Free Revenant (The Midnight Society #3) by Logan Patricks Page A

asked.
    “No the word. There’s something about that word that seems unnatural to me, that and the word ‘moist.’ Put those two words together and I’m ready to cut someone.”
    “Strange.”
    “It is.”
    A moment of silence elapsed between us.
    “I hate the word cunt,” she finally said.
    “Don’t most women?”
    “I guess I’m most women then.”
    “Trust me Reiko, you definitely aren’t,” I assured her. “Many of them can’t hold a candle to you.”
    Reiko smiled. “Thanks. You also, Aria. You’re something special.”
    Ah friendship—it was so nice to have it again.
    “So, what’s the plan with all these computers?” I asked, deciding to turn my focus back to the task at hand.
    “I’ve managed to hack into the grid,” Reiko said. “What you see in front of you is the entire electrical subsystem of Hoverton County, the exact location where Lincoln’s big rescue is going to take place. At the tip of your fingers is complete control of their distribution system. You essentially have power over their power.”
    I was intrigued. I took the mouse and clicked a green square on what looked to be a geographical mapping of the area. I watched with childlike curiosity as it turned red.
    “You just knocked out power to their entire cottage country district,” Reiko said.
    “Seriously?” I clicked it back to green.
    I quickly clicked on another green square. “And what did I do there?”
    “You just shut down one of their prominent manufacturing plants,” Reiko sighed.
    “What did they make?”
    “Chocolate.”
    “Oops, better turn that one back on as quickly as possible,” I said, as I converted everything back to its natural state.
    Reiko furrowed her brow. “Look, I know it seems fun, clicking buttons and causing people’s days to grind to a halt, but I’m going to point out that the more you disrupt the balance of their current electrical system, the more someone’s going to suspect that something is wrong and start looking into it. No one knows I have access to this and I’d rather keep it that way.”
    I nodded. “Gotcha. Fly low under the radar.”
    Reiko leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. She looked exhausted. I wondered if she was getting any sleep.
    “Cairo still upset?” I asked.
    She shook her head. “Let’s not mention his name.”
    “Maybe Shadow can talk to him when he gets back. Or even I could.”
    “No. Leave him alone. I don’t want anyone getting involved. It’s something that needs to be worked out between Cairo and I, if that dumb oaf will ever talk to me that is.”
    “Okay.”
    “Let’s focus on the plan. Shadow said that you’d be able to man the second control center. It’d be great help to have two sets of eyes on these eight screens. It decreases the probability of error.”
    “Use me however you wish,” I said, “As long as I’m doing something to help get Lincoln back.”
    Reiko seemed to space out for a moment.
    “What are you thinking?” I asked.
    “How awkward it’s going to be to see Lincoln again,” she said. “Seeing as he’s the main reason why the love of my life hates me.”
    I had never thought about the potential seismic shift in our social circles by reintroducing Lincoln into our lives. Would things be weird between us? How would he react when he sees Shadow and I together? How would I react for that matter?
    “We’ll manage,” I replied. “Things can’t remain awkward forever.”
    “I’m not so sure about that.”
    “It’ll all work out,” I said doing my best to sound confident, despite sharing Reiko’s fears. “Now how about you give me a proper rundown on this power system you hacked into, just so I’m not completely lost during this complex rescue attempt.”
    Reiko smiled. “You got it. If we execute this flawlessly and get Lincoln back while taking down Calisto in the process, then maybe—just maybe—things will go back to the way they once were.”
    I thought about all that I lost over