Chapter 9

NINE

THURSDAY, 5:10 A.M.

What kind of strange plot twist was this?

The bad guys had dumped their captive off in the road in front of her house. What was their motivation for letting Theo go? To deliver a message to Caleb?

And how were the hackers tracking their every movement? The FBI had the laptop and phone. Juliette was over-the-top diligent in sweeping for bugs and trackers.

Caleb looked from Theo to Juliette and back to the bruised and battered man.

"What do they want with me?" Caleb asked at the exact moment Juliette said, "Do you remember anything about your kidnappers?" Their words tumbled over each other.

Theo held a shaky hand to his forehead. "In answer to your question"—he pointed at Juliette—"I don't know what happened. They kept me drugged for the most part. I'm not even sure where I was."

Another knock at the door, and Juliette let Agent McGregor and Matt Williams into her house, followed by the paramedics.

Juliette sat at the table across from Theo, resisting the urge to pepper the battered man with questions. But Caleb didn't possess the same self-control. "Did they say what they wanted? Why did they take you?"

Theo shifted in the chair and winced as one of the paramedics dabbed something on the cut on his forehead. "Something about wanting a laptop they think you have. It didn't make any sense to me."

And it didn't make sense as to why they'd let Theo go without the laptop. Unless they'd realized the laptop was in police custody. At least they'd let him live.

"Can you identify any of the perpetrators?" Agent McGregor asked, hovering in the corner with his notebook and pen handy.

Theo squinted for a minute as if conjuring up images from his horrible ordeal. "There were two men. Both big and muscular. I'm not sure of a physical description beyond that because they wore all black and kept ski masks on. I didn't see their faces. And with the drugs in my system, my memory is foggy."

Alana brought Theo another bottle of water, and he took it with a thank you. "My wife?" he asked after a sip. "She must be worried sick."

Caleb pulled up his phone and dialed Theo's home number. "Georgia? I have someone who's desperate to talk with you." He passed the phone to Theo, whose eyes lit up for the first time.

"Sweetie? I'm so glad to hear your voice." Tears dripped down the man's face and soaked his blood-stained T-shirt. They all moved a few steps away to give the man some privacy to reconnect with his wife.

"We're taking Theo to the hospital to get checked out," one of the paramedics said.

Theo stood and handed Caleb the phone. "Georgia is going to meet me at the hospital. What do these guys want with the laptop? And why kidnap me for it?"

"It's a long story with what has transpired in the last twenty-four hours. I'll let Agent McGregor fill you in."

"But will you be safe? They're after you. Do you have a place to stay that's off the grid?" Theo started to sway, but one of the paramedics grabbed his arm to steady him.

"We'll be fine," Caleb said. "Juliette and I are going to check out the office damage on our way to a place where we can lie low for a while. But you need to take some time to rest and heal. Don't worry about us. Take care of yourself."

The paramedics ushered Theo out the door. Agent McGregor followed, lobbing questions at the man along the way.

Juliette glanced at Matt, hoping he would keep her informed as much as he could with the investigation. He gave her a curt nod, silently communicating he'd be in touch. Theo had been returned to them basically on her doorstep. And the man didn't seem like he'd observed much in his time of captivity. They hadn't learned much of anything from him. If anything, the drop-off was disconcerting.

"You two need to lie low for a while—somewhere else," Matt said. "I don't like this one bit. These perpetrators know your precise location. You've got to find somewhere off their radar."

"Something—or someone—is tipping off the bad guys," Alana said, looking between Caleb and Juliette. "Do you two have a safe place in mind?"

"Jules and I will be just fine," Caleb responded matter-of-factly. "We're moving to a safe house today."

All eyes shifted to Juliette, and the room fell silent. Alana's eyes went wider than the Grand Canyon. Matt shifted from one foot to the other.

"What?" Caleb asked.

"Um, you just called Juliette"—Alana lowered her voice in a mock whisper and put one hand next to her mouth—" Jules. "

"She threatened to kill a man who called her that once. I witnessed the whole thing." Matt shook his head. "She doesn't let anyone call her that. Any man who values his life knows this."

Caleb shrugged, a hint of crimson coloring his cheeks. "I forgot about that. After all these years, you still don't let people call you by a nickname?"

Alana rolled her eyes. Juliette would have some explaining to do for her coworkers' benefit. Because, for some reason, Jules just sounded perfect coming from Caleb's lips.

"I'm just going to keep an eye on things outside," Alana said with a quirky smile as she left, Matt trailing right behind her. She'd be teasing Juliette about this later.

Caleb and Juliette were alone again.

"Now for a cup of coffee," Juliette said. She poured them both a mug.

"At least Ivy can sleep through anything," Caleb said, accepting the coffee. "But it's seven thirty, so she should be waking shortly, and we still don't have a plan for the day."

She set the mugs down on the table and sat next to Caleb. Her mind still reeled from his vulnerability last night when he'd shared about his mother. She hadn't known the depth of the pain he'd carried for so long.

I can't lose her. His words about Ivy had pierced her heart. He'd lost everyone else. And Juliette had left him too. The same way his mother had—walked out the door without so much as a goodbye.

How could she have been so careless?

And then he'd lost Tessa. If they didn't get one step ahead of these hackers, Ivy might be next.

She sipped her coffee. "We need to head to the safe house. Get Ivy settled in."

He nodded. "She's not going to like missing school. Her team is in the semifinals for a robot-building competition this weekend. She's worked so hard, but I can't send her. I'm so glad there are three bodyguards now. It's nice to have you, Alana, and Noelle. You three make a pretty formidable team. Especially Alana. I wouldn't want to run into her in some dark alley. She's lethal."

Juliette chuckled. "Alana is the sweetest once you get past her protective armor. They've both been great partners and friends. I trust them with my life. See, we all need someone to watch our backs now and then." She and her colleagues had their differences, but Juliette had learned to appreciate the value of different perspectives on a situation. Her respect for her colleagues ran deep.

His hands circled around the mug of still-steaming coffee. "While I want to get to the safe house as soon as possible, I want to see my office. Find out what's left of it. Maybe there's another clue." He tilted his head. "At least one of the hackers works for Cyberskies. It's the only thing that makes sense. How else did they get that program into the bank's laptop with my security program?" He paused, running a hand through his hair. "It might even be two people—they were leaving each other messages on the hard drive."

"The police have closed the office building. We'd have to see if the fire marshal would even let us in. Plus, I'm sure the FBI has gone through every inch of the place hunting for clues to help their investigation."

"I know. But for some reason, I need to see it for myself. Maybe they missed something."

Juliette moved to the kitchen to clean up the breakfast dishes. "Who would do something like this? Do you have any suspects in mind?"

Caleb blew out a loud breath. "Blake and I employ seventy-five people. A lot of the positions are remote, but there's maybe twenty of us in the corporate office. And before you say it, I can't imagine Blake being behind this. I've known him since college. I trusted him enough to go into business with him."

Since their days in basic training, Caleb had always been an excellent judge of character. His eidetic memory caused him to notice details most people overlooked.

Juliette stood. "What if I make breakfast for us? Then maybe we can send Ivy to the safe house with Noelle or Alana. I'll drive you to the office, and we can check it out before heading out of town, as long as we can get access for us to go in."

He gave a slow nod, his gaze locked on hers. "I like the idea of Ivy getting to the safe house as soon as possible. We'll stop off at the office on our way."

Together.

Just like that, they were a team again, moving as a single unit. He'd saved her life that day on the mountainside.

And she'd lay down her life if it meant protecting Caleb and Ivy.

* * *

THURSDAY, 10:00 A.M.

G od, please keep Ivy safe.

Caleb rode in Juliette's Prius, the steady hum of the engine the only sound as she drove to his office. Noelle had taken Ivy directly to the safe house.

"Not easy letting Ivy out of my sight." Caleb shifted in his seat to face Jules. "But thanks for taking me by the office. I feel like, if these hackers were bold enough to work for me, they may have left more evidence behind. The fire may have been a way to cover their tracks."

"Ivy has the best bodyguards on her protection detail. Let Noelle and Alana stand watch while we figure things out with your office."

His phone buzzed with a text from his neighbor, Abby, asking about the robotics competition this weekend and whether Ivy needed a ride. He responded with the truth.

At this point, I'm not sure. I'll let you know later.

Abby meant well, but sometimes he felt like he had a mother always looking over his shoulder. On the one hand, she'd watched Ivy and had even tutored her after school. He should be grateful to live next door to a former college professor. But when Abby sent a follow up text asking if they'd be home, he ignored it.

"This needs to end," he said as Juliette found a space in the garage across from the office building. "Ivy needs to be in school. She'll be devastated if she misses her competition. She's worked so hard, and her team qualified for the championship round."

"I think as long as you're with her in the safe house, she'll understand about missing out on the competition. She wants you to be as safe as you want her to be."

She might be right about that.

They walked across the street. Juliette had called the fire marshal and received permission to enter the building to retrieve files and whatever else was salvageable.

The office complex was deserted since the fire department had closed the entire building, despite the fire being contained in just Caleb's office. When Juliette opened the door to the lobby, they ran into Blake heading out.

"What are you doing here?" Blake asked, juggling the box in his arms. Papers, computers, and files stuck out the top.

Curious. Why was Blake taking office documents and equipment?

"I'm checking on the damage and wanted to see if there was any evidence left that might point us to the hackers."

Blake nodded. "I'm gathering personnel files per the police's request and heading to the station to give yet another statement. After that, I'm leaving, taking my wife and kids, and going to my in-laws' out of state. We may have to shut our doors, Caleb."

"It's not over yet, Blake. The FBI is involved. They won't get away with?—"

"They threatened my family." Blake set the box on the tile floor. "Rushmore sent me pictures of my kids playing on the playground. They gave me an ultimatum to step down as the CEO, or they'll go after my family." He showed Caleb the email on his phone with the photos. "I might just do it. No job is worth the lives of my wife and children."

"Did you send this to Agent McGregor?" Juliette asked.

Blake gave a humorless laugh. "He has all the information. But I'm not waiting around for Rushmore to strike again. They've blown up our office, kidnapped our employee, and robbed our client. I'm no coward, but I will protect my family."

Caleb related all too well. "Ivy and I are going off grid. Someplace with no internet or phones. We've got to figure out how these hackers are one step ahead of us. But I'm not ready to surrender yet."

"Well, stay safe, and we'll keep in touch. Maybe we can salvage what's left of the company once these criminals are behind bars."

Blake picked up the box and left the building.

"Let's hope he's not taking evidence with him," Juliette whispered after Blake was out of earshot.

"You think Blake is working with Rushmore and made up that story about his family?"

"At this point, I'm suspecting everyone. I can ask Matt. He'll tell us if Blake is making a statement today." She texted while they walked through the lobby.

They headed for the stairs, but a security guard stopped them. Even with permission from the police for them to be there, the security guard insisted that Juliette not bring in her service weapon. She huffed and muttered under her breath the whole way back to the car to lock up her gun.

They reentered the building and were waved through. The elevators weren't working since the building didn't have electricity, so they hiked up six flights of stairs.

Once they hit his floor, the stairwell opened into a generic office building hallway, complete with stark white walls and flat gray carpet. The acrid smell of smoke grew stronger with each step they took toward his office suite. Remnants of water-damaged furniture and office equipment had been pulled into his reception area.

"This place is a mess," Juliette muttered. Once they passed the reception area, the open floor plan showed the true damage.

He stifled a gasp and pointed. "That's my office. Or what's left of it." His charred door had fallen off the hinges from the blast, and water from the sprinklers had streaked soot across the once white walls. Wind whistled from a hole leading outside.

"If I'd been here…"

She put a hand on his arm. "Don't. You weren't here. We need to keep moving forward."

Caleb stood in the middle of the open floor plan and stared at the ruined remains of his dream. The visual reminder that he was the intended target. The smell of burnt wood hung in the air, and every inch of cubical space was covered with a fine layer of ash.

A generator hummed, providing power to a few portable lamps the recovery crew must have installed. Leave it to Juliette to come prepared with a flashlight.

"We're not going to find much in your office," Juliette said. "If the fire didn't destroy everything, the water damage from the firefighters would take care of the rest."

Caleb walked around the cubicles, shaking his head. "These hackers went to a lot of trouble to get to me. But I still suspect it's someone that works here. God, just leave me one decent clue as to who is behind all of"—he waved his hands around his devastated office space—"this."

Juliette walked around while Caleb sank into a chair at one of the less-damaged cubicles and stared at a half-melted monitor. Usually the whole office was lit up with screens and chatter. Today, everything was still. Until voices made him jump. He stood and noted Juliette grasping for her missing sidearm, but it was just two building engineers surveying the structural damage.

They'd eventually reopen the building, and the fire would be a distant memory. Companies would get back to work and move on as if nothing had happened.

But could Caleb move on? He and Ivy might wind up in hiding indefinitely. Blake may have to run the company without him—assuming the hackers didn't run the company into the ground with their relentless attacks or force Blake to resign. Everything he'd worked for had come crashing down around him in the span of three days.

Caleb stood. "Let me just check the server room. It should be up and running with a generator so that our offsite employees can keep working. For now."

Juliette placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're not going to let these hackers win. They can't destroy your company. It's just not right."

It might not be right, but if the bad guys figured out how to release the ransomware, he'd have a line of clients out the door, calling it quits.

They headed to an office tucked into the corner of an interior wall behind the reception area. Caleb used his keys to unlock the door to the server room. The tight rectangular closet had shelves lining three of the four walls. Fans buzzed, keeping the machines from overheating. A box of laptops sat on one of the shelves. "Agent McGregor's team didn't take these."

He moved to the interior of the room to inspect the laptops, Juliette right behind him.

A click sliced through the air. Juliette froze.

Caleb tried the door.

Locked.

"Someone locked the door," he whispered. "It locks from the outside, not the inside."

A sizzle ripped through the air and plunged the closet into inky blackness. All of the equipment came to an abrupt halt.

"We're not alone," Juliette said. She pulled out her phone to call for help but couldn't get a signal. She turned on the flashlight and positioned it to illuminate the computer rack.

"Our office tends to not get a signal, especially in the center of the building."

Juliette sucked in a breath. "Well, security knows we're here, and we just saw two maintenance workers." Her voice faltered. "Maybe someone will be by soon."

"Just be honest with me. I know we're in trouble." He sniffed, a strange odor tickling his nose. "What is that? Smells like a campfire." Nausea made him clutch his stomach. The scent was familiar?—

Kerosene!

"No. No. No. No. No." Juliette pounded on the door. "Help. We're in here."

She shone the flashlight on the door, where smoke filtered under the crack.

"They're getting rid of any evidence. Jules, we've got to get out of here."

If they didn't do something, the computer room would double as their coffin.