The workshop was quiet except for the scratch of Riley's pen. She sat hunched over the bench, hair falling loose from its tie, annotating the security footage logs frame by frame. The glow of her tablet lit her face in pale blue. Jace Thorne leaned against the opposite wall, arms folded, watching the frozen images. Daniel's men, caught red‑handed. The stills were crisp, timestamped, undeniable.
"They got sloppy," Riley murmured, circling a frame where one of the operatives bent over the cold‑storage panel. "They thought no one would check the cameras."
Jace exhaled slowly. "Or they didn't care. Maybe they wanted me to see it."
Patchwork's voice slid into his mind, dry as ever.
"Or maybe they're just idiots. Never underestimate the power of human incompetence. It's my favorite sabotage vector."
Jace smirked faintly, but his eyes stayed on Riley. She wasn't just cataloging evidence—she was protecting him, building a case that could shield them both. He realized how much weight she carried on her shoulders, and how much he wanted to carry it with her.
"You don't have to do all that tonight," he said.
She looked up, eyes tired but steady. "If we don't organize it, it's just noise. We need a clean chain of custody. If this goes to court, the board will want airtight proof."
He nodded. "You're right."
Patchwork purred in his head.
"Listen to her, Jace. She's the brains of this operation. You're just the wrench‑swinger with a fancy ghost overlay."
Jace ignored the jab, but Riley caught the flicker in his expression. "He's talking again, isn't he?"
"Yeah," Jace admitted. "He's… impressed. In his own way."
Riley smiled faintly. "That's a first."
---
The Call
The next morning, the phone rang before breakfast. Riley answered, listened, and her face went pale.
"Municipal water treatment plant," she said. "Pumps are cycling erratically, control valves won't respond, and the monitoring system is throwing false alarms. They're hours from a full shutdown."
Jace zipped his kit. "Critical infrastructure. If this goes down, the whole city feels it."
Patchwork's voice sharpened.
"Oh, delightful. Nothing like a little public health crisis to start the day. Let's see if you can keep the tap water flowing, hero."
---
The Plant
The plant loomed ahead, a sprawl of pipes and tanks under a gray sky. Security was tighter than usual—armed guards at the gate, ID checks at every door. Inside, the foreman's face was drawn tight.
"We've never had this many failures at once," he said. "If we can't stabilize, the city's water supply is at risk."
Jace crouched at the main console, activating Temporal Diagnostics. Ghostly overlays bloomed across the room: valves flickering at the moment they were jammed, wires glowing where they'd been spliced, alarms pulsing with false triggers.
Patchwork's voice was gleeful.
"Oh, look at that—sabotage in glorious high‑definition. It's like watching a crime documentary, except you're the poor sap who has to fix it."
---
The Repairs
Pump Relay
The overlay showed a saboteur loosening a terminal screw just enough to arc under load. Sparks ghosted in Jace's vision, replaying the moment of failure. He tightened it, replaced the scorched contact, and the pump steadied.
Riley hovered nearby, reading gauges. "Pressure's stabilizing. That's one down."
Control Valves
Diagnostics revealed a ghostly hand slipping a washer into the actuator housing, jamming the mechanism. Jace pried it free, cleaned the housing, and the valve responded smoothly.
Patchwork muttered.
"Sabotage by hardware store junk. Truly inspired. What's next, bubble gum in the intake?"
Monitoring System
The overlay showed foil strips taped across sensor leads, tricking the panel into constant alarms. Jace tore them away, recalibrated the board, and the alarms fell silent.
The foreman sagged with relief. "You saved us. If this had gone down, the whole city would've felt it."
---
Riley's Confrontation
But not everyone was relieved.
As Jace packed his kit, Riley noticed one of Daniel's men lingering near the exit, pretending to check his phone. She excused herself from the foreman and walked straight toward him.
"You're not even subtle anymore," she said quietly.
The man looked up, smirk tugging at his mouth. "Just making sure the job's done right."
"You mean making sure your sabotage gets cleaned up before anyone notices."
His smirk faltered. "Careful, Ms. Quinn. You don't want to get in the middle of this."
"I'm already in the middle," she shot back. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Jace caught the tail end of the exchange as he slung his kit over his shoulder. The operative slipped out the door, leaving Riley standing rigid, fists clenched.
"You okay?" Jace asked.
She nodded, though her jaw was tight. "They're not even trying to hide it anymore."
Patchwork's voice hummed in Jace's mind.
"She's got fire. I like her. Just don't let her get herself killed playing hero."
---
Back at the Workshop
Riley tallied the numbers:
- Payment: $2,000
- Wealth: $39,990.53 → $41,990.53
- Taxes Added (deferred): +$300.00 (Total Pending: $885.00)
- RP Gained: +160 (critical infrastructure, multi‑system sabotage)
- RP Total: 468 → 628
She set the tablet down and looked at him. "We're building a pattern. Every job, every sabotage, every timestamp. It's all pointing back to Daniel."
Jace rubbed his temples. "And the closer we get, the more dangerous it gets."
She reached across the bench, taking his hand. "Then we face it together."
Patchwork chuckled in his mind.
"Adorable. A united front against corporate sabotage. Just don't forget, Jace—romance doesn't pay the rent. Repairs do."
Jace squeezed Riley's hand, ignoring the jab. "We'll keep stacking. We'll get to three thousand RP, unlock Predictive Forensics, and then we'll see every move before they make it."
Riley's eyes lit with determination. "And then we end this."
---
The Boardroom Subplot
Two days later, the facility board convened an emergency session. Jace and Riley sat at the far end of the long oak table, the security footage queued on a projector. The directors leaned forward as the clips played: Daniel's men slipping into restricted areas, tools in hand, sabotage unfolding frame by frame.
"This is damning," one director muttered.
Another frowned. "If this leaks, the city will demand answers. We'll be forced to name names."
Riley spoke up, calm but firm. "You don't have to leak it. You just have to act on it. Fire them. Report them. Make it clear you won't tolerate sabotage."
The board exchanged uneasy glances. Jace could see the politics at play—contracts, favors, reputations. They weren't ready to move. Not yet.
Patchwork hissed in his head.
"Cowards. They'll sit on the evidence until it's convenient. Which means you'll have to make it inconvenient."
---
Late‑Night Conversation
That night, Jace lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Riley stirred beside him, then rolled over to face him.
"You're not sleeping," she whispered.
"Too much on my mind."
"Patchwork?"
He hesitated. "Partly. He's… useful. But sometimes I wonder what happens if he decides I'm not worth it anymore."
Riley reached out, brushing her fingers against his. "Then you'll still be Jace Thorne. The man who fixes what no one else can. The man who doesn't quit."
Patchwork's voice cut in, softer than usual.
"Don't get sentimental, Jace. I'm not going anywhere. You're too entertaining."
Jace closed his eyes, caught between Riley's warmth and Patchwork's sarcasm. For the first time, he realized he wasn't just fighting sabotage—he was fighting for the life he wanted, with her.
And he wasn't going to let Daniel take that away.
The workshop felt different after the water plant job. The air was heavier, charged with the knowledge that Daniel's men weren't just sabotaging equipment anymore—they were willing to risk public safety. Riley sat at the bench, scrolling through her tablet, while Jace leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"We can't keep reacting," Riley said finally. "We need to get ahead of them."
Jace rubbed his jaw. "You mean Predictive Forensics?"
"That's long-term. We're not there yet. I mean something practical. Something that keeps us safe now."
Patchwork's voice slid into Jace's mind, sardonic as ever.
"Oh, here it comes. The shopping spree. Nothing says 'prepared' like throwing money at shiny toys."
Jace ignored him. "What are you thinking?"
Riley turned the tablet toward him. On the screen was a listing for a mobile diagnostic van—a heavily modified utility vehicle outfitted with reinforced storage, a collapsible workstation, and integrated surveillance gear. It wasn't cheap.
"This would let us take the workshop on the road," Riley explained. "No more hauling kits piecemeal. We'd have secure storage, backup power, even a private uplink. And—" she tapped the specs—"it comes with a built-in camera array. If Daniel's people try anything, we'll have our own footage."
Jace whistled low. "How much?"
"Thirty-two grand."
Patchwork snorted.
"Thirty-two grand for a glorified toolbox on wheels. You could buy a used hearse for half that and at least look intimidating."
Riley shot Jace a look. "He's mocking it, isn't he?"
"Yeah," Jace admitted. "But he mocks everything."
She leaned closer. "This isn't just a purchase. It's an investment. Every job we take, every time we're under surveillance, this gives us control. We can't afford not to."
Jace studied her face—the determination in her eyes, the way she leaned into the fight instead of away from it. He realized she wasn't just thinking about efficiency. She was thinking about survival.
"Alright," he said. "Let's do it."
---
The Purchase
The dealership was on the edge of the industrial district, rows of utility vans lined up under buzzing sodium lights. The salesman, a wiry man with too-bright teeth, perked up when he saw them.
"You're looking for something special?"
Riley didn't hesitate. "The mobile diagnostic unit. The one with reinforced storage and surveillance."
The salesman blinked. "That's… a very specific request."
Jace folded his arms. "We'll pay cash."
Patchwork chuckled in Jace's head.
"Ah, nothing says 'legit' like dropping a small fortune in cash on a van with spy gear. Totally not suspicious."
The salesman led them to the back lot, where the van sat gleaming under a floodlight. Matte gray, reinforced panels, tinted windows. Jace walked around it slowly, running his hand along the side. The interior was immaculate: racks for tools, a fold-out workstation, a generator humming quietly in the rear compartment.
Riley's eyes lit up. "This is it."
The paperwork was quick. The payment stung—$32,000 gone in a single transaction—but when Jace slid into the driver's seat and felt the hum of the engine, he knew it was worth it.
---
First Outing
They drove straight from the dealership to a small repair call—a university lab with a faulty fume hood. Normally, Jace would've hauled his kit up three flights of stairs. Instead, he parked the van outside, opened the side panel, and rolled out a compact workstation.
Riley grinned. "This is going to save us hours."
Patchwork muttered.
"Congratulations. You've officially become a mobile circus. All you need now is a theme song."
The repair was quick, but the real test came when Jace noticed a man loitering across the street, pretending to smoke. One of Daniel's. Normally, Jace would've felt exposed. But now, the van's camera array tracked the man automatically, logging his movements.
Riley checked the monitor. "We've got him. Clear footage, timestamped."
Jace tightened the last bolt on the fume hood and smiled grimly. "Then let him watch."
---
Back at the Workshop
That night, Riley updated the ledger:
- Large Purchase: Mobile Diagnostic Van – $32,000
- Wealth: $41,990.53 → $9,990.53
- Payment (University Lab): $600
- Wealth: $9,990.53 → $10,590.53
- Taxes Added (deferred): +$90.00 (Total Pending: $975.00)
- RP Gained: +70 (efficiency upgrade, surveillance capture)
- RP Total: 628 → 698
She set the tablet down. "We're lighter on cash, but this changes everything."
Jace leaned back, exhausted but satisfied. "We're not just fixing things anymore. We're building a shield."
Patchwork's voice was sly.
"A shield on wheels. Cute. Just don't forget, shields attract arrows."
Riley glanced at Jace. "What did he say?"
"That we're a bigger target now."
She smiled faintly. "Then let them aim. We'll be ready."
---
Closing Scene
Later, as the van sat parked outside the workshop, its cameras blinking softly in the dark, Jace stood with Riley at the doorway. The city hummed in the distance, unaware of the quiet war being fought in its shadows.
For the first time, Jace felt like they weren't just reacting. They were preparing.
And Daniel's men, sloppy and overconfident, had no idea what was coming.
---
Status Update
- RP Total: 698
- Wealth: $10,590.53
- Pending Taxes: $975.00 (due in 3 months)
- Next Rent Due: 1 month (Workshop: $1,200; Apartment: $1,400)
- Capabilities: Mechanical, Electronic, Emotional, Biological, Temporal Diagnostics
- Assets: Mobile Diagnostic Van (surveillance, workstation, reinforced storage)
- Next Upgrade (Locked): Predictive Forensics – Unlocks at 3,000 RP