After leaving Nina’s office, Alex reaches Dev Null Cafe during a quieter work period. The upstairs lights are low, with only a few customers murmuring over keyboards.
Dev, a broad-shouldered middle-aged man with close-cropped gray hair, a trimmed beard, and a black café apron, manages the counter. Rachel sits nearby with a tablet, watching Alex arrive.
Dev
There he is. You look like you have been carrying three shifts at once. Rachel filled me in on enough to know your attention has been elsewhere.
Rachel Mercer
The household situation took priority. I did not share names or locations, only that you needed room to handle it.
Dev
Here is the concrete offer: take the late upstairs shift four nights a week, seven to midnight. I pay cash at the end of each shift, one hundred twenty-five dollars, plus meals.
Dev
You can swap nights when legal work or family trouble demands it. But tell me plainly, Alex, how long do you expect to remain in Boston?
Rachel lowers her tablet, leaving the question between them. The café’s routers hum beneath the floor, and the familiar room waits for Alex’s answer.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure dependable income at Dev Null Cafe
“You look Dev in the eyes directly. "With everything going on? Not anytime soon, I can assure you. Minimum, another year I should think. I still have to save quite a bit, and I'm not decided if I am going to stay in state or spread my wings past that. You ain't getting rid of me anytime soon, boss," you smirk. "Besides, I've got a few loose ends to tie up, don't I?" you ask, going to pour a coffee. "And glad you can make it Rachael. I did mention we needed to speak. Dev, mind if we use the 'conference room'? "”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +4)
Alex Mishyma
With everything going on? Not anytime soon, I can assure you. Minimum, another year. I still have to save quite a bit, and I have not decided whether I stay in state or spread my wings. You are not getting rid of me anytime soon, boss. Besides, I have a few loose ends to tie up, do I not?
Alex looks Dev directly in the eyes, then crosses to the coffee station and pours himself a cup. The café’s low murmur continues around them, steady and familiar.
Alex Mishyma
And glad you can make it, Rachel. I did mention we needed to speak. Dev, mind if we use the conference room?
Dev
You are not getting rid of me either, apparently. Take the room. I will cover upstairs and make sure nobody interrupts unless the building is on fire.
Rachel Mercer
Of course. I brought the tablet and kept the relevant notes separate. We can talk without touching names, locations, or anything that puts the others at risk.
Dev unlocks the glass conference room and waves them inside. As Alex enters, he quietly adds a fresh shift ledger to the table, showing four weeks of guaranteed work and a paid meal allowance.
Dev
That is your schedule if you want it. The room is yours for the conversation, and the late shifts are already held open.
✓ Quest Accepted
Clarify the new threat to the child and the Guardians with Rachel
“Before you speak with Rachael, you take a picture of your schedule with your personal phone, and sign at the bottom. "Set to stone. Thanks again Dev. I'll be down in a few." As your boss leaves, you sigh. It finally feels like some normality has returned to your life. Then, you focus on Rachael, filling her in on the 'recent development' you were speaking of. The tail... the name Voss, and their knowing where the three might be.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +0)
Alex Mishyma
Set to stone. Thanks again, Dev. I’ll be down in a few.
Alex photographs the four-week schedule with his personal phone, signs beneath the final shift, and leaves the ledger on the table. Dev nods and exits to cover upstairs.
The conference-room door closes behind him. Alex sighs, coffee warming his hands as the regular shifts and familiar walls briefly restore something like normality.
Alex Mishyma
The recent development is the tail I mentioned. Someone kept pace after I left the records lounge, through Southie and toward home.
Alex Mishyma
The name connected to it is Voss. I do not know whether that is the person’s real identity, but they knew enough to suggest they knew where the three might be.
Rachel’s tablet remains closed. Alex gives her the route, the warnings, and the separation between what Voss implied and what he can prove, keeping the child and concealed locations unnamed.
Rachel Mercer
Then this is a household-risk escalation, not a reason to expose the others. I will keep it separate, document only what you observed, and tell you exactly what I already know.
Quest Complete
Secure dependable income at Dev Null Cafe
Skill Upgrade: Security Fair→Good
“"No, but it is a reason to ALSO mention, I have retained a lawyer, regarding an incident you might likely read about in the local news section of the paper, Southie police log. I strongly believe Voss sent her people to track me down, based on information both you and Mara have. THAT is why we are here. I can tap resources to keep the trio safe if I must. This is about your safety now. We have to assume if they know as much as they do, they could potentially come looking for you. My best guess would be the holdings firm information I acquired, which ties to the child."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +2)
Alex Mishyma
No. It is also a reason to mention that I retained a lawyer about an incident likely to appear in the Southie police log. I believe Voss sent people after me.
Alex Mishyma
That belief comes from what you and Mara already know. If they know enough to track me, the holdings-firm information may connect back to the child.
Alex Mishyma
That is why we are here. I can tap resources to keep the trio safe if necessary, but this is about your safety now. We have to assume they could come looking for you.
Rachel opens the tablet but does not type. The conference-room glass reflects the café’s quiet movement, while her attention stays fixed on Alex and the warning he has placed between them.
Rachel Mercer
You retained counsel over the Southie incident, and you think Voss’s people are connected to the holdings information. I understand the risk you are describing.
Rachel Mercer
I will not contact the trio or move anyone based on a guess. But I can review what Mara and I separately know, then identify what exposure reaches me without naming the child.
Rachel Mercer
If the trail runs through the holdings firm, my account and my access history may already be part of the danger.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure Rachel’s safety
“"No. I am still not fully sure I can trust her yet. Keep your distance unless she reaches you personally." Your cyber security instincts bleed through to the physical aspects of the situation. "You are to go about things as if this conversation never happened. If she reaches you, keep it casual. If she's looking for answers, direct her to me. And for now... let's clean up any trail you may have. On both sides of the internet mirror." Without another word, you light a smoke, pull out your Burner laptop and PHLAK drive, and get to work.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Computers, rolled -1)
Alex Mishyma
Keep your distance unless she reaches you personally. Act as if this conversation never happened. If she contacts you, stay casual and direct questions to me.
Alex Mishyma
For now, we clean up any trail you may have, on both sides of the internet mirror. Do not create new contact points.
Rachel holds Alex’s gaze, then gives a restrained nod. She closes the tablet and slides it away from the conference-room glass, keeping her hands visible.
Rachel Mercer
Understood. I will not approach her, contact the trio, or investigate through my old account. If she reaches me, I will keep it ordinary and send her to you.
Alex lights a cigarette, draws the burner laptop from his pack, and inserts the PHLAK drive. The café’s network remains untouched as he builds an isolated working environment.
He checks Rachel’s tablet history and the separated notes, removing stale session traces, cached contact references, and exposed metadata without altering the underlying evidence. On his side, he clears route-linked artifacts and preserves a clean audit copy offline.
Rachel Mercer
My visible trail is cleaned without deleting the records counsel may need. I will use no personal device for this and will treat the conversation as nonexistent unless someone reaches me directly.
“"Good. It's best you don't linger here too long. If you need to reach me, don't call. Send me a text saying, 'Bring home some organic eggs.' I will know to reach you in person. Much safer that way." You rise, closing your laptop, slipping it and your drive back into your pack. "You are taking this all a lot better than I would have thought. Last time I... handled a matter like this, the guy was a snivelling mess."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +2)
Alex Mishyma
Good. Do not linger here. If you need me, do not call. Text, “Bring home some organic eggs.” I will know to meet you in person.
Alex Mishyma
You are taking this better than I expected. Last time I handled something like this, the guy was a snivelling mess.
Alex rises and closes the laptop, slipping it and the PHLAK drive back into his pack. The café’s muted activity continues beyond the conference-room glass.
Rachel Mercer
I understand. No calls, no new contact points, and no message unless I need you in person. If I receive that phrase, I will know the channel is deliberate.
Rachel Mercer
As for the last person, I am not him. I know what panic does to judgment, and I would rather stay useful than become another problem you must contain.
Rachel stands and gathers only her tablet and separated notes. She leaves the hidden group unnamed, keeps the cleaned trail untouched, and walks with Alex toward the conference-room door.
Rachel Mercer
I will leave first, keep my routine ordinary, and contact nobody connected to this. If anyone reaches me, I send them to you and preserve exactly what they say.
“"Give them the number on the back of my card, same as you and Mara have. It's my burner phone. No trace. And be safe." You watch as she goes, sighing softly. You wait five minutes before you head out of the conference room back to Dev. "I guess today, I cannot wear a black hat again. Strictly grey." You don't need to say more. Dev nods with a trace of a smile. "About time the Ghost finally wore his true color. Just remember what that means. You walk the line, and that's where you stay when it comes to the cyber world. No more playing or switching sides. You are both sides."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -2)
Alex Mishyma
Give her the number on the back of my card, the same one you and Mara have. It is my burner. No trace. And be safe.
Alex writes the burner number on Rachel’s separated note, then watches her leave through the café. The phone’s battery drops to four percent before he powers it down.
Rachel Mercer
I have it. I will use it only if necessary, keep my routine ordinary, and stay safe. You do the same.
Alex waits five full minutes after Rachel disappears beyond the entrance. Then he shoulders his pack, closes the conference-room door, and returns to Dev at the counter.
Alex Mishyma
I guess today, I cannot wear a black hat again. Strictly grey.
Dev
About time the Ghost finally wore his true color. Just remember what that means. You walk the line, and that is where you stay in the cyber world.
Dev
No more playing or switching sides, Alex. You are both sides, so every step has consequences.
Quest Complete
Clarify the new threat to the child and the Guardians with Rachel
Skill Upgrade: Security Good→Great
undefined / undefined
The café’s front bell rings once, though no customer enters. Dev glances toward the locked door as every upstairs router drops offline together, then reconnects in staggered bursts.
Dev
That was not a neighborhood outage. Someone just touched the café from outside, and they knew exactly when to do it.
The counter monitor flashes a maintenance alert, followed by a single red line: AUTHENTICATION REQUEST, NORTH HARBOR. Rachel’s separated tablet remains in the conference room.
Dev
Do not touch the alert yet. If it is bait, the first person who opens it becomes the story they wanted.
A hardwired desk phone rings beneath the counter. Its caller display shows no number. Outside, a dark sedan rolls past, slows beside the café, and continues.
Dev
That line is internal. It should only ring for building emergencies or the landlord. I have never seen it show blank before.
The ringing stops. A receipt printer wakes by itself and feeds out a narrow strip of paper bearing three words: ASK ABOUT MATTHEWS.
“"Shit." You dash upstairs, quickly unlocking the conference room, and staring at Rachel's tablet, picking it up with a clutch of tissues. Heading out, you lock back up, carrying it down to Dev. "What the hell just happened?"”
SUCCESS (Great Security, rolled -1)
Alex Mishyma
Shit.
Alex dashes upstairs, unlocks the conference room, and finds Rachel’s tablet where she left it. He grips it through a clutch of tissues, leaving the screen untouched.
The hurried lock clicks loudly behind him. The concrete cost is immediate: the noise carries down the stairwell, and the tablet’s edge presses a sharp crease into his palm.
He brings the tablet downstairs and sets it on the counter before Dev, still wrapped in tissues. The maintenance alert remains frozen, while the receipt strip lies beside it.
Alex Mishyma
What the hell just happened?
Dev
Someone touched the café network, spoofed a North Harbor authentication request, and used that printer to put Matthews’s name in front of us.
Dev
You did not open the alert, and you did not touch the tablet directly. Good. But now Rachel’s device is here, the system noticed movement, and whoever did this knows we have connected the dots.
+ New Item Acquired
Rachel’s tablet
“"Dev, does the name Voss mean anything to you? After leaving work last night, things went south really quick in Southie." You give him the short but detailed version of your night last night. "I would have called, but there was no way to be sure any of my devices weren't being tracked. Voss, she is after either the info I have, the trio in the safehouse, or both. Dammit." You walk away from the counter, sitting at a small empty table, lighting a smoke. "How could I have messed things up so bad?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled -1)
Alex Mishyma
Dev, does the name Voss mean anything to you? After I left work last night, things went south fast in Southie. I was followed, warned about my cab route, and found the rear entrance compromised at home. The cameras failed, someone entered behind me, and the pursuit continued through the fire escape and neighboring buildings. I would have called, but I could not know whether my devices were being tracked. Voss is after the information I have, the trio in the safehouse, or both. Dammit.
Alex walks from the counter to a small empty table, lights a cigarette, and sits with his shoulders tight. The receipt strip remains beside Rachel’s wrapped tablet.
Alex Mishyma
How could I have messed things up so badly?
Dev
Voss means nothing to me as a name. But the method does. Someone had your route, knew the cafe systems, and wanted Matthews placed in front of us.
Dev keeps his hands away from the alert and lowers his voice. Upstairs, the routers finish reconnecting in an uneven sequence, leaving one network segment dark.
Dev
You did not create this by helping people. You exposed yourself while carrying something valuable, and somebody exploited that. We treat Voss as an active threat without assuming the name is genuine.
Dev
Finish the smoke, then tell me exactly what Voss said and what she could have learned. We will separate facts from bait before touching that alert.
“You rise, handing him your Burner phone, tapping open the messages. "She knew enough to find an untraceable number to me, send a tail after me and rattle the walls of the entire apartment I live in, so to speak." You take one last drag, stubbing it gently out in the ashtray. "And whoever sent this, knows my connection to Matthews. Not a coincedence."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +0)
Alex rises and hands Dev the burner phone, tapping open the message thread. He takes one last drag, then gently stubs the cigarette into the ashtray.
Alex Mishyma
She knew enough to find an untraceable number to me, send a tail after me, and rattle the walls of my apartment, so to speak. Whoever sent this also knows my connection to Matthews. That is not a coincidence.
Dev accepts the phone without touching the screen, leaning close enough to read the messages. The receipt strip and wrapped tablet remain between them on the counter.
Dev
The messages establish contact, surveillance, and knowledge of your home route. They do not prove Voss sent the printer message, but they make the connection credible.
Dev
Matthews is the pressure point. Whoever planted his name wants you to believe the police angle is central, or wants Matthews looking in our direction.
Dev studies the thread without scrolling beyond the displayed warnings. The dark network segment upstairs stays offline, while the café’s remaining systems hum normally.
Dev
We preserve these messages exactly as they are, keep the burner powered down afterward, and treat every mention of Matthews as deliberate until counsel says otherwise.
“A sudden thought pops into your head. "Dev, check the terminal logs in the cafe for the last 20 minutes. The person who did this may be inside the cafe now. Hurry!"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +1)
Alex Mishyma
Dev, check the terminal logs in the café for the last twenty minutes. The person who did this may be inside now. Hurry.
Dev moves immediately, carrying the burner phone and receipt strip behind the counter. He leaves the wrapped tablet untouched and switches the café terminals to local diagnostic mode.
Dev
Stay here and watch the entrance. I am checking terminal activity, printer commands, badge access, and any session that crossed the dark segment.
The logs resolve across the monitor: three customer terminals received harmless maintenance pings, but the counter workstation opened a privileged print session four minutes earlier. The command came from upstairs.
Dev
There. The printer message was not sent remotely. Someone authenticated through terminal six, used the maintenance profile, and routed the paper command through the café server.
Dev pulls the access camera view without touching the compromised workstation. Terminal six sits near the rear wall, its screen dark, chair pushed back, and a half-finished coffee cooling beside it.
Dev
The session ended ninety seconds ago. Whoever used it may still be upstairs, in the restroom, or among the customers. I am locking the network segment and preserving the logs now.
“"I'm gonna go make a casual sweep upstairs, just doing my job," you say, picking up a rag and small trash bin. You take a deliberate casual pace, nodding to a few of the regulars you know as you make your way around the terminals, picking up empty Red Bull cans and snack wrappers. "Thanks, Alex," one says to you. You smile back and continue. As you approach the last of the terminals, you hear the bathroom door open, and turn quickly, as though you were already headed that way. You freeze when you see the face. It's the tail. Without even hesitating, you toss the bin at him as you sprint at him to tackle him. "Dev! Watch the stairs!"”
Missed — the tail struck back but missed
“You both stand a short distance apart, the anger on your face almost burning as you clench your fists. "You got balls, I give you that. But there's no escape for you here. There's no exit up here, and the stairs are guarded. Give up now, or I am seriously gonna beat yer ass."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +4)
Alex Mishyma
You got balls, I’ll give you that. But there’s no escape here. No exit up top, and the stairs are guarded. Give up now, or I’m seriously gonna beat your ass.
A young adult woman steps from behind the restroom corridor, slim beneath a charcoal jacket, pale face framed by cropped blond hair. She raises both empty hands, her silver key ring clipped at her belt.
The Intruder
All right. I surrender. Keep your fists down, and I will tell you what you want to know.
She walks into the open beneath the counter camera and kneels beside the wall, placing the key ring and a small access card on the floor. The terminal-six route is now physically accounted for.
The Intruder
I used the maintenance profile and the upstairs service door. Voss sent me to plant Matthews’s name, not to hurt anyone. The alert was meant to make you chase the wrong pressure point.
Dev keeps the network segment locked and photographs the surrendered items without touching them. The café’s camera records the woman’s face, hands, and admission beside the compromised terminal.
The Intruder
There is no second person upstairs. I came alone, and I will stay where you can see me until police or your lawyer arrives.
✓ Quest Accepted
Resolve the café intrusion without losing Dev’s support
Quest Complete
Learn who issued the misleading alert
Skill Upgrade: Security Great→Superb
− Scene Quest Removed
Secure Rachel’s safety
“"I take back the having some balls comment," you frown, seeing the young woman. No offense. But no. We're not getting the police or my lawyer involved... *yet. * You just gave us a little... backup. Get out of here before I change my mind. And tell your boss, if she really wants to play hardball with me? Carnegie Square, 2 hours, near the alehouse. I'll be waiting. If I even smell a tail or think it's a step, I'll send everything I have to the police, the FBI, and every media outlet in the state in seconds. Try me."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +1)
Alex Mishyma
I take back the having some balls comment. No offense, but no. We are not getting police or my lawyer involved yet. You gave us backup. Get out before I change my mind.
Alex Mishyma
Tell your boss that if she wants to play hardball, Carnegie Square, two hours, near the alehouse. I will be waiting. If I smell a tail or think this is a setup, everything goes to the police, the FBI, and every media outlet in the state within seconds. Try me.
Alex frowns at the young woman, keeping his distance from the surrendered access card and key ring. Dev’s camera continues recording her face, hands, and every word.
The Intruder
Understood. Carnegie Square, two hours, near the alehouse. No escort, no tail, and no second message from me unless your boss sends one.
The intruder rises slowly, leaving the items on the floor. She backs toward the service exit beneath the camera, then pauses for one final look at Alex.
The Intruder
I will tell her you are done being nudged. For what it is worth, I was sent to deliver pressure, not become evidence.
Dev keeps the network segment locked and opens the service door remotely. The intruder steps into the alley, visible until the camera loses her, while the café retains the recording and her abandoned credentials.
✓ Quest Accepted
Meet the intruder's boss
Quest Complete
Resolve the café intrusion without losing Dev’s support