Cold Case

by Susan Sleeman

She nodded. “There are millions of infected computers in botnets. One of the largest botnets out there is purported to control a half million machines alone.”

  He whistled under his breath. “But you said this guy is different, and he doesn’t make money.”

  “Right. He claimed that a huge number of Internet of Things devices—like webcams, routers, smart TVs, etc.—are unsecured and vulnerable. Which is right. And he worried about Internet safety, so his solution was to take control of the unsecured devices before anyone else could and kill them before they were zombified. The code he wrote completely destroyed the IoT devices, or bricked them as we say in the IT world, rendering them completely useless. Totally useless, even after factory reset. Sure, he was doing something illegal, but he claimed it was for the user’s own good to show the danger of hackers exploiting vulnerabilities.”

  “But you stopped him.”

  She nodded and felt the same pride today that she felt the day she cracked his code leading to his discovery.

  “And you think he’s the guy behind this ransomware?” Riley asked.

  She shrugged. “He’s of Russian descent, so that fits with the code I found, and his build fits my attackers build. Still, this guy’s in prison. Or at least he should still be unless he was released early for good behavior.”

  “Any way you check on that?”

  “My FBI contacts should be able to help. Still, if it’s not him, the code is sophisticated enough that it has to be someone as talented as he is.”

  “Then you’ve got your work cut out for you, right?”

  She nodded. “You can tell Trey that I’ll be working on this for hours, maybe days, and he should go ahead and get some rest.”

  “Will do.” He started to leave then turned back. “You want a cup of coffee?”

  She pointed at her mug and held up a trembling hand. “I’m already way past my limit.”

  “Then I’ll leave you to work and won’t bother you again.”

  “Wait, before you go. Have there been any issues with security?”

  He shook his head. “The others are all in position, implementing emergency security protocol.”

  She rubbed her forehead. “Good. I’ll get back to work.”

  He closed the door. She knew he was headed back to guard their weapon storage room on the far side of the building.

  She picked up her phone to call her friend Piper Nash at the FBI. They’d worked cyber crimes together for years, and she would be able to check on Velichko’s whereabouts. Eryn started to press Piper’s number but saw that it was three a.m. She didn’t want to wake Piper over such a remote possibility, so she sent an email instead. She called Gage to update him, and he said he and Trey would search for current information on Velichko.

  She worked for another hour and hit a line of code that caused her mouth to fall open before she snapped it shut. She blinked a few times and read it again. “The floodgates are open, Calloway, and your problems are just beginning.”

  Stunned, she sat back. This guy was quoting her. She remembered the moment she’d said this very thing, and she’d said it only once. To one person. Kirill Velichko.

  Seriously. Velichko was behind this.

  At least she didn’t think Velichko would hire out his services to and especially not for a detective like Petrov. And besides, Petrov was in jail, and his arrest so recent he hadn’t likely had contact with anyone on the outside except his lawyer. That meant this was unlikely related to Petrov, and Velichko was messing with her for some reason.

  She sat forward to keep moving down the code. She heard the door open again. Likely Riley back for another update. But now that she suspected Velichko, she couldn’t pull her eyes from the code until she found his signature.

  “Tell Gage I’m getting close,” she said.

  “Would do,” the voice from her past said. “But I don’t think I’ll see him.”

  She whirled her chair around, her heart racing as fast as the wheels on her chair.

  Kirill Velichko stood there. No disguise. No pretense. Just a gun with a silencer pointed in her direction.

  “Don’t make a sound,” he warned. “I have no qualms about dropping you right here.”

  24

  Trey’s arm ached, his head ached, and his worry over Eryn made him edgy. Ever since she called an hour ago, he and Gage had been searching for information on Velichko. It gave him something to do, but when he read about the man, it ratcheted up his anxiety. He had to check in with her. Just had to. A short text should be fine.

  You still doing okay? he tapped into his phone.

  He watched the screen for a reply, but none came.

  You there? he typed.

  No response, and a sliver of worry pierced his heart.

  “Calm down,” he told himself. “She could be using the restroom.”

  He would give her a few minutes to respond. He got up to pace the length of the family room. He’d kept his shoes on so he could bolt if needed, and they sounded like thunder in the quiet room. He hoped he didn’t wake anyone.

  Gage stepped into the living room. “I heard you in my office. What’s up? Did you find anything?”

  “Nothing current, but what I read so far about the guy was disturbing. I texted Eryn, and she’s not responding.”

  “Did you call her?”

  “No. I don’t want to bother her but thought a quick text was okay. She might be in the restroom.”

  “Call her.” Gage’s worried tone upped Trey’s anxiety.

  He dialed her phone. It rang. Once. Twice. Three times. Four. Five. Voicemail.

  “No answer. I’m calling Riley to check on her.” He dialed Riley who picked up on the second ring. “Eryn’s not answering her phone. When’s the last time you saw her?”

  “When I checked in on her.” There was a pause. “About an hour ago.”

  “Go check on her. Hurry. Run.” Trey heard Riley’s boots pounding on the concrete floor, and he could easily visualize him running from the back of the building and around the outside of the conference room to the hallway for the server room.

  “Door’s open,” he said. “She’s not in there.”

  “Check the restroom,” the words came out on a strangled breath.

  Trey heard Riley’s boots again and a door squeak open.

  “Eryn,” Riley called out. “You in there?”

  No response and Trey almost crawled through the phone as he heard Riley banging open stall doors. “She’s not here either.”

  “Maybe she went home for something.”

  “She would’ve gone out the front door, and I would’ve seen her leave.”

  “Search the building from top to bottom. I’m going to her place to check for her. Let me know what you find.” Trey spun on Gage. “Keep an eye out for Bekah. I’ll let you know what’s happening.”

  Trey didn’t wait for Gage to agree but bolted out the door and jumped into her car, which she insisted on bringing due to his injury. He was very thankful that she’d given him the keys in case he needed to get anything from the cabin for Bekah. He barreled down the road and slammed to a stop in front of her cabin. He hoped to see lights gleaming through the window, but all was dark. If she was in there, she wouldn’t be sleeping because he knew the security system wasn’t back up. His heart raced, imagining what he might find.

  He quietly unlocked the door and flipped on the light, ducking out quickly in case Velichko or someone was there.

  After no sound, he cautiously stepped inside and ran his gaze over the room. Everything was exactly the same as when they’d departed, except the answering machine on the countertop was blinking red. He thought it odd that a technophile like Eryn had a landline, but Gage insisted that each team member had one so a 9-1-1dispatcher could easily trace their call.

  Trey slipped into the bedroom and turned on the light. Her bed was empty. He checked the bathroom. Nothing. Then Bekah’s room. The other bathroom. Still nothing. His panic grew with each step.


  Where are you?

  Maybe the message on her answering machine would tell him something. He pressed play.

  “Eryn, it’s Piper Nash,” a woman’s voice said. “I got your email about Kirill Velichko.”

  The hacker.

  “He was released early last week. Turns out, on his way out, he told his cellmate that the first thing he was going to do was shut you up. Permanently. The cellmate didn’t bother to share that information until he saw a chance to use it to his advantage. I’ve got one of the Bureau analysts trying to track Velichko down. Will let you know what I find.”

  Trey’s heart clenched, and he grabbed his phone to call Gage. It rang in his hand, and he nearly jumped out of his own skin. “Whatcha got, Riley?”

  “I found Eryn’s phone. It was in the bushes outside the back door. She would never voluntarily ditch her phone. Her whole life is on that thing.”

  “I know, call Gage. Velichko has her.” That was all he could get out before his heart stuttered like it might stop beating.

  Eryn shifted in the car’s truck and tried to undo the ropes cutting into her wrists. She had to get free before Velichko exacted whatever revenge he had planned for her. She wished she could get the ratty gag out of her mouth, too. Velichko had bound her wrists, then jerked the rag out of his trunk and tied it around her mouth. It smelled like old gym socks.

  She tried to forget about the stench and gouged her fingers into the thick knot at her wrists. She soon felt something wet near her fingertips. Likely blood from clawing at the rope for so long, but so what? Her life was in her own hands right now, and she couldn’t give up. She fought through the pain and kept working.

  The car slowed and bumped off the road, then slowed even more, coming to crawl.

  No. No. She was still bound. She had to hurry. She clawed at the rope. Dug hard. The pain was nearly unbearable. But if Trey could handle his arm being sliced open, she could handle raw and bloody fingertips.

  The brakes squeaked and the vehicle stopped.

  Faster. Faster. Hurry.

  She dug harder.

  A car door opened.

  Harder. Dig harder.

  The door slammed.

  She got a finger in the knot. Tugged.

  Footsteps sounded over gravel.

  She pried hard. Gained movement.

  Yes! She was almost there. Almost free. Just another minute. That was all she needed.

  The trunk latch popped.

  No. Not yet. No.

  The trunk opened, revealing Velichko’s big body blocking a sparkling starry night.

  “I warned you.” He scowled, making his narrow face even longer and emphasizing his nose resembling an eagle’s beak. He had a cleft in his chin that she remembered him touching during the trial where her testimony put him behind bars. Above it, he had a soul patch that was as black as his bushy brows and thick hair.

  She wanted so desperately for him to take off her gag so she could ask him why he abducted her, but he didn’t seem the least inclined to. She feared this was payback for arresting and testifying against him. But maybe he was abducting her to help him with a computer issue. It was possible anyway, and she preferred that thought to him killing her.

  He jerked her up and lifted her from the trunk to settle her on the ground, the infernal gun going back to her temple. “We’re going for a walk.”

  She stared at his darkly shadowed face. He looked sinister and dangerous. She knew he was. Sure, he claimed to do be doing his hacking for the good of the Internet, but in reality, he did it to feel powerful after a childhood of abuse. And she’d ended his chosen method of relief from his pain. Now she was afraid he planned to inflict that terrible pain on her.

  He kept hold of her arm and urged her forward. The first light of dawn illuminated an overgrown path, and she could hear the ocean waves pounding. So much for helping him with a computer issue. He was taking her down to the beach.

  No. No. Don’t let him take me into the water. Anything but water.

  Her footsteps faltered. He shoved her ahead, and they wound down the sandy slope toward the waves pulsing in. Panic stole her breath. She wanted to beg him to stop but couldn’t. And she hoped even if she could speak, she wouldn’t let him see the fear seizing her insides.

  At a large outcropping of rocks, he urged her to turn right and walk parallel to the shoreline.

  Yes, good! Not the ocean. Thank you, God! Thank you.

  They crested a hill and below she saw a small opening in the rocks likely leading to a cave.

  A cave? He didn’t plan to put her in there, did he?

  He shoved her forward. She took slow steps. He yanked her to the opening. If he abandoned her inside until high tide, the place would become a stone grave.

  She had to stop him. But how with a gun to her head?

  She couldn’t. Only God could. She stopped to lift her face in prayer and knew her life was totally in His hands now. Totally. Completely. She’d come to the end of herself and could do nothing.

  Velichko flicked on a flashlight and pushed her ahead. A sudden dawning hit her. Her life had always been in God’s hands. She knew that subconsciously, but did she really think about it? Realize what it practically meant? Not really. He was in supreme control. Absolute. No matter what she wanted…what she feared…as a believer, God’s will would be done.

  She sought His comfort now. His assurance. And she felt Him with her whole heart. Like Trey had said would happen when she truly sought God. She knew deep in her being that whatever the outcome, God had her in His hands.

  25

  Trey charged toward the training facility, the dawning light making the trip easier. He felt numb inside. And afraid. And worried. Terrified actually. All at once. But he had to swallow it all down and find Eryn.

  Gage and Riley met him right inside the door, their tight expressions doing nothing to aid Trey in calming down.

  “I found a Piper Nash in Eryn’s contacts.” Riley held out Eryn’s phone.

  Trey grabbed it and dialed this Piper woman.

  “Special Agent Piper Nash,” she answered, her cheerful voice grating on Trey’s nerves.

  “You called Eryn Calloway a few minutes ago. She’s missing, and we’re trying to find her.” His words rushed out so fast he was surprised that they were clear.

  “Who is this?” Her tone had turned wary.

  “Deschutes County Deputy Trey Sawyer. I’ve been in charge of Eryn’s security detail this week when a hacker took control of her computer with ransomware and threatened her life.”

  “Okay, I’m listening now. Tell me more.”

  He reviewed each hack and their subsequent actions. “She was working in the server room, and now she’s missing.”

  “Can you send me a screenshot of what she was working on when she went missing?”

  “Maybe. At least I can try. Hold on, and I’ll check the computer.”

  Trey didn’t wait to explain what was going on but ran to the server room. He sat down behind the computer. “Looks like gibberish to me.”

  He took a better look at the writing on the black background. “No, wait. Wait. There’s a message here. I assume this is the ransomware code.”

  “What does it say?”

  “The floodgates are open, Calloway, and your problems are just beginning.” Trey had no idea what that meant other than it was directed at Eryn. “Does that make any sense to you?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.” The worry in her tone ratcheted up Trey’s concern to near panic level. “Eryn said that to Velichko when we arrested him, and he went ballistic. Tried to attack her. He’s out of prison and has threatened her.”

  “So in all likelihood he has her.”

  “Sounds like it, and he has a history of violence when things don’t go his way.”

  “Do you have a last known address for Velichko?”

  “I don’t have the address he gave the prison when he was released, but before he went away, he owned a house near Rugged Point.
He was forced to pay restitution for the equipment he bricked, so he had to sell it—it’s not likely he’d be there.” She paused for a moment. “My analyst is contacting the prison for a forwarding address for Velichko. I’ll check with him and call you back.”

  “Use my cell, not Eryn’s.” He gave her the number and hung up.

  He got up to find Gage and Riley at the door, and he could hardly think well enough to communicate. He took a long breath and let it out. “It’s almost certain that Kirill Velichko has her.”

  Gage shoved a hand in his hair. “This is usually when we ask Eryn to do her thing on the computer and find information on the abductor.”

  Trey ran through the things Piper had told him, but all he could see in his mind’s eye was this creep holding Eryn hostage. Maybe hurting her. Maybe killing her.

  No! He wouldn’t think that way.

  “Piper’s trying to get Velichko’s forwarding address from the prison, but that could take hours. Even days.” Trey slammed a fist into the wall. The pain radiated up his good arm, competing for a moment with the ache in his injured one.

  Gage laid a hand on his shoulder. “Won’t do any good if you do more damage to your body.”

  “You’re right. I need to think straight. Velichko had to sell his house to pay restitution, but maybe he went back there. It’s just up the coast. We should head there to check it out.”

  “Actually,” Gage said. “We’re better off taking the time to gather equipment we might need for a hostage rescue. Then if Piper hasn’t called back, we’ll head up the coast.”

  He was making sense in this crazy situation, and Trey was suddenly very thankful for his friend. “Okay, we prepare for as many rescue scenarios as we can think of. But if Piper hasn’t contacted us by the time we’re ready to roll, we’re deploying.” He met Gage’s gaze and held it. “No excuses. No reasons not to go. We go.”

  “Get into the cave,” Velichko said. “One false move and I shoot.”

  Why was he doing this? Bringing her here instead of killing her? What would he gain?