The Hacker

by Herkness, Nancy

  “I only have another twenty minutes before I have to leave.” He could hear the disappointment in her voice.

  “I’ll get back to you before then. And if you’re awake, we can talk after the party.” He deliberately slowed the cadence of his speech. “Maybe while you’re in bed?”

  He heard the catch in her breath and congratulated himself on giving her something else to focus on. Although now he couldn’t stop himself from picturing her spread naked across that green comforter of hers, her skin glowing, her eyes heavy lidded, her hand cupping . . . He pulled himself up short.

  “I’ll be sure to get home by ten,” she said, the purr back in her voice.

  “I’ll be waiting for your call.” He put all kinds of undertones into the sentence and then disconnected and headed for Tully’s office.

  His partner was talking into a phone headset but waved Leland into a chair in front of his desk.

  “I want someone on the roof across Park Street with a camera.” Tully stared at his computer monitor, his eyes narrowed. “Use the fire escape on the north side. Remember this is a DNA operation. Do not approach, surveillance only. We don’t want to spook them. Let me know when we’re set up.” He pulled off the headset. “What’s up?”

  “You’ve got two people watching Dawn now, right?”

  “They just reported in. She’s at her apartment. No signs of unwelcome interest.”

  “She’s going to be leaving soon and going to a bar called Arthur’s on Haddonfield Road. Tell them to be extra vigilant.”

  Tully frowned. “Want to tell me why?”

  “Call them now. Then I’ll explain.”

  Tully put his headset back on and tapped his computer screen. It was good to have partners who trusted you enough to do what you asked before requiring an explanation.

  As soon as Tully had contacted both of Dawn’s guards, he gave Leland a sharp look. “Okay, partner, what’s got your knickers in a twist?”

  Leland explained about Dawn being pressured into attending a party she didn’t have any interest in. “Chad has been persistent in the past but this took it to a new level. Combined with your bad feeling, I’m concerned.”

  “Chad’s the new trainer,” Tully said, swiping at his screen and taking a moment to read what he’d brought up. “We did a background check on him and nothing popped. But we didn’t dig that deep because he didn’t seem worth it.”

  “I see a pattern that says whoever is involved in the arms dealing has gotten suspicious of Dawn and wants to make sure they know where she is. Which means if anything goes wrong with your surveillance operation, she could be in danger.”

  “Nothing will go wrong.” Tully’s expression and tone were hard.

  “I know you’re good at your job but I also know you can’t control all the variables in this situation.” Leland realized he’d already made a decision and he stood up. “I’m going to Cofferwood.”

  “You know that’s a bad idea.”

  “You know I can’t leave Dawn alone to face whatever it is we’ve stirred up.” Leland locked eyes with his partner for a long moment.

  Tully shook his head in resignation. “Yeah, I understand that. Let me get one of my people to take you. I’ll put you in contact with Dawn’s shadows. You do what they tell you. Agreed?”

  “Depends on what they tell me.” Leland grinned. He felt better now than he had all day. He’d hated being separated from Dawn when she needed protecting.

  “Shit, you are a pain in the ass.” Tully stood up and offered his hand across the desk. “Stay safe, buddy.”

  Leland shook it. “You too, cowboy.”

  “Hap-py birth-day to you!” The ragged singing ended in cheers as Josh blew out the candles on the ice cream cake, his long, curly bangs flopping into his eyes.

  “Hey, what’d you wish for?” someone called out.

  The young man blushed and smiled as he slid a sideways glance toward Dawn. She gave an inward sigh. She supposed she’d have to give him a kiss on her way out. Damn Tiffany anyway! Dawn would never have noticed the longing looks Josh had thrown her all evening if the receptionist hadn’t shared his secret with her. When Dawn had bought him a beer, he’d spilled it on his shirt in his haste to give her a kiss on the cheek in thanks.

  Her encrypted phone vibrated against her butt where she’d stowed it in the back pocket of her jeans. She had her regular phone in her other back pocket. Since a few of the guys in the bar were more than a little inebriated, the phones made excellent armor against unwanted groping.

  Actually, Chad had been a pretty good deterrent too but not one she welcomed. He had hovered nearby ever since she arrived, giving her the heebie-jeebies after what Leland had said. Maybe it was just the dim light of the bar and her imagination, but he looked different. The jovial jock had developed a hard, watchful edge that made her nervous.

  A casual glance around placed him about four feet to her right, which meant she couldn’t pull out the phone to check the message. It was too obviously not a normal device. Time to go to the ladies’ room.

  She took the last swallow of beer from the bottle she’d been nursing for a half an hour, held it up, and said to the people standing nearest her, “Too bad you just rent this stuff.” Someone laughed and she threaded her way through the crowd to the corridor leading to the restrooms.

  And nearly freaked out when she pivoted to open the door to the bathroom and saw Chad coming down the hallway toward her.

  He winked. “In heaven, there is no beer. That’s why I drink it here. A hell of a lot of it.”

  She forced a laugh as he passed her to get to the men’s room.

  Yanking open the door, she bolted into an empty stall, her heart racing, and locked the latch. Was Chad following her, even to the bathroom? She pressed her back against the cold metal wall, counting as she breathed in, held it for a count of ten, and breathed out again, trying to calm down enough to think clearly.

  Then she remembered the text and jerked the phone out of her pocket.

  Equal parts of relief and anxiety vibrated through her as she saw Leland’s message.

  On my way to you. Make it easy for your bodyguards to follow you home. Go up to your apartment and I’ll text you when I’m on my way up. Don’t open the door to anyone but me.

  She sagged against the stall door for a moment, letting the confusion of emotions swirl through her. The joy of knowing she would see him tonight overshadowed all the others. But she needed to keep her mind sharp until she got home.

  She typed back: I thought Tully was against that. Has something new happened?

  His response surprised a choked laugh out of her. No, I just told Tully to go to hell and take his stupid idea with him.

  Someone walked into the bathroom, so Dawn flushed the toilet to make her visit sound authentic. Who knew if Chad had enlisted a female associate to spy on her?

  Did it count as paranoia if there really were bad guys around, but you didn’t know who they were? Or was it just smart to assume everyone was out to get you?

  All she knew was that she felt a lot less afraid now that Leland was coming. And what did that say about her feelings for him?

  She pushed that thought aside as she washed her hands and strode out the door without bothering to scan for Chad’s presence.

  That was the power of Leland’s message.

  Half an hour later, she had given Josh the expected kiss, which he had prolonged a little more than she wanted—but, hey, it was his birthday. Now she was strolling along the well-lit sidewalk toward her building, taking it slow to make sure her unseen guardians could easily keep up with her.

  Her heart lilted in her chest because Leland had told off his partner in order to be with her. That had to mean something. Even if it didn’t, she could enjoy his company for another night and that was almost enough.

  “Good party, right?”

  Dawn shrieked and leaped sideways as Chad jogged up to her. “Jesus Christ, don’t scare me like that!” She wanted
to smack him for sending a crash of adrenaline through her so that every nerve was screaming, Run!

  “Sorry,” he said without sounding at all sincere. “You were just kind of sauntering along so I thought you might like some company.”

  “Maybe if the company hadn’t snuck up on me.”

  “I’ll walk you home.” He matched his stride to hers.

  Even knowing that she had two guardians somewhere nearby couldn’t quell the alarm bells ringing in her brain. She decided not to antagonize him since she was now convinced that he was shadowing her. “I live three blocks from here,” she said, picking up her pace, “but thanks.”

  She couldn’t figure out what his game was. The gym was closed. She didn’t have a key to get in, so how was she a threat to whatever Tully thought was happening?

  “It was good to see you out with the staff tonight.” Chad gave her a gentle fist bump on her upper arm. “I know it’s not so easy for you with what you’ve been through.”

  How the hell did Chad know what she’d been through? At the gym, only Ramón knew the most barebones version of her story. Undoubtedly, he’d shared it with Vicky, since he thought his wife walked on water. The alarm bells in Dawn’s mind turned into a wailing fire siren.

  “They look up to you, you know,” Chad continued when she couldn’t think how to respond. “You’re the best trainer at Work It Out. You’re a role model for others.”

  She needed to just skate on the surface of this conversation, not let her brain go into a tailspin as she delved into the subtext. “Wow! Thanks for the nice compliment. The trick is that I care about my clients.”

  “Hey, sorry I made a crack about that guy Lee. That was unprofessional on my part.” Again, he didn’t sound sincere. It was like he was reciting from a script.

  “It’s okay. I might be a little sensitive on the subject because it ended badly.” She hoped her guards had told Leland she had company so he would make sure to be well concealed. “Honestly, I don’t usually get involved with clients. It was a dumb idea. And unprofessional, to use your word.”

  “The heart doesn’t listen to logic, does it?” Chad gave a sigh.

  Dawn nearly snickered at the absurdity of Chad talking about the heart. “I guess not.”

  Three blocks had never seemed so long.

  “So where did you work before Ramón hired you?” she asked to steer the conversation away from her.

  “A gym in California. It was a nice place but I’m an East Coast kind of guy. So I loaded up my car and drove across the country. I figured I’d settle wherever I got the first job offer. And here I am.”

  “Did you grow up around here?” She just wanted to keep him talking until they reached her building.

  “Nope, in Florida. That’s where I played ball too.” He seemed to be enjoying himself now.

  “Quarterback, right?”

  “Yeah, the buck stopped with me.” He winked. “‘Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever.’”

  “Thank you, Shane Falco.” She’d loved that movie once, but she associated football games with drunken attackers now.

  “You know The Replacements?” He seemed astonished.

  “I have brothers.” She stifled a sigh of relief and walked even faster as they reached the corner of her block.

  “They play football?”

  “Only for fun. Not high-level like you.” She pulled her keys out of the pocket she’d tucked them into before she left the bar. “Here we are. Thanks for the escort. Good night.” She practically jogged to the front door.

  “Let me just take a quick look inside the foyer,” he said, coming up behind her. “It’ll make me feel better to know you’re safe.”

  “It’s fine. I can see it through the window. It’s all clear.” Her hand was shaking, so she had a hard time fitting the key into the lock. He was crowding her back, which was beginning to trigger her panic response. She could use that since he’d brought up her past. “Could you give me some space? You’re triggering me.”

  “Oh, sorry!” To her surprise, he backed off. “Didn’t mean to freak you out.”

  She managed to get the door unlocked and opened it just wide enough so that she could slip through. When it was closed behind her, she lifted a hand to wave through the glass.

  Chad waved back with a smile before he turned and left. She sat down hard on the bottom step and fought back the blackness that threatened to overwhelm her vision.

  Breathe in-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10. Hold it. Breathe out. Repeat.

  Her heartbeat slowed and the blackness receded. She sat a moment longer, hating her weakness. Tully was right to keep her away from the action. She would be a liability.

  She needed to text Leland a warning, just in case her minders hadn’t.

  Be careful you don’t get spotted. Chad insisted on walking me home. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t gallantry. He said some slightly creepy things. He may still be lurking around the building. I’m headed to my apartment now.

  It wasn’t coherent but she sent it anyway. No time to edit. She waited a few seconds to see if Leland would respond. When he didn’t, she grabbed the handrail to pull herself to her feet. Her knees were still a little wobbly, so she held on as she trudged up the stairs.

  Once she had relocked the dead bolt and reset her alarm, she went to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Smirnoff vodka that she kept for special occasions with friends. She poured a generous splash into a juice glass and swallowed it down in one gulp. The burn of the alcohol steadied her.

  The next time she saw Chad, she was going to knee him in the balls for making her feel like that scared young girl again.

  She recapped the bottle and put it back in the cabinet. Because she wasn’t that girl any more. Being afraid around Chad was logical, not weak. He was some kind of criminal who sold guns to even worse criminals. She should be wary around him.

  When a text pinged into her secure phone, she didn’t even start.

  Chapter 16

  I’m outside your door.

  Dawn practically danced to her entryway. However, she still checked the video camera to make sure no one was holding Leland at gunpoint. Instead she saw him laden down with a couple of silver metal briefcases.

  Disengaging all her security measures, she opened the door and let him take two steps in before closing the door behind him. “God, am I glad to see you!” Ignoring his burdens, she wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe, and poured all her fear and relief into a kiss.

  He gave as good as he got, even though he couldn’t put his arms around her. By the time they came up for air, her insides had gone liquid with wanting and she could feel his erection pressing against her belly.

  He put the briefcases on the floor and drew her into his arms, his blue eyes blazing down at her. “That was one hell of a greeting, darlin’. I’m tempted to go out and come back in the door again.” His voice had gone all southern so it warmed her even more.

  She leaned back in the circle of his arms, all her fear vanishing like smoke in his presence. “I’m glad you decided Tully was wrong. I feel so much better having you here. It’s been a little nerve-racking today.”

  His arms tightened around her and a shadow darkened the heat in his eyes. “You shouldn’t have to go through this alone.” His mouth went grim. “You shouldn’t have to go through it at all.”

  “Don’t start blaming yourself.” She laid her palm against his cheek. “You keep forgetting that I started this whole thing about the Wi-Fi. I’ve been fully involved since the beginning.”

  “Too involved, but you’re a hard woman to say no to.” His lips curved into a sly smile. “Good thing that most of the time I don’t want to.”

  She relaxed into his chest again, seeking the sense of security he gave her. “Just stand here with me for a minute.”

  “I’d stand here all night with you if I could.” He stroked a hand over her hair with a ghost of a laugh. “Well, maybe I’d talk you into taking it horizontal.” />
  “Talk away. You know I love your accent.” She snuggled in closer to him while he began to glide his hands up and down her back.

  After a little while, she hummed a sound of contentment and tilted her head back to ask him what was in the metal cases. But there was such sorrow etched on his face that she couldn’t get the words out. She started to ask him what was wrong but he smiled with an obvious effort. It had been a private moment he didn’t mean to share with her. She wondered if it had to do with his mother’s death. So she kept her question generic. “Are you okay?”

  “Now that I know you’re safe, I am.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I need to set up my equipment. Then we’ll talk about what Chad said to you.”

  It hurt that she had shared a devastating event her life, but he didn’t trust her with his sadness. Though now was not the time to push for revelations. She stepped out of his embrace. “I figured you didn’t have pajamas in those briefcases.”

  He laughed, picked up the cases, and carried them to her kitchen counter. She realized he was dressed entirely in black from head to toe: jacket, T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. And he looked really good in it, the width of his shoulders and length of his legs accentuated by the dark hue. “Were you lurking in the shadows while you waited for me?”

  “What?” He had shucked off his jacket and was focused on unlocking the cases. He glanced down at his clothes. “Oh, right. Actually, Tully’s guy got me into your building through a basement window.” He met her gaze. “But don’t worry. After I was in, he fixed the lock. In fact, he’s going to come back tomorrow to reinforce the security down there. It could be better.”

  Dawn slid onto a counter stool beside where Leland stood. “Okay, what is all this?”

  He pointed to one case, which held something that looked like a laptop with a massively reinforced shell. “Most people who see this have to sign a nondisclosure agreement. It’s something I helped develop for the government.” He pressed a switch, and the screen came to life, showing the interior of a car from the point of view of the driver. She could see the steering wheel, the dashboard, and windshield, as well as a tree-lined street lit by overhead lights. “Tully’s wearing a bulletproof vest with a video cam embedded in it. What you’re seeing is his current position in Cofferwood.”