by J. Saman
I have no idea what time it is, but I know it can’t be that late. “Yeah?”
“It’s ten-forty in the morning, Jake. I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to you before midnight in all the years I’ve known you.”
I smile into the sunlight invading my room. “I know. How’s Seattle?”
“Well,” Ryan drags out, “if you called regularly, you’d know.”
“Asshole. It’s not like you call me regularly, either.”
“True,” he laughs the word. “Seattle is great. Katie is fantastic, and if I have my way, my last name will be her last name by this time next year.”
“Wow. That’s…” I’m at a loss for words. My friend Ryan Grant wasn’t always this commitment-minded.
“I believe the word you’re searching for is awesome.”
“Yeah,” I say with a small chuckle. “That. I’m happy for you, man. You deserve it. I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Sure. Enough with the bullshit pretenses. What’s going on? I’m going to assume this is work related, but you should know, I play for the other side now. I’m all about fighting cybercrime, not contributing to it.”
“And Luke?”
He chuckles into the phone again, the sound warm and welcome. “He’s a gray area.”
“Should I call him then?”
“I’m gonna be honest with you, Jake. That hurt. I’ve known you for what? Years, right? Since our very first day of freshman year when we discovered our other roommate, Tommy was a douchebag. And you’re going to call Luke, whom you’ve met like a handful of times? Dick move, dude.”
“It’s big, Ryan. Like I’ve suddenly found myself in the middle of some potentially big shit. I can’t do this through the casino. It has to be done privately.”
“Are we speaking on a secure line?”
Good question.
“I have no idea. This is not my world.”
“Hmmm… it’s not mine, either. At least not anymore.” Liar. “So, here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to go to Wal-Mart or some shit and buy something. After you do that, you can text me. I’ll be in touch from there.”
We hang up and I rub my bleary eyes before I drag myself out of bed. I know what he’s talking about. He wants me to get a burner phone. And now it seems I’m wading in deeper because a burner phone is not something I ever imagined I’d have to buy. But that asshole Brent threatened me. Threatened to end me. He knows who I am and he’s after something from Mia. Fiona. Whatever the hell her name is. I may not know her secrets, but I do know her. I can’t leave her alone and defenseless to the wolves. And this guy is definitely a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her since the moment I set eyes on her, which I realize is only about a month ago. But so what. I see her nearly every day. We run together. We talk and joke and make out like fucking teenagers. I might just be falling for my mystery woman. So, I’m going to get that burner phone. I’m going to text my old college roommate with everything I’ve got on this prick. And we’ll see what comes up from there.
I never asked Ryan what he was into back in college. I knew. He was part of the underground hacking ring MIT has going on, and was in direct competition with Cal Tech. It’s how he met Luke. Now they run a very successful information security company. But Ryan won that freaking hacking ring for a reason. He was the best.
Let’s hope he still is.
Chapter Sixteen
I texted Ryan everything I have from my new burner phone four hours ago. And then I passed the fuck out. Part of me was tempted to text Mia, too. I have her number from her file, but I didn’t want to freak her out and make her run. And then I felt guilty for that because maybe she should run. Maybe she’d be safer that way. Maybe I could help her do that.
Then again, if this asshole found her here, he can find her anywhere. Here, she has me. Here, she has a place to sleep and free food. Here, she has work. So, I won’t scare her off. Not yet anyway.
When I wake up, I see I have a text on my new phone. Immediately, I call the number in the text. “This is Claire.”
“Claire?” I ask with an unstoppable smile. “It’s Jake.”
“Jake,” she laughs my name. “As in, Ryan’s old roommate Jake?”
“Is there another?”
“One never knows, my friend. One never knows. I didn’t get to be this sexy by not watching my ass.” A laugh bursts out of my chest. Fucking Claire. “So, the boss man is tied up with some business crap, but he gave me a message for you.”
And then she falls silent. “I’m waiting, Red.”
“Jesus, give a girl a second to find it.” She puffs out a breath. “Okay, here it is. Ryan said this is a level one. As such, he’s sending you a package with detailed instructions. It should be delivered…” She clicks some keys. “In like, oh, fifteen minutes. And this delivery service is never late so make sure you answer your door when they ring.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it, honeypie. Well, except that since this is a level one, it’s going to mean favors instead of money.”
I roll my eyes at that. “Yup. I’m well aware. Tell him whatever he wants.”
“Really?” she exclaims with genuine excitement. “Can I cash in on some of that action? Because I’d totally love to come and sit by the pool for a weekend. My skin has gone from porcelain to pasty.”
I shake my head, unable to stop my smile. I love Claire. She’s fun and just crazy enough to keep you interested. Ryan, Luke and Claire are a team. A united front. I have that, too, but I’m hesitant to bring them in on this. At least not yet. Not until I can make some moves and shake some shit up.
“That’s not part of the favor. That’s a given. Whenever you want, Red. I gotta run. Talk soon. Give the big guy a squeeze for the help.”
“Later, skater.”
Claire disconnects the call and I immediately hit the shower. The last thing I want is not to be ready for whatever the hell is heading my way. By the time I’m out and buttoning up my jeans, the buzzer from the elevator sounds. I run across the apartment, check the camera feed and press the intercom button.
“Yes?”
“I have a delivery for Jake Harris.”
“That’s me. Come on up.” I hit the button on my end and it illuminates in the elevator, bringing this guy up to my floor. The elevator doors slide open and he hands me a box, then hits the button for the lobby and the doors close behind him. That’s it. No signature. No uniform. No other confirmation. Could this be any sketchier? I take the package over to the dining room table, set the moderately weighted box down and then open it up.
It’s a MacBook Pro. An expensive one from the looks of it. A few wires and things that appear like they plug into the USB, including a goddamn portable firewall and a note. If you’re sure you want to proceed, turn on the computer and call the number.
Jesus Christ. Just what the absolute fuck? If I want to proceed? Is Ryan messing with me or what? I know he’s a paranoid bastard, but is all of this necessary? I feel like I’m being pranked. Like all of this is a joke or I’m a character in The Matrix. But it’s not and I know that there is no going back once I make the call.
I stare at the computer and then I stare at the number on the slip of paper. No name. Just a number. Scrubbing my hands up and down my face, I suck in a deep breath and let it out in the form of a growl. It’s just information. It’s just a call. But even as I think it, I know it’s not true. This girl is scared of something very dark and sinister.
And this Brent guy is here on some sort of mission that has him making threats. Serious threats. I mean, he didn’t exactly threaten to kick my ass. No. He threatened to end me.
So, this information is as much for Sunshine as it is for me. Right?
Right.
I dial the number first because I’m curious. I expect Ryan to pick up, but he doesn’t. Luke does.
“It’s about time, motherfucker,” he says, chewing on something
crunchy right into the microphone. God, that’s annoying.
“What the hell, guy?”
“You tell me. You called Ryan in to research an asshole who we should not be researching.”
“You found him?”
He lets out a derisive snort. “Of course, we did. Who do you think we are? Open the laptop, you pansy, and I’ll walk you through this. Because nothing adds up, which tells me he’s legit. Or he’s on the stupid side and doesn’t know about hacking unsecure networks, because he was talking with people on the dark web, linked into your network. But I don’t think he’s stupid, if you know what I mean. Accessing a computer like that is like child’s play. Like my goddamn baby niece could do that if she set her mind to it. And yeah, he was using a Tor browser to try and hide his activity, but it’s not all that effective if you start on an unsecure network and leave your backdoor open.”
“Awesome,” I deadpan as I open up the laptop. “We do say it’s unsecure when you log in.”
“All the more reason this guy is either a fool, which he’s not, or he wanted us to see this shit, which makes him even more dangerous. Anyway, check it out.” He starts crunching into the phone again, and I set it down so I don’t have to listen to it. He wanted us to see this, Luke says. And he does. Because isn’t that exactly what he said to me downstairs this morning? I’ll only know what he wants me to?
What twisted game is the guy playing?
I plug in the firewall thing as well as the other stuff that’s here, open it up, follow the instructions and then a picture shows up on the screen. And a name that is not Brenton Michaels. I hit the speaker button on my phone. “Gavin Moore?”
“Yeah,” Luke says. “And that was the hard part, because his real name was the only thing on his computer that was well hidden. There wasn’t much else on it, other than what he was doing on the dark web. As in, it’s a clean unit and nothing is ever that clean. This is not his regular computer.”
I sigh, loud and hard, rubbing my hands over my face. A sick knot of dread twists in my stomach as my heart starts to pound. “What was he doing on the dark web?”
“Feeling someone out mostly. He was emailing with some dude in German, using encription software, talking about a missing girl.” A missing girl? Jesus. I’m in way over my head now. “There was also mention of an exchange of money and a face-to-face meeting to collect the girl.”
“What sort of money are we talking about?”
“No idea. It was not mentioned in the stream. What are you doing with this guy, Jake? This is not your area, man.”
“He’s been stalking a friend of mine,” I admit as I plant my face into my hands and close my eyes. “I didn’t like it, so I said something about it and the bastard came back with more information on me than is publicly out there. And then he threatened me.”
“Well,” he says mid-chew, “there is a reason Ryan sent this to me. That’s all I’m saying. If you need more help, I can do that.”
I pause, staring sightlessly out the window toward the mountains in the distance. How deep do I want to go with this? I don’t know Luke well enough to understand his level of crazy or what it really means to elicit his help.
“Not yet,” I whisper. I want to talk to Maddox first.
“Okay. But be careful. This guy is not a pussycat. He will not be toyed with. If you change your mind…” his voice trails off, leaving his offer hanging in the air.
“I’ll call for sure,” I say and I say it decisively. “I can’t get out, but I’m not ready for the next level with this, either. It’s this girl, you know? She’s caught up in something and I’m just trying to help her out.”
Luke laughs. “It’s always about a girl. Always. We are nothing without the better sex. My one piece of advice is that I would not roll with this guy for some piece of ass. Unless you’re in love with her and she’s the one and all that warm, fuzzy shit, get out now.”
“Noted.” But I’m not backing down. Not now. Not now that I have an idea what I’m—what she’s—up against. Am I in love with her? Maybe. It’s a big fat fucking maybe, I realize. I might be some rich asshole who went to expensive schools and now runs a business pushing legal vices, but I’ll be damned if I let this Gavin psycho get her. Hand her off in exchange for money. The man wanting her back will kill her.
Because she’s not missing, she’s running.
I’m setting myself and my company up for an unknown risk, all for a woman who won’t even tell me who she really is. What her real name is. Stupid? You bet. But it’s still not stopping me from doing this. From knowing that I’ll protect her if I can.
I already know this is all going to blow up in my face. So, am I an idiot for going along with this, accepting that as a likely eventuality? Understanding I could lose her anyway?
No, I decide. I don’t want that regret. I’d rather have this time with her than nothing at all.
Even if it gets the shit kicked out of me later.
“I can’t say more to you, Jake. But what I can tell you is that I can help and I’m a friend. When you get to the point that you need both, let me know.” He ends the call and all I can do is shake my head. This is big time. This is no screwing around.
Maddox. Do I want to involve my friend in this? He’s former Army, like me, but he didn’t check out after two years like I did. They turned him into a surveillance master. A guy at ease with walking on the shady side of life.
I pick up my real phone and call him. It rings through to voicemail and I don’t dare leave a message or text him. I need to get my bearings, so I’ll be able to think clearly. I stand up and walk over to the wall of windows. My eyes search along the horizon, but I come up empty. What are you doing, Jake? Are you seriously ready to risk everything?
What choice do I have now?
I need to get out of here. I need some heat and fresh air and wind on my face. And I need to do that with her. I don’t think twice before I hit her number.
The phone rings and rings and then voicemail picks up, but it says it’s not set up for this phone. Shit. My eyes scroll over to the computer sitting on my dining room table, filled with a world of waiting nightmares and I text her.
Me: How do you feel about dinner and then a motorcycle ride through the desert to watch the sunset? This is Jake, by the way, in case you were confused on that one.
I stare at the phone in my hand, touching the screen when it starts to go dark, willing her to text me back. Text me back, Sunshine. I do this for way too long, but then she does. That message bubble with the three dots springs up on my screen and my smile is huge.
Mia: How did you get this number?
Me: I’ll tell you all about it over dinner.
Mia: I can’t.
Me: You can. I’ll meet you in the lobby by the west exit in twenty.
She doesn’t respond so I take that as consent and get my shit together. I read over the crap one more time, wrap my mind around just what all of this means, remove the firewall and shut down my new expensive toy. I lock it all away in my safe and then I’m out the door, my leather jacket and an extra helmet in tow, even though it’s hot as hell out there.
A ride and the sunset are just what’s needed. I need to see her again. Talk with her. Get to know her. Then I’ll decide what to do and say.
I like motorcycles. I wouldn’t call myself a biker, but I like to ride. Tonight, with Sunshine behind me, is not the night to take out the racers. It’s not the night to take out the really loud, vintage ones, either. Instead, I’ll take out my Harley Davidson Fat Boy S. It’s pretty, comfortable with long footboards and a narrow seat. The ride is smooth and plenty fast enough for some excitement.
It’s also sexy as a motherfucker.
I leave my apartment, hit the lobby, glancing around as I go, because now I’m beyond paranoid. What are you after, Gavin Moore? I mean, guys like that don’t get where they are without a certain skillset. But I have things in my back pocket, too. Things he doesn’t even know about. He may thin
k he’s got me pinned, but I’m far from down for the count.
Chapter Seventeen
It’s amazing how quickly the body and mind forget. When I woke up a few weeks ago, I was homeless, sleeping on a lounge chair, and the thought of a man touching me in any way had me so filled with fear I wanted to vomit. This morning, I woke up in a large, comfortable bed to thoughts of perfect kisses. And I don’t like it. I don’t like how quickly I’ve become compliant. How easily I fall back into a pattern that could lead to my death.
Don’t get too comfortable, my inner voice berates me. My fingers glide across the picture of me and Niklas I brought with me as a reminder. My eyes close and visions of that night come crashing down on me. My parents. The ball. Niklas. It was two months before my parents died and this was the night he and I became…Niklas and Fiona. How I missed the warning signs, I do not know. Taking a deep breath in, I’m instantly transported to that night.
I’ve been looking forward to this night for the last four months since my father decided to throw me a ball for my eighteenth birthday. It’s the first genuine thing he’s done just for me. Even when I was sixteen and he threw me a ball, it was really to announce a takeover of another business. But tonight is only about me. It’s also one of the only things my parents have agreed on in ages. That said, they did fight over my dress.
My father bought me a form-fitting, beaded, silver, strapless mermaid gown and my mother felt it was distasteful to reveal my curves. Said it made me look fat and that my cleavage was disgusting. The two of them went back and forth about it for over an hour until finally my mother retreated to her room because she had to take one of her pills to calm down. My father won that round, and he didn’t even punish her, so I guess that’s a step in the right direction.
The room is decorated in silver and white with black accents. It’s beautiful and magical and everything is sparkling. Twinkling lights, meant to match my dress, fine china and crystal glasses. For me. Tonight is just for me. As I enter the room on my father’s arm, I can’t stop the smile that lights up my face as I take it in. “Thank you, Daddy. This is just like a dream.”