Covered in Darkness

by Heather Sunseri

  I turned at Ty. “You and I are going to find out why Kentucky’s largest power company has worked so hard to cover up this attack.”

  Ty followed me into my office. “You’re thinking the same thing as I am, right?”

  “That this isn’t a simple case of computer hackers, but a case of cyber terrorism?” I said. “I’ve been considering that very thing since Senator Reiner visited.” How could I not consider this to be terrorism with all of the intelligence data we saw on threats to our critical infrastructure? “Until now, it had felt like paranoia.”

  “If this was a terrorist attack, why would LP hide that? I just don’t believe that they would hide something this big simply because of government regulations and stockholder backlash, like the senator claimed. There has to be more to it.”

  Ty plopped down across from me. He looked exhausted. He and I both knew what it was like to work long hours on cases. And I knew he would never leave the office before I did. Especially since James was back in DC.

  “Maybe they don’t think it was terrorism,” I said. I picked up my phone to dial the governor. “I’ve got to update Mac.”

  “Wonder if he saw the news.”

  “I just received a photograph of you on my phone,” Mac said when he answered on the first ring. I put the call on speaker. “And Blake Saltzman had some less than flattering things to say about you tonight.”

  “That answers that,” Ty said under his breath.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”

  “Please,” he interrupted, “you think I haven’t been criticized for being somewhere when I should have been concerning myself with one crisis or another? There’s always going to be a crisis. I’m confident that you’ve kept yourself on top of this situation.”

  “We have, sir. By the way, you’re on speaker. I have Tyler Jamison with me.”

  “Hello, Tyler. So, I take it you two have an update for me?”

  “Yes, sir. We brought Samantha Clay into the fusion center earlier today. She’s a former fusion center analyst, and current cyber security expert for Louisville Power.”

  “I know who she is. Why did you bring her in?”

  “She was turned away from Louisville Power early this morning. When she called in as the power was coming up, they asked her not to come in. And she has reason to believe that the power going down had nothing to do with the storms. We brought her in to investigate.”

  “Do I even want to know how she did that?”

  “No. Just remember why you hired me.” Ty and I were hired because of our experience as special agents and analysts with the FBI. That meant we could get information that others couldn’t—and sometimes that required us to bend the rules, which was not something we spoke about with people like Mac. Hell, we didn’t even brag about this to our superiors at the Bureau. “What Sam found is that the power grid was not taken down by bad weather, but by a malware infection. And LP is covering it up.”

  The governor paused. “You have proof of this?”

  “We’re working on making it more solid, but yes, we believe we have enough to prove that cyber attackers took down the grid. What we’re not sure of is why LP has been blaming it on the storm.”

  “Or why they went out of their way to cast a dark cloud on my Homeland Security director.”

  “I think that was simple misdirection,” I said. “It’s the kind of juicy story reporters won’t be able to ignore. An absurd amount of money being spent on a single horse, for your Homeland Security director, during a crisis… They’ll run with that, and it’ll make viewers look away from Blake Saltzman and Louisville Power and lay the blame on me instead.”

  “You’re probable right. So—what do you want to do next?” Mac asked.

  “I want your permission and support to do my own investigation.”

  “Of course, you have it. I want to know what really happened.”

  “Even if the answer looks bad for Louisville Power?”

  “I don’t care. We’re talking about more than a million of our citizens who were put in danger.”

  “Thank you, sir. And we will have to talk with the FBI. They’re going to want to know if this stretches across state lines.”

  “Then proceed as you see fit. I hired you to monitor all threats to the Commonwealth. Do your job, Brooke. Find out what caused this power outage, and brief me when you know something.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, Governor.”

  Just as I hung up, Sam appeared in the doorway.

  “I thought you had left,” I said.

  “I couldn’t stop. I think I’ve got something.”

  Ty and I followed Sam back to the fusion center. Jude and Carson were both still there.

  “I found a signature embedded in the code of the malware,” Sam said as she took her seat.

  “The creator of the malware left a calling card?” Carson asked. “With today’s technology, why would they do that?”

  “Because they want us to know who’s behind it,” Ty said. “That’s the only reason anyone leaves a calling card.”

  I lifted a finger. “Or they want us to think we know. It could be a setup.”

  “Maybe,” Ty agreed. “So, what’s the name?”

  “The signature is ‘Spider Lightning III.’ Does that mean anything to anyone?”

  We all exchanged glances, then shook our heads.

  “We’ll look into it,” I said. “Have you made copies of all the evidence, including the signature on the malware?”

  “Absolutely. Both on this computer, my laptop, and on a separate thumb drive, which I gave to Jude.”

  “Good. Then there’s just one other thing I need: Blake Saltzman’s phone number.”

  Sam pulled out her phone and rattled off the number as I dialed.

  Blake answered on the fourth ring. “Blake Saltzman.”

  “Hi, Blake. It’s Brooke Fairfax.”

  “Director Fairfax, you do realize the time?”

  “I do. Congratulations on getting the power back up.”

  “Why, thank you. I hear congratulations are in order for you as well. That sure was a nice gray colt.” Her southern accent came out sugary sweet. I wanted to vomit.

  “Why are you showing so much interest in Declan O’Roark’s latest purchase?” I asked.

  “I just think the citizens of Kentucky ought to know who holds the important position of making sure the Commonwealth is safe.”

  “Interesting that you bring that up. Because I’ve just been put in charge of investigating why over a million Kentucky citizens were without power for nearly forty-eight hours. And I’m pretty sure law enforcement is going to find it quite interesting that Louisville Power failed to report a cyber attack on their computers just before losing power.”

  “Who told you that?” Blake’s voice climbed nearly a full octave before she reined it in. “I believe you are misinformed, Miss Fairfax. Again.”

  “Miss Saltzman, are you denying that Louisville Power lost control of their computer network shortly before losing power?”

  “I most certainly am.”

  “I think you should talk with your father and get your stories straight. Something doesn’t smell right, and when my analysts smell something rotten, we don’t rest until we find the culprit. Expect a visit from me tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow’s Sunday.”

  I hung up and turned to my team of analysts. “Go get some sleep. I need fresh eyes on this first thing tomorrow.”

  Chapter 14

  As I turned onto the winding country road that would lead me to Shaughnessy, my phone rang.

  I smiled as I answered. “You worry too much. I’m almost there.”

  “It’s after midnight, Miss Fairfax. Of course I worry. But that’s not why I’m calling. We have company.”

  “Who?”

  “Dimitri.”

  My heart skipped a beat. Dimitri Tobias had worked with Declan as a contract intelligence analyst years ago. He had also rescued me from the b
urning cottage the night Gray Packstone tried to burn me alive. I still remembered the sound of Dimitri’s soft, smooth voice as he swiftly but tenderly delivered me through the flames to the outside—directly into Romeo’s arms, though he hadn’t known it at the time.

  I never got to meet Dimitri after the fire, which meant I had never gotten to thank him for saving my life. I had only heard his angelic voice as I drifted in and out of consciousness in the hospital.

  “Brooke?” Declan said.

  “Yeah, sorry. I’ll be there in under five.”

  “Good. We’re out by the pool.”

  I turned down the lane toward the farm. I should have predicted Declan would ask Dimitri to help us track Romeo again. Romeo had been quiet the past couple of months, because that’s what he did: he disappeared from time to time, then showed back up and caused problems. But now that he was resurfacing, Declan would want Dimitri to get back on his trail.

  When the main gate to Shaughnessy Farm was in my sights, Declan’s SUV made a horrible noise and jolted to one side. It sounded—and felt—like I had blown a tire. I tensed my grip on the steering wheel and slowed to a quick stop. “What on earth?”

  I was about to get out when I paused, lifted my skirt, and grabbed my Sig. I had never had time to change since the party at Kensington, so I was still dressed in a cocktail dress, with my gun holstered at my thigh.

  I stepped carefully from the vehicle and looked around, searching for any sign of movement. Seeing none, I kept my gun pointed to the ground and circled the vehicle, examining the tires.

  The driver’s side tires were fine, but both passenger’s side tires were flat.

  I immediately thought of the road stars from earlier. I leaned down, and sure enough, there were four or five spiky objects under the vehicle. No matter how you tossed these things, the spikes pointed up, and they would destroy any tire that ran over them.

  “Stand up slowly,” a gravelly male voice said behind me.

  Romeo’s voice.

  I thought about whipping around and shooting first, asking questions after, but I didn’t know if he had a gun pointed at me. And at this range, I was at a disadvantage. So I did as he ordered: I stood slowly, without turning to face him.

  “Throw your gun away, Brooke. Over there in the grass will be fine. You can get it back after I’m gone.”

  I tossed my gun over the SUV and into the grass beside the fence. My movements were slow and deliberate; I hoped if I stalled long enough, Declan and Dimitri would realize I had gotten delayed. “It’s been a while since we’ve spoken,” I said. “Why are you here?”

  “Sometimes I like to see you. To make sure you’re well. Judging by the dress, heels, and the ridiculously expensive colt O’Roark purchased for you, I’d say you’re doing just fine. Also, I owe you an apology for freeing his little prized pony from his cage of a stall.”

  My fingers curled into fists when he referred to last year’s Bluegrass Derby winner as just another pony. Winning the Bluegrass Derby had made On Liam’s Watch one of the most sought-after horses in the industry. He could be worth many tens of millions by the time he stopped racing, with the potential to grow in value from there.

  “You owe me apologies for many things,” I said. “Why single out this one incident?”

  “You’re always so angry, Brooke. You need to relax. And you’re getting me off task.”

  Finally, I saw headlights coming from the mansion.

  “Oh, dear,” Romeo said. “Looks like we’ve got company.”

  I heard the shuffling of feet behind me just before I felt the heat of his body against mine. An arm came around, nearly hugging me, and the smell of a strong deodorant soap reached my nose.

  Romeo held a piece of paper in front of me. “Take it.”

  I snatched the paper from his hand, and the heat from his body disappeared. I turned quickly to see him vanishing over the fence of the farm across the street.

  Declan’s sports car came to a stop in front of the SUV.

  “Brooke!” He got out of the passenger side and ran to me. Another man exited the driver’s side.

  I stared at the spot where Romeo had disappeared until Declan stood in front of me and forced me to focus on him. “It was Romeo,” I said.

  “Here?” He spun around and looked in the direction I’d been staring, then faced me again. “Did he hurt you?”

  I shook my head. “No. He stopped me by putting road stars across the lane. He must have known I was coming, and that I was by myself.” I held the piece of paper at my side, hoping Declan wouldn’t notice. I wanted time to examine it on my own before I showed it to anyone else. “I’m sorry about your tires.”

  “I don’t care about the bloody tires.”

  I winced at his harsh tone. “He made me toss my gun.” I moved to circle the vehicle.

  “Let me find it.”

  “No. I know where I threw it.” I walked over to the grass, looked around, and found it.

  “Let’s get you to the house,” Declan said. “I’ll call someone to handle the vehicle.”

  “You call someone,” said the other man in a British accent. “I’ll wait with the vehicle until they get here.”

  When I heard his voice, I knew for certain what I had suspected since this man had stepped out of the car: this was Dimitri. For the first time, I came face to face with the man who saved my life.

  Declan had once said Dimitri was a different person every time you met him—that he was a master of disguises. And as I walked to him, I could see that his blond hair, at a minimum, was completely fake. It was if he’d gone to the drugstore and purchased a cheap bottle of Clorox disguised as hair color, then dumped it on his head without caring whether it would color his hair or make him bald. Lucky for him, he hadn’t gone bald.

  I held out my hand. “Dimitri, I’m Brooke.” As he slipped his hand into mine, I saw the date tattooed across his bicep: December 21. No year, just a single day. “At last, we meet when I’m conscious.”

  He lifted my hand and kissed the top of it. “It’s lovely to meet you, Brooke.” A single earring sparkled in his left ear. Like the blond hair, it didn’t fit the image I had created of him in my mind.

  As he dropped my hand, he smiled.

  I turned to Declan. “You didn’t tell me how charming your friend was.”

  “For good reason.” Declan eyed me curiously. “Let’s go. You can talk to Dimitri in the morning.” With a hand to the small of my back, he pointed me toward his sports car, then turned to his friend. “I’ll get someone here quickly.”

  “Of course. Maybe Romeo will come back and keep me company.”

  I snickered at that. Romeo, I knew from experience, was ultimately a coward. He was long gone for the night.

  Declan breathed heavily beside me, his hand resting on my stomach, but I couldn’t sleep. It was three a.m., and I had tossed and turned thinking about the piece of paper I had snatched from Romeo’s hand. He had managed to weasel his way into another of my cases and get me the information I needed at the time I needed it. But, as with anything related to Romeo, his information always had a cost.

  What would the cost be this time?

  I carefully eased from under Declan’s grasp and slid out of bed. Dressed in a short silk gown—not my typical shorts and T-shirt—I padded downstairs, barefoot, to the back of the house and outside.

  It was still nearly eighty degrees, and the outside air was thick. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The forecast hadn’t called for severe storms, just a rumble or two in the early morning hours.

  I walked along the side of the pool. Moonlight filtered through fast-moving clouds and reflected off the water.

  “Couldn’t sleep?”

  I yelped in surprise and turned to find Dimitri lounging in a pool chair. One arm was bent behind his head.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. There wasn’t a good time to say something. I think I would have scared you no matter when I spoke.”


  He had a point. I hadn’t expected to find anyone by the pool.

  “No, I couldn’t sleep,” I answered. “Your excuse?”

  “I’m on London time. That’s where I was when Declan called.”

  “Were you on a job?” I asked, curious.

  His lips curved slightly. “I’m always on one job or another.”

  He was being intentionally vague. I wondered if he knew what Declan had told me.

  He sat forward, letting his legs straddle the lounge chair. “Want to sit?”

  I looked down at my thin gown, then immediately crossed my arms. “No. Thank you.”

  “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  I glanced toward the house, then back at him. “Why did Declan ask you here?”

  “Same as before. He wants help tracking down this person you call Romeo.”

  I gnawed on my lower lip. “What has Declan told you? About Romeo.”

  “Just that this bloke has been following you for years, getting involved in your affairs, but that lately he’s gotten too close. Has even harmed you.”

  I shifted under Dimitri’s intense look; he seemed to study everything about me. I was uncomfortable—and vulnerable in my flimsy gown—but I refused to let this man chase me back inside. No matter how unbelievably gorgeous he was.

  “What do you plan to do to track Romeo down?”

  Dimitri rose from the chair and walked over to a shelf under the porch. He was dressed in baggy shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops, and he walked like he knew Declan’s house well. He grabbed a beach towel off the shelf, then pulled a chair over near his own. He unfolded the towel and wrapped it over my shoulders. “Sit.”

  As much as I hated to admit it, he had read me well. I was underdressed for a serious conversation about my stalker. I accepted the towel and sat.

  He returned to his lounge chair. “When I was here before, I stayed close to you, for the most part, watching for a man trailing you. Unfortunately, the motorcycle gang members were also getting close to you, and they managed to get between me and my attempt to identify Romeo.”