Shattered Lies

by Kathleen Brooks

  Lizzy opened the door to her house and Dave, her white fluff-ball Bichon, yapped happily as he ran out of the living room.

  “What, huh? Shut up, you furry rat,” came the grumbling old voice from the living room.

  “Buzz, is that you?” Lizzy called out.

  “There’s our girl. We were worried about you,” Snip’s tired voice said at the same time two men groaned. Lizzy hurried into the living room to find Buzz trying to get off the couch and Snip sitting in the recliner.

  “You waited for me to get home.” Lizzy was struck with the acute reminder that her father was gone, but she had two adopted grandfathers looking after her. She had a larger family than ever, even while all alone.

  “Of course we did. When you didn’t come right back, we thought something might be wrong, so we were staking out your place to see if anyone came by,” Buzz began to explain.

  “But sitting in the car that long really hurt our backs, and we were afraid of falling asleep so we just moved our little operation in here,” Snip finished explaining.

  “I’m glad you did. I have a favor to ask, again.”

  “We’re ready to go,” Buzz said, pulling out a gun from WWII from under the couch.

  “Can you continue the stakeout a little longer? We have to go somewhere to check something out.”

  Snip snorted. Buzz chuckled.

  “Okay, that was a little vague, but it needs to be. I really appreciate you both so very much, and I’m sorry I’m putting you into this position.”

  “Sorry? This is the most fun we’ve had in ages,” Buzz told her as he stood up, his back cracking as he stood upright with his massive antique gun.

  “Yeah, it’s good to feel useful again. We’ll stay right here and take care of the bar and the rat for you.”

  Lizzy scooped up her dog and hugged him to her chest. “He’s not a rat!”

  Buzz and Snip shared a look that told her they thought otherwise.

  “Now, you go do what you need to do. Stay safe and take care of my grandson who is suddenly back on duty when he should be off.” Buzz wiggled his bushy eyebrows, and Lizzy thought she might have underestimated their observations of the group.

  Lizzy went and hugged each man. “Thank you.” Lizzy kissed each of their wrinkled cheeks and hurried upstairs with Dave still clenched in her arms. She’d be gone again soon. But right now, right this minute, wasn’t too soon to tell those you love that they matter to you and that you appreciate them. Especially since she had a bad feeling about this mission.

  22

  New York City

  * * *

  Grant stood on the steps of the hotel, talking with Dalton. Or at least that’s what it would look like to anyone else. Instead, he was keeping an eye on the front door to the building that housed CBL Services Group. They’d been watching for fifteen minutes as they talked.

  Grant scanned the area and made note of where Jason sat eating his morning bagel. The morning had been all about surveillance. They’d done what they could from their hotel room. Valeria had driven the area, and Lizzy had scoped out the line of sight from the roof. Now they were on their way to attempt a meeting with Bertie Geofferies. Today was going to be an exercise in patience and restraint.

  “How’s Jason?”

  Grant looked at Dalton whose back was toward Jason’s location. “Seems calm. He’s not staring, bouncing a nervous knee, or anything to draw attention. He’s eating a bagel and just picked up a paper.”

  “I’m worried he’ll make stupid and dangerous decisions if this goes south.”

  Grant nodded in agreement. He didn’t know Jason as well as Dalton, but even he could see the man was hurting. “We’ll take care of him.”

  “Let’s walk the block to the coffee shop.”

  Grant and Dalton walked off as they caught sight of Jason sipping his coffee. That morning each team member was doing his or her part of the puzzle, then they’d meet again to put those pieces together. Patience. It required a ton of patience.

  * * *

  Alex stood nervously outside baggage claim. He tried to lean against the hood of the car and look cool like he’d seen Dalton do, but he just slid off instead. So now he was standing like an idiot, looking anxiously around for Rock Star—Roxie. He should call her that. It was a pretty name for a beautiful woman.

  He’d done his own background check on her but had never pulled up a picture. He’d been afraid to look. In his mind, she was the girl next door who would instantly fall for a guy like him. Instead, he’d been blown away by her beauty. Roxie would never be interested in a geek like him.

  Alex rolled up the sleeves to his dress shirt and wondered again if he should tuck the shirt into his jeans. Tate had sent him the outfit. It had been waiting at the front desk when they’d checked in. The jeans were relaxed fit, but still felt strange since he was used to them being baggier. He had to admit he did feel more confident in the outfit. And then there was his hair. Crew had taken clippers to it before they’d left. Gone was the long hair that fell wherever it dried. Now he looked clean-cut with hair still longer than Dalton’s, but much more mature looking—like, twenty-five.

  The sliding doors opened and there she was. He could tell she would come up to his shoulders as he watched her look around. Her brunette hair fell in long waves around her shoulders and over the tops of her full breasts. Her jeans were tight, her sneakers pink, and her black T-shirt had a picture of a power button with “Have you tried turning me on?” written in white underneath it.

  She shoved a pair of black plastic-rimmed glasses up onto the top of her head, pushed her hair back from her face, and showed multiple piercings up her ear. Her long lashes batted as she turned big brown eyes in his direction.

  “Dude,” Alex whispered under his breath as she made eye contact with him and smiled. He hadn’t realized he was standing there like a dork with his hand raised in a very exuberant wave.

  Roxie’s smile had all the advice Crew had given him flying out his ear as nothing but blank space filled his mind. She pushed her computer bag onto the back of her hip and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Alex! I can’t believe it’s really you.” Her soft English accent caused him to sway as all the blood rushed from his head. He wrapped his arms around her and was afraid she’d feel his attraction for her pressing against her stomach.

  “I never thought we’d be able to meet,” Alex said, his voice only partially cracking with nerves. He cleared his throat and stepped back to open the car door. “I’m in awe. To be with a talent like yourself is a real honor.”

  Roxie’s grin widened. “That is so sweet!” She launched herself at him again and placed a kiss on his cheek before sliding into the front seat. Alex wanted to pump his fist into the air. Dalton had given him that line and it had worked! Holy shit. What was he going to say now?

  Roxie had her computer open by the time he got into the car. “Is something going on?”

  “I think so,” she said, not taking her eyes from the screen. “I wish we could spend more time getting to know each other, but I’m finding references to 1400 hours. I just can’t tell what time zone. Something big, that’s what has me worried. When searching the dark web for that Locke guy you told me about, I came across a private chat room. Well, it would have been private to anyone else, but you know how I get intrigued by locked doors.” Roxie winked at him and Alex almost drove off the road except she was onto something much bigger than his hormones.

  “What are they talking about happening at 1400 hours?” Alex asked as he headed for the hotel.

  “That’s the thing, I don’t know. I just know that there are five people who have given the all clear to proceed at 1400 hours. Your Locke guy is in this room and confirmed two hours ago he was all set.”

  Alex looked at the clock. It was nine o’clock in the morning. Fourteen hundred would be two o’clock Eastern time. But US Eastern time wasn’t the only time zone. There were three other time zones in the US alone, not counting g
lobally. That wasn’t what was bothering him, though. It was something about the number of people in the room. Five . . .

  * * *

  Lizzy leaned forward and stared at the receptionist, her face only inches from the picture-perfect model these billionaires seemed to hire at their companies, like Coco at Sebastian’s office. Coco was at least nice and peppy as she guarded that lobby. The same could not be said for Petal.

  “No one gets past me without being on the list,” she sneered. Her platinum hair was highlighted with pink, and she wore a mini-dress that looked like she belonged at a dance club, not a workplace.

  “Tell Mr. Geofferies I have information he wants, and the only way he’ll get it is either when I release it to the press or see him in person. His choice. Since it’s about his secret project and Sebastian Abel, I think he’ll want it in person.”

  Petal didn’t look convinced.

  “Pick up the phone or I’ll rip your extensions off and strangle you with them,” Valeria said, bored with the wait.

  “I’m calling security,” Petal gasped.

  Valeria just stared, and Lizzy wished she had that talent. She could give a mean glare, but Valeria was glacial and deadly all at once. Petal froze and then nodded.

  Petal picked up the phone and repeated what Lizzy told her to Geofferies’s secretary. Then she sat quietly waiting on the phone as she tried not so subtly to signal security.

  “Yes, sir. One moment.” Petal handed Lizzy the phone. “He wants to talk to you.”

  Lizzie took the phone and looked up into the nearest security camera. “No one threatens me, you bitch.”

  “Artificial intelligence and market manipulation.” Lizzy smiled up at the camera.

  “Give me back to the girl.”

  Lizzy handed the phone to Petal. “Here you go.”

  Petal took the phone, nodded, and frowned. “Yes, sir.” She hung up and handed visitor passes to Lizzy and Valeria with a pinched face. “Top floor.”

  “Thank you,” Lizzy smiled as Valeria snatched the passes.

  “Petal? Seriously? If I have a daughter, I’m gonna name her Glock,” Valeria whispered as they went to the private elevator much like Sebastian’s.

  “Isn’t that more of a boy’s name?”

  “Fine. Beretta then.” The elevator opened, and they stepped through the doors. “What are you planning on saying?”

  Lizzy shrugged her shoulder. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to wait and see how I read him.”

  “As much as I don’t like Sebastian, I don’t know how I feel about throwing him under the bus. If Sebastian is anything like Bertie Geofferies, it’s a no-win situation.”

  The doors opened before Lizzy could respond, and Valeria didn’t say anything more as another early-twenty-something model showed them the way to two enormous engraved doors: one with a script B on it and the other with a G.

  The inside of the office was masculine. It smelled of fresh-dried tobacco and leather. The leather chairs were old and worn but gleaming. Three walls were covered in dark wood with pictures of hunting dogs on them. The other wall ran the length of the room with floor-to-ceiling windows. Standing at the window was Bertie Geofferies. He was short, around Lizzy’s height, and in his seventies, but still very much in shape. His hair was turning white, but the rest of him was kept in prime condition by a well-paid staff consisting of a personal chef, a personal trainer, and probably a twenty-something masseuse.

  Lounging in all his arrogance was Rue Geofferies, Bertie’s son and a vice president of the company. He was in his forties with a full head of light brown hair, blue eyes, and a smirk that let Lizzy know he was the type to smack his secretary on the ass and tell himself she liked it.

  “Haven’t I seen you at the Blonde Beaver strip club?” Rue asked with a laugh that combined into a snort.

  “No, but isn’t that where you met your wife?” Valeria shot back, not looking the slightest bit offended. Rue slammed his mouth shut. His wife was one of the most stuck-up, elitist heiresses known to man. “Oh wait. That’s your mistress. How do they get along? I bet they share cake recipes and talk about how you like your dick sucked.”

  Lizzy grinned and went to ignoring the little shit on the couch. Bertie had been observing them the entire time. “Mr. Geofferies. I’m—”

  “Elizabeth James, employee of Sebastian Abel. And this woman is Valeria McGregor, an employee at the bar you also run in Quantico. Quaint little place, Quantico. Although I’m curious as to why disgraced DEA and FBI agents are here. I read your father died. That must be hard.”

  Lizzy wasn’t surprised he knew who they were. He wouldn’t have let them up otherwise. After all, Bertie made his money in tech when Sebastian was still a twitch in his father’s pants. This was a man who was ahead of Sebastian in the race for artificial intelligence, and he’d easily know everything about her by the time she had hung up the phone in the lobby.

  “Yes, it’s always hard to lose a parent. I wanted to talk to you about your artificial intelligence software.” Lizzy walked to the desk and took a seat that hadn’t been offered to her.

  “What artificial intelligence software?” Bertie followed and took the seat at his desk as they effectively shut Rue out of the conversation.

  “You should know in a tech age like this, there is no such thing as privacy. Everything is controlled and manipulated. The question is, what will you give me to tell Sebastian you’re behind him?”

  Bertie narrowed his eyes at her and examined her closely. Lizzy didn’t flinch. She could do the bored look as well as anyone. Valeria was currently checking out her fingernails and sighing impatiently.

  “How do I know you’re not a corporate spy?” Bertie asked slowly as he leaned back into his chair and steepled his fingers.

  Lizzy smiled slowly. “Of course I’m a corporate spy. How do you think I know so much already? Now, what is it worth for me to tell Sebastian whatever it is you want me to tell him?” Lizzy shrugged. “Or I can tell him about how you’re ready to launch the software.”

  “No wonder he employed an FBI agent. But what’s she here for?” Bertie asked, finally looking to Valeria.

  “She’s here in case you get any ideas about keeping me here,” Lizzy answered as Valeria returned Bertie’s examination.

  “You think you two could stop us if we wanted to keep you here?” Bertie sounded incredulous. Lizzy sat back and waited. She didn’t have to wait long. One of the knives that Valeria had on her was thrown. Rue screamed and shoved himself backward as the blade impaled itself in the couch, inches from his balls.

  Valeria winked at Bertie who unexpectedly smiled. “What is Sebastian paying you?”

  “A lot,” Lizzy answered.

  “I’ll pay you double whatever he’s paying you to join my team. All off the books, of course. You can still take your money from Sebastian and stay in DC; just report back to me with everything he’s doing.”

  Lizzy let herself smile. “Aren’t you glad you took my meeting?”

  “Very. Tell me about Sebastian and where he is on his artificial intelligence software. Has he tested it yet?”

  “Within a week.”

  Bertie nodded. “Good.”

  “How is that good? You haven’t tested yours yet either.”

  “I’m not worried. My test will be done very soon. I’ll bury Sebastian like the cockroach he is.” He looked at Rue, who was still white as he wrenched the knife from the couch.

  “Why do you two hate each other? I would think you two would actually want to partner up since you’re so similar.” Lizzy had weighed the pros and cons of disclosing information to Bertie and had decided the motivation behind their feud to be more important than rumors of Sebastian’s software.

  “There’s only room for one at the top, Miss James. I didn’t work my whole life to come in second. I’m sure Sebastian feels the same way. I can admire him, which I do, while doing everything in my power to make him fall at the same time. Now, what else can you t
ell me about Sebastian?”

  23

  Alex had never worked with someone before, and certainly not someone more talented than he was. He knew enough to know someone like Crew wouldn’t like it. It would be a blow to his ego. However, Alex found it so sexy when Roxie bit down on her lip as she did the seemingly impossible with ease.

  She would ask him his ideas, and together they found a way through CBL’s firewall and into their network from where they sat parked in front of the hotel. Even though the signal was weak, they were able to hop onto CBL’s Wi-Fi and into their network.

  “That’s fab,” Roxie gasped as she followed Alex’s idea on how to gain access to Locke’s computer once isolating it on the network. “I’m in.” Roxie’s fingers flew and her eyes didn’t move from the screen as she read. Alex waved off the valet once again and waited to hear what she’d found. He was going to take her upstairs to meet the rest of the team, but Roxie was onto something. Once she was onto something, she didn’t stop until she’d found it.

  Alex pushed his chair back and pulled out his own laptop. “How’d you get into that chat room?”

  “Here,” Roxie said, grabbing his laptop and showing him. “All done.” She handed it back and went back to work.

  Alex dug for the old posts. There hadn’t been five people, there had been seven in the group. Two were no longer active. “Who are you?”

  “What?” Roxie asked.

  “Sorry, I talk to myself when I work. I found two other people in the group who have been inactive for the past week. I’m following up on them.”