The Hacker

by Leslie Georgeson

  Luke sniggered and backed off. “You know I’m only fucking with you, bro. Chill out.”

  Ryan grumbled and lowered his gaze.

  Shannon eyed them with fascination. “What pheromone is he talking about? What does he mean?”

  Ryan and Luke exchanged a glance, then looked at me. They were asking silently if it was okay to tell Shannon about Ryan’s dreg talent.

  I nodded. “You can tell her. She knows we all have a talent.”

  Ryan puffed out his chest. “I’m the Extractor. My dreg talent is a sexual pheromone that drives women wild and makes them loose-lipped. While they are in a sexual haze, I extract information from them.”

  Shannon’s eyes widened. Then she let out a snort of laughter, falling back into her chair. “That’s…” she snickered. “…hilarious!” Another snort. “You’re not serious, are you?” She choked out another laugh. “Sexual pheromone! Ha!”

  Ryan looked affronted. “I’m damn serious.”

  She straightened in the chair, glancing at me with raised brows.

  “He’s serious,” I confirmed.

  “Huh.” She let out another snicker as she rose from the chair and walked over to Ryan. “Okay, have at me. I want to see what it does.”

  “No!” I darted between her and Ryan. “You don’t know what you’re asking, Shannon.”

  She looked into my eyes for a moment. “It’s okay, Noah. It’s not like I’m going to hump him or anything.”

  Luke snickered again. “Oh, yes you will. You’ll do more than hump him. No chick is immune. If he releases the pheromone on you, you’ll be all over him like stink on shit.”

  I glowered at Ryan. “Don’t even think about it.”

  Ryan lifted his hands in the air. “Hey, calm down. I wasn’t going to. Jeez, give me some credit. I don’t poach on another man’s girl.”

  Shannon glanced at me again, her gaze softening. Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. Tilting her head back, she smiled up at me. “You have nothing to worry about, Noah. You’re the only man I want.”

  The heat of pleasure washed into my face. Her bold display of affection was a total rush, and damn if it didn’t feel good. She was staking her claim right in front of Ryan and Luke. Not embarrassed in the least. I closed my arms around her, hugging her back. Then I kissed her, right in front of the two players, staking my claim.

  Luke shook his head. “Keep it in the bedroom, you two.”

  I lifted my gaze. “You’re just jealous.”

  He snorted and rolled his eyes. “Whatever, dude.”

  “Well, I am,” Ryan admitted with a chuckle. “You’re one lucky bastard, Noah.” He winked at Shannon again. “If you ever get tired of him, come see me, doll. I’ll keep you entertained.”

  Shannon choked out a laugh and shook her head. “No, thank you. I only want Noah.”

  My chest filled with happiness at those words, heat creeping into my face. Did she truly only want me?

  She stepped away from me, turning to study Luke. “I don’t believe I got your name. Or your dreg talent.”

  Luke’s expression changed, his gaze hardening. “It’s Luke. I’m The Enforcer. My talent is interrogation. Mind control. Enforcement of punishment.”

  I had learned over the years that Luke was a master at hiding his emotions. Most of the time, I was unable to figure out what he was feeling, or even if he was feeling. As Luke’s dreg partner, Ryan was the only one besides Luke who would know the answer to that. It wasn’t unusual for Luke to put up a cold wall to block people out.

  Shannon’s eyes widened. “You torture people?”

  Luke nodded. “When necessary. But it’s not usually necessary. I’m so good at reading body language, and probing into people’s minds, that I generally don’t need to use punishment to get someone to tell me the truth.”

  “Fascinating,” she murmured. “I’m good at reading people, too. But my interviews don’t involve any violence or mind reading.”

  Luke shook his head. “I don’t read minds. It’s…hard to explain. I can read someone’s vibe, feel their honesty or deceit. I watch their body language, listen to their words, and gauge whether or not they are being honest. My acute senses pick up rapid heartbeats, nervous sweat, twitching eyelids…When I say ‘mind control’ I don’t mean I can read your thoughts. I send out a ‘feeler’, so to speak, to the mind of the person I’m interrogating. This ‘feeler’ is like a truth serum. It probes into their minds and sends back either an honest or a dishonest vibe. No one can lie to me and get away with it.”

  “Wow,” she murmured. “So when you interrogated me that first night, what vibe did I give off?”

  He smirked. “You were scared shitless. But you only lied the one time when you said you would give up your investigation. The rest of the time, you were being honest. Your overall vibe was a good one.”

  Shannon glanced at me. “So, if Noah wants to know if I’m being honest with him, he can just have you interrogate me to know for sure?”

  Luke studied her for a moment. “I don’t get a bullshit vibe from you. You’re straightforward. I get the sense that if you say something, you mean it.”

  “That’s true. You’re good. So how do I get Noah to trust me completely?” she asked, still looking in my eyes. “How do I convince him I will never betray him?”

  Heat swept into my face. Did she feel the distance I was still keeping between us? Did she feel my fear of letting her too close? By taking her into my bed, I had made myself vulnerable. But I was still keeping a wall between us, and she obviously felt that wall.

  Luke glanced at me, then back at Shannon. “Trust has to be earned, and for a man like Noah—like us—it’s doubly hard. We were taught from the very beginning not to trust anyone. And you’re the daughter of the enemy.”

  Ryan nodded his agreement. “Trust doesn’t come easily to a dreg. The survival instinct is strong in all of us. It’s how we managed to cope through all the hell they put us through. So, don’t be too hard on Noah. Be patient with him.” Ryan glanced apologetically at me. Then he grinned. “He’ll come around eventually.”

  I glowered at him, then turned back to Shannon. “Can you honestly say that you trust me one hundred percent? Knowing I killed your father?”

  She hesitated. “When I met you, I felt more than just a physical attraction to you. I felt a connection. I tried to deny my feelings for you, but I couldn’t. When we touch, it’s heaven, and everything else doesn’t matter.”

  Ryan cleared his throat, glancing uncomfortably at Luke. They quietly slipped away, disappearing into the kitchen.

  Shannon glanced back at me. “I know you killed my father and I’m still trying to deal with that. There is still a tiny bit of distrust there, but I’m working on that. The more I’m with you, the more the distrust slips away. But you’re still keeping walls up, as if you’re afraid to let me in. That hurts.” She swallowed hard. “But I’m willing to do what Ryan and Luke said, and be patient with you. Because what’s between us is rare and so amazing, it’s worth fighting for.”

  I drew in a deep breath, then heaved it out.

  What’s between us is rare and so amazing, it’s worth fighting for.

  Did she truly believe that? I didn’t dare hope.

  “I can’t help but wonder if my killing your father will always come between us. If you will never be able to forgive me for that. If you will never be able to completely trust me.” Which is why I’m too scared to let you all the way in, to trust you completely, because eventually you’ll decide you can’t forgive me, and you’ll leave.

  She was silent a moment. “All I know right now is that I want to be with you. You make me happy. Can’t we just take this one day at a time and see where it goes? And learn to trust each other better along the way?”

  I puffed out a breath. The more I was around her, the deeper I cared for her, and the more painful it would be if she chose to leave. But she was here now, and she made me truly happy for the fir
st time in my life. I wasn’t ready to let her go yet. I should embrace what we had. And see where it led.

  “Yeah.” I stepped forward and pressed a kiss to her brow. “I want to be with you, too. But you’ll have to be patient with me. I’ve never had a girlfriend before.”

  She smiled at me. “Is that what I am, your girlfriend? We’re moving really fast.”

  “Yes. You’re mine now.” I knew this was fast, but it just felt right. She felt right.

  “Yours,” she agreed softly. “Exclusively.” She reached up to link her fingers behind my head, pulling my mouth down to hers. It was a gentle kiss, one filled with promise. We would give this relationship a try and do our best to trust each other along the way.

  What else could we do?

  The computer bleeped, indicating my software had located the email user. I hopped back into the chair and clicked on the link. Shannon scooted her chair close as I pulled it up.

  The name of the email user glared at me like a flashing strobe light, making my heart slam into my ribs. No way.

  Jonathan Hughes.

  “Shit.” I turned to Shannon.

  “What?” Her eyes went wide. “Who is he?”

  “He’s one of the shareholders of The Company. One of the members of Super Soldiers, LLC. He has a degree in information technology. He’s a hacker, Shannon. Like me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Shannon

  I gasped softly. Jonathan Hughes. Why did that name sound familiar?

  Ryan and Luke returned to the room, passing a bag of chips back and forth between them.

  “What’s going on?” Luke asked.

  Noah turned to them. “Jonathan Hughes knows I have Shannon. He was apparently at the auction and attempted to buy her for himself.”

  Ryan cocked a brow. “No shit?

  “His name sounds familiar,” I admitted, drawing everyone’s gaze. “Do you have a picture of him, Noah?”

  Noah turned back to the computer. He clicked on a folder and pulled up a file. “This is the file on Hughes, the one Darcy Waters gave us.” He scrolled through it until he came to a photograph.

  “You scanned it in?” Luke asked.

  Noah glanced at Luke. “Yeah. After we retrieved the files from Tony’s car, I scanned them all in so we wouldn’t lose them again. They’re all on my hard drive.”

  Ryan crunched on a chip. “Smart.”

  “Who’s Darcy?” I asked curiously.

  Ryan and Luke exchanged a glance, then looked at Noah. “She was part of The Company,” Noah explained. “But she’s dead now.”

  My curiosity grew. There was a huge story here, one that was still ongoing. One that I had now become a part of.

  Noah enlarged the photo. I let out a soft gasp, leaning back in my chair. Noah’s gaze sharpened on me. “You know him?”

  “Yes. Sergeant Hughes. He’s one of my father’s friends. I never knew his first name, but he came by the house sometimes to meet with my father.” Jonathan Hughes was younger than my father, probably late twenties or early thirties, with brown hair and sharp gray eyes. The few times I’d been around him, he’d given me the creeps.

  Noah exchanged glances with Luke and Ryan.

  “Did he ever threaten you? Do anything stalker-ish or make you uncomfortable in any way?”

  I inhaled sharply. “Yes. One time out in my mother’s rose garden. He was waiting for my father to get there.” I closed my eyes as the memory came back to me. “He came up behind me, slipping an arm around my waist, and whispered in my ear how he wanted to steal me away and do nasty things to me.” I shivered. “My father came around the corner at that moment, so Sgt. Hughes shoved me behind the bushes and turned to leave with my father. I stayed hidden, shaking, too afraid to get up until they left.” I shuddered in remembrance and opened my eyes. “He gave me the willies. I made sure to make myself scarce whenever he came over after that.”

  Noah sighed. “He’s your stalker, Shannon.” His expression turned serious as he studied me. “Now that your father’s dead, there’s nothing stopping him from coming after you. This threat is very real.”

  Fear snaked through me, making me shiver. “Remember that ghostly shape the night of my attack? It was like a moving fog-man. He seemed almost inhuman. Could that be related somehow?”

  “You think that’s Hughes?” Ryan asked.

  Noah glanced at me. “I don’t know. His emails never directly reference being here. But you have to admit he seems like Company material. Beast-like.”

  “Like us.” Ryan glanced at Noah, then Luke.

  “So let’s lure him out,” Luke suggested. “Let’s kill this motherfucker. If this monster is Hughes, we’ll take him down. It’s possible if he’s not Hughes, then he could be working for Hughes.”

  “That occurred to me, too,” Noah stated.

  “What was the other document you wanted to show us?” Ryan asked.

  Noah clicked on something else, pulling up another document. “This is a transfer of property to Super Soldiers, LLC. It’s the facility.”

  Ryan and Luke both leaned forward, reading the document. Luke whistled softly. “Good job, man! We’re finally going to get these bastards. I can feel it.”

  “So how does Hughes know where you are?” Ryan wondered.

  Noah sighed, color creeping into his face. “I think he followed us here from the auction.”

  “Wasn’t your fault,” Ryan said with a soft snicker. “You were all caught up in a hot chick and couldn’t think straight. You probably didn’t notice the tail.”

  Noah glanced at me, color creeping into his face. He’d been so focused on finding and saving me that he’d forgotten all about his normal safety precautions. Did I get to him that much? My heart melted. Was Noah a big softie underneath? Did he care for me more than he let on?

  “So this Sgt. Hughes knows exactly where I am,” I whispered. “And probably has all along.”

  Noah looked in my eyes. “Yes.”

  True fear clenched at my gut as I recalled how creepy Sgt. Hughes was. I shuddered, wrapping my arms around myself. “If he was that guy in the bushes, then why did he just disappear instead of taking me?”

  “Because that would be too easy. His ego won’t allow it. He wants to best me. Challenge me. He wants to see me fall. And the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that guy in the shrubs is somehow connected. Might even be him.”

  I shivered again, unable to ignore my fear. What if Sgt. Hughes killed Noah and kidnapped me?

  Noah’s gaze softened. “I won’t let him hurt you, Shannon. I promise.”

  I nodded shakily. I believed him.

  Comprehension slowly dawned on Noah’s face. He swore again. “I’ll bet he paid those thugs to attack you in an attempt to draw me out so he could see how I would react. Sick bastard. This is all a game to him.”

  My skin crawled. Had Hughes paid those thugs to try to rape me?

  “If he knows where we are, why hasn’t he sent any Company soldiers to take us out?” Luke demanded.

  Noah turned and looked at Luke. “I don’t know. But like I said, this is a game to him. He wants to prove he’s smarter than me, that he can best me. So I’m guessing that’s why he’s not doing anything yet. He’s trying to get me at a weak point, so he can snatch Shannon. So he can win. But he probably doesn’t know I just figured out who he is.”

  Ryan and Luke exchanged another glance. “If he’s out there watching us, then we need to find him and take him out,” Luke stated.

  “I agree,” Noah said. “We have to remember he’s military, so he’s had training similar to ours. He’s smart. He’s sneaky. And it’s very possible he is or was a soldier for The Company, one that The General didn’t execute for some reason. We know Aikens was The General’s son, and The General didn’t recruit him because of his disability. It’s a possibility Hughes is his son, too.” Noah paused, then glanced at Ryan and Luke. “He could be like us. A dreg.”

  A long silence stretch
ed while they all contemplated that.

  “He’s jealous of you,” I stated. “Because you’re smarter than him. You should see if he’s one of the recruits. If he is, he will be in those files, right?”

  “Smart thinking, Shannon.” Noah smiled at me. “That can be a project you can work on. You can scroll through the files to see if there is a recruit that matches him.”

  I nodded. “I’ll do it.”

  “What about Shannon’s father?” Luke asked. “Do we know if he was one of the recruits? If he was, then he may be related to us. Shannon may be related to us.”

  I flinched at that. No. It wasn’t possible.

  Noah shook his head. “I don’t think so. The information in his file indicates he’s from California. Born in Los Angeles. He met Shannon’s mother in college, and they married two years later. Shannon was born the following year. His degree was in business management. The family moved to Georgia when Shannon was thirteen. Shortly afterwards, he was elected into the senate.”

  He knew all that about my father? About me?

  “Yes. All of that is true. So I don’t see how my father could have been a recruit.”

  Noah exchanged glances with Ryan and Luke.

  Another thought hit me. “Wait a second! That legal document you showed me, the company organization…Does it have a date?”

  Noah slid back into the chair at the computer and clicked on another folder, then pulled up the document. “Yes. It’s dated twelve years ago.” I watched his face as he quickly calculated the time. “That was the year you moved to Georgia.”

  Realization dawned. “That must be why we moved here. Because my father became a member of Super Soldiers, LLC.”