Chapter 1 | Nine Lives, Zero Traces

Sage Sterling, "This is our night."

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Piper's tail flicked against the Tesla's leather seat as Sage Sterling adjusted her Louboutins, the red soles matching the crimson of her lipstick. The black cat's yellow eyes reflected the glow of downtown Austin's skyline through the tinted windows—or perhaps it was the other way around, Sage sometimes wondered, as the city lights seemed to pulse in sync with Piper's gaze.

"Ready for another night at the office, darling?" Sage whispered, scratching behind Piper's ears. The cat's purr was barely audible over the quiet hum of the electric engine, but its frequency seemed to match the Tesla's systems perfectly. Another coincidence she'd stopped questioning.

The Frost Bank Tower loomed ahead, its distinctive architecture piercing the night sky. During the day, it housed one of Texas's most prestigious investment firms. Tonight, it would be her playground.

Sage at Frost Tower with her hidden critter.

Sage put on her suit jacket and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror, adjusting a strand of dark hair that had escaped her sleek chignon. The Van Cleef & Arpels necklace at her throat – acquired from her last "project" – caught the light. Some might call her materialistic, but Sage preferred to think of it as appreciating the finer things in life. Besides, the troubled youth center she funded needed new computers.

"Show time," she murmured, grabbing her Hermès bag. Inside, nestled between her phone and wallet, lay the tools of her trade: a custom keylogger barely larger than a thumbnail drive, and a wireless camera that could capture keyboard strokes from across a room. Piper's eyes fixed on the devices with an intensity that seemed almost... calculating.

The night security guard smiled as she clicked across the lobby. "Evening, Ms. Rodriguez," he called out, using one of her many aliases. "Working late again?"

"You know how it is with quarterly reports," she replied with a warm smile, flashing her forged ID badge. The guard had seen her coming and going for weeks now, during her careful reconnaissance of the building. He never questioned why a supposed financial analyst carried a leather bag the size of a cat carrier.

Once in the elevator, Sage's smile faded into focused concentration. She had exactly 47 minutes before the security system's next cycle. More than enough time.

The 34th floor was dark and silent. Sage released Piper, who immediately padded toward the server room – their practiced routine. If anyone checked the security cameras, they'd see only a black cat that had somehow sneaked into the building. A perfect distraction. Though Sage never quite understood how the security feeds always seemed to glitch exactly when needed, showing Piper in multiple places simultaneously.

While Piper played her part, Sage slipped into the CEO's corner office. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, installing the keylogger with practiced precision. Next came the wireless camera, hidden in plain sight among the executive's collection of desk toys.

"Another one for the trophy case," she whispered, standing back to admire her handiwork. In two weeks, she'd have every password, every account number, every digital key to the kingdom.

A soft meow at the door signaled Piper's return. Time to go. The cat's eyes glowed with an almost digital precision, displaying what looked like scrolling data for just a fraction of a second. Sage blinked—surely a trick of the emergency lights.

As Sage drove home, her cat curled contentedly in the passenger seat, her phone buzzed. A text from Marcus, her latest "bad boy" distraction: "Dinner tomorrow?"

She smiled, thinking of his motorcycle and tattoos, his complete ignorance of her real profession. He thought she was a cybersecurity consultant. Well, in a way, she was – she certainly helped companies identify their weaknesses.

Marcus: The "Too-Nice" Bad Boy.

"What do you think, Piper? Should we give him another week?" The cat blinked slowly in response, three times in perfect half-second intervals. They both knew the pattern – a few weeks of fun until things got too serious or too dangerous, then it was time to disappear.

Back in her downtown penthouse, Sage kicked off her heels and poured herself a glass of champagne. Through floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see the Frost Tower glittering in the distance. By this time next month, she'd be several million dollars richer, the troubled youth center would have its new computers, and she'd have added another designer bag to her collection.

"To the perfect score," she toasted, as Piper curled up on her lap. The cat purred contentedly, its frequency matching the hum of Sage's laptop precisely, as if they were sharing some secret digital language of their own.

But that was tomorrow's problem. Tonight, they were still perfect.

[End Chapter 1: System Log - Multiple anomalies detected in security camera network. Source: Unknown. Pattern: Feline.]

Sage Sterling and Piper relax after another successful night out on the town.