In one fluid, microsecond movement, her hand darted under the riser. Her thumb and forefinger pinched the USB drive. It slid into her palm, then into the hidden pocket sewn into the seam of her cardigan.
For a split second, his eyes widened. He quickly closed the notebook. "Just doodling."
Ameri smiled, pulling off the wire-rimmed glasses. She tossed them into a recycling bin. In one fluid, microsecond movement, her hand darted
"Alright," Ameri said, straightening up. "I think the best way to learn is to get out of your seats. Pair up! Taro, you can work with me at the front. I want to go over some advanced reaction mechanisms."
The rest of the "tutoring session" was a masterclass in tension. Ameri continued explaining Avogadro's number while Taro seethed. The lookout girl typed furiously. Ameri knew she had maybe ten minutes before they realized she wasn't a teacher. For a split second, his eyes widened
A crackle. Then: "Copy, 084. Rooftop. Five minutes. And Ameri?"
Papers fluttered everywhere. Ameri gasped, apologizing profusely. As she knelt down to gather them, her knee bumped the table leg. The laptop riser wobbled. She tossed them into a recycling bin
Taro Kishimoto. The science prodigy. The chess champion. The suspected data mule for the Phantom Circuit, a cyber-criminal syndicate that had been leaking state secrets through encoded messages hidden in academic papers.