by Lea Hart
Her mouth opening and closing like a fish was not the reaction he expected. Where were her zingers and quick, sassy retorts? Taking her hand again, he held it tightly. “I’ve pulled my head out of my ass, and I can see that it’s shocking.”
“You have no idea,” she replied as the waiter approached with their drinks.
They both sat up, and when Lucky picked up her drink, Sam noticed her hands shaking ever so slightly. Which made him feel like pumping his fist in victory. If she didn’t have any feelings left, then his words wouldn’t have affected her, and since they did, he had a small prayer she was going to give him a chance.
“Are you ready to order?”
“We’d like to start with the calabrese calamari, then have the caprese salad, and for dinner, we’ll have the chicken vesuvio and penne arrabiata with broccoli.”
“Perfect,” the waiter replied and then walked away.
“A little heavy-handed, isn’t it?” Lucky asked as she drummed her fingers on the table.
“You may have forgotten how many meals we ate together last spring when we were working on the Belikov and Firtash thing. I noticed what you ordered, and I think what I chose for our meal is exactly what you would’ve chosen.”
“Be that as it may, don’t think I’ll let it happen again.”
He lifted his martini and gave her a wink before he took a taste. As the cool vodka slid down his throat, he felt himself relax. Not only because of the alcohol but because she said, happen again. That was all that mattered. Setting his drink down, he smiled. “You can order next time.”
Giving him a nod worthy of an empress, she then picked up her drink. Deciding they had nothing but heavy shit to discuss, he picked up his drink again and kept his mouth closed. Better they enjoy their meal for as long as possible before they started in on treachery and mobsters.
“Not that I give a fig what the FBI thinks, but I have to admit I’m curious why they think I’m getting into their servers.”
Or not, Sam thought as their calamari was delivered. “The director’s cryptic comment made me think they have some intel suggesting that’s what occurred, but as I’ve thought about, I’m not so sure it’s actionable intelligence. Owen and I were talking yesterday, and he made a comment about someone in IB being jealous of you, and it made a lot of sense. The intel you developed about the threats against Stazi is what allowed us to take down Belikov. It would’ve taken them a year to develop what you did in a matter of weeks, and it made them look bad. Maybe someone got their knickers in a twist and is ready for a little revenge.”
“Makes sense. Is that the same Owen who is friends with Jason and works out at our gym all the time?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“He’s one good-looking man,” Lucky said as she picked up a piece of calamari and popped it into her mouth. “Not classically, of course, but damn, he pulls off the whole shaved head and muscle thing beautifully.”
He ate a couple of pieces of calamari as well and tried to tamp down his envy. Owen was an excellent agent and a good friend, and the last thing he needed to do was kill him because Lucky thought he was attractive. Draining his martini, he signaled for another round. “I understand Jason and Owen grew up together and are close to this day.”
“They are; I see them hanging out all the time along with Owen’s sister Tegan. In fact, I think Jason has a thing for Tegan and doesn’t have the guts to do anything about it.”
“We are talking about the man who’s as big as a freight train, right?”
Waving her fork around, she snorted. “He may be a retired SEAL with more deadly skills than most and the idea of him being ‘scared’ of anything or anyone is ridiculous. But…when he’s around Tegan, he stumbles over his words and says the stupidest things.”
Their new drinks were delivered, and Sam knew exactly what Jason felt like because he’d pretty much made an ass out of himself since the moment he and Lucky had been introduced. “Back to the idea of why the FBI thinks what it does…”
“I'm one-hundred-percent honest with you, Sam. I’m very good at what I do so I don’t need to hack into the Intelligence Branch. If I need raw data, I can get it a lot faster than they can; what I can’t do is connect the dots like an experienced agent. I can make guesses at what I’m looking at, but we both know I don’t have the in-depth knowledge to make sense of what I’m seeing.”
“You have great instincts, Lucky, and the way I saw you analyze and interpret the Firtash and Belikov intel tells me you’d do just fine without any help.”
“It was you who put the puzzle together, not me.”
The empty plate that sat between them was cleared and replaced with one filled with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Picking up the large fork, he put some on a plate for Lucky and then did the same for himself. When a loaf of hot bread was delivered, he broke off two pieces and put one on each of their plates. Motioning toward her, he said, “Manga.”
“I see that you like to order, serve me food, and then tell me what to do.” Picking up her fork and knife, she cut into a tomato. “Makes me wonder if you’re this bossy in all areas of your life.” Putting her food into her mouth, she stared at him as she chewed.
“You will eventually discover that I am a man who likes to be in control…in all areas.” When he saw her swallow and narrow her eyes, he decided he’d said enough. She threw the ball in his court, and he did the only thing he could and return it decisively. Moving in his seat, he attempted to relieve some of the discomfort that came from picturing what his control was going to look like when they ended up together.
“Sometimes, the person who thinks they have the power is the one who has none.”
“Guess we’re eventually going to find out,” he replied with a feral smile. Seeing the color in her cheeks move across her throat let him know she understood the underlying meaning perfectly. And since she hadn’t given him a verbal lashing, he figured she didn’t hate the idea. “I don’t like the idea of someone trying to pin something on you, and I’d like to figure out who’s responsible as soon as possible so it won’t distract us. My team is going after some heavy hitters, and I can’t be worried about you while I’m doing it.”
Lifting an eyebrow, she set her utensils down and then wiped her mouth. “Not for one second of one hour of one day do you ever have to worry about me. I’m one of the best hackers in the world, and it won’t take me long to discover who is up to what. I also work for a company filled with deadly operatives who would be at my side within seconds should I need it. So. Don’t. Ever. Worry. About. Me!”
He shook his head and then slid his hand under the table and pressed it to her knee. “Not possible, Lucky. I’m well aware of how talented you are and the men you have at your disposal, but none of that means shit because I want to be the one you count on.” Seeing the shock roll over her features told him she hadn’t seen that one coming.
The truth was, neither had he.
But he spoke from his gut, with no thought as to the possible repercussions. All her talk about not needing him chapped his ass, and the sooner he could get her to see him as not only an ally but her very own personal champion, the better.
He picked up his fork and proceeded to eat the delicious food in front of him. The fact that she was staring holes into him as he ate bothered him very little. He said what he had to, and she was just going to have to accept it. Seeing the waiter approach with the steaming plates of chicken and pasta, he smiled. “Here comes our dinner.”
The restaurant served the entrees family style and that was one of his favorite things about the place because he liked to have a variety when he ate and sharing food with a woman was one of the best ways to achieve that. Their salad plates were taken away, and just as he was about to pick up the serving utensils, his hand was slapped. “What?”
“No one serves that main dish except me. Women in my family have been doing it for generations, and I will not be the exception.”
“Understoo
d.” He watched her place a large portion of the chicken on a plate along with the peas. Tilting the plate, she ladled up a generous portion of the sauce, poured it over, and then scooped up some penne and deposited it on his plate.
“We’re not eating this in the right order, but if we don’t eat it now, it will get cold,” she said as she served herself.
“Pasta is the primo, and the protein is the secondo,” Sam said as he cut into the chicken.
“Correct,” Lucky replied as she took a bite of chicken.
“Does your mom serve all the meals traditionally?”
“She does on Sundays, though I’m not sure what she and dad do during the week since we’ve all moved out.”
“Are your folks still in Buffalo Grove?”
“Yes, they live in the house that I grew up in. My oldest brother works with my dad in his plumbing business and lives about a mile away from my parents, and my other brother lives in Edgewater. He’s got a construction business and just bought a big house that he’s going to redo, and my oldest sister lives in New York.”
“What does she do?”
“She’s an attorney.”
“Always good to have one in the family.”
“What about you, Sam?”
“Two brothers who still live in Everett, one is a doctor, and the other is an engineer at Boeing.”
“You clearly were the one that craved excitement.”
“Six years on Delta and three on HRT sure gave me what I was looking for.” Adjusting his leg, he gave her a jaunty grin. “The last op being the exception.”
“You’re alive and, considering you were a Tier One operator, that’s a damn miracle.”
He nodded and then went back to his meal. He knew she was aware of his prosthetic because she’d made him show her back in May when she’d seen him in a pair of shorts. When he’d snapped it off, she’d been fascinated and not repulsed. She kept talking about how cool it was, and when she’d gently placed her hand over the sock that covered the stump and told him how lucky he was to be around still, he’d almost lost it.
He’d thought about that day a lot over the last several months and always remembered how Lucky’s kindness and honesty impressed the hell out of him. She didn’t shy away from his loss or give him bullshit platitudes. She’d simply given him the gift of her grace and acceptance.
And now that he was facing the last of his fears about what the rest of his life was going to look like, he prayed he could find a way to get Lucky interested in sharing it with him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Friday, September 8th
Lucky walked into SAI and saw Ivy giving her a smile that spelled trouble. The way her eyebrows were wagging could only mean one thing, and it wasn’t anything she wanted a part of. “Morning.”
“My, my is that the Queen of Denial walking through the doors?”
“I’ve had one cup of coffee, so you’re going to need to give me a few more details about what you’re jabbering about.”
Jason walked down the hall and stood next to Ivy. “What are we talking about?”
“Lucky and the fed,” Ivy said as she leaned against Jason and laughed. “Our sweet girl has been swept off her feet by the very handsome and charming Sam Barton Special Agent and he just dropped her off at work.”
“Took him long enough; he’s had a thing for her since last spring.”
“No sweeping has occurred. He gave me a ride to work this morning because my car is still in the shop. Nothing romantic about it.”
Ivy crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Well, that just spoils all my fun.” Twirling her finger, she gave Lucky an assessing gaze. “Maybe I should get involved and see if we can move this love boat out of the harbor.”
Ryan walked down the central staircase shaking his head. “Ivy, you leave them alone. None of your meddling is going to help the situation.”
Looking up, Ivy threw her husband a smirk. “You don’t know anything about how well my meddling works or doesn’t work, so zip it.”
Ryan walked over to his wife and took both of her hands. “Have you already forgotten about Fiona and Dennis?”
“You hush, Ryan.”
Jason rocked back on his heels and grinned. “This, I gotta hear.”
“No, no, you don’t.” Slipping out of Ryan’s grasp, she turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen. “If you say anything about it, Ryan, you know what the consequences will be.”
Lucky looked at Ryan and shook her head. “If I were you, I’d heed her warnings because she seems like a woman who believes in holding a grudge.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Ryan replied as he stared down the hall.
“That was damn unsatisfying,” Jason remarked as he turned toward the ready-room. “Come on, Ryan, let’s go check the equipment we're using tonight.”
“Roger that.”
Heading toward the stairs, Lucky breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted to be talking about was her and Sam. The evening they’d spent together had her all kinds of confused, and she didn’t have the time or inclination to sort out what it all meant, and there was no way she was going to have any in the near future.
Her plate was full not only with her regular workload, but her client’s hack, as well as the changes Rory and Max wanted to make. Not anywhere in there was there a bit of room for Sam Barton or, more importantly, the leads she wanted to pursue on Vazov.
Once she hit the top of the stairs, she trudged down the hall and put her hand on the pad that would unlock her sanctuary. Once the door slid open, she walked inside and heard the hum of the processors and felt a calm wash over her body. The large room was where she felt most at home, not only because it had been designed to her specifications but because it’s where she understood how things worked, and that wasn’t always true of the outside world.
Dumping her purse on the desk, she then sat down and took a moment to clear her mind. When she felt like she had gathered her wits, she opened her eyes and decided to check the status of the code she and Grif had written yesterday for the client. It was meant to close the backdoor the breach had created while not alerting the people who initiated it. And, so far, that was the most important goal because they hadn’t yet discovered what the true goal of the intrusion was, and until they did, all they were doing was rearranging chairs on the Titanic.
By now, the attacker had to know he or she had failed to steal the company’s data, and while there could be various reasons for it, she didn’t want them to think it was because she’d discovered him. The ransomware wasn’t complex, and that let her know they were probably dealing with two different attacks.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Grif walk in. “Hey.”
“Are you thinking about the hack or something else?”
“The hack. It doesn’t add up, and my gut is telling me the company’s network might already be secretly owned by someone we’ve yet to identify.”
“Yeah, my gut is sending the same message. That cheap-ass ransomware is like a red flashing light that doesn’t match up with whoever got into the network.”
“Exactly.” Sitting up in her chair, she crossed her legs and grabbed her keyboard. “How’s the autonomous security system you’re designing?”
“It’s going.”
“Are you basing the system on signature-based or anomaly detection?”
“The signature detection system is fine for a small business that doesn’t keep anything of value on its network, but because it relies on the use of a specifically known pattern of unauthorized behavior, it won’t stand up to a major intrusion.”
“I know that, Professor Myer, and appreciate the refresher from Computer Science and Engineering 101.”
“Sorry.” He ran his hand through his hair and shot her a grin. “Anyway, I’m working on an anomaly-based program that detects activities from the baseline. My challenge, though, is figuring out how to keep the normal operation traffic profile clean. I keep mind fucking
myself as I create it because I ask myself: if the automation itself is hacked, then is the AS being gamed?”
“It’s a good question,” Lucky replied.
“Exactly,” Grif replied as he sank into a chair. “We live in a hall of mirrors, and that’s why every time I think the program is working, I find something else to add.”
“That’s because you’re the second-best hacker and, given sufficient motivation and time, you can break into almost any secure network without setting off alarms.”
“Baby, there is no second-best only first-best, and that’s me.” He gave her a cocky grin and pointed his finger at her. “Remember when breaking in used to thrill us?”
“We were seventeen and clueless and thought because we found a way in and could roam free we were hot shit. Now that we’re on the side of defense, we have to out-think every aggressor out there.”
“When we find the entry point of this hack, then hopefully we’ll find our answer as to why someone wanted into the network.”
“Botnet,” Lucky said quietly.
“Don’t even joke about that shit.”
Ivy waltzed in and looked at them. “Joke about what?”
“Nothing,” Lucky responded. “We’re just throwing around crazy ideas.”
“No one loves a crazy idea more than me, but I can see that neither one of you is ready to spill, so I suppose I’ll just have to wait.”
Lucky stood and walked over to her Microsoft hub table and started typing in commands. “I’m going to look at what intel was developed overnight on the breach.”
“Before you get too deep into it, I came by to see if you’ve thought about what we discussed yesterday.”
“Ivy, I need more than twenty-four hours to come up with a reasonable response. Give me the weekend to get my ideas together and then we can talk on Monday.”
“Fair enough.” Before she stepped out of the office, she looked at Grif and narrowed her eyes. “We’re going to get you to join the team—one way or another.” She gave them both a smile and then walked out.