To Catch a Rat

by S J Grey

  “You’ve already got me.”

  “One thing I need to know.” She paused. “What’s your real name?”

  “James William Armstrong. Jamie to my friends and family.”

  “Jamie.” She tried out the name. “I like that. It suits you, I think.”

  He smiled. “Trouble is, I’m Mark Penney to everyone here, and it’s probably going to stay like that. It’s going to be a few months until I can get everything wrapped up in London. I don’t want to get married until then. Not until I’ve got my new life sorted out. Will you wait for me?”

  Did he really think she’d say no? Silly man. “Yes. Of course. I love you, even when your ass is on show to everyone. It’s a very nice ass.”

  He huffed a laugh. “It’s not very dignified.”

  “Hey, it’s the latest fashion.” She shrugged, and then wished she hadn’t when her shoulders pinged with pain. “It’s what I’m wearing too. And rumour has it, one of your team is sporting the same style.”

  “Give me six months,” he said, serious again.

  “That works. But I’d marry you tomorrow if we could. I don’t care about waiting.”

  “It’s important to me to close down my old life and start my new one on the right footing.”

  She tugged him closer. “Can I kiss you now?”

  Epilogue - Caleb

  Friday 28 February

  Caleb climbed off his motorcycle and removed his helmet. The house looked the same as it had through the tinted visor. He couldn’t begin to think of it as home. Not after Joss died here.

  Too many memories.

  This place represented the start of his life, and his formative years. When he graduated from uni, he thought he was fucking invincible, but he was a different person now. It was impossible to go back to how carefree and optimistic he was.

  He didn’t like who he was these days—suspicious of everyone. Life had a way of doing that.

  Standing on the dusty driveway wasn’t the best use of his time. What he should be doing was sorting through the contents and deciding what, if anything, he wanted to keep.

  He was tempted to put a match to it and walk away, but that would be pointless. Far better to sell it and put the money to good use. It would give him a buffer to fall back on.

  This was the first time he’d been back, since he went to jail. And it didn’t matter that he stood here legitimately; he still wanted to look over his shoulder and check that the cops weren’t behind him. No. He wasn’t a fugitive anymore. He didn’t know what fucking miracles Mark and his people conjured, but Caleb hadn’t been thrown back into prison. Instead, he got a two-month house-arrest period with an electronic tag on his ankle, and then he was granted parole.

  He was free. Kinda.

  The parole period could last until the end of his original sentence, another three years away, or it could be reduced. If he fucked up, in even the tiniest way, he’d go back inside to see out his sentence. He shuddered.

  Today was the first day without the electronic tag. The first chance Caleb had to get on his motorbike and drive. Freedom tasted good. During his imprisonment, he locked down thoughts of a normal life, and focused on surviving the hand he was dealt. It’d take a long time before he relaxed, and enjoyed the simple pleasures of a private bathroom and shower, or the knowledge he could cook whatever the fuck he wanted for his dinner.

  House arrest could have been much worse. He endured it at Sandra and Geoff’s house, with Minerva at his side and as much home-cooked food as Sandra could persuade him to eat. Emma and Mark were regular visitors, as were the parade of people from SIA. If the price of his freedom was working for New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Agency, he wasn’t going to argue.

  Jonathan was setting up an office for Caleb to work from, also in Wellington. Officially, Caleb would be a consultant for both SIA and IG-6, but he could pick up private work too if he chose. He liked the idea of reinstating his IT Security business. It wouldn’t be easy. The sector had moved on in the time he’d been away, and a lot of his knowledge was out of date, but Caleb was ready for a new challenge or three. It was time to take his life back, one step at a time.

  Next week everything would be changing again. He had a new place to move into—a little beach cottage in Owhiro Bay, on the south coast of Wellington. Mark had arranged the lease for him and upgraded the security system on the property. It was a chance for Caleb to live alone again, apart from Minerva. Funny that for years he craved solitude, and now he was faced with it, he was getting nervous.

  He’d rather be here, now, than sitting in a cell, staring at the walls.

  There was a moment in prison, a split second when Caleb almost changed his plans. Coordinating his breakout had taken almost a year of detailed planning. The work party outside. Arranging for a flat-back truck to be waiting to get him out of the immediate area. The motorbike, with leathers, helmet and pizza transport box ready for collection. A wedge of cash to be collected from another location. When the chaplain sat him down and told him Joss was dead, Caleb asked himself if it was still worth going ahead with the plan.

  The plan was the only thing that kept him going, though. That and his anger. He’d been angry for most of the last ten years, but by now he’d honed his anger into a weapon with a razor-sharp edge. He’d find who killed his sister, and he’d make them pay. As he went through the steps of the breakout, each one falling into place with a certainty he could only have dreamed of, his mantra was all about Joss. This is for you, he said, over and over again.

  Top of Caleb’s new To Do List was to rewrite the Ekho programme, and then use it to track down Joss’s killer.

  The chirrup of his phone dragged his attention back, and he found a missed call from Mark. He called back. “Hey. Did you want me?”

  “Yeah, thanks for ringing. There’s a cool piece of work coming up, which you’d be perfect for. Now you’ve gotten rid of your funky anklet, do you want to come over to Emma’s for dinner, to celebrate?”

  There was a definite possibility that Mark might develop into a friend at some point, and God knew, Caleb needed some of those. “Thanks,” he said. “I will. What time are you eating?”

  “Seven-ish. I’ll be home at six, so come over any time after that, and we can talk work first. Stay for a beer or two, and sleep in the spare room if you’d like.”

  “Maybe. I’ll let you know. See you later.”

  Caleb knocked on Emma’s door just after six. He carried a backpack with a bottle of red wine and a six-pack of local beers. He hadn’t decided if he was staying overnight, but it looked likely. He’d play it by ear.

  “Hey,” said Mark. “Come in. Emma was delayed at work, so she’ll be at least half an hour.”

  Caleb followed Mark into the kitchen. Something spicy was bubbling on the stove, and he sniffed in appreciation. “What are you cooking?”

  “Chili. Dutch-style.”

  “Huh?”

  “It’s got pineapple chunks and paprika in it. Trust me, it’s good.” Mark stirred the pot, turned down the heat and covered it, then opened the fridge door. “Beer? We can talk business until Em gets here.”

  “I brought some with me.” Caleb dug into his pack and produced the drinks. “Are these any good? Not tried this brewery yet.”

  Mark grinned. “No idea. Let’s see.”

  The lounge was warm and bright with the early evening sun, and they settled with their bottles of beer. Mark tapped his against Caleb’s. “Cheers. I’ve got an offer you’re going to love.”

  “Go on.”

  “The Department of Technology and Innovation is having a complete review of their security protocols, and they’ve approached SIA for recommendations. I may have mentioned that SIA has access to the hottest white-hat hacker in town.” He tipped his bottle towards Caleb. “What do you think?”

  “Jonathan’s going to run it?”

  “Nah, mate. I want you to lead a red team, with Jonathan as agency liaison. Your job will be to break in
to their systems by whatever means you like, while SIA sets up an alternate group—the blue team—to try and stop you.”

  Caleb had done this before. It was fun and challenging at once, and if he was being paid for it, too? Bonus! “What about resources? There’s only me.”

  “Jonathan will provide you with a junior team. They’ll get to learn from the best, so it’s totally a win-win situation.”

  “What if I wanted to bring in my own people?”

  “One or two would be fine. Your office space isn’t huge.”

  Caleb nodded. “Timing?”

  “It’ll take a few weeks to sort out the paperwork. Say, late March? A month from now? Right before I go back to the UK.”

  Caleb was tempted. “I run it my way.”

  “You got it.”

  If he did a good job—no, when he did a good job—it’d open the door for more contracts. He’d be a fool to refuse. He held out his hand, and they shook. “I’m in.”

  “There’s something else you should know,” said Mark. “The supposedly Russian cameras that were placed in your house? We traced the controlling IP address back to Kharavek, right?”

  Caleb nodded. “Little state, on the border of Ukraine and Russia.”

  “Yeah…no. That’s what we were meant to think. The High Tech Crime Group unpicked it further, and it originated from the UK. London, to be precise.”

  “What? It wasn’t the Russians launching the GoldRush cyber-attack?”

  Mark shrugged. His earlier smiles were gone. “Might be a sleeper agent from somewhere in London. The guys who kidnapped Geoff, Sandra, and you were Russian agents. They all claimed diplomatic immunity and were sent back to Moscow.”

  “Fucking spies,” muttered Caleb.

  Mark chuckled. “Yeah, yeah.” He looked as though he was about to say more, but the front door opened and Emma walked in.

  “Hey,” she said. “My two favourite boys. And dinner smells amazing.” She hugged them both in turn. “You are staying tonight, right?” She asked Caleb. “It’s Saturday tomorrow and we don’t need to be up early. Go on. Say yes? And then tomorrow, we’ll help you clear the Peka Peka house.”

  She was impossible to refuse.

  *

  The next evening, Caleb was back at Emma’s parents’ house, and helping to serve up dinner. True to Emma’s word, she and Mark had spent the day with him, sifting through furniture and possessions, and starting the long, slow process of clearing out his old house. It was easier to deal with, when they were there.

  Caleb was tired and emotionally drained, and ready for a good night’s sleep.

  The talk around the table was about his imminent move to Owhiro Bay. The rental was fully furnished, and also had a cat door.

  “Don’t know if she’s used one before,” said Caleb. “Joss used to leave the bathroom window open for Min if she went out at all.”

  “She had a magnetic opener on her collar when Emma picked her up,” said Sandra. “Perhaps Joss installed one for her? I kept it for you in the drawer, in case you wanted to use it again.”

  Maybe, although that didn’t sound right. Min was an indoor cat for the most part. Other cats would probably roam the huge section day and night, but Min preferred to lie in comfort on the sofa, or curl up in someone’s lap.

  Joss told him that the Ekho programme was in a safe place. Did she attach it to Min’s collar? Excitement prickled in his veins, and hope surged.

  “Where is it? The opener?” He stood, plate abandoned. “Can I see it, please?”

  “Sure.” Sandra waved her knife at the drawers near the sink. “Second one down.”

  He saw the pink, sparkly collar right away, and picked it up. A small, plastic pod, the shape of a barrel, was attached to it. It had to be two centimetres long. Big enough to hold a micro-USB flash drive. Or it might just be a magnet for a cat door.

  Anticipation made him feel momentarily light-headed, and he grabbed the counter with his free hand.

  He examined the pod closely. It hung by a metal link from the collar. Did it unscrew? He tried it. Yes.

  His heart raced, and his hands were clammy, but he opened the barrel and peered inside. There, pushed into a piece of foam—probably to stop it moving around—lay a tiny flash drive.

  Joss did it. Nobody but his sister would think to hide something on his cat’s collar. His vision blurred, and he took a moment to wipe his eyes.

  “Caleb?” Geoff came to his side, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “What’s up? What’s that you found?”

  “Something Joss left for me. Something I thought was lost.” It had to be the Ekho source code on the drive. He wanted to go and look at it immediately, but Sandra had made him food, and he still had manners, even if they were rusty.

  He’d check it out after dinner. He hadn’t told Emma’s parents about Ekho, and it was safer for them if they knew nothing about it.

  “I’m glad I kept the collar,” said Sandra. “I wasn’t sure you’d want it.”

  Caleb clutched the plastic barrel tightly in his hand. “I’m very glad you did.” If he was right, Joss had just saved him around a year of work to recreate the code. He’d be able to hunt for her killer right away. And didn’t that feel fucking amazing?

  He finished eating, cleared the table, and insisted on doing the dishes and making coffee, before he retreated to his room and his laptop. Mark had provided an SIA-approved laptop, but Caleb had his own too—one he knew was clean. If this was Ekho, he didn’t want any trace of it near the agency network.

  His heart was in his mouth when he looked on the drive, but there it was. His source code, along with a password-protected text file.

  Would Joss have used their old password? Why not? He had nothing better to go with.

  He typed Athena2005#

  Athena was the Greek goddess equivalent of Minerva, and 2005 was the year he rescued Min from the river.

  The document opened.

  C, you were the best brother a girl could wish for. If I’m gone when you read this, don’t waste your time looking for revenge. Life’s too short. I let fear lock me inside the house for years. Don’t let it chain you too. Live well and be happy.

  See you on the other side. J xxx

  “Thank you,” he whispered, his eyes wet again. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

  He sat for an age, lost in thought. There hadn’t been time to grieve yet. He shied away from even thinking about a future without Joss in it, but knew he’d have to, one day. Until then, he’d remember her as she was. In his mind he saw himself with Joss, running across the sand and crashing into the sea with her, before swimming at her side. That was the memory he wanted to hang onto. His sister, the fearless one. Always up for a dare. Always in his corner, no matter what.

  “I will find who did this,” he said aloud, “and I will make them pay.”

  ~ * ~

  Thank you so much for reading To Catch A RAT. I hope you enjoyed it.

  To see what happens next, sign up for my newsletter list and receive a subscriber-exclusive short story – Active Peers. Click HERE to sign up to SJ Grey’s newsletter.

  ~ * ~

  The next full-length book in the series is #RedTeam Attack (Darknet #2).

  Staying alive has never been harder

  Caleb’s leading a Red Team in a simulated cyber-attack on a minor government agency – a fantastic opportunity for him to rebuild his IT security business after serving three years for a crime he didn’t commit. But then he’s hit with a double-whammy: a blackmail accusation from a potential client, and a new member of the team with her own agenda.

  The absolute last thing Caleb wants is to go back inside, but his parole status is being threatened and his life is now on the line as well.

  He wants nothing more to do with recently arrived Andi. Her actions put his team—and his future—at risk, but when her world falls apart, he’s the only person who can help. He knows what it’s like to feel powerless, and it’s going to take all his s
kills to stay ahead of the blackmailer and untangle the mess Andi’s found herself in.

  Darknet series

  ~ * ~ Read the series FREE in Kindle Unlimited ~ * ~

  To Catch a RAT (Darknet #1) available 30 March 2020

  #RedTeam Attack (Darknet #2) available 29 April 2020

  Wetware Protocol (a Darknet short story) available early April 2020

  Exit Node (Darknet #3) available late May 2020

  ~*~

  Want to keep up-to-date with new releases, special subscriber only promotions and other news / cool stuff?

  Click HERE to sign up to SJ Grey’s newsletter.

  Playlist

  Music is interwoven so tightly into my writing that I can’t untangle the two. Either I’m listening to a playlist on my iPod, have music seeping from my laptop speakers, or there’s a song playing in my head – sometimes on auto-repeat.

  If To Catch a RAT had a soundtrack, the playlist would include:

  Incubus: Nimble Bastard

  Young the Giant: Something to Believe In

  Slash: Promise

  Red Hot Chili Peppers: Dark Necessities

  Kings of Leon: Find Me

  Dead Letter Circus: In Plain Sight

  Villainy: The Answer

  Foo Fighters: Headwires

  Kaleo: Way Down We Go

  Listen along to these—and more—with my Spotify playlist: Spotify

  ~*~

  About SJ Grey

  SJ Grey is the author of the Darknet suspense series. She studied at Manchester University, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, and worked in IT for over twenty years, before settling in New Zealand.