"Kael! How much longer?!"
Julian’s footsteps slammed against the metal floor of the Nexus control room with an echoing thud. The automatic sliding door behind him hadn't even fully closed before he was already standing at the central desk, his breath coming in ragged gasps from a mixture of pure rage and panic. His wool clothing, still damp from the rain at the pier, gave off a distinct scent, but he couldn't have cared less.
"I’m trying, sir! Their encryption network keeps shifting!" Kael didn't take his eyes off the holographic screen spinning before him. His fingers moved so fast they created a blur in the air as he pulled thousands of lines of code and energy frequencies.
"Liam is not just an asset! He’s my best friend! If they hurt him because of me—" Julian cut himself off, his ha
