Discreetly shaking my head, I watch his lean fingers fly across the multiple keyboards. It’s so like him to even consider that as an option, but then again, he’s the kind of person that gives everyone a fair chance, whether they deserve it or not. Perhaps that makes him a little naïve, but it comes with the territory. He doesn’t know people the way I do; he doesn’t need to in order to be amazing at what he does.
Speaking of which, it’s always impressive to observe him while he works. He’s a real genius. He could work for the biggest and most prestigious organizations in the world if he wanted to. But he doesn’t. He works for the Akiyama Group when Ipersonallyask him, and when we don’t need his help, he freelances. People pay premium for his services and he is well-known not just in Japan, but also abroad.
Hovering back so I don’t distract him, I lean my shoulder against the pastel green wall. My lips upturn into a subtle smile that surprises me a little, but ultimately, I don’t fight it. It’s not like he’ll see it since he’s too focused on his task. It will be my little, harmless secret or I won’t ever hear the end of it.
He really is something else when he gets into it, though. He can’t multitask, so once he’s in the Zone, he’ll stay there until the Zone decides to let him out. There’s no point fighting that, or trying to get him away from the computer—it just doesn’t work. I’ve tried it.
So, pouring hot water and a packet of instant coffee in a mug I snatch from the sink dryer, I sit on the edge of the counter behind his makeshift workstation and keep watch. Saengtien Thanan is his real name, but people don’t know him by it, for obvious reasons. To everyone else but me, he’s the legendarySudo Hex, Japan’s most capable gray hat hacker.
I’ll be stuck on this cruise with him for two weeks… maybe less, depending on how much trouble he gets us into. If I’m being honest, I don’t know how I will survive it. But I have no choice. As much as I’d have loved to stay back and help from Nagoya, it really wasn’t an option, and not just because of how important it is to get to the bottom of this international conspiracy.
There is another reason, one that runs personal for me. I made a promise to my best friend and that promise can never be broken.
For as long as I am alive, I will watch over his troublesome son because he is no longer around to do that himself.
2
Hex
Crackingtheship’smanifestproves impossible for the time being. I suspect they never recorded any real names, at least not onthissystem. But that doesn’t mean I won’t find out who’s on board. It’s only a matter of time.
I swivel in my chair and find Aran watching me with crossed arms. Shivers race down my spine, delightful and riling. I love having his eyes on me—they should stay there permanently. And his hands should follow suit, like yesterday.
He’s changed out of his suit and is now sporting the black and mesh on-duty clothes all security personnel wear. They look more like something out of a special agents’ movie more so than an actual uniform. But I’m not complaining. The form-hugging outfit is delicious on him. He’s only missing a mask, and he’d be straight out of my late-night fantasies. Either the one with the thief or the FBI agent.
I wonder if I should tell him about that one. But last time I wanted to bond over this stuff, it didn’t go too well. Honestly, I have no idea why it didn’t work—aren’t people usually humbled if others have dreams about them? Aran stormed out before I’d finished describing exactly how my alien abduction dream went, so I didn’t even get to the good part where he—being the alien abductor—took me for a scenic ride around his home planet on his ribbed tentacle dick.
But anyway. Yeah, I’m pretty sure now is not the time for sharing daydreams, even if I’d love to hear about any of his. And they better include me.
“Are you just going to inspect the goods? How about you come over here and sample them?” I say in my most sultry voice, flashing him a flirtatious smile followed by a little sexy wink and a perfectly executed licking of my lips.
The peaceful expression drains off his face in the blink of an eye, leaving behind that exasperated scowl he only ever points in my direction. It’s nice to be on the receiving end of something special like this, sure, but I’d much prefer if it was a fond, adoration-filled smile and not a ‘someone please save me from the biggest pain in the ass ever’ frown. But I’ll take it. For now. I’m nothing if not persistent. We’ve been doing this dance for the past ten years.
“I need to head out,” he informs me in a flat and leveled tone.
I stretch my left shoulder and arm, making sure to lift it as high as I can so my black hoodie with the print of a dinosaur astronaut swimming in ramen rides up my body and exposes my stomach and abs. “Great. I’ll go with you!”
As usual, Aran huffs out a dissatisfied noise, averting his eyes from me as if I’m suddenly made of kimchi. He really doesn’t like kimchi. Something or other about him losing a bet to my dad while they were in the army and ending up eating so much of it, he was sick for an entire week. I’m yet to get the full story out of him, though.
“No, you will not. You will stay in the room and work on that passenger manifest.”
I click my tongue. “There is no manifest to work on! Wherever they recorded the actual names of the guests is not here. It’s somewhere else. I’ve been trying to figure out where for the past three hours, but I need a break. So, I’m going with you.”
He opens his mouth to argue, but I don’t let him, turning the monitor so he can see it.
“That role change I mentioned? Congrats, I am now an apprentice in your charge. It’s already in the system. I will be shadowing you so I can be your substitute in case you get sick or something.”
A nerve twitches in his jaw as he crosses the room and plants himself next to me so he can verify what I’ve just said. He’s taller than me, though our difference isn’t as big as that of Kieran and his boyfriend, Matt. It’s still enough so that we’d make an absolutely adorable couple, if only Aran stopped being hung up on the past.
My dad died while fulfilling his duty. He and Aran were part of the same special unit at the Thai Army. They’d been sent on some covert op abroad, but the enemy were tipped off and ambushed them. Most of the unit died that day. Aran tried to save my old man, kept him alive while waiting for extraction, but he’d eventually succumbed to his wounds.
I don’t remember much from that time. I was still a child. But when Aran came back to Thailand, he didn’t look like himself. He left the Army and disappeared for a while. I really thought I’d never see him again, but when my mom died of illness two years later, he showed up at the funeral, hugged fourteen-year-old me and told me he’d take care of me from now on like he’d promised my dad.
That’s when it started. Or, well, when it gotserious. My crush on him.
“Why are you always such a headache?” He sighs, massaging his forehead. “You do what you want and never listen to me.”
I spin on the chair and shrug. “I want to help you. This mission is probably the most important one we’ll ever have. Plus, I’ll get bored sitting in the room all day.”
