“EBOP46,” Cody said.
Lila nodded.
“EBOP46 the musical composition for Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch. My great-grandfather Russell’s favorite piece.” She blew out a sigh. “I was seen as the chosen one simply because my birthday is May second. Grandmother Vivian saw the number seven when adding the number five from May as the fifth month to the day I was born. Even after all these years it’s still hard to wrap my mind around their sick thinking. Now, here we go again.” She stared out the window. “The Order blazed a trail littered with shattered lives and dead bodies. We have to end it.”
Cody nodded. “We need to find the right person in the right position to take this evidence and they must be unafraid to prosecute Lance. I think we’re getting close to kicking our plans into high gear.”
Lila straightened in her seat “Garvin said Jack went to the FBI. He must have spoken with one of Lance’s moles. The information definitely didn’t make it back to Reid or Adam.”
Cody picked up his phone and texted Adam. A second later, his phone pinged. “Adam says they are still with the police, but we’ll meet later. Between the evidence we now have and the fact we could be in possession of information Lance desperately wants, we put ourselves in position to have the upper hand.” He pulled at his scant beard. “There’s something else. Did you notice anything about the drone?”
“Nothing other than the bullets flying.”
“It wasn’t a coincidence the shooting started right after Garvin gave you the box. The drone had the Veridian logo on the side. And the company is not in the business of selling drones.”
“Veridian? Do you think they tracked us to Garvin’s house or had them under surveillance?” Lila rubbed her sore shoulder.
“It’s likely. My theory is Veridian or Lance don’t know who knows about the mine and they need information.”
“And when we showed up, they made their move.” Once again Lila lifted the emerald out of the box, pulling the satin pillow along with the gem. A slip of paper lay in the bottom of the box. Lila picked up the paper and stared at two names: Morris Beak and Willa Dickerson.
Cody leaned over. “Garvin mentioned Morris Beak. Do you recognize the other name?”
Lila shook her head as she stared at the names. “No. I hope they are still alive.”
A large white van rumbled into the parking lot, indicating the vehicle belonged to Roscoe the Painting Expert. Four men jumped out.
Cody stared at the vehicle and pointed. “See that van?”
Lila followed his gaze. “Roscoe, the Painting Expert?”
“Yeah. Reminds me of the Speedstar Cable van parked down the street from the Jennings’ house. It wasn’t there when we left.” Cody locked his gaze on the van. “Speedstar Cable?” He turned to her, his eyes wide, then he picked up his phone and punched at the screen. Seconds later, he set down the phone. “I knew it! Speedstar Cable isn’t in this area.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Do you think someone from Veridian was operating the drone from inside the truck?”
“Maybe.” Cody shot a look in the rearview mirror as he shifted the vehicle in gear. “Garvin was right to be suspicious. Whatever fears he had has now shifted to us. Although we could gain the upper hand, one false move and we’ll all have bullets aiming for us.”
Chapter 25
Cody rushed into the Veridian offices and made a beeline for the café. He needed a caffeine shot if he had any hope of making it through the day. A quick glance at his watch indicated he had a few minutes to spare before he needed to be in the DDI team area. With his cup of coffee, he stepped outside onto the patio dining section overlooking the lake on the Veridian campus. The water sparkled in the afternoon sun. A couple of joggers ran along the path next to the lake while another group practiced yoga, their green Veridian mats lined up on the grassy area near the lake. Veridian offered their employees ample opportunity for fun and exercise. Perhaps the top company executives found plying employees with perks encouraged loyalty and made their criminal deeds more palatable. Threatening Lila had taken their actions to a new low and now Veridian appeared directly involved in the drone attack.
He hadn’t wanted to show up today, but he couldn’t rock the boat when they needed as much information as possible. His disgust for Veridian had grown as bitter as the strong coffee he needed right now.
He hoped keeping Lila safe didn’t equate to a fool’s mission.
“Nice scene.”
Cody turned to the voice behind him. Moby gripped a coffee cup and stared out at the lake.
“It’s all bullshit. This fake nirvana.” Moby turned his gaze to Cody. “By now you know that.”
Cody pulled a chair out. “Cynical. Is that what a few years at Veridian will do for you?”
Moby shrugged and sat across from him. “In addition to the hefty salary, stock options, and free coffee.” He raised his cup.
“Let’s not forget their amazing knack for producing a tux which happens to fit perfectly.” Cody didn’t know who to trust. Moby could be an insider working on behalf of Rick and Tally.
“Can’t forget that,” Moby said. “As well as a few other highlights about working here. I’ve learned a lot.” He drained his coffee cup and continued to stare out at the lake.
“How long have you worked for Veridian?”
“I came to the US from India for university about ten years ago. I’ve been at Veridian for four years. Even in that time I’ve seen lots of changes here.”
Were those changes for good or bad? Cody didn’t push him. If Rick and Tally monitored traffic cameras and police calls, then they surely could have cameras and audio surveillance in their own backyard.
“Is this all worth the sacrifice?” Moby whispered then cringed. He straightened and said a bit louder, “If you’re a tech person worth any salt, Veridian is your dream company.”
He probably wished he hadn’t let that first comment slip. Cody observed the yoga teacher bringing her hands together by her chest before bowing. The class replicated her gesture then rolled up their mats and gathered their belongings. “There’s something to be said for the simple life. Not that I would know.” Yoga-induced calm and centered thinking didn’t encompass the entire Veridian culture. Maybe Moby could shed some light on his worries.
Moby’s gaze lifted to a corner of the building.
Cody followed and spotted a small camera panning the patio area. What are they so nervous about?
“We should head in. Wouldn’t want to make the boss angry.” Moby stood and gave Cody a prolonged look before heading toward the door.
“Are you up for the challenge?” Paul said as Cody slipped in to one of the open stations ten minutes later. “I know I am.”
“Sure.” I hate that guy. Cody shot him a glare then logged on to the system. He couldn’t fathom what today would bring, but he needed to seem as if he was part of the team. “Hi Sher,” Cody said.
She muttered a “hi” without looking up. “I’m co-leading the experiment today. Please pull up your case study. Be ready in thirty.”
Stanley, the oldest on the team, scooted in next to Moby.
Cody studied the requirements of the case study. Text subject BR991. Medical history. He groaned inwardly then pulled up the database to find the test subject’s real identity. His heart dropped as he stared at the name. Senator Bertram Reynolds. What did Veridian want with the senator from Louisiana?
Sher stood behind him. “Let’s get moving.”
Cody hacked into the senator’s calendar and prayed this was all a simulation. Five minutes later, he had the name of Reynold’s personal doctor. Then fifteen minutes after that, he lurked inside the electronic medical records for the senator. The 66-year-old wore a hearing aid and fractured his foot years ago. He had rheumatoid arthritis and congestive heart failure, for which he wore a pacemaker. According to his records, the senator had a surgical appointment in three weeks to replace the pacemaker battery. Cody’s heart dropped.
“Times up!�
�� Sher stood.
Rick sauntered into the hive and clapped his hands together. “We’re about to embark on a special project, an inauguration, as such, for Cody and Paul.”
Paul sat taller in his chair and stretched his fingers as if preparing for a computer battle.
Perching on the side of a desk, Rick said, “Financial.”
Moby ran down the senator’s bank account information, which included highlights from the last five years of tax returns and a review of his investment portfolio.
The prospects of the power within their grasps hit Cody. Veridian would harness this information and use it. They probably already had.
“Good, Moby. At what financial data point is the senator most vulnerable?” Rick stared at the senator’s bank account balance on the large monitor.
“His investment accounts. He doesn’t really monitor them. If I wanted to go undetected, I’d begin pulling money off those accounts. The senator also makes monthly deposits into another account, belonging to a Karen Boyd.”
Rick nodded. “Paul, what do you have from a relationship standpoint? Any scandals?”
Paul hit a button on his keyboard, and his data popped up on the big screen. “Seems Bertram has a son that was not his wife’s. The boy is twelve years old. The old man has been paying the mother, Karen Boyd a monthly allowance ever since the boy’s birth and she has DNA evidence to prove parentage.”
“Great work.” Rick crossed his arms. “Definitely an exploitable weak spot. The senator is up for reelection next year. This tidbit won’t play well with his constituents.”
“I also have email messages where he threatened Ms. Boyd to keep her mouth shut.” Paul flashed a salacious grin.
After Stanley gave his report on the senator’s checkered career, Rick turned to Cody. “You’re up.”
As all eyes turned to him, Cody made a snap decision. “Dr. Oberlin is the senator’s primary-care physician. The senator has a history of heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis mainly affecting his knees and back. He has profound hearing loss in his left ear, for which he wears a cochlear implant. Fourteen years ago, February twenty-second to be exact, at his Washington, DC, residence, he fell on the ice and broke his foot.”
Silence blanketed the room as Rick stared at the monitor displaying the information Cody had gathered. “Is your analysis complete?”
Perspiration trailed down Cody’s back. He feared where this case study would lead. Play along or protect the senator, were his only options. Cody’s jaw tightened as he stared at the screen he hadn’t shared. “There are other issues in his history.”
Rick swung his gaze to Cody. “Your analysis isn’t comprehensive. I’m aware that the senator may have had a cold or required medical services for some mundane bug.” He allowed the words to hang in the air.
Cody met Rick’s gaze. “HIPAA laws preclude this type of invasion.”
“Veridian is above the law.” Rick expelled a sigh. “The public has an insatiable thirst for transparency. View almost anyone’s social medial accounts. They spew data like lava flows from an erupted volcano. Going on a first date, wish me luck. Leaving for a seven-day Mexican cruise, and here’s the posted pics to prove it. Have a strange growth protruding from my leg, what is it? For any given year, we can run a query based on pregnancy announcements and roughly estimate the number of births that year. Users open the door to their lives with a wide grin and outstretched arms. Those tiny words of agreement no one reads but clicks in the affirmative gives us the mandate to know and analyze every aspect of human life. We owe them this, and you owe me a complete analysis.”
Cody didn’t care about Rick’s passionate speech about why digging into the lives of others and manipulating them was an expected outcome of using social media. Yet, no matter what Cody did, the information would be collected and used however Veridian deemed. When he accepted the position and the challenge to go undercover for the Alliance, Cody considered the task a matter of a few people trying to stop a narcissist. Now, he actually had the fate of millions of unsuspecting people to fight for. The camera angling toward him and Moby earlier came to mind. If they were monitoring activity around Veridian, they were probably scrutinizing his computer and each key stroke. Sighing, he tapped his computer. “The senator has a pacemaker, model number 85P4T, serial number U3877R90.”
Rick gave him a prolonged stare before sitting at a computer. Seconds later, data poured onto the monitor. The senator’s heart function status appeared. “We are now God, ladies and gentlemen. With one click, I hold this man’s life in my hands. Reynolds is currently on the floor of the senate chambers.” Rick’s fingers hovered above the keys. “I’m now inside his device. A couple of keystrokes and the senator will experience a sudden jolt. Perhaps a malfunction occurs which would emit a voltage high enough to short circuit his heart.” Rick tapped his fingers together above his keyboard, now more lethal than a napalm bomb.
Cody held his breath. What the hell is Rick doing? All hope that these case studies were simulations, had evaporated.
“Fascinating,” Paul said.
Moby shot Cody a worried glance.
“I get the power Veridian has.” Cody scooted to the edge of his seat. “I get it. You don’t need to demonstrate.”
Rick shrugged. “Maybe you understand our power but showing you what Veridian can do may be a more valuable lesson.”
The next monitor lit up with the scene from the legislative floor.
The vulnerable senator rose from his chair and slowly made his way to the podium.
Rick tapped at the computer keys and almost instantly the senator staggered and clutched his chest.
An aide rushed forward, but the senator waved him away.
Cody rose from his chair. “Back off!”
Rick didn’t answer.
The senator regained his footing and began to speak. He shuddered, stopped, and cleared his throat.
“You’re going to kill him,” Cody said.
Sher stood and faced Cody. “Rick knows what he’s doing.”
Cody glanced at Moby, who gave him a slight shake of his head as if warning Cody not to put up a challenge. How could they stand here and let Rick kill this man? Cody advanced toward Rick, disregarding the consequences. “Back. Off.”
Rick smiled and tapped a key.
The senator collapsed.
Chapter 26
When Lila entered the HTP offices, she rushed into her office and shut the door. She had a meeting with Steve and didn’t want to bring attention to herself by not showing.
She leaned back in her chair and recalled the kiss Cody had given her in the dark early morning. The mass of emotions for Cody combined with the fear the police would decide she played a part in the recent string of murders plagued her. Closing herself off from the world seemed a good idea but wasn’t going to happen today.
She opened a client file to study in preparation for a planning meeting with Steve in thirty minutes. Had he slept off his alcoholic binge? Her hand hesitated over the phone before she pulled away. She worked for twenty more minutes then picked up her desk phone. Steve might not be up for meeting her. She wanted to give him the chance to call off the meeting by phone to preserve embarrassment. Her call to Steve went unanswered.
Scooting away from her desk, Lila bounded up the stairs to the partner floor. As she neared Steve’s office, his assistant, Peggy, cleared her throat. “Steve left a note on my desk giving explicit instructions that he does not wish to be disturbed. He must be awfully busy as I haven’t heard a peep out of him.”
Lila narrowed her eyes. “You haven’t seen him today?”
Peggy shook her gray-haired bob. “No. And I came in early and haven’t left my desk.”
Lila grabbed the door handle.
Peggy advanced. “He doesn’t want to be disturbed.” Her voice was stern, as if she’d just caught Lila having a cookie before dinner.
“I think it’ll be okay.” Lila pushed opened the door and stepped in. Empty. H
er gaze swept the vacant office. Where was he? She prayed he didn’t get behind the wheel. She should have insisted on taking him home.
“That’s curious. Where could he be?” Peggy asked coming up behind her. “He mentioned something about talking to Jim Dixon about a tax issue yesterday. Maybe he’s up in Jim’s office.”
“Thanks.” Lila headed one floor up to the senior partner floor to check with Jim. Arriving at Jim’s office, his assistant glanced up from his computer. “If you’re looking for Jim, he isn’t in today.”
“Thanks,” Lila said. She continued past Jim’s office glancing into any open office along the way. No sign of Steve. As she rounded the corner, she came face-to-face with Mr. Talcott.
“Ms. Caldwell. I’ve been meaning to call you up to my office.” He stood with a coffee cup in hand, the scalp from his receding hairline shiny with perspiration.
“Hello, Mr. Talcott.”
He waved her toward his office, a few feet away. Taking his position of power behind the huge desk, he placed his coffee mug on top of a gold coaster. “I saw an article about your unfortunate accident the other day. You’re here so I assume you weren’t hurt too severely.”
“Only minor injuries.” Lila stood in front of his desk.
“Any additional run-ins with the press?” Talcott wrapped his meaty hand around the coffee mug, his law school ring glinting off the sunlight filtering in through the window.
“No,” Lila said.
“Good. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s vitally important for all HTP employees to remain out of the media when it comes to Jack’s murder. We must allow the police to perform their investigation without our biased input.”
“Maybe if someone from HTP spoke passionately about Jack then someone with information would step forward.” As soon as the words escaped her mouth, Lila braced herself.
Anger flashed for a second in Talcott’s eyes before his regained control. “Now, I see the fire Jack talked about. You have a valid point. However, the partners are all in full agreement about the no contact directive.” He sniffed and narrowed his eyes. “Jack had a lot of confidence in you, and Steve has been pleased with your work. So far.” He sighed. “HTP is a very prestigious law firm. You could go far here.” He leaned forward. “But step out of bounds and you’ll find yourself in Siberia.”
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