Haywire Ranger

Chapter 43: My Curiosity is Burning

Under the cloak of night, Sky and Hazel crouched in the shadows outside Anti-Ageing Inc.'s imposing headquarters. Their mission was clear: plant a bug in the company's computer system to aid Kovak in his quest to dethrone Mrs Evergreen and bring about her demise through Endurance's intervention.

While Elite soldiers still fought against phoenixes all over the city, Hazel, with nimble fingers, extracted her Swiss army knife from her pocket and got to work on the door leading into the distribution area, where the lorries and vans stood silent sentinels.

Sky kept watch, his eyes darting around for any signs of security personnel. He had a hand over his sonic gun, retrieved from the gadgets' chest, and now stored in a holster hanging from his jeans.

The lock clicked open, and Hazel slowly pushed the door ajar. They slipped inside like phantoms, the dimly lit space smelling of diesel and industrial grease.

Hazel whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of excitement and anxiety, "Are you sure about this, Sky? We'll be an accessory to murder if we carry on."

He swallowed and nodded. "I know. If you don't want to do this, you can still turn back and leave. I'll do it alone."

They were alone but checked in every direction for guards.

"No. I'll be with you through thick and thin. Let's go."

They stealthily moved through the labyrinthine hallways, the silence broken only by the soft echo of their footsteps. After what felt like an eternity, they found a room with a terminal glowing softly in the dark.

Sky inserted a flash drive into the computer and initiated the process. Lines of code scrolled across the screen as the bug wormed its way into the system.

Hazel watched nervously. "What if we get caught?"

Sky glanced at her, his eyes filled with determination. "We won't. It's done."

As the bug took hold of the system, a series of windows popped up on the screen one after the other in rapid succession. Endurance was infiltrating the system, causing digital and physical chaos once more in the company's headquarters, that time worse than before: doors opening when they should be closed, opened doors being locked, and electrical appliances going live and moving about without any human to guide them.

Mrs Evergreen's private quarters in a restricted area of the headquarters suddenly appeared on screen.

They were an opulent oasis hidden within the heart of the sprawling Anti-Ageing Inc. complex. The walls were adorned with rich, dark wood panelling. A dark marble fireplace dominated one wall, the flames within dancing with a subdued intensity, casting flickering shadows that brought the room to life. Plush velvet sofas and armchairs were strategically placed around a meticulously crafted Persian rug. A grand piano stood in one corner. Numerous flower arrangements adorned the room. The windows, draped with heavy curtains of deep burgundy silk, offered a view of the cityscape below, twinkling with artificial stars. On the walls, priceless works of art were illuminated by discreet spotlights, each piece telling a story of wealth and power.

That peaceful atmosphere was no more. The camera footage displayed an unnerving scene in which red lasers started being shot at anything that moved, including some goons who kept guard by the entrance doors.

Her virtual assistant, an independent small spheric bot lying on a coffee table, turned on its light due to the fuss—only to get shot with a laser too.

A mix of fear and awe played on Hazel's face as she saw the power of the AI they were dealing with. "Endurance is incredible!"

Many more rooms were displayed, but Mrs Evergreen was nowhere in the footage, which picked Sky's interest.