The Obsidian Heist

rnoon, the space lit by harsh, unforgiving fluorescent lights that reflected off the polished surface. Zane Miller was already there, pacing the perimeter of the track l

eting that had been set through three layers of untraceable digital correspondenc

l gray, standing out against the bright athletic wear of the facility.

oice echoing slightly in the vast space.

r suit. "I was told this meeting was about the fastest man in the city tak

re to test your mental speed and discipline. We are talking about the Obsidi

shock that quickly turned to excitement. "Th

t is digitally opened by The Spider, you will have exactly six seconds to travel from the vault chamber t

o competitive mode. "That is not impossible. That is a challenge. That is my personal

," Anya informed him. "The risk is absolute. The reward for

anging money for him. His past was defined by petty street c

onfidence returning. "You don't pay t

ned with low level pressure plates and optical sensors that must not be triggered. A mistake

ck. It involves three direction changes, two low barriers, and a single moment where you must stop completely, retrieve an ob

back at Anya. "You want mechani

second window. Then it will be terrifying. You must be a machine until the terrifying

ed away. He ran because it was the only thing he

packages for low level criminals. I need to be untraceable. I need a clean break from ever

t execute three identical runs on a simple track, you will b

ine without another word. An

He executed the turns sharply, but the sudden stop to grab the small marker Anya had placed

ight point four seconds. Unacceptable hesitation

tration evident in the rigid tension o

the museum, a clumsy retrieval means the diamon

ved his turns, hugging the inside line perfectly. But the sto

"Identical time. Different mistake. You lack control at the point

that street races never managed. She was testing his mind, not just

ne grit out. "The t

Key is active for exactly six seconds, and your momentary stumble means she is trapped

of his breathing and the absolute precision of his footfalls. He saw

retrieval marker, and instead of stopping, he dropped his center of gravity into a perfect, fluid crouch, snatching the mark

ing at the chronometer. He

turns were tighter. The retrieval was clean. You shaved half a second

onal pride, stronger than an

with Lena Hayes, The Spider. She is cold logic. You are raw velocity. You will spend the next three months training the physical route while

encrypted location for your first training session within twenty four hours. Do not contac

ider?" Zane asked, hol

g to leave. "Welcome to the team, Zane. Learn to enjoy the co

the polished track. He looked at the satellite phone, then back at the simple, empty track where he had j