Rebeckah glanced at Sharron. Following her gaze, I could see the disbelief in the hacker's eyes. With another swig of water, I swallowed the urge to pout, "Was too!" Instead, I said, "It's all set. Mouse will provide a LINK distraction in" – I checked the display still floating in the corner of my vision – "fifteen minutes, thirty-one seconds and counting."

Rebeckah's eyebrow raised. "Sharron, could we pull off a simultaneous attack? Keep the boys hopping?"

"You got it, Chief." Sharron smiled that gleeful grin every LINK-hacker flashed when plotting a job. It reminded me of Daniel. At the thought of seeing him again, panic crawled along my extremities. I shook my shoulders before the feeling reached my heart. Far too late for regrets or second thoughts, I told myself. Rebeckah and Mouse's page were in on the fiasco now, and I could hardly let them down.

As the crowd dispersed, I stretched my leg out experimentally. Cramped muscles protested with every minute movement. "Man, I must've been completely zoned," I grumbled. "How long was I out?"

"Only twenty minutes or so," Rebeckah said. Standing up, she dusted her hands on her thighs. "But you were in it deep. In a few more I would've called a paramedic."

I raised my eyebrows.

She shrugged; her eyes left mine. "Even the best of us fall into old habits."

I let out an irritated huff; she figured I was off on an info-bender unable to resist the slick tech of the uniform and my new LINK connection. "I was a cop, Rebeckah, not a wire-junkie."

"Oh, really?"

I could feel my jaw working, but decided against defending myself. Rebeckah was part of a time in my life I left behind when I joined the force. She never saw my transformation. When she looked in my eyes she remembered a strung-out college girl, away from home for the first time, and lost in the LINK. I had to earn Rebeckah's respect; no amount of explanation would substitute. I kept my tone light. "Are you sure you still want to jeopardize your people in this venture?"

Hefting my helmet under one arm, Rebeckah sat down next to me on the battered plaid couch. The tired springs let out a creaky sigh. Raking her fingers through her flattop, she smoothed out her frown. "We're old friends, Dee. Besides, you're going to owe us one when this is done."

"So you've said." My face scrunched up in a lopsided grin. "Funny, I'm a junkie until you need something, then suddenly I'm a wizard, eh?"

Rebeckah's eyebrow arched at my words, then she let out a laugh. "That's about right. So, what's the plan?"

"While Mouse and Sharron are running distractions, I'm going to try to locate Daniel's buddy."

"Hell of a plan, Dee. There are over six billion users. You plan to ID each once until you find someone who might be a friendly? You'll be collared in under a millisecond."

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. My head pounded like a killer hangover, but, perversely, I enjoyed the feeling. Every corner of my brain felt filled with an ache. No more emptiness. The pain felt good. Like an athlete returning to the game, the headache reminded me I was alive, using nearly atrophied muscles. If that made me a junkie, so be it. With a weak smile, I said, "I know where Danny will go, virtually speaking."

Rebeckah shook her head in disbelief. "I hope you do."

The digital readout continued to count down in the corner of my eye. Ten minutes and counting. There was no point in discussing the consequences if I was wrong. Leaning heavily on the couch, I stood up. "Do you have a meeting location figured out?"

"Come on." Putting an arm around my waist, Rebeckah supported my weight. "We've got transport waiting."

Transport turned out to be a rusty pickup truck from the turn of the century. As I stood staring at the antique, five of Rebeckah's soldiers filed in around one and methodically piled onto the flat bed of the truck. They all carried rifles and wore full combat armor. After stowing their guns in a tool case, they turned their armor's holographic defense on. One by one, the Malachim shimmered, then disappeared before my eyes.

I pulled myself into the truck and felt my way into the middle of them. Surrounded by limbs I could feel but not see, I settled in as best I could. I hugged myself closely for fear of accidentally touching a stranger. Rebeckah stepped in last and pulled the truck's gate up behind her.

With ten minutes left on the countdown, I jacked the armor's filament into my LINK receiver. Rebeckah squeezed my hand reassuringly. I flashed her a confident smile, but, truthfully, I had no idea if I could find Daniel's ally.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the combustion engine sprang to life. Turning around, I looked in the cab. Raphael, who sat behind the wheel, didn't seem alarmed by the rumbling explosions coming from the truck, so I presumed all was normal. Listening to the popping and wheezing, I suddenly had respect for how quietly my Chevy ran.

"Oh damn," I said. Rebeckah looked up expectantly. "My car is in Hell's Kitchen. I'm never getting it back."

Rebeckah grimaced. "Are you still driving that thing you had in college?"

I nodded.

"Good riddance," she said.

"That poor car gets no respect."

"You should keep your mind on the task at hand. Time?"

"Six minutes, ten seconds."

Rebeckah looked at Sharron who sat in the cab next to Raphael. "Sharron, you set?"

"Ready to rock and roll, Chief." Sharron held a deck on her lap. That impressed me; only truly serious hackers augmented the LINK with hardware. Staring at the board, I thought of mouse.net and whispered good luck to the page. I prayed he would get away with whatever he was planning. The page was quickly becoming my favorite version of Mouse, even over the real boy. Seeing me, Sharron gave me a wink. Raphael tossed me a salute and a broad smile. Neither of them wore any armor. I presumed they were meant to be in disguise, although as what, I couldn't tell. The antique might attract some attention, but, no doubt, the Malachim were relying on the fact that most New Yorkers were self-absorbed enough not to look down at the streets while driving in the skyways. Even if someone did notice us, locals were notorious for not getting involved.

At Rebeckah's nod, I powered up my suit. Tiny pinpoints of light blinked on, then my legs disappeared. Looking up just in time, I saw Rebeckah fade away. A crackle in the helmet's intercom preceded Rebeckah's calm voice. "Let's do it, people."

Two guards removed a false-glass garage door, and the truck bounced out of the underground car park and into the glass city. The setting sun turned what was once the Bronx into a blazing jewel of colors. Every crystalline edge reflected rosy sunlight. The combustion engine's noise puttered strangely through the glass streets and alleyways. The exhaust fumes added to the acrid, smoggy taste in the evening breeze. I was grateful for the radiation shield provided by the armor I wore. We drove in silence for a while, until only a few seconds remained on the clock.

"Ten." Sharron started the countdown. "Nine."

Her deck lit up as her fingers flew across the pad. I shut my eyes.

"Eight ... seven ... six," she intoned. I could feel the bounce of the road beneath the truck, but I let the rest of my senses be enveloped by the LINK. "Five ..."

"Here we go," I said out loud.

New York on-line was a maze. Taking a moment to orient myself, I found the entertainment stream. Three jumps away lay Kick's cafe, where I hoped Danny's friend would be waiting. I held my breath as I approached the jump.

In real time, Sharron continued, "Four ... three ..."

The feather-light ID check of the sensors brushed my consciousness. I waited for the green light. Though less than a hundredth of a second passed, it felt like an eternity. Finally, the node opened; the uniform's LINK connection's constantly shifting home address fooled the access guardian.