All Is Bright - K. Sterling Page 0,2

physical security plan for Blackhurst and upgrade the house’s entire security system,” he said and reports, blueprints, threat assessments and diagrams appeared on the screen as Reginald’s fingers hurried across the keys of his laptop.

“Jesus fucking...” Denver whispered as he quickly processed everything he was seeing until the diagrams and assessments began to disappear.

“What in the hell is...?” Reginald complained as he worked faster. “What the...!” His brow furrowed in confusion and Lavender tensed and looked toward Toly and Wilder’s house as his nerves fluttered. “Fuck!” Reginald cried when his laptop went dark and he disappeared from the screen on the wall. “That fucking...” Reginald jumped to his feet and raised his laptop to hurl it. “This is why I keep backups,” he stated and Lavender grabbed the gun in his coat as the door burst open. It was Toly so Lavender froze. His instincts told him that death was imminent but it was Toly.

“Marston!” Toly was pure fury as he raised his hands and Lavender covered his head and ducked as sparks rained from the lights, and screens and speakers around the room keened. The wires in the walls smoked and there was a loud hum as Toly overloaded the voltage coming into the house. Lavender was scared but his only thought was that he couldn’t get Sage out in time.

“Toly, stop!” Lavender begged.

“How could you?!” Toly screamed at Reginald as his finger pointed and twisted. Reginald yelled as he pulled out his earbud and the hum grew louder and the walls shook.

“I only did it to protect us! I was trying to help you!” Reginald cried as he held up his hands but Toly’s eyes were huge with indignant rage and they all swore and covered their heads as a small drone swooped in through the open door. It cut through the room and Reginald dove as it buzzed him. “Listen to me!” Reginald begged.

“No!” Toly shook his head and pushed back his sleeves. “I didn’t need any protection! I was free and you sold me to Blink!” He pulled back his fist as the drone circled around to take another pass. He was about to hurl it at Reginald but Wilder slipped through the door and grabbed his wrist.

“No!” Wilder yelled. “Calm down for a moment, güero!”

“He’s ruined everything! They thought I was dead but now they know and we’ll never be safe!” Toly’s nostrils flared and his hands snatched, poked and swept through the air and the drone whipped through the room.

“Please!” Lavender yelled over the loud hum and drone’s propellers as he edged a little closer but Toly shook his head stubbornly.

“I risked everything so I could start over and be free and he ruined it!”

“I wouldn’t do that to you!” Reginald promised quickly as he stepped around the coffee table then yelped and shielded his head when the drone sped past his shoulder. “For the love of... Toly! Let me explain!”

“I’m not a fucking child, Marston! You didn’t ask me if I wanted to build that for him! I’m not a toy you can amuse yourself with!” He demanded and Reginald nodded quickly.

“Yes! I know! But who’s going to touch you if it hurts Blink? Who’s going to risk his wrath if something happens to one of his hackers?” He asked suggestively. Lavender groaned as he rubbed his temple.

“I know what you were thinking but your plan’s clearly got a big weakness. What happens when someone wants to hurt Blink?”

“We were attacked because we know his secrets,” Denver said from one of the phones in the room.

“See!” Toly howled. “He sold us all to Blink and none of us are safe now!”

“Wait!” Lavender barked and pointed hard. “No one in this room belongs to Blink. Especially you. I’ll clear that up with him myself, if he’s confused,” he swore and Toly stepped back and lowered his arms. “You’re free, Toly. I won’t let anyone take that from you again.”

“You’ll protect me from Mr. Blink?” Toly asked and it was trembling and unsure. Lavender silently cursed Reginald for shaking Toly’s faith.

“With my life, if I have to,” Lavender said sincerely and the humming and keening stopped. Paul sensed that Toly was listening and it was safe so he took a few cautious steps closer and held up his hands.

“There’s a good chance the attacks against Reginald, Toly and Denver were someone tripping Blink’s security protocols to see how Lake Cliff and Blackhurst would react in the event of an attack or a distraction in order