His Good Deeds (Kate Reid Thrillers Book 13)

by Robin Mahle

  Tom revealed a toothy grin as he pulled out his date’s chair. “It’s really good to see you, Denise. I’m glad you finally said yes.” Velvety-smooth, self-important, and loaded; that was Tom. He sat down at what was arguably the best table in the restaurant, sparing no expense for Denise, whom he’d been after for a while.

  “I’m glad I said yes, too.” Her blonde hair was in perfect soft curls that rested on her shoulders. Blue eyes that could melt any heart it wanted. And a figure that appeared to step off the pages of Vogue.

  Needless to say, Tom never had trouble with the ladies. Not just wealthy, but attractive too and still young at just 35. He could get just about any woman he wanted. The problem was, he knew it. Tonight, he wanted Denise. Tomorrow, it would probably be some other woman.

  From outside the restaurant, Danny looked in as he stood across the street. He leaned against a slim tree trunk wearing his baseball hat, shorts, and a Nike t-shirt. The humidity had gotten worse, which meant it would probably rain again soon. Getting soaked was a small price to pay for forcing the kind of change this society needed.

  Danny had been following Tom for a while and now with his cherry popped, he had grown confident. Relying on some outside help was necessary, but he was the one who deserved credit. The police, the feds, they’d never figure it out. If Danny had to be the one leading the charge, then so be it. Soon, his message would be heard.

  Tonight, it was Tom’s turn. According to his social media, he led the perfect life. Wore perfect clothes, drove a perfect car, traveled. Always a different beautiful woman on his arm. The opposite of everything Danny was. Society teemed with people who did nothing but try to make themselves look good online. And for what? Likes? Comments? They were pathetic and soon he would prove that to the rest of the world.

  Danny watched as the plates arrived at Tom’s table. It was time to get to work. “Enjoy your meal, asshole.”

  Moving fast and keeping out of sight was key to his success. It was a tough ask in this part of town that was busy with several restaurants and bars. The valet had parked Tom’s $100,000 Mercedes AMG in the nearby parking garage. Son of a bitch couldn’t drive a regular Mercedes. No, he had to get the fast one that cost more than Danny’s house.

  He walked around the corner toward the parking garage when two young women walked by. Danny smiled while still wearing his baseball hat low on his brow.

  “Dude, you look like a stalker,” one of them said.

  “What a creeper,” the other added.

  His smile vanished as he arrived at the garage. “Ugly bitches.” Danny retrieved his handy little device, an EMP jammer he learned to build by watching YouTube. The do-it-yourself electromagnetic pulse jammer had the ability to disable any electronic device and scramble the signals of CCTV cameras within a small radius. It would take out cell phones too, so he quickly shut his off. It was a small device with a short-term effect. This was where speed would come into play. The first camera was at the entrance. He pressed the button on the device and in double-time, he walked up and down each row until spotting the shiny black beast, jamming each camera before he reached its purview.

  Danny hustled to the Mercedes and unzipped his backpack. Footfalls echoed in the distance along with muted voices.

  “I’m sure it was on this floor.” An older man dressed in a suit gazed out over the sea of cars.

  Danny ducked low next to the Mercedes.

  “You’ve had too much to drink. It’s on the next floor up.”

  He couldn’t see who had spoken, but it sounded like a woman. Danny glanced up at the camera several feet ahead that was mounted on the ceiling. “God damn it,” he whispered.

  “Maybe you’re right. I keep pressing the button and I don’t see it flashing.” The man’s voice sounded. Finally, the echo of the footsteps faded.

  “Holy shit.” Danny let out his breath and quickly jammed the camera again, unsure if he’d caught it before it recovered.

  Inside his backpack was the homemade explosive complete with adhesive to place under the driver’s side tire flap. The best spot to take out the driver. Danny was finished with two minutes to spare.

  Disabling the cameras as he made his way out of the garage, Danny tugged on his ballcap and headed down the street, ignoring any bystanders along the way. His little white car came into view and he glanced over at the restaurant.

  Tom and Denise appeared to be having a good time. “Good for them.” Danny stepped into his car. “Hope you get lucky tonight, Tom.”

  4

  The young man’s style was elegant, ambitious, and most of all, brilliant. But with his potential cut short through a variety of circumstances that now saw him living paycheck to paycheck, Danny had been forced into what he considered a menial position a monkey could’ve handled.

  A customer service representative who worked from home, he aided clients who could hardly turn on their computers, let alone operate them. Given the available time he had, since he had no other life, this allowed him to perfect his technique for cloning cell phones. For a guy like Danny, the challenge was minimal, at best.

  He exploited a vulnerability in cell phone carriers’ update protocols. Over the Air, or OTA updates was his ticket inside. He only needed the phone number of his target and that was simple enough to obtain. A binary SMS sent to the target’s phone and that was it, vulnerability exploited. The technicalities were a little more involved than that and it had taken some time, but Danny was nothing if not patient.

  From that point, it was all straight-forward. Incoming calls and messages diverted to his cloned phone. This included the two-step verification codes sent by online retailers, social media apps, and the like. That was how he gained access to the target’s social media accounts.

  This morning, Danny would keep his eye on Tom, knowing where he worked, what time he usually left for the day, and where he went on most days. With the explosive device installed on Tom’s Mercedes, it was a waiting game. Wait for the perfect time and the perfect place.

  He trotted down the steps from his second-floor bedroom after helping Melanie bathe, and dress. She now sat on the sofa eating a bowl of cereal. She liked to play card games and do word puzzles on the laptop, so he queued those up for her.

  “I’m leaving now. Are you sure you don’t need anything, Mel?”

  She turned to him with brown eyes that smiled, but lips that just wouldn’t cooperate. “Just go, Danny. I’m not totally helpless you know.”

  “I know you’re not. I’ll be back in a few hours. Your phone is next to you here. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Got it. Bye.”

  “See ya, Mel.” Danny stepped outside to a blast of warm, muggy air and walked to his car in the driveway. He pulled out onto the road and started toward the north side where the rich people lived, where Tom lived. It was Wednesday and on Wednesdays, Tom went to the gym before going into work around 10am. It paid to be the boss.

  From what Danny learned, Tom was a self-made man. Ran his own consulting firm. After following him for weeks, Danny still hadn’t learned exactly what kind of consulting Tom had done. The kind that charged a lot of money, he imagined.

  On the upside, the gym would be reasonably empty at this time of morning. Most people had to be at work by 8 or 9am. His targets were targets for a reason. Danny wasn’t into killing innocent people.

  He arrived at the gym that was part of a new stretch of retail shops at the upscale strip mall. Danny pulled to a stop and eyed the Mercedes. “Isn’t it just like you to keep to your schedule, Tom.” He parked near the edge of the strip mall lot and was out there alone. If someone with even a modicum of suspicion cast a glance his way, he would have to scrap the whole plan. For now, no one noticed his white Ford Focus piece of crap. Danny was invisible to the rest of the world.

  He waited in the front seat and hunkered down to avoid detection. The time showed 9:30am. Tom’s workout should be wrapping up by now. With his baseball cap pulled low over his blonde hair
, Danny peered at the doors of the gym with his phone in his hand. It was a clone of Tom’s phone and was ready to go.

  He instinctively crouched lower. “There you are. How was your workout, Tom? Must’ve been tired after getting laid by Denise last night.” He watched Tom make his way to his Mercedes and unlock the door.

  Tom tossed his gym bag onto the passenger seat, fully showered and dressed for a day at the office. He stepped inside and closed the door.

  Danny’s pulse quickened. Adrenaline surged in his veins and his eyes widened. His fingers hovered over the phone. He swallowed and the noise echoed in his ears. The familiar turning of his stomach began. Not quite butterflies, not quite nausea. He heard the Mercedes’ enormous engine roar to life. The luxury sedan rumbled, and Danny thought he felt the vibrations from where he waited.

  The moment had arrived. All the planning. All the scheming led up to this moment. Danny started the livestream and waited until Tom noticed. He watched him buckle his seatbelt, adjust his rearview mirror. “Ahh, there you go. Smile for the camera. Kaboom.” He pressed the screen. “See ya later, Tom.”

  The flash of light forced him to squint, even at this distance, then came the blast’s wave of energy. It was beautiful. The fire, the metal. Car alarms sounded; windows trembled.

  Danny had but a few moments before people ran out of the buildings. He turned the engine and drove off, peering through the rearview to see the panic and the chaos ensue. The livestream ended and so had Tom.

  ATF Agent Chris Stallard arrived in his dark grey Chevy Tahoe and stopped at the strip mall near the scene. The lights on the firetruck flashed as it remained stationed near the site while the firefighters put away their equipment. An ambulance waited with its doors opened. A few feet away, foam blanketed the burnt vehicle and coated the asphalt for several feet.

  Stallard exhaled a full breath and stepped out, pulling on his ATF windbreaker. “Here we go again. I knew you weren’t done yet.” He approached Agent Tillis and offered his hand. “I had hoped our next meeting wouldn’t be at another crime scene.”

  “You and me, both, brother.” Tillis accepted his hand. “What are the odds? Two car bombings in less than two weeks?”

  “If we were in Northern Ireland, I’d say 50/50, but here in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA? One in a million.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Tillis moved in toward the scene. “PBP is here. Word came down to the chief that they’re here for backup only. Securing the scene and holding off onlookers and the press.”

  Stallard examined the vehicle. “Looks like it was a Mercedes.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Nice car, as was the BMW,” Stallard replied. “Could be our suspect has something against folks with money.”

  “Might be. I do know one thing for sure. He has some impressive skills,” Tillis replied.

  “How do you mean?”

  “Damn thing was livestreamed again. Everyone on this guy’s Facebook page watched as he blew up into pieces.”

  Stallard turned away. “For God’s sake.”

  “We’ve run out the clock on this one,” Tillis began. “My boss wants to bring in the experts.”

  Stallard turned to him. “I thought we were the experts.”

  He laughed. “Apparently not. No, he wants Quantico in on this. Get the BAU involved before we find ourselves with a mass casualty event.”

  “The big boys, huh? Does that mean we’re out?” Stallard asked.

  “From your perspective, no. ATF’s focus is on the explosives. This is on my end. I’m not out, but Quantico will come in here and try to get a handle on the type of suspect we’re dealing with. I’ll be lucky to have a say in anything.”

  “Sucks for you,” Stallard began. “I have seen enough now to figure there’s an angle here. The bomber is sending a message. Livestreaming this shit? Are you kidding me? If Quantico can figure out what that message is, good Goddam luck to them.”

  Cameron Fisher held a file in his hand as he walked through the corridor and arrived at Kate’s office. He pulled the toothpick from his mouth. “Knock, knock. You have a minute, Reid?”

  She eyed him in the doorway. “Of course. Whatcha got there?”

  “Your first test.” He dropped the file onto her desk and sat down. “Pittsburgh bomber.”

  “Car bombs?”

  “You’re already familiar?” Fisher replied.

  “When we were at the bar celebrating my promotion, I caught some of the news story on TV. Something about a car bomb in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh.”

  “Yep, well, there was another one yesterday. This one was in the suburbs but looks to be the same M.O. and get this, whoever’s planting these bombs also happens to be livestreaming the attack on the victim’s Facebook page.”

  “The victim’s Facebook page? How could that even happen?” Kate asked.

  “You got me. The friends of both victims were lucky enough to watch them moments before the blast and hear the screams.”

  “Oh my God.” Kate turned away for a moment.

  Fisher sighed. “Anyway, the ASAC in Pittsburgh wants this thing squashed as quickly as possible. The media is starting to run wild with the story. Interviewing everyone who was within a mile of the blast sites just for sound bites.”

  “I see. We both know that’ll only add fuel to the fire. Is this a consult or are we aiding in the investigation?” Kate asked.

  “Right now, they’re dealing with a cross-jurisdictional operation. ATF is investigating the explosives aspect of it and the Bureau is investigating the murders. Pittsburgh Police is essentially out of it, though they’re helping to contain the scenes and keep the media away. So, pack your bags. You’re taking a trip to Pittsburgh. I want Duncan with you. She’s the most educated in cybersecurity threats. The unsub or unsubs are gaining access to the victim’s social media. This is more than just your run-of-the-mill bomber. I want you both to assess the situation. See if you have enough to develop a profile they can use.” Fisher stood again. “This needs to happen ASAP.”

  “You got it.” After he left, Kate picked up her phone. “Eva, looks like you and me are taking a trip to Pittsburgh.”

  “When?” she asked.

  “Is now too soon?”

  The two worlds in which Danny currently lived were at stark odds with one another. He was smart enough to recognize one would have to defeat the other soon enough. Nevertheless, his daily grind to earn money and care for Melanie took precedence over his desire to expose those who abused the system for their own benefit. For now, it was all about timing.

  Danny pulled off his headset after the final call of the day. 5:30pm. Half an hour after quitting time. Customers didn’t care that it was past quitting time. They only cared to get their computers running again. He took in a breath to level his irritation. There was nothing to do for tonight anyway. Acting too quickly would be his downfall, so he would wait it out for the next opportunity.

  Danny walked into the living room where Mel had been for most of the day. He knew she needed regular exercise and that wasn’t always possible. But he would make time for her now. “Hey, do you want to go for a short walk before it gets dark? Stretch your legs? I wouldn’t mind some fresh air.”

  Melanie turned to him. “You know I don’t like going out there, Danny. People stare.”

  “I know they do, but like I told you before, you just have to ignore them. They don’t know any better. People are ignorant jerks, okay? Your health is more important.”

  “Easy for you to say.” She turned back to the TV. “They aren’t staring at you.”

  He sat down on the sofa next to her. “Mel, I’m sorry about all of this. I wish Mom was still here. I wish I could give you more.” He reached for her hand. “You’re all I have in this world. I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks and if they start making you feel uncomfortable, just tell me. I’ll kick their ass.”

  Melanie laughed. “Okay. Just a short walk, though.”

  �
��You got it.” He stood again. “And I’ll order some pizza for dinner when we get back.”

  He hopped up the stairs to grab his sneakers and jogged back down when he spotted her on the floor. “Mel! Mel, are you okay? Oh my God. What happened?” He rushed to her side.

  “I tripped over my stupid legs.” Tears ran down her face. “My arm. Danny, my arm.”

  He raked over her with wild eyes to check for blood when he noticed her arm twisted behind her back. “Oh no.” He touched it.

  “No!” she screamed.

  “Okay. Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t touch it again. I have to get you to a hospital. Your arm might be broken. This is going to hurt, but I have to get you up, okay?”

  “No. No, please just leave me here. It hurts to move,” she pleaded.

  “I can’t leave you here, sis. You’re hurt. I can’t call an ambulance because we can’t afford it. I have to drive you. That means I have to get you up. I’m so sorry.” He gently placed his arms underneath to get her to her feet.

  She wailed in agony. “Stop. Please, Danny, stop!”

  His eyes welled as he pulled on her again. “I can’t. I have to get you up. Where’s your walker? Never mind. I see it.” He reached out but was still inches away from it. “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to set you down on the couch and grab your walker. Do your legs hurt?”

  She shook her head.

  “Good. Okay. One more time.” He pulled her up with some exertion. Danny was lanky, hardly any meat on his bones and Mel outweighed him by at least 20 pounds. Their nightly routine of going up the stairs exhausted them both. He got her to the couch. “There. The hard part’s over.” He walked a few feet to grab her walker and returned. “This should be the easy part. Just don’t move your arm, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Danny placed one hand on her back and another on her waist to keep her balanced while she stood. “Almost. You’re almost there, Mel. Then we’ll go get in my car.”