"Almost always?"
"On those other times she'll suffer through other forms of discipline."
"Like being tied up and locked in a tack room?"
"Maybe. I'll get you a towel."
"Please! I don't mean to be gross, but my hand is all sticky."
Stumbling across to a cabinet, he fetched two clean hand towels. Wiping himself with one as he moved back to her, he'd just offered her the other when his cell phone rang.
"Someone has good timin'," he remarked, grabbing his jeans and pulling the phone from the pocket. "Spike! He must have news. Hey, Spike, how's it goin?"
"Hi, Caleb. I think you and Connie should stop in and join me for some coffee."
"We'll be right there."
"So?" Connie asked, staring up at him expectantly.
"We need to go. He's found something."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"My stomach's doing flips," Connie exclaimed, jumping to her feet and grabbing her clothes. "I wonder what Spike found. Do you think he knows where Jerry is hiding?"
"We'll soon find out," Caleb replied, folding up the blanket and stuffing it back in the plastic.
Having a quick look around to make sure they had everything, they hurried from the barn and marched across the field.
"I wish I'd brought a jacket," she remarked as a cold wind kicked around them.
"My truck's parked behind the carport. We can always drive to the house, but it could die down, like the storm disappeared."
"If that was a storm, and not some supernatural thingie that brought the lion."
Reaching the cabin, they walked in and found Spike at the dining table surrounded by his equipment. He smiled a greeting.
"So? Tell us," Connie said anxiously. "What have you found?"
"Okay, where do I start? This guy Jerry. He's not your run-of-the-mill scumbag."
"What does that mean?" Caleb asked, suddenly worried. "Is he out of reach?"
"Oh, no! I know exactly where he is. He bought a place in the Cayman's, or rather, he bought a concrete and glass palace. Here, take a look," he said, bringing the photographs to life on one of his monitors.
"Good grief. You weren't kidding when you said a palace," Connie exclaimed. "Look at all those windows, and the view! Is that an infinity pool?"
"I wanna get on a plane and drown him in it," Caleb growled. "Damn!"
"I'd like to join you!" Spike exclaimed. "Do you guys know about the dark web?"
"Only what you've told me," Caleb replied.
"I don't," Connie said. "What's the dark web? It sounds ominous."
"You'd be right. Think about a dark alley in a bad neighborhood. That's the dark web on the internet, and just as dangerous. You might be okay, or you might get mugged, which means falling prey to malicious software. Very unpleasant characters run around those alleys, and some of them are for hire. Your boy didn't just transfer funds from one set of accounts to another. He set up a sophisticated route, and that route could only have been done by someone skilled in internet subterfuge. In other words, a player on the dark web."
"What does this mean?" Connie asked. "Is Jerry out of bounds?"
"For you, yes. For me, no. I hang out there, and I'm pretty sure I know who Jerry hired. I can't say the guy's a friend, but he's not an enemy. If I can get him on my side, Jerry will end up totally screwed."
"Totally screwed meaning…?" Caleb pressed.
"The locks will come off the virtual doors. I'll walk in, pick up the money, and place the funds wherever you want me to. But I would strongly recommend new accounts in new banks."
"Do you think you can win this guy over? The one Jerry hired?"
"Yeah, fairly sure, but he'll want something in return. Double-crossing Jerry won't bother him one bit, as long as we make it worth his while."
"What's his name," Connie asked, "and if we pay him off, how do we know he won't just lock the doors again, or interfere some other way?"
"We only have screen names. I know him as Dragon999, though he'll have others. A guarantee? There's no such thing, but I don't think you have to worry. He'll screw Jerry, but I doubt he'll screw me. I live in the dark web. We all know each other, and even criminals have reputations to protect. There is anonymity, but everyone has idiosyncrasies that make them identifiable. Sort of like, how you walk and talk. We can find each other if we want to. Outsiders like Jerry are a joke. People like Dragon happily take their money and do a job for them, but there's no loyalty, no connection. Jerry's just another mark, but I'm everywhere."
"How do we go about this?" Caleb asked. "I assume you have to find this Dragon guy."
"I've already sent him a message. He'll get back to me when he's ready. Assuming he's the right person, and I'm ninety-percent sure he is. All we can do is wait. I have a feeling he lives in Eastern Europe. If I'm right he'll be sound asleep."
"Assumin' we can work out a deal with him, then what?"
"That's the easy part. I bring the money home, yours and everyone else's. Jerry won't know a thing until his first check bounces, or he gets a call from one of his depositories that his money has disappeared. He'll try to get in touch with Dragon, but of course he won't be able to. What will Jerry do then? My guess? He'll flip out."
"Oh, my gosh," Connie breathed. "I don't even know what to say."
"Yeah, the underbelly of the internet is kind of shocking. Over the next few hours you need to open new bank accounts. The minute your investment company notifies you that your money is back, we'll start transferring the funds."
"Won't it be just as safe there?" Caleb asked. "And something else just hit me. Will Jerry be able to track you down?"
"First question. Dragon will know Connie's company and the account numbers. I suspect the firewalls and security will have been seriously upgraded by now, but even so, moving the funds somewhere else is the safest thing to do. Second question. Jerry ripped off several people, not just Connie. He'll have no way of finding out which one of his victims tracked down their money. Connie, when your investment company calls and says your funds have been returned, you must act totally flabbergasted. Tell them you have a new financial advisor who has set up accounts with the little money you had left, and you'll be transferring your money into them. They'll object, but they can't stop you."
"Spike, if you said the moon was made of cheese, and you know because you've been there, I'd believe you."
"That's why I'm so good at what I do. I'm completely believable."
"The way you said that is not reassuring," Connie declared, then laughed out loud. "This is all just incredible."
"Now is the time I collect my payment. While you're doing the grunt work and opening up your new accounts, Caleb here is going to get me on a horse."
"We'll be stickin' to the indoor arena. The wind has kicked up. Hopefully the weather will be okay tomorrow and I can take you up the hill."
"Hey, I don't care if we walk up and down the barn aisle, I just need to sit in the saddle."
"Let's do it."
"Caleb, put him on Dojo," Connie suggested. "He hasn't been ridden for a couple of days, and he loves beginners."
"Who are you calling a beginner?" Spike retorted.
"It wasn't an insult, and you'll see what I mean when you get on him. He's still teaching me. He's wonderful. You'll love him."
"Spike, I think you should ride him," Caleb agreed. "When was the last time you sat on a horse? A couple of months? He's the one you should be on."
"Okay, I'm sold. Connie, use my computer to set up the accounts. Here's a list of the ones I'd recommend."
"Saying thank you for all this seems so inadequate."
"Just let me visit and mount up when the spirit moves me."
"You have a deal. Are you joining us for dinner at the house tonight?"
"You think I'd miss Martha's cooking? You bet I am."
"How many accounts should I open?"
"A minimum of three. Have fun."
"Wait," she said, running
across to him and throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm so grateful. I thought I'd lose the ranch. Thank you so much."
"Uh, you're welcome," he said awkwardly, grinning at Caleb.
"You can go now. I just had to do that. And I promise Dojo will take good care of you."
As Caleb and Spike left the cabin, she wiped a happy tear from her cheek, then walked into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. Pouring the water into the kettle, she decided to email her father and tell him she'd be leaving her investment company and moving her funds into different accounts. She could fill him in with the details later.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Caleb and Spike brought Dojo and Neon in from the paddocks, and as they tacked them up, Caleb could sense Spike had something on his mind. Leading the horses into the arena, Caleb stood by as Spike climbed into the saddle, then mounted Neon.
"Man, this feels good," Spike declared as Dojo fell into step next to Caleb's palomino. "I want my own barn, and my own horses."
"Then you'll need someone like me. You think there are nefarious characters in the dark web? You've seen nothin'. You'll be taken to the cleaners in a heartbeat in the horse world."
"Can you recommend someone if I decide to take the leap?"
"I'll be here for you of course. As far as a manager, sure, but there's a lot to discuss."
"Caleb, speaking of talking—hah that's funny," he said with a chuckle. "Speaking of talking. Get it? Have to remember that one."
"Yeah, that's pretty good. So, what's up?"
"I didn't want to say anything in front of Connie, but this guy, Jerry, he's a bad actor. He would have taken a shitload of time finding Dragon, and probably just as long persuading him to do the job. I'll bet he paid him a bunch of money, but besides that, of the seven people he ripped off, from what I could gather, Connie is the only one he spent time with outside the office. The others might have been clients, but I don't think he socialized with them much. In fact, I say he kept them at arm's length."
"Whatta you gettin' at?"
"I'm paranoid, you know that. Smart phones are incredibly sophisticated. We really don't know just how intrusive they are. Did you know that a Google phone knows where you are all the time? I mean, every minute of every day? I'm convinced these phones have all kinds of spyware on them, stuff even I can't uncover. That's why I carry a dinosaur. It doesn't do anything except make calls and texts."
"You're digressin'."
"Sorry, I can't help myself when it comes to this shit. The point is, I need to check Connie's phone. Jerry could be monitoring her. He could have spyware on her computer, and on top of that, when he discovers he's broke, he'll want cash, and he'll want that money fast. Reading the tea leaves, Connie's got some nice things in this place, valuable things."
"You don't think he'd show up here, do you? He'd be crazy to come back after shootin' someone. He'd be picked up in a heartbeat."
"But, Caleb, he is crazy, and he'll be desperate. Remember the old saying, desperate people do desperate things."
"Yeah, but—"
"He'll go where he can get cash—or things he can turn into cash. Don't forget, he thinks Connie and Martha are here by themselves. He doesn't know about you, and he has another reason to come back here. Revenge. Connie dumped him, and I'll bet he had plans for her and this property."
"You might have a point there, but I still don't think—"
"This is an isolated, rural area. He could hire some joker, roll up in a horse van in the middle of the night, hold a gun on Connie and Martha, clean out the house, and bolt with the horses. You'd be here, but again, he doesn't know that, and could you stop him if he pulled something like that?"
"Steal her horses? I think that's far-fetched."
"My gut's telling me he'll come back here," Spike said solemnly. "You can say you don't think he will all you want, but what if I'm right?"
"Shit. Okay, whatta you suggestin'?"
"I need to check Connie's phone and computer, and you should get an alarm system installed. Put webcams here in the barn. And for goodness sake, put up a gate. Anyone can drive onto the property, and what if one of the horses gets loose? They can run on to the road."
"Yeah, I know. I've discussed this with Connie, and a gate is at the top of my list of things to do. The fence is there covered with all that natural brush. All we need is the gate. The work should only take a day. Is there anything else?"
"Nope. Not right now."
"Are you about ready to jog?"
"For sure. I'm overdue for a brain break."
"What's the first thing you're gonna do?"
"Relax," Spike said with a grin, "and sink in the saddle."
"Yep. Lower your hands, leave his mouth alone, and squeeze your legs."
As Spike did as instructed, Dojo moved into an easy jog.
"He's smooth," Spike declared. "Can I go faster?"
"Not yet. Just feel the rhythm, there, like that. Once around the ring at that pace, then you can move him forward."
The lesson continued, and Caleb could see the joy oozing out of his Harley-riding friend. Teaching adults could be challenging, but Spike had taken to it the first time he'd sat on a horse.
"Damn, I'm so out of shape," Spike panted as he came to a halt. "People think the horse does all the work."
"That's only true of motorbikes and cars. Do everything you just did goin' the other direction."
"I'm not sure I can."
"Try."
"You and Connie were right about this horse. He's a dream."
"You're stallin'!"
"Just catching my breath. Okay, Dojo. Let's do this."
As he set off, Caleb rode next to him and called out instructions. They were almost finished when his phone rang. Pulling Neon to a stop, he pulled it from his pocket and saw Connie's name.
"Saved by the bell," Spike said breathlessly as Dojo slowed to a walk.
"Hey, darlin', what's up?"
"I just got a call from Dan Simpson. David Hansen is awake and talking. Jerry did shoot him. They were fighting over the gun, but that's not why I'm interrupting you."
"We're almost done. What's the other thing?"
"Spike's computer. There's a purple dragon flying across the screen."
"Hold on. Hey, Spike. Connie said a purple dragon is flyin' across your monitor."
"Shit. That's him," Spike exclaimed, immediately climbing from the saddle. "I'm going to run back up."
"Go for it. I'll be with you as soon as I can."
"Caleb, think about what I said. You're sitting ducks out here. This guy will be as mad as a drug dealer who's been crossed."
"In my world, I'd be sayin' as mad as a swarm of hornets, but that's about the same thing, and I reckon you're right."
As Spike turned and jogged from the ring, Caleb let out a heavy breath. He didn't think for one minute that Jerry would show his face, even though Spike had made some good points.
"Shit," he mumbled, "what if I'm wrong. What if he does?"
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Untacking the horses and giving them a quick brush, Caleb put them in their stalls, gave them some hay to keep them happy until dinner, then took off at a fast clip towards the cabin. In thirty-minutes it would be time to bring in Checkers, Domino and Goldie, and with the sun low in the sky, and the temperature quickly dropping, he didn't want to dawdle. Spike's parting words were still with him as he jogged across the field. Short of installing an alarm system the following day and alerting the local sheriff, he couldn't think of anything more he could do. Reaching the cabin he hurried inside, only to find Connie wearing a dark frown, and Spike's fingers flying across his keyboard like a drummer performing a rimshot.
"What's goin' on?"
"Good news and bad," Connie declared, walking over to him. "I need a hug."
"Tell me what happened," he said, putting his arms around her.
"Which do you want first?"
"The bad."
"I sent an email to my father.
I didn't give him any details, just that someone tried to scam me, but the situation was under control and I'd call him tomorrow."
"And that's a problem because…?"
"Spike's worried I might have spyware on my computer."
"And if Jerry is still watching," Spike suddenly exclaimed, spinning around in his chair, "when the money disappears from his accounts, he'll assume Connie, or someone she hired, picked up his trail. This is my fault. I should have checked her equipment right away, and warned her not to send any emails like that."
"Crap! Can you work your magic and find out?" Caleb asked anxiously.
"The sophisticated spyware is tough to uncover, and if he did get something on her computer he would have used the latest and the best. I'm going on the assumption he's watching. In a situation like this, being paranoid is being smart. When I'm finished I'm going to blow up his computer, and Connie needs to buy a new machine and a new phone right away. Excuse me, I have to get back to this."
"Spike's getting the money," Connie said softly. "He made the most amazing deal for me. Dragon wanted two-percent of everyone's account balance, but Spike told him three-percent, and nothing from me."
"Spike! Jeez. That's brilliant. How long will the transfer take?"
"Only take a few minutes," Spike replied without moving his eyes from the monitor. "Jerry stole a shitload of money. Just give me a second here, hmm. I knew I'd be facing this. Your investment company has some new security features."
"Are they a problem?" Connie asked anxiously, breaking out of Caleb's hold. "My heart is beating so fast I can hardly breathe."
"Hang on. There!" Spike muttered. "Yeah, baby, come to papa. Perfect. Just a couple more things—and—bingo. I'm done! You've got your money."
"Seriously?" Connie gasped, not quite believing him. "Are you sure?"
"Yep. Your phone should ring any time now."
"I figured you'd be able to help, but damn, Spike, you are still blowin' my mind," Caleb declared. "You know you're a scary guy sometimes."
To Kiss A Cowboy (Hunks and Horses Book 1) Page 12