Page 24 of Hacker Revelation

But in the back of my head, I guessed who he meant. I didn’t want to admit it out loud because I hoped I was wrong. Asher pulled out his phone and sent CJ a message. He must have come to the same conclusion.

“The lady in custody states she’s your wife. Do you know a Katherine Ross? Because our database can’t find this woman. She’s a ghost.”

“Yes, I have a wife by the name of Katherine Ross. I’m on my way down.” I clicked off the phone. I didn’t have time to answer the questions I knew Westblack would ask.

Asher’s fingers flew across his phone. He didn’t look up when he said, “Mom’s picking Ant up from school. I have the family lawyer meeting us at FBI headquarters, and CJ is going to run AA Security while we are gone.”

I loved my brother. “Let’s go break my wife out of jail.”

10

Kat

Two hours. That was how long they kept me in that room since we arrived at the FBI. I was taken from Nebula Brack’s bunker and escorted straight to FBI headquarters. Nobody said a word to me, and I didn’t offer any once the cuffs were slapped on my wrist.

The cold temperature of the room annoyed me. This tactic might work for someone who hadn’t been tortured before. Six years earlier, before I met Antonio, I was captured by Yar-Mebrab, the head of a terrorist group called Jawid Shapoor. They spent hours using a whip on my body until I lost consciousness. When that didn’t work, they tried to waterboard me. Last, they tried electrical shock. I was tortured for six days before I was able to get the drop on one of the guards when he thought I was weak.

I looked around the interrogation room. There was a one-way mirror that blocked my view of the other side. I was sure the agents on the other side of the window were watching for a sign that I was close to my breaking point.

For the fifteenth time, I glanced at the clock on the wall. Ant needed to be picked up from school. Antonio would be called when I didn't answer or show up.Fuck. Antonio would be pissed when he found out I had been detained by the FBI. They would tell him I was at the bunker. He would want to know how I found out about it.

The metal door to the interrogation room swung open and banged against the wall. The agent was trying to get a rise out of me.

He looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place where I had seen him before. He was old for an agent. His hair was salt and peppered, and he had stress lines under his eyes. For his age, he was in shape and would intimidate a normal person. It had been a while since I had been interrogated. I thought I might have some fun until Antonio showed up.

“Katherine?” The agent's voice was deep and had a hint of a Southern drawl. “Do you know why you are here?” He folded himself into the metal chair across the table.

Did this guy really think I would just turn over my information? This would be more fun than I originally planned.

“Nope. The agents didn’t tell me why I was handcuffed and brought in.”

“Are you really going to play it that way?” Agent No-Name laid the folder he held on the table and gave me his full attention.

The need to get out and back to my family was stronger than the fun of playing with Agent No-Name. “You want info, but I don’t even know your name. From the TV shows I’ve watched, I know you’re supposed to give me something for the information I have.”

He nodded and tapped the folder on the table. “I’m Director Westblack. Now, tell me why you were in that bunker.” He stared me down.

I shook my head. “Why is the Director of the FBI in Florida interrogating me? You ran my name and prints. What came up?”

Director Westblack was a friend of Antonio’s. If my prints or information were in any system, he wouldn’t be in the room with me. I knew my information wouldn’t show up anywhere. The CIA didn’t let their operatives’ information appear in any database.

He leveled a glare at me. “Why do I have the feeling that you're more dangerous than you're letting on?” He pointed at the folder. “And you already know nothing came back on your prints or name. So I ask you again—why were you at Nebula Brack’s bunker? Did you help with the arms sale?”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise, and the director cussed under his breath. I didn’t know anything about an arms sale. They weren’t after Nebula for the same reason we were after him.

“I don’t know anything about a sale.”

My hands were still cuffed to the table, and I indicated them with a nod. “Are these really necessary? I highly doubt I could take you down.”

It would be hard, but I had faith that I could take him if necessary. But I wasn’t going to cause issues with the FBI. I wanted to see if I could get more information out of him before I told him to call Antonio.

“I’m not sure that’s safe.” Westblack frowned. “You might be small, but you radiate a vibe that is dangerous.” But he unlocked the cuffs, contradicting his own words with his actions.

Westblack cocked his head. “Time to start talking, Ms. Stewart. You also disrupted a planned raid. It looks like the bunker had been cleared out. I’ll ask again, did you move the weapons.”

Over the years, I had meant to go to the DMV and change my last name. The first time I’d gone, the line was wrapped around the building, so I kept driving. I hadn’t made it back. Maybe it was time to get that done. It would make it easier when I got arrested.

Westblack was right. I needed to stop the game and get Antonio down here to get me out of this place.

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