Chapter 174: Reunion at the Base
River couldn’t help but be impressed by how calm and clear-headed Tilda was. This wasn’t an act. River knew it for sure.
After about an hour and a half of driving, the car finally halted. River got out with Tilda.
“Kaleb, go report in. I’ll take Queen from here,” River said.
“But I–” Kaleb started. He knew his job came first; his rational thinking finally overcame his feelings. He had no choice but to watch River and Tilda walk away.
They walked forward for about 20 minutes. Then, with a soft ding, a mechanical door slid open. River led Tilda inside.
The elevator hummed and descended for about a minute before it came to a stop. The doors opened. Tilda remained calm the whole time.
River took off Tilda’s blindfold. “Sorry, Queen. This was just protocol,” River apologized.
“I understand,” Tilda replied, rubbing her arm. She stepped into a security checkpoint. Countless red and green lights swept over her, scanning for anything suspicious.
The machines scanned her ID, did a magnetic check, ran all kinds of background searches, and made sure she wasn’t carrying anything she shouldn’t have. After she cleared every scan, the next mechanical door opened.
Inside was a conference room: a long table, chairs, a big screen, cameras, a TV, and even a small plant. The lighting was bright white.
As Tilda looked around, the door of the conference room opened. Manfred, in a military uniform, walked in. Tilda could tell right away that Manfred was no ordinary guy. Her mind raced, recalling everything she knew about him.
Manfred offered his hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Queen.”
Tilda shook his hand and said calmly, “Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Parker.”
“So you already know who I am. That makes this easier,” Manfred said.
“Honestly, I’m surprised. The legendary Queen, top hacker of the dark web, turns out to be a nineteen-year-old college sophomore. You’ve been helping our research team solve problems for a few years now. That means you were just in high school when you started.” He spoke in amazement.
Her talent was way beyond that of a young prodigy. It was unreal. A total freak. But for Manfred, in his position, he had met his share of geniuses. He’d seen plenty of freaks before, and it hardly fazed him anymore. Besides, there was already another genius at the base who was just as talented as Tilda.
“Mr. Parker, I’d really like to talk with you, but… what matters most to me is meeting Professor Kerrigan. That meeting is the actual purpose of my visit,” Tilda said, her impatience showing. Dane meant everything to her. After searching for so many years, this was the first real hope she’d found.
“I understand, Queen. And Professor Kerrigan feels the same,” Manfred replied. “I was planning to set up a video call, but Professor Kerrigan insisted on meeting you in person.”
With that, Manfred left the room. He looked at Dane, who was waiting outside, and nodded. “You can go in now.”
Then Manfred went to the next room to watch the monitors. He told the security team to keep a close eye on everything—especially Tilda’s movements. If anything seemed suspicious, they were to stop the meeting right away.
“Mr. Parker, isn’t this a bit risky?” River asked quietly, frowning. “What if Queen has a hidden identity or she means harm?”
Manfred rubbed his temples. “I know. Honestly, I’m starting to regret telling Professor Kerrigan about Queen at all. But he insisted—he even said he’d quit all his research unless he could meet her in person. What am I supposed to do?”
What?!
River felt as if lightning had struck. Dane, who had never cared about anything but his research, threatening to stop working just to meet the Queen? What is going on between these two?
At that moment, the camera showed Dane walking up to the door. He placed his hand on the door handle and slowly turned it. Manfred and the others all held their breath. Tilda did too.
When she heard the door open, her nerves tensed up, and she almost stopped breathing. Excitement, fear, hope, and doubt—all sorts of complicated emotions—crashed together in her heart. It was just like the day she first returned to her family’s house years ago. She thought she’d never feel this way again. But she was wrong.
When Tilda saw the man in the lab coat walk into the room, she didn’t feel anything special at first—not for a second.