Code Conspiracy, page 7
She’d always scoffed at the notion of making love. Sex had been a function just like anything else in life, one partner easily swapped for another—until the day she met Gray Prescott.
He’d swept her off her feet in a way that belonged in movies and fairy tales—ones she’d never believed in before.
Although their backgrounds couldn’t be more different—he from a wealthy, politically connected, privileged family, she from an outlaw commune, tracked and raided by the very government his family represented—Gray had felt their similarities almost immediately. He’d known her from the beginning, knew what she needed before she did.
That’s why it had hurt so much when he turned from her. He should’ve known she’d never try to compromise him—not even for Dreadworm.
“Am I crushing you?” He shifted his damp body to the side and kissed her ear. “You can continue talking now, if you want—if you remember what you were saying.”
Rolling toward him, she hitched her leg over his hip and curled her toes in feline satisfaction. “I don’t even know if I remember how to talk after that. You leave me speechless.”
“You leave me breathless.” His heavy hand shaped the curve of her hip. “We weren’t under the covers one minute before you made your move. Did I make it that obvious that I wanted back in your bed?”
“I wasn’t sure at first. You came off as very professional, forced to see me again because Major Denver demanded it.”
He took a lock of her hair and swept the end of it along his jaw. “It was a good cover. I’d been wanting to reconnect with you for a long time—as soon as I realized what an ass I’d been about the whole Dreadworm thing. Denver gave me the perfect opportunity, a chance to reconnect and to prove to you that I trusted you.”
“How could you be sure you’d get the response you wanted from me?” She drilled a finger into his chest. “We left on bad terms, throwing accusations like flowerpots at each other.”
“And hurting ten times more than flowerpots.” He touched her nose with his fingertip. “Even if you didn’t want anything to do with me personally, I knew you wouldn’t have been able to pass up a chance to use your hacking skills to ferret out a conspiracy. It’s your lifeblood.”
“Is it?” She rubbed his muscular backside with her hand as he flexed it. “I’m beginning to think something else is my lifeblood because I’ve felt adrift without you. I mean, adrift was my middle name growing up, but you gave me something different. I missed it when you left. Craved it.”
“I never knew any of that when we were together.”
“Maybe I didn’t, either.” She turned her back to him and dragged one of his arms around her waist.
He nuzzled the back of her neck, and a thrill ran down her spine. Who knew the one thing that had driven Gray away would be the catalyst to bring him back into her life?
A pinprick of fear needled her brain. Unless he’s using you and Dreadworm to save Major Denver and plans to disappear just as completely as before.
* * *
JERRICA WOKE UP to an empty bed, as usual, but this time it was unexpected. She swept her hand across the cool sheets beside her, just in case she’d missed the six-foot-tall, muscle-bound man who’d rocked her world last night.
The clinking from the kitchen downstairs brought her upright, and she sniffed the air. The rich smell of coffee swirled its way up to the loft and put a smile on her face. When she heard Amit’s voice waft upstairs, her smile grew broader.
They’d just scaled one hurdle in this mess, Amit’s safe return, but it was a big one and she’d take it for now.
She dove under the covers to retrieve her discarded pajamas and underwear with a smile twisting her lips. If Gray had thought he could come into her bed and actually fall asleep, he must’ve forgotten how things were between them.
She hadn’t.
Scrambling into her pajamas and hopping on one foot, she called downstairs. “Save some coffee for me.”
When she reached the kitchen, Gray was hunching over the small counter that divided the kitchen from the living room, cupping a mug of coffee in his hands. Amit faced him, a bag of ice clutched to his eye.
“How are you feeling?” She poked Amit’s arm on her way into the kitchen, and he winced. “Not so good?”
“I feel like a truck ran over me and then reversed to do it all over again.” He put the ice down to curl his fingers around the handle of a steaming mug. “And we’re trying to figure out how to reach Kelly to let her know I’m okay, without putting anyone in danger.”
“I think we should contact the other two New York-based Dreadworm hackers. If you two have been compromised, maybe they have, as well.” Gray held up the coffee pot. “You want some?”
“What do you think lured me down here?” Jerrica swung open a cupboard door and snatched a coffee cup from the shelf. As she held the cup out to Gray, she said, “We have procedures to contact Kiera and Cedar. We’ll put those in place this morning. Kelly is another matter.”
Amit patted the front pocket of his shirt. “If I had my phone I’d call one of her friends, but I don’t have any of those numbers memorized.”
“What about social media sites?” Jerrica dipped into the fridge and popped up holding a small carton of cream. “Can you get to her friends via social media? Post something or private message them?”
“I can do that.” Amit traced the bandage on the back of his head. “Don’t know why I didn’t think of that before. I’m losing it.”
Gray slurped at his coffee and eyed Jerrica over the edge of the cup. “What’s the procedure for contacting Kiera and Cedar?”
“Message boards.” She dumped some cream into her coffee and watched the white swirls invade the dark liquid. “We’re supposed to check a couple of TV message boards daily for information or put an alert on our phones for message replies. That’s how Olaf communicates with us, too. I’ll put out the SOS that Amit and I have been made.”
Amit tipped some cream into his own cup. “We have to check on the equipment.”
“You could lead them right to Dreadworm if they’re following you.” Gray raised his eyebrows. “And it seems as if they are.”
“I agree with Amit.” Jerrica tapped her fingers on the counter. “We have to try. If those computers have been compromised, we have to shut down our operations.”
“Can you do that remotely?” Gray asked.
Jerrica widened her eyes. “You mean do it anyway without checking? No way. We’d lose whatever inroads we’ve made into this stealth government database—the same database that’s been keeping track of Denver’s activities.”
Gray dumped the rest of his coffee in the sink where it splashed up on the sides of the stainless steel. “We don’t even know what these guys look like, which would help in spotting a tail. How are we going to know if they’re following you?”
“We do know. We both saw him last night when he attacked me in the alley, and we’ve already determined he’s the same guy who abducted Amit.”
“That’s one guy, and he could’ve been wearing a disguise.” Gray held up his index finger. “Do you really think he’s working on his own? Do you think he’s the same one who broke in here? There could be dozens more.”
“We’ll wear our own disguises—God knows, I have a few. And we can get out of this building without going through the front door.” Jerrica folded her arms and leaned against the counter. “We have to get to Dreadworm.”
Amit shoved his coffee cup toward her. “And I have to contact Kelly. Can I use your laptop?”
“It’s upstairs.” Jerrica left the men in the kitchen and took the stairs two at a time up to her loft. She swept the laptop from the nightstand and tucked it under her arm as she jogged back downstairs.
When she hit the bottom step, she crooked her finger at Gray and Amit. “Join me on the couch.”
Amit limped across the room with Gray by his side, his hand on his shoulder. Amit lowered himself stiffly to the sofa cushion beside her.
Biting her lip, she turned to him. “I don’t think you should leave this apartment, Amit. Gray and I can go to Dreadworm.”
Amit sucked in a breath as he pressed his fingers against his temple. “It’s my work.”
“I get it, but you’re going to stand out and if we have to make a quick getaway, you’re going to be in trouble.”
“She’s right.” Gray dropped to the sofa on the other side of her. “Jerrica will be able to tell if the Dreadworm space and the work have been compromised.”
“All right, all right.” Amit collapsed against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. “Try Becca Landau. She’s one of Kelly’s best friends.”
Jerrica shoved her computer onto Amit’s lap. “You’ll have to log in with your account. I have a fake one and if I try to private message Becca, she may never see it. If you two are already friends, she’ll look at it.”
Amit opened one eye. “I have a fake account, too, but Becca knows who I am. She’ll recognize the name I use.”
As he bent forward, Jerrica put a hand on his back. “They really did a number on you.”
“No kidding.” Amit logged in under his phony name and clicked on Becca Landau’s profile. “This is it. What should I put in the message?”
“Just ask her to tell Kelly you’re safe but can’t reach out to her right now.” She tapped Amit’s arm as he began typing. “And tell her not to say anything to anyone else, and Kelly shouldn’t, either.”
Midway through the message, Amit’s fingers froze. “What if they know where we live? They must if they followed us to the party. Is Kelly going to be safe? What if they grab her to get to me?”
“Can she leave town?” Jerrica tugged on Gray’s sleeve. “Should she leave town, Gray?”
Gray chewed on the inside of his cheek and Jerrica’s pulse jumped because she recognized the look. He was about to deliver news he didn’t want to deliver.
“If she has someplace to stay, that might be best.” Gray tipped his head toward the laptop. “Add that to the message.”
Amit’s Adam’s apple dipped as he swallowed. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“I’m afraid not. This is not the US government. You’ve crossed people who have no rules. They are a law unto themselves, and they’ll go to any lengths to achieve their results. We already know that and shouldn’t take any chances.”
Amit’s fingers flew over the keyboard. When he finished his message to Kelly’s friend, he eased back against the sofa. “I can’t believe I dragged Kelly into this.”
“It’ll be okay, Amit.” Jerrica patted his knee in an awkward attempt to soothe him. They’d really never been anything more than coworkers up to this point. She didn’t kid herself that Amit had run to her for comfort. He’d come to her because he thought she could help...and that was okay.
Amit’s gaze dropped to her hand, and she shifted it. “I’m not like you, Jerrica. You live and breathe this stuff—and I know why.”
She snatched her hand away from his leg. “What does that mean?”
“Just because you’re the best hacker at Dreadworm doesn’t mean the rest of us aren’t damned good. I’ve known about your background for over a year now.”
“What do you know?” Jerrica laced her stiff fingers together.
Amit glanced at Gray, who shrugged.
Jerrica waved her hand at Gray. “He knows everything about me.” Almost everything.
“I know that your father ran that compound down in New Mexico and that the government raided it, he fought back and both of your parents were killed.”
Jerrica eased out a breath and loosened the tight grip of her fingers as Gray rubbed a circle on her back. “Good work. Yeah, that’s my legacy, but it doesn’t mean I want to continue living my life looking over my shoulder.”
Amit snorted softly through his nostrils. “Okay. And I definitely don’t want to live my life looking over my shoulder.”
Gray swept the computer from Jerrica’s lap and pushed up from the sofa. “Then you’re in the wrong line of work, Amit. What you two are doing with Dreadworm invites scrutiny. I don’t know what you expect. Olaf is in hiding.”
“We don’t expect to get killed.” Jerrica jumped from the sofa. “Do you want Dreadworm’s help or not to get the information about Major Denver?”
“You know I do, but I don’t like seeing you in danger—either of you.” Gray wagged his finger between her and Amit, still slumped on the sofa.
“Like you said—” Jerrica turned toward the staircase “—we’re in the wrong business.”
An hour later, they had settled Amit back in bed with a gun beside his right hand, and Jerrica had sent out the SOS codes to their Dreadworm coworkers in the city.
As Jerrica slid the final lock on her apartment door into place, Gray asked, “Are you sure the doors to the utility room and alley are going to be unlocked?”
“I used this exit fairly recently.” She jabbed him in the ribs. “You’re as nervous as Amit.”
“He’s right, you know.”
“About what?” She hoisted a small backpack over her shoulders and grabbed the bannister on her way down.
“You’ve always lived your life in a state of paranoia.”
She shook her head. “Not you, too. Give it a rest. I didn’t grow up behind the white picket fence like you did, with all the comforts and privileges, but I turned out halfway normal, didn’t I?”
“Normal enough for a home and kids?”
Jerrica almost tripped and she clutched the bannister for support. “Are you asking?”
“Just wondering.” He tugged on her backpack. “I’m not asking anything until I know the answers.”
“That’s a cowardly way to live your life.” She broke away from him and jogged down to the first floor of her building, as much to hide her confusion as to make sure they could escape this way. Was Gray really thinking about marriage and children?
Could she get that close to him without revealing everything?
She tried the handle to the door that led to the basement utility room. “It’s open.”
Gray followed her down another flight of stairs, breathing heavily.
“Are you out of shape, D-boy?”
He sneezed. “It’s dank down here.”
“It’s where we keep the trash.” She pointed to another door past a row of dumpsters. “But it’s where the building next door keeps its trash, too, so this is our ticket out.”
“What’s on the other side?” Gray strode past her and grabbed the handle of the metal door.
“Stairwell landing—in the other building.”
As Gray yanked on the handle, Jerrica held her breath, but the door creaked open. Poking his head into the space, he said, “All clear, just as you said.”
He held the door wide for her and she brushed past him, strolling into the other building.
“We don’t even have to go to the first floor and out the front of this building. There’s a door that leads to the side alley, so even if someone is watching the back of my building, we won’t be going out that way.”
“Perfect.” Gray blew out a breath he’d probably been holding since they hit the stairwell. “You’ve developed the skills you needed for the job you do.”
“You can thank Olaf for that.”
Gray’s eyes flickered in the semidarkness, and Jerrica sealed her lips. Gray had always felt a twinge of jealousy about her relationship with Olaf. The man had recruited her specifically for Dreadworm based on her past. Gray didn’t know half of her complicated relationship with Olaf, but not one ounce of that relationship contained anything remotely akin to romance. But she had no intention of revealing any of it to Gray. It might lead to other revelations—ones she wasn’t ready to expose.
“Maybe Olaf should’ve practiced a little of what he preached. He might be a free man right now.”
“He’s free.”
“He’s in hiding.”
“He’s still free.”
“If you can call it that.” Gray lifted one shoulder and then wedged it against the door. “Okay to open?”
“It’s now or never.”
“Wait.” He pulled his weapon from his pocket and held it close to his body as he eased open the door.
The cool air from the alley flooded the stairwell, and Gray held up his hand. “Stand back for a second.”
He stepped outside first and then cupped his hand and motioned her forward.
She joined him in the empty alley and tugged her hat down over her ears. “Quick getaway.”
“You’re a genius.” Gray kissed the side of her head.
“On to Dreadworm.”
By playing lookout and bodyguard, Gray made the path to the Dreadworm office easier than ever. They made so many twists and turns to get there, nothing less than a bloodhound could’ve tracked them.
When they reached the door on the alley, Gray peeked up from beneath the bill of his baseball cap. “Cameras?”
“Cameras, locks, sensors. The works.”
They slipped into the building and Jerrica let the heavy door clang behind them. “It’s upstairs.”
“Nobody should be here, right?”
“That’s right. Just Amit and I have access to this site. So, if anyone got to our stuff, they did it remotely.”
“And you don’t even know where the other Dreadworm site is in the city?”
“Nope. And they don’t know the location of ours—not that we don’t trust each other.” As Jerrica climbed the stairs with Gray behind her, she swept off her cap and tousled her hair. She sighed when she reached the top step. “Everything looks good.”
