecting the building, trying to figure out a way to get to the top. Visitors weren't permitted up that high. Damn. With all these witnesses too, it wasn't going to be easy.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡvz44IY4Uo2 維尼

"…" There was a silence on the comms. Quite strange, considering Wrench's normal personality. Riley missed it. But she was also still upset with him. He had yet to try to make all of this up to her, after all. No effort on his part. Hmph.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡes4tuxwoWE 維尼

"…you're still mad about the whole birthday thing, aren't you?" He finally questioned in exasperation.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEFKEpJeVJ 維尼

"Yup." She said simply, circling the lighthouse building to try to find a way up. They did a good job of discouraging climbers. Not too many places to climb up at all.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXpDz0qDqM 維尼

"I said I was sorry. I can't go back and change it all. Besides, it's not like I'd get upset if you forgot my birthday or something!"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIgwwrHsS0 維尼

"That's because I know when your birthday is. April 4th, not April 1st as you like to claim." She stated in a deadpan. "So your argument really doesn't matter because it wouldn't happen."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqVNlcrJFD 維尼

"Oh come on. You're just being like this to be petty now." He complained.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOShrEiRaI 維尼

"Maybe. I don't know. Yet you still haven't made it up to me, have you?" She glanced around for any possible spectators to what she was about to do, before grabbing onto one of the large pipes against the side of the building and pulled herself upwards. It was the only way she could see to proceed.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlDc89nWtO 維尼

"Ugh, if I didn't like you so much I'd really hate you." He grumbled, just loud enough for her to hear.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡnka8uVSRNb 維尼

Riley couldn't help the little upwards twitch at the corners of her mouth. Despite her sour mood towards him, he was still adorable as ever. She tried not to be too hard on him, but she wanted him to redeem himself for not putting her as the first priority. Just this once.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbj8L6orFQ 維尼

"At least I'm talking to you now though, right?" She offered.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1vrtwIn9N 維尼

"It's not the same…you've been so distant."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡZijuEwzIJP 維尼

"I'm sure you'll get over it."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡOh0zNuEtJj 維尼

There was more silence over the comms, and Riley focused on making her way up the ladder to the actual lighthouse itself. She made it in no time—it honestly wasn't really all that high—and took a seat at the very front. Grabbing her laptop from the bag on her back, she opened it up and got to work.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡIneA6xkSFl 維尼

She patched into the group comms to keep everyone in the loop. "Alright, thanks to Ray's protocols, I'm in the satellites."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHHDwR7qYX 維尼

"So, what's the plan?" Sitara asked, leaving the answer up to anyone who had one.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCXi0cLDfK 維尼

Marcus, predictably, took the reins from there. Despite being stuck at home, confined to bed, he was determined to help out how he could. "If I read those blueprints right, there should be cameras you can hack into, Riley."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡmL9FOLJ3OL 維尼

"Then what?" Sitara asked again, not quite seeing what they expected to do.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxZzvKw6Mv 維尼

"We hack the shit out of it. Whatever I can get my hands on, that is." Riley said with a grin, already hopping satellites to pinpoint the barge's location. She zoomed in and spotted what she thought the correct one was, targeting it with her own code.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FfuCJWble 維尼

"That's crazy…I love it." The female hacker responded with, no doubt smiling a wicked smile of her own back at the hackerspace.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMg6VuAYYx 維尼

"We need that main server. But we'll have to bring it closer in order to get our hands on it. Think you can do it, Riley?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0My7RQCI7 維尼

"Do you even have to ask?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡZi7PvU6WoE 維尼

With one last tap of her key, she was granted a look on the inside of the barge. A man stood in front of several screens, monitoring whatever data he was supposed to. Everything was made of metal, by the looks of it, but it was much more spacious than what she was expecting.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4PJ0cVRA7 維尼

"Don't keep us in suspense…what do you see?" Wrench begged, his curiosity winning out over his bad mood.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYrwb5XW6P 維尼

"This thing is no joke. Top-of-the-line hardware, upgraded security measures, an admin terminal too. I'll need to find the credentials to get into that."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡjO21KYLoOx 維尼

Ignoring Wrench's mumble about not getting any of the fun missions, she focused on trying to find another camera to hack, wanting to get a better view of the barge and what was inside. The camera she'd first hacked didn't offer a lot of resources at her disposal. She spotted a string of coding off to the side, in range of the camera's view, and she hacked into that.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡmD5nRlbIRV 維尼

Her point of view switched to nearly the floor, and she discovered they had a portable little bot, similar to those that DedSec used to do mobile hacking.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfbo8Gq4JM 維尼

"Huh. Looks like they've got a few toys of their own." She mentioned absentmindedly.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡycZunQtLp9 維尼

"Josh toys? Or…Sitara…toys?" Wrench asked, trying to slip his usual lighthearted humor into the conversation. Riley suspected he was hoping it would soften her up a bit. He'd have to try a little harder than that though.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZaOrPQiPw 維尼

"Well, the kind that needs batteries, and that you can control remotely." Riley said vaguely, not giving Wrench the satisfaction of knowing for sure.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8HLMdCf29 維尼

"Now you're just playing with me. Not cool."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sQc0IbIoN 維尼

Riley smirked, using the little bot to navigate around the barge. She tried to make it's movements as inconspicuous as possible. It dodged around walking crewmen and skirted along the edges of the walls. If they spotted it and got suspicious, she doubted there was another on board she could hack into.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SPda4joug 維尼

One crewman in particular looked important, and she drove the little bot right behind the oblivious man. With a few codes, she hacked into the man's phone with ease. The bot picked up the code of the log-in needed for the admin terminal. Nice.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaAdMLOjz8 維尼

"Alright, I've got the log-in info." She reported, already moving back to where the admin terminal was.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSvxuZb0Jc 維尼

"Crack open that bad boy and play it like a fiddle." Sitara encouraged with enthusiasm.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtKUeFcrrp 維尼

The little bot weaved through legs, back and forth, across the metal hallway and finally reached the terminal by accessing the vent system. It fell down in front of the computer, and Riley started the hacking process as the long arm inserted the USB. Within several minutes, she had her hands on what she needed.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YjXmdUxGe 維尼

"Ok, pretty sure I can access the barge's systems now." She announced, flicking her wrist and hitting the enter key to prompt the code break. Perfect. Riley felt good, knowing she was being a valuable asset to the team right now. It made her smile.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7BBaSVn7F 維尼

"Any idea how you're bringing the barge closer to shore?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdgtz959n6 維尼

"Uhh…hmm. Didn't quite think that one through yet." Riley said, suddenly stuck and at a loss. She couldn't exactly brute-force the navigational auto-pilot controls. Someone would notice in the several hours it would take to get back to San Francisco. That wouldn't work. Nor, she thought with a grin, would posting a threatening message on their screens demanding they return to shore. Damn.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrZndmVM1s 維尼

Luckily, Wrench was around with his foolproof plans when they needed them most.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrEeub9SuQ 維尼

"You should totally spoof the fuel gauges, make them think they have a leak."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHGRmg304d 維尼

Yeah. That would do it. That way, they would turn around of their own accord. Of course the anarchist would pick the least destructive way to make this baby turn around. How ironic.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dIVPbEMX5 維尼

"Good idea." She said, giving credit where credit was due. A few taps and clicks and a small alarm began to go off at the terminal where the man was standing. The man said some things in Chinese that she didn't understand, but from what they were doing, it looked like it had done the trick.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2udW1G2X4x 維尼

"Looks like that did it. They're turning around and changing course." Riley snapped her laptop closed and stood from the lighthouse deck. Her job here was done.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3Ib1HPXqB 維尼

"I'm still in the process of getting us a boat. We can just grab it and go once the barge comes in." Wrench said hopefully, almost expecting her to refuse.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡkChcYIlZlt 維尼

"Good. And don't think about leaving me behind if you know what's good for you." She threatened light-heartedly, excited for taking part in this operation. She liked being depended on.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8mAxFidbc 維尼

The barge took about 5 hours to get back to San Francisco Bay, and the sun was close to dipping below the horizon. It still sat about a mile off the shoreline, but it was close enough to get to with relative ease and a water vehicle.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡRG4WO5VzgB 維尼

Wrench had procured the two of them a boat earlier in the day, and he'd texted Riley to meet him at the dock. She jumped up from her chair and grabbed her car keys, ready to go. She'd changed from her shorts and crop-top into something a little more practical, since the evening brought with it slightly cooler temperatures as well. No need to go sneaking around the barge half-naked and freezing.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡW62e8SIKeI 維尼

Wrench stood patiently on the wooden dock in front of the boat, turning to look at her when her footsteps echoed on the wood.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhDWpv7ex7 維尼

"Hey." He said lamely, more to test how she was feeling towards him right now than anything. His mask showed two small circles, watching her closely.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡRes9gIhUHa 維尼

"Hi." She replied shortly without smiling, stepping past him to get on the boat. Behind her, Wrench sighed. Not the response he was hoping for. Oh well.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iMmMxtDPo 維尼

They didn't speak much after that, Wrench focused on getting them to the barge, and Riley on watching the sun disappear behind the ocean waves. The boat bounced up and down as they went, and Riley had to hold onto the side to keep her still.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkUZtPRkP3 維尼

The rush of the wind and water at her back felt amazing. She hadn't ever really sailed before, but this feeling…she just might get into the hobby. She wondered how much a boat cost, then remember that it honestly didn't matter now. She could go out and buy herself a boat tomorrow if she wanted to.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbkQqt3IM1 維尼

Wrench, on his part, was happy that at least Riley wasn't glaring a hole into his back. He'd glanced behind him to see what she was up to while they rode in the boat. She just sat and watched the water. Her side profile was visible, and she looked happy being out on the water. Hmm. He filed that away for later, hoping that he could somehow redeem himself soon. Maybe a day out on the water would improve her feelings towards him. Maybe. He hoped.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwFBTA49pO 維尼

It didn't take long to reach the barge, and Wrench began to slow the craft until they came into the side at an easy drift. They both stood and reached out to grab one of the ladders that extended down into the water in case people went overboard. Riley tied a rope around the rungs and kept the boat in place. This was their only way off the boat. Getting stranded on here and sent off into the middle of the ocean wasn't a pleasant thought.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡTh0zHNCXde 維尼

Both hackers started up the ladder, hoping that there wasn't anyone around at the top. Wrench couldn't help but watch the way Riley's ass shifted back and forth as she climbed, and he enjoyed the moment while he could.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡwd12X3xceB 維尼

"Stop staring at my ass." She said without looking back at him.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡgis85LuEx5 維尼

Wrench deadpanned, feeling somewhat chastened. He couldn't even look at her without some rebuke.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIbpvd8m5X 維尼

They made it a few feet from the top of the ladder, and Riley slowed her ascent. She peeked her up just a bit, peering around to see if there was anyone close by. Then, she suddenly ducked down, craning her neck beside her so no part of her body showed.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡADv4EjZHKr 維尼

Wrench said nothing, not wanting to blow their hiding space. In the silence, footsteps right above them walked unhurriedly to the left, finally disappearing from hearing after a tense minute.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡtobYuFVzbq 維尼

Riley dared another look, before silently climbing up the rest of the way and on the deck. She waved Wrench forward too, urging him to hurry.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOQhlVgUBw 維尼

With both hackers onboard the barge, they hid behind a large vent to get their bearings.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLXfWjH1y9 維尼

"There's probably hundreds of servers onboard. I'll have to find a terminal and locate which one we're looking for." Riley said, pulling out her phone to see if she could find some cameras to hack.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75OCZEoJsl 維尼

Wrench didn't seem to have an argument to that, and nodded. "I'll go below desk, see if I can take out a few guards along the way."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcu1LFY41X 維尼

"Be careful." She said, eyes glued to the screen, looking for what she needed.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDdVcx4vUd 維尼

"You too." Wrench spared her one last glance before disappearing around the corner towards where the lower deck entrances were.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHJJAVBrFe 維尼

Finding the terminal she needed wasn't the hard part. Getting to it was.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eaDk6SESJ 維尼

Swiping the admin log-in credentials was a piece of cake. The guy was lounged in a chair in a room with an observation deck on the top level. The important people always made sure they looked important, so it made that part of the task so much easier.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XGJZn5iiv 維尼

With the log-in information in hand, she hopped cameras to get a general idea of how to get to the terminal itself. She didn't bring an RC bot with her. On a boat, it didn't seem necessary, but now she regretted it.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡES0jGTQ1GW 維尼

Occasionally, she caught a glimpse of Wrench stalking the lower halls of the barge, dodging passing security personnel and IT specialists as he got a gist of the layout. Occasionally, he placed small little blocks on the walls. She wasn't sure exactly what they were, but if she were to take a guess, it was probably some form of explosive. Figures. The one idiot who would bring bombs onto a boat. Which could sink. And drown them.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbKRVXk7Og 維尼

"Are you really planting explosives on a boat?" She hissed in an exasperated whisper through the comms. "We're a mile from the shore!"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GKQ1Q7F28 維尼

"We'll be off of this thing before I blow them. Don't worry!" He replied nonchalantly, as if there wasn't a problem here.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqJ6qPZXxF 維尼

Riley shook her head. Sometimes this man aggravated her so much. Ugh.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrzPoh74JO 維尼

Instead of replying to his strange reasoning, she focused instead on finding the terminal. A much more worthwhile task at the moment. She used the camera access on her phone to help determine when it was safe to proceed without being spotted, so far not running into any trouble.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8xEzKWf4k 維尼

She grabbed onto the knob of the door and entered the admin room, closing it behind her quietly.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSf1IqbfKi 維尼

"Alright, I'm at the terminal." She reported quietly, hoping that Wrench still hadn't been spotted. He said nothing, but she was already tapping away at keys, inputting the log-in information to gain full access.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡboYfDYoPXz 維尼

A full console and map popped up on the screen, and she sat in the chair to work more comfortably. She'd been correct. There were hundreds upon hundreds of servers on this barge, all serving their own purposes. She couldn't even begin to imagine how much data this thing contained, or how much of it would be incriminating to one company or another. Oh, what she wouldn't give to be able to examine this place a bit more extensively.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuJKT9aWq5 維尼

Josh had given her a bit of information to help her identify which server they were looking for, and she compared them all to match up what she could. An automatic program did it for her, thankfully, so all she had to do was sit back and-8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAdDQHvx1C 維尼

The door to the admin room opened, and she whipped her head back in time to see a man entering. He stopped, then shouted something in Chinese and charged at her.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlaptltbNJ 維尼

She stood, but wasn't fast enough to stop him from pushing her against the wall forcefully. She tried struggling against him as best she could, but he was strong. Her squirming, however, prevented him from reaching for his radio to inform the rest of the security staff, so it had some sort of purpose.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3M78giscQ 維尼

"Riley? What's going on?" Wrench asked, no doubt hearing the sounds of struggle through her earpiece.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFKhVbG7Jc 維尼

"Everything's…fine!" She ground out, still pushing back as much as she could against the man. Finally, unable to think of any alternative, she slammed her forehead into the man's face. He cried out and stumbled backward, clutching at his nose. It hurt like a bitch against her own head, but she was sure it would get better soon enough.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡBosamlvEZx 維尼

The space between them allowed her to whip out the billiard ball weapon and she smacked him once in the head, dropping him soundly against the floor.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tBX2PmZ3o 維尼

"Do you need any help? Are you ok?" He asked again, a bit worried this time.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqQjSn1GCD 維尼

"Nope…all…taken care of…" She heaved through panting breaths, hands on her knees as she caught what air she could. That had been a bit more strenuous that she'd intended it to be but he'd been strong. "I don't need your help…all the time, Wrench. I'm not a damsel…in distress."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2tq129xJx 維尼

"That's not what I was implying…"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeNxAkQqUd 維尼

"Then let me…do my damn job."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡc33pDF5gto 維尼

"…" He said nothing, finally deciding to drop it and continue on with what he was doing.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0zI8PR7Wj 維尼

Riley took another moment to recover, then returned to the terminal. In all the scuffle, the program had found the server, highlighting the string of code and matching it to a location and storage number below deck. "Alright, I've got it. It should be in Section 3, Storage #8369…oh, shit."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwUBx413qJ 維尼

"What?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zOW74jSox 維尼

"Well, from the terminal's schematics, this thing is a lot bigger than we first thought."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyhx3CCJcG 維尼

"How big, exactly?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiOG1VaK7P 維尼

"Industrial sized. There's no way we're getting it onto the boat. We'd sink in a second." Riley mused aloud. "Hang on, let me patch through to the others, see what they think."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BB0DDFlag 維尼

Riley tuned into the group frequency. "Alright, so we've found where the server's at. Only problem is, this thing is way bigger than what we can take on the boat. Any suggestions?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0GhNnS0Zg 維尼

"Damn. There must be a shit ton of goodies in there for us to crack." Sitara mentioned.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRTgushg3j 維尼

Josh interrupted her. "I may have a solution but you'll have to bring it to the top deck. I'll let you know once I have it figured out."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWmlXmE96j 維尼

"Thanks Josh." She said, leaving the group channel. "You still there, Wrench?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MtPLsRZqH 維尼

"Yup, and you know I can't read Chinese. These signs on the wall are pointless to me. How do I get to the right place?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡcs99kj2cmM 維尼

Riley rolled her eyes but started navigating through the cameras again. "I just sent the nav to your phone. Check it."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJ75KINhmY 維尼

Wrench started to make his way to the storage section of the lower deck, with Riley providing surveillance in the areas he travelled. There didn't appear to be too many people in this part of the barge, thankfully, and before long he'd found the server in question.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡto7MkL0TM9 維尼

"Jeez, this thing is big. Whatever Josh has it mind, it's gotta be even bigger or this puppy ain't moving." He commented, hacking into a nearby lift machine to move it. "And, another question…how are we getting this thing topside?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHa9hAfPr9 維尼

"The lower deck should have a service elevator shaft. That should work."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡypXzkhcgqK 維尼

Riley heard a little giggle on his end. "They say the shaft is a bad mother-"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡnd1EtglZT0 維尼

"Shut your mouth!" Riley said in amusement.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡzo650rY4ka 維尼

"I'm talkin' about elevator shaft?" He said snootily, as if it had been obvious the whole time.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FFHcAe62C 維尼

"Whatever. Just get it to the top deck and they'll take care of the rest." Speaking of which, Riley patched into Josh's frequency. "Any word on our solution, Josh?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bpF8BAI7M 維尼

"It's on it's way. About 3 minutes out."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAoZ0J0P60 維尼

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud alarm blaring through the whole barge, red lights dotted occasionally along the walls glaring brightly. Someone spoke over the intercom system in Chinese, no doubt alerting the crew onboard that something was amiss. Shit.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtxsN2zw3g 維尼

"Josh, I'm keeping you on our channel, keep us posted about your reinforcements. Wrench, what did you do?" She asked, patching the channels together.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPAFPEvEBt 維尼

"It's probably on a tripwire system! Nothing I could have done." He said, and Riley accepted it. Nothing they could do to fix it now. Everyone knew they were here. For now, she figured she was safe inside this room, since dozens of people were running through the halls right now looking for them.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvr0mfDbsS 維尼

"I'll see what I can do to cause some distraction for you." She said, hopping between the cameras to hack into what she could. Well…detonating Wrench's explosives were always an option, but they were still on the fucking boat. Nope. She wasn't touching that. No need to be part of the second Titanic.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgpKwaVdyL 維尼

Instead, she burst open steam pipes and vents, causing confusion and disarray up above while Wrench rode the elevator up to the top deck. It was slow going.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡDG3cSwjhyk 維尼

"Josh, how're we looking?" Riley asked again.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPRr8njoSq 維尼

"2 minutes out."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7xJmAaEMt 維尼

"I'm up top. Riley, you should get up here now. Don't want to be left behind, do you?" Wrench asked, and she shook her head, grabbing the USB from the admin terminal and standing from the chair.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡnisOYxFjT8 維尼

"You'd be dead as soon as I made it back for leaving me behind." She promised.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwRftcAYIJ 維尼

She peeked out into the hallway, exiting the room once the coast was clear. Wrench would have to figure out the rest on his end from this point. She had to focus on meeting him on the deck without getting shot.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1JuNxJlXJ 維尼

Now that she was inside the barge, everything looked a little different. For a moment, the brunette couldn't remember how'd she'd gotten down here, before spotting a familiar-looking sign and going from there.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNSLpYqfek 維尼

In her haste, she ran around a corner to get to a set of stairs, and stopped short when she spotted the two guards holding assault rifles in her direction. They saw her immediately and shouted something in Chinese, aiming the weapons at her. Eyes wide, Riley threw her hands up and cooperated.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjpkMQKnJR 維尼

"Fuck…" She muttered, more to herself than anything, but Wrench was still on the comms and heard it.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO8qEhAUNd 維尼

"More trouble?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9U9Mza3Yop 維尼

"You could say that." Was her mumbled reply. 8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpuJ4z4hpv 維尼

"I'm a little preoccupied at the moment, so you're on your own." Wrench said, the sound of gunshots audible in both the earpiece and somewhere above her.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡxs4MVr8KOD 維尼

The two men approached her slowly, no doubt looking to subdue her. She couldn't reach for her weapons at her back without them shooting her…damnit she was out of options.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3okCn46ZWB 維尼

Well…maybe. It was not something she wanted to do, but…well, they were two men. Hopefully it would work like it did in the movies.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5CMs7Z8Od 維尼

When they got close enough to almost touch her, Riley reached down and lifted up her shirt and bra, revealing her chest in a flourish. Both men immediately dropped their guards, eyes now focused on her breasts. Ugh. This felt dirty.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIg3N1URHe 維尼

Before they could fully understand why she was flashing them, she grabbed the closest assault rifle and slammed it into the man's face, knocking him to the ground. The second man tried to bring up his weapon, but Riley got right into his personal space, rendering it useless, and knocked it out of his hands. She kicked him in the groin just to finish things off, pulling her shirt and bra back down as he collapsed to the floor in a mess of pain.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfANAgbpdc 維尼

She wasn't going to stick around and wait for one of them to recover, so she sprinted down the hallway. All she could think of was that at least Wrench hadn't seen it. She honestly sure what he'd do if he knew two strangers had seen her breasts before he did. She couldn't help but smile, almost wanting to find out.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHvl0nqMZH 維尼

"1 minute out." Josh reminded them over the comms, and Riley picked up her pace.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6dT9SHfbK 維尼

The sky finally came into view, and she hurried along to where Wrench was waiting. The top-deck was a mess of dead or unconscious men. No doubt Wrench's handiwork. He'd sure done a number on most of them.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5CnJx7Ww6 維尼

She jogged over to the server and Wrench, who stood to the side holding his rifle, looking out for any Auntie Shu boys left. "That took way longer than I wanted it to." She said, checking over the server to make sure there wasn't any damage.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIVEyHQTDI 維尼

"As much as I like to kid around, I wouldn't actually leave you behind." Wrench promised, looking at her over his shoulder to give a wink. Riley grinned, shaking her head.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mkVAxplWh 維尼

"I know."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBKtmXrrL1 維尼

"Anytime now, Josh!" Wrench said, eyeing the ocean for any sign of an incoming craft or the like.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5Z9x24yK7 維尼

"I'm 29 seconds away."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqod5UKVnS 維尼

Wrench's mask showed two underscores and he tilted his head. "Really?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡawmXEXdqQn 維尼

"What? I like to be punctual."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fUYqwtPpB 維尼

The two hackers waited in anticipation for whatever Josh had coming their way. As they stood there, the distinctive sound of 1000 angry bees floated right at the edge of their hearing. The brunette and anarchist shared a confused glance, before the sound became louder and a huge aircraft came into view.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hoMphnvFI 維尼

"Holy shit…" Riley muttered, watching as it came closer to their location.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Y6d1zkvDO 維尼

"Is that your drone?" Wrench asked in excitement, giddy at the sight of such a magnificent machine.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoVhH4G3Pk 維尼

"Surprise!" Josh said, pride showing through his voice. "Custom built for us."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡjungzFdGIw 維尼

"That's amazing." The brunette said. As they stood there, the drone lowered a cable down to the server.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrxMvZMk5H 維尼

"You'll need to hook it up to the drone and secure it."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡmanjkWTGab 維尼

"Already on it." Wrench said, grabbing the cable and finding the best place to attach it to. He climbed on top of the server itself and tugged, just to test out the strength. "We should be good to go."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJJyE3llqy 維尼

He held out his hand to Riley. "Ready?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡjy0kqSUG7g 維尼

Swallowing back her hesitation, because this was the only way they were getting off this barge, Riley took Wrench's hand and allowed his to hoist her up onto the server as well. "This thing doesn't look very stable." She said, holding not other cable as well. "Wah!"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3B0FbGlkUw 維尼

The whole thing tilted to the side a bit as they were lifted off the ground. In a panic, she gripped onto both Wrench's vest and the cable in an attempt to keep herself on the server.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡiveMzE871o 維尼

"Relax, I won't let you fall." He reassured, wrapping one hand around her waist and holding the cable in the other. Wrench's hoodie was blown off from the wind, exposing his unkempt blonde hair. Riley's own hair whipped around in unruly tendrils.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡshV79BRsGX 維尼

His happy expression stared down at her, and she smiled up at him. Then, a sobering thought made her sigh heavily.8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡFizl1rO6qw 維尼

"Sorry I've been such a bitch today. I was just really disappointed after yesterday."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8YKGJ7juy 維尼

"Ah, don't be. I get why you were upset. I do still intend to make it up to you." He said with a wink. "And the first thing on that list is buying us dinner."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EANhVg8e6 維尼

Riley smiled. "As ironic as this may be…can we get Chinese? I'll call it good if we do."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7aqH3aILi 維尼

Wrench looked at her with question marks. "Really? That's all?"8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLwDuTbncg 維尼

"Yup." Was her honest reply. He still looked confused, because after all of that attitude from before, Chinese food was the perfect solution? It seemed too good to be true. "You couldn't possibly comprehend what Chinese food means to me."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡtj2jY8I32R 維尼

Wrench laughed and shook his head. "I'm still not convinced you're not really genetically Chinese. By now, your blood is probably teriyaki sauce or something."8964 copyright protection354ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhTdOltYzy 維尼

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