Code Of Desire

Chapter 2: The Glitch in the Code

By the time they returned to headquarters, it was past 3 a.m. The city outside was still buzzing — drones sweeping across the skyline, neon signs flickering like tired hearts. Inside the Cybercrime Division, the lights were dim, and the air smelled faintly of burnt circuitry.

Kylie stood at her workstation, replaying the holographic footage of their infiltration. Every second of it was a puzzle piece she needed to fit together. Every flicker of data could be a lead. Jay, meanwhile, was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching her with a half-smile.

"You've been staring at that for an hour," he said. "Either you're about to solve the mystery of the century, or you're trying to ignore me."

"Both," she replied without looking up.

"Admit it," he teased. "You missed my commentary."

"I'd rather face another drone swarm."

Jay laughed under his breath. "Cold as ever."

Before she could respond, the door slid open. Chief Niki strode in, holding a data pad that projected a holographic image between them — a glowing sigil of a fox made of static.

"Specter's mark," he said grimly. "We traced the symbol to a deepweb server operating behind encrypted entertainment networks — specifically, a virtual club in Sector 8."

Jay straightened. "A club?"

"Not just any club," Niki continued. "It's called The Glitch. A digital nightclub that only opens access to invited users — usually high-tier hackers, smugglers, or data brokers. It's part illusion, part system. Think of it as a live space built from code."

Kylie frowned. "You're saying the club is inside the network itself?"

Niki nodded. "Exactly. Whoever runs it has connections to Specter. We need someone inside to identify their broker — codename Vex. They're the link between Specter and the black market."

Jay's grin returned, slow and wicked. "So we're going undercover."

Niki's gaze hardened. "You're going together. Jay, you'll pose as a freelance infiltrator looking to sell stolen encryption tech. Kylie, you'll be his partner — an expert coder handling negotiations."

Kylie's tone was sharp. "There must be another team—"

"There isn't," Niki said. "You two are the only ones who've accessed Specter's encryption patterns and lived to tell about it."

Jay glanced at Kylie. "Guess we're going dancing."

Kylie's eyes narrowed. "Try not to step on my code."

---

By nightfall, Sector 8 glowed like a fever dream. The streets shimmered in electric hues — holographic signs floating in the smog, crowds of augmented humans drifting in and out of cyber lounges. Jay adjusted the collar of his jacket, scanning the entry ahead: The Glitch. Its door was nothing but a thin shimmer of light, guarded by a man whose eyes flickered with digital interference.

Kylie stood beside him, dressed sleek and sharp — black cyberweave suit, silver circuitry laced along her sleeves, and hair pinned back to perfection. Jay couldn't help but stare for a beat too long.

"You look..." he began, then smirked. "Functional."

"Finish that sentence wrong, and I'll rewrite your DNA," she said flatly.

He grinned. "See? You do like me a little."

Before she could retort, the guard scanned them with a retinal sensor. "Codename?"