The elevator ride down from Vent, Mallory & Crowley LLP felt longer than the one up.
Marla Crowley's parting words — too much power makes people nervous — kept replaying in Jace's head.
Riley broke the silence. "She didn't seem thrilled about your upgrades."
Patchwork snorted in his skull. Understatement of the year. That woman looked at you like you were a raccoon that wandered into her wine cellar.
Jace kept his voice low. "She's probably just cautious."
She's probably just hiding something, Patchwork countered. And spoiler alert: I'm going to find out what.
---
The Call
They'd barely made it back to the street when Jace's phone buzzed. Sterling Vent's name lit up the screen.
"Jace," Sterling said without preamble, "I need you back here. Now."
Riley frowned. "What's wrong?"
Sterling hesitated. "Let's just say… one of your upgrades worked a little too well."
Patchwork: Oh, this is going to be delicious.
---
Back in the Shark Tank
The receptionist's smile was tighter this time. "Mr. Vent is expecting you."
Sterling met them in the hallway, ushering them into a smaller conference room. On the table sat the upgraded conference speakerphone from yesterday.
"It flagged something," Sterling said. "During a partner meeting."
Patchwork: Let me guess — someone said 'innocent' and the phone laughed?
Sterling leaned in. "It pinged on the word 'audit.' And then again on 'offshore.'"
Riley's eyebrows shot up. "That… sounds bad."
Sterling nodded. "Marla wants it disabled. I want it… refined."
---
The Deal
Sterling slid an envelope across the table. "Two hundred now if you can make it so only I see the alerts."
Patchwork: Ah, the sweet smell of selective truth. It's like lying, but with better optics.
Jace considered. "Alright. But I'm not responsible for what it finds."
---
The Fix
He opened the casing, Patchwork feeding him a new code sequence. The alert system was rerouted to a discreet vibration in Sterling's smartwatch.
Patchwork: And because I'm me, I've added a rolling transcript buffer. Thirty seconds of audio before and after any flagged word. For… context.
Sterling tested it. "Audit," he said. His watch buzzed.
"Perfect," he said, handing over the envelope.
Payment: $200.
Patchwork: $34.00 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $834.52.
Wealth: $3,410.75 → $3,610.75
---
The Interruption
As they packed up, the door opened. Marla Crowley stepped in.
"Mr. Thorn," she said, "a word."
Sterling excused himself, leaving Jace and Riley alone with her.
"I don't like surprises," Marla said. "And your… enhancements are nothing but surprises."
Patchwork: She's about to threaten you. Bet you a coffee.
Marla's gaze was icy. "Stay out of my office. And stay out of my business."
She left without another word.
Riley exhaled. "Friendly."
---
The Whisper
On the way out, Patchwork's voice was low and sharp. Her office printer just sent a job to the copier. Want to guess the filename?
Jace sighed. "You're going to tell me anyway."
'ClientOffshoreAccounts_2023.pdf'.
---
The Temptation
Back in the van, Riley looked at him. "You've got that look."
"What look?"
"The one you get when Patchwork tells you something you shouldn't know."
Patchwork: She's not wrong. And you should absolutely go back in there.
Jace shook his head. "We're not breaking into a partner's office."
Who said anything about breaking in? She left the file on the copier.
---
The Decision
Five minutes later, they were back in the lobby. Riley kept the receptionist busy with questions about conference room rentals while Jace slipped into the copy room.
The copier hummed quietly. On the output tray sat a single page: a summary sheet listing account numbers and jurisdictions.
Patchwork: Told you. Offshore. Cayman Islands. Classic.
Jace snapped a quick photo and slid the page back into the stack.
---
The Fallout
Back in the van, Riley stared at the photo. "This is… huge."
Patchwork: It's also leverage. And leverage is currency.
Jace rubbed his temples. "We're not blackmailing anyone."
Of course not, Patchwork said innocently. We're just… holding onto information that could keep you alive.
---
The Next Job
Before they could argue further, Jace's phone buzzed again. This time it was the firm's IT manager.
"I heard you fixed the copier," the man said. "Think you could look at our server room AC? It's been overheating."
Patchwork: From corporate espionage to HVAC. Truly, your career is a rollercoaster.
---
The Server Room
The AC unit was clogged with dust and running at half capacity. Jace cleaned the filters, replaced a worn belt, and let Patchwork's spark run through the control board.
Patchwork: Bonus feature: temperature anomaly alerts sent to the IT manager's phone. And a hidden subroutine that logs any unusual data transfers. You know… for fun.
Payment: $300.
Patchwork: $51.00 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $885.52.
Wealth: $3,610.75 → $3,910.75
---
The Warning
As they left, Sterling caught up with them.
"Be careful," he said quietly. "Marla doesn't like people poking around. And she has friends in places you don't want enemies."
Patchwork: Oh good, we're collecting powerful enemies now. It's like Pokémon, but with more subpoenas.
---
The Ride Home
In the van, Riley was quiet.
"You're thinking about the file," Jace said.
"I'm thinking about how deep this goes," she replied. "And how we're already in it."
Patchwork: Welcome to the big leagues, kids. Try not to drown.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 270
Wealth: $3,910.75
Pending Taxes: $885.52
---
The van's engine had barely cooled when Riley broke the silence.
"You're still thinking about that file."
Jace kept his eyes on the road. "I'm thinking about how to not get killed over it."
Patchwork's voice oozed into his thoughts. Oh, come on. You've survived microwaves, EMPs, and my company. A little corporate intrigue will be fun.
"Your definition of fun is broken," Jace muttered.
And yet, here you are, still listening.
---
The Break‑In
They pulled into the apartment lot just as the sun dipped below the horizon. The door to Jace's unit was ajar.
Riley's hand went to his arm. "You locked it this morning."
Patchwork: Either you've developed a sleep‑walking burglary habit, or someone's been shopping in your living room.
Jace pushed the door open. The place was a mess — drawers pulled out, couch cushions tossed, his tool bag dumped on the floor.
"They were looking for something," Riley said.
Patchwork: Gee, I wonder what. Starts with 'offshore' and ends with 'you're in trouble.'
---
The Visitor
A shadow moved in the kitchen. Jace froze.
A man stepped out — mid‑40s, expensive suit, the kind of tan you only get from yachts.
"You have something that doesn't belong to you," the man said.
Patchwork: And here I thought we were getting a pizza delivery.
Jace kept his voice even. "You've got the wrong guy."
The man smiled without humor. "I don't think so."
---
The Standoff
Riley shifted subtly, putting herself between Jace and the stranger.
Patchwork: She's braver than you deserve.
The man took a step closer. "Hand over the file, and this ends quietly."
Jace's mind raced. "I don't have it."
Patchwork: Technically true. You have a photo. Loopholes are fun.
The man studied him for a moment, then turned and left without another word.
---
The Directive
As the door clicked shut, a blue overlay lit up in Jace's vision.
Directive: Secure sensitive data before it's compromised
Target: Create encrypted, redundant backups of offshore accounts file photo
RP Reward: 200
Time Limit: 12 hours
Penalty: Loss of all stored RP
Patchwork: Well, that's motivating. Let's get to work, champ.
---
The Plan
Riley was already pulling out her laptop. "We can store it on an encrypted drive, hide copies in cloud accounts under aliases."
Patchwork: And I'll add a little surprise — any unauthorized attempt to open it will trigger a full device wipe and a nice, friendly message: 'Nice try.'
---
The Work
They spent the next two hours creating layered backups: one on a hidden partition of Jace's upgraded phone, one on an encrypted USB drive Riley kept in her bag, and one in a cloud account registered to "Gerald P. Wombat."
Patchwork: Don't judge. No one hacks a wombat.
---
The Knock
Just as they finished, there was a knock at the door. This time, it was Big Hank.
"Got a job for you," he said. "My smoker's temp control is acting up."
Patchwork: From espionage to barbecue. Truly, your career is a buffet.
---
Repair – Smoker Temp Control
The control unit was overheating. Jace replaced a failing sensor, and Patchwork added a bonus: a mobile app that let Hank monitor temps from anywhere — and sent a chime if the meat was within five minutes of perfect doneness.
Hank handed over $120.
Patchwork: $20.40 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $905.92.
Wealth: $3,910.75 → $4,030.75
---
The Call
As Hank left, Jace's phone buzzed. Unknown number.
A voice said, "You've made a mistake, Mr. Thorn. You have until midnight to fix it."
The line went dead.
Patchwork: Well, that's ominous. Midnight deadlines are never for cupcakes.
Riley met his eyes. "We need to be ready."
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 270
Wealth: $4,030.75
Pending Taxes: $905.92