Binary: An Encrypted to Cipher Bridge Short Story Read Online Free PDF Page B

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    Then another missile was on its way. It whistled loudly, then the air all around him shimmered suddenly and the missile passed right by them.
    “Insta-mirage!” Quirk yelled, even though Zach had no idea what that was, how they created it, or even how it saved them from the missile.
    Once they were across the international waters line, the pilot slowed their speed. Zach went to climb up into the helicopter, but Ronnie stepped out onto the strut and stepped on his fingers.
    “I’m sorry, but we’ve got to make this look real.”
    True. With the frigate here as a launch point to the raid, probably every Interpol-signing nation had satellites trained on the air. Even the Triad seemed to understand that they were out of their league, as they turned back to shore.
    “Again, sorry,” she said, cringing as she stomped on his left hand. Wincing, Zach had no other choice but to let go of the strut. She then stepped on his right hand.
    “Better luck next time!” Ronnie yelled.
    As Zach fell through the air, heading for the ocean’s surface, he’d never loved Ronnie quite so much. As he hit the water, Zach knew that no one was going to question his loyalty to the FBI now.
    * * *
    Ronnie felt awful, just awful. She could still hear the sound her boot made on his tender fingers.
    “You’re sure he’s safe?” she asked Quirk.
    “For the thousandth time,” he responded yes. He handed her a flash drive. “There’s a video loop of his rescue by the frigate.”
    She breathed a sigh of relief. If Quirk was being so nonchalant, then everything was good.
    Ronnie opened her laptop and looked at the program that had distributed Triad’s money. Already, heifer-donating programs in Sudan were tens of millions richer. That money could help eliminate starvation in the southern section of the civil war-torn country.
    Another charity that gave micro-loans to village women in Colombia was also now flush. A feral cat spay and neuter program would also wake up to an early Christmas gift.
    She then checked their account balance. She’d lied back there. They had been nearly broke after the plague. Those damn international vaccines had drained her accounts.
    But now she was flush again. And they were going to need it for their next score. She had an island country to buy, after all.
    Looking back to the frigate that was barely a smudge on the horizon, Ronnie hoped that someday she would have a companion to share it with. One that wasn’t gay, that was. Gay guys had their uses, but making her feel wanted wasn’t one of them.
    Her finger went to her lip. The wound was still oozing a bit. Ronnie was loth to wipe her lips, since she could still feel Zach’s lips pressed against them.
    She’d have to store that memory, since it would probably be months before they could meet in person again.
    “No moping,” Quirk said, shaking his finger at her.
    Easy for him to say. His boyfriend was sitting in the pilot seat. The two of them hadn’t spent more than an hour apart since they met. Whereas Ronnie and Zach could count their time apart in months.
    Her fingers went back to her keyboard. Time to start the preliminary hack.
    No point in crying over spilled milk or, apparently, boyfriends dumped in international waters.

Afterword
    Thank you so much for reading Binary. It was a blast to write and dovetails right into Encrypted’s sequel Cipher due out in February
    If you enjoyed Binary I would ask a favor and have you go back to Amazon and write a review. We indie authors live and die by our reviews!
    While you are waiting for Cipher, check out my other thrillers in the next section…

Acknowledgments
    So many people contribute to any book that it is hard to list them all. However, I intend to try!
    This book would never have come into existence without, of course, Jim. Ever cool. Ever there.
    Ben, who faithfully edited the manuscript through its many, many, many incarnations.
    Dee Dee, who has believed in me for so long it is