Techno Crazed (Hacked Investigations) Read Online Free PDF

fetched Bernard’s bag anyway. He might’ve resisted more if it had been anyone but Hannah. But he wanted her to be whole again. And he wanted that now. Especially with the danger they were up against. How had the men found them near the store? Nothing was coincidence with those guys.
    Hannah’s new clothes. Shit! He should’ve paid for those as well. He knew there’d been a strong chance of them tracking her banking chip.
    He dropped the bag next to Bernard and sat in the armchair, holding his head. A headache pressed against the back of his eyes. His field of vision narrowed a little, and jigsaw lines danced at the edges, forming, disappearing, and reforming in chaotic patterns.
    Bernard paid him little attention, focusing mostly on his gnomish chanting while he stitched the wound up. Ian helped out by handing him various tools and talismans.
    “That should do it. Come on, big girl, stop whimpering, you aren’t in my bed yet!” Bernard grinned wide and turned, seeing Ian push his palm into the side of his head. His smile faltered.
    “What’s wrong? Why is everyone quiet?” Hannah lifted her head slowly from the couch pillow.
    “Okay, girl, Ian needs peace and quiet. Ever hear of migraines? Ian has something similar, except it’s affecting his magic. Or maybe is triggered by it. He needs to lie down for a while. That means sleeping. No sex, you slut,” Bernard said in a low tone, his grin rebounding across his face. He toddled over to Ian and put a hand against his forehead, then mumbled a few words.
    A moment later, Bernard moved away. Dull stabbing sensations still weighed on Ian, but at least the pain had lessened.
    Hannah helped him to the bedroom. He felt weak, his normal sense of strength gone. Ian took the chips he’d retrieved from Rich and gave them to Hannah. “Set these farther away. I might do something to them without noticing. I need to rest for a while.” He rolled under the covers, watching her.
    Setting the chips aside, she closed the bedroom door. A moment passed before he could hear Bernard say, “Feeling tired yet, pretty lady? Why won’t you lay down and take a nap with Uncle Bernie?” The gnome chuckled loudly.
    The bedroom door opened again, and Hannah crept inside, her eyes wide and her skin a little pale. She locked the door behind her.
    “And absolutely no sex!” the gnome yelled from the other side of the door.
    * * *
    The sound of constant tapping woke Ian. Hannah had snuggled up close to him, and his head felt somewhat better. He opened the bedroom door and saw Bernard sitting on the coffee table staring at the front door.
    The gnome tilted his head and looked at him. “They’re here. With some strange tools. Do they think the door is going to give in like an old safe? Just shows what kind of people we’re dealing with. All muscle, no brain.”
    Ian tiptoed to the door and looked into the hallway using the peephole. Two men in blazers and an older gentleman with a variety of lock picks were outside. The locksmith was sweating steadily, and the men behind him had impatience written in their rigid stances.
    Touching the handle gently, Ian tried to estimate the power of the ward. The tinkering outside was good—excellent for human standards. The older gentleman had the latest lock picks on the market. He used tiny nanofilaments made from various types of metals and carbon, allowing the small wires to slip inside the lock and give an estimate of the actual shape of the key. The nanofilaments were reliable enough to provide an almost exact match, similar to an old, well-used key turning in a lock without a hitch.
    Various oils and corrosive acids had already been added to clean dirt and other unwanted material from the lock. In addition, the acids made the lock’s surface more susceptible for picking, allowing the mechanism to slide more than it should have.
    That is, if it had been a normal lock. Thanks to Bernard’s magic against these elements and increased durability,