Swordfish

by Andrea Bramhall

“Oh, hell no. It’s Oz, and don’t let Mrs. R. tell you anything different.” Oz chuckled. “How did you find Mrs. Richmond?”

  “When I found out William was in prison, I thought it would finally be safe to try to find my daughter.” She stroked Daniela’s head again and smiled when she stirred a little under her touch. “I hired a private investigator to help me find her. We went to your house in Florida, and Mrs. Richmond invited us in for tea.”

  “Us?”

  “Bailey, the private investigator I hired, and myself.” Her chest clenched painfully at the mention of Bailey’s name, and she hoped it didn’t show on her face or in her voice. This moment was a happy one, and she refused to allow anything painful to spoil it for her.

  “And how did you end up here, Cassie?” Oz asked.

  She hiked her thumb over her shoulder. “They turned up at work this morning and told me that Stephen Knight had instructed them to come get me, that they needed my help with a situation.”

  “So you really are this brain expert she needs?”

  “I’m a neurobiologist. Is that what you need?”

  “I have no idea. She’ll explain when she comes around. I think she’s just sleeping now. She’s exhausted.”

  Cassie nodded. “You said you’d all had a tough twenty-four hours. Can I ask what’s happened?”

  “Well, since we’re hoping you can help us solve the problem, sure. I’ll tell you what I can, but you’re going to need Finn for the science part. She’s the genius.”

  Cassie smiled. “She always was smart as a whip when she was little.”

  “Well, she’s smarter than that now.” Oz quickly told her about the mission, how they had been betrayed by Andrew Whittaker, and the truth of what they were facing with Balor’s release.

  “Do you have more paperwork on this bacterium? What the other agents gave me was so basic it didn’t help to clarify what you’re talking about.” Billy handed her a thick file. “Thank you.” She flipped it open and pulled out a sheaf of pages before she glanced at Daniela. “She should have come around by now. Are you sure she’s okay?”

  “I’m fine. I just don’t want the dream to end,” Daniela whispered.

  “It’s not a dream, baby.” Oz kissed her lips and stroked her throat. “Your mom’s here.”

  “I’m English, Oz, she’s my mum.” She opened her eyes. She looked so scared, so worried, that all Cassie could see was the little girl she’d held in her arms when she woke crying in the night, certain that there were monsters under her bed. “Hi.”

  “Hi, Daniela.”

  “Finn. Everyone calls me Finn.”

  “Finn it is. How much did you hear?”

  “Enough. We have a lot to do.” She dropped her gaze to the papers in Cassie’s hand. “And we don’t have a lot of time at all. Will you help us?”

  Cassie didn’t hesitate. “In any way I can.” She was disturbed that Danie—Finn seemed to be all business. She’d hoped for something a little more personal, and time to explain to Finn why she’d made the choices she had. But as Finn climbed off the sofa and accepted the glass of water a young blond man held out to her, she accepted that it wasn’t going to happen.

  “Thanks, AJ.” She sipped. “Shall we get started? We’ve got less than seventy hours to find a way to cure anyone who gets infected with this and synthesize enough to make it useful.”

  “Seventy hours?”

  “Less than.”

  “Jesus. That’s just not possible.”

  Finn held up her hand. “I know. And I really don’t need to hear how impossible it is. That’s how long we have before people start showing symptoms and then they die. That’s it. End of story. If you can’t do it, that’s fine. I’ll figure it out by myself.” Finn was out the door before anyone could follow her, leaving a roomful of stunned people in her wake. Oz quickly followed her, calling her name.

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t help,” Cassie whispered, hurt by Finn’s dismissiveness.

  Billy clapped a hand on her shoulder. She couldn’t stop herself from shrinking beneath his touch and looked at him when he moved away from her slowly. He dipped his head to acknowledge her reaction, and the look in his eyes told her he wouldn’t do it again. “She blames herself. She won’t listen to any of us when we tell her that it was her father’s fault. Seems to think she should have known somehow.” He smiled sadly.

  “Known what? Why does she blame herself?”

  “This bug’s possible because of some advancement she made. Without it, that other feller wouldn’t have been able to make this in the first place.”

  “This isn’t her fault.”

  “Yup.” He folded his arms across his chest. “And when she talks to you, be sure to make her see that. But right now,” he said indicating the door. “Shall we? She wasn’t kidding when she said we’re up against the clock.”

  “Of course.” Cassie took a deep breath and steeled herself to work beside her daughter. Part of her was thrilled to see how her child thought, to see the similarities and differences in them that were almost entirely innate, but another part was terrified. She didn’t want to be a disappointment to her child, and she knew right now the pressure was on.

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Bailey circled the block for the third time, searching for a parking space that gave her a good view of the entrance, but the congested streets, the wall of pedestrians, and a lack of local knowledge was making it damn near impossible. “Bark if you see a spot, Jazz,” she said, knowing the stupidity of the request but hating the silence in the car even more. She turned the radio back on and cringed when Diana Krall greeted her with “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” “Thanks for the reminder.”

  She spotted a town car pulling away from the curb and quickly moved into the vacated spot. She was a quarter block down from Sterling BioTech, and she could see the entrance easily enough. She just hoped she’d recognize either of the two men who had forced Cassie into the car. There was a pay phone on the sidewalk next to the car. She quickly jumped out and liberated the directory. Combing the guide would give her another avenue to check while she waited. She flipped through it, searching for Daniela, for Sterling, for Finsbury, but nothing came up. Mrs. Richmond had said the other woman’s name was Olivia, or Oz, but she hadn’t given them a last name. And I was so focused on Cassie I didn’t ask. Rookie mistake. She grabbed the coffee cup half full of cold coffee, but it still contained much-needed caffeine, and right now she didn’t exactly have any other options.

  She’d had plenty of time to think during the four-hour journey from Boston to New York and the only thing she’d been able to think about was Cassie. The thought of someone hurting her made her feel nauseous. She’d wrap her hands around their throat and squeeze the living—the top of her coffee cup popped off the compressed takeout cup, and the contents spilled out in her lap. The cold, pungent brew soaked her jeans and her sweatshirt, but thankfully not the seat.

  “Great, just fucking great.” She grabbed a fistful of napkins from the overstuffed glove box and mopped up as much of the mess as she could. She stuffed the used napkins into the remains of the cup and dropped it into the trash bag she had in the well of the passenger seat. She shook her head, still unable to comprehend the differences—in her life and more importantly in her.

  Where once she had sought solitude, she now craved company. Where she had reveled in peace and silence, she needed it filled with laughter and conversation, but only from one woman. The music that had soothed her soul left her empty with no one to share it. She’d spent her life looking for her mother, the case never far from her mind, and not a day had passed without her looking at her pin board and trying to figure out where to try next. What was the next angle of attack? Where was there left to try? That was until Cassie had walked into her life. From the second Bailey had shown her out the door of her office she hadn’t thought of her mother’s case until Cassie had asked about it.

  She’d been smitten by those beautiful green eyes
and that gentle smile before she even said hello. By the time she agreed to take Cassie’s case she had no chance. “And now I’m sitting on a stakeout in the middle of Manhattan, covered in cold coffee, and waiting for one of those assholes to come out or it gets dark so I can figure out a way into that building.” She plucked at her shirt. “Or alternatively, I’ll freeze to death.”

  *

  Dark had long since settled and the street was pretty much deserted. It was the quietest Bailey had seen it all day, but still no one she recognized had come in or out of the building. It had been several hours since any one at all had. She checked her watch, surprised to find it was almost nine thirty. She reached for Jazz’s leash.

  “Come on, girl. Let’s take you out to do your business and I’ll take a look through those doors.” She walked quickly, Jazz trotting happily at her side, seemingly happy to stop and pause whenever Bailey did. The foyer was dark, and all she could make out was the large reception desk and a bank of elevators beyond. It was so dark, in fact, that the digital numbers on top of each elevator stood out clearly. Three were stationary at the ground floor, the other read thirteen…twelve…eleven.

  “Shit. Time to get back to the car, Jazz.” She was back in the car, Jazz strapped into her seat belt when she saw a tall blond woman emerge from the building with an even taller blond man beside her. She recognized the woman from Mrs. Richmond’s pictures. Olivia, Daniela’s girlfriend. Perfect.

  She watched them climb into a black SUV and pull out. Bailey was careful as she tailed them, always making sure she was at least three cars back and a lane across. It gave her a good view, but she made sure she blended into the background sea of lights on the congested Manhattan streets as she followed them toward Central Park and down Seventy-second Street. They had pulled up at the entryway to a private road at the back of the Dakota Building when she passed them.

  She thanked her lucky stars when she spotted an empty parking space and managed to get Jazz out of the car fast enough to see them turn into the residents’ private underground parking area. Shit. She had no idea which apartment they were going to or, realistically, what to do next. She entered the gates of the parking lot but decided not to go too far. She wanted to get back into her car pretty quick if she needed to. She pulled her phone from her pocket and looked up information on the building. She spotted something she thought she could use to her advantage and went back to the car to wait for the right moment. She bought a coffee and a hot dog from a street vendor on the way, saving the last quarter of the food for Jazz.

  “Here,” she said as she held it out. “Stop slobbering on my legs.” Jazz wolfed down her portion and looked around, apparently curious as to where the rest of her dinner was. “That’s all you’re getting. Too much food, too many stakeouts, and before you know it you’ll get fat.” She pointed to the seat. “Sit down and keep your eyes peeled.” Jazz did as she was told while Bailey looked for an envelope and quickly sealed a hastily written note inside it. She checked her watch and sighed when the car she had followed pulled out of the parking lot. She scrawled the license plate number on the back of her hand. “Wait here, girl, and be quiet,” she said before climbing out of the car and crossing the road to the lobby.

  “May I help you, ma’am?” the uniformed man said at the front desk.

  “I do hope so.” She scowled at him. “I’m parked outside and a vehicle that pulled out of the private road from your parking garage hit my car and drove off. I want to know who they are. I intend to file a claim with their insurance.”

  “I am very sorry to hear that, ma’am.” He hiked his trousers up a little and straightened his cap. “But I’m sure you understand that I can’t just give out the information of our residents to anyone.”

  “They hit my car. I have every right to know who it was and since they’ve driven off, you can tell me who it was. All I want is their name and apartment number to give to my insurance. A reasonable request, surely.” The man seemed to genuinely sympathize with her plight so she continued to heap it on. “I mean I know my car’s not much to look at and they drive out in their shiny brand new SUV, but does that give them the right to just drive off when they do something wrong? What about me? Do I have to foot the bill for repairs to my car myself? Or file a claim on my own insurance and get hit with a higher bill next year? Does that sound fair to you?”

  “No, ma’am, it doesn’t. But I—”

  “I know you’ve got a job to do. And I’m not looking to get you in trouble. But it really gets me, you know? I mean these guys in these apartments, they’re worth millions. Millions. But I’ve gotta fork out for their careless driving.” She shook her head. “It’s just not fair.” She rubbed her hand over her face and pushed her fingers through her hair. “Listen, I’m sorry I troubled you. I just had to try, you know?” She turned to leave.

  “Ma’am? What was that license plate number?”

  “New York GMG 4385.”

  “Car?”

  “Black SUV, maybe a Lexus.”

  “Ah, that’ll be Miss Finn’s car. Lovely girl. I’m surprised she didn’t stop. She’s not like all the others here.” He frowned slightly.

  “There was a man driving it. Tall, blond—”

  He nodded. “One of the Zuckermans. There seem to be more of them than I can keep track of. Must be one of them driving. I’ll send a note up to Miss Finn for you and tell her what happened, and that I gave you the details for your insurance.” He wrote the name and address down for her on letterhead stationary.

  Bailey realized there was no way she could ask him not to do that without arousing his suspicions and just hoped that phase two of her plan would work as well. “That’s great, thank you.”

  “I’m sure Miss Finn will want to know what happened. If you give me your details I’ll ask her to call, if you like?”

  Shit, should have seen that one coming. “That’ll be great, thanks.” She wrote down the first name that came to mind. Jazz Davenport. “Listen, maybe when you finish tonight I can buy you a beer to say thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.” She leaned on the counter.

  He grinned. “That’d be great, but I’m on shift till midnight.” He leaned on the counter too. “What about tomorrow? I’ve got a day off.”

  “You’ve got my number,” she said, eyeing his name badge. “Roy, give me a call and we’ll set something up.” She tucked the page in her pocket and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Twenty-five years on the job and the stupidity of people still astounds me. She checked her watch and climbed back in the car. Four hours till Roy finished his shift.

  She hunkered down in the car and stroked Jazz’s head. “Now all we’ve got do is make sure that SUV doesn’t come back in the meantime. If it does, I don’t know how we’re going to get up there. And hopefully the night guy is as dumb as Roy.”

  She pictured Cassie being forced into that car and closed her eyes. Please be okay. And if you’re not, I sure as hell hope I can help you.

  Chapter Forty-eight

  Finn decanted some solution from one beaker to another and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. She tried to ignore the fact that her lab partner, her colleague, was the mother she hadn’t seen since she was four years old. The woman she had believed dead until a few months ago, and whom she knew had given up so much to ensure Finn’s safety. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn’t know how or where to start. Then she remembered what they were doing and why, and realized that her mother was meeting her in the worst possible way. She’d been dragged away from a new life where she’d been safe to help repair Finn’s mistake. A mistake that could cost hundreds of thousands of people their lives.

  Great impression you made, Finn. She’ll never want anything to do with you after this. Probably thinks you’re even worse than your father. The guy she ran away from and hid from for almost twenty-five years. She glanced to her left where Cassie was peering down the eye of a microscope. Pencils stuck haphazardly out of her messy bun, her
safety goggles pushed carelessly onto her forehead, and there was a dark smudge on her right cheek. Soot from the glass beaker Cassie had held over the Bunsen burner. She wanted to wipe it away and smile, maybe make a small joke about taking care of herself, but she couldn’t. They didn’t have the kind of relationship where she could behave in such a relaxed manner. They didn’t have any kind of relationship. She turned away, disgruntled.

  She swirled the contents of the beaker and watched the reaction as the two clear liquids she’d mixed turned pale blue. She’d expected to feel some sort of relief when she found her mother again, but she had to admit given the difficulties her father had in tracking her down she really didn’t expect to see her alive. Was that why she felt so angry right now? She had expected to be laying flowers on a grave somewhere and lamenting over things that could never be, and answers she would never get. Instead, a real live woman could give her those answers, and Finn would have to face them, whatever they were. She’d learned her father’s version of events. She knew that he had hunted her mercilessly, and that she had stayed away to protect Finn. But one question continued to haunt her and she’d accepted that she would never learn the answer. Why had Cassie left her with her father when she faked her own death? Given how Karen, and indirectly Cassie, had tried to remain in her life after that, it didn’t make sense that she would simply abandon Finn at that point. In her fantasies, she’d convinced herself that her mother had planned to take her with her, but somehow her father had come between them at the last minute and Cassie had been left with no choice but to leave her.

  But what if it had been Cassie’s choice to leave Finn? Finn wasn’t sure she wanted to learn that much truth, and faced with a real, live mother she would have to hear why she left Finn with her father. It was fear she felt, not anger. Fear that Cassie wouldn’t believe she deserved the sacrifices she’d made for her, or fear that leaving her with her father had been no sacrifice at all for Cassie. Finn didn’t know which scared her more.