Trey had to think these were similar to his “Go Bag” that he’d grabbed from the trunk of his car. His contained a tactical ballistic vest, extra ammo, flexi-cuffs, a flashlight, and other tools a deputy might need. If they ran into any issues with the hacker, they’d be prepared.
Everyone donned their vests then piled into the vehicle. Gage took the wheel and tore out of the resort parking lot.
Eryn laid out a map she printed from the Internet. She tapped an X she’d marked in red. “This is our target’s home. ETA five minutes.”
“Are you positive this is the hacker?” Trey asked. He was used to quick tactical maneuvers while in the army, but as a deputy he had to be more cautious and follow the laws he swore to uphold. Racing in like this with the potential to subdue someone without due process left him a bit uneasy.
“Not positive, no,” she said. “Our actor could’ve routed the hack through an innocent victim’s device to make it look like this person performed the hack. We’ll have to be cognizant of that and know whoever answers the door may not be the actor.”
“If he’s really the talented hacker you say he is, would he really make it this easy to find him?” Trey asked.
“It may have looked easy as you stood and watched me, but it wasn’t. And he could very well want us to find this address to taunt me.”
“Or to set a trap,” Trey grumbled.
“Hence our protective gear,” Alex said and gave him a chill out look.
Trey took a long breath, but he still didn’t like the speed that this op was moving. Sure, this team knew how to act quickly, but it increased the danger to them all, and he’d promised to protect Eryn. Not let her run headlong into danger.
Eryn looked down at the map, and Trey forced down his unease to study it so he’d be prepared to act when they arrived at the tiny neighborhood. An industrial area sat across their target street in the center of this midsized coastal town.
“The best I can tell, the house only has two exits,” Eryn said. “But we can’t rule out our suspect bailing out a window. Since a threat was made to my life, and we can’t know if this is a trap, we’ll drop Riley off, and he’ll be on overwatch on the roof here.” She pressed her index finger on the map touching a two-story building just down the street from the house.
Trey had to admit she seemed to be thinking clearly, and he uncrossed his arms.
“Alex and I’ll take the front door,” she continued. “Gage the rear exit.”
“I’m with you at the front,” Trey said.
She looked at him. “I appreciate your offer of assistance, but we’re like this well-oiled machine, and an extra person could interfere with our rhythm.”
“I’m going to the front door with you, and there’ll be no discussion.” Trey locked onto her gaze and held it, but he could feel Riley and Alex watching him. Maybe Gage, too, in the rearview mirror.
“Fine,” she finally relented. “But you stack to the rear and stay in the rear if we have to go in.”
He nodded but wasn’t promising anything. If the hacker was carrying and he threatened Eryn’s life, Trey would instantly shield her. Not because she was a woman—he served with very capable women in the army and on the job now, and he had no trouble letting them do their jobs. But this was Eryn, and he’d risk his life for her in a second.
“Okay, so that’s it. A basic touch and go. Any questions?”
“Yeah,” Trey said. “What’s a touch and go?”
“Team lingo for interview the suspect, but if something seems hinky, be prepared to act.” She dug in her bag and pulled out a portable communication unit and handed it to him. “This serves as our main source of communication in an op, but we’ve developed plenty of hand signals, too, and you won’t be familiar with them. So remember to stay in the rear and take lead from us.”
He nodded before settling the earbud in his ear and putting the microphone around his neck. The team members did the same, and when they reached the location where they were to drop Riley, Gage put his on, and they performed a basic sound check.
“Okay.” Eryn looked at Riley, excitement burning in her eyes. “Report in after you do a quick recon.”
“Roger that.” Riley hopped out of the vehicle and darted across the street. He carried his rifle in a soft case and made his way to a fire escape. Gage had already contacted the business owner and received permission for the op. Gage warned them all to stay inside, and the workers from the machine shop stood peering out a big window facing the street.
Trey could only imagine their thoughts. Or maybe he couldn’t, as he’d been in the military or law enforcement long enough that this kind of operation was second nature to him. Not that he ever let his guard down, but the tactical response was pretty much the same. The interesting part came in how the suspect responded.
“In position,” Riley’s voice came over Trey’s earbud. “No vehicles at the house. No movement either. Front has a small porch, door, and two windows. Back is fenced with a south side entrance. And there’s a For Rent sign on the front lawn.”
“For rent,” she muttered. “Could mean the place is vacant and our actor set up a router there for just that reason.”
“Any sign of a threat, Riley?” Gage asked.
“Negative.”
“Then we’re moving into place,” Eryn said.
“Roger that,” Riley replied.
Gage didn’t waste a second but had the vehicle moving down the road to a small, well-kept bungalow painted bright white with a front porch exactly as Riley described. Gage parked across the street.
The vehicle hadn’t quit rocking before Eryn whipped open the door. “Okay, people. We’re a go. Be careful out there.”
8
Adrenaline rushed through Eryn’s veins as she jumped down from the SUV. She’d barely taken a step when she felt Trey hot on her heels. She appreciated his help and support, she really did, but with Riley on overwatch and the rest of the team in position, she felt safe enough.
They rushed toward the house. On the porch, she noticed both window blinds were closed, and the door didn’t have a window. Unable to determine their exposure level, she took a safe position to the side of the door. She really doubted their actor would be armed and fire at them, but she didn’t want to be caught unaware with a bullet through the door. Alex took a similar position on the other side and thankfully, Trey listened and stacked behind her.
She stood tapping her foot, waiting for Gage to report in from the back.
“In position,” he said.
She pounded on the door, and then stepped back again, memories of the day she’d lost full use of her hand coming back. She’d been in similar positions with the team since then, but she hadn’t taken lead like this.
No one answered the door.
“Police,” she yelled, using the universal name that all law enforcement used regardless of their agency affiliations when approaching a potentially dangerous subject. It was something the subject could easily understand and react appropriately. She pounded harder. “Rodrick Newton, I need to talk to you.”
She started counting. One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand. When she hit sixty, she sighed. “Any movement in the rear, Gage?”
“Nothing, and the patio door and window blinds are all closed. But let me check the windows on the other side of the house.”
Her adrenaline was nearly propelling her to wrench open the front door, but they couldn’t very well break it down.
“You seeing anything in the scope, Riley?” she asked, though she knew if he had seen something he would report.
“Negative,” he responded.
“I struck out, too,” Gage said. “All windows locked and blinds closed.”
“I’m going to call the rental company on the sign.” She stepped back far enough to see the phone number and plugged it into her phone.
A woman answered on the second ring. “Seaview Cove Realty. Owner Felicia Quaker speaking.”
�
��I’m at your property on 5th street. I see it’s for rent. Is it available now?”
“Yes, are you interested in renting it?”
Eryn explained their situation. “I’m sure you don’t want your rental property to be used to commit a crime. Is there any way someone could let us in to check for the equipment?”
“Yes, of course. I’m five minutes away, and I’ll head out now.”
Eryn disconnected and stowed her phone. “Property owner on the way. ETA five minutes.”
“Don’t anyone let their guard down,” Gage said. “We’re not clear yet.”
“Well said,” Trey replied.
Eryn could feel the tension rolling off his body like heat from a hot summer sidewalk. Her gut was tight with emotion, too, but she wasn’t going to let it get to her. Instead, she kept her focus fixed on the doorknob, her ear toward the house, listening for any movement inside.
But silence reigned in the neighborhood with only a lawnmower down the block cutting through the stillness. Time ticked by slowly until finally a car with a clinging sign on the side announcing Seaview Cove Realty pulled to the curb.
A middle-aged woman with spiked gray hair and turquoise glasses large enough to cover her cheekbones stepped from the car. She wore jeans, red high heels, a black knit shirt, and a necklace of large colorful beads.
She hurried toward them, a ring of keys jingling, and her gaze going between all of them. “So this is really serious, then? I mean with the vests and guns and all it has to be, right?”
Eryn smiled to alleviate her concern. “We always like to err on the side of caution. I suggest you give me the key and allow us to clear the house before you enter.”
She took a step back and held out the ring.
“Perhaps you could sit in your car,” Eryn suggested.
She nodded and quickly retreated back down the steps, her heels clicking on the concrete.
Eryn waited for her to be seated then inserted the key. “Entering. Riley, keep an eye on the owner.”
“Roger that,” his voice came sure and strong over Eryn’s earbud.
She pushed open the door but quickly stepped back to avoid a bullet. She called out, “Police. Rodrick Newton, we’re coming in, and we’re armed.”
She stepped into the small living room and searched the space. Empty. White walls, fireplace, mirror above, wood floors. No furniture.
“Clear,” she said and moved into a hallway. A stairway was dead ahead, the kitchen was to the left, bedrooms and bathroom to the right. “I’ll go right. Alex left. Trey up the stairs.”
She didn’t know if Trey would listen, but she hoped he would. She eased down the hall, gun outstretched. She checked the bathroom with black and white hexagon tiles. The tub held a shower but no curtain so she quickly cleared that space and moved on to the first bedroom.
On the floor sat a wireless router and modem plugged into an electrical outlet. The modem was connected to a cable jack, but no computer or other devices. She checked the closet then moved on to the other bedrooms before returning to the hallway. Alex and Gage entered from the other side.
“Clear,” she said.
“Ditto,” Gage said.
Footsteps sounded on the stairway. She readied her weapon again, but Trey poked his head out. “Second floor clear.”
“I also cleared the garage,” Gage said.
“Okay, so our suspect is long gone, but I found a router and modem in the bedroom.” She lowered her weapon. “Riley can you hang in there a bit longer in case the suspect is in the area watching us.”
“Roger that.”
“So is this a case of the hacker routing the transmission through here?” Gage asked.
“Could be. Or he may have set up the network, hacked the resort, and split. Best bet now is to interview Felicia about the prior tenant and ask if she knows anything about this Internet connection. Then I’ll check the router log to see if it contains the IP address that accessed the resort.”
“And if it does, does that mean the hacker was physically here?” Trey asked.
“I suppose he could’ve sent someone else, but yeah, it looks like he’s been here.”
“In that case,” Trey said. “We’ll want to report this to Blake so he can get a forensic team out here to process the place.”
“I’m not looking forward to telling him about this.” Eryn could imagine their county sheriff wouldn’t be happy that they didn’t call him before heading out on their own.
“I’ll handle Blake,” Gage offered.
The men had been friends since they played football in high school, so she was glad to let him talk to Blake. The team had a good working relationship with Blake, but he was a stickler for protocol and wouldn’t like that he wasn’t at least informed of their actions.
Trey moved closer to her. “I’d like you to let one of the guys interview Felicia so you’re not exposed outside.”
“She could come in here,” Eryn suggested.
“Just to the front door, though,” Trey said. “If this is a crime scene, we need to minimize any additional contamination.”
“That’s fine, but I also need my computer to access the router logs.”
“I’ll grab it,” Alex offered.
Eryn waited for Gage and Alex to depart before facing Trey. “Your law enforcement experience is invaluable. I’m sure Riley would be glad to have a fellow former officer on the team.”
“Amen to that,” Riley said over the comm unit then laughed.
Eryn had forgotten he was still listening but was thankful for the reminder before she said something personal to Trey.
Trey frowned and jammed his gun into his holster. “Don’t count me out of my deputy job yet.”
“I wouldn’t want to do that. Just saying you’d be an asset to the team.” She stepped into the living room and waited for Felicia who was climbing the steps with Alex. Gage had gone to the car, likely to call Blake. Trey joined her and stood between her and the door, her guardian once again. Alex took a stand on the porch, looking every bit the defender as Trey.
Felicia entered the room, her gaze flitting around the space as if expecting an attacker to pounce. “You wanted to talk to me?”
Eryn nodded. “How long has this property been vacant?”
“A week now.”
“And was Rodrick Newton the prior tenant?”
She nodded.
“Do you have a forwarding address for him?” Eryn asked.
“I do, but it’s not something I’m at liberty to share.”
“Why did he leave?”
“He bought a house.”
“In this area?”
“Yes.”
“Was he a responsible tenant?”
Felicia nodded vigorously, her dangling earrings jiggling in rhythm. “He and his family were a delight. They rented the house for five years. Paid on time. Left the place spotless.”
Eryn paused for a moment to gather her thoughts as the next questions were very important. “Were you aware that there’s still cable equipment here, and that it appears to be connected to an active account?”
She tilted her head in genuine surprise. “It wasn’t here when I showed the house two days ago.”
Interesting. “Did you give anyone access to the house who might have connected this equipment?”
“No.” She shook her head hard. “Definitely not.”
“So someone either had to break in or has a key that you don’t know about. Did you change the locks after Rodrick moved out?”
“Not yet.”
“When we arrived, everything on the first floor was locked up tight, so I’m leaning toward someone possessing a key.” Which in Eryn’s mind meant they were looking for someone with a connection to Rodrick.
“Let me look for any sign of forced entry.” Trey stepped to the front door and studied the lock and doorjamb. “Not here. I’ll check the back door and all the windows.” He eyed Eryn. “Don’t move, okay?”
She nodded
and turned her attention back to Felicia. “What does Rodrick do for a living?”
“Computer something. Not sure. But he works at Seaview Cove Computers. That I know.”
Eryn was familiar with the IT support company located nearby. They provided technical support to companies and private individuals for the tri-county area. If Rodrick was a support specialist, he would likely have the skills needed to pull off a simple hack. Still, after hearing Felicia rave about him, Eryn doubted he was the actor she sought, but it was possible.
Trey poked his head into the room. “No forced entry at the back door.”
He turned, and she heard him jog up the steps as she searched for any other questions she might have for Felicia. Normally, she would ask about Rodrick’s finances, but Felicia said he paid on time every month, and he obviously passed close inspection to get a home loan. Unless, of course, he recently came into a large sum of money and paid cash for the house. She doubted anyone would pay him big money to hack her computer or the resort’s network, but he could’ve received some money to do so.
Trey entered the room. “There’s a window upstairs in the back unlocked. It was jimmied.”
Felicity gasped and pressed her hand against her chest. “Someone broke in here?”
“He’d have needed to bring a ladder to accomplish it,” Eryn mused.
“Or there’s a tree by that window he could’ve climbed,” Felicia said her hand still flat on her chest.
“We’ll bring in the sheriff’s department to process this place for leads,” Eryn told Felicia. “And with your permission, I want to access the wireless router we found in the bedroom to see if we can learn anything about your intruder.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
“Why not go back to your car while we wait for a deputy or the sheriff to arrive?” Eryn believed Blake would show up if he was available because this involved the team.
Felicia nearly bolted from the house. Alex handed Eryn her computer.
Cold Case Page 9