by Mel LeBrun
We have to find out what's in those pictures and what's on that flash drive.”
He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair.
She looked up at him. “You think that has something to do with all this?”
“Oh, I do. But first, let's see what your friend was trying to tell you.”
THEY PARKED on the side of the road in a residential neighborhood. Jessica hacked into a nearby wireless network and logged into her email account. She quickly downloaded the pictures to a file on her desktop. She closed the web browser and started up another program. She was moving so fast Michael could barely keep up. The program came up and she started entering the file directories of the pictures she just downloaded.
“What are you doing now?” he asked.
“This is a program Alex wrote so that only we could see the messages we sent each other. Without it, I probably wouldn't be able to read the message. I'm entering the pictures and the program will decipher the message. It will just take a few minutes.”
The program seemed to be doing a lot of stuff. Then some text started to appear on the screen. It was all garbled.
“That doesn't look like anything,” he remarked.
“He encrypted the message before he put it in the pictures. He really didn't want anyone else seeing this.” She furrowed her brow as she stared at the screen.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
“I have to figure out the key. Why wouldn't he just tell me? Why go through all the trouble of encrypting and hiding his message?”
“Maybe he knew someone was watching him or that they were reading his emails,” Michael suggested. “Maybe he was afraid a direct message would've been intercepted and deleted before it got to you.”
The thought was chilling. What did he get himself into? she wondered.
The program finished and a long page of text appeared on the screen. It was all garbled except the last four words. You're in danger. Run. Her heart sunk and she felt sick. Michael stared at the words.
“We should go.” He put the truck in gear and took off.
To Michael's surprise, she held it together. She was shaken, but she was thinking about what she needed to do next. She had to determine the cipher Alex used. As they drove away, Jessica got to work, her fingers a blur on the keyboard.
“Crap!” she exclaimed.
“What is it?”
“I think he encrypted it in Russian.”
“So, what does that mean?”
“I need a translation program if I'm going to decrypt it.”
“I take it you don't have that?”
“No, but I know where I can get one.”
“Where?”
“A club I used to hang out at when I was a teenager.”
“No way.”
“No one knows about it. No one there even knew my real name. We all went by code names.”
“Code names?” he asked warily.
“It's a hacker club,” she explained.
“A hacker club? I don't think so. We'll find another way.”
“There isn't another option. It's not something we can just buy in a store. I'm not connected with that club in any way. At least not on paper.”
“How long has it been since you were there last?”
“Maybe six years.”
“Is anyone going to know you?”
“A few probably will.”
Michael didn't like it. If they could tie Jessica to that club in any way, they were sure to be all over it. “How sure are you that you can't be connected to this place?”
“Ninety-nine percent,” she replied.
“It's the one percent that worries me.” He rubbed his forehead. “We'll check it out. But I don't like it.”
Chapter 16
They arrived at a non-descript brick building. There was a single recessed door for an entrance and no windows. A sign next to the door said Hydr0, with a zero instead of an “o”.
“This is it,” she said.
Michael gave her a look. He didn't like the building. It looked like a death trap. No way out if they got jammed up. He took a deep breath and sighed as he looked back at the building. He reached down around his ankle and pulled a gun from his ankle holster. He cocked it and stuck it in his waistband and pulled his shirt over it. Then he retrieved another gun from the glove box, storing that one in his ankle holster.
“Please don't kill anyone here.”
She looked worried.
“I will only kill people that try to kill us,” he assured her. “I'm going to check out the building. Wait here.”
He walked past the main door and down the alley beside the building. It was barely big enough for one vehicle. There was a camera on the corner of the building facing down the alley. Another camera covered the back door. There were no windows to the club and that made him nervous. Once inside, he wouldn't be able to see what was going on outside. He'd have to use the video feed if he wanted to see outside the building. He scoped out the street on the other end of the alley then made his way back to the truck.
Jessica was starting to get nervous when she saw Michael round the corner of the building. He was walking towards the truck when he stopped, reached in his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. She didn't even know he had a cell phone; she never saw him using it. He put the phone up to his ear and turned away from her. He stood there talking to someone, but she had no idea who it could be. He hung up the phone, returned it to his pocket and started back towards the truck. He opened her door to let her out.
“Who was that?” she asked as she stepped out.
“Just a contact. Don't worry about it.”
She wasn't thrilled with his vague answer, but decided not to press him on it.
The front door was locked. Jessica knocked, but no one came. They walked to the back door and tried again with the same result. She looked at her watch. 11:34 a.m. She sighed loudly. “No one will be here for another couple of hours. They usually start arriving around 2:00 p.m. to set up. Sometimes someone is here earlier if there is something they need to do. I was hoping that would be the case.”
“We can grab a bite to eat and come back,” he suggested.
“Alright, but no biker bars.”
“You don't have to tell me twice.”
They found a quaint little pizzeria and took a booth in the back. Michael sat facing the door. They were both quiet after the waitress left with their order. Neither could think of anything to say.
“Did you have a girlfriend before you had to go on the run?” Jessica finally broke the silence.
“No.” He looked down. “We broke up months before when I caught her in bed with my best friend.”
“Oh. I'm sorry. How long were you together?”
“Five years.” He looked back at her. “Most of it, I spent overseas. I guess I can't really blame her for wanting some company. But I never cheated on her and I just couldn't stay with her after that. I never forgave my friend either.”
“I'm sorry,” she said again.
“It all worked out. I would have had to leave her anyway after China. It made it easier to disappear. I can be thankful for that at least.”
“You have any girlfriends since then?” she asked while she twirled the straw in her glass of soda, avoiding eye contact.
He grinned, knowing the implication of her question. “No, I haven't.”
She looked up and he was smiling at her. She gave him a timid smile in return and looked down at the table again. She was embarrassed. He watched her. She was so innocent and shy. He thought it was adorable. He reached forward and held her hand. She felt butterflies in her stomach. She still couldn't believe that this Greek god in front of her was attracted to her.
“What are you thinking?” he asked her.
“I just can't believe this is happening.”
“Which part?”
“What do you mean?”
“You can't believe you're running for your life or you can't bel
ieve that I'm attracted to you?”
She gulped hard. She wasn't expecting him to be so direct.
“Both,” she replied.
“Why is it so hard to believe that I would find you attractive?” Without giving her a chance to reply he continued, “Because as a matter of fact, I find you irresistible.”
She didn't know what to say. She was blushing and a huge smile formed on her face. She looked up at him and he was just smiling, watching her. The waitress arrived just then with their pizza and Michael relinquished his grip on her hand.
“So you haven't really told me much about you,” Jessica said before taking a bite. “Do you have any family?”
“No,” he answered. “Both my parents were only children. They were killed by a drunk driver when I was seventeen. My grandparents died when I was young so that pretty much left with no one.”
“That's awful. I'm so sorry.”
“It's why I ended up joining the military. I didn't feel like I had much to live for. I'm not saying I had a death wish or anything, but dying didn't really scare me. Which is probably why I did so well.”
“Do you still feel that way? Like you don't have anything to live for?”
“No.” He looked up at her and smiled. “I have plenty to live for.”
She smiled back and they turned their attention to their food. While they ate, the door opened and three men walked in. Michael tensed. They were laughing and joking and took a booth near the door. They didn't pay any attention to Jessica and Michael and didn't appear to be a threat, but Michael remained on edge anyway. He continued eating but he had stopped talking and was keeping an eye on the three men, watching for any suspicious behavior. Jessica could see he was tense and it made her uneasy. Michael noticed she was getting nervous.
“It's okay,” he said. “I'm watching them. They haven't done anything that would make me think they're a threat. I'm just being careful. Let me worry about it.” He gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled back and tried to relax.
Jessica finished eating and sat quietly watching Michael as he ate. “I have to go to the bathroom,” she said.
“Okay,” he said, as she continued to sit there. “Do you want me to go with you?” he asked facetiously.
“No.” She looked around nervously.
“Jessica, it's fine. Nothing is going to happen.”
She nodded and slowly got up. She couldn't help but think of the last time she went to a public restroom. She knew her fear was irrational, but she couldn't help it. She walked slowly to the bathroom, flashes of the biker bar going through her head as she walked down the hallway. The bathroom was empty. When she came out of the stall, she felt her heart beating faster and her hands were shaking. She nervously washed and dried them, then walked quickly to the door. She wanted to get out of there. She swung the door open and there was Michael leaning against the wall.
She smiled and stepped towards him. He put his arm around her and they walked out of the pizzeria. He had paid for their meal right after she left for the bathroom. He kept a close eye on the three men as they passed, but they were too busy talking and eating; they barely even looked up as they walked by.
MICHAEL PARKED on the street in front of the club and made another quick check of the building. He knocked on the back door, but no one answered. He got back in the truck.
“We still have almost an hour to kill,” he said.
“What are we going to do?”
“Wait.”
He moved the truck to a parking lot across the street and parked facing the club. They sat in silence watching for signs of life.
“Is this what it's like on a stakeout?” she asked.
“Pretty much. Long boring hours of nothing.”
“Got any stories from your soldier days?”
“Hmm.” He thought for a moment. “I'm not sure I have any that I could tell you about. Most are classified. But also, the nature of my work is not pretty. The people I hunted were terrible people and it often required me going in some of the worst places on earth and seeing some of the worst things on earth.”
“How do you do it?”
“You just don't think about it. You gotta turn it off. Sometimes you can't though. Some things stay with you no matter how hard you try to shut it off.”
His demeanor changed. He became somber and distant. He was flashing back to the worst mission he was ever on. The nine-year-old daughter of a DEA agent had been kidnapped by a Colombian drug lord as retaliation. A week had passed by the time their boots hit the ground where they believed she was being held. They went in slow, afraid the Colombians would kill the girl if their presence became known.
Using silencers and knives, they took out the men one by one, hiding their bodies in the shadows. They worked their way slowly through the compound until they got to the building they believed the girl was kept in. She was there, naked and beaten, barely breathing with a weak pulse. One of the men scooped her up and they worked their way back out of the compound towards the extraction point where a helicopter was going to pick them up.
She didn't make a sound, not even a whimper or cry. They wrapped her in a blanket as soon as they were in the helicopter and the medic started checking her vitals and inserting an IV. The soldier who was carrying her never let go of her. He held her in his arms telling her she was safe now and she was going to see her parents. She died in the helicopter in the arms of that soldier.
Her parents found some comfort in the fact that she died in the arms of someone who cared for her rather than alone in that building, but it was only a little comfort. They lost their little girl in the worst way.
Michael was that soldier. Her death haunted him.
“Some things I wish I could forget.”
Jessica reached out and took his hand. He squeezed it and forced a smile. She could only imagine the demons he had to battle with.
“Bingo.” He nodded towards the club.
She looked up and saw a few people in the alley moving towards the back door. They disappeared around the corner of the building.
“I guess it's showtime,” she said. “Let me do the talking.”
“This will be a first,” he remarked. “I'm used to taking the lead.”
“These are my people.”
“How did you ever get into this?” he asked.
“It's a long story, I'll have to tell you later.”
“I look forward to it. You take the laptop. I want to keep my hands free.”
“Please, don't kill anyone,” she said again.
“I don't plan on killing anyone.”
“Do you ever?”
“Yes.”
Okay, she thought, she shouldn't have asked.
THEY WALKED down the alley to the back door. Michael knocked loudly. It opened and they were greeted by a short Asian man with spiked hair, dyed red at the tips. He dressed like he was in Hawaii with piercings on his nose and ears.
“Oh. My. God!” the small Asian man's jaw dropped and he looked like he was in shock. “Oh my God, Summer!” He leaped forward, wrapping his arms around Jessica.
“Hi, Suki.” She hugged back with a huge smile on her face.
“My God, Summer! How have you been?! We've missed you.” He turned back and yelled into the club. “Guys, you'll never guess who's here!”
“It's not that dog again, is it?” a voice yelled back.
“Come in,” he insisted as he dragged her inside. “Who's your friend?”
“Jake,” Michael answered as he held out his hand.
Suki shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Jake. Wait here, lemme get the guys.” He ran off to somewhere in the back.
She turned to Michael. “Jake?”
“It's my cover name. Summer?”
“It's my cover name,” she smiled. “My screen name was SummerBreeze. Everyone called me Summer.”
Michael glanced around the club. The outer walls were brick and along one wall were sections of what looked like living room sets. Cou
ches and lounge chairs complete with coffee tables and end tables. Along another wall were a few high tables and chairs. The bar was made of black granite. The place had a techno and grunge kind of look. It wasn't a dive, and everything appeared well maintained and clean.
Suki came back with the guys, and girl, trailing behind him. One looked like he still lived in his parents' basement. He was heavyset but tall with medium brown hair and glasses. He was a bit nerdy. There was a tall blonde girl who looked borderline anorexic with bleached hair and a lot of tattoos and piercings. The last guy was a well-built blonde who dressed like a surfer.
When they laid eyes on Jessica, huge smiles grew on their faces. They all began hugging and excitedly greeting her. They asked how she was doing and told her how much they missed her. Then all eyes moved to Michael, the giant Adonis standing behind her.
“Hi,” he said nervously, feeling like an outsider in this little reunion. He wasn't sure what to make of how much everyone seemed to love Jessica. Why hadn't she been back there in six years?
“Guys, this is Jake,” Jessica said. “Jake, you've met Suki. This is SunBurn,” she said gesturing to the blonde anorexic. “Everyone calls her Sun.” Pointing to the heavyset basement dweller, “This is Phuzz. And finally, here is OneShotSniper,” referring to the blonde surfer, “everyone calls him Snipe.”
Michael found the last one amusing. He was sure that kid had never even seen a real sniper rifle, let alone fired one. Michael, on the other hand, was one of the best snipers the army had at one time.
“So what are you doing here?” Snipe finally asked. “We haven't seen you in ages. Maddy keeps us up to date, but it's been some six years.”
“I know guys. I've missed you too. It's unreal being here again. Maddy has kept me in the loop about you as well. I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch.”
“Ignore Snipe,” said Sun. “We're all so proud of you and happy that you've made a good life. You sure deserve it.”
“Yeah well, Maddy didn't exactly give me a choice,” she chuckled.
One thought kept going through Michael's mind. Who the hell is Maddy?
“So, what brings you here?” asked Suki.