by Nadirah Foxx
“Leave it to me.” When I gave her a curious glance, she said, “Who do you think uploaded the video?”
“Why?”
“Two reasons. Citizens have to know someone is looking out for them, and I’m hoping to snag the attention of those who are willing to kill for Ryan’s technology.”
“Narrowing down the list of suspects.” Smart move on her part. “Then you should get moving on the remanufacture. I’ll get you some notes on improvement in an hour.”
Debbie rose from her seat. “One question.”
I glanced up from my cup. “Yes?”
“Would you have gone back just to cut off that guy’s balls?” She reached for her tablet.
The idea made me smile. “Hopefully, we’ll never find out.”
She nodded and walked toward her office.
I was serious about the changes needed in the prototype. Pulling out a legal pad, I made some notes. Yes, the Kevlar should be implemented into the metamaterial. I also liked the sleekness of the prototype, but I wanted a color change. Make it black. Rather than a one-piece that came down over my hands, I’d prefer gloves that came up over my wrists. We had to keep the holster, but the boots needed to be more functional. Something with a better tread on the sole for traction. I should also have the capability to slip a blade into the top of the boot.
Frankly, I couldn’t think of anything else that would be practical. Losing the balaclava left my head exposed. I jotted down adding Kevlar to the headpiece as well. Happy with my improvements, I started to stand when an email notification came across my computer screen.
From: The Office of Mayor Gena Simpson
To: Mrs. Kerrie King
Subject: Pending Sale of Sentinel Security
Mrs. King,
It has come to my attention that you are interested in selling Sentinel Security. My associate, Walter Puckett, has made a generous offer to your business partner. We would appreciate the courtesy of a response—favorable or not—by end of day. Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
I honestly didn’t see that coming. The mayor essentially erased any doubt of her association with Walter. Did she suspect that someone had been in her home?
It was time to find out exactly what were in those files.
33
Shedding Some Light
An hour later, Debbie and I had perused every file duplicated from Mayor Simpson’s computer. Josh had physical copies spread out on a nearby table. From what we could gather, the mayor was clean. There wasn’t one shred of information linking her to anything nefarious. On paper, it appeared that Arcadia City wanted to purchase a cybersecurity firm to shore up their network.
Sorry. I wasn’t buying it.
Mayor Simpson took office shortly after a major scandal hit the ACPD. Her campaign claimed she would eradicate the corruption plaguing the city’s police force. After she was elected, the crookedness became worse. Then notorious mob boss Mario Genetti was arrested. The man wasted no time implicating the mayor. Supposedly, they knew each other and had even done favors for one another in the past. Of course Mayor Simpson denied it. Genetti ended up in Black Wood Penitentiary, and people forgot about the outrage.
“Debbie, do you remember Mario Genetti?”
She looked up from her monitor. “The mob boss? What about him?”
“When he was arrested, he claimed to know Mayor Simpson.”
Josh said, “Yeah. He said they did favors for each other.” He pushed away from the table. “Maybe we should look into their relationship. The media gave up on any connection between them while the ACPD said Genetti was just looking for a way to shorten his sentence.”
It was getting late, and I still needed to answer the email from Mayor Simpson. Facing my own computer, I typed a simple message.
From: The Office of Kerrie King, CEO of Sentinel Security
To: The Office of Mayor Gena Simpson, Arcadia City
Subject: Pending Sale of Sentinel Security
Mayor Simpson,
I’m afraid my partner jumped the gun. We discussed the possibility, but I have decided to keep my company. It’s the only thing I have left of my late husband. I’m sure you can understand that.
I read over the note a few times before hitting the send button. If the message had the desired effect, I should hear from Walter before the sun went down.
Fifteen minutes later, he sent me an email.
From: The Office of Walter Puckett, Senior Vice President of Corporate Engineering, Technology and Operations
To: Kerrie King, CEO of Sentinel Security
Subject: Pending Sale of Sentinel Security
I am dismayed by the news. If you are concerned about the future of Sentinel Security, don’t be. I assure you the company will be run as a subsidiary of the Martin Company. Any proprietary knowledge will be attributed to your late husband. Any income derived from those properties will be paid to you (at a 60-40 split).
Please reconsider your decision. I will await your choice.
He would be waiting a long damned time. No way would I give up Sentinel. I was serious when I said it was all I had left of Ryan.
“What’s up?” Josh sat beside me. He glanced at the screen and then me. “Kerrie?”
Ignoring his questions, I asked, “Have you learned anything? Any ties between Genetti and the mayor?”
“Debbie’s following a possible lead.” His voice softened. “Want to get out of here?”
Side-glancing, I said, “It’s tempting, but we have work to do.”
“Just a breath of fresh air. We can go to the roof.”
I nodded and followed him toward the stairs.
We walked out of my office, down the hall, and to the elevator. Fortunately, it was after hours without an employee in sight. We made our ascent in silence.
Once we stepped onto the roof, Josh wrapped his arms around me. Before I could stop him, his lips found mine. It would be a boldfaced lie if I said I didn’t like the kiss. Problem was, it was still too soon.
I broke it off and walked over toward the ledge. Resting my arms on the parapet, I asked, “Is that why you wanted me up here?”
“Is that so bad?” He stopped beside me.
“I’m not ready, Josh. Give me some respectable time to grieve.”
He faced me and leaned his back against the wall. “Were you happy with Ryan?”
“Are you serious?”
“Answer me.”
Lowering my head, I thought about my life with Ryan. “When we were first married, everything was good. We had a real partnership. Then, Ryan started pushing me to start a family. No matter how many times I told him we should wait, he insisted.”
“I remember that. You cried on my shoulder many times.”
Ryan’s insistence on starting a family was the beginning of our troubles. No. It was a symptom. My husband suspected my relationship with Josh was more than just two extremely close friends. Ryan had hinted at it more than once.
Then I became pregnant, and Ryan turned into the loving husband again. With RJ’s birth, we were the happiest we’d ever been.
“We had our good times, Josh.”
Honestly, my best friend was my first love, but I saw something more in Ryan. I gave him my heart without question, and in turn, he gave me loyalty. I owed it to his memory to do the same.
Josh might have given it to me too, but he had dreams. He said he wanted to leave Liberty City and see the world. Loving me would have tied him to some place he didn’t want to stay in. That was the real reason why I accepted Ryan into my life. He was a homegrown kid who grew up to be a man who wanted to stay close to his hometown.
“Yes, you did. But you also had your bad ones.”
“Don’t speak ill of the dead. Ryan did nothing to you.”
Josh bobbed his head a few times. “You’re right. Forgive my forwardness.”
I smiled. “It wasn’t unappreciated. I just need time.”
“You can�
��t blame me for trying,” he said meekly.
No, I couldn’t. Changing the subject, I looked out over the city and said, “In the meantime, I need you to focus. We’re closing in on my family’s killers. But I suspect there’s so much more going on in Liberty. If we work hard... If we pool our knowledge, this team will discover it and put an end to the crimes.”
“What? Are we vigilantes now?”
“Sentinels.” I glanced at him. “Sentinels of Justice.”
Josh chuckled. “You want to keep doing this shit? Putting your life on the line?”
“Didn’t you say you once considered joining the force?”
“Yeah, but I changed my mind. What you’re proposing isn’t a career choice. It more like a death wish.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” I paused for a moment. “Think on it. Let’s get the truth about Mayor Simpson and Walter. Turn the killers into the cops. Then we can decide what comes next.”
“Okay.”
As we rode the elevator, I remembered Josh’s lips on mine. Fate was an ironic bitch. Years ago, when my heart was free to be given, I couldn’t get him to kiss me. Now… For fuck’s sake, I had to move on.
So did he.
The doors opened, and Debbie stood on the other side. “Where have you two been?”
Silly me began to explain. “I—
She waved her hand in the air. “Not important. I found some info on Walter and Mayor Simpson.”
“Spill it,” I said.
Debbie scrolled through her tablet and began filling us in as we headed to my office. “Genetti and the mayor were once a couple. I’m still working on the extent of their connection.” My assistant glanced up. “What you need to know is that Walter’s days at the Martin Company are numbered. He hasn’t had a profitable idea in months.”
“So he gave up the prototype,” I surmised, taking a seat behind my desk.
Debbie said, “Right. Now, here’s the interesting part. Those files you lifted from Mayor Simpson’s computer? She has copies of Ryan’s notes.”
Josh raked a hand through his hair as he perched on the edge of the desk. “How much you want to bet that Walter offered the mayor the suit?”
“But why would she be interested in it?” I asked.
“What if she still has something with her former boyfriend?” Debbie lowered her tablet. “What if the mayor is running his businesses while he’s locked up?”
It was a remote possibility. If the mayor was still in love with the man, why not?
Josh said, “We have to find something tying the mayor to one of Genetti’s enterprises.”
“The Daily Tribune ran a series of articles on the man during his trial. I’ll check with Tristan. There might be a list of the businesses.” I accessed my email and sent the reporter a message asking for a meeting. I held out hope we would connect the right dots, and my family’s killers would soon be apprehended. “Good work, Debbie. Let’s stop here.”
My assistant and Josh gave me a hesitant look before walking out. I was tempted to shout that I didn’t want to be alone. But that was exactly what I needed.
I logged off of my computer and made my way to the closet. As I walked down the steps, I thought about everything that had happened. Losing my family because a man wanted to secure his position with a multi-billion-dollar company. Upending my life because a mayor wanted to keep a mafia boss’s businesses intact.
It boiled down to greed. But they would discover a widow’s grief trumped their desire to have more. Sitting still while criminals walked the streets wasn’t an option.
Walking around the tech lab, I shut down lights while leaving the computer and monitors we used up and running. Returning to the apartment, I looked at the space with new intent. Before it was a place for me to lay my head and try to forget about the bastards who stole from me. Then it became my base of operations. At some point, that bunker became my refuge. Nothing could hurt me there, and despite the repeated warnings from Josh, the suit would eventually stop bullets. It would prevent thugs from killing others and creating turmoil for the good citizens of Liberty City.
Did I consider myself a crime fighter? A vigilante? Who knew? On some level, I’d been fighting atrocities ever since I took the cybercrime position with the LCPD. In my mind, I was only changing the platform—going from digital to physical.
I tasked myself with doing what the police couldn’t—or wouldn’t—do. My needs and desires could take a back seat for a while. If anything, I owed it to Ryan’s legacy to do everything possible to protect and serve those who considered Liberty City home.
34
Unexpected Alliances
The possibilities swirling through my mind worsened my insomnia. I tried hard to get some rest, but it just wasn’t meant to be. When I became tired of staring at the ceiling, I got out of bed and slipped on a pair of yoga pants and an oversized T-shirt. I spent the rest of the time on the computer trying to connect the scattered dots of information regarding Walter and the crimes.
The hours sped by, and soon it was time for my morning session with Lidia. A lack of coffee and sleep made me a cranky bitch. I desperately needed someone to vent to about my issues with Josh as well.
“I would say good morning, but I don’t think that would be appropriate,” Lidia said as she approached. “You look like shit.”
“Feel like it too. Got anything else to say?”
“Lace up your shoes. I think we should run this morning.”
“Whatever.” I checked my laces. “Try to keep up.”
“We’re just jogging, King!”
“Yeah,” I shouted with no intention of playing nicely.
We bolted onto the nearly empty streets of Liberty City. It was still crisp and cool outside, just the way I liked it. Once again, common sense took its leave, and I headed toward my favorite destination—the stadium. If I ran into a few thugs, it would be icing on the cake. With the rising sun, the crooks had slithered back into their hiding places. The only offender I’d find so early would be an errant cockroach looking to terrorize an apartment dweller.
It was supposed to be an easy jog, but my anger boiled and fueled me. Before I knew it, I was in the parking lot without Lidia. Minutes later, she arrived, panting heavily.
“What the fuck was that, King?” She grabbed her side.
I glared at her and proceeded to stretch.
Lidia stood tall, trying to play off her pain, and stared down her nose. “Here’s the thing. If you’re pissed with me, tell me. If you want to run off half-cocked, do it on your own time. I have better things to do than deal with your shit. It’s too fucking early for it.”
“Are you finished?”
She narrowed her eyes but didn’t speak.
“Here’s the thing,” I said, mimicking her snippy tone. “I’m not pissed with you. Not yet.”
The statuesque Latina dropped onto the ground beside me, assuming a similar position. As she stretched over her legs, she asked, “So what’s your problem?”
“We stumbled upon some info last night.” Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in my head. We needed to know about the mob boss. Who better to give up the details than a cop? “You were at the precinct when Mario Genetti was convicted, right?”
“Yeah. It was a nasty ordeal. The trial went on for a few weeks.” She glanced over at me. “Just between the two of us, jail hasn’t stopped the man’s activities.”
Feigning ignorance, I asked, “Really? How so?”
“Most of his businesses are still up and running.” Lidia held her arms over her head and stretched her triceps. “Honestly, I don’t think the department was that interested in taking down all of them.”
Understatement.
From my research overnight, I discovered that Genetti was arrested on suspicion of murder. Despite the other evidence they’d gathered—details of money laundering, counterfeiting, drug running—the authorities never did anything about it. They seemed content prosecuting the mob boss on the one crime, w
hich many people doubted he committed.
“Are any of his ventures in Liberty City?”
“Nothing but petty gambling rings.” Lidia began stretching her sides. “His concern was a casino in Victoryville. The Feds tried to shut him down, but it turned out to be a legit business.”
I made mental notes of the information Lidia shared. Later, when I saw Debbie, we’d go over everything and figure out what was true. “What about the relationship between Genetti and Gena Simpson?”
“The mayor?” Lidia stopped stretching. The woman tilted her head to one side and pursed her lips. “That was a mess. Simpson was his wife. She showed up every day of his trial. He swore they weren’t married, but right after his conviction she filed for divorce.”
Holy shit! I didn’t anticipate that connection.
Jumping to my feet, I said, “We need to cut our training short.”
Lidia looked up. “Why?”
“I need to do some research. See you tomorrow,” I yelled over my shoulder as I bolted down the street.
◆◆◆
An hour later, I was freshly showered, dressed in business attire, and sitting in my office. The details Lidia gave me were extremely helpful. Most of it couldn’t be found conducting a normal internet search. When Debbie arrived, I’d hand over my notes and let her dig into it further.
I didn’t have to wait long. The elevator dinged in the distance.
“Morning, boss.” My assistant came through the door with a bright smile and a carrier with cups of coffee from the Coffee Bar. Behind her was Josh with a bag from the Egg & Smear—a bagel shop in the business district.
“Is that what I think it is?” I asked with a smile. My stomach growled in anticipation.
“If you’re expecting an egg, lox, and cream cheese sandwich, then it is.” Josh set the brown paper bag with the smiling bagel logo on it in front of me. “You’re at your desk early.”
“With good reason.” I unwrapped my sandwich and took a huge bite, savoring the taste for a minute. I continued devouring the delectable morsel a little longer before asking, “Did you know that Genetti and Mayor Simpson were married?”
