Chapter 673

Karl leaned lazily against the wall of a dark alley, fingers fishing in his pocket until he pulled out a crumpled box of chocolate bars. He bit off a piece, the sugary cocoa spreading across his tongue as his teeth mechanically crushed the brittle biscuit layer. Headlights occasionally swept across the alley mouth, but his phone screen stayed black—the hacker’s reply was later than he had expected.

Only when the box was empty and nothing left but the wrapper in his hand did the device suddenly vibrate. A pale-blue glow stabbed into his pupils, the message window slicing through the night like a blade:

[Number Blocked]