His car lurched to a stop. She was heading in the direction of Harvard Yard. He scowled and took a sudden left, cutting off an oncoming car. The driver honked and flipped him off. Zach automatically ducked low in case the noise drew her attention, then accelerated through a yellow light ahead and flew through the winding streets of the Harvard Campus. His head turned in all directions, sorting through all the students meandering through campus on bicycles, when he saw Lindsey’s undeniable frame pulling her bicycle into the parking lot of a coffee shop already packed with students.
Zach waited for a car to pull out, then shot blindly into the open space as possibilities raced through his mind. Why would she be here? Was Harvard trying to steal her? Or MIT? Or was she selling the code? Or buying it? He imagined her walking into the shop like a secret agent, dropping her backpack and picking up another without anyone seeing, putting on dark glasses and walking out. Is this what she did every day? Is this how she got the code?
He turned off his car and reached for the door. If he hurried, he could see who she was meeting. He would confront them and demand to know what was going on. Just then, he saw her squeeze back out through the coffee shop door, a coffee holder with two cups perched in one hand, a small paper bag hanging from the other. She walked to her bicycle and put the coffee and bag into the blue basket that hung from the handlebars, unlocked the bike, then stretched her arms high, a pleasant, contented look on her face.
Zach blinked once, then slumped back into his chair. No air seemed to reach him…she was just getting coffee.
As she pulled away, he followed her in a numb silence. Moments later, he watched as she turned her bike toward the President’s Pavilion and stopped at the guard tower. Campus Security Officer Jones emerged, a grin taking over his jowly face. He stretched out his arms and took Lindsey into a deep hug. Then they talked for a moment, wisps of steam drifting up from their mouths. Lindsey laughed, shook her head, and then reached for the basket. She handed Jones the bag and one of the coffees, hugged him again, then rode away.
Zach pulled forward in numb silence and stopped at the gate. Inside, he saw Jones sipping from the coffee cup, a giant slab of chocolate sitting on a napkin to the side. Jones nodded absently and opened the gate as he took another sip. Zach did not drive through. He sat perplexed.
Jones tilted his head. “Good morning, Professor,” he said. “Need something?”
“Um…” Zach forced a smile. “Chocolate for breakfast, huh?”
Jones smiled wide. “I know, my wife would kill me. Don’t tell.”
“You’re safe,” Zach assured him. “Hey, was that Lindsey Monahan I just saw ride through here?”
“Yup,” Jones said, taking a nibble from the chocolate. “One of yours, right? Sweet girl.”
“I don’t…I―”
“Right, so many new faces.”
Zach nodded uncertainly. “She brings you coffee?”
“Everyday. Goes to some shop she fell in love with. Says it makes her feel like she’s a real student surrounded by all the big brains.” Jones laughed. “Plus, she says the coffee shop walls are covered with baskets of chocolate you buy by weight. Gets me a different chunk every morning so I can try all the flavors.” Jones shook his head, as if reminding himself of a private joke, then set the chocolate down. “So, you going in, Professor?”
‘Oh, yeah!” Zach laughed, then put his car in gear. “I guess I was dreaming of chocolate,” he said. “Have a good day.”
The words tumbled around in his mind as if they were trying to find a place to land. She was just getting coffee. He parked and walked across campus, unaware of anything other than those words. Maybe Lindsey wasn’t a spy. Maybe she was just…Lindsey. Amazing Lindsey.
As Zach lumbered up the steps of the lab and down a hall, he felt himself dropping into a new reality. Maybe the simmering anxiety he felt wasn’t fear of losing the Delta Program. Maybe it was fear of losing Lindsey. The thought so disoriented him that he almost didn’t see Cedric and his outstretched arm, barring him from the lab door.
“Hello, daydreamer,” Cedric said, leaning against the wall.
“Oh.” Zach stopped. “I didn’t see you there.”
“I know, as much as that hurts my feelings, I am still here to warn you.”
Zach blinked. “Warn me?”
“Yes. I don’t have a car.”
“I’m confused.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here. If you have heart palpitations you’ll have to get someone else to drive you to the hospital ‘cause…”
“You don’t have a car.”
“Exactly.”
Zach dropped his bag and crossed his arms. “And why would I have heart palpitations?”
“All this consternation and despair, of course.”
“No despair here, Cedric. Only work.”
Cedric twisted his scarf around his hands and exhaled loudly. “I’m not blind, Professor. I see the way you look at Lindsey.”
“Lindsey? I—”
“Don’t even try it. Cedric sees all.” A mischievous smile curved his lips. “She is a delicious little cupcake, isn’t she?”
Zach looked up at Cedric, his jaw tense.
“What? Of course, I thinks she’s attractive, who wouldn’t? Don’t look at me all surprised like that. I’m not that binary.”
A small laugh escaped Zach’s mouth. He looked at Cedric again. “Who knew?” he said.
“Who cares,” Cedric said. “Any fool can she only has eyes for you.”
“I don’t know what you’re—”
“For a smart man, you sure are dense.”
Zach felt his jaw tighten. “Don’t push it.”
“Like Buddha says, ‘no matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning…begin again,” Cedric said, motioning toward the lab. “She’s in there.”
Zach shook his head as he glared through the solid lab door. “Too late.”
“Okay, Professor, I say this with love and as a friend of the family. Get out of your own way. Regret sucks.”
“Buddha said regret sucks?”
“No, that one’s all me.”
“You sound like Sam.”
“Well, if that’s the case then one of two things are happening: either we are both right, or it’s a sign of a coming Apocalypse. Either way, what do you have to lose?” Cedric said. “Just talk to her, Professor. No IM, no text, just the two of you, eye to eye. You can manage that, right?” He walked to the door and turned the handle with a wink.
Zach felt a stirring in his belly. Maybe Cedric was right. Maybe they could begin again. He nodded, then walked past him into the cool hum of the lab. Across the room he saw Lindsey leaned back in her chair, a giant pair of noise canceling headphones on her head. He was almost beside her when she saw him.
“Hi,” she said, sliding the headphones off, her eyes like saucers, her back suddenly straight.
“Hi.”
“What’s up?”
Zach’s mind went blank, just like the first moment he saw her. He realized then that she was the first beautiful thing he ever got stuck on. The code, and the future, and his responsibilities all evaporated. Like he’d landed in an alternate dimension. His mind raced back to how she felt in his arms, how the scent of her skin lingered for only a fleeting moment after he’d yelled and left her kneeling, half-naked, on her sofa. How he longed to slide his lips along the delicate curve of her ear and drown himself in that scent again. He forced a smile. “I’ve seen some good trends in your work so far.”
“Um…Thanks.”
“Also, I noticed your processing speeds were holding you back, so I got you a…” He looked around. “An ergonomic chair.”
Lindsey’s mouth pulled to the side. “Gee, but I didn’t get you anything.”
Zach shifted his weight onto his other foot, trying to imagine how he would ask her to let them start again, when her phone began to rattle across her desk
. Lindsey’s eyes tore from his. She jumped up, grabbed the buzzing phone and bolted. “Sorry,” she called over her shoulder as she headed for the door. “Gotta go.”
Chapter 15: Lindsey
As soon as she heard the click of the lab door, Lindsey threw her back against the hallway wall and tried to steady her breath. The way Zach had looked at her made her heart thump wildly in her chest. As she tried to calm herself, she realized the incessant rush of pounding blood had made its way down her body to her lower torso. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to make the feeling stop.
“Hello?” She heard a muffled voice call out. “Lindsey?”
Oh, crap, Lindsey muttered, realizing her cell phone was hanging limply in her hand. “Hi,” she said, pulling the phone to her mouth. “Sorry about that.”
In the glow of the screen she saw Kate’s face twist. “Where are you?” She frowned. “And why are you talking like that? Are you okay? Why is your face so red?”
“Shh,” Lindsey said, bringing the phone closer as if she was whispering in Kate’s ear. “I don’t want anyone to hear.” She looked back toward the lab where she could almost feel Zach’s eyes boring at her through the thick cinder block walls. She stared back, wondering if he still stood awkwardly next to her cube. He had been so close she could feel her skin tingle in response. He looked like he wanted to talk…but why now after weeks of the cold shoulder? She bit her lip, hoping he didn’t know what she was up to.
“You could have just texted me—” Kate said.
“No. No, I couldn’t,” Lindsey said, looking imploringly into the camera. “It’s—listen, Kate, I need your help.”
“Now I’m really worried.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m fine.”
“Fine? You’ve been blowing up my phone. Now you’re flushed and whispering in some dark hallway. Of course I’m worried.”
“I’m good. I just need your spidey-sense. I need to connect some dots.
“Hold on,” Kate said, anxiety draining from her face. “Is this all about your mom and her new boyfriend? What’s the big deal? I think it’s awesome. She deserves some fun.”
“Ew. Seriously. Ew.” Lindsey quivered. “Anyway, this is more important.”
Kate leaned back into what looked like a giant leather chair, concern spreading across her face. “Okay, Lindz,” she said. “Hit me.”
Lindsey pulled the phone to her face conspiratorially. “Good. Here’s the basics. I read some weird messages to our dean, and—”
“And how did you come by these messages?”
Lindsey frowned into the screen. “Places.” she gestured with her hand. “And stuff.”
“Oh, God…” Kate buried her face in her hands. “You’re hacking the dean? The dean of your new university?”
“Hacking? I prefer to say helping.”
“I hope you’re being careful.”
“You know I am. Just go with me here.” Lindsey took a breath as she looked down the hall to make sure no one was coming. “The dean is getting messages from this lady, but the lady doesn’t exist. I found a back door to her server, and—”
“What lady? Wait. Start from the beginning.”
“Yeah, sorry. So, my new friend, Cedric, found the messages first. The sender was supposedly a Boston socialite.”
“Okay...”
“Well, the IP address she used to send the messages didn’t match her physical location. Her social media says she’s been lounging in Aruba for months. That means someone in Boston is using her log-in and her server.”
“I’m not following. So what?”
“So, the messages are weird. And the dean’s response is even weirder.”
“Like…how weird?”
“Okay,” Lindsey said. “Don’t get mad, but…Cedric installed a RAT.” Lindsey saw the blank look on Kate’s face and exhaled, not wanting to explain. “He installed spyware to watch the dean through her own camera. Like a hidden-camera in her own office.”
Kate leans forward. “No way, you can do that?”
“Yeah, put a piece of tape over your camera. You never know.”
“Jeez.”
“Anyhoo, Cedric recorded the dean having meetings about university funding. She’s threatening to close down the program.”
“The program you’re in?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t matter.”
“It sure as hell does!”
“Okay,” Lindsey nodded. “It does. But here’s where it gets weird. University financials show the university is flush this year. So why are they cutting programs?”
“Good question.”
“Plus, in the messages, the two keep discussing Elysian Fields. The socialite keeps demanding it and the dean keeps promising it.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know! But it can’t be good. The emails lay out a kind of countdown clock. Whatever it is, it’s overdue. Look, I have more. Can you take a peak if I email you everything? See what you can come up with?”
“Sure, Lindz, but where is this going?”
“I don’t know,” Lindsey whispered. “There’s something hinkey going on. Someone keeps testing our security, there are glitches popping up in the code I didn’t put there. It’s all too weird and I’m worried about Zach…”
“Zach who?”
“Oh,” Lindsey muttered, feeling her face flush. “My professor.”
“You call your professor Zach?” Kate grinned. “Uh-oh.” Lindsey watched as a tall blond man walked around the back of Kate’s chair and kissed her lovingly on the cheek. “Lindsey has a boyfriend,” Kate sang.
“Hi, Chase.” Lindsey nodded into the camera.
“Hey, Lindz.” He grinned. “That’s great. When are you coming to visit?”
“Soon, I hope.”
“Good,” he said. “Kate misses you.”
“I miss her.”
“Boyfriend, huh?”
“It’s nothing, I—” Lindsey felt hot breath on the back of her neck and spun around. “What the—James! Cut it out.”
James pulled back and ran his hand through his hair before beaming over Lindsey’s shoulder into the camera. “Is that your mommy?”
“What the hell?” Kate said, sitting forward. “Your mom? Do I look like your freaking mom?”
“Who’s the douche?” Chase asked.
“Hey, bro,” James said, putting up his hands. “Don’t be so tense.”
“Do you mind?” Lindsey seethed, dropping the phone to her side. “This is a private conversation.”
“Whatever,” James said, opening the lab door with a flip of his hair. “Later, Lindsey.”
Lindsey put her lips close to the screen as she watched James walk into the lab and close the door before turning back to face Kate and Chase on her phone.
“Sorry about that.”
Kate frowned. “Is he in the program too?”
“Yeah.” Lindsey smirked. “But he doesn’t care. Cedric thinks he might be plotting against us, too, I just can’t figure out how.”
“That guy might be hurting you?” Kate turned toward Chase and they gave each other a silent nod. “Oh yea, Lindsey. We’ll help.”
“Thanks, Kate! I gotta go back in. I’ll send you the details.”
Lindsey clicked off the screen and opened the lab door. As she entered, she saw Cedric look at her expectantly from his chair. Lindsey sent him a nod and tapped the side of her nose with one finger. The game was on. She was going to find out what was going on before anyone got hurt… especially Zach.
Chapter 16: Zach
Zach opened his tired eyes and looked at the ceiling. He ran a rough hand over his face then stretched, trying to pinpoint exactly where he was. When his toes hit a filing cabinet, he knew. He had fallen asleep at the lab again.
Rumpled sheets swirled around him as he flipped onto his stomach. Cocooned in darkness, pieces of yesterday fell into place, the weight of each one becoming heavier than the last. The Delta Program w
as finally going well, but he couldn’t hold on to any threads of happiness, he still felt crushed.
Yesterday, Lindsey turned in bridges of code—scores of code, each a scaffold building toward the master code the project needed. She worked with a zeal he had not seen before. The final pieces were coming together and he spent the night linking the chain. But as the master code emerged, his connection to Lindsey had disintegrated—and it was all his fault. He wrapped his fists into the sheets and listened to the lab. A tap-tap-tap came from the next room. He recognized the steady, gentle cadence. She was here.
Zach swung his legs over the side of the bed and gave them a hearty shake. With one hand, he grabbed the empty coffee pot and looked sideways through his office blinds. He could see the perfect curls of Lindsey’s dark hair framing the long pale skin at the back of her neck. Her headphones were on, and one hand was perched above the keyboard as if she were about to crack a safe. She leaned back for a moment, took a breath and turned her head. Her brown eyes widened as she looked directly at him. She blinked, and then a small smile spread across her lips. Zach’s breath caught in his chest. He forced a smile back and then dropped the blinds back into place. At least she was still smiling at him, but that was Lindsey.
Grabbing a shaving kit with his free hand, Zach opened the door to his office.
“Morning,” he said.
Lindsey hit a key and her screen went black. “Good morning, Professor,” she grinned, removing her headphones.
Zach felt his face drop. Her monitor had been alight until he opened the door, then she hit a boss screen. He stopped in his tracks and checked himself. She was probably just messaging friends. He pulled the empty coffee pot into view. “Want some?” he asked.
Lindsey smiled. “No, thanks. I got some this morning.”
Right, Zach thought. In Harvard Yard.
Zach went out to the hall and entered the restroom. His tired eyes glared back at him from the mirror above the sink as he turned on the hot water. Steam framed his face as he ran his razor under the water. He brought the blade down along his jaw and tried to relax, wondering how much of his problems were created in his own mind. As the final stroke of the razor came down, he switched the water to cold hoping the cool water would sooth him.
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