“Before you read through this, let me first say that I like this mellowed-out look on you, Bette. You should go on more unplugged trips on that beautiful yacht of yours that you can’t stop raving about. Thanks for taking all the precautions to visit me, girl. After everything that’s happened, you don’t know how much it means to me to see you.”

Before a stunned Bette could say anything, Kaci embraced her best friend tightly. “Sorry, but gotta rush. Now — I’ve put everything in your name. All my bitcoins. They’re yours.” She extracted herself from the hug. “The letter explains the legal stuff you’ll need just in case there are questions. I can’t talk about what’s happened to me. And what’s led to this. Just know that you’re the person I trust the most in this world. I know it looks like I disappeared on you, and everyone. But trust me, it’s best that you don’t call me. I promise, I’ll call you. Don’t tell anyone you’ve seen me. For yours and my sake, ok?” She hopped on her motorbike and sped away. That was the last Bette had seen or heard from her childhood best friend.

It had taken a year for Bette to finish a steady unwinding of Kaci’s bitcoins, to ensure she was extracting the most value out of them. By the time she was done, they’d each been left with under $1 million in bitcoins.

At first, she’d thought that Kaci’s sudden call last Sunday meant that Kaci now wanted control of her assets back. But she’d been wrong. Instead, Kaci had called to ask for her half of the secret code, but Kaci needed her to pass the information on in person.

“It’s a matter of life and death,” Kaci had whispered before hanging up. Life and death. In all the time they’d known each other, even when she’d gone into WitSec “temporarily,” Kaci was a calm, matter-of-fact communicator.  

“Life and death” were not words Kaci had ever used. The words slapped Bette awake like she’d bit into a three-alarm jalapeno pepper. They signaled nothing ought to stop her from getting on the next flight to Kansas City to help her oldest friend with something important.