Fatal Transaction (Thriller & Suspense, Cyber Crime)

by Lawrence, W. Richard

  Derry slowed the car, coming to a stop less than a hundred yards from his goal. “No one is going to find you. You’re badly hurt. You need a doctor.”

  “No.” Sara reached for her door.

  “Look, I’ll stay with you the whole time. No one’s going to hurt you.”

  Sara couldn’t get the door open. She fell against it. “I’ll tell them you did this to me. I’ll say you beat me.”

  Does she think those men will find her here? “Why would they believe that when I’m the one who brought you to the hospital?”

  “Try it and see what happens. They’ll believe me, and you’ll go to jail.”

  She was right, and he knew it. The truth didn’t matter; it would be his word against hers.

  “But you need help. You’re in a bad way.”

  “It’s not your problem. Just—just drop me off somewhere. I’ll be fine—” Her strength was waning.

  There was no way he was going to just drop her off somewhere. She’d be dead by nightfall.

  “Or take me to a hotel somewhere. I just need some time to rest.” Her voice was calmer but weaker.

  “Will you trust me?” Was he crazy? This girl had obviously done something illegal. She was running from very dangerous people, maybe the mob. But as he stared at her, he couldn’t believe she was anything but harmless. Someone in need of help.

  “You take me to a hospital or the cops, and I’ll make sure you go to jail.” Her gaze shifted to the hospital.

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  Sara fell back against the seat. “You better not—” She was out again.

  Shifting his car into first and accelerating, Derry again questioned his sanity.

  ***

  Levy paced back and forth. “What do you mean you didn’t get the plate?”

  Ben brushed dirt off his pants. “Sorry, Mr. Levy, but he tried to run me down. Almost hit me. By the time I got back up, the car was too far away to read the plates. Plus, with all the dust, I was lucky to see he had Colorado plates.”

  “That narrows it down to one, maybe two, million cars.” Levy pulled out his gun. “You’re not any better than Ryan.”

  “It was a white car, small four-door.” Ben’s speech was fast.

  “What else?”

  “He was white, I think. Brown hair. I didn’t get a clear view of his face.”

  Levy kept the gun on Ben. “Jarred, what’d you see?”

  “That sounds right.” Jarred stepped forward, but not too close.

  “You hoping to save your cousin?”

  “No, sir. I saw the same thing.” Jarred backed up just a few inches.

  “How old do you think he was?”

  “About my age, early twenties,” Ben piped up again.

  “Mike, didn’t you say you had a run-in with someone at the fairgrounds?”

  Mike sat against the side of the wounded limo, arms crossed. “Yeah, sounds about the same, but that description fits half the males out there.”

  Levy slid the pistol back under his coat. “Could be a coincidence, but I don’t believe in coincidences.”

  He walked down the dirt road a few yards. His plans were unraveling. Whether the problems in the credit card program were real or not, he had to find and eliminate Sara. She was a liability.

  As for the program, Kai better know enough to fix it.

  A car approached. It was Vance, finally. With Sara gone, there was no reason not to call a tow truck. Levy told Jarred and Ben to have the limo towed to the closest garage before returning to Estes to get their cars. He wanted them to meet him in Denver as soon as they finished here. He had more work for them.

  Levy and Mike got into Vance’s car, and headed back toward Denver. As soon as his phone had decent reception, Levy put in a call to Kai.

  “Tap into all the hospitals and emergency rooms in the North Denver, Boulder and Longmont areas. Look for any new patients fitting Sara’s description.”

  “Sir, that’ll take awhile. All night, at least. The hospitals keep that information pretty secure.”

  “Then you better get on it. Also, start a set of tests on the credit card program.”

  “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

  “Loading issues. I want to know if we can overload the system with too many cards at one time.”

  “I don’t see how that’s possible. That relies on the banks’ and credit card companies’ systems, not ours.”

  “Another lie.” Levy threw his phone across the car.

  ***

  “Kevin, you at home?” Derry glanced in the backseat as he made the call. Sara hadn’t moved.

  “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “I need a favor, a big one.”

  “Tell me what it is, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  “I need to talk to Natalie. Is she home?”

  “Sure, hold on. I’ll get her.”

  After a short pause, Natalie came on. “Is everything okay?”

  “I need your help. It’s a long story but—the woman I told you about the other night?”

  “Yes?”

  “She’s hurt. Real bad.” Derry was only a few minutes out. Sara needed medical attention, and he hoped Natalie’s skill would be enough.

  “What happened?”

  “Long story. Right now, I need you to look at her.”

  “Sure, where are you?”

  “I’ll be there in just a few minutes.”

  “You’re bringing her here?”

  “Have to.”

  The phone was silent for a few seconds. “Okay, we’ll be ready.”

  “Thanks. I owe you.”

  Five minutes later, Derry pulled into his driveway. Natalie and Kevin came out their front door as he got out of the car.

  “Where is she?” Kevin trailed Natalie.

  “In the back seat.” Derry opened the rear door.

  Natalie leaned into the back of the car. Sara was unconscious. Natalie pushed her hair back and put two fingers on the side of her neck. “She has a good pulse. Was she in an accident? Car wreck?”

  “She was beaten by some men.”

  “By whom?” Natalie looked up at Derry. “Why?”

  “That’s the long story.”

  Natalie’s probing gaze prompted Derry to continue.

  “I know, I’m asking a lot, but can this wait? We need to get her inside.”

  “She needs a hospital, and you need to tell the police what you know about it.” Natalie was firm.

  “She won’t go. I tried.”

  “She won’t go to the hospital? What about the police?”

  “She’s afraid the men who did this will find her if I take her to a hospital or call the police.”

  “Who are these men?” Natalie softened her tone.

  “I don’t know. Maybe organized crime.”

  “What have you gotten yourself into?” Natalie turned back to Sara, and gently bushed a few strands of hair away from her face. Natalie’s voice was soft. “What has she gotten you in to?”

  Carefully and as gently as he could, Derry lifted Sara. She felt no heavier than a small child. He carried her inside and placed her in his bed, the only bed in the house. Natalie and Kevin followed.

  As Natalie bent over her, Sara opened her eyes. “Who are you?” Her gaze shifted around the room. “Where am I?” Her voice was weak and fearful.

  “You’re in my house.” Derry stepped around Natalie to where Sara could see him. “You’re safe.”

  Natalie added, “I’m a friend. I’m going to see what I can do for you. I’ll try not to hurt you. I promise.”

  Sara’s eyes slowly closed again. “I’ve heard enough promises today.”

&nbs
p; ***

  “Kicked out?” Kevin took a seat on the couch.

  “Yep.” Derry glanced over his shoulder at the closed door.

  “So what happened?”

  What did happen? The memory of the day’s events had a dreamlike feel. Or a nightmare. It was a lot to swallow. Taking a deep breath, he recounted the day’s events. Telling Kevin made it sound even more unbelievable.

  “Wow.” Kevin was quiet for several seconds. “And you have no idea who these men are?”

  “The mob, maybe. That’s my guess.”

  “You sure you’re not getting in over your head?”

  “A little late to worry about that now. I wasn’t planning to get involved. It just happened. I had to help her.”

  “So why would these men be after her?”

  “Maybe she wanted to go straight. Maybe she has information on them, and was going to turn it in to the police.”

  “But now she’s afraid to step into a hospital? You watch way too many movies.”

  Looking down, he realized he was making excuses for her. “Maybe. But I believe she’s here because this is where she is supposed to be. There have been way too many coincidences for this to be random chance.”

  “You’re saying she’s here because God wants her here?”

  “Yes. I think so.”

  Chapter 24

  “Who are you?” Sara’s voice was frail, weak.

  “Natalie. I’m a physician’s assistant and Derry’s friend.” She placed the washcloth back into a small bowl of warm water. “But what you really need is a doctor.”

  “No, no doctors, no hospitals.” Sara tried to sit up.

  Natalie placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her. “It’s okay. I’m not going to call a doctor or anyone else. I’ll do the best I can to help you, and pray it’s enough. Here, can you sit up a little?”

  With Natalie’s assistance, Sara made it to a sitting position.

  “Okay, hold it right there.” Natalie gently let go.

  Sara wobbled a little but stayed upright.

  Grabbing an ace-bandage, Natalie wrapped it tightly around Sara’s ribs. “I think you have a fractured rib, maybe two.”

  “No kidding.” Sara’s voice was thin, sarcastic.

  Natalie carefully lowered Sara back down. “Derry told me a little of what happened. Why’d those men beat you?”

  “Who’s Derry?”

  “The man who brought you here. This is his house.” Pulling the sheet back, Natalie examined Sara’s legs.

  “I think you may also have a fracture or two down here. Did they beat you with a bat?” Taking out a tuning fork, Natalie tapped it on the nightstand then placed the handle end on Sara’s tibia. Sara jerked a little. “Is it painful along the bone anywhere?”

  “No, it just felt weird.” Sara watched Natalie closely.

  Doing the same thing to the other leg, Natalie got the same results. “No breaks, that’s good, but your legs are a mess.”

  Using the washcloth, Natalie cleaned each leg, removing blood and dirt. Sara twitched several times.

  “I’m sorry, but it hurts where you’re rubbing.”

  Natalie rinsed the cloth. “I’ll be more careful. Want to tell me who beat you?”

  Sara’s eyes shifted to the door. “Why are you helping me?”

  Natalie gave a weak smile. “Because you need help.” She was experienced with this type of response. Women or children who had been beaten by family members or close friends avoided questions about who did it. They changed the subject, looked away, or acted like they didn’t hear the question—anything to avoid answering it.

  As Natalie rubbed the warm cloth gently over Sara’s legs, Sara’s eyes closed.

  “Sara, you still with us?”

  She opened her eyes part way. “Uh-huh.”

  “I think you may also have a mild concussion. Can you turn your head this way?”

  “Where’s that guy? Derry?” Her eyes were only half open.

  “He’s in the other room.” Natalie placed the washcloth in the bowl again. The water was dirty and needed to be changed. “Would you like to see him?”

  “Sure, I guess—”

  ***

  Checking the time on her computer, Kai figured Levy would be there any minute. Every noise caused her to glance into the hall. The battery of tests he’d ordered were running on Sara’s computer, coming up with the results she expected. Everything passed.

  Why all the testing? And where was Sara? Why was Levy looking for her? What could have happened to her? A car accident? Why not search for her by name?

  Sara ran.

  The thought brought a thrill of joy that quickly passed. That must be the reason for the search. Sara ran and was now hurt. The pursuit for her evoked a mixture of emotions. Kai wanted to learn if she was okay, but didn’t really want Levy to find her.

  Kai heard Mike’s voice in the hall. The moment she dreaded was here. She had worked for hours, and had nothing to show for it.

  “Where is she?” Levy demanded as he entered the room.

  “I don’t know yet. Searching the hospitals takes time. Each one has its own form of security, with several firewalls set up to stop anyone from hacking into their systems. It would be much faster to make phone calls.”

  “Absolutely not. If the police get involved with this, I can’t have calls traced back to me. I want you into those systems tonight. No excuses.”

  “Yes, sir.” She needed to give him something positive. “I also started those tests you asked for.” Kai rotated part way around, and nodded toward Sara’s computer.

  “What tests?”

  “On the credit card program. Checking to see—”

  Levy raised his hand, striking Kai across the mouth. “You’ve wasted my time on that.” Leaning in, he grabbed her long black hair, and yanked her head close to his face. “The only thing you work on is finding Sara. Is that clear?”

  Gripping the arms of the chair, Kai clenched her teeth and nodded.

  Levy released her with a shove, then turned toward Mike. “Get in touch with our contacts on the Denver Police Force. Find out if they’ve got anything. Check with Boulder and Longmont, too. If that comes up empty, hit the smaller towns in the area. I need her found tonight.”

  “Right away.” Mike gave Kai a sympathetic glance as he turned to leave.

  Levy’s wrath returned to Kai. “You stay here until you’ve hacked into every hospital from Denver to Boulder.”

  ***

  Derry stepped into the room as Natalie stepped out, carrying the dirty water. Sara’s face appeared worse than it had two hours ago, but she was awake. That was a plus.

  He moved closer to the bed.

  “Thank you, restaurant boy.” Her speech was slightly muffled, her face covered with cuts, her lips swollen.

  “You remember me?”

  “Sure. You sat across from me every night for almost two weeks. How could I not notice?”

  She must think I some sort of weirdo. “I didn’t—”

  “—like the food. Who could?”

  “I never had Greek food before. It was a new experience.”

  “You still haven’t had Greek food.” Her gaze shifted past his face, searching for something. For what? Safety? Trust? Derry peered back into her brown eyes, hoping to convey whatever she was looking for.

  “Well, I was only there for a few meals. I was working on an account in the same building, and the food was convenient and cheap.”

  “But not good.” She tried to smile. “Ouch.”

  “How are you feeling?” Dumb question, but he needed to change the subject.

  “Dead.” Her voice weakened. Her eyes closed. “Thanks for saving me. Sorry I can’t—” />
  The conversation was over.

  Chapter 25

  Tapping on the door, Derry waited for a response. He’d gone to work today, but took the afternoon off to check on Sara.

  “Yes?” Her voice sounded much stronger today.

  He gave the door a slight nudge as he moved into the master bedroom. “How are you feeling today?”

  He carried a bowl of soup in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. It was past noon on Monday, and Sara hadn’t eaten since Saturday afternoon.

  “Sore all over.” Sara worked to sit up. After a moan and a few “ouches,” she stopped trying.

  “Here, let me help.” Derry set the food on his nightstand then leaned down to assist. Sliding both hands behind her, he gently lifted her back and shoulders to a more vertical position. She whined a little. Holding her in place with one hand, he grabbed some extra pillows and placed them behind her. His heart raced at her closeness.

  “There. That should work.” He stood up and smiled down at her.

  “I take it—you think you’re my knight—in shining armor?” She was out of breath. “How long have I been out of it?”

  “A couple of days. It’s Monday.”

  “Monday? I need to get out of here.” Somewhere she found the energy to throw off the sheets. She quickly pulled the sheets back up. “Where are my clothes?”

  “In the laundry. But you’re in no condition to leave.” He leaned in, ready to help her if she needed it.

  “What are you going to do? Hold me here against my will?” Sara looked desperate. “I need my clothes.”

  “Sure.” Derry left the room. Minutes later, he returned with her clothes in hand. “I ran them through the washer twice, but some of the blood won’t come out.”

  Sara’s head was against the pillows. “Just set them on the bed, and give me some privacy.”

  He placed the clothes next to her, and stepped out of the room. Standing just outside the door, he wanted to be ready in case she needed help.

  “Ouch, that hurts!”

  Derry wanted to rush in, but elected to wait.

  “Ouch. Oh.” Her complaints were getting weaker.

  He continued to wait. No more sounds came from the room. After a couple more minutes, he tapped on the door. “You okay in there?”