Page 33 of Signs and Wonders

“You’re vergingon ‘comic book villain lair’ with that setup,” Evan joked when he looked at how Seth had transformed the RV’s living room.

Seth’s main computer console was on the table, but he had three other screens set up and co-opted the TV as well. Lines of code scrolled down the monitors, which occasionally blinked and beeped, reminding Seth of the gambling machines at Lacey’s. He did not overlook the irony.

“Brent, Teag, and I are all worming our way inside the Hub.” Seth paused to take a sip of coffee from his giant mug. “We each took a different line of attack, looking for specific information and system weaknesses.”

“So glad you use your superpower for good instead of evil.” Evan leaned against the counter with his coffee and a muffin. “What are you hoping to find?”

Seth held up a finger for Evan to wait when a monitor to his left chimed. He glanced at the screen for a second and then hit a key for the program to continue.

“Nothing fancy—for now. We want to figure out what data is being collected and for whom, and what’s being done with that data, for starters,” Seth replied.

“Teag’s going after the ensorcelled encryption. Any of the data and feeds with that level of security are probably high value. Brent’s looking for evidence of money laundering, trafficking, and cybercrime. I’m looking for links to the remaining witch disciples and tracing Renou-Vous data, plus anything that might be blackmail-worthy,” Seth said.

“Are you going to shut it down?”

“Depends on what we find, but probably,” Seth answered. “Not until we’ve harvested enough evidence against Swain and his cronies to sway law enforcement that aren’t on his payroll. Then a nice denial-of-service attack and a few targeted malware injections should bring it to a screeching halt.”

“And you’re making sure Drake doesn’t know about any of this? I’d hate to stop Swain and end up on federal charges,” Evan remarked.

“Drake is going undercover unofficially to check out the Hub itself.” Seth leaned back and cradled his coffee. “I think he’ll quit the FBSI once we bring Swain to account. He’s burned out and disillusioned. Between you and me, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up working with Brent’s PI agency, at least for a while. He could be a real asset with his skills, and he already believes in the supernatural.”

“If he doesn’t like cold weather, Teag could probably find a use for him down in South Carolina.”

“It’s plenty cold here—I’m not sure Pittsburgh would be worse.” Seth hurried to check another screen after a tell-tale sound alerted him. That brought a smile as he checked the results and touched another key.

“These will run all day, maybe into the night. The Hub is huge. We’re all mapping a piece of it. Some clients appear to be legit. If possible, we’ll leave their data alone. Whether we can do that depends on how the system is set up. If it’s too interconnected, then there might not be a choice except to freeze the whole thing,” Seth said.

“Anything yet?”

“I’ve already found files on local movers and shakers who are clearly blackmail material. Some senior people in the FBI and FBSI as well,” Seth told him. “I think the photos and videos were made with doppelgangers. So we know who we can’t trust because they’re already compromised.”

“What about the other witch disciples?”

“I’m documenting links, and I think we’ll find more, especially with Brent digging into the money trail. The warlocks might not like or trust each other, but they’ve had to collaborate in order to survive,” Seth replied. “They’ve built out their illegal revenue streams like a Mafia empire, and if Swain’s Hub has been their online clearinghouse and record keeper, we might be able to shut them down for good.”

“Can you still monitor me wearing a wire at the meeting?”

Seth knew better than to argue with Evan about attending the event, but he heard a tinge of concern in his partner’s tone.

“Of course. I’ll run that through my phone. It’ll be live the whole time, so I’ll hear and record what you hear,” Seth assured him. “I’ve got an earpiece for you that just looks like a regular Bluetooth, but you’ll be able to talk to me. And you’ll have Travis for backup.”

“Don’t you need to be at Lacey’s to watch over Cameron?”

Seth grinned. “All these babies roll up to my laptop, so I can monitor them in real time while I work on something completely legal and boring as I’m holding down a table at the bar.”

Seth finished his coffee and then packed up his laptop and the backpack that would let him spend the day at Lacey’s. He folded Evan into a hug and squeezed tight.

“Be careful.” Seth kissed Evan deep and slow. “There’s always more than one way to get information. Don’t put yourself in danger. If things go sideways, just say ‘Allegheny,’ and I’ll send Travis in, guns blazing.”

Evan returned the kiss and ran his fingertips down Seth’s cheek. “Thank you for worrying about me. I’ll be careful, and I’ll safeword out if there’s a problem. Watch your back at the bar. We know they’re watching Cameron, and sooner or later Swain is going to get impatient about us being in the way.”

Seth gave him one final peck on the lips. “I will. Come back safe.” He punctuated his comment with a squeeze and playful slap to Evan’s ass.

He left the other computers running as he and Evan locked up and warded the RV. Evan swung by Cameron’s house to pick him up and then dropped Seth and Cameron off at Lacey’s. He waited until they were inside to drive away, saying that he wanted to hole up at the coffee shop across from the library to see who showed up to the Renou-Vous event early.

Seth tried to ignore the worried pang he felt watching the taillights disappear. “Anything I can do to help you get the day started?” he asked Cameron, sounding more gruff than usual.

“Not really. I’ve got it down to a science by now,” Cameron replied. “I don’t unlock the door until we officially open—security and insurance reasons—so if an early bird knocks, don’t answer. Grab the table you want and get comfy. I’ll get the coffee started.”

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