Chapter 454: The New Recruit !!

Miles leaned back in his chair.

His eyes remained fixed on NULL.

"From now on..."

"You work only for me."

NULL stared at him.

"What do you mean?"

Miles raised an eyebrow.

"It’s pretty simple."

"You wanted to work for Graveyard."

NULL nodded slowly.

Miles continued,

"But I don’t work there anymore."

NULL blinked.

"What?"

Miles said nothing.

NULL leaned forward.

"The rumors were true?"

Miles sighed.

"Depends on which rumors."

"That Graveyard retired Ghost."

Miles looked toward the table.

Then nodded.

"I retired."

NULL stared.

"Why?"

Miles became quiet for a moment.

Then his expression softened.

"I found my home."

"And my family."

The answer was simple.

Almost too simple for someone like Ghost.

NULL looked at Miles differently now.

"So..."

"This is personal."

Miles nodded.

NULL leaned back.

"But looking at everything I’ve heard about Miles Sterling..."

"...your life doesn’t exactly look peaceful after retirement."

Miles smiled faintly.

"You’re not wrong."

NULL looked toward the closed laptop.

"So what exactly are you offering?"

Miles folded his hands.

"A life."

NULL stared.

Miles continued,

"Settle here."

"Stop running."

"Stop changing identities."

"Stop looking over your shoulder every time an agency decides it remembers your name."

NULL’s expression slowly changed.

Miles continued,

"I promise you something."

"No agency in this world will come after you again."

NULL didn’t answer.

Miles looked directly at him.

"You get your life back."

"Just like I did."

NULL stared at him for a few seconds.

Then...

"Sounds boring."

Miles smiled.

"You bet?"

NULL leaned forward.

"Tell me something exciting."

Miles almost laughed.

Then his expression became serious.

"Do you know who was behind the recent WEB exposure?"

NULL immediately stopped smiling.

"The WEB exposure?"

Miles nodded.

"The United Nations thing?"

"Yes."

NULL stared.

Then realization hit him.

"No way."

Miles said nothing.

NULL leaned forward.

"Really?"

Miles raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think I’m lying?"

NULL quickly shook his head.

"No."

"No, no."

He rubbed his chin.

"Actually..."

"That explains a lot."

Miles waited.

NULL continued,

"Haven moved against WEB faster than everyone else."

"Way faster."

"Almost like someone already knew where to look."

He looked toward Miles.

"I thought Graveyard did it."

Miles smiled.

"Graveyard was involved."

NULL’s eyes narrowed.

"So you’re still a member."

Miles thought for a second.

"I’m family."

NULL nodded slowly.

"Right."

Then he shrugged.

"But that whole WEB thing is over now, isn’t it?"

Miles looked at him.

"Apparently not."

NULL immediately became interested.

"What happened?"

Miles leaned forward slightly.

"The man behind WEB..."

"...hired an army."

NULL stared.

"An army?"

"Yes."

Miles continued,

"Hundreds of Haven soldiers."

NULL’s eyebrows rose.

"They’re officially dead."

NULL blinked.

"Dead soldiers?"

Then his eyes widened.

"Like zombies?"

Miles gave him a look.

NULL immediately straightened.

"Right."

"Sorry."

Miles sighed.

"They’re alive."

"Declared dead on paper."

NULL’s expression became serious.

"But still active?"

"Yes."

"Working for whom?"

Miles continued,

"They’ve been used for dirty work."

NULL stared.

"For WEB?"

"recently."

Miles paused.

"But more importantly..."

"They’re tied to one of the most powerful politicians in Haven."

NULL slowly leaned forward.

"Damn."

His eyes brightened.

"That’s a scandal."

Miles said nothing.

NULL continued,

"Who’s the politician?"

Miles smiled faintly.

"Interested now?"

NULL didn’t even hesitate.

"I’ll join you."

Miles laughed softly.

"That quick?"

NULL nodded.

"Absolutely."

Miles looked toward him for another moment.

Then said,

"Vice President Vivienne Horrow."

NULL froze.

His mouth opened slightly.

"The Vice President?"

"Keep your voice down."

NULL immediately lowered it.

"Vivienne Horrow?"

Miles nodded.

NULL stared at him.

"No way."

Miles continued,

"This information is not public."

NULL swallowed.

"How many people know?"

"Very few."

Miles’ expression became colder.

"The people directly involved."

"Our side."

"Vivienne."

"The dead soldiers."

"And several others who..."

He paused.

"...aren’t alive anymore."

NULL understood.

He leaned back slowly.

Then looked toward Miles again.

"Tell me what you need."

Miles smiled.

"That was fast."

"I changed my mind."

"Clearly."

NULL pulled his chair closer.

"What do you want me to do?"

Miles replied immediately.

"Lead the Cyber Department of Sterling Security."

NULL stopped.

Then blinked.

"Lead?"

"Yes."

NULL stared at him.

Miles continued,

"You’ll get access to Sterling Security’s cyber infrastructure."

NULL’s attention sharpened.

"And..."

Miles smiled.

"Air Telecom."

NULL’s eyes widened.

"The ISP?"

"One of the largest in the world."

NULL stared.

"I know what Air Telecom is."

Miles continued,

"You’ll also get access to certain government databases."

NULL’s mouth slowly opened.

Miles added casually,

"Approved by Honorary General Miles Sterling."

NULL stared at him.

Then stared harder.

Finally,

"Tell me you’re joking."

Miles smiled.

"Excited enough?"

NULL leaned back.

His entire expression had changed.

"Wait."

He pointed toward Miles.

"Sterling Enterprises owns Air Telecom."

"That part I knew."

Miles nodded.

NULL continued,

"But..."

He pointed again.

"Honorary General?"

Miles smiled.

NULL stared.

"That was completely outside the syllabus for this fake Computer Science professor."

Miles laughed.

NULL shook his head.

"This is insane."

Then his eyes moved toward the laptop.

A thought came to him.

He looked back toward Miles.

"Tell me something."

"What?"

"The Convention Center server."

Miles waited.

NULL continued,

"You created the credential for me."

Miles nodded.

"Yes."

NULL frowned.

"How did you know I needed credentials?"

Miles stared.

Then said,

"You’re the one who asked my wife for access."

NULL froze.

"Your wife?"

Miles nodded.

NULL’s eyes widened.

"The woman handling arrangements before the event?"

"Yes."

"That was your wife?"

Miles smiled faintly.

"She is one of the chairs of Sterling Foundation."

NULL slowly leaned back.

Then covered his face for a second.

"I tried to fool Ghost’s wife."

Miles said nothing.

NULL looked at him again.

"That explains why she didn’t give me server access."

Miles smiled.

"She thought something felt wrong."

NULL sighed.

"I cannot fool the wife of Ghost."

Miles laughed quietly.

NULL continued,

"Honestly..."

"I’m still surprised you’re married."

Miles raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

NULL looked toward him.

"You were Ghost."

"Exactly."

"Ghost doesn’t exactly sound like husband material."

Miles laughed.

NULL quickly added,

"No offense."

"None taken."

NULL became serious again.

Then looked toward the laptop.

"I’m really sorry."

Miles watched him.

"For what?"

"For what I was about to do."

NULL looked toward him.

"And..."

"Thanks for saving my life."

Miles smiled.

"You’re thanking the predator for deciding not to eat you."

NULL swallowed.

"That’s one way to put it."

Miles leaned back.

NULL remained quiet for a moment.

Then suddenly asked,

"My students."

Miles’ expression changed.

"What about them?"

"They weren’t involved, right?"

Miles stared at him.

"Your students?"

Miles sighed.

"You brought six university students into a criminal operation."

NULL looked embarrassed.

"That sounds worse when you say it like that."

"It is worse."

NULL lowered his head.

"I’m sorry."

Miles continued,

"You’re an idiot."

NULL nodded.

"I know."

Miles asked,

"Why bring them at all?"

NULL sighed.

"It was the easiest way to get access."

Miles looked at him.

"To Launchpad."

NULL nodded.

"The participant structure."

"Escort access."

"University paperwork."

"I needed a legitimate route."

Miles stared.

NULL continued,

"I wasn’t planning to drag them deep into it."

Miles’ expression hardened.

"But you did."

NULL became quiet.

Then he muttered,

"I know."

Miles looked toward him for another second.

Then said,

"They haven’t been involved since last night."

NULL blinked.

"What?"

Miles smiled faintly.

NULL stared.

Then realization spread across his face.

"You already got to them."

Miles didn’t answer.

NULL leaned back.

"I was fighting a lost battle from the beginning."

Miles corrected him.

"You weren’t fighting."

NULL looked toward him.

"You were a pawn."

NULL’s expression became serious again.

Miles continued,

"Audrey Winstone is still out there."

NULL nodded.

Miles looked toward his phone.

"Tell her your job is done."

NULL raised an eyebrow.

"Done?"

Miles nodded.

"Completely."

"Tell her the files are inside."

"Tell her the script was successfully planted."

NULL looked uncertain.

"But when she checks..."

"She won’t."

NULL frowned.

Miles continued,

"Server maintenance starts next week."

"By the time she expects anyone to notice anything, she’ll think the delay is normal."

NULL slowly understood.

Miles smiled.

"I won’t move against her yet."

NULL looked toward him.

"Why?"

Miles’ smile became colder.

"I want to see her face..."

"When she realizes she failed."

NULL stared.

Then smiled faintly.

"Just like mine?"

Miles looked at him.

NULL pointed toward the janitor.

"The picture."

Miles almost laughed.

NULL continued,

"You enjoy this, don’t you?"

Miles sighed.

"Believe me."

"I want peace."

NULL waited.

Miles looked toward the empty lounge.

"But life won’t let me retire."

NULL smiled.

"Fair enough."

Then he looked around.

"So..."

"When do I join?"

Miles stood.

"Actually..."

"Now."

NULL blinked.

"Now?"

Miles picked up an envelope.

Then tossed it onto the table.

NULL caught it.

"What is this?"

"New credentials."

NULL stared at the envelope.

Miles continued,

"Temporary access."

"City records."

"Some databases."

"Nothing sensitive yet."

NULL looked offended.

"You don’t trust me?"

Miles gave him a look.

NULL immediately nodded.

"Right."

"Fair."

Miles continued,

"I need you to check something."

NULL reopened his laptop.

"What?"

Miles’ expression became more serious.

"A teenage girl."

NULL started typing.

"Name?"

"Hope Fenwick."

NULL entered it.

"Teenager."

"Sea Side High School."

More keystrokes.

"Anything else?"

"Her father owns a convenience store."

"Clover Corner."

Miles continued,

"She works there after school."

NULL typed quickly.

"Alright."

A few seconds passed.

Several records appeared.

NULL scanned them.

"Got her."

Miles leaned closer.

NULL read from the screen.

"Hope Fenwick."

He clicked another result.

"Father..."

"Gareth Fenwick."

"Mother..."

"Marianne Fenwick."

Miles nodded.

NULL scrolled.

Then stopped.

His expression changed.

"Hmm."

Miles looked toward him.

"What?"

NULL leaned closer.

"This is interesting."

Miles’ eyes narrowed.

"What is?"

NULL turned the laptop slightly.

"Gareth Fenwick."

Miles waited.

NULL pointed.

"Current spouse..."

"Yvonne Fenwick."

Miles looked toward the screen.

Then frowned.

"The wife is different from Hope’s mother."

NULL nodded.

Miles understood immediately.

"He remarried."

NULL clicked another file.

"Looks like it."

Then his expression became slightly more serious.

"Marianne Fenwick died five years ago."

Miles became quiet.

For a moment...

His thoughts returned to Hope.

The bruise.

The quick answer.

The way she pulled down her sleeve.

The way she didn’t want to be dropped directly outside her house.

Miles slowly nodded.

"That explains it."

NULL looked toward him.

"Explains what?"

Before Miles answered...

His phone buzzed.

Charles.

Miles immediately picked up.

"Charles."

"Boss."

Charles continued,

"The warriors have conquered the base."

Miles smiled.

"Great."

NULL looked toward him curiously.

Miles walked a few steps away.

"Secure the perimeter."

"Already started."

"I want eyes on a ten-mile radius."

Charles immediately replied,

"Understood."

"No one enters."

"No one leaves."

"Anyone approaching gets identified."

"Copy that."

Miles relaxed slightly.

Then Charles asked,

"How’s the newbie doing?"

Miles looked back.

NULL was staring at him.

Miles smiled.

"Alive."

NULL frowned.

Miles continued into the phone,

"Send his information to HR."

NULL’s face changed.

Miles continued,

"He’ll need housing."

"Salary."

"Proper documentation."

"Everything."

NULL stared at him.

Charles replied,

"I’ll have it arranged."

Miles then added,

"One more thing."

"Tell me."

Miles looked toward NULL’s laptop.

"Find Gareth Fenwick."

Charles paused.

"Gareth Fenwick?"

"Owner of Clover Corner convenience store."

Charles started typing.

Miles continued,

"I want him brought to me by evening."

NULL looked toward Miles.

Miles immediately clarified,

"Politely."

Charles laughed.

"I was about to ask."

Miles continued,

"Don’t drag him."

"Don’t scare him."

"Just bring him."

"Understood."

Charles repeated,

"Gareth Fenwick."

"Correct."

"I’ll handle it."

The call ended.

NULL stared at Miles.

Then at the information on the screen.

"What’s wrong with the girl?"

Miles’ expression became serious.

"Something."

NULL waited.

Miles continued,

"Something very wrong."

His eyes returned to Hope’s file.

"We’ll find out this evening."

NULL slowly closed one of the windows.

Miles picked up his mask.

"We’re leaving Launchpad."

NULL looked toward him.

"What about the students?"

"They’ll get their real escort."

NULL sighed in relief.

Miles continued,

"And you’ll come with me."

NULL stared.

"Where?"

Miles smiled faintly.

"Welcome to your first day."

"I don’t treat every new employee to lunch," Miles added with a faint smile.

Null’s eyes lit up. "Lunch with Ghost? Just tell me it’s not MREs."