Perilous Pursuit

by Kathleen Tailer

  Jake crossed his arms. “Okay. Let’s talk this through. If I agree to let you document us working a case, will you follow my directions explicitly and stay out of the way when I tell you to? I’m not trying to be a jerk about this. I just really don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Mackenzie wasn’t so sure she believed him since they’d had a similar conversation when she had first arrived, but this olive branch he was extending seemed to be the only way she might actually be able to finish her movie. It was a start. If his boss had assigned him to babysit her, maybe he had also convinced him to help her. “Done, but I need to be kept in the loop. You can’t rush out of the office for a bust and not expect me to follow you.”

  Jake paused a moment and then put out his hand. “You’ve got a deal.”

  Mackenzie shook his hand but quickly dropped it as she felt electricity shoot up her arm. She looked up at Jake, who had a strange look in his eyes. They were the greenest eyes she had ever seen, and they reminded her of a stained glass window on a bright summer day. Funny. She hadn’t even noticed how incredibly clear they were until this very moment. Even some of the sadness she had seen before seemed to have dissipated and been replaced with an intensity that she couldn’t quite identify. She leaned back, uncomfortable with where her thoughts were leading her. Even though she had broken up with Ted over a year ago, the pain from losing him had been tough to bear. She was in no hurry to start up a new relationship with anyone, especially not with the troubling man before her. That thought actually made her want to laugh. She was pretty sure that Jake didn’t even like her—and never had. The mere idea of having a relationship with him was preposterous. The best she could hope for was that he would put up with her until this project was over. Earning his approval for her work seemed like an utterly impossible task.

  She pushed her negative thoughts aside. “Okay. Where do we start?” she asked, wiping her hands on her jeans.

  Jake raised an eyebrow. “Are you ready to roll up your sleeves?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good.” He handed her a piece of paper from a folder he had brought over with him. “You’ve probably already realized our work isn’t always action-packed. A large part of what we do is research. This is a list of the serial numbers from the copy machines we found yesterday during Beckett’s arrest. Some came from medical offices, and some from state agencies. I need you to find out how they all got in that building, and why anyone would want or need that many in the first place. It may not lead to anything, but Dominic and I just didn’t feel right about what we found there. Sometimes odd things need a second look. I want you to research it and find out what you can, and give me a theory or two to explain it. If you follow this lead and it actually takes you somewhere, you can follow us along to film it when it pans out.”

  “And if it doesn’t? I don’t mind doing some legwork, but if you’re just keeping me busy to get me out of the way...”

  Jake shook his head. “This is legitimate. In fact, I would normally do it myself. I’ve just got a lot on my plate right now, and you will actually be helping me out.”

  Again, Mackenzie wasn’t convinced of his sincerity, but there was no use looking for problems if there weren’t any. She glanced at the paper and saw a list of almost forty machines.

  “That office had this many copy machines?”

  “Yep. All in various states of disrepair.”

  “All right. I’ll check this out.”

  Jake nodded. “Good. Come find me if you discover anything.” His phone buzzed and he answered, his brow furrowing as he spoke to the caller in short, one-and two-word responses. Finally, he hung up and met her eye.

  “We’ve got a problem. Your hotel room was just ransacked, and the maid apparently interrupted the crime and was shot.”

  Fear jolted through Mackenzie’s heart. “Was she killed?”

  “No, they’ve rushed her to the hospital. She’s in critical condition, but they think she’ll pull through.” He put his hands on his hips. “We’re still missing something here. Even with Carter Beckett out of the picture, you’re in danger. And he’s not talking. He lawyered up as soon as we tried to interview him. We’re going to have to put you into protective custody until we figure this out.”

  A sliver of dread swept down Mackenzie’s spine, and she said a silent prayer for the maid. She had assumed the threat had been neutralized with Beckett’s capture. After all, they had already found the link between her street children movie and Beckett’s location. Why was someone still trying to hurt her?

  SEVEN

  Mackenzie eyed the beautiful country landscape as she and Jake drove slowly down the dirt road. Large live oak trees dotted the rolling hills, and someone had planted along the easement a row of pink crepe myrtle trees that were in full, glorious bloom. She checked the side-view mirror once more, verifying that nobody was following them, just as they turned right by a rusty metal mailbox. Despite the attractive setting, her stomach was twisting in knots. The notion that someone was still trying to kill her terrified her. The fact that others were getting hurt because of her made the entire situation even worse.

  “Don’t worry. Nobody is tailing us,” Jake said softly. His Southern inflection was somewhat comforting, but Mackenzie couldn’t seem to make her apprehension melt away. They had spent over an hour at the hotel going through the ransacked room, but even so, it didn’t appear that anything was missing. The entire situation was an enigma; she just couldn’t figure out why someone would want to hurt her or go through her things.

  She was worried about the threat against her, but now she also felt like an incredible burden. Jake and the other deputies had searched for a safe house that they could use to protect her, but to no avail. Jake had eventually volunteered to put her up at his house since it was off the beaten trail, but Mackenzie could tell that his offer was solely based on his professionalism and work ethic, and she had heard the reluctance in his voice when he volunteered. He had assured her that he lived alone and she was welcome there and wasn’t inconveniencing anyone, but Mackenzie didn’t like being an encumbrance, especially to Jake, whose relationship with her was already tenuous at best.

  She glanced in his direction and watched him maneuver the road with ease. Ever since she met Jake Riley all those years ago, Mackenzie had sensed and noted his acute perception. He seemed to be able to see straight inside of her and read her mind and heart with a simple gaze. She didn’t have the same ability, however, and she wondered what he was thinking.

  The dirt driveway made several twists and turns before ending at a small redbrick house. The home had a modern design and looked oddly out of place in the bucolic setting. Behind the house was a large barn, and much of the yard was fenced off for pasture that stretched out on all sides of the homestead. Azaleas and hydrangea bushes flanked the front of the house, and a large pecan tree graced the front yard. It was a peaceful milieu, but Mackenzie felt anything but peaceful as she grabbed her small bag of toiletries and clothing that had been salvaged from the hotel and followed Jake inside the house.

  He gave her a quick tour and then showed her the guest bedroom. “You’ll be in here. The other deputies will be arriving shortly, and we’ll all take turns keeping an eye on things.” He handed her a small gray bag. “Here’s your cell phone and the battery. Don’t put the battery back in your regular phone until this whole event is over. Even if the phone isn’t turned on, if it has the battery in it, you can be tracked.” He handed her a second phone. “This is a secure phone that can’t be tracked. Use it for now, and you can give it back once it’s safe to go back to your old phone. Deal?”

  Mackenzie nodded, pleased that he had made arrangements for her to have some way to communicate with the outside world during her sequestration.

  “Ever had any firearm training?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’ve never even held a gun.”

 
“That ends today. I have a small range set up behind the barn.”

  He must have been able to see the uncertainty on her face because he raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”

  She shrugged. “No, I guess not.” She absently ran her hand along the edge of the dresser. “I have to admit I feel a little awkward being here.”

  “Why?”

  “I guess because I know that you really don’t want to be doing this, and I feel like I’m invading your privacy. You’ve never wanted me around.”

  He smiled at her, and the smile did funny things to her insides. “Honesty. I like that. I like the way you speak your mind. I don’t have to wonder what you’re thinking.”

  Mackenzie laughed, noting that he hadn’t disagreed with her assessment. “Really? I’ve always thought it was one of my biggest faults. With some people, honesty can be the last thing they want to hear.”

  “Well, I’m not one of them. I guess it’s because I hear so many lies from the people we chase that I find the truth refreshing.” Jake leaned casually against the door frame. “I’ll pay you the compliment of being honest with you right back. The truth is I think everyone should know how to defend themselves, so I really don’t mind spending my time teaching you. And as for you staying at my place, I wouldn’t have invited you out if I didn’t want you here. Sure, it wasn’t my first choice, but I do want to keep you safe. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.” He gave her another smile, and Mackenzie noted these were some of the first smiles she’d seen him offer. This was a different side of Jake that she hadn’t seen for quite a while. He was relaxed, and although she wouldn’t quite call him happy, he was definitely less intense than he had been the last couple of days. It was intriguing.

  * * *

  He ran his hands through his hair. “I was a dumb kid back in college. Jonathan and I, well, we weren’t the most considerate guys on the planet, and we didn’t treat you very well. I’m sorry for that.” He tilted his head a bit and nodded toward the back of his house. “Let’s forget the past and start fresh. I’d love it if you let me show you my horses before your visit is over. I’m actually quite proud of them.”

  He motioned to the house in general and pushed away from the door frame. “Please make yourself at home.” He turned and left her to settle in.

  For a moment she just sat on the bed, thinking through their conversation. Had he really just apologized for the way he had acted when she was in high school? It was the first time he had actually mentioned something about their shared history in a positive light. Just like her mistakes during the arrest, she had to admit, the hurts she had sustained in the past weren’t all his fault. She had been a pain to both Jake and her brother and had gone overboard on more than one occasion when she’d been trying to get their attention. Maybe it really was time to put the past behind them.

  Dear God, please help us heal this relationship. Help us both work through our issues so we can get our jobs done. Thank You for giving us both a second opportunity to make things right, and thank You for keeping me safe.

  Sighing, she stood and opened the closet. She admired the room as she hung up a shirt. It was well lit, with plenty of sunshine coming through the windows, and was sparsely but tastefully decorated.

  She finished unpacking and sat down at the small desk in the corner. Opening her laptop, she signed on to Jake’s Wi-Fi network with the new login Jake had given her. She was strong and confident in her abilities. Maybe if she kept her focus on her current project for the US Marshals, she could keep her mind away from her own troubles. She had always handled her own problems in the past, and this death threat would not be the exception.

  She tapped a few keys and took a deep breath, focusing on the job at hand. She had been warned to stay away from her email and other sites where she could be tracked to her current location, but she had been given the go-ahead to do basic research. She started with a search of the businesses in the building where the copy machines had been found but didn’t find any company that would need that many machines. Then she did a general search of businesses that did use a large number of copiers, but couldn’t find any matches between those and the ones currently housed in the building, either. So who would want or need so many of them?

  She heard the other deputies arrive but stayed in the room doing her investigation. A couple of hours later, her head was still reeling from what she had discovered. She finally went in search of Jake and found him bent over his own keyboard, sitting at his desk in a corner of the living room. His forehead was wrinkled and it was obvious from his stance that he had been sitting there for quite some time. The other deputies were nowhere to be seen.

  “Ready for a break? I’ve got some info I want to run by you.”

  Jake leaned back and rubbed his forehead. “Absolutely. If I sit here much longer, I’m just going to whip out my weapon and shoot this stupid computer.”

  “Having trouble? Maybe I can help.” She leaned over to look at his screen, and her hair brushed his arm. He pulled back to get out of her way, and again she noticed an odd look on his face.

  “No problem. I know my way around a computer, but I sure hate the paperwork. It’s absolutely the worst part of the job. I’m several days behind, so I’ve spent the last few hours playing catch-up.” He cleared his throat. “Why don’t you have a seat and tell me what you discovered. Like I said, I can really use the break.” He motioned toward a chair by his desk and she took it, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

  “All right, here’s the scoop. Around 2002, the copy machine manufacturers joined the modern age and started putting hard drives in their machines, just like the one in your laptop there. Some copiers even have two hard drives inside. The hard drives store an image of every document that gets copied, emailed or scanned, and they rarely get erased, if ever. The machines in question were previously leased by several agencies—two law firms, a mortgage company, the downtown library, the Florida Department of Corrections and Department of Highway Safety, and three medical offices. Each copier was then sold at auction for about five hundred dollars. Apparently, that’s how the copier company gets rid of old inventory before rolling in the newest technology. No one keeps track of who buys them, how many they purchase or why, beyond the usual sales receipts.” She paused and handed him the list. “Now, here’s my theory. Step one—you take the hard drive out of the old copy machine. I figure it takes thirty minutes to an hour to do it, unless you’re a skilled technician. I even found a YouTube video that explains how to do it. Step two—download this program I got for free on the internet, run a scan on the hard drive and download all the saved documents. I figure that could take a while, depending on the speed of your computer, because we’re talking thousands of documents, not just a few hundred. Step three—sort through them all for the info you want, discard the trash and, voilà, you’ve got access to all kinds of private information such as social security numbers, bank records, income tax forms, medical records, etc. without anyone being the wiser. You get the picture. And considering that some of these machines came from Highway Safety, you might also have driver’s license numbers and photos. Step four—you’re ready for identity theft.”

  * * *

  Jake stood abruptly. His gut had been right, but this was even bigger than he’d imagined. Much bigger. “Hold that thought. I want to get the whole team in here to hear what you’re saying. Let me gather them up, and we’ll do an impromptu meeting right here in the living room.” He met her eye. “You did well, Mackenzie. I mean it.”

  “Wow. That must’ve hurt.” Mackenzie raised an eyebrow and gave him a smile.

  Jake could tell his praise had pleased her. He nodded at her and motioned to his couch before going in search of his team members, who were doing a perimeter walk around the property.

  A few minutes later, Mackenzie repeated her findings to Dominic, Whitney and Chris, the other three deputy marshals on Ja
ke’s team.

  Dominic whistled as she finished describing her discovery. “You know, if anyone gets hold of those medical records alone, we’re talking a serious breach of federal privacy law. This is really big. Identity theft is one thing, but why stop there? It’s a perfect storm for extortion, too.”

  Whitney nodded in agreement. “This is something I never even considered. I mean, who knew that copy machines stored all that data? I sure didn’t. I just figured the machines made copies. I didn’t know they stockpiled the images after the fact.”

  “I didn’t, either,” Chris agreed. “And think of all those people who use the copier in the library. Who knows what kind of personal information is stored in that machine? There could be tax returns, business documents, all kinds of things. The sky is the limit. And now most machines handle faxes and scans, too, so whoever gets the hard drives can access all sorts of private records.”

  Jake stood. “Look, I know everyone has a lot going on, but we need to move on this case right now before those copy machines disappear. So far, we have an excellent theory, but no real proof of wrongdoing. After all, it’s not illegal to buy or own used copy machines. We have to figure out how these tie in to Beckett’s criminal acts so we can stop this before it goes any further.” He glanced over at Dominic. “Did Beckett ever break down and talk?”

  Dominic shook his head. “Nope. Local police took a run at him too, but after a few minutes of saying nothing, he asked for a lawyer and clammed up again. We’re not going to get anything out of him.”

  Jake drew his lips into a straight line as he absorbed the information and then motioned to Mackenzie. “I promised Mackenzie that she could film us for her documentary as we progress on the case. You’ll be seeing her with her camera quite a bit.” He paused and looked around the table. “Whitney, find out all you can about Allied Incorporated. That’s the parent company that bought the machines according to the invoices, and it’s the same company that seems to be storing them at that building where we arrested Beckett. Chris, you and Dominic find out if Beckett has any ties to Allied. Mackenzie, what do you need for your movie?”