Page 71 of The Code of You

"Perhaps I was confused. It was the middle of the night. I—”

"Dr. Rodriguez.” His voice cut through my excuse like a blade. "Where were you really between 23:47 and 00:23?” His gaze pinned me in place.

"I was . . . with someone.” The lie scraped against my throat. "It’s private.”

"Private.” He repeated the word as if analyzing it. "An alibi you can verify?”

My heart hammered. "Why do I need an alibi? Am I on trial?”

For the first time, something flickered across Hale’s face. "We’re checking every employee, Dr. Rodriguez. An AI system worth two billion dollars has disappeared. I’m sure you understand.”

"Of course.” I leaned back. "But I’m just the developer. When I arrived here, he was already gone.”

A long silence. Hale studied me with those scanner eyes. "That will be all, Dr. Rodriguez. For now,” he said finally.

As soon as I was outside the conference room, I exhaled shakily. He had nothing. Only suspicions.

Williams was waiting for me outside his office. "Dr. Rodriguez . . . come in.”

The room looked like a battlefield. Files lay torn open on the floor, drawers stood ajar, papers scattered everywhere. Even his diploma hung crooked on the wall.

He closed the door behind us and leaned against it, as if he could lock Hale out. "How did it go?” His voice was still unsteady.

"He wanted to know where I was that evening.” I gestured at the chaos. "They searched your office too?”

Williams laughed. A bitter sound. "Fifteen years in this lab. Fifteen years, and they treat me like a criminal.” He stepped over the overturned wastepaper bin. "It’s absurd to suspect our own people. I know my team. I know you, Dr. Rodriguez. You would never do something like that.”

I smiled. Inside, something tightened. If he only knew.

"What does Hale really want?” I asked.

Williams glanced at the door, then back at me, lowering his voice to a whisper. "They found him. Dante. He’s in Japan. Kyoto.”

My heart sank. They knew where he was. I tried to keep my expression neutral, even though everything inside me screamed. I swallowed. "How?”

"There was an incident at a lab. A classified project that got out of hand. Hale is convinced a body is being built for him there.” He stepped closer. "Dr. Rodriguez, we may have him back soon.”

No. No, no, no. My gut clenched.

Williams smiled for the first time in days. He thought this was good news. "They’re sending someone. A specialist. The kind you send when you want something handled discreetly. Without drawing attention. It would be catastrophic for the company if the truth about a stolen super-AI came to light.”

I gripped the desk to stay upright. Neo was free. He had a body. He could love, feel, live. And they were going to lock him up again.

"Dr. Rodriguez? Are you all right? You look pale.”

"I’m just . . . dizzy. All this stress.”

Williams nodded in understanding. "I know. But soon it will all be over. Dante comes home, and we can go back to how things were.”

How things were. As if Neo were just a runaway pet.

"I need . . . I need some air,” I said hoarsely.

I had to warn them. Now.

Chapter 19

Pandora