Shattered Lies

by Kathleen Brooks

  “Good. I didn’t have time to find the identities of everyone. I’m into Locke’s personal files. He’s not a good person, Alex. In fact, he’s very dangerous.”

  “I figured . . .” Alex trailed off as his eyes narrowed. A few more threads and then he was in the rabbit hole. And when he finally came to the end, he just stared. “Oh crap.”

  * * *

  Dalton stepped back from the window of their penthouse overlooking CBL. There had been no sign of Locke. While there was a back entrance, they’d confirmed with the local food truck that Locke’s car service dropped him off at the front door most days. He looked at his watch. “Dude, it’s nine-forty. I thought Lizzy and Valeria would be back by now.” Grant punched Dalton hard in the shoulder. “What the fuck?”

  “You just said dude. You’ve been around Alex too long. I thought to break you of the habit because I can’t be part of the group if two of you are duding it up. Speaking of Alex, I thought he should be back by now as well.”

  Dalton heard the electric lock slide open on the front door. He and Grant turned to see who was back when the door was flung open and the sexiest little woman stumbled in with Alex practically falling over her. The two held open laptops and white faces.

  “What is it?” Dalton asked as the familiar sense of dread hit him hard.

  “We found the bombs,” Alex said quickly. “There were seven, now there are five. One bomb was confiscated in a soft run at the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the man killed. The other one was already used in DC to target Birch. The guy who had the bomb is the same CIA agent who tried to take Tate right after the bombing. He went silent after the bombing. Not because he was successful, but because he was dead,” Alex said so quickly Dalton didn’t have time to process it before the girl spoke.

  “And Locke has one of the Russian suitcase bombs. Along with a combination of military, former military, and government agents in London, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Zurich.”

  “Fuck,” Grant said softly. It was the same sentiment Dalton had.

  “What are their targets?” Dalton asked.

  “I think it’s the financial institutions,” Alex said with a little less confidence. “Roxie . . . um, this is Roxie. This is Dalton and Grant.”

  “I know,” she smiled. “I read your records when I hacked Alex’s private message board you all use. Sorry,” she grinned in a proud way that Dalton knew meant she wasn’t the least bit sorry.

  “Well, then I guess Alex has some work to do to make it more private.” Dalton glared at Alex.

  “I already took care of it.” Roxie smiled tightly at the group as she looked back at her laptop.

  “You are so awesome.” Alex sighed before his face went back to a look of deadly seriousness. “The report Thurmond made on the New York Stock Exchange combined with the failed attempt in China and the attempted hacking of the London Stock Exchange led us to look into it. Here are the men carrying the weapons. All of them are in a city with an international exchange. It can’t be a coincidence.”

  “Alex, send everything to Birch and Humphrey. Text a picture of Locke to us as well. Grant, get hold of Lizzy and Valeria to fill them in. I’ll let Jason know. But when are they going to strike?”

  “Fourteen hundred hours, but I don’t know what time zone,” Roxie said, nerves causing her voice to sound slightly strangled and her British accent thicker.

  “Everyone is hitting at once?” Grant asked as he sent a text to Lizzy and Valeria.

  “Yes,” Roxie answered. “They said they were going to move into position.”

  “UTC,” Grant said tightly as he and Dalton cursed.

  “What?” Alex asked.

  “Coordinated universal time. Dammit, they’re attacking in seventeen minutes.”

  Chaos ensued, but you would never know it. Grant and Dalton were two of a kind. The worse things got, the calmer they appeared. It was how they made life-and-death decisions. Grant sent follow-up texts before checking his weapons while Dalton tossed him a Kevlar vest and strapped one on as he filled Jason in.

  “What can I do?” Roxie asked in near panic.

  “Call in a bomb threat. Have your friends call them in at every exchange. Anything to get as many people out of the buildings as possible,” Dalton ordered as he strapped on his vest and guns.

  “Can you freeze trading for the exchanges that are open?” Grant asked as he slipped his phone into his back pocket of his jeans.

  “We’ll get the word out,” Alex told him as he and Roxie stood at the bar top with their laptops open and fingers flying.

  “Wall Street is five blocks away. We need to move,” Dalton barked as he and Grant ran out the door with an extra gun and vest for Jason in hand.

  * * *

  Valeria was amazed at how much talking Lizzy could do without saying a single thing. She had Bertie eating out of her hand about what was going on at SA Tech while never disclosing any important trade secret, not that they knew any.

  One thing was clear though, Bertie loved power as much as Sebastian did, and he hated that Sebastian was nipping at his heels. Valeria kept an eye on Rue as he stared at her. Someone was holding a grudge.

  Val’s phone vibrated, and she looked at her watch. Nine forty-four. This was taking forever and Valeria had already decided Bertie was exactly the same as Sebastian. She didn’t know what Lizzy was looking for. Either man would do anything, legal or not, to defeat the other.

  Valeria’s phone buzzed again. Grant knew they were busy. It buzzed again and Valeria slowly pulled it from the front pocket of her jeans and casually looked down. Shit. Her heart sped up so fast she was sure she was flushed, but instead of leaping up, Valeria rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

  “Look. I got things to do. We’ve given you enough to know we’re legit. Wire us a million dollars now and my girl here will get you some more information. Here’s the account.” Valeria leaned forward as Lizzy looked at her. She tapped her phone with her left pointer finger as she used the right to write down an account number. Valeria slouched back in the chair and crossed her arms and resumed looking bored.

  “That would be good,” Lizzy smiled, encouraging Bertie to pick up the phone. In less than a minute, the wire had been placed, hands had been shaken, and they were out the door.

  “What the hell is going on?” Lizzy asked as she headed for the elevator. The door opened instantly and Valeria pushed the button for the lobby.

  “I’ll tell you in a second.” She looked up at the video camera and flicked it off.

  The elevator slowed to a stop and the door opened. Turning away from the lobby, Valeria led them out the back door, setting off the fire alarm. “Mollia Domini is going to try to blow up the world’s biggest stock exchanges.”

  “When?”

  Valeria looked at her watch. “In thirteen minutes.”

  * * *

  “What time is it?” Tate asked as she and Humphrey walked toward the Oval Office. “I know our meeting was for 9:45, but I’m moving so slow on these stupid crutches. I thought I was ready for them, but it’s irritating my shoulder wound a bit.”

  “It’s just now time for the meeting. Somehow I don’t think Birch will care if we’re a few minutes late,” Humphrey said as they headed through the office full of secretaries, staff, and various people waiting for meetings.

  The door to the oval office flung open and a white-faced Birch stood, pain radiating from his face as he held his broken ribs. “Get me the head of the SEC and the president of the New York Stock Exchange!” Birch yelled at his secretary. “And Jess, get me the heads of the New York offices of the FBI, police, and Homeland.” Birch looked up and saw them. “We’re under attack.”

  Birch disappeared back into the Oval Office as Humphrey ran and Tate hobbled so fast the pain of the crutches slamming against her upper ribs would make a normal person cry.

  “Freeze the markets now! We have credible intelligence there is an imminent terrorist attack ready to strike the exchange in thirteen minu
tes,” Tate heard Birch order into the phone when she got there. “Evacuate the building immediately.”

  “New York police commissioner, FBI, and Homeland on conference line three,” Jessica shouted out.

  “Jess, I need the British and Australian prime ministers, the Federal Council of Switzerland, and the chief executive of Hong Kong,” Birch shouted back as he picked up the phone.

  Birch looked at them then. His face was hardened in the midst of potential disaster. “Tate, Humphrey, be ready to take over any calls. It’s Mollia Domini. They’re taking out the markets with suitcase bombers. Looks like New York is the main target. They’re hitting it at peak trading time. If any of these exchanges are damaged, it’ll be enough to send the world’s markets into chaos.” Birch trailed off, imagining a result that would be incomprehensible in terms of damage. “I have pictures and am sending them now to the heads of state and our agents in New York. They’re in your inbox.”

  Tate nodded as she pulled up the files. Locke. Son of a bitch. He was going to hit New York.

  “Now!” Birch yelled. “And don’t you fucking dare give me that jurisdiction shit. Everyone clear the area and look for Brandon Locke and his men. The bomb will be in a bag of some sort.”

  “I have London and Switzerland on two,” Jessica called out.

  “Here, talk to my chief of staff for the rest of my orders.” Birch handed the phone to Humphrey and picked up the secure line. “You need to close your exchanges immediately. We have credible intelligence of a terrorist attack and have sent the names and pictures of the men with the suitcase bombs. Freeze trading and evacuate. The attack it set for twelve minutes from now.”

  “I’ve woken up Hong Kong and Australia and have them on a line out here!” Jessica yelled, standing with a phone in her hand and the cord stretched as far as it could.

  Birch tossed the phone to Tate as he ran. “Finish it!”

  “This is Tate Carlisle, press secretary to the president.” Tate answered the questions as fast as they came. Oh God. They had thought they had been prepared for whatever Mollia Domini had planned.

  24

  “Jason!” Dalton called out as they raced down the steps with Secret Service emblazoned across the back of their vests. “Locke is going to bomb the exchange!”

  Dalton threw the vest at him and handed him the M-16. People were giving them wide berth, and some were even taking pictures. Dalton stepped into the street and held up his hand. A minivan screeched to a halt and a scared woman clung to the steering wheel.

  “Secret Service. I need your vehicle. It’s a matter of national security,” Dalton yelled, but the woman just shook her head.

  “We don’t have time for this,” Grant told him as he looked around for another ride.

  Dalton slammed the butt of the gun through the driver’s window. “I said it’s a matter of fucking national security!” He reached inside and opened the door as the woman screamed. He used his knife, sliced the seat belt, and dragged her out as he hit the unlock button. Jason jumped into the back and Grant took the front as Dalton sped away. With his hand on the horn and weaving in and out of traffic, it wouldn’t take long to get there, but could they find Locke in time?

  * * *

  Valeria’s arms sliced through the air as she sprinted straight down the middle of Broad Street. Lizzy was right behind her. Neither talked. Eleven minutes. Valeria was counting down in her head. They wouldn’t make it.

  “There!” Lizzy shouted. Two blocks ahead was Wall Street. The cobbled street was cut in half by barricades as a large American flag stretched across the six Corinthian columns starting around two to three stories up from the ground and stretching upward toward the pediment. The sculpture of Integrity, with her arms stretched outward and her hands clenched in fists, came into view right as a minivan slid to a stop before hitting the barricades.

  A large mountain of man in Kevlar leapt from the front. “Grant!” Valeria screamed over the traffic at the same time shouting erupted.

  “Ten minutes,” Lizzy called out from behind her as the men ran toward them.

  “We have to get these people out of here,” Valeria yelled as Jason went right toward the guards and began talking to them.

  “We know Locke,” Dalton told them as they stood with their hands on their hips in the middle of Broad Street as hundreds of people came and went. “You two get people out of here. Folks in the other buildings should find a safe place to hunker down or evacuate away from the exchange.”

  “I’ll block the street with the minivan. Good luck.” Lizzy placed a quick kiss on Dalton’s cheek and then ran toward the minivan.

  “Stay safe, lass,” Grant whispered to Val. She closed her eyes for one second taking in his voice, the press of his lips on hers, the hardness of a gun being shoved into her hand, and then he was gone. When she opened her eyes, the fear was pressed deep inside her as she surveyed the best way to evacuate thousands of people.

  * * *

  Alex’s body shook, but his fingers did not. “Nine minutes,” he said out loud. “I got through to the security at the exchanges. Let’s hope they believe my bomb threat. The exchange hasn’t frozen trading yet, though.”

  “Shut it down,” Roxie said in the same voice devoid of emotion. “The group is working on the other locations. I almost have London’s exchange safely closed and the bomb threat was called in. I fully expect we’ll be shut down quickly since they’ll have our phones.”

  “Birch will take care of it,” Alex said as he worked his way through the highly protected firewall of the exchange. “This is going to take a while.”

  “We don’t have a while,” Roxie reminded him. “Dark Surfer has Australia taken care of. He’s called in three threats to different agencies and trading has been frozen. He’s moving onto Zurich now.”

  “Fire Dragon is locking down Hong Kong,” Alex said as the message flashed across the top of his computer. “He needs five more minutes.”

  “Eight minutes,” Roxie said as the clock continued to move.

  * * *

  “Why the fuck aren’t you evacuating?” Dalton demanded as the guard outside the main entrance refused to let him in without authorization. A couple of the guards moved Dalton and Grant away from the entrance and to the side of the building as a few more guards began to surround them. Jason had taken off the Kevlar and was mingling through the pedestrians as a fire alarm sounded in the building Valeria had ran into. Six minutes.

  “Why don’t you show us your badge?” the main officer asked with his hand on the butt of his holstered gun.

  “Call the president. He ordered us here,” Dalton said with clenched teeth. This was the one time he’d kill for identification. The guards laughed and Grant nudged him. When Dalton looked up, Grant was focused beyond the cluster of guards they were standing with at the side of the building. Flashing a badge and walking right through security was none other than Brandon Locke.

  His hair had turned lighter, his features leaner, but there was no mistaking that sharp nose and the scar that ran along his cheek. There was no doubt in the way he held himself, the way he walked with purpose, that he was ex-military. And there was no doubt there was a bomb in the bag he carried in his right hand.

  A second alarm sounded from behind them and the guards turned to look. It was the building Lizzy had gone into after blocking traffic a block away. But there were still too many people on the street and Locke was almost to the front door.

  “I’m calling this in,” the officer said, pulling out his walkie.

  “Shit,” Dalton cursed as he shoved the guard in front of him out of the way and sprinted forward as Grant pushed the guards down and went into the middle of the street.

  “Gas leak! Evacuate the area immediately!” Grant yelled a moment before a taser was shot at him. Grant rolled his eyes as he yanked it out of the vest.

  “Locke!” Dalton yelled. The man stopped as he walked toward the front doors. In one hand was a duffle bag, and Dalton knew
exactly what was inside it. If Locke made it inside and that bomb went off, Mollia Domini would win. The exchange would be crippled. The market would crash. Retirements, savings, pensions—all gone.

  “Five minutes!” Grant yelled as he shoved people away from the exchange. Guards rushed him and the sound of a helicopter grew so loud that Dalton momentarily looked away from Locke.

  “NYPD!” Dalton heard Crew’s voice boom out from a speaker on the helicopter. “Evacuate the area immediately!”

  Locke looked around, and his eyes caught Dalton’s. They stared, and when recognition set in, Locke ran. Dalton hurdled the security blockade as he used every ounce of energy to push himself harder and faster.

  Locke’s hand was on the door when Dalton tackled him. His shoulder rammed into Locke’s side, sending them crashing to the sidewalk. Dalton didn’t hear Crew continuing to evacuate the area from the air. He didn’t notice the doors to the exchange open as people ran screaming from the building. All he saw was what looked like a car’s key fob remote in Locke’s left hand and Locke’s finger reaching for the red button.

  “I’ll blow us right now,” Locke grunted as Dalton smashed his hand into his stomach.

  Dalton grabbed for Locke’s hand as Valeria came out of nowhere and slammed her foot into his face. Blood poured from Locke’s now crooked nose. “Key fob detonator!” Dalton yelled as Grant and Valeria joined the fight.

  * * *

  Valeria didn’t like the order Dalton had just given her to try to keep Locke alive, but it was an order from Dalton, and she’d follow it. She fought to get Locke in a stranglehold as Dalton and Grant grappled for the detonator. But Locke was a fighter, a dirty one at that. She should have seen it coming, but she didn’t. He pulled a knife with his right hand as he kept the key fob closed tightly in his left fist.

  “Dalton!” Valeria screamed, but the warning was too late. The blade slid into Dalton’s hip. Dalton grunted as Locke twisted the blade. He smiled, his teeth outlined in blood from where she’d broken his nose.