There it was again. Why did they think she was worth monitoring?
Teague glared at her coldly. “And while we’re throwing the truth on the table, let’s get this straight too. I know all about what you’ve been doing.”
Maddie cleared her throat. What the hell did he mean? Was he talking about the poker game she and her friends had started up on Friday nights with a group of guards at the Smithsonian? It had been innocent fun. An illicit pleasure to get sneaked into the museum after hours. Then one of the guards, probably driven by a crush on Maddie, had offered to sneak her into the conservation lab and let her spend the night. Oh, the thought had been tempting. Not that she had been stupid enough to take him up on it.
But maybe that was something to do with her recent jaunt inside the computers of a very famous and prestigious U.S. educational institution, where she had raised the reported SAT grade for the younger brother of a friend? She hadn’t done anything totally stupid. She had only given him a boost of forty-five points and she had covered her tracks well. The papers had reported problems in the website, so Maddie had made her change the day after the report. If anyone thought to probe deeper, they would simply put it down to computer malfunctions.
But she didn’t think Teague was talking about any of those things.
Which left one possibility.
But how could Teague have heard about her whacko encounter in the graveyard so fast?
“What have I been doing? Why don’t you enlighten me?” She wasn’t going to fess up to anything she didn’t have to.
Izzy pointed to the nearby chair. “Sit down. You’re making me nervous with all that pacing.”
Had she been pacing? Maddie hadn’t even realized it. With a snort of irritation she dropped into the chair by the window and put her booted feet up on the elegant coffee table, the picture of disdain. “Okay, I’m sitting. So what is this great secret you discovered about me?”
Teague steepled his fingers. “I know about your hack into the SAT scores and what you did for your friend. You did a moderately good job of covering it up, I’ll admit that. Of course I changed the grade back.”
Maddie bit back a sound of irritation. He was slick all right.
“I also know about the card games with the guards at the Smithsonian. I’m very relieved you decided not to sneak into the lab for the night.” Izzy raised an eyebrow at the surprise that must have filled Maddie’s face. “Didn’t think I’d know about that, did you? But playing poker doesn’t break any laws that I know of, though you are not on the museum’s approved visitors list. But I’m more curious about that other thing.” He poured himself a glass of water, watching her face closely.
Maddie kept her features completely blank.
“What, no smart confession? Then let me fill you in. I’m talking about those books on quantum computing you ordered off the Internet. It was from a German subsidiary of eBay.”
Maddie slumped in the chair. He knew about that? Was there anything that man didn’t know?
She just shrugged. “So? Is it illegal to buy a few books? I paid for them. I didn’t use a fake credit card or anything.”
“I know you paid for them. I tracked the account records. And again, you were moderately careful to hide your tracks, I’ll give you that. But any books having theoretical value relating to quantum computing are carefully monitored by our government. By several other governments too. Did you honestly not know that, Maddie?”
As a matter of fact, she hadn’t. Holy crap. What sort of world were they living in? She met Izzy’s unreadable expression with a hard version of her own. “So I’ll repeat—what’s illegal about buying a few books? Thanks to you, and our beloved government— I’m not allowed to attend college. I’ve got to do something with my time. Something besides poker games,” she added angrily.
“I’m not pleased about that situation. I’m going to do what I can to rectify it after this mission is done. But you should remember that any books you buy of a theoretical nature relating to computing are scrutinized. And there are people in the government who would like to know why you are reading those particular books—and what use you may put them to.”
“Are you kidding me?” She huffed out an angry breath. “Don’t you people have better ways to spend your time? Why don’t you concentrate on tracking down terrorists with dirty bombs or solving the national debt problem?”
She hunched back even farther in her chair, her face a mask of disgust. The books had been an innocent purchase. She had only wanted to explore quantum computers in complex modeling problems.
“Like take down the government, you mean?”
“Don’t you get it, Teague? I’m small potatoes. I’m no threat to anyone—except maybe myself. I seem to keep shooting myself in the foot because I’m just a little too curious.”
“That’s the first thing we’ve agreed on in the last few hours,” he said irritably. “And I suspect there’s more to your little junket than you’re going to tell me. But so be it. What you do in your free time doesn’t interest me. It’s your work time I’m concerned with because I need three hundred percent from you, Maddie. I need your code skills, your pattern search skills and even your hacking skills. Is that understood?”
Maddie stood up and yawned broadly. “Understood perfectly. But since it is the middle of the night, why don’t you clear out so I can get a few hours of sleep before work starts in the morning. You did say we have an important meeting of some sort.”
“Afraid your sleep time is aborted. You and I have business to take care of.” Izzy picked up his computer and slid it under his arm, then headed to the door. “Bring your iPad and whatever arcane hacking tools you have hidden in that backpack.”
She blinked at him. “Are you kidding? It’s almost three in the morning. I’m tired and I want to sleep.” She was also developing one helluva headache, something to do with that weird episode in the graveyard, she suspected.
“Tough. I need you with me tonight.”
“Why?”
What do you need me for?” Maddie stood stubbornly in the middle of the room, glaring at him.
Teague turned around slowly. A glint of dark humor filled his eyes. “Because we are going to break into the British Museum. I can’t think of any better accomplice than you to help me. Now get moving.”
Maddie started to protest, but stopped.
They were going to break into the British Museum? Seriously, how cool was that? And if anything happened, she could simply blame it on Teague. Then he could get a taste of his own medicine.
She hid a smile of raw excitement and shrugged. “Sure. Whatever. I’m up for a little B&E. Just be sure you remember whose idea this was if we get caught.”
What Izzy said next made her frown uneasily.
“If we get caught, there won’t be any point in explaining,” he said coldly. “I’m counting on you to see that we don’t.”
8
Twenty minutes later, Maddie was sitting amazed, looking up at the imposing stone façade of the British Museum. They were in a parked van across the street; Teague was checking the rear service entrance.
He was in professional mode now, using that thousand-yard stare that all cops, firemen and military personnel did so well.
It drove Maddie crazy. Abso-freaking-crazy.
“Want to tell me what we’re waiting for?”
“Someone’s meeting us here. Stop talking, will you?”
Maddie opened the bag of chips she had grabbed from the hotel mini-bar and began to eat her way noisily through it. “Whatever.” She hunched back in the seat and closed her eyes. “Wake me up when I have to actually do something.”
Izzy gave a low grunt and went back to scanning his laptop. Man, Maddie would have given her right arm for a peek under that hood. Knowing Teague, it had to be rigged out with every kind of updated encryption and memory cards. Seriously, what she could do with a toy like that at her disposal.
She could hack back into the Department of
Defense, for starters. Change a whole year of SAT scores.
Except those days were over. She wasn’t a stupid kid anymore. And there was something about this job that felt—weird. I mean, why did they go outside the normal chain of command? Why did Teague grab her and not one of the hundreds of tech geniuses on the NASA or DoD payroll? It didn’t make any sense.
Unless…
Maddie sat up slowly. “Okay, humor me, Teague. You want to explain again why I’m the one you choose for this job?”
He made an irritated sound, not looking up from his laptop. “I told you. You’re great with codes and pattern recognition. You’re also excellent at hacking, should it become necessary. We needed to move fast and you were available.”
“Bullshit.”
Maddie turned around in an angry burst of movement. The pieces were starting to fit together, and they painted a nasty picture. “No, you fingered me because you needed an outsider. And that would only happen if you had reason to distrust the people in your own organization. So tell me. You’ve got a traitor inside, don’t you?”
Teague’s fingers froze for a second on the keyboard. Then he resumed his typing. But his movements were slower.
He was trying to come up with a lie.
“Don’t bother to lie, I figured it out. And that’s why we’re breaking in too. You don’t want someone on your own team to know what we’re up to. Go ahead, admit it.”
When he didn’t answer, Maddie made a flat sound of disgust. “Yeah, I thought so. So much for all that crap about trust and responsibility. I guess that means I tell the truth and you say whatever the hell you want to say.”
Izzy stared across the street through the darkness. Halfway down the block, beneath an ancient oak tree, Maddie saw movement and the orange flare of a cigarette.
She dropped the unfinished bag of chips on the seat beside her, frowning. “Well? What about all that honesty garbage you’ve been feeding me?”
“Something’s wrong. That’s all I can tell you right now. Until we have solid evidence to the opposite, my orders are to presume that regular chain of command has been compromised.”
The potato chips that Maddie had wolfed down took a sudden, nauseating tumble in her stomach. “Compromised,” she repeated angrily. “In plain English—try it that way, Teague.”
“In plain English?” He closed his laptop, never taking his eyes off the street. “We’re in very deep shit.” He pulled on his jacket and reached for a small black sling bag. “Now are you coming or are you going to stay here and ask questions for the rest of the night? Because I’d like to get this over with.”
At least they weren’t going in alone, Maddie realized.
A tall figure was waiting for them in a parked car just beyond the museum service entrance. He wore a black tee shirt under what appeared to be a plain black utility jacket. No fancy bells and whistles, but the quiet, fluid way he moved told Maddie this was another man from Izzy’s covert ops brotherhood.
He got out of the car and motioned them forward. “Keep walking,” he said quietly. “I’ll brief you while we walk a few streets over. My wife will keep an eye on things here.”
His wife? This was starting to get really interesting. Maddie shot a quick glance at the rugged features of the man who had moved into step beside Izzy. He had to be at least six foot four. The few words he had spoken told her he was Scottish, with that lovely, rough mix of consonants that marked a Highlander.
“Sorry to bring you out on short notice, Ian. I can’t tell you the details, but we have to get in, and it needs to be tonight.”
The man—Ian—nodded silently. He glanced at Maddie and raised an eyebrow. “New partner?”
“Not exactly,” Izzy murmured. “It’s a long story.”
“Isn’t it always?” There was an element of humor in the man’s voice that made Maddie feel at ease. She leaned closer and pointed a finger at Izzy’s chest. “Partners? Hell no. He arrested me. Would you help someone who ruined your life?”
Izzy’s friend frowned, looking thoughtful. “I guess that depends on why he did it—and what you were doing to deserve it.” He glanced around at the silent streets and then opened a zippered pocket on his jacket. “I’ve got the schematic here. There are some updates for wiring changes in the last six months. Your plans are only ninety percent accurate.”
“You want to tell me how you got that information?” Izzy said quietly.
“That’s the easy part. My wife happens to work at the museum three days a week. There’s a big costume show in the works, and she’s the assistant curator.”
Maddie decided she really wanted to meet Ian’s wife — assuming they all got out of this business in one piece.
“I’ve noted the guard rotations and their break times.” Ian opened a small penlight and shone it over a detailed diagram of the museum. “This is our best access point.”
“Our? I thought I made that clear. You’re not going in with me. I don’t want you involved in this, Ian. Things could turn FUBAR really fast on this one.”
“I got that impression. Which is of course why you need me,” the Scotsman said calmly. “I owe you for your last visit to Scotland, remember? Now let’s not waste time in arguing.” He tapped one corner of the schematic. “The guard in this sector takes a break in twenty-nine minutes. I’ll fill you in on the security.” He tossed a thin black nylon jacket to Izzy and another to Maddie. “Sorry. I’m afraid yours is going to be too big. By the way, what’s your name?”
“I’m Maddie —”
Izzy cut her off. “No need to know her name. So what kind of alarm system are they using now, Ian? I was told they updated their old 8100 unit to a new German model.”
“Worse. They completely revamped the network last week. Now there’s a custom made override. Heat sensors and lasers. The royal family is expected at the costume show opening, and this is all new security in place .”
“Hell. I hate infrared,” Izzy grumbled. “You have a safe car somewhere? We need to get to work.”
There was an odd sense of camaraderie as the three slid into the gray van parked one street over. Fishing supplies and hiking boots filled one corner of the back. Maddie thought this was Ian’s family van. Something told her that he was rich enough to have a whole fleet of cars at his disposal.
“I can deal with the infrared,” she said quietly. “They will probably use a standard interface. But the lasers won’t be so easy to handle.”
“Nae, they won’t, lass. Which is why I decided to change the plan. We’re not going in through the janitorial access area.” The Scotsman glanced up at a sprinkling of lights three blocks over. “We’re going in through the roof.”
“I’m not afraid of heights, you know.” Maddie tried to sound like it was true, but actually she hated heights almost as much as she hated flying. Still, watching the men suit up and make their cool preparations left her feeling useless. “I could go along and help.”
“You are going to help — by staying on the ground,” Izzy said flatly. “We need you working those codes. I also want to be sure that the photographs I’m sending to your iPad come through okay. We’re going to have to study them later.”
“Sure, but—”
Izzy shoved a headset into her hands. “Put this on and stop arguing. Use the transmit button to contact us if necessary.” He looped a climbing rope around his shoulders and then pulled on tight, supple climbing shoes. He looked as if he had done this many times before.
“Seventeen minutes,” his friend Ian said quietly.
“There’s something I still don’t get,” Maddie interrupted. “What are you breaking in for? What do you need to find?”
“I’ll fill you in after we finish. Assuming the mission is a success.” Izzy punched a few keys on his laptop and then handed it to Maddie. “Keep an eye on the schematic. If there’s a security alarm, it will show up. Keep an eye on the third window, you’ll see the outgoing call messages there. If anything happens before we get back
, use it to override them. That should buy us enough time to get back out. Whatever you do, stay on that headset. And Maddie?
“Yes?”
“Try not to get yourself arrested out here, okay?”
Maddie blinked at him. Yes, that had definitely been a sense of humor.
Who’d ever thought that she’d be standing next to a covert government operative getting ready to B&E his way into the British Museum?
“Better move.” Ian had a small bag draped over his shoulder and threaded tightly around his waist. It was perfectly weighted and did not move as he walked.
“Be careful,” Maddie whispered, then felt silly. Clearly, these two men knew exactly how to take care of themselves. They didn’t need her wishes or support.
Izzy turned the corner and gave her a little two finger salute. Then he vanished into the darkness.
The shadowed street was cold.
It was uncomfortably quiet, too. Off in the distance Maddie heard the sounds of buses and trucks and cars moving in the night, but here, near the deserted south wall, all was quiet.
She prayed it would stay that way.
She gave a little jump as static hissed through her headset. “You read me?”
“Yeah. Clear.” Maddie remembered she had to do something else to answer. She found the button, pushed hard and whispered into the headset feeling surreal, like a kid in a Disney movie.
“Good. Stay alert.” Izzy’s voice faded into a wave of static.
Maddie pulled her sweatshirt tighter as damp wind scoured her face. Rain soon probably.
She looked down at Izzy’s computer and maximized the top window with the museum’s security grid. It was a normal layout and she could see staircases and exterior entrances clearly marked. When two faint purple lights began to flicker along the top of the screen, Maddie realized she was watching the progress of Izzy and his friend in real time. She expanded the window, and then pulled an overlay of the actual museum interior right next to the security grid.
Forbidden Lovers Boxed Set Page 43