Ulrich scooted away from her, moving to the far end of the bench. “Not real well, but I was worried about him when he posted about needing his computer back. Thank goodness my roommate and I found it, so I could get it back to him.”
“Wait!” The word exploded from Nina’s mouth, making Ulrich lurch back. “You found the computer? The one in the cache?”
He nodded, his glasses sliding down his ski-slope nose. “Technically, my roommate found it, but I told him about Ham’s post, so he gave the computer back.”
“Is that why you deleted the post from the Hacktivist database and tried to erase all record of it?’
“What? No. I didn’t delete anything from the database. That’s not sound procedure for database management. As a computer professional, you should know that.” He eyed her. “I didn’t change any files at all. Just looked at Hamid’s posts.”
“So you only visited the website twice, then?”
He crossed his arms. “That’s what I said.”
“That’s odd. The logs show you accessing the site two additional times. First to view the cache before Hamid took it down, and then a second time when you deleted Hamid’s post.”
“That wasn’t me.”
“Someone impersonating you, then?”
He tipped his head in thought. “It has to be Victor. He’s the only one who could get my access information. Though, I doubt he would delete a record.”
“We’ll have a chat with Odell and ask him about that.” She paused. “But for now, let’s go back to the computer you found. You claim it’s been returned to Hamid, but he’s been in the FBI’s custody for days, and no one has returned the computer to him.”
“You’re lying to me.” He tsked. “Not surprising. I know how you like to lie to get the maximum sentence for people you arrest.”
“What in the world are you talking about?”
“C’mon Agent Brandt.” He glared at her. “We both know what you did. I see it in my roommate’s eyes every day.”
Quinn stepped closer to draw the guy’s venomous gaze from Nina. “What’s your roommate’s name?”
“Not like she cares, but it’s Wiley. Wiley Fagan.”
“Wiley Fagan. Oh.” Nina clutched her chest. “Him.”
Even in the dark, Quinn could see the color drain from her face. He knew immediately that this guy was someone Nina feared.
THE MIST FROM Wiley’s breath lingered in the cold air as he crossed the parking lot to the houseboat. Soft swells of the river lapped against boats. Muted and rhythmic, it allowed his sure and swift movements onto the deck and to the door. His hands were cold from sitting in the car, making him fumble the lockpick, but he soon had the door open. Drawing his gun from his belt, he found Tyler slouched on a sofa, his feet up, and his face in his cell phone. He didn’t have a clue Wiley was creeping up on him from behind.
“Time to take off, kid.” Wiley waited for Tyler to jump up in surprise.
“You must have the wrong boat.” He didn’t bother to look up.
His lack of fear made Wiley mad. “Ah, no I don’t, Tyler. I’m here for you.”
That made the kid shoot his head around, his eyes widening when he saw the gun.
Wiley gestured at the coffee table. “Lay face down on the floor by the table.”
“Dude. I don’t know you. Why would I do what you want me to do?” Tyler asked, that fear still missing.
The kid was spunky, Wiley would give him that, but he wouldn’t put up with it. He jiggled the gun in the kid’s face.
“Gee, let’s see,” Wiley said, coating his words in sarcasm. “Should you do it because I asked so nicely, or because I’m holding a .38 and could blow you away with the jerk of my finger? Your choice. But Tyler,”—Wiley made strong eye contact—“you should know that the last time someone refused to do as I asked, I wasn’t afraid to use my gun.” He grinned. “I wasn’t afraid at all.”
ULRICH FIRED AN angry look at Nina. “I’m not surprised at your reaction, after what you did to Wiley. Making sure he went away for the max time. That was harsh.”
Nina barely heard him as the details of Fagan’s case played like a video in her mind. Acid rose up her throat. He was a ruthless hacker, not feeling any remorse for the people he scammed out of millions of dollars. That man, that barbarian, was in possession of the computer. She had no doubt he’d sell it to the highest bidder.
And this kid next to her thought she was the bad guy. Unbelievable.
“I’m not sure what Wiley told you about his case,” she said, trying to gentle her voice to disarm Ulrich’s anger. “But a group of jurors found him guilty of unethical hacking. He stole credit card numbers and caused irreparable damage to thousands of people. He was given plenty of chances to offer his regret for the pain and loss he caused, but he said nothing. Many of his victims lost everything, and he didn’t care. That’s why he got the maximum sentence. It wasn’t anything I said or did.”
“He said you would say something like that.”
The acid burned higher. “You told him you were meeting with me?”
“No. But he rants about you all the time. He also said if I ever ran into you, you’d play dumb.”
“Look, Ulrich.” She wanted nothing more than to tell him his friend had killed Hamid so Ulrich would see Fagan for who he was, but she wouldn’t divulge confidential information. “I get that you want to protect your friend. It’s an admirable trait. He’s lucky to have you. I’m sorry if you think I’m the one who hurt him. But be that as it may, we are dealing with a national security issue here. We need to retrieve that computer. If Fagan still has it, we need to talk to him.”
“Good luck.” Ulrich crossed his arms. “He won’t talk to you.”
“Listen up, kid.” Quinn stepped in, appearing as irritated as she felt. “Agent Brandt is a lot more patient than I am. Plus, she’s bound by rules and ethics that I don’t care about right now. My kid brother is in trouble because that computer is missing.”
“I know.” Ulrich smirked.
Quinn hauled Ulrich to his feet and glowered at the little pipsqueak. “You’re going to tell me what you know right now.”
Nina waited to act until fear consumed Ulrich’s eyes. “Put him down, Quinn.”
“Be glad to. As soon as the punk tells me what I want to know.”
“All I know is that Wiley saw a picture of the three of you on Facebook. He keeps talking about paying Agent Brandt back, but I don’t think he really would.”
Quinn let go. Ulrich dropped to the bench like a puppet with severed strings.
“And the computer?” Nina asked.
“I don’t know where it is. Honestly, I don’t.”
“Where can we find Fagan?”
“He hangs out at a coffee shop a lot of the day.” Ulrich gave them the name of a nearby place. “When he’s not there, he’s home or out trying to find a job.” Ulrich aimed a testy look at Nina. “I’m sure you know isn’t easy for a convicted felon to find one of those.”
“In case Fagan isn’t home, I’ll take the key to your apartment so we can look for the computer,” Quinn demanded.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Ulrich bit his lip.
Quinn took a step toward Ulrich, but Nina stepped in. “Give us the key, or we’ll have to take you in for questioning. You’ll lose time at work. Of course, you’ll also have to explain to your boss and co-workers why the FBI is hauling you off in cuffs.”
“Fine.” He jerked a key from a Star Wars key ring. “I get off at 7:00. You better have it back here by then so I can get in.”
Nina took the key. “We’ll do our very best.”
“It’s apartment 3C.” Ulrich gave them the address, then turned to leave.
Quinn clamped a hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Yo
u’d better not be calling Fagan to warn him we’re coming. Or you’ll find yourself arrested for aiding and abetting a criminal.”
“I won’t call.” His voice wasn’t much louder than the squeak of a mouse.
“Nice add,” Nina said as they walked to the car. “I couldn’t have done any better myself.”
“Hopefully, I’ll do just as well at locating and nabbing this Fagan guy.”
QUINN SWUNG THEIR vehicle into Ulrich’s apartment complex, and Nina pulled her gun from her ankle holster.
Quinn drew his .45 and chambered a round, then jumped out of the car. He seemed a little too eager to be using his gun, Nina thought. Although it wasn’t surprising. He was a soldier, after all. But she wouldn’t let him take over the way he had with the other people they’d questioned.
She hurried after him and grabbed his arm. “You’re not pushing your way into Fagan’s apartment like you did with Odell.”
“Now’s not the time to hang back.” He raised his eyebrow in a challenge. “It’s the time to act.”
“Think of this as one of your missions. You would create a detailed plan and practice the scenario over and over, right? You don’t run in half-cocked.”
“When all hell’s breaking loose around us, we go in barrels blazing.”
“Hell isn’t breaking loose here.” She sighed. “It’s not a matter of life or death. Even if it was, you would have a group of men backing you up. We’re a team of two, and we need to work out a strategy first. One needs to take the front of the building. The other, the back, in case Fagan bolts.”
“I’ll take the front,” he insisted. “You the back. Contain if necessary.”
She shook her head. “You’ve got it backwards, pal. I’m already risking my job by not calling Sulyard in to check this out first. If we disturb anything, Fagan could use our mistake to escape charges. I won’t let that happen. Which means I need to go in first, so I can be sure protocol is followed. No more Neanderthal man, okay?”
“Neanderthal man. Is that what you think of me?”
“Let’s just say you’re used to getting your way using intimidation and force if necessary. I’m not saying that’s all you are, but that attitude has definitely come out when someone hasn’t immediately cooperated with me.”
“Okay, fine. I may have a thing about people giving you a hard time.” He paused, then added, “Especially men.”
“Do you know how crazy that sounds, coming from the man who put me through one of the hardest times in my life?”
He seemed genuinely upset, and she used the distraction to start up the walkway to the low-slung apartment building. She didn’t hear him coming after her. At the building entrance, she glanced back and saw him still standing there. She jerked her head toward the back and entered the building. At Fagan’s apartment, she pounded on the door. “FBI!”
There was no answer. She knocked and announced herself again.
Nothing.
In case he was waiting to ambush her, she stood to the side and opened the door with the key Ulrich provided. The place seemed empty. She surveyed the area, which was lit by a streetlight and the LED on a gaming console.
Keeping her back to the wall, she stepped into the hallway that led to a living room. She swung into an opening on the right. A small kitchen, just big enough for a microwave and refrigerator. No Fagan. Back in the hallway, step by step, she moved to the family room. Quick sweep. To the right. A bedroom and bathroom. Both small. Both vacant. She turned to go back to the door, only to bump into Quinn.
Startled, she jumped back. She hadn’t heard him behind her. Not a squeak. Not a whisper. He was in stealth mode again, which scared her as much as it thrilled her.
“So much for watching the back door,” she managed to say, even though her heart was thumping wildly.
“I didn’t like the idea of you in here alone. Not if Fagan’s a killer.” He held up his hand. “Before you say I don’t respect your skills, I do. I just . . .” He shrugged. “Thinking about anyone laying a hand on you makes me crazy. As does the thought of losing you. Can we leave it at that for now?”
He was right. While they were standing in the middle of Fagan’s apartment was not the time to talk about their personal situation. It was the time to search the place and find a lead to help them capture the man who wanted to send her to prison for life.
Chapter Thirty
FOR HOURS, QUINN stood out front of the coffee shop Fagan frequented, watching for the guy. It made Quinn cold and cranky. He’d tried to think about the stakeout as one of his ops where the conditions were often brutal, but with Nina on his mind, he couldn’t make the transition.
He’d left her outside Fagan’s apartment until Becca could assign someone to watch the place in case Fagan came home. Quinn didn’t like leaving her alone. It was more than his concern for her safety. They’d been together a lot in the last few days and he missed her company.
So how are you going to walk away when this is resolved?
The light went out inside the shop, and the baristas locked up before departing. So Fagan was a no-show. Grateful to be on the move instead of lost in his thoughts, he pushed off the tree and booked it down the street to Ulrich’s apartment. Nina sat behind the wheel of the SUV, and he dropped into the passenger seat. It wasn’t much warmer inside, but at least the wind wasn’t cutting through his jacket.
“Perfect timing,” she said before he closed the door. “Becca has Fagan’s prison file and hopefully we’ll find something in there that leads to him. She’s on her way over here now with the ERT team to process Fagan’s place. She’ll text us when she gets close to give us a location where we can meet her. That way I can still keep an eye on the apartment until she gets here and can take off before anyone on the team sees us.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He settled into the seat.
She peered at him for a long time, searching for something he couldn’t decipher. “I know we’ve had our differences.” She sighed, her breath coming out in a cloud of steam. “I’ve been a bear to be around, but thanks for disregarding that and being here for me.”
He rested his hand over hers. “There’s nothing I’d like better than to be there for you all the time.”
She shot him a puzzled look. “But you can’t . . . I mean . . . what are you saying?”
“Honestly.” He locked eyes with her. “When it comes to you, I don’t know what I mean anymore. Other than you’re very important to me and the thought of leaving the team doesn’t seem as daunting as it once did.”
A look of regret crossed her face, but she didn’t speak.
Her phone chimed, and she seemed relieved for the interruption. “It’s a text from Becca. We need to go.”
It was just as well. He’d laid it all out there for her. He’d never done that before, and she didn’t say a word in response. She didn’t have to. Her silence said she wasn’t ready to give him a second chance. She might never be ready. He was a fool for even contemplating it.
They drove to a nearby restaurant with an all-you-can-eat pizza bar. Quinn’s mouth started watering the minute they entered the door. Nina chose a slice of vegetarian pizza, totally out of character for her, but he loaded his plate with slices covered in thick chunks of pepperoni and large mounds of spicy sausage. They sat in a booth across from each other. She grabbed the sugar container and dumped about a pound of it into her iced tea.
“What gives?” He nodded at her plate. “You’d give up your life before going without fried chicken, so I know you’re not a vegetarian.”
“My stomach’s been a bit unsettled since all this started. I thought the grease might upset it.” She glanced at his plate. “Guess you’re not having a problem with that.”
“I’ve learned to eat pretty much anything when I’m hungry enough.”
She frowned, a
nd he suspected she was thinking about his deployments again.
“So tell me more about Fagan,” he said to change direction.
She swallowed hard, then took a long drink of the tea.
Nice one. Bring up an even bigger problem.
She set her glass on the table, turned it a few times, then looked at him. “You know those people who can look you in the face and lie to you? You know they’re lying, but you can’t find anything concrete to prove it?”
“I’ve seen my share of people like that over the years.”
“Well, Fagan was—or I should probably say, is—a master at it. Clean cut. Well spoken. An all-American kind of guy on the outside. But he always seemed like he had an evil secret. Like he’d pulled something over on me, you know?”
His mouth full of a pizza, Quinn nodded.
“After we arrested and charged him, I figured his secret was out in the open, but the look never left his face. Even after he was sentenced and on his way to prison, there was still something about him that made me think he’d done something bigger. Something grander that he wanted to brag about, but couldn’t.”
Quinn didn’t like the sound of this guy and hated that he was likely the man who had set Nina up. “Did he ever threaten you?”
“No,” she replied, seeming lost in thought. “He just stared at me with that smug expression as he walked out of the courtroom. I never heard from him again and, honestly, I forgot all about him.”
The bells above the front door jangled. Quinn shot a look at the entrance, his hand drifting to his weapon. Becca stepped inside and he waved her over.
Hugging a folder to her chest, she hurried across the room and slid in next to Nina. “Fagan’s still a no-show. We have a detail watching his place.”
The waitress joined them and set a glass of water in front of Becca. “You want the buffet, too?”
Becca shook her head. “Your house salad to go, please.”
Quinn remembered Becca was a health-food nut. He tried to eat well for the most part, but didn’t live his life by it. Still, he admired her dedication.
Web of Shadows Page 28
