Westchester County, Shadow Dealers Compound

Two days later

Malcolm Whitmore picked up the phone again, ready to speed up the development of Mindjevity. But before he could dial, the phone rang. He stared at the ancient rotary telephone for a long moment before he picked it up.

“Operator Niles,” the voice on the other end announced.

“What do you have for me, Niles?” Malcolm asked, leaning back in his chair.

“We have Kyle and Paige in custody,” Niles reported. “We caught Kyle and Paige trying to board a train,” Niles reported. They destroyed the headset technology and wiped the mainframe.”

Malcolm’s face flushed with anger.

“Bring them to the interrogation room. I want to question them.”

“Understood, sir,” Niles replied.

An hour later, Malcolm entered a small, windowless conference room. Kyle and Paige sat bound to their chairs, their faces pale and drawn. Malcolm offered a thin smile as he took his seat across from them.

“Mr. Brennan, Miss Rothchild,” he began, his tone cordial. “I hope you understand the gravity of your situation.”

Kyle’s eyes flicked to Paige, then back to Malcolm. “We destroyed everything,” he said, his voice steady despite the fear in his eyes. “The headset, the mainframe—it’s all gone.”

Malcolm leaned forward, his fingers steepled. “And the backups? Where might those be?”

Kyle shook his head. “There are no backups. We wiped everything.”

Malcolm’s patience wore thin. With a wave of his hand, several masked men entered the room, carrying a headpiece and a tangle of electrodes. They secured the devices to Paige, who whimpered and trembled as the men secured the apparatus atop her head and attached the electrodes across her body.

“My technology might not be as sophisticated as yours, Mr. Brennan,” Malcolm said, his voice cold and detached. “But I assure you, I will get what I need from her.”

Paige screamed as the electric shock therapy began, her body convulsing with each jolt. Malcolm felt a broad smile tug at his cheek muscles. He rarely got this excited; it had been so long since he had enjoyed a good show.

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“Where are the backups?” he demanded.

Paige’s cries filled the room, but she gasped, “I don’t know! I don’t know!”

Kyle’s resolve crumbled. “I have one more backup,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “But it’s old. Just leave her alone.”

Malcolm’s lips curved into a cruel smile. With another wave of his hand, a man removed the electrodes from Paige, who slumped forward, sobbing.

“I know what game you two are playing,” Malcolm said, his voice dripping with menace. “And I don’t care what happens to the girl. But I need her to get past the genetic locks. I’ll grant you a rare demonstration of my power to ensure you understand my seriousness.”

Without another word, Malcolm drew a pistol from his coat and shot Paige in the head. Her body went limp, her sobs silenced forever.

Kyle’s scream echoed through the room, a sound of pure anguish and despair. Malcolm holstered his weapon and stood, looking down at Kyle with pity and contempt.

“You see, Mr. Brennan,” Malcolm said, “I don’t make idle threats. Now, take me to the backup.”

Kyle, broken and defeated, put his face in his hands and sobbed.

Malcolm poked him in the shoulder with his gun. “I don’t hear the location between those tears.”

“It’s in a safe house,” he whispered. “I’ll take you there.”

Malcolm turned to his men. “Prepare a transport. We’re leaving.”

As they escorted Kyle out of the room, Malcolm cast one last glance at Paige’s lifeless body. He felt no remorse, only a cold satisfaction. The Shadow Dealers would have their technology, and nothing would stand in their way.

The convoy moved through the night, heading towards the safe house Kyle had mentioned. Malcolm sat in the back of an armored vehicle, his eyes never leaving Kyle’s face.

“How did you disable the mainframe?” Malcolm asked, breaking the silence.

Kyle’s voice was hollow. “I used a virus. It wiped everything, including the encryption keys. There’s no way to recover it.”

Malcolm nodded, his mind already calculating the next steps. “And the headset?”

“Destroyed,” Kyle replied. “We smashed it to pieces.”

Malcolm’s eyes narrowed. “And the backup? How old is it?”

Kyle hesitated. “A few months. It won’t have the latest data, but it should be enough to rebuild.”

Malcolm leaned back, satisfied for the moment. “Good. Once we have the backup, you’ll work on recreating the headset. Fail, and you’ll join Miss Rothchild.”

Kyle’s eyes flickered with a mix of fear and determination. “I understand.”

The convoy arrived at the safe house, a nondescript building far outside the city. Malcolm’s men moved with practiced percision, securing the perimeter and ensuring no surprises.

Kyle led them to a hidden compartment in the basement, revealing a small, secure storage unit. He entered a code, and the door swung open, revealing a hard drive.

Malcolm took the drive, his eyes gleaming with triumph. “Well done, Mr. Brennan. Now, let’s get back to the compound. We have work to do.”

Malcolm’s mind raced with possibilities as they returned to the Shadow Dealers’ facility. They would rebuild Mindjevity and unlock its full potential. The Shadow Dealers would sell the technology to the highest bidder, who would benefit from it. He just needed to make sure that the pesky girl was kept locked up for a while longer. It was okay since the state of New York did not run the detention center but a company that he controlled did. Aiko was in for a very rough time indeed. The thought brought another smile to Malcolm’s face.