Interesting twist. “Then that gives her both means and opportunity.”
She nodded. “But Phantom threatened her life. Why would she risk working with him?”
Good question. One Sean had spent most of the drive from Seattle thinking about. “Maybe he didn’t threaten her. Maybe she’s been working with him all along, and the two of them orchestrated things. You know, getting accepted into WITSEC to provide him an insider within the program.”
“I . . . I . . .” Taylor shook her head and fell back into her chair. “I can’t begin to think that’s true. I mean, she hasn’t shown even a hint of violating her agreement until now.”
“She could easily do so without you finding out.”
Taylor eyed him suspiciously. “Like how?”
“Use cash to buy a computer. Keep it at a locker at work and go any number of places to use free Wi-Fi. Or even use her work’s Wi-Fi.”
“I suppose, but Dustee lives with her twin sister, Dianne. I know she would’ve caught on and reported it.”
“Wouldn’t it be odd for her to tell you? The twin thing and all.”
Taylor shook her head. “Not for Dianne. She would know it put their lives in jeopardy, and she’s very protective of Dustee’s safety.”
Made sense. “Okay, I’ll get a warrant to search Dustee’s workplace and for the library network logs to track her movements online.”
“You can get all that information?”
“Yes, unless Dustee used a VPN.”
Taylor frowned. “I need you to explain that to me.”
“It’s basically a special IP address that prevents others from seeing the physical location a user logged in from.” He gave the situation additional thought. “Or, as a former hacker, she might try to alter the library’s security settings. Though their network is probably locked down tight, she has the skills to alter the settings.”
Taylor’s expression tightened. “If Dustee used one of these VPNs, then you can’t track her movements online?”
“Exactly.”
“I can’t imagine she’d buy a VPN. She would have to know we could track that purchase and have proof she was violating her agreement.”
Sean thought Taylor was acting awfully naïve for a deputy working with former criminals. “If she met up with someone locally to buy bitcoins with cash, she could use them online and hide any purchases from you.”
Taylor nodded. “She would definitely know all about that.”
“Right.” Most hackers were intimately familiar with bitcoin, the virtual currency often used for illegal purchases, making it the payment of choice on the dark web.
Taylor ran a hand through hair that looked silky soft. “Dustee lives in a time warp. She acts like an out-of-control teenager most of the time and doesn’t think about long-term consequences. Could mean she actually did get a VPN and bought a computer. I can check her credit-card bills and bank accounts for any large cash withdrawals.”
Thankful for her cooperation, Sean smiled. “I don’t want you to think that I have any evidence of wrongdoing on her part. But I also haven’t seen the database logs or files yet. Which means I can’t eliminate her potential involvement. I should have access later today. Right now, though, I’d like to question her about Phantom.”
Taylor sighed. “So that’s how he knew where she was—it actually wasn’t her fault.”
“What? You lost me there.”
“Someone followed her last night when she left the library. She believes it was Phantom trying to kill her. She thought he’d somehow tracked her online, that she’d brought the attack on herself. But the database breach is most likely how he found her, right? He got her information from the hack.”
Even more interesting. “Probably. Unless she lied to you and is working with him. Once we have access to the files, we’ll know if her details were stolen.”
Taylor clenched her hands together. “What about my other witnesses? Are they in danger?”
“Possibly. As is Dustee, if she isn’t working with Phantom.”
“No worries about her safety at the moment. She’s in our conference room and won’t be going back to her apartment again.” Taylor’s eyes, the color of dark honey, narrowed.
Her agony made Sean’s gut clench. He had to shove his hands in his pockets to stop himself from reaching out to her. Online, he’d helped her work through painful problems, but he’d never had to see the pain in her eyes. The darkness lingering there cut him to the quick, and he wanted to do whatever he could to ease her emotional turmoil.
“I should warn my other witnesses.” Her focus flashed back to him. “No, wait. What if their records aren’t affected? I would upset them for no reason. Maybe panic them. But if I don’t tell them, and their data was sold . . .”
He wished he could help make the decision for her, but there was nothing he could do except warn her of the danger and then make himself available as she worked her way through it. “You’ll have to be the one to decide if you want to tell them to be more vigilant. But what if it scares them into doing something dumb? Like running?”
She nodded absently, obviously thinking about her people and potential consequences. She was committed to each of her witnesses. No matter the stunts they pulled, she did her very best for them. It was one of the things among many that he admired about her. Her loyalty knew no bounds, and until now, when she didn’t seem to want him here, he thought he’d gained her trust and loyalty too. But had he?
He opened his mouth to ask, but then snapped it shut. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by personal matters, and neither could she. Focus. That was the word of the hour. Day. Week. If word of the hack got out, thousands of people in the program would panic and act hastily, putting themselves in even more danger.
He crossed the room and sat beside her. He caught a whiff of her fresh, clean scent. Reminded him of when his mother used to hang sheets on the clothesline in the backyard when he was little, and he ran through them. A time when his father was still living at home. When his mother didn’t lie and cheat, but baked cookies and bandaged skinned knees. A time when he’d felt loved . . .
He blinked a few times. What was going on with him today? He must be more tired than he’d first thought, to be thinking about his mother. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and counted to ten, erasing his wayward thoughts, before opening them again. “You can’t mention the hack to your witnesses. Not under any circumstances.”
She leaned closer to him, and he could see a hint of black in her eyes, and the tiniest of birthmarks near her right ear. Like a little strawberry rose. His hand lifted to touch the mark as if it had a mind of its own, and he slapped it down on the table, the sound cracking through the small room.
She jerked back.
“Sorry,” he said, but didn’t try to explain. How could he do that when he didn’t understand it himself?
She firmed her shoulders, and he was glad to see her worry dissipate a fraction. “Don’t worry. I’m used to putting up a professional wall with my witnesses, and I won’t say a word about the hack itself. But I might give them a heads-up and tell them to be more vigilant.”
“That’s your choice,” he said, but wished she hadn’t chosen to do so. “I’d like to talk to Dustee now if that’s okay.”
She nodded. “And you won’t tell her about the hack either, right?”
“Not until I decide that she can be trusted.”
“You should know. She’s not the best at keeping secrets or at following rules. Hence her arrest. Telling her before this is all resolved might be a big mistake.”
“Right. I keep forgetting that you work for the only law enforcement agency that puts criminals back on the streets instead of incarcerating them.”
She lurched back, her mouth falling open.
Oh, man. Not good. “Sorry, that probably didn’t come out right, did it?”
“Probably not.”
“It’s true, though. You’ve told me that yourself, at the end
of a bad day.”
She stiffened. “Not in those words, and I didn’t think you’d use it against me.”
“I didn’t . . .” he started to say, but knew an explanation was pointless when he’d done exactly that. “I’m sorry. I was in the wrong. Still friends?”
She watched him for a long moment, and despite her questioning gaze, he loved looking at her. Connecting with her in the real world instead of the anonymous cyber world.
“This is too weird, don’t you think?” She shook her head. “I mean, we’ve shared a ton of information about ourselves. It’s like I do and don’t know the man sitting next to me. Does that make sense?”
“Perfect sense. I feel the same way.” And I’m glad to see you, even if you don’t return the sentiment, he couldn’t add without exposing himself to a world of hurt.
She took a breath and let it out as if blowing away his comment. “Thank goodness you’re only in town for the day or this could get complicated.”
Her continued rejection stung. “About that.”
“Yes?” She fidgeted with the zipper pull on her jacket. She was as nervous as he was.
He found that oddly comforting. “If I believe Dustee’s not working with Phantom, I plan to enlist her help in finding him, or whoever the hacker might be. And since it’s looking like Phantom has shown himself here, it’s likely I’ll be in Portland until he’s caught.”
“What?” Her voice shot up an octave, drawing the attention of a deputy walking past the glass wall. “You can’t work here. I . . . we shared things. Private things. Things I haven’t told others. Looking at you today, I’m reminded of them. I can’t deal with bringing those memories up every hour of every day.”
So that was it. Her emotional distance wasn’t about him or about their friendship. They were still on solid footing. He could help with the way she was feeling, and hopefully their friendship would survive because he valued it more than anything else in his personal life. “I can work out of the local FBI office. That way you won’t have to see me all the time.”
“There’s a problem with that,” she said when he’d expected her to jump on his comment and embrace it. “Dustee is my responsibility. For her own safety, I plan to move her to another city as soon as possible.”
Right. Her whole thing with protecting people to make up for the loss of her brother. “Sorry. That’ll have to wait. We need her help. We can arrange for a local safe house, and I’ll make sure she doesn’t come to any harm.”
“How?” Taylor stood and stared at him. “No one can promise that.”
She was questioning his abilities? Really?
He got up to look her in the eye. “You know my skills.”
“Sure, your stint on HRT makes you perfectly qualified.” Of course she’d bring up his time on the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. She’d been very interested in the details of that experience. Her eyes sparked, and she looked ready to fight him. “That doesn’t ensure Dustee won’t be harmed.”
“Neither does moving her to another city.” He took a beat of time to keep from showing his building frustration. “Look. This isn’t negotiable, Taylor. My team wants Dustee’s assistance. I want it too. If you’re worried about Dustee, then partner with me and help protect her.”
“I can’t do that. I told you why. We . . . this . . .” She waved a hand between them. “It’s too awkward. We’ll have to find another solution.” Expressions he couldn’t decipher flitted across her face, but underneath it all lingered a thread of anguish.
Sean hated that he was the cause of her discomfort. Hated it more than he thought possible. They’d been together for less than an hour. Forget his overwhelming reaction to seeing her today. Forget that he found her attractive. That all paled in comparison to one fact.
He had feelings for her. Something he didn’t realize until today.
Man, he hoped she would agree to work together, even though it wasn’t a good idea for either of them. He wanted her here. By his side, supporting his efforts as he took lead on a high-stakes investigation for the first time, and he could encourage her in return. But if that didn’t happen, he would still continue.
He had to do his job first—with or without her.
CHAPTER 6
TAYLOR LED THE WAY to the conference room, where Dustee and Dianne were locked in a heated discussion. Taylor had been gone for, what, thirty minutes? And they were already sniping at each other again. She wanted to lecture the women who were acting more like three-year-olds than adults, but she didn’t want Sean to see how exasperated she was with her witnesses.
Funny thing, though. This was exactly the kind of situation she would share with him at the end of the day. She wouldn’t use the twins’ names, but she’d tell him the basic story. He would encourage her to take it in stride and go on. Then he’d make some joke and have her laughing. She loved that about him. He was like her own private cheerleader.
Had all that changed by meeting him in person?
“Well, hello there.” Dustee slowly and suggestively slid her gaze over Sean.
A surprising flash of jealousy hit Taylor. She had no reason to be jealous of anything to do with Sean. They were friends—nothing more. And even if they were more, he would never go for Dustee. Not only was she a bit young for him, but she also wasn’t his type.
Taylor ignored the comment and introduced the twins. “Sean is part of ICE’s C3 Cyber Crimes unit, and their elite RED team.”
“Ooh.” Dustee rubbed her hands together. “Handsome and an IT guy. Could it get any better?”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “He’s here to talk to you about Phantom.”
Dustee’s smile evaporated. “What about him?”
Sean took a seat across from her. “You saw him last night. Can you give me a description?”
“Six feet. Really built. Tall.” She chewed on her lip. “That’s all I can tell you. Never got a clear look at his face.”
“You once worked with the bureau to try to bring him in. Did you see him back then?” Sean asked.
“Never saw him in person.”
“Tell me about your experience with him.”
She jutted out her chin. “You’re an agent. Look up the reports.”
Taylor shook her head. How quickly her witness’s mood had changed from flirty to belligerent. She was a volatile woman, and Taylor couldn’t help but think bringing her in on this investigation would end badly. But then Sean was right. Dustee had skills far beyond most hackers, and if anyone could get to Phantom, it would be another unethical hacker who understood his thinking.
Sean didn’t flinch or react at all to Dustee’s acerbic tone, giving him brownie points in Taylor’s book. “I read the report, but reports don’t include every detail. I’d like to hear it from you.”
Taylor waited for Dustee to ignore him. Instead, she blew out a long breath and solidly met his gaze. “Not much to tell really. I was arrested for hacking, and your people agreed to let it go if I helped bring Phantom down. So I did. He was hiring for his team, and I applied. He took me on, and after four months of doing his bidding, he trusted me enough to share details of his next hack. It woulda led to his identity. So I reported it to the Feds, and that was it.” She brushed her hands together as if brushing off the whole mess.
“But he wasn’t arrested,” Sean said.
“Nah. The thing is, he really didn’t trust me. The hack was bogus. A test—and I failed. Then he threatened me. I’d covered my tracks online, but he still found me.” She grasped her sister’s hand. “So we went into WITSEC. End of story. No more contact with him.”
“Until last night.”
She scowled. “Right. That.”
“Are you sure it was Phantom tailing you?”
She shrugged. “Can’t be sure ’cause I’ve never seen him. No one outside his inner circle has seen his face. Closest I came was seeing a video one of your Feds once showed me of a dude running from them. The guy tailing me last night was the same size. So gotta figu
re it’s Phantom. I mean, who else could it be?”
Sean tapped something into his phone, then looked up at Dustee. “You’re not involved in anything illegal, are you?”
She clenched her fists on the table, looking like she did when she was about to unleash her wrath on Dianne. Then she pulled in a long breath and exhaled slowly between pursed lips. “I learned my lesson. I’m not doing anything I shouldn’t—”
“Except using the internet at the library,” Taylor was quick to point out.
“Yeah, but that’s not illegal.” Dustee crossed her arms and slumped down in her chair. “If you don’t believe me, get the data from the network router at the library, and you’ll see I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then how did he find you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he had an algorithm running to track my old account logins, and he captured the information when I logged in to one of my favorite forums.”
“Using an old login wasn’t a very bright thing to do.” Taylor glared at Dustee. “Not to mention it’s against your MOU to connect with people from your past life.”
Dustee raised her hands, palms out. “I got it, all right. I messed up. You don’t have to keep telling me.”
Sean watched her for a long moment, and Taylor wanted to know what he was thinking.
“What about a VPN?” he finally asked. “Did you use one?”
Dustee rolled her eyes. “As if.”
“Hack the library settings?”
“Not that I even tried, but they’re locked down tight.” She smirked. “I thought a big Fed cyber guy like you would know that.”
“Some libraries aren’t as secure as others, and someone as resourceful as you could find a way around weak security.”
“Maybe, but you also gotta know Portland’s a big-tech city, and our library computer settings are secure. But to answer your question, I didn’t need a VPN. I was surfing the web. That’s it.”
Sean changed his focus to Dianne. “Do you have any reason to believe Dustee is spending her free time on computers—not only at the library?”
Seconds to Live Page 5