Comfrey and the others knew the hacker was working on the security panel. They were waiting for him to unlock the doors. But the only way they could know that was if they were communicating with the bastard hacking his security systems.
Except his hacker wasn’t a bastard, was he? His hacker wasn’t human at all. His hacker was the NNB26 prototype. It was the damn nanobots themselves.
When he’d uploaded the TermX virus, the NNB26 prototype had traced the virus back into his computer system. That’s what those two tentacles had been, appendages to infiltrate the wi-fi and infect his computer network.
Jesus...his prodigies were outrageously brilliant...and dangerous.
The realization both awed and terrified him.
Chapter thirty-two
Day 35
The Neighborhood, Alaska
It was pitch black outside the window as Aiden jolted up in bed—his heart jackhammering, his breathing shaky, sweat slicking his back and chest. The nightmare, or dream, or whatever the fuck it was, clung to his mind like tar, hanging on much longer than he appreciated. It took actual mental effort to banish it. He forced Benioko, the shadowy, mystery woman, and those strange, elongated creatures with their twisted faces and ebony eyes out of his mind.
He flopped back on the bed, his head sinking into the pillow, and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
From the other side of the mattress, a low, feral growl unfurled. He scowled. Unless Demi had been possessed by a demon, that pissed off rumbling was coming from Trident. Somehow, that damn cat had gotten inside the room again. Even though he’d double-checked the door, making sure it was closed. Time to eject the devil. Christ knew he didn’t want another feline cock block like the morning before.
Still scowling, he rolled his head to the right. A pair of glowing green eyes glared back over the hump of Demi’s shoulder.
What was going on with the damn thing, anyway? During the day, it hid down in Cosky’s basement, only emerging from its hidey hole long enough to eat and drink or use the litter box. It didn’t come out for attention or cuddles or even treats. Not during the day anywhere. But at night? At night it broke into their bedroom and joined them in bed, where it cuddled against Demi while she slept.
He glanced at the bedroom door. There was a sliver of lighter darkness between the door and the door jamb. He huffed out an annoyed breath. Looked like he’d have to install a dead bolt on the bedroom door. Although, he ought to run that by Cosky first. After all, it was Kait’s and Cosky’s house.
Aiden considered that. Nah.
He sighed, his breathing and heart settling down now that the nightmare had retreated.
“I thought you hated people.” He glared across Demi’s shoulder into seething green eyes. “All your biting and scratching...You’ve built quite the badass reputation, leaving scars any time someone tries to pet you. So, what’s with these midnight cuddles?” He cocked his head on the pillow and studied the glittering eyes closely. “What do you do when Demi’s on base with me? Cuddle up to Cos and Kait?”
Probably not. Cosky would have tossed the cat outside and bitched about the beast for the next decade.
Yawning, Aiden settled back against his crushed pillow, while the most recent nightmare played through his mind. Talk about his subconscious acting as a backseat driver. He knew exactly where the inspiration for tonight’s episode of let’s fuck with Aiden’s sleep had come from. Hell, O’Neill had already brought up the possibility of scavengers feeding on the Harbinger’s crew and infecting the ocean’s food chain.
But Capland had already addressed that problem with his low frequency sound device. He’d already driven all the ocean life away. Problem solved. So why had Benioko—aka Aiden’s subconscious—specifically warned him about a fishing boat headed for the Harbinger’s site? They didn’t need to worry; there wouldn’t be any fish in the area for the fishermen to pluck from the sea.
“Another dream?” Demi’s sleepy voice broke into his frustrated thoughts. She sighed and rolled toward him. Bracing her cheek on her right hand, she studied his face.
He reached out and stroked her cheek, pulling away when a seething growl broke the peace. The last time Aiden had ignored its warning, the damn thing had attacked him, drawing blood.
“You need to have a serious conversation with that beast and set him straight about a couple of things. Like I’m the owner of this bed, not him. And I’ll kiss you when I want to. His style of chaperoning is killing the mood.”
Demi scoffed, but her lips curved until Aiden could see the brightness of her teeth in the dark. “Except you don’t own the bed. Kait and Cosky do. Trident has just as much right to use it as we do.”
Aiden grimaced. “All the more reason you need to move onto the base with me…permanently.” He frowned. “Or at least as long as we’re here.”
Demi just smiled back. “Trident comes with me, wherever I go. I’m not leaving him behind. You know that.”
Yeah. He did. God knew she’d told him repeatedly.
“We should leave the damn thing here when we move. He’s happy. He’s comfortable. He knows how to find his way back to the house.” A week and a half ago, during a blizzard, Trident had snuck outside while Demi was bringing in wood for the fireplace. She’d freaked, certain the cat was freezing to death. She’d even gone out in the goddamn blizzard herself looking for him, only for the creature to show up at the front door two hours later, screaming to be let in. No way was the creature taking off. He knew when he had it good. “No sense in uprooting him. It would be better for him if we just let him stay here.” He tried to sound magnanimous, already knowing it would never happen.
The cat growled again. Aiden glanced over. Those weird feline eyes were blazing with affronted fury. It couldn’t have understood what he’d said…could it?
“Have you given any thought to us building our own place here?” Demi asked.
