Page 23 of A Rhapsody of Ravens and Revenge

“I guess it’s good we’re camped out in this mausoleum instead of my place. There’s room for everyone.”

“Do you want to come see what I’m doing?” he asked, fingers flying across the keyboard.

“I believe me standing over there violates my probation.”

“Evie,” he said, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m a pretty good judge of character. Now you and I both know that I’ve been watching your online activity over the last decade. And you and I both also know that despite the program I’ve designed and implemented, someone with your talents could have found a fail-safe and waltzed right through it.”

She couldn’t help the smirk. It had taken her almost two years to meticulously work through his system without tripping herself up and getting caught. But she’d done it.

“Now what I don’t know is what you’ve been doing with your remarkable talents. So nice job on that front, though I admit I could have found out if I’d wanted. But whatever your sideline hobby is, it must have a more noble outcome than your previous work because I haven’t been able to trace you in the underground.”

She couldn’t help but taunt him a little. “Maybe I just outsmarted you.”

“I don’t think so,” he said, answering her grin. “I’ve learned in my line of work that sometimes it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie. I could have countered your workarounds and dug into your life. More than I already have. But I didn’t.”

“Bully for you,” she said, shrugging and walking toward his monitors. “I can’t imagine the lack of depth in your life if you could spend ten years digging into my boring day-to-day routine. I think that says more about you than it does about me. Now show me what you’re doing before you explode.”

He was silent for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. “I had plenty to keep me busy during the last decade. More than I thought I could handle most of the time.”

She swallowed painfully, hating to hear the regret in his voice. “I’m sorry about your wife. Dad told me what happened.”

“I’m told it’s a chance we all take,” he said. “Look what happened to Atticus’s wife and daughter. Lesson learned.” He turned the monitor so she could see and she figured he was done talking about his wife. “The Pentagon has changed some of their security since the last time I got into their system.”

She wanted to tell him she knew, but pressed her lips together tighter.

“Senator Biddle and the Defense Committee were taking bids from government contractors for a new missile. It would appear on the surface to be business as usual. Contractors would send their bids to the committee, and then the committee would award the job to whoever could implement the technology and meet the deadline.

“But it didn’t take long to realize that the initial proposal to the committee wasn’t what would really be delivered. We’re talking stealth drones with the capacity to carry a nuclear weapon with enough power to wipe out an area the size of France, Germany, and Spain put together. The contract is worth billions.”

“And that’s more than enough to kill for,” she said. She fought the urge to move closer and read over his shoulder.

“From what I’ve found John Amir at AeroNaut was the favorite to receive the contract. He and Senator Biddle are friends and allies. They’ve done several deals in the past.”

“Except now they’re both dead.”

“Right you are,” he said.

“So who are the other players?” she asked.

“AeroNaut has the clout, experience, and the design, but Amir was the face and genius of that company. They could move forward without him, but I wouldn’t want to do the deal with something that sensitive on the line and no leadership.

“Boulder would be up next,” he said. “They’re based out of Atlanta. Biddle had a few notes on their submitted designs, but if he has any classified documents they’re not digital and I don’t have access. Biddle was set to meet with Boulder’s acting CEO, Jenson Walker, the day after his murder to go over the contracts. They’re in the transition process so they don’t have the same stability as a company like AeroNaut.

“Boulder’s strength is in its aircraft designs, not necessarily in missiles, but they’ve secretly brought on some of the best engineers in the nation to help them land the contract. They’re keeping everything close to the vest, and I’m still working through their security. It’s top notch. Should take me another day before I can get in and see their designs.”

She grunted, absorbed in reading the symbols scrolling rapidly across the screen. He’d used a data encryption program that was slowly working its way through Boulder’s system like an invisible worm redirecting and rewriting code as it went as a subterfuge. She itched to get her fingers on the keyboard and take it apart to see how he’d created it.

“Am I boring you?” he asked.

“Oh, no,” she said. “Just enjoying the beauty of your artwork.”

“I think that’s the first time you’ve ever complimented me.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she said. “Who’s next?”

“DyniCorp.”

“Interesting,” she said.

---