Jarlath pulled Odie’s hand into his, their fingers interlocking. “We move now. Before he stirs. Our cozy lifestyle depends on this.” The blizzard outside still whirled, muffling the lodge’s usual late-night creaks. He knew Vance was in the room across the hall, sound asleep, probably dreaming of promotion and paychecks. This was their window.
He tugged Odie towards the door, then paused. The thought of letting Odie, freshly feverish and still recovering, out into the chill hallway, even for a moment, made a protective instinct surge through him. “Stay here. I’ll be quick. I just need to get his terminal.”
Odelia, however, had already shrugged into a thick, borrowed hoodie. Her eyes, still a little glassy from the fever, held a surprising glint of focus. “Are you kidding? My free snacks. My hyper-immersion pod. My… everything. I’m not letting some glorified bureaucratic goon ruin it.” She pushed past him with an unexpected burst of energy, her movements still a little wobbly, but determined. “Besides, you’re good with a sword, not a keyboard. I’ve cracked a few firewalls in my time. For… research.”
Jarlath watched her, a warm sensation blossoming in his chest, not from the room’s heat, but from the sight of her fierce, albeit lazy, loyalty to her creature comforts. He shook his head, a soft smile gracing his lips. “Fine. But stick to me like glue.”
The hallway was dark and silent. Jarlath, moving with the practiced stealth of a predator, eased Vance’s door open. The Inspector snored softly, a low rumble from the bed, illuminated by the faint glow of a charging tablet on his bedside table. Jarlath slipped inside, Odie a whisper-light shadow behind him.
Vance’s terminal, a sleek, corporate-issued device, sat on a small desk by the window. Jarlath knelt, pulling a small, discreet data-stick from his pocket. He glanced back, expecting Odie to be right behind him. Instead, she was pressed flush against his back, lean and solid through the fleece. The sudden contact shattered his concentration.
Jarlath went rigid, his throat closing as the room turned airless. His mind, so recently freed from its torturous confusion, was now a maelstrom of pure, unadulterated desire. He could feel the soft curve of her abdomen, the slight pressure of her hip. His hands, poised to connect the data-stick, trembled. This was Odelia. Not Odie. Not the ‘boy’ who had caused him such anguish. This was *her*. And the sheer, explosive relief of that knowledge threatened to derail his entire mission.
“What are you doing?” Odie whispered, her breath hot against the shell of his ear. She leaned in further, trying to see the screen. “Just plug it in. What’s the holdup?”
He had to focus. He *had* to. He clenched his teeth, forcing his traitorous body to stillness. “Just… making sure I’ve got the right port.” His voice was a low growl, strained. He fumbled with the data-stick, his fingers clumsy. He cursed himself silently. This was not the time for an awakening. Not with Vance snoring feet away.
Odelia sighed, a faint puff of irritation. “You’re overthinking it. It’s just a standard Type-C.” She reached over his shoulder, her arm brushing his neck, and with an almost effortless movement, guided his hand. The data-stick slotted in with a soft click.
Jarlath stiffened, his pulse hammering against his temples. He could practically hear the hum of blood rushing through his ears. He was supposed to be a hardened, strategic gamer, capable of ice-cold decisions under pressure. Now, a mere brush of her hand was enough to render him completely useless. He focused on the screen, forcing his gaze to decipher the encrypted file names. “Alright. Find anything that looks like a wire transfer. Or a ledger. Anything with ‘Prismica’ or ‘KingSlayer’ in the title.”
Odelia, oblivious to the internal inferno raging within him, peered closer. Her attention was solely on the digital landscape. “Hmm. Lots of junk files. Standard corporate padding.” Her fingers, surprisingly nimble despite her usual lethargy, danced over the interface. “Ah. There. A hidden directory. Encrypted. But the key is probably something obvious. His mother’s maiden name or something equally uninspired.”
She was right. Within moments, she navigated through layers of digital detritus. Jarlath watched, mesmerized by her quiet competence. This was the KingSlayer, after all. The legendary player. Of course she could do this. A series of files appeared, labeled with dates and cryptic codes. One stood out: `Transaction_Log_Hex_F.03.21.v`.
“That’s it,” Odie breathed, a faint note of triumph in her voice. “That’s the one. It looks like a payment log.” She initiated the download. A small progress bar appeared, creeping across the screen. The silence in the room stretched, punctuated only by Vance’s rhythmic snores and the faint whir of the terminal’s internal fan.
Jarlath kept one eye on the sleeping Inspector, the other on the downloading files. His ribs rattled against his lungs with every count. The proximity to Odie, the shared danger, the sheer audacity of their mission—it was intoxicating. He leaned back slightly, inadvertently pressing more firmly against her. Her warmth seeped through his shirt, a comforting, yet profoundly unsettling, sensation.
As the download neared completion, a soft, almost imperceptible vibration emanated from Vance’s bedside table. Jarlath looked sharply at the charging tablet. A tiny light on Vance’s smartwatch, resting beside it, pulsed once, then twice, a silent, crimson beacon in the darkness.
Vance’s snores abruptly ceased.
Jarlath froze. “Odie, pull the stick, now!” he hissed, his voice tight with urgency.
But it was too late. Vance stirred. Bleary at first, his lids pulled back fully. He sat bolt upright, his gaze cutting directly to them. “What in the blazes are you two doing?” His voice was rough with sleep, but edged with a sudden, chilling fury.
Before Jarlath could even react, Vance was out of bed, a surprisingly agile blur. He lunged for the door, blocking their escape route with his broad frame. “Corporate espionage! I’ll have you both arrested! Forfeit the championship, or I call the police right now!”