Nerds in Force

by D. R. Grady

  “I returned fire.” Harlow stated this with cool competency. The sort you’d find in any trained operative.

  Now Montgomery’s eyebrows soared. “You returned fire?” He abruptly turned to Keith. “You didn’t?”

  “Harlow had a better angle and her weapon had the better range.”

  “You carry a gun?” Savannah’s eyes widened. Her gaze was riveted on Harlow.

  “Always.” Harlow’s mouth turned down. “At least always as of recently.” She semi-winced. As though she’d offered more information than she intended.

  Keith wondered where the rest of their crew were. His Mama, Molly, DuBois, and Eric for instance. He’d taken over for Eric and DuBois, that’s how he’d ended up on the beach with Harlow.

  As though he’d conjured them, Molly and DuBois entered the family room. They stopped when they spotted Harlow.

  He made the introductions. Molly remained open and engaging with Harlow. DuBois recognized the same traits he and Montgomery had noticed. Keith suggested that perhaps Cian and Verity would like to meet their neighbor. And should hear about the incident on the beach.

  Molly rose silently to head into the basement. Verity might not be happy to be tugged away from her research, but he wanted actual operatives to meet Harlow. As a female in the business, Verity might know Harlow, or of her.

  They made small talk until the secret operatives entered the room. Both Hunter and Verity assessed their visitor and both of their faces closed off.

  Keith had no idea what that meant.

  §

  Well, this could be going better. Harlow winced internally as she met Savannah and Beau DuBois. Both of them had lost parents while working for her family-owned and operated company. They had every right to be suspicious of Horgate Industries.

  Then the two trained operatives had made an appearance and her heart sank another degree. They hadn’t announced they were operatives, but she immediately spotted their capabilities and training. And well she should.

  Harlow expected they recognized some of her training if not her face. She shuttered all expression.

  “I’m Harlow Maxwell.” She shook both their hands and listened to the few words they spoke. Cian Hunter carried all the hallmarks of a secret operative. Too handsome and confident, but the hard edge was there if you looked deep enough. He’d seen things that must show up in his nightmares.

  Verity Wellington surprised her. The femme fatale qualities the woman displayed were embedded into her very DNA but Harlow guessed they would have only hindered Verity. Unless she sought information. Harlow’s nose nearly wrinkled at the thought of obtaining information from the sort of criminal Verity might have run up against. Verity had probably obtained that info, but the less than stellar conditions with oily, nasty men turned Harlow’s stomach at the very thought.

  Hopefully the woman had learned tricks to minimize the disgusting aspect of her job.

  “What brings you here today?” Verity’s husky feminine voice lured males by its very nature. They had been made to react to her. Harlow counted herself lucky that she hadn’t inherited such genes.

  Keith explained about them getting shot. Both operatives’ intensity increased. Harlow respected that.

  “Who did they want?” Hunter’s voice was all velvet and bass. He likely also used that wonderful voice to his advantage.

  The two were well suited and the engagement ring shining on Verity’s finger didn’t surprise her. It wouldn’t be missed by many. Too massive and obvious for Harlow’s tastes, but she guessed Hunter had gone for that particular ring to protect his fiancée.

  Again, Keith stepped in to explain. Both sets of eyes narrowed, then focused on her. “Does someone want you dead?”

  Okay, bluntness works. Unexpected, but she understood.

  “Probably.” She shrugged.

  “What’s your game?” Verity’s inquiry didn’t stiffen her spine.

  “I’m seeking information. My guess is someone didn’t like my inquiries. Although I was careful not to trip the various traps and triggers. Or thought I was.” She didn’t possess the skill her brother did, however. That’s why she’d asked him to continue her computer research. Her efforts hadn’t gotten her far. But far enough to understand why these people likely distrusted her people.

  “Information about what?” Hunter’s intensity didn’t falter.

  Harlow shrugged again. “I’ve heard rumors about some unexplained deaths of Horgate employees. I don’t like what I’m hearing.”

  “You’ve done computer research?” While Verity didn’t lean forward and her body language gave nothing away, Harlow believed she was very interested in this answer.

  “I did. But I didn’t get far.”

  “What did you find out?” This time Keith stepped in. His focus remained on her and she could practically smell the suspicion emanating from all of them.

  “Enough to confirm that several people have died, under suspicious circumstances, but from what I gathered, all of this was secreted away.” Her hand curled into a fist. “I don’t understand that.”

  “You think someone fired at you because of your research?” Verity’s gaze noted her fist. So did several others in the room.

  “I expect I’ve made more than one enemy over the years.” She probably couldn’t count them all on both hands and feet.

  “Who do you work for?” Hunter’s stance turned slightly aggressive.

  She smiled at him.

  Perhaps it was grim around the edges, but still a smile. And not because she intended to tick him and the others off.

  “You’re not going to say. Are you a friend or foe?” Keith rolled his shoulders.

  “I’m a friend.” She didn’t have to think about that. “From what little I garnered, we’re after the same people.”

  “What aren’t you telling us?” Hunter asked. Verity made an affirmative noise in the back of her throat.

  “There’s a lot I’m not telling you. A lot I can’t say. But I’m sure we’re after the same people.” She kept her own body language loose and easy. A lie. More predators populated this room than she had ever taken on at one time, so she kept alert to all the danger signs.

  “Why should we trust you?” Verity tipped her head to the side.

  Harlow met her gaze. “I don’t care if you trust me or not.”

  Her bold statement settled an uneasy quiet over the room.

  “Care to explain that?” Keith kept his body between her and Savannah. She understood and approved.

  “Whether you trust me or not I will follow this through.”

  “That could get you killed.” Verity stated this calmly.

  “A lot of things could get me killed. But I’ve made the commitment to see this through. You can join me or we’ll investigate separately.” Harlow put it out there. Her task would be easier if they trusted her but she hadn’t been truthful and still didn’t feel she could be.

  “We have a lot of resources. Probably far more than you do.” A new voice spoke up. This must be Verity’s sister. She looked familiar. It took Harlow a moment to place her. She played in Savannah’s band.

  “I’m sure you do. But I have resources as well.”

  “Who do you work for? If not for the American or Rurikstani governments, then you’re the enemy.” Hunter stated this in a flat tone.

  “I don’t work for any government. You could say I’m in the private sector.” All true.

  “You do realize we’ll uncover your secrets.” No belligerence clouded Verity’s statement and Harlow respected that.

  She nodded at the woman. “I understand. You might or might not like what you discover. Again, we’re on the same team but I have no way of proving that.” The massive clock on the far wall ticked away the seconds and she glanced at it. “With that said, I need to head home.” She smiled at everyone but had enough of their distrust, however much it was earned.

  “I’ll walk you back to your house.” Keith fell into step beside her.

/>   “And get shot at again?”

  “You’re risking it.”

  “This isn’t the first time I’ve been shot at.”

  His eyebrows rose as they entered the mud room again. Hunter and Verity followed. “We’ll escort her back to her place.”

  “I’m capable.” He rose both eyebrows at Verity.

  “You are.” She didn’t drop her serenity. “We want to check out the beach scene.”

  Harlow had intended to do the same. “The shooter is long gone. We can all go since we’re probably all interested in the same clues.”

  “I’ll see her back to her house.” Keith stated this with a lot of firmness.

  “I’m not going back to the house until I’ve checked out the scene on the beach.”

  She thought he muttered something about stubborn women. Harlow preferred to label her tendency to persevere as being thorough.

  Others could, and often did, disagree with her perspective.

  She didn’t let it get her down.

  §

  Keith followed Verity and Hunter back into the house after a fruitless search on the beach. They found the shell casings from the shooter’s weapon and from Harlow’s. That gave them an idea of where the shooter had stood when he fired at them. But Harlow had appropriated her shell casings. She tucked them into a pocket in her running jacket. He’d barely had time to identify her weapon.

  A small, expensive one. Of course. The private sector could afford weapons like that. A fine piece of workmanship with the firing capacity second to none. He might have drooled over it if he’d had opportunity to handle said weapon.

  Harlow had concealed it as soon as they entered the house. She’d done so coolly, with the familiarity of someone who did so on the regular. He admitted to being impressed with a woman who packed heat with such dexterity.

  The place where the shooter stood hadn’t told them much. It had afforded him a clear picture of them on the beach. But that was more a case of common sense than deduction. From the vantage spot he’d chosen, he had a decent view of both houses. A prime place to shoot people.

  Keith made plans to install some equipment in that very spot. If the shooter returned, he wanted to know.

  After a fruitless ten additional minutes they determined they had gleaned all they could from the site. Harlow’s eyes remained narrow and she had been as helpful as any of them. He’d like to know where she’d acquired her skills.

  Now, after they’d left her at her door and strode back to their residence, his thoughts were conflicted. She hadn’t said much, but then neither had they. He couldn’t determine if this was good or not.

  “What’s your take?” He directed this to both of the silent people who accompanied him inside.

  “She’s hiding something important.” Verity’s lip spent a fraction of a second between her teeth before the telltale sign disappeared. First rule of operatives—remain expressionless at all times.

  Hunter snorted. “She pretty much told us we’d be unhappy once we did some research on her.”

  “Which we will do.” Verity said this with the confidence of one who knows her way around tricky research.

  “I wonder what she’s hiding.” Keith squinted at the roof he could just see in the distance. “Think she’s working for Horgate?”

  Verity paused in the act of removing her shoes. She glanced at Hunter. Whose subtle nod was all the more he’d ever give away. “That’s a distinct possibility. But she said she’s a friend, not a foe.”

  Hunter straightened after removing his shoes. “People lie.”

  “We’re seeing plenty of incriminating evidence that Horgate is dirty.” Keith’s hands fisted.

  “Actually we don’t have solid evidence yet. But it’s all pointing in Horgate’s direction.” Verity slid her shoes under a bench in the mud room.

  “Is it pointing there so Horgate takes the fall?” Hunter’s expression didn’t change.

  “Possibly.” Verity didn’t rule anything out. But she didn’t sound convinced either. Which made sense. They shouldn’t be convinced until they had hard evidence.

  Still. Harlow working for Horgate made the most sense.

  “I recognized some of her training.” Hunter didn’t raise his voice as they left the mud room and made for the basement stairs.

  “I did as well. Her instructors were either trained by ours or are the same as ours.” Verity pattered down the stairs.

  Keith followed them because he was interested in what they dug up about their neighbor.

  Verity and Hunter settled into the comfortable desk chairs in front of a row of fancy computers and soon had the machines talking to them. At least based on the speed in which both their hands flew over the keyboard. Verity’s screen showed different information than Hunter’s. How did they do that?

  Before he had time to ask, Verity exclaimed something.

  “What did you find?” He bent to peer at her screen.

  “Harlow Maxwell doesn’t exist.” Her face glowed in the light from the computer monitor. Hunter indicated his own screen.

  “I’ve found nothing here. It’s as if she doesn’t exist.” He looked at Verity.

  “It’s like someone combed the entire internet of information on her and corralled it.” Frustration and admiration intermingled in Verity’s tone. She wouldn’t normally display any emotion so it was a testament to him and Hunter that she let them see that.

  “How did she do it? Governments can’t do this sort of thing.” Hunter’s narrowed eyes could have indicated a lot of things so Keith didn’t speculate.

  “Small, wealthy governments could.”

  “Rurikstan?” Hunter’s question was dry as he directed that to his fiancée.

  “I suppose we could. It would all depend on how good Jason and I are.”

  Keith stirred. “Who’s Jason?”

  “He’s our computer guru. Learned most of what I know from him and he sees to our computer systems. He’s the best computer person I know.” Verity didn’t take her attention off the screen in front of her.

  “You’re a bigger geek than him.” Hunter watched the information that scrolled across her screen with her.

  When she reached out to whap him, he caught her hand and kissed it. At least that’s what it looked like but at Verity’s indrawn breath, maybe Hunter nipped her. Keith didn’t dwell on this because there were some things a man just didn’t need to know.

  Other people’s relationships had never been of interest unless it pertained to a case, and he didn’t intend to alter that practice. He respected these two but he didn’t want to know more about them than he already did.

  “I’m here.” His voice deepened with the cautionary words.

  They stopped their horseplay or whatever they were doing to return to the information. “There’s nothing here about her.” Verity gestured to the info. “How did she do it?”

  “She sounds like your kind of woman, slick.” Hunter leaned back in his chair, confident in his abilities, but also in Verity’s.

  “She is. I have to admire a woman who can remove everything about herself from the one place in the world where you can’t do that.” But Verity blew out a breath. “I might not even have the skills to erase my existence on the internet.”

  “We’re going to call Jason, I take it.” Hunter didn’t move from his relaxed state.

  Keith took that as his cue to leave. They hadn’t discovered anything about their elusive neighbor and for some reason, that only upped his interest.

  Chapter 4

  Harlow did a thorough check of the house as soon as she entered. After the shooting incident, her suspicions remained high. She conducted the search in the exact manner she’d been trained. In the past she might have made fun of people who did this every time but she finally understood their paranoia.

  As soon as she concluded she was alone in the house, she called up the internet and did a quick search. After clicking through the links that showed at the top, satisfaction in
fused her.

  Not one of these links were about her. They showed different Harlow Maxwells but none of them offered details on her. None of them indicated her bio, occupation, and no stories about her.

  Nothing. It was as though she didn’t exist.

  That was both comforting and disturbing. To be thorough she checked a few links on more distant pages and entered a few additional searches, but she didn’t need to.

  Next she opened the application on her computer to call her brother. He answered immediately. She assessed him. It appeared that he had showered and slept.

  “You look well.”

  “I’m fine Harlow.” He didn’t express exasperation the typical way. She still caught the nuance.

  “Good. I did a search of myself.” She leaned forward.

  His nod was solemn. She expected nothing less. “At the moment, you don’t exist.” He didn’t express the oddity of this.

  “Thank you, Chad.”

  “You’re welcome.” Still solemn, still without emotion, but he knew the correct response. “Are you certain this is a good idea?”

  Shock and delight spiraled through her. His questioning her might have upset other sisters but for Chad to do so made a so far bad day a little brighter.

  “No, I’m not sure it is. However, for now I do believe it’s necessary.”

  His nod was more than he might have shown in the past. “I don’t think it’s wise but if that’s what you want…”

  “A lot of people hate us right now, Chad. To the extent that I got shot at today.” While she didn’t want to tell him this, she did need to inform him because he also needed to be alert.

  “They shot at you? With bullets?”

  “Yes. There was a man with me who is staying at the Rembrandts’ and the first bullet went right between us, but the ones after that were aimed at me, I believe.”

  “You tripped a trap.”

  “I must have. Although there was no indication of doing so.”

  “The best ones don’t give indications.” The emotion most of them would call resignation permeated.