To Catch a Rat

by S J Grey

  “I’m not a cop,” Mark replied.

  Caleb barged into Mark, wrist as high as he could lift it, while he shoved his other arm across Mark’s throat. “Let me go, you fucker.”

  They were a similar height, but Mark looked stronger. They jostled each other, Mark holding the chain low, probably so Caleb couldn’t choke him with it.

  “Fuck,” said Caleb. “You work for them, don’t you? You’re one of the kidnappers. That’s fine. You’ve got me. Now let Sandra and Geoff go.”

  “You’re not even close.” Mark shoved him, forcing him backwards until he hit up against the tree. “Cool your jets, Sparky. We’re going to talk.”

  “Yeah, right.” Caleb tried to knee Mark in the balls but missed.

  “Tut, tut. That’s not very polite.” Mark body-checked Caleb’s next move and pinned him to the tree, grabbing Caleb’s free arm before Caleb could lay a punch with it. To a passer-by, it would look as though they embraced right there, under the trees.

  It was clear that Mark knew how to fight. Something else he neglected to tell her.

  “Mark, what the fuck are you doing?” Emma yanked at his jacket, but he shrugged her off.

  “Let. Me. Go.” Caleb spat the words out.

  “Not until you listen to me.”

  “Cop or kidnapper?”

  “Neither.”

  “Mark.” Emma tried again to get his attention.

  “I need to talk to him, to figure out how we’re going to fix this mess.” Mark kept his focus on Caleb’s face. “See, you’re doing exactly what I expected. Exactly what I’d do in your shoes. Make sure Emma had a ride home, and then get the hell out of here. Give yourself to whoever has Geoff and Sandra, and hope they honour their side of the bargain. Am I right?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Caleb. Why would you do that?” Emma didn’t know who she was angrier with.

  “Because,” continued Mark in a maddeningly calm voice, “I’d do the same.” He jerked at the chain that linked them. “Are we going to talk now? Like adults?”

  “Adults, my ass. Let me go, and I’ll think about it.”

  “Give me the bike keys, and I’ll think about it.”

  “Fuck you.” Caleb shoved him back, but Mark didn’t move.

  “How long until they call back? And do you have the phone they called, or does Emma? Come on, Rush. Work with me, here.”

  Caleb blew out a breath. “It’s Emma’s phone, and I have it. It’s less than ten minutes until they call. Assuming they do.”

  “Okay. I’m going to let you go, and we’re going to walk over to my car.” Mark cracked a hint of a smile. “I’m not going to force you to get into the boot. We’re going to sit in the back seat and wait for them to call.”

  “And then what?”

  “You see what their next demand is. As far as they’re concerned, it’s just you and Em. When we know how they expect this to play out, we’ll decide our next step.”

  “I don’t trust you.”

  “That goes both ways. But like you, I want Sandra and Geoff to come home safely. And while we’re waiting, we’re going to talk.”

  It was as if Mark had morphed into a different person. This was the real Mark. Emma felt more alone than ever. What had she done? She thought turning to Mark would help, but it looked more like the opposite.

  “I’m going to let you go,” said Mark, his voice calm, “and then we’re going to my car.”

  Caleb nodded, and Mark released his grip. They walked to the Falcon, and Caleb slid into the back seat, Mark following. Emma climbed into the passenger seat in front.

  Mark had a phone in his hand and was dialling a number. He pressed it to his ear. “Jonathan. We’re expecting the call on Emma’s burner. Get ready to trace it.” He disconnected and slid the phone into his pocket.

  Emma knelt up in her seat, facing the men in the back of the car. “Are you going to do what the police are doing? Are you tracing the GPS on Dad’s phone?” Could it be that easy? She didn’t dare hope for that.

  “We’re going to try.”

  Caleb turned to look at Mark. “What do you want to know?”

  “You said you provided the kill switch to Ian Grady Investments. Can you prove that?”

  “Why are you so interested in that programme? I wrote it years ago.”

  Huh? “What are you both talking about?” Emma asked. “And what’s this got to do with my parents?”

  Mark pulled a face. “Possibly nothing. I’m just trying to put the jigsaw pieces together.” He fixed his gaze back on Caleb. “Do you remember who you dealt with, at Ian Grady Investments? Who your contact was?”

  Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but Mark carried on, right over him. “I’ve been told the code was reverse-engineered to attack their systems, and without the kill switch, they can’t do anything. There’s also a linked cyber-attack taking place on a major network. Innocent people will die if the attack isn’t shut down.”

  Who the hell was he? Did she know anything about Mark after all?

  There was an urgency to his words that resonated with Emma, but something even more urgent needed attention.

  “We need to switch on the phone,” she said, interrupting them. “It’s time for the kidnapper to call.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “Where is it?” Emma asked. “Where’s my phone?”

  “In my jacket pocket,” said Caleb. He scowled at Mark. “I need my hand back.”

  “Sure.” Mark lifted his own hand, to give Caleb some reach on the short chain.

  “Seriously? Do we need to stay attached?”

  “Give me the bike keys,” said Mark. “I want to be sure you’re not going to run away again. I also want to be sure you’re not going to pull a knife on me. But get the phone first.”

  Caleb retrieved the phone and battery, and passed them to Emma.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, slotting the battery back into place. She switched it on and looked up at Mark. “Are the police going to track us too?”

  “Yes, and they’ll pick up the signal here, but we can move soon enough. As soon as Caleb hands over the keys for his bike.”

  “It’s Geoff’s, actually,” said Caleb. “He lent it to me, and I’d rather not leave it parked here.”

  “It’ll be safe for a few hours. There are plenty of others around.”

  “In my inside pocket.”

  “Left or right?”

  “Right. If I was carrying a knife, I’d have used it.”

  “Maybe. Get them, but slowly. Keep your eyes on me.”

  They were acting like a pair of surly dogs. It took all of Emma’s dwindling self-control, to avoid shouting at them to stop being assholes. Maybe she should.

  Caleb dug into his pocket, every movement slow, and then handed the bike keys to Mark, who tucked them into his own inside pocket.

  “Let me go,” said Caleb.

  Emma’s phone vibrated with an incoming call. It wasn’t Geoff’s burner this time, but an unknown number. It couldn’t be anyone else.

  “Oh God,” she whispered. “It’s them.” All of a sudden, she didn’t mind Mark and Caleb, snarling at each other. She’d rather watch their posturing than deal with this.

  “Put it on speaker and place it on the centre console.” Mark was calm. “Remember, it’s just you and Caleb here. Ask to speak to both Geoff and Sandra, and do whatever you can to stall them. The longer the call, the better the chance of tracing it. You’ve got this, love.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath, before answering the call. “This is Emma.” She swiped the screen and put the phone in the middle of the car, as directed. “Let me speak to Mum and Dad. I want to make sure they’re okay.” Her voice trembled.

  “You are not in a position to make demands.”

  Emma hated that sneering voice, with its upper-class English accent. It reeked of an expensive education and reminded her of every period drama she’d ever seen. “I’m not doing anything until you let me spe
ak to them.”

  “And there we have an immediate problem. I have two hostages. What is to stop me from killing one? I will still have one left.”

  No. Emma’s throat was so tight, she didn’t know if she could speak. “What do you want from me?”

  “That is more like it.”

  There was something off about the speech pattern. As though English wasn’t his first language. Emma glanced at Mark. He sat rock still, his gaze locked onto the phone. Did he notice it too?

  “What I want,” continued the kidnapper, “is Caleb Rush. I am happy to do a trade.”

  “Stall him,” mouthed Mark.

  Emma was fidgeting, knotting her hands together, then tugging at her hair. She wanted to be anywhere else but here. “I don’t know where Caleb is.”

  “You were with him yesterday,” said the voice. It was mocking, rather than angry.

  How did they know? Was it a guess? Or were they seen together?

  “And he left me,” said Emma. “I was staying with friends. I don’t know where he is.”

  “I suggest you find him. You have two hours, and then, if you still do not know where he is, I will make life very uncomfortable for your parents.”

  The line went dead.

  Emma sank her head into her hands. “I should have pushed him to let me speak to them.” She was perilously close to tears. “Please tell me you can find them. Please, Mark.” She looked up, to see Caleb busy removing the battery from her phone, while Mark held his own phone to his ear.

  Mark held up a finger, in the classic wait gesture. “Any results?” He paused and listened. “Shit.” He twisted his lips. “I thought they might. Thanks.”

  “Well?” asked Emma, unable to stay silent any longer.

  Mark shook his head. “They were using clever software to hide their location. During the call, the signal hopped from Auckland to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. We have no clue where it originated from.”

  “This is a good opportunity for you to tell us who you’re working for,” said Caleb. “And then to get these fucking handcuffs off.”

  “Good point.” Mark dug into a pocket and pulled out a tiny metal key.

  Caleb held up his wrist.

  Mark unlocked his own cuff, but then, in another speedy move, snapped the loose ends around a handhold in the passenger seat, before secreting the key again.

  Caleb stared at him, disbelief warring with fury. “You bastard. You said you’d release me.”

  “I don’t think so. I said we’d move again once you handed over the bike keys.”

  Great. They were back to being assholes again. “Mark. Let him go.”

  He ignored her and climbed out of the car, before claiming the driver’s seat. He hit a button, and the locks clunked into place in the doors. “Put your seatbelts on,” he said. “We need to move, in case the police come looking for your phone.”

  Mark pulled away, moving smoothly into the traffic leaving the city. Within minutes, they were on the highway, heading south, towards Wellington.

  Emma hated being helpless. She hated everything about this situation.

  “Whatever you want from me,” Caleb said, “I’m saying nothing until you take this cuff off.”

  Mark met his gaze in the rear-view mirror. “I just want to talk.”

  “I talk better when I’m not restrained. And besides, where the fuck can I go? You’re driving, and the doors are locked. My wheels are about a mile behind us. I’m kinda stuck here.”

  Mark laughed. “Kinda stuck. This from the guy who broke out of prison and left the guards for dust. Who locked me in the boot of my own car and abducted my girlfriend, before letting her out again, a short distance from where the police were assembled. Who’s managed to avoid capture so far. You’re like smoke, Rush. You’re good at disappearing. That’s why I’ve got you restrained.”

  “Enough.” Emma shouted. “I didn’t ask for your help so you could make things a million times worse. I want you to let Caleb go. Nobody trusts anyone. I get that. But stop acting like a pair of dicks. I’ve had enough of both of you.”

  The men fell silent, but it didn’t last long.

  “Okay. You win,” said Caleb. “So where are we going?”

  “Back to Paraparaumu, to my office,” said Mark. “I need access to some information, and that’s the nearest place I can get it. In the meantime, let’s talk about that kill switch. I’m going to stick to the speed limits, to avoid attracting any attention, so we’re going to be in the car for about an hour.”

  “Mark,” said Emma, “can you really help us? Or are you with the police?”

  “I told you, I’m not a cop.”

  “Who are you?”

  “Right now, I’m your best shot at getting your mum and dad back unharmed.”

  “How?”

  “We’re going to talk to SIA.”

  “Is that who you work for?” Caleb asked.

  “No, but I have contacts there. You don’t need to know who I work for. It’s just a name.”

  Emma shrank in her seat. “I’m such an idiot. I thought you were an accountant, like you said. Was anything you told me true?”

  “Yes. I really do love you.”

  She snorted. “And that’s it? How do you expect me to believe that, if everything else is a lie? That was really you at Joss’s house, wasn’t it? With a different name and a dead wife? Is she really dead? Ginny?” Why was she so fixated on the idea of Mark having a dead wife? Out of all the lies he’d told, it wasn’t the worst.

  “Em, we don’t have time for this.” He sounded resigned, rather than angry. “I know everything’s messed up, but I want to get your parents back. Believe that. I want to get some information from Caleb, because there are other people need saving too, and he knows how to do it.”

  “This kill switch you keep talking about,” she scoffed. “Are you going to explain what the hell you’re talking about?”

  “Hate to interrupt,” Caleb said, snark in his voice, “but if someone’s managed to reverse-engineer my code—not an easy thing to do—it stands to reason the original kill switch won’t function anymore.”

  Jesus. Emma twisted to look into the back seats. “Caleb, will you please explain this, since the dickhead next to me seems unable to tell me anything?”

  “Sure. The kill switch is exactly how it sounds. It’s a command that’ll kill the routine, no matter where it’s up to. I write them for testing purposes, and always deliver them with the code drop. It’s like supplying a remote control with a TV.”

  “Okay. That makes sense. But from what you just said, if the code has been changed, then it’s like having the wrong remote with the TV, isn’t it? It won’t work properly.”

  “Correct. When compiled, my programme is close to impossible to pull apart.” He pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “No. It’s not just close to impossible; it can’t be done,” he said. “My code is unbreakable. Whoever told you they cracked it, they’re lying to you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  “You know,” said Caleb, “if you want something from me, you could give me something in return.”

  Mark glanced at Caleb, but then returned his focus to the road ahead. “Like what?”

  “Like this.” He rattled the cuff chain.

  “Not yet. Let’s figure out some stuff first.”

  “That’s pretty vague.”

  “Who wants you so badly that they’re willing to kidnap Geoff and Sandra, to get to you? If we know who that is, we’re a giant step towards taking them down. Know thine enemy, and all that.”

  “If only it were that easy. I don’t know.”

  “You have zero idea? Pull the other one, Rush.”

  “What I mean is it could be one of a number of factions. Start with the police.”

  “Yeah… no. Try again.”

  “Yanks, Russians, British Intelligence—they all want a programme I’ve written.”

  “The code you sold to Ian Grady?”


  “No, man. That was years ago. This is something new. Something I was fine-tuning right before I was banged up.”

  “Something like what?”

  “Nu huh. Not saying.”

  “Okay. So let’s start with an easy one. Why did you bust out of prison? You were coming in line for parole. Did you know?”

  “I heard.”

  “So why did you do it? You now have every police officer in New Zealand looking for you.”

  This wasn’t getting them anywhere. “Caleb,” said Emma. “Tell him what you told me.”

  Caleb huffed a sigh. “It took months to plan. I started it when Joss told me what was happening to her.”

  “The intrusions?” Mark asked.

  Hang on. How did he know about those? Emma backtracked their conversations. She’d never mentioned them.

  “Yeah,” said Caleb. “I wanted to get out, grab Joss, and get away with her. She needed me. It was killing me that someone was making her life hell and there was nothing I could do about it.”

  “But then she died. So why did you carry on?”

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “No.”

  “Joss was my twin. You have no idea.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” Mark sounded sincere. “But that doesn’t answer my question. See, I’m trying to figure you out. You had only got six months left, tops. Now if they catch you, they’ll throw away the key.”

  “I had everything arranged. I had to do something.” Caleb leaned as far forward as the chain would allow. “I want to find out who killed my sister, and I want to make them pay.”

  “If I can help with that, what do I get in return?”

  “Whatever you need, man. No games, no more lies.”

  There was a long pause. Was Mark considering Caleb’s request? “Tell me again about the kill switch,” he said finally. “Can you prove you delivered it?”

  “No. My business stopped trading when I went inside. Why don’t you tell me again why you’re so interested in it?”

  “Feels like we’re going around in frigging circles,” said Mark. “You sold a data-mining programme to Ian Grady Investments. It was configured to crawl through a competitor’s network—a Russian database, among other targets. In the last few days, it’s apparently been reverse-engineered, and it’s now chewing its way through a highly secure network and spitting out the contents.”