Return to Emmett's Mill

by Kimberly Van Meter

  Tasha felt sick herself. Bronson had been a fixture at the high school because he volunteered as an assistant coach for the varsity football team, among other things. She’d never given his presence at the school a second thought, not to mention he was such a good friend of her dad’s. Her hand went to her stomach even as she sank into the nearest chair.

  Josh came to kneel beside her, all trace of anger gone. “If I’d known you were working for him I’d have told you to steer clear. I’d have least told you to watch out.”

  Tasha buried her face in her hands. “How could I have been so blind? Why didn’t I see it?”

  “Because he was a manipulative bastard and accomplished liar. I mean, c’mon, the guy was a lawyer. They don’t make jokes about lawyers for nothing.”

  Tasha lifted her head to give Josh a derisive look. “Not all lawyers are bad,” she said, sighing. “Although, as you’re just coming off a divorce, I’m sure your opinion of them isn’t very high.”

  “The point is, he was a predator, and honestly, Tasha…there’s no telling how many other young women he victimized.”

  “I think he hurt Chloe,” she whispered, voicing her secret fear.

  Josh stared long and hard and she could see the revulsion crossing his features. “Why do you say that?”

  “Gut instinct,” she said. “Maybe some kind of victim sixth sense. I don’t know. But it’s there and I don’t doubt it.”

  “Then I don’t doubt it, either,” he said, his voice grim. “Maybe you should talk with Chloe, try to help her.”

  She despised the idea that perhaps her silence had allowed him to hurt Chloe, but she couldn’t face the woman. She swallowed the panic burgeoning in her throat, secure in the knowledge that the hated man was dead and there would be no more victims of Bronson Lewis.

  “What good will that do?” she asked, averting her gaze. “It’s in the past. Just let it go.”

  “Let it go? This is something you need to deal with. A horrible thing happened to you, but don’t let it define who you are.”

  She regarded him coldly. “Drop it, Josh. I mean it.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  Her chest tightened as she regarded him with true sadness. Her voice clear and without reservation, she said, “Then, this time the one who’s running me out of Emmett’s Mill…is you.”

  THE RIDE BACK TO TOWN was silent and fraught with tension. Josh knew Tasha hadn’t said what she did for effect. Tasha had never been one to indulge in petty drama. But he couldn’t understand her not wanting to help Chloe. Because he was sure that in helping the young woman Tasha would help herself. Maybe she’d forgive herself.

  One glance at Tasha and his gut roiled all over again. Why, Tasha? Why won’t you fight?

  Soon, he pulled into Tasha’s hotel parking lot and let the truck idle. He went to get out but she laid a hand on his shoulder.

  “Please don’t be disappointed in my decision,” she pleaded, but he couldn’t help himself. “I’ve had to live with this for almost thirteen years and I’ve found a way to do that. I can’t start all over. It’ll kill me.”

  “You wouldn’t be alone,” he insisted softly, bringing his hand to lightly touch her jaw. “I promise.”

  Tasha placed her hand atop his and her eyelids fluttered shut for the briefest moment, but when she opened them, she pulled his hand from her face. “That’s not a promise you can make and one I’d never hold you to.”

  “Tasha—” he started, but she’d already opened the door and jumped out. Staring after her, he wondered if she was right. Maybe it was best to leave it alone. Maybe it was best for her to leave.

  At the thought of watching Tasha walk out of his life again, his future looked very bleak. After today, he realized he’d been stumbling through life, moving from one experience to another in an endless gray calendar, broken only by the colorful joy his son brought, and he didn’t want to go back to that life.

  But what choice did he have? When she left, he knew his heart might just go with her.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHRISTOPHER’S HANDS WERE shaking. A text message from OgDog had liquefied the contents of his lower intestine and he was freaking out.

  He glanced down at his cell and reread the message, wishing there was a different way to interpret it.

  Dump all codes. Wash mainframe. ASAP.

  He swallowed the growing fear and started moving. He knew of a few ways to sanitize a hard drive, but he also knew if someone found out he and Og had accessed Zodiac’s mainframe and the bigwigs called the feds, they’d have some IT geek who could resurrect any washed file or activity. Wiping at the sweat popping along his brow, he prayed somehow he and Og had slipped under the radar. It was just a game, he wanted to shout, but fear kept him quiet. His dad was going to blow a gasket and his grandfather…well, he wouldn’t put it past the old man to take a switch to his ass.

  This kind of shit doesn’t really happen except in the movies, he told himself, even as he gathered every scrap of paper that had any kind of reference to the Zodiac game and tossed it into the fireplace to burn.

  He returned to his room at a sprint and hit the necessary combination to bleach the hard drive of the computer he used to play the Zodiac game.

  His dad was due home any minute. Christopher was working against the clock and his computer seemed to be taking forever to get the job done. C’mon, already!

  Christopher heard tires crunch on the gravel driveway and he swore. His dad was home early.

  He ran and tossed more paperwork into the fireplace when a knock at the front door had him skidding to a stop. Fear trickled down his back and he considered hiding in his room. The knock sounded again, this time more insistent.

  “Just a minute,” he called out, his voice cracking. He padded to the door and opened it reluctantly. Two men dressed in identical suits stared at him with stern expressions and Christopher knew federal agents were assessing him.

  “Christopher Angelus Halvorsen?”

  He couldn’t find his voice so he nodded instead.

  “You’re under arrest for hacking into and obtaining restricted, proprietary gaming information from Zodiac Games, which has resulted in a level-one security breach.”

  Christopher found his voice. “I want to call my dad.”

  JOSH WAS JUST GETTING off work when his cell phone rang. When he saw it was Chris, he answered immediately.

  “Dad? I’m in big trouble,” Christopher said, his voice wavering in a way that reminded Josh of when he was small.

  “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked, but as Christopher started to answer the line was taken from him and a stranger answered.

  “Mr. Halvorsen, your son is being arrested on federal hacking charges. We’ll be detaining him at the local police station for the time being. Meet us there.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? You’ve got the wrong kid!” He shoved his hand through his hair. Damn it, Chris. He tried calming, but fear kept his voice harsh. “Christopher is a good boy. He’d never do what you’re saying. You don’t know him.”

  “Mr. Halvorsen, we have no doubt it was Christopher. His accomplice provided the information. Perhaps you don’t know your son as well as you thought. See you soon, Mr. Halvorsen.”

  The line went dead and Josh stared at the phone in shock, not quite sure where to start. Carrie’s accusatory tone echoed in his memory and guilt flooded his thoughts. Had he been too lenient? Too unobservant of his son’s actions? He didn’t want to think his son capable of breaking the law, but a sinking feeling told him he was wrong and he could barely put the keys into the ignition for his nerves. He fumbled with his cell phone, knowing he should call Carrie but dreaded it. His jaw set, he dialed his ex-wife’s cell phone and prepared for the worst, determined to get it over with so he could focus on Christopher before she arrived.

  God, it burned like hell to know she’d been right.

  Perhaps he wasn’t as good a father as he thought. The sting of
that went deep, and for the first time ever, he wondered if he’d made the right decision bringing Christopher here instead of toughing it out at his old school.

  Carrie picked up the line.

  Not wishing to drag this out, he kept it short and sweet. “Chris is in some kind of trouble. I don’t know what’s going on yet, I’m on my way to the police station to find out. I thought you might like to know.”

  “Should I drive up?” she asked, the concern in her voice taking him by surprise. “I could be there in about an hour and a half.”

  “Uh, no, why don’t you wait until I figure out what’s happened. It could be a big misunderstanding.” God, he could only hope.

  “What’s it about?” she asked before he could disconnect.

  He hesitated but knew she’d find out sooner or later. “Something to do with computers,” he admitted, feeling her judgment from across the phone line. “I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding.”

  She seemed to sense his tension and chose not to pick a fight. “Let me know when you find out. I’ll wait for your call.”

  He agreed, and the moment the line went dead, his fingers were dialing Tasha, though he didn’t know what he expected from her. They hadn’t spoken since the Wawona trip, though not because she wasn’t on his mind. He just didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make things worse. He’d never been a smooth talker and Tasha knew that about him, but right now he was wishing he had some of Sammy’s skill because he needed her and wasn’t ashamed to admit he was scared. When she answered on the second ring, he said, “Tasha, it’s me. I need you.”

  “Josh?” she answered, immediately knowing something was wrong. “Are you all right? You sound shook up.”

  “It’s Christopher…I don’t know what’s going on but he’s been arrested by the feds. They’re holding him at the local police station. They said something about hacking.”

  “Hacking? Oh, no…did they say anything else?”

  “No, just that I had to come to the station.”

  “All right, then that’s what you need to do. It’s going to be okay. Just keep your head straight so you can think. Christopher needs you to be the level head in there.”

  Tasha’s voice soothed the tightness building in his chest and he drew a deep breath. “Thank you,” he said. “I know I shouldn’t have called but…”

  “Josh, stop. You can always call me. Would you like me to meet you at the station?”

  “Yes,” he said, refusing to feel badly about answering honestly. “I’d really appreciate that.”

  “I can be there in about ten minutes.”

  They said goodbye and he circled wide to pull onto the highway toward town. Knowing Tasha would be there with him settled his overactive brain and quieted the fear so that he could think clearly for the first moment since receiving the call.

  Hacking? He thought of his conversation with Carrie about Chris’s rampant computer use and he cringed. Carrie had been right. How had he been so blind?

  TASHA PULLED INTO THE police station and Josh followed seconds later. He jumped from his truck and they walked in together.

  Josh strode to the receiving window. “My son Christopher Halvorsen was just brought in.”

  The woman behind the glass perked up. “Your kid’s the one with the feds, right?”

  Josh ground his teeth. “That’s what I’ve been told. Can I see him, please?”

  “One minute. It’s not often this town sees this kind of action.”

  Tasha squeezed his hand in silent support and he drew a deep breath. The woman buzzed them through and led them to a waiting room. They weren’t there long before an austere man joined them.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Halvorsen. I’m federal agent Phillip Malone.” Tasha opened her mouth to correct his assumption but the agent didn’t give her the chance. “Your son is in some serious trouble. Zodiac Games is a major corporation and they’re not too happy right now with your son and his friend Paul.”

  Josh paled and Tasha sent him an encouraging smile. “I don’t quite understand. Don’t big companies like Zodiac have security to prevent these kinds of things? I don’t understand how a teenager could do what you’re saying,” Josh said, shooting an uncertain look at Tasha. “He’s only fourteen.”

  Malone shifted. “Your son has advanced computer skills. I’d say he’s fairly gifted. Have you ever had his IQ tested?”

  Josh shook his head and Tasha felt his confusion.

  “It’s a shame he used his brains to do something illegal.”

  “I’m sure he didn’t mean to break the law,” Josh protested. “Surely, there’s someone we could talk to from Zodiac to get them to see that. I mean, he just likes to play that game.”

  “Hacking is considered cyber terrorism, Mr. Halvorsen. It may have seemed like just a game, but your son and his friend managed to break into a restricted area of the company mainframe to access the newest Zodiac game before it’s even been released. These gaming companies take this very seriously.”

  “So what’s next?” Tasha asked, giving Josh’s hand another gentle squeeze.

  “We’re in contact with Zodiac’s lawyers to see if they want to press charges, which I’m sure they will, and then we’ll have to book him.”

  Josh swallowed. “Book him?”

  “Sorry. Procedure.” The agent looked genuinely apologetic. Maybe he had a kid, too, and could relate to Josh’s pain. “We’ll bring Christopher in and you can talk for a few minutes.”

  The agent left the room and Tasha turned to Josh. “Is Carrie on her way?”

  He looked miserable. “She’s waiting for my call. I told her I’d let her know if it was something serious. I was hoping to be able to tell her that it was nothing.”

  Tasha rose but he grasped her hand to stop her. “Please don’t go,” he said.

  “I was just going to give you some privacy so you could call Carrie back. I won’t go far,” she promised. “But I think you need to tell her so she can decide how she wants to handle this.”

  Josh looked conflicted. “I know, but I’ll call her later after we’ve figured out a few things. I would like you to stay…if you don’t mind?”

  The vulnerable expression on Josh’s face squeezed her heart. How could she say no? He needed her and he was openly asking for her help. “Of course I’ll stay. That’s what friends are for.”

  “Tasha…you’re so much more than my friend…and you probably always will be no matter what happens between us,” he said quietly, taking her breath away. The door opened and Christopher walked in, wearing handcuffs and looking frightened.

  “Dad…I’m so sorry,” Christopher said, his mouth quivering. “What I did was so stupid.”

  Josh crossed to his son and wrapped the boy in a tight hug, kissing the top of his head without reservation. “We’re going to figure this out. The key is to cooperate in any way possible. I’m sure the judge will take into consideration the fact this is your first offense. They’re not going to put you in a cell and throw away the key,” he said, though Tasha could hear the thread of fear in his voice.

  She piped in. “Your dad’s right. You’re a good kid, Chris. I’m sure the judge will weigh that against the crime.”

  Josh regarded his son with a mixture of pain and confusion. “Why, Chris? Why would you do something like this? You had to know it wasn’t right.”

  Christopher hung his head. “I really wanted to play the new game, and when Paul said he’d cracked the mainframe I figured the risk was minimal. Plus Paul seemed pretty confident we wouldn’t get caught.”

  “But even if you hadn’t been caught it was still illegal. Chris…basically you stole from this company.”

  “I know, Dad.”

  Josh exhaled. “All right…is there anything else I should know about? What other systems have you hacked into?”

  Christopher seemed affronted by the question. “Jeez, Dad, I only accessed Zodiac’s system. I just wanted to see if their new game was worth all the hype.”
r />   Tasha couldn’t resist. “Was it?”

  Josh shot Tasha a warning look, but Christopher cracked a sheepish grin. “Until I got caught? Yeah. But now, not so much.”

  Tasha gave Josh a reassuring smile, but he wasn’t warming to it. She tried again. “I think the lesson’s been learned. What do you think, Chris?”

  Christopher looked unhappy but he nodded.

  “It’s not that simple,” Josh said sharply, but she didn’t take offense. “Chris…you might not walk away from this. Damn it, they might put you in a juvenile lockup or take you out of my custody. Did you think of any of that before you did something so rash? So irresponsible?”

  “Josh…” Tasha said in a soothing voice, seeing Christopher tremble and knowing how bad the kid must be feeling to disappoint his father so much. “Let’s think positively. Like you said, he’s a first-time offender. Surely, there’s room for a little leniency.”

  “What if there isn’t? What if they try to make an example out of my kid?”

  She bit her lip and shook her head. There were no guarantees. That worst-case scenario could happen. She hoped to God it didn’t.

  “I’m sorry, Dad,” Christopher said, sniffling back his tears and looking younger than his fourteen years. “I won’t do it again. I swear.”

  Josh dragged his palms down his face and eyed his son with a mixture of disappointment and pain. “I want to believe you. I do,” he said, his voice breaking. “I’m going to have to call your mom. She’s waiting to find out what happened.”

  Christopher nodded glumly. “I guess. She’ll just yell at me.”

  “You deserve it,” Josh said.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Agent Malone returned and unhooked the handcuffs. “It’s as I thought, they want to press charges. We’ve booked him, but since he’s a juvenile and not what we consider a flight risk, we’ll release him into your custody.” As Malone continued, Josh’s relief was short-lived. “He is not to leave the county or the state. Your son is in a lot of trouble. Do everyone a favor and don’t let him make it worse. His court date will be in a few days.”