Sky shook his head. “He’s not going to tell you what you want to know. Not without gaining something in return. And since he presumably wants the files, he won’t tell you a thing until he gets them. And even then, I suspect he doesn’t really care what happens to you after that.”
Her eyes were wide. She knew it as well as he did, but she was in denial. “I’ve worked with him for a couple of years now. And the CIA longer than that.”
“Doesn’t matter. He gets what he wants and you’re expendable. He won’t go out of his way to rescue you. There’s always another hacker willing to take an assignment.”
She licked her lips, and he could tell she was considering it. “Do you know what Martin was killed with?”
“No. I’ll find out though.”
She scraped her hair off to one side and yawned. “My whole life has turned upside down. This isn’t the way it’s supposed to go.”
“You work covert ops, this kind of shit happens. It’s a risk you take, Bliss. Surely you knew that. Especially after Major Tucker.”
She grimaced. “Tucker wasn’t supposed to die. Everything about that assignment turned ugly.”
“A man like him wasn’t going to go quietly. Suicide was always a risk. It should have been handled better.”
“I know. But that wasn’t anything to do with my work. I did what I was hired to do.”
He didn’t want to talk about that. Not right now. It was the fact that Tucker had gone down so hard, that he’d killed himself, that stuck in Sky’s throat like glass. That’s what made it feel like such a betrayal. Bliss had directly contributed to the sequence of events even if Tucker had made his own decision. It reminded Sky too much of what happened when his father stole his clients’ retirement funds. He’d depleted their life savings, spent it all on his own selfish lifestyle. He’d ruined lives—and some had chosen suicide rather than to live in poverty.
Major Tucker’s life had been ruined by his own hand, but his family—well, they’d been innocent. And Sky knew what that felt like. It was why, when he looked at Bliss, he couldn’t quite forgive her. She’d been a part of putting the Tuckers into that position. Kids growing up without a father. A wife losing her husband and her security. It was too close to home.
Sky picked up his phone and called Saint while he climbed from the bed and went over to sit in front of the computer. The program was still working. Nothing had been broken yet. For all they knew, it was too late and whoever’d killed Bill Martin already had the key. And the malware he’d been trying to sell. A scary thought since they didn’t know what the malware actually did.
“Hey, man,” Saint said. “You see the news?”
“Yep.”
“That’s the girl who came to you with the files, right?”
“None other.”
“Shit.” Saint blew out a breath. Sky knew what his team leader was thinking. Not only that, but he’d probably also been in touch with Mendez and/or Ghost by now.
“She had nothing to do with Martin’s death,” Sky said, pitching his voice low enough that he hoped Bliss couldn’t make out the words. “Why would she come to me if she did?”
“Because she can’t break the files? Because you’re the only one she knows who can?”
“That doesn’t make any sense, Saint. She’s a hacker. She could find someone.”
“How well do you know this girl? Because Bliss Bennett lives pretty large. House in Arlington, BMW, designer clothes, shoes, and handbags. Gets her hair and nails done at an exclusive place over in Potomac. She spends money.”
Sky gritted his teeth. Dammit. He hadn’t wanted this to be about his personal relationship with Bliss, because he liked his private life to stay private, but of course it was going to be a factor. “Wolf and Easy didn’t tell you?”
“I haven’t talked to them yet. Tell me what?”
“Bliss is my ex-wife. We have history. She’s a con artist, but I’m pretty sure she’s not a murderer. Or she didn’t used to be.”
Sky could hear the shock on the other end of the line. “Why didn’t you tell me when you called last night?”
“Didn’t think it was relevant.”
Saint snorted. “Jesus, Hack—everything is relevant in this business. You know that.”
“It’s my private life. Not everything private is relevant.”
“I can hear you arguing over there,” Bliss called out. “And I know it’s about me. You’re a terrible whisperer, Sky.”
Sky craned his neck. She was still on the bed, sitting up, her dark hair hanging in a silky cloud around her shoulders. He whispered just fine. He was also pissed and feeling blindsided. He knew from experience there was only way to approach this. “Did you kill Bill Martin?”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Jesus,” Saint exclaimed at the same time.
“Of course not! With what? A batch of anthrax I cooked up in my kitchen? Or maybe you think I got hold of some Novichok somewhere? Last I heard, the Russians had all that.”
“She didn’t do it,” he said to Saint, his eyes still locked with hers while her chest rose and fell with outrage. Bliss was a lot of things in his estimation, but he was pretty sure she was smarter than to kill Bill Martin and then come to him for help. If she’d wanted to, she could have seduced the key out of Martin. Killing the man with a biological agent in the middle of the National Mall was not only risky but foolish. And also unnecessary with a woman who looked like Bliss did. She was sex on legs. A whisper here and there, a promise of something more, and a man like Bill Martin would have given her his credit card numbers and bank accounts before it was all over, let alone the key to a computer program he was trying to sell.
“Hacker, I swear to Christ—” There was a pause while Saint probably clenched a fist and reined in his temper. “Look, I had to ask. Didn’t realize she meant something to you.”
“She doesn’t. But that’s not her style. I know that much.”
“Fine, not her style. Shit, I hope you’re certain about that.”
“I am. Any idea what killed Martin?”
“It’s not easy to get the info since this isn’t our mission, so no, not yet. I think Mendez and Ghost are working the channels.”
“What about the cameras in the Mall?”
“Working on getting access to those too, which is why I’m not pressing you on your ex. If she had anything to do with it, we’ll find out. But the CIA is all up in this one, as you might imagine. They aren’t making anything easy for us.”
“No, they wouldn’t. What about Ian Black?”
“So far as I know, he’s off the grid at the moment.”
Well, great. No answers coming from that quarter then.
“Any progress on the password?”
Sky turned back to the computer. “Not yet. But I do have some thoughts about what Martin was selling.”
He explained how Bliss had found the postings they suspected were Martin’s and what that meant. If Martin had a Stuxnet-type worm that was even better than the original, they had to find it and contain it before it was deployed.
“Wow. I better call Ghost.”
“Yeah, I think it’d be wise. If that’s what we’re dealing with, and Martin’s laptop is missing, then we don’t have a lot of time to figure this out. Because someone else is either working to crack the code… or they already have the key.”
Chapter Eight
Bliss dressed in jeans and a soft cotton T-shirt with tennis shoes. She fixed her hair by twisting it up and into a ponytail. A little bit of mascara and a swipe of lipgloss and she was done. She gave herself a hard look in the mirror. A determined look. She would get through this, and she’d think twice about working for Jones ever again.
Speaking of Jones…
She went back into the small room and took the burner from her purse. Then she powered it up and waited. The screen lit up with texts and missed calls. All of them were Jones—or the number she usually called when she dealt with him. It w
as possible somebody else was using the phone now, but she’d deal with it like it was still Jones. Until she knew otherwise.
Sky looked up from his computer, his hazel eyes sharp, his expression serious as the phone began to chime. “Shut that thing off, Bliss. It’s dangerous.”
“I just want the texts.”
“You realize that you can still be geo-located with that thing, right? This Jones guy has your number. If he wants to find you, he can.”
“I’m not worried about him. I’m worried about whoever broke into my house and killed Bill Martin. Besides, this isn’t the number he has. I have the calls forwarded.”
He frowned. “First of all, we don’t know that’s who killed Martin. And second, you could have mentioned the forwarding to begin with.”
She shot him a grin. “I know. But it’s fun to yank your chain.”
And to yank other things… No, stop.
There was a knock on the door. Sky got up, pulling his weapon from his waistband. “Who’s there?”
“Breakfast,” one of the guys from last night said. She wasn’t sure which one.
Sky dropped the weapon to his side as he undid the chain and pulled the door a crack. Once he’d verified that it was indeed somebody he knew, he opened the door wider and Wolf and Easy walked in, carrying bags.
Wolf spoke. “Sorry, Bliss, but it’s McDonald’s. Egg McMuffins.”
“Actually, I like those,” she said. “Thank you.” She took a sandwich and a cup of coffee, then went over to the side of the bed and sat down beside the nightstand to stir in creamer while she scrolled through her texts. They were all from Jones. He called her by her hacker name even though she was pretty sure he knew her true identity. She’d done too much work for the organization for him not to.
Where are you? You didn’t make the drop. Call me.
Briar, what the fuck is going on? Are you okay?
Need you to call me, Briar. This is serious.
You’re worrying me, Briar. You need to check in. I know those guys didn’t get you, so where are you?
She frowned. How did he know that? Maybe they’d caught the one she’d shot after all and it just hadn’t made the news. She decided to dash off a text.
I’m fine. Been off the grid. Mind telling me why the fuck I’m connected with Martin in the news?
The reply was immediate. Thank God! Look, I need that USB. We need to arrange a drop. It’s critical. No idea how you ended up connected, other than whoever came to buy from Bill must have tracked you. Somebody planted the story to flush you out. I’ll fix it, but I need those files. No time to waste.
Bliss frowned and took a sip of coffee. It was hot, but so delicious. She hadn’t dared to walk into any restaurants the past couple of days or go through any drive-throughs. They took video to keep the orders straight, and she wasn’t taking that chance. No, she’d been living off convenience store prepackaged crap and lousy coffee instead. Except for last night’s coffee and food, which had also been delicious.
I’d rather you fixed the story first, she shot back.
Timing is crucial here. Someone stole Martin’s laptop. The malware could be in the open. We need it first so we can make a patch for it. This thing is bad news.
Bliss stared at the screen. He’d just confirmed that it really was malware they were looking for. Not that she’d doubted it after what she’d found. What’s it do?
We aren’t sure.
Bliss sighed. It’d been worth a try, but clearly the CIA didn’t know either. I’m signing off. Contact me the usual way. I’ll be checking. Get the authorities off my back and you’ll get the files.
She turned off the phone and dropped it on the bed. Then she looked over at Sky, Wolf, and Easy, all perched around the desk where Sky had set up his computers. They ate sandwiches and drank coffee and watched the screens. They were big men, all three of them. Tall and built like they spent a lot of time in the gym. They were all packing heat, and they looked like they could kick some ass if asked to do so.
She felt safer than she had in two days, and yet she didn’t feel safe at all because she still didn’t know who had broken into her house or even if they were still looking for her. Maybe with Bill Martin dead, it no longer mattered. But how could she know for sure?
She couldn’t. Not until they got a look at Martin’s files and what they contained.
She took a bite of her sandwich, chewed. “Guys,” she said once she’d swallowed the food and forced herself to breathe calmly for a few moments. They looked back at her, three handsome faces with an identical question on each one.
Three handsome faces, but only one that made her heart skip several beats in a row. Damn Sky Kelley for being the one who tripped her trigger. And damn her for being able to picture him naked so easily. He had a big cock, smooth and straight, with a circumcised head that rasped perfectly against her sensitive flesh, dragging out her pleasure for days.
“It’s definitely malware,” she said, forcing herself to concentrate. “That’s what the CIA says anyway.”
Sky’s expression clouded. “It’s not safe to communicate with anyone outside this room.”
“Relax. I texted with Jones, and I’ve turned the phone off. He doesn’t know where I am. He is, however, desperate to get those files, which tells me the CIA isn’t who has Martin’s laptop.”
“What else did he say?”
“Not much. He may not have meant to confirm it’s malware, but he did. He thinks Martin’s buyer tracked me and then planted the story to flush me out.”
Sky’s brows drew down. “Maybe. Seems a little crazy, but it’s possible. Get the police looking for you everywhere. Put more eyes on you. Once you’re in custody, they know where you are and they can take out a hit.”
Bliss tried not to let fear do a barrel roll inside her. She failed. “Is that what happened to Bill Martin?” Because she knew Sky had more information than he’d let on.
“It’s possible, though we don’t know for sure.”
She gaped at all three of them. They wore almost the same expression. As if they were waiting for her to freak out. Under any other circumstances, it might have been funny.
Today it was not.
“Well, just great. I guess you’ll be turning me in before the day’s out, huh, Sky?”
Sky didn’t even crack a smile. Wolf and Easy wisely didn’t speak, though they shot each other a look.
“It’s tempting, I’ll admit. But I’m a little busy right now. Maybe later.”
They stared at each other for a long moment. She was determined not to give in and drop her gaze—and she didn’t have to. His computer made a noise just then and he whirled back to it.
She crossed the room and stood behind his shoulder, peering at the screen along with the others. The code was moving fast now, flying across the screen—and then everything stopped and two words stood out.
Access Granted.
Bill Martin’s hard drive unfolded in front of their eyes. Sky ignored most of the files, heading for the Microsoft Visual Studio and the folders contained there. Martin had about twenty files, all with thousands of lines of code in each one. It was impossible to tell which was the program they were looking for without more analysis. Some of them were simple, but at least three of them were Stuxnet-type worm files that required more study. Maybe more.
“We have to get to HQ,” Sky said.
“Oh my God.” It was Bliss’s voice in his ear. He’d almost forgotten she was there. He shot her a look over his shoulder. Her blue eyes were rapt as her gaze darted over the screen. He didn’t fear she would remember every line of code. Hell, only someone with an eidetic memory could do that, and that wasn’t anyone in this room.
“If you broke into his computer that easily, what’s going to happen when whoever stole Martin’s laptop does?” she asked.
“Babe, I appreciate that you think this was easy, but it took far more computing power and know-how than it appears. Which isn’t to say someone else can�
��t do the same thing. They very well could, which is why we have a problem.”
“I’m calling HQ,” Wolf said. “Stand by.”
They waited while he connected to Saint. The conversation was brief, as Sky expected it would be.
“Time to boogie,” Wolf said as he slipped his phone into his pocket.
“All of us?” Sky asked. Because it had to be said.
“Yep.”
“Let’s break it down then.”
It took only a few minutes to tear down and stow the gear. Wolf and Easy secured the perimeter while Sky waited in the room with Bliss. She stood with her fancy computer bag and her backpack, rocking from foot to foot, a nervous habit he remembered from when they’d been married.
“You need a hat,” he said gruffly.
She cut her eyes toward him. “Well, I don’t have one. Do you?”
He reached into his bag and dragged out a New York Yankees ball cap. “Here.”
She frowned, but she took it and pulled it down over her head. “Better?”
“A little.” But not a lot because Bliss stood out like an exotic lily in a patch of dandelions. Too damned bad she wasn’t as decorative as she looked. This lily was dangerous to his health.
Even if he wanted to eat her up. Especially if he wanted to eat her up.
“Where are we going, Sky?”
He didn’t miss the hesitation in her voice. She trusted him because she had to, but she also didn’t trust him. Hadn’t that been part of their downfall in the first place? Bliss never fully trusted anyone. Hell, maybe he didn’t either. Maybe they were far too alike in that respect.
“You’ll find out when we get there.”
“You aren’t making me feel any better about this.”
“Bliss. Listen to me. I might be eternally pissed at you, I might think you’re a con artist who’d sell her own mother for an advantage, but I’d never do anything that would put you in danger.”
She hitched in a breath. “You wanted to kick me out last night.”
“Yeah, I did. But that was before we got into Martin’s files.” He hesitated, uncertain how much to say. “I’m taking you somewhere that I can’t talk about. It’s up to my bosses to decide how much you get to know. But I promise you they’re the best guys you’ll ever meet. You can’t be any safer than you’re going be when we get there. I can promise you that.”
HOT SECRETS: A Hostile Operations Team - Book 13 Page 7
