Johnny had also been around long enough to have the low down on the rest of the staff and he didn’t hesitate to gossip. A trait Ryu encouraged. He grinned as he remembered the way Johnny warned him about Rachael.
“She eats men and spits them out, Mac. You want to be careful around that one.”
“Maybe I’ll bite back.”
Johnny laughed. “I tried that, her teeth were bigger. She’s one hungry woman.”
Thinking about food, Ryu turned his attention to Debbie and Mike, the caterers Fantasia Alive worked with. They hadn’t been around long enough to be involved, so unless they were late entrants he could rule them out.
Ryu let his gaze rove and saw David, the MC, talking to Mike. David fell into the same category as Johnny, not only had he been employed long enough, but he appeared to have the tech know-how. Ryu mentally ticked through the other four performers scoring their likelihood of being involved.
“Five minutes, everyone.” Kait’s voice broke his train of thought.
Ryu had been impressed with her organisational prowess at the kid’s party and again tonight. It was no surprise Victor left her in charge. Victor “Secret-room” Strange almost never turned up to events. Neither did the accountant, Edward Heath, for that matter. They were both long shots. However, they could be involved behind the scenes or acting as the masterminds. Edward had the skills, but Ryu wasn’t sure he had the chutzpah.
Victor was a more elusive prospect. Ryu’s intuition told him there was very little the man couldn’t do. The part of Ryu that was always dragon recognised another predator. Victor had a history of working in powerful companies, and you didn’t get those positions without being tough. However, just because the man could, didn’t mean he would.
Laughter and shuffling feet alerted him to the approaching crowd before the doors swung open. He picked up a few household objects and began juggling them. Kait had suggested he didn’t start using fire until the dinner show when the lights dimmed, as it would make more impact.
Of course, the end of dinner wasn’t the end of the evening. Once the dancing started the performers would mingle and continue impressing the punters. Ryu winked at a pretty woman who was staring spellbound as a vase, cell phone, coffee mug, and screwdriver spun around his head. The woman blushed prettily and called one of her friends over to watch him.
More people drifted over, while others stared in amazement at the way their conference room was transformed for the night. Mini ice sculptures decorated each table, lit from below so they glowed with an eerie blue light, while fake stalactites dangled from above. There were two long buffet tables; one covered with ice and serving chilled delights, the other served hot food and had several large candelabras down the middle, fake silk flames dancing high.
Bracketing the entrance were two large pillars and the huge boards they’d painted the other day. One for ice, the other for flame. The staff were also dressed to represent either flames or icicles. Ryu’s costume was similar to the one he’d worn to the kid’s party. Black trousers with flames up the side, but instead of a plain black shirt, the front and back panels of this one were embellished with embroidered flames.
The tablecloths were patterned like snowflakes and the bar looked like it was made of ice. There were disco balls with lights changing through the night from the cold blues and ultra-violets of ice, to the reds and oranges of fire. A huge, erupting volcano filled the stage backdrop, and clever lighting finished the effect, making the walls look alive with flame.
Having helped decorate the room, some of the magic was lost on Ryu. Besides, his focus wasn’t on the décor, it was on the Fantasia Alive staff. For the data thief, tonight was a perfect opportunity—and Ryu was ready.
Chapter 12
Kait leaned against the wall in the corridor outside the main conference room, and let out a deep satisfied breath. Music seeped through the closed doors, a sign of the ongoing gaiety inside. The show had gone off without a hitch. The CEO had come over after dinner and given her his thanks in person, something that didn’t always happen. Now everyone was enjoying themselves, dancing and watching the performers who moved through the crowd.
Ryu in particular was a big hit, especially with the women. Kait had seen his charm in action when he auditioned for the job, but it was even more evident tonight. She rested her head against the wall. She was kidding herself if she thought she stood a chance with him. Dynamic, sexy men were never interested in her. Why had she thought, even for a minute, that was going to change? Oh, and Rachael thought he was gay. Wasn’t that just the icing on the cake?
Her euphoria over a satisfactory night drained away. She slid down the wall until she rested on her heels. Rachael had been shooting her roguish looks all night, taunting her to make a play for Ryu. Kait knew the other girl expected her to fail spectacularly. Rachael’s lack of faith hurt, especially since Kait felt the same pitiful lack of confidence.
The soulful creak of the door opening made Kait press back further against the wall, hoping a potted fern would hide her. It was probably someone coming to find her and she didn’t feel like going back yet. She wasn’t quite ready to smile like nothing was wrong.
Crouching as still as possible, she listened. The sound of footsteps was curiously absent. She glanced cautiously between the fern fronds. A man stood in front of the closed door, his back to her as he peered down the corridor.
She squinted in the dim light, trying to identify him. He turned his head, looking toward her, and the light shone clearly onto his face. It was Johnny. She was about to stand up and let him know where she was, when he turned and began walking down the corridor away from her.
What the hell?
Where was he going? He was supposed to be manning the music not wandering about. There were restrooms off the main room so it couldn’t be that. A puzzled frown crept between her eyes as he stopped in front of the bank of elevators and pressed one of the buttons. She didn’t like the way he kept looking over his shoulder to check the corridor was empty.
The lift chimed, the door slid open, and Johnny got in. The light inside the elevator revealed he was holding a small black bag. This was weird. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Kait stood up and hurried over to see at which floor it stopped.
Six.
She glanced over her shoulder, the corridor was still empty. She reached across to press the “up” button then stopped, her fist clenching. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t want Johnny hearing the lift bing when it got to the sixth floor. Another glance at the empty corridor and she walked quickly over to the stairwell.
Her breath was fighting its way out of her lungs in sharp pants by the time she reached the sixth floor. Cripes, she was out of shape. She rested against the wall for a moment, then pushed open the door, wondering what the hell she was doing.
Her mind rebelled at the idea Johnny might be up to no good, and if he was, she was hardly qualified to stop him. Although, as a friend she should at least investigate. She poked her head around the doorjamb and looked about nervously.
No one.
Excruciatingly aware she shouldn’t be here, she stepped into the corridor and walked quietly around the corner toward the cubical farm making up the majority of the floor. She scanned the room for Johnny, but couldn’t see his head poking above any of the partitions. Crud, this was creepy.
Wiping sweaty palms on her skirt, she walked further into the room, her ears pricked for any sound. Although how she was going to hear anything over her frenetic heartbeat she didn’t know. A sharp tapping from her right made her gulp and duck behind a partition.
Apprehensively she waited. When the sound continued uninterrupted she let out a relieved breath and made her way, half-walking, half-crouching, toward it. Her heart beat in time to the tapping—far too fast.
The sound suddenly stopped and with a clench so did her heart.
She blinked hard. Her heart started again with a thump, although her breath refused to move from where it lodged in
her throat. Keeping low, she leaned around the corner of a partition. Johnny was kneeling next to the wall, screwing a white plug cover back in place. The frown between her brows deepened and her fingers dug into the carpet.
Huh? This was seriously not right.
Johnny began picking things up off the floor and putting them back into his bag. She leaned further forward, trying to get a better look at what he was doing.
Crack! She leaned too far, bumping into the partition she crouched beside and smacking it against a desk.
She froze.
Johnny froze.
Time seemed to slow as Johnny turned toward the sound. Shit! She pulled her head back, hoping he hadn’t seen her. Shit. Shit!
She saw his head above the partitions as he leapt to his feet, and she heard him grab his bag. She scrambled backwards as fast as she could. Had he seen her? Her foot bumped the corner of a desk. The shadowy darkness underneath beckoned and she saw her possible salvation.
She darted under the desk. Please don’t see me, she whispered silently. Please don’t see me. Rapid footsteps approached her hiding place. Ice flooded her veins and she squeezed her eyes shut. Please don’t see me.
The footsteps didn’t stop.
They hurried past.
She opened her eyes. The footsteps slowed, then halted altogether. Crud. She could imagine Johnny looking around for the source of the sound. Looking for her. She held her breath as he retraced his steps. Whatever he was doing, he obviously wasn’t finished. She heard him muttering under his breath as he went past. Had he seen her?
She waited. Muffled sounds came from where Johnny was working. Safe—at least for now. She needed to get out before he found her. Crawling out from under the desk, she headed toward the corridor, glancing behind her as she went, dreading Johnny choosing that moment to leave. She ducked around the corner and slammed into a wall.
What was that doing there, she thought dazedly?
Strong hands caught her upper arms and stopped her falling. Not wall, hard male chest. Her eyes tracked over shirt buttons and up to his face.
Ryu. What was he doing here?
Before she could even think about opening her mouth, he clamped a hand over her lips and pressed her against the wall. Instinctively her fingers grabbed handfuls of his shirt as she reached for something to steady herself. Her eyes widened as his muscular body pressed against hers.
“Not a sound.” His breath whispered against her ear, almost soundless.
She nodded and he released her mouth. He locked his eyes on hers for a moment, as if making sure she understood, then he angled his head so he could see into the cubical farm.
Kait closed her eyes. He hadn’t moved so his body still pressed hers against the wall. She could feel the strength of his chest and the hard length of his thighs against hers. Strange things were afoot but…silver linings and all that. She planned to enjoy being this close to him while she could. Her lips twitched. She’d better because it would probably never happen again.
Lord, his smell was intoxicating. That spicy-smoky scent had taunted her ever since he first walked into Fantasia Alive a week ago. The thought made her eyes open with a jolt. Was it really only a week ago? Johnny was right. She’d never fallen for a man so fast.
Ryu’s arms tightened around her and she realised he was pulling her gently toward the stairwell. She engaged her feet to help, but instead of going to the stairs he tugged her into the women’s bathroom. He released her and she looked around in surprise. What were they doing in here?
Ryu kept the door open a fraction and looked out through the barely-finger-width gap. Kait strained her ears, finally hearing what he must have heard while she indulged in sensory and sexual overload.
Footsteps.
Johnny was on the move again. They waited in silence as the footsteps got closer.
****
Ryu watched the DJ vanish into the elevator, then he moved away from the bathroom door and looked over at Kait. She was hugging her body as if sheer effort would stop her falling apart. Her face was pale in the harsh florescent light and her eyes huge with fear. Right now she was looking at him as if trying to decide whether he was next on the danger list or her unexpected saviour.
He ran his fingers through his hair. What was he going to do with her? It was quite clear from the way she behaved a moment ago she wasn’t part of this, but she’d stumbled most unfortunately into the middle of it.
When he spotted Johnny leaving in the middle of the dance, instinct prompted Ryu to follow. The last thing he expected to find was Kait doing the same thing.
“Is he gone?” Her words came out stronger than he expected.
She’s not going to let this throw her, he thought, impressed. He folded his arms and leant against the doorframe. “Yes, he’s gone. Did he see you?”
“I don’t know.” She rubbed her arms. “I don’t think so…”
“When he realises neither of us are downstairs he’s going to suspect.”
“Suspect us of what? What’s going on?” A note of panic crept into her voice.
“Suspect that one of us saw him up here. Which is a bad thing for both of us.” He pushed away from the door. “Come on, I want to get a closer look at what he was doing.”
He heard her following him to where Johnny had been kneeling.
“He was working where that desk is now,” she said when he stopped.
“Yeah, I saw him, too.”
She glanced at him. “I didn’t see you.”
“You weren’t meant to.”
He pushed the desk out of the way and crouched down next to the wall. Pulling a screwdriver out of his pocket, he worked at removing the cover on the Ethernet port.
“What are you doing?”
“Finding out exactly what Johnny was doing.” He pulled the cover off and looked in the cavity behind it. “Damn.” He tugged a few wires loose and pulled a small black box out of the wall.
“What is that thing? What’s going on?”
Ryu mentally debated. It wasn’t safe for her to know. On the other hand, she already knew too much. He ached to trust her.
“We’ve been tracking a black market information racket,” he found himself answering. “Someone connected to Fantasia Alive has been setting up wireless access points within companies you work for. We weren’t sure exactly how they were doing it, but this little device clears up that mystery.”
He showed her the box. “This gadget allows them to piggyback on someone else’s computer into the network, making them undetectable. After raiding the network, stripping it of anything useful they can find, they send a super-encrypted wireless transmission to their listening post. Then they sell the stolen data to the highest bidder.
“Usually they use meet-and-greet and planning meetings to get a layout of the office, purloin access cards, that sort of thing. Tonight was a gift. The performance was actually in the office building.”
If only he’d been able to convince Neil to provide him more back-up. Instead, he was virtually on his own tonight. Oh, his back-up team was good. Usually he’d say one of them was as good as two or three members of any other team. But no matter how good they were, they couldn’t be in more than one place at a time. One van outside wasn’t sufficient surveillance. There were too many exit points for them to watch everywhere at once.
He’d alerted them as soon as he started after Johnny. Now he hoped they caught the bastard as he left. Unfortunately he had a sneaking suspicion Johnny would get out free and clear.
“Who are you?” Kait looked at him, a bewildered expression smudging her features.
“You know who I am.” He stood up, hoping to put off seeing her reaction when she realised he’d been lying to her.
She glared at him. If looks alone could cause ignition he’d be patting out the flames on his shirt. He was almost tempted to sniff for smoke but caught himself in time.
“Who are you, Ryu MacKay?” Her voice took on painfully precise quality. “And what
are you doing here?”
He sighed. “I work for a government agency which stops people like Johnny doing bad things.”
“Government agency, bad things, that all sounds pretty vague.” The first sparks of anger were burning away her confusion. “And please don’t talk to me like a child.”
“Sorry, I didn’t intend it that way.” He shrugged apologetically. “I’m not permitted to tell you more.”
“That’s why you didn’t expect to work for us long, isn’t it? You were only going to be around long enough to expose Johnny. Then whoosh you’d be gone.”
“Yes, that’s why I’m not going to be around long, but things are happening even faster than I expected. We didn’t know Johnny was our man until tonight.”
Her mouth tightened. “Were we all suspects? Was I a suspect?”
“What do you want me to say?” He turned away and pushed the desk back into place.
“I want the truth.”
“The truth.” He closed his eyes briefly. “Yes, everyone was a suspect. But I never thought you were involved, Kait.”
“Thanks. I think.” The words came out grudgingly.
“Come on, we’d better head downstairs. See if Johnny is still here and make excuses for our absence.”
“Are you going to arrest him if he’s there?” she asked, as they walked back to the stairs.
“No, we’ll keep an eye on him, see if he leads us to his associates.” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was taking this a lot better than he expected. Or maybe it wasn’t real to her yet?
He stopped and made sure he had eye contact. “If he is downstairs, I need you to pretend none of this happened. It’s absolutely critical he suspects nothing. People’s lives depend on this, Kait. Can you do that? Can you act like you never set foot in this world of secrets?”
She nodded jerkily. “I…yes, I think so. But I’ll need answers. Johnny is my friend, I don’t want to deceive him. And I hardly know you.”
He ran a finger down the soft curve of her cheek. “You don’t know who to trust. I understand that. For now, keep out of his way.”
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