Dale stared at her through the observation window. She was shooting around the room on the chair from monitor to monitor, an intense look on her face. The glass shook slightly. She was playing her indie rock loud, as always. She claimed it helped her focus. His eyes trailed over the mess she had left in her wake: empty cans of soda and cereal boxes. A couple of takeout pizza boxes and kebab wrappers.
“I don’t think she’d win housekeeper of the month.” Mason’s voice was droll as he joined him, staring at her.
Dale shrugged. “I don’t care as long as she gets results,” he replied crisply. “And she’s getting them. She’s got us access to the Matrix, so we can track the black auction ourselves.”
Mason frowned. “She’s a walking security breach. Is she planning to live here?”
Dale shrugged. In the days since Anna—or Robin, as she had revealed—had unexpectedly shown up, she had hardly left her hastily set up work space. She ate at her computer consoles, and he had spied her sleeping, splayed out near the desk, before hastily pulling herself together to get back to work. She had energy to burn, and when she was working it was as if nothing else mattered.
“She should rest.” Dale’s voice was soft. “She needs to go home and have a break.”
“Good luck trying to convince her of that.” Mason was grinning. “I think our pretty black hat hacker mightn’t have a home to go to.”
* * *
Dale opened the door to the work space, flinching from the loud music.
“Can you turn it down?” he mouthed at her. She grinned, flicking a button on a remote. The sudden silence was almost as deafening as the music.
Robin turned to him. She still couldn’t believe she got to see Dale Michaels in the flesh. Every. Damn. Day. It was like Christmas and her birthday rolled into one. It was all she could do to not put her hands on her face and just stare at him, like a puppy.
He was everything she had anticipated—and more.
“Hey, boss.” Her smile widened. “What’s up?”
He strolled into the center of the room, sighing as he stared around. “You’re a mess, Robin. I am more than happy with your work ethic, but I think you need to go home and have a break. Sleep for longer than three hours.”
Robin frowned slightly. “I thought you wanted me to find the nanites. Pronto.”
“I do.” He sighed again. “But you’re going to collapse soon. You can only run on so much nervous energy.” His voice softened. “Go on. Go home. Nothing’s going to change in the ten or twelve hours it takes for you to freshen up.”
Robin stared at him. She didn’t want to go home. She was fired up, subsisting on adrenaline. She was always like this when she was working, but even more so being here. She liked everything about this setup. She liked Mason, his head of security, although she knew he couldn’t quite figure her out. The only person in this tight-knit team she wasn’t sure about was Audra, the private secretary. Robin had seen her staring at her a bit sourly from time to time.
And she really liked Dale. She studied him now, noticing his muscular arms beneath the rolled-up shirt sleeves. Her breath caught a little in her throat. He was so sexy … for an older guy.
“Maybe you could offer me a bed,” she said slowly, staring him straight in the eye.
Dale started a little. The air was thick with tension for a moment. Sexual tension. Robin could feel it brewing around them like a fog.
But then he stared down at the floor. Stonily. And when he raised his head again, his eyes were cold.
“Go home, Robin.” He turned on his heel, walking out the door.
Robin stared after him. Anger flared in her so suddenly it was like a wave. She picked up an empty can of 7UP and hurled it across the room. And then she screamed. She knew it didn’t matter. The room was soundproofed. He had insisted on that when she had told him she liked to work with her music played loud.
The sound bounced off the walls. The anger drained away, almost as quickly as it had arrived. She stared around the room gloomily. Then she got to her feet, picked up her backpack, and marched out the door without a backward glance.
* * *
She was almost dead on her feet by the time she turned the key in the latch, opening the door to her flat. She stopped in the doorway, staring around.
It stank. Had she left pizza in one of the boxes? Wearily, she pushed through the room, collapsing onto her bed and punching the pillow in frustration.
She shouldn’t have said that to him. It was too soon. For God’s sake, she knew he had just lost his fiancée in the most spectacular way imaginable. The woman had betrayed him and fled with his precious invention. No wonder he didn’t want to flirt with her. She really couldn’t blame him at all.
She sighed deeply, thinking about him. He was emotionally contained—if she didn’t know what had happened to him, she wouldn’t have had a clue he had just gone through major trauma. But she could also sense it there, just beneath the surface. Like thin ice cracking slowly. There would be a flood when it finally did. She knew that the hard way.
Her eyes fluttered. He was right. She had to sleep. This frustration would pass once she was refreshed. She was doing well on the case. She just had to find a balance … as always. Why was it always so hard for her to do?
8
Robin breezed into her snug little lab space, throwing her backpack down on the floor. She felt better. She had slept for ten hours straight without even moving a muscle. And luckily for her, the dream hadn’t made a guest, let alone a starring, appearance.
She was just about to put on her music and set back to work when the door opened. It was Dale.
He stared at her pointedly. “Feeling better?”
“Much.” She grinned. “You were right. I needed to catch forty winks. I’ve got a few new ideas.”
He leaned against the desk. “Tell me.”
She sighed. “We need to track down the participants of the auctions. It will take me some time, but I have my methods.”
Dale nodded. “Sounds good. Can you try harder than you normally do? Time is of the essence here.”
“I know that.” She opened a can of 7UP, taking a deep slug. “I can only do what I can do. But if you think I’m not getting results fast enough …”
“I didn’t say that.” He frowned. “It’s just frustrating, that’s all.” He stared at her, his face softening slightly. “You are doing a good job. Do you always drink soda first thing in the morning?”
She nodded. “Helps me concentrate. At least it’s better than endless lattes or energy drinks, which you and your secretary seem to live on.”
Dale raised an eyebrow. “That’s debatable. But I take your point. We all have our poison.” He got up, walking towards the door. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Let me know if you find anything.”
“Will do.” She raised the can of soda in the air, as if toasting him. Dale smiled, a little puzzled, then left the room.
Robin stared around the space. Someone had cleaned up in her absence. And she would bet her bottom dollar it was the redhead secretary Audra. She looked like the type of woman who started twitching if there was a speck of dust on a surface. One of those OCD types whose face cracked if you put your feet on a table. Or was she just trying to impress the boss with her little housewife act?
She shrugged. Not her problem. Dale Michaels could surround himself with as many sycophants as he liked. She had a job to do, and that was it.
She hit play on the remote, and the room suddenly filled with shredding guitar. She interlaced her fingers, cracking her knuckles. It was time to get to work.
* * *
Audra stared at the woman lounging back in the chair. Her arms were interlaced behind her head and her feet were on the desk. She frowned pointedly at her, but it made no difference, of course. Robin just gazed at her vacantly, as always.
Audra sighed deeply, taking the seat beside her. Surreptitiously, she studied her. The same ripped black jeans she had been wearing all w
eek … unless she had several pairs she had shredded in the same places, of course. A different black T-shirt today, though. This one was emblazoned with the logo of the band Muse. Last week it had been The Shins. And a faded black hoodie, as always. Sometimes, during meetings, she would casually pull the hood over her head and seemingly go to sleep, only to pipe up with something when everyone least expected it.
Audra’s mouth tightened, her eyes sliding to Dale behind the desk. If this Robin woman did the job, who was she to criticize?
The door opened, and Mason walked in, taking the only other spare seat.
“Great.” Dale smiled wearily. “Now that we are all here, let’s get this urgent update.” He turned to the woman. “Robin?”
Robin jolted forward, her feet sliding off the desk.
“Thanks for that,” said Dale drily.
Robin ignored him. “Okay. I’ve managed to track down some of the regular participants of the auctions. I have IP addresses for all of them … and one real one.”
Dale gasped. “That’s great! What now?”
Robin shrugged, seemingly disinterested. “That’s up to you guys. I’m just supplying the intel.”
Mason leaned forward. His eyes were glowing. “Dale, I could assemble a strike team to raid the real address. And I can get a geolocation on for the IPs.”
Audra balked. “That’s risky, Mason. You or any of your guys could be hurt.”
Mason shrugged. “All part of the job, Audra. I know how to coordinate one properly. If we move fast, we might be able to nail Carlotta.” His eyes strayed to Dale. “Boss?”
Dale stood up. Audra could see beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead. He was nervous. And well he should be. It was all a bit too cloak and dagger for Dale. But she could also see the glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
“Do it, Mason.” He turned back to his friend. “Nail the bitch to the wall.”
* * *
Mason ran around the back of the house, waving his hand to the other three guys behind him to move forward. They needed to work quickly.
Briefly, he stared down the quiet suburban street lined with seventies brick houses. There was a man out walking his dog in the distance, but other than that, it was deserted. They had to move now. The less witnesses, the better.
On his command they stormed the house, breaking through via the back. His men fanned out, taking it in. Mason followed quickly. His eyes registered a modular sofa and an enormous flat-screen television. Ornaments, and family photos in glass frames. It looked like a regular suburban home. And so far, it was empty.
He quickly ran up the stairs, kicking open doors. Nothing. But at the third door, he hit the jackpot.
A teenage boy. He was crouched in the corner, his hands up. He looked like he was about to pee his pants. His voice cracked. “What the …”
Mason lowered his gun slightly. “Who are you?”
“Who are you?” the boy squeaked. “And why are you in my bedroom?”
Mason stared at him. He didn’t look like a player in this mess. He looked like he a sophomore geek with pimples and an overbite. His eyes swept around the room, taking in the expensive computer and virtual reality headset lying next to it.
“What have you been doing?” Mason stared at him. “What have you been accessing?”
The boy blanched. “Hey, man, I’m sorry, okay! I was only having a look around …”
“You accessed the Matrix.” Mason’s voice was even. “Why?”
“I won’t do it again.” The boy was sweating. “I swear. I was only poking around.” His eyes widened. “What are you going to do to me? My old man is going to skin me alive if he finds out about this.”
Mason walked to the window, staring out. This was all wrong. And yet Robin had been definite about the address.
Suddenly, he saw her.
Carlotta di Lorenzo. She was climbing onto the back of a slick motorcycle parked in front of the house next door. She was wearing tight black jeans and a black leather jacket. A bulky man with almost white blond hair was already revving it. And then they burned out onto the street, speeding away.
He swore, tearing out of the room and down the stairs. “She’s here!” he yelled to his men. “She’s on a motorbike with some guy. Heading down the road. Get out there now!”
The men raced out the front, climbed into the van, and screeched off. Mason slowly walked out the front, staring up the road. He was shaking.
It was too late. He knew that. She had gotten away.
He cursed again. She must have been piggybacking off the boy’s connection from next door. And now she had melted back into the shadows again.
9
Robin stared down disdainfully at the expensive pair of headphones on the desk.
“You are joking, right?” She turned to Dale. “I’m going to look disabled. Like the brother in There’s Something About Mary.”
Dale laughed. “If we are going to work side by side in here and you want to listen to your music, you are going to have to put them on.” His blue eyes glittered a little. “I promise I won’t touch your shoulder or anything while you’re wearing them if you promise not to punch me.”
Robin sighed, picking them up gingerly, as if they might suddenly explode. “They aren’t my bag. Music has to be listened to loud.” Then she shrugged. “You are cramping my style. Where are my Cheerios?”
He opened a drawer. “Audra organized them for you.”
Robin peered in the draw. There were a dozen Ziploc bags in there, each containing a handful of Cheerios. “You’ve got to be kidding me. What kind of a mind even thinks to do that?”
“An organized mind.” Dale shut the drawer. “We just keep it a bit tidier around here, that’s all. I don’t want to be falling over cereal boxes and soda cans.”
Robin sighed but didn’t push it. It was good that he was back on track after the disappointment with Mason’s strike. They had almost had her and Dale had been tightlipped with fury when it was reported back that she had gotten away. Another strike on an address that one of the IPs had led them to had been similarly disappointing. All they had found was a server room in some office.
Robin’s eyes narrowed. She was clever, this Carlotta, and more slippery than an eel. It was going to take more to pin her. They had all agreed to be cautious about following false leads.
She stared at Dale. It was back to business as usual now. That was one thing about him. He had razor-sharp focus. He got over disappointments quickly. She supposed a robotics genius had to troubleshoot as a matter of course. Just like she did in her line of work. You couldn’t dwell on the failures. You just had to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again.
“Where did you go to college?” His voice interrupted her reverie. “To learn your trade?”
She turned to him. “I didn’t go to college.”
His eyes widened. “You mean … you taught yourself? How on earth can you do that?”
Robin laughed. “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” She shrugged. “I’ve always been into tech. I learned anyway that I could, and fast. You don’t need a fancy degree to do that. In fact, most computer courses are way behind what is going on. I could probably teach them a thing or two. Besides, I didn’t have a rich daddy and mommy to pay for tuition.”
“Amazing.” He kept staring at her. “You look like a college kid. What are you, twenty, twenty-one?”
“Twenty-six, thank you very much.” She eyed him balefully. “You aren’t stereotyping, are you? Just because I don’t wear a suit and look like all those stiffs who run tech companies?”
He looked surprised. “No, of course not …”
She grinned. “It’s okay. I’m used to it. You don’t look much like a regular robotics genius either. So I guess we are two peas in a pod.”
He smiled slowly. “Maybe.”
They were interrupted by a knock at the door, and Audra walked in. Robin noticed the fake smile she always wore when she had to come in and dea
l with her. She was carrying a paper bag with handles.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” She stared at them both. “I’ve brought you lunch.” She placed the bag on a table in the corner. “It’s from the Japanese restaurant down the road, Dale. Your favorite.”
“Thanks, Audra.”
Dale walked over to the bag and took out the food. Robin saw sushi rolls and noodle containers. “Hungry, Robin?”
She screwed up her nose. “I’ll try the noodles. But sushi isn’t my thing. Who wants to eat seaweed?”
Audra smiled, a little glassily. “Sushi is very good for you, Robin. A healthy takeaway. Better than all those pizzas and kebabs that you are addicted to.” She turned to Dale. “Did I remember everything? They put in the wasabi and ginger?”
Dale nodded. “Everything’s perfect Audra, as always.” He glanced at her. “I don’t think I’d be eating at all lately if it wasn’t for you.”
Audra preened slightly. “Just doing my job, boss. We don’t want you losing that famous physique, do we?” She smiled widely at him, her eyes glittering. “At least I don’t.”
Dale didn’t respond. He was too busy spreading pickled ginger and wasabi over his sushi roll. He looked back into the bag. “No soy sauce?”
“I think I have some at my desk,” Audra said, a little deflated. “I’ll go and get it.”
Robin watched her leave the room, but Dale didn’t. He pushed a carton of noodles towards her. “Go on. You need to eat.”
Robin took it automatically. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was something going on between Dale and Audra. Did they have a thing? She was a little alarmed at the sudden upsurge of jealousy she felt at the thought. What was their story? And why did she even care about it?
Dale Michaels was gorgeous, but he was heartbroken, and all he cared about was finding his ex-fiancée and those nanites. If he had something going on with his secretary on the side to ease the pain, she didn’t blame him one iota. They were cozy together, that’s for sure. Audra almost acted like a wife towards him. Robin was sure she had heard her saying that she was picking up some suits from the dry cleaner for him the other day. She would bet her bottom dollar that wasn’t in her job description.
Chasing the Cure Page 4