“Give him time, Audra.” Mason took another tentative sip of his coffee. “He’s got a lot to deal with. A pathological ex who happens to be a professional spy and steals his greatest invention. It’s a wonder the guy is functioning at all.”
“I always hated her,” said Audra darkly. “Batting those false eyelashes and simpering around the place in her Prada.”
“Ouch.” Mason’s gaze was level. “I didn’t like her either. I knew she was on the take somehow. But it’s a bit more than that for you, isn’t it, Audra?”
Audra reddened. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
Mason grinned. He knew Audra had the hots for Dale. It was like she had a neon sign above her head. But then, his friend and boss had always had that effect on women. The combination of Dale’s charm, good looks, and big heart was a mix that most couldn’t resist. They were always throwing themselves at him. And the genius and mega bank account didn’t hurt matters either.
Not like him. He was a regular guy, and to tell the truth, he didn’t know if he could handle all the pressure if he was in Dale’s shoes. No, he liked his dull suburban life with Freya and the kids. He wouldn’t trade places with his boss willingly, despite all the obvious benefits of his life.
Suddenly, he turned back to the screen. A red light was waving at him in the corner. Someone had responded. At last.
“What is it?” Audra stared at the screen. “Do we have someone?”
“I’m about to find out,” said Mason slowly. “It’s taken a few days, but I think a black hat hacker has finally come to the party.”
* * *
Dale stood up, stretching wearily. Outside he could see that it was already dark. He walked slowly to the windows, staring down. Streetlights were starting to flicker on, and in the distance, he could hear the plaintive wail of a police siren.
He should go home. Nothing more could be accomplished today. Mason and Audra were burrowed in the security room, trying to find a black hat hacker. It was a slow process. They had put the feelers out days ago, almost the minute he had given his approval.
He still felt conflicted about it, but he had to concede that there seemed little choice now. He only hoped that whoever they found was trustworthy … at least, as trustworthy as a black hat hacker could be. Dale frowned. That was the problem, wasn’t it? Hiring someone who was a criminal meant you had to watch your back. And he had enough on his plate without having to deal with that.
He picked up his coat, switching off his computer. Then he hovered around the desk. The thought of returning to that mausoleum he had once called home filled him with dread. Not so long ago, he had looked forward to it. He knew Carlotta would be there, waiting for him. She would have his favorite drink ready and waiting. She had been a good cook, too. More times than not, there would be some delicious smell wafting from the kitchen.
And then there had been the times when he had walked in the door and she had been waiting for him in another way entirely. In her lingerie, and with a suggestive smile on her face. There had been many nights when the dinner had burned while they had been busy …
His heart clenched. Don’t think about it. It was all a lie, anyway. His whole life with her had been a lie. She might as well have been an actor in a movie. Had she ever felt anything … ever?
There was a soft knock on the door. He gathered his senses.
“Come in.”
It was Mason, with Audra trailing behind. They were both smiling.
“We have someone,” said Mason. “For a price. A woman. And she goes by the name of Anna.”
5
Dale gaped at them. “Anna?”
Mason grinned, walking further into the room. “Probably an alias.” He paused, studying Dale carefully. “But she’s expensive.”
Dale sat down at his desk again. “Come in, both of you. Lay it on me.”
They did as he instructed. Dale could almost feel the tension surrounding them both. They were practically humming with it. Almost as if they had been hunting and snagged the trophy prize. Which they had, of course. Finding a black hat hacker wasn’t easy work.
“She wants fifty,” said Audra slowly. “Fifty thousand.”
Dale whistled. “Wow. She’s bold, I’ll give her that much.” He paused. “Is that a reasonable price for her services? Do we even know?”
Mason shrugged. “I think so. Getting false passports costs about that much, so operating to hack systems and infiltrate this Matrix is equivalent.” He stared at Dale. “We are taking a big risk, of course. But I think it will be worth it.”
“Audra?” Dale turned to her.
Audra sighed. “I don’t think you have a choice at this point, Dale. Anna has us over a barrel. She knows that you need her. We can only hope that she delivers the goods.”
“And pray.” Dale drummed his fingers on the desk. “Do it. Find out how she wants to get paid and put it into action.” He grinned suddenly. “Do you think she’ll want unmarked bank notes delivered in brown paper bags to a post office box?”
“Hardly.” Mason grinned back. “She has her own website with payment details. She is a hacker, after all, not a two-bit crim on the take.”
“A professional,” said Audra, nodding solemnly.
Dale nodded. “A professional criminal. Like Carlotta.” He sighed deeply. “Oh well. It takes a thief to catch a thief, as they say.”
* * *
Dale walked into the security room, closing the door firmly behind him. His heart was thumping uncomfortably, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.
Paranoia, he knew. Ever since he had agreed to hire Anna, the black hat hacker, he had felt like his skin was prickling and that everyone in this building somehow knew. It would only take one disgruntled employee to find out and his company could be ruined. Therefore, secrecy was paramount.
Only Mason and Audra were in on it, and he trusted them completely. They would never betray him. And they were both excellent at their jobs. They would make sure there weren’t any loose ends or trails that could implicate him. He should really give them both huge bonuses once this was all over. The pressure on them must be enormous. He knew he had leaned on them heavily since all of this had happened.
And there they were, heads bent over the computer, as always. They had been working longer hours than normal. Poor Freya, he thought suddenly. Mason’s wife would be scolding him the next time they caught up for barbecue and beers.
“What’s happening?” He loosened his tie, feeling suddenly like it was about to strangle him. “How are we proceeding?”
Audra leaned back in her chair. “We’re having difficulty paying her.”
Dale frowned, perplexed. “Sorry? You just transfer the money in the usual manner. There’s no problem from my end.”
Mason sighed deeply. “Oh, if only it were that simple. Her website doesn’t accept money in the normal way.”
“She doesn’t have an online payment gateway?”
Mason stared at the computer screen. “She does, but it has got about a million vetting protocols, not just SSL. It’s more encrypted than an Egyptian tomb. It’s like we are entering a maze. We round a corner and think we are in, and then another wall pops up.”
Dale felt a flash of irritation. Who was this woman? He knew she had to be careful, but this was ridiculous! Did she want the job or not? She was charging him a small fortune and yet seemed to not be in any hurry to get it.
“Keep trying,” he barked, walking away. “Give it one more day. If it keeps stalling, drop her. We can find someone else.” His eyes flashed. “And frankly, she’s proving herself to be a pain in the butt already.”
* * *
Dale poured himself a coffee from the machine in the main work hub, grimacing at the bitter taste. Usually he refused to drink this slop, but he had only had a couple of hours sleep last night and he needed a hit of caffeine desperately.
He walked to his office and sat down, too tired to even switch on the co
mputer. This black hat hacker was proving difficult. All these delays with sending her the money. When he had left last night, they still hadn’t gotten it through.
That was it, he thought darkly. I should never have gone down this path. What if she was a fed pretending to be a hacker, trying to lure him in? He rubbed his neck. He knew it was paranoia again. He wasn’t used to operating clandestinely, and the stress of it was really getting to him.
There was a knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer, Mason walked in.
“Good news.” He sat down opposite. “The payment finally went through late last night. And our hacker has been hard at work already.”
Dale sat up straighter. He didn’t feel tired anymore. “Go on.”
“She’s good. She’s already messaged saying that parts of the nanites have been listed and priced in game currency on the Matrix.”
“Game currency?”
“Yeah. Like an online game uses. And she’s sent through screencaps and recordings as proof. It seems our Anna is a bit of a night owl and doesn’t sleep much.”
“She and I both.” Dale’s eyes narrowed. “Anything else?”
“She wants to know if you want her on-site.” Mason stared at his boss. “She says it will be easier and she can get quicker results. Communicate in real time, as she puts it. But if she comes here, she has a very long list of demands for what she needs.”
“Like what?” Dale bristled slightly. “We have the best equipment around.”
Mason pursed his lips, extracting a piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to Dale. “It seemed safer to just print a copy rather than emailing it to you and creating a trail.” He paused. “You can burn it afterwards. Like in the movies.”
Dale grinned, despite himself. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for espionage.” He stared down at the piece of paper. “This is a long list. Cutting-edge equipment … also very expensive. Internet connection types she needs.” He threw it down on the desk. “She knows her stuff, I’ll give her that.”
“Well? Should I make contact and set up a meeting, and get the ball rolling with all of this?”
Dale sighed. Should he? It was dangerous having her here … but he also agreed with her that it would make sense. They could all work together and not wait for messages from either end. And he could see firsthand what she was doing. And, importantly for him, see for himself if she was trustworthy.
“Do it,” he said slowly. He handed the paper back to Mason. “Find a room in your space that’s secure and rig it up. Get an observation mirror put in too. Do it quietly, Mason. And tell Anna we’ll set up a meeting in a few days’ time. We have to handle her introduction carefully.”
Mason nodded, his eyes shining, and walked out of the room.
He sighed again. This Anna woman was intriguing, he had to admit. She had fire in her belly, with her list of demands. And she had already impressed in a few short hours. It might be interesting getting to know her face to face.
6
Robin Stowe swiveled across the room in her battered ergonomic chair, grabbing the can of 7UP on her way over to the second computer monitor. She took a deep slug of it, then threw it into the wastepaper basket. It missed, scuttling under the desk. She shrugged. She knew there were probably at least half a dozen under there. It would have company.
She stared hard at the screen, pushing her hair out of her eyes. It was difficult to see straight. She had been up all night working on the new case, and now it was nine o’clock in the morning. She should really shut it all down and crawl into her bed in the corner.
But she felt fired up in a way that she hadn’t in a long time. This was an interesting one. An anonymous client wanting information about stolen nanites and the woman who had supposedly taken them. And she didn’t need to be a robotics genius herself to figure out who that anonymous client was.
She picked up the magazine from underneath a pile, sending an empty pizza box flying, flicking to the pages she wanted. There. A centerspread on the man himself. Dale Michaels. His smiling face stared out at her from the page. His intense blue eyes seemed to pin her to the spot, and she liked the way his thick brown hair fell over his face slightly.
She had always had a bit of a crush on him. A billionaire genius who was also a humanitarian. She had followed his career—she knew he had been working on something monumental. In the article, he hinted that it would change the world. And she also knew he donated thousands to various charities.
A billionaire with a heart of gold. They weren’t exactly a dime a dozen in this world.
She threw the magazine down then clicked on the screen, bringing up CNN news. It wasn’t a hot story anymore, but she knew all about it. How Dale Michaels had been robbed of his nanites by his fiancée. The police were on her trail but had gotten exactly nowhere.
Robin reached for the box of Cheerios next to the computer screen, grabbing a handful and tossing them in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Breakfast on the run. Although she liked them for lunch and supper, too. Who could be bothered making endless runs to the supermarket? As long as she had her Cheerios and 7UP, she was happy … and speed dial to the local pizza joint as well.
Her screen flashed. A message from her anonymous client. Robin put down the box, clicking on it.
She smiled slowly. They had agreed to her list of demands. And they wanted to set up a meeting in a few days’ time, location to be advised. She swallowed the last of her Cheerios, thinking. Then she clicked out of the message and did a quick geolocation search.
Bingo. The messages were coming from Dale Michael’s corporation building, on Sycamore Road. She smiled again. Whoever his security expert was, they didn’t know jack shit about hiding locations … but then, she was an expert hacker. She could find almost anything, and she was well paid for it.
Yawning, Robin stood up slowly. She would have a few hours’ sleep and then think about what she would do.
She stumbled to the bed, falling into it. Before she closed her eyes, she gazed around her flat. If anyone walked in here, they would probably have a heart attack. She worked and slept in the living room. Desks, computers, and cords cluttered the space so completely there was barely room for her single bed in the corner; band posters plastered the walls, leaving no idea what the color of the paint underneath was.
Just as well, she thought sadly as her eyes fluttered closed. Just as well no one had set foot in here for a long, long time. And maybe—just maybe—it was time for her to finally step out.
* * *
Robin sat bolt upright in the bed, drawing a deep breath. It had happened again. The dream. Why couldn’t she ever shake it? No wonder she tried to avoid sleep like the plague.
She stumbled out of the bed, heading for the shower. As the water sprayed her face, waking her up, she made up her mind. It was risky, but she just couldn’t resist.
On the pavement outside she jumped on her bike, heading out into the traffic. It was just starting to thicken for peak hour. She wove in and out of the traffic skillfully, managing to avoid the worst of the snarls, turning onto Sycamore Road within half an hour. She counted down the numbers of the buildings until she was in front of it.
Dale Michael’s building. Grinning, she parked the bike and strode through the swinging doors, marveling at the swish foyer. A circular reception desk dominated the space in the middle. She walked up to a woman with sleek blonde hair coiled into a tight bun.
“May I help you?” The woman smiled, but her eyes were cold as they traveled over her.
“Yes.” Robin grinned. “Yes, I think you can. Can you please inform Mr. Michaels that Anna is here to see him?”
* * *
Dale strode down the hallway, his heart thumping wildly. Mason quickly got in step beside him.
“Can you please tell me how exactly this has happened?” Dale hissed as they walked.
Mason blanched. “I can guess. She’s traced us from the messages.”
Dale stopped abruptly, turning to
him. “You said that we weren’t going to leave a trail.”
“She’s an expert, boss.” Mason ran a weary hand over his face. “What can I say?”
Dale swore softly underneath his breath. “This is a major security breach,” he said slowly. “While I agreed she could work on-site, her introduction had to be carefully controlled. And now I get a call from reception telling me that a woman called Anna is here to see me!”
“I’ve put her in a back room,” Mason whispered. “I don’t think many people noticed her.”
Mason led the way to the room, down a back corridor that was rarely used. Dale took a deep breath, then opened the door.
The woman called Anna was lounging in a chair, staring out the window. At the sound of the door opening, she stood up, turning towards him.
Dale stared at her, astonished. She was not what he was expecting at all.
A young woman stood before him, wearing black from head to toe. Black hoodie, ripped black jeans, and a black T-shirt with a band logo on it. On her feet he could see she wore expensive Vans, without socks. She looked like a college student about to head to the quad for a demonstration.
She had wavy dark blonde hair falling to her shoulders, and a slim frame. Athletic. And the eyes that she turned on him, quietly assessing, were the color of leaves on an evergreen tree. Intensely green.
He felt a quick jolt of attraction. She was pretty. He couldn’t deny it.
She was also an expert black hat hacker who had casually strolled into his offices asking to see him as if she were requesting a lunch date.
She grinned, holding out her hand. “Dale Michaels? I recognize your face.” Her voice was slightly husky. “I must say, I’m a big fan.”
7
Chasing the Cure Page 3