Mary Tyler Moore's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Mary Tyler Moore unlocked the heavy wooden door of the stone house and slipped inside. The arched windows let in thin desert light. This was her secret workshop, the place where she built the trap that would ruin him. She wanted one thing now: to outsmart the man who once stole her work and smiled while doing it. A small coyote with a mocha coat watched her from the corner. Its rainbow eyes blinked once. She had found it wandering outside weeks ago and let it stay. It was the only witness she trusted. She set the round sandstone disc on her table. The carved sun face stared up at her. Hidden inside its grooves was the leaked message, etched in tiny lines she had decoded last night. Her rival was already moving. He was building something fast, using her old ideas. She had days, not weeks. Mary crossed the room to the tall blue statue standing against the far wall. Its painted eyes shimmered as she touched its base. A panel slid open. Inside glowed the flawed work she had baited him with, lines of code crawling across the polished surface. Every error was placed with care. Every trap was invisible. She tapped the final command. The bait went live. Somewhere across the desert, he would find it within the hour. Mary pulled her pink-tipped hair back and smiled the smallest smile. The race had started, and he did not know he was already losing.