The Hacker

by Leslie Georgeson

  Then a woman exited a black SUV and sprinted over to them, shouting, “Wait! Don’t kill him yet! He might know where my daughter is.”

  I let out a soft gasp. Shock rocked through me. Mom? She couldn’t be involved in this, too, could she? Not Mom! She was supposed to be in Miami. Oh God, was everyone in my life associated with this company? Even my own mother?

  A wave of betrayal washed over me, nearly drowning me in its force. I sucked in air, struggling to breathe past my shock. Not Mom, too! How could she?

  It occurred to me then that she’d probably never been out of the state. She’d been lying to me all along. Just like my father.

  The sad thing was, if Noah had told me the parent who’d been involved with this company had been my mother, rather than my father, it wouldn’t have been so difficult to believe. My mother wasn’t exactly the nurturing type. Sometimes I didn’t even think she liked me. But she was still my mother. And I loved her.

  But both of my parents? How could they be involved in something so vile, so inhumane?

  Hughes placed a heavy hand on my shoulder, making me flinch. “This must be quite a shock to you,” he murmured sympathetically. “Knowing both your mother and your father were involved in something so cruel and inhumane. Your parents were The Company’s largest investors. Your father did it for you, so that you would never have to worry about money. Your mother…” He shrugged. “One can never can tell with that bitch.”

  I didn’t flinch. My mother was a bitch. But to be involved in this?

  Oh God. My stomach rebelled. Was he saying all that money in my trust fund had come from this company? From torturing Noah and the others?

  No. No. This was too much.

  “Never fear, my dear,” Hughes went on softly, making my skin crawl. “I will help soothe your pain. I will make you forget everything except for me.” His arm tightened around my waist.

  Revulsion washed over me. I tried to move away from him, but he merely tightened his hold, anchoring me in place. The bulge of his erection pressed against my backside, then he rubbed against me, whispering in my ear, “Soon, my sweet, they will all be gone. And it will be just you and me.”

  I closed my eyes and swallowed hard, desperately pushing my fear aside. I was still wrapped up in the sheets like a caterpillar in a cocoon, but the more I moved, the looser the sheets became. Eventually, I would be able to wiggle free. And run. I just had to wait for the right moment.

  Doing my best to ignore Hughes, I watched through the shrubs as my mother and Ellington carried on a conversation with Noah that I couldn’t hear from this distance. Then several of the soldiers hauled Noah to his feet and shoved him toward the house. Ellington and my mother followed, along with about six or seven more soldiers. The others remained outside, waiting.

  I watched until Noah disappeared inside the house with them.

  Hughes turned away with a thoughtful expression on his face. “They didn’t kill him. I wonder why.”

  So did I. Why hadn’t they killed Noah?

  It didn’t matter. Noah was still alive, and for now, that was all that was important.

  Hughes hefted me over his shoulder, then slipped through the small tunnel and back out into the maze.

  “What’s your plan now?” I demanded. “Where are you taking me?”

  “To my place where I can have you all to myself. If we’re lucky, you’ll get pregnant right away.”

  Revulsion returned in a rush, bile threatening its way up my throat. Oh God. He was going to take me to his home so he could rape me.

  True fear clenched at my gut.

  “No!” I shouted. “I don’t want you. You disgust me.”

  He smacked my ass, his voice rough as he replied, “Time to accept your fate, my dear. Noah’s not coming to rescue you now. You’re mine. So deal with it.”

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Noah

  “Hughes is playing a sick game,” I informed Ellington and Shannon’s mother. “He’s a control freak and he’s trying to prove he’s better than me. That he’s smarter than me. And he’s using Shannon to make me do his bidding.”

  The soldiers had marched me into the main house and shoved me down onto a large sectional sofa in the living room. They stepped back, keeping their guns pointed at me, and waited for Ellington’s instructions.

  Mrs. Collins raised a perfectly plucked brow at me. “Why would you do his bidding? You’re a dreg.”

  I hesitated, then decided to tell her the truth. “Because I care about your daughter, and I don’t want to see her hurt.”

  She contemplated me for a long moment, then turned to Ellington. “We need him. He might be able to bring Shannon back.”

  Ellington scowled, obviously not pleased with the situation. “I told you your daughter was going to cause trouble. It’s her own fault Hughes captured her. If she’d only taken the hint and dropped her investigation, none of this would have happened.”

  “Negative,” I flung back. “Regardless of whether or not she continued her investigation, Hughes was still hunting her. He would have bought her at that auction if I hadn’t outbid him. He would have raped her, many times over by now. So you actually have me to thank for saving her.”

  Mrs. Collins pierced me with that cold stare again. How could such a cold, selfish woman have raised such a kind, selfless daughter? Shannon was nothing like her mother. “And do we have you to thank for Hughes kidnapping her now?” she demanded.

  I held her gaze. “Yes. I underestimated him. He’s a sneaky bastard. I didn’t know all of his abilities. I didn’t realize he could get past any security system.”

  Mrs. Collins let out a huff and turned back to Ellington. “We need to make contact with Hughes. Convince him to bring her back. He knows how important she is to me.”

  That made me pause. Did she mean Shannon was important to her as her daughter? Or for some other reason? Uneasiness crept down my spine.

  “Let me contact Hughes,” I suggested. “If he thinks I’m still in the game, he’ll want to play. He’ll engage with me. I know he will.”

  Ellington wrapped an arm around Mrs. Collins’ shoulders and turned her away from me. “Let me handle this, dear,” he murmured. “Why don’t you go on up to bed and I’ll fill you in later?”

  She pulled out of his grasp, her eyes filling with anger. “Absolutely not! She’s my daughter, and I’m going to ensure we find her and get her back! We need her!”

  And that uneasiness returned. Why did Mrs. Collins need Shannon? I didn’t want to believe the woman might harm her own daughter. But what did I know?

  I cleared my throat. “If you get me a computer, I’ll show you the emails Hughes sent me.”

  Shannon’s mother marched toward me. “Follow me. There’s a computer in the office.” She spun on her heel and headed out of the room without waiting to see if I’d follow.

  The soldiers glanced at Ellington, who nodded. They hauled me up from the couch and shoved me after Shannon’s mother. The Collins’ estate was as big as a hotel, with large, open rooms, lots of windows, hardwood floors, expensive furniture and decorations...

  As I strode down the hallway into the office, I thought about Shannon growing up here. What kind of relationship had she had with her parents? With her mother? It was hard to imagine this cold woman showing tenderness and affection toward Shannon. I began to suspect her father had shown her more affection than her mother had. And that saddened me. I’d killed her father. I’d taken away a parent whom Shannon had dearly loved. Did she love her mother as deeply as she’d loved her father? This was so fucked up. What would it do to Shannon when she found out her mother was also involved? And that niggling worry about why her mother “needed” her wouldn’t go away.

  Several minutes later, I was sitting behind the large oak desk in Senator Collins’ office, logging into my email. They’d removed my handcuffs so I could type, but the soldiers kept a close eye on me with their guns pointed at me, as if they feared I might attempt to escape. R
ight now, my first priority was saving Shannon. Once she was safe, I would worry about escaping.

  Ellington stood to my right, while Mrs. Collins leaned over my left shoulder, watching suspiciously as I pulled up the latest email from Hughes. I waited as they each read it.

  “He has to die,” Mrs. Collins said coldly. “We should have eliminated him sooner. That man is a deranged lunatic.”

  “He is,” I agreed. “But he’s also smart. And I will gladly kill him. But first, we have to find him. And Shannon.”

  Ellington glanced at me. “Respond to his email. Let him know you’re alive and want to keep playing his game.”

  I turned back to the computer. Clicking the “reply” button, I typed a response.

  I’m still here, Hughes. Come on, you psychotic freak. Let’s finish this. Aren’t you the least bit curious about what I can do?

  I clicked the “send” button.

  Now all we could do was wait for his reply.

  It wasn’t long in coming. No more than two minutes passed before a new email came in.

  That was lousy timing. I was just about to make a break for it and run to my car. I gotta say I’m impressed, dreg. I thought you were a goner for sure. Did you escape, or did you talk them out of killing you? Did you promise to save Shannon in exchange for your life? You don’t seriously think the bitch will let you live, do you?

  I glanced askance at Mrs. Collins—the bitch?—who still stood to my left. Ellington was on my blind side, but I was beginning to suspect he was the lesser evil. It was Shannon’s mother who appeared to be in charge, so it was best if I kept her in my sights. As long as Shannon was still alive and Hughes had her, and I managed to keep him engaged, then they wouldn’t kill me. Or so I hoped.

  Mrs. Collins pursed her lips and swung her head toward Ellington. “Hughes could ruin everything. We have to get her back.”

  Ellington jerked his head in a nod. “I’m beginning to think that was his plan all along. We will deal with him. But you know how difficult it will be to take him down. So you must have patience, my dear.”

  “I’ll take him out for you,” I offered, “if you’ll let me go afterwards.”

  Ellington’s gaze hardened as it bored into me. “This isn’t a negotiation. If Mrs. Collins wants you to live for a little while, then you will. If she doesn’t, then you will die. But either way, as soon as we are done with you, you will be exterminated. And that’s not negotiable.”

  So I was right. Shannon’s mother was ruling the roost. How had she come into so much power? What was her part in The Company? How could I convince her not to kill me?

  Another email from Hughes came in. I clicked on it.

  Okay, Noah. If you want to play hero, then let’s finish this. First, you need to lose your new buddies. They’re not allowed to play with us. This is between you and me. Come into the maze. Alone. And bring an electronic device. You’re going to need it to play. If anyone comes with you, I will kill them. And then I’ll leave with Shannon. And no one will ever see her again.

  I glanced at Mrs. Collins. “Well?”

  She turned and looked at Ellington. “What now?” she demanded.

  He sighed. “If you want to see Shannon again,” he said. “Then I would suggest we let Noah handle this alone. Unfortunately, we need the dreg’s help. You know Hughes doesn’t joke around. You know that only a dreg is strong enough to take Hughes down.”

  Mrs. Collins turned and glared at me. “If you don’t save her…” she warned.

  “I’ll save her,” I promised. “But I’ll need my iPad out of my Jeep.”

  Ellington nodded at one of the soldiers, who turned from the room.

  He glanced at me. “Your mission is to retrieve the girl and bring her directly back here.”

  “And kill Hughes,” Mrs. Collins stated.

  I already planned to do that. I patted my shirt pocket, but my mints were gone. They must have fallen on the ground when the soldiers tackled me.

  “I need my mints, in case he has a hacking challenge for me.”

  Ellington grumbled, “We’ll get you some mints.”

  Another soldier hurried from the room to find my breath mints.

  Ellington turned back to me. “Just so we’re clear, Noah. If you try to sneak off without completing the mission, if you try to escape afterwards, we will hunt you down and kill you.”

  I shrugged. “You’re planning to kill me, anyway. But don’t worry, I’m not going to abandon Shannon. I was trying to save her when you guys showed up. I promise I will do my best to get her out of there.”

  Ellington held my gaze for a long moment, then he jerked his head in a nod.

  The first soldier returned with my iPad. Moments later, the second soldier arrived with my mints that he must have found laying out in the driveway.

  I popped a mint in my mouth and stuffed the packet into my shirt pocket.

  Then I opened my email and sent a response to Hughes’ last message.

  I’m on my way, you psycho. Let’s end this.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Shannon

  Noah’s email came in just as Hughes reached the exit of the maze. Hughes jerked back, fishing his phone out of his pocket. Balancing me over his shoulder, he scowled as he typed a response.

  The moon was higher in the sky now, full and bright, lighting the grounds of the estate. The light of the moon made it easier to see. Not that it would matter to Hughes. Apparently he had the night vision of a nocturnal animal just like Noah. He could probably see even if it was pitch black out.

  “What are you telling him?” I asked.

  Hughes glanced at me. “I invited him in the maze to play with me. Looks like we’re not leaving yet.”

  Relief swept through me. Thank God.

  “Get ready to see a dreg die. I’m going to lead him on a treasure hunt, then I’m going to kill him. Watching him lose is going to be so much fun.”

  “He won’t lose,” I said confidently. “Noah’s the best. He’ll beat you. He’s smarter than you.”

  Hughes smirked. “Maybe. Maybe not. But either way, he still has to kill me if he wants you. And you already know I’m nearly impossible to kill. So who do you really think is going to win this war?”

  I glared at him, though inside I trembled in fear. Noah had to beat him. He had to. I myself wanted to kill Hughes. But I had no weapon. “I will never go to you willingly,” I whispered. “Ever. You will have to rape me.”

  He eyed me for a moment. “You might think you don’t want me, but you’ll soon change your mind. I am a super soldier. And you and I will create super babies.”

  I shook my head in disagreement. “No. Never. I’m in love with Noah.” It was true. I loved him. Would I ever get the chance to tell him that?

  Hughes flinched, his gaze narrowing. Something dark flashed across his face. Then he flipped me off his shoulder, yanking on the sheets and unraveling me from my cocoon. I hit the ground with a thud and quickly bounded to my feet. Hughes snagged my arm and pulled me after him, dragging me deeper into the maze. “Noah is coming. We need to be ready for him. I can’t leave you alone in those sheets or you’ll escape.”

  The maze had four secret passageways that I knew by heart, placed strategically throughout the maze. Two of the secret passageways were shortcuts through the maze. The other two were tunnels within the hedge walls where people could secretly observe others moving through the maze. When my parents had purchased the property twelve years ago, the maze was one of the things that had drawn my father to the property. He liked challenges, and I remember him spending hours out in the maze, trying to master it. He had eventually figured it out. I had been thirteen at the time, and also intrigued with the maze. It had been as much a place for me to hide from my parents and their arguments as it was a challenge to find my way through. My mother hated the maze and I don’t recall her ever venturing inside.

  My father and I soon made a game out of chasing each other through the maze and seeing who c
ould make it through the fastest. It was during one such race that I had discovered the first secret passageway which led to a shortcut. Later, I’d discovered the other three hidden passages.

  Hughes knew at least two of those secret passageways. He dragged me into one of them several minutes later and pressed me back against the hedge wall. This particular hidden passage was a narrow tunnel in between the hedge walls. To access it, you had to push aside a large fake branch, then put it back in place once you were inside. The fake branch was made of plastic and blended in so well it was almost impossible to see. This tunnel spiraled around and came out on the opposite side of the maze near the finish.

  A soft buzzing sound came from above. I glanced up. “What’s that?” I had heard the sound earlier, just faintly, as Hughes had carried me through the maze. Hughes had ducked into one of the tunnels with me and waited until the sound went away.

  Hughes tilted his head back, staring up into the dark sky. “Sounds like a drone. Either Noah or Ellington is searching for us.”

  Had that been Noah searching for me earlier? Was he searching for me now?

  Hughes bent and pulled out a box of items that he must have stashed there earlier, seemingly unconcerned about the drone flying overhead. Would the camera see us here in the secret passageway? There was only one way to find out.

  I waved my arms at the tiny blinking red light and shouted, “Help! I’m in here!”

  Hughes spun around and slammed a hand over my mouth, dragging me down onto the ground. “Shut up!” Removing a roll of duct tape from the box, he tore off a strip and slapped it over my mouth. Then he unwrapped more tape and rolled it around my wrists, over and over, securing them together in front of me. He did the same with my ankles, wrapping the tape tightly around them. Then he pushed me back into the hedge, hiding me in the thick branches, wedging my limbs into the shrubs. He unwrapped more tape and secured my wrists to the branch of the hedge near my head. He stepped back, eyeing his handiwork. He smirked.