Page 24 of Hacker Identified

Kat held up the remote and played the video again. “Come on…Do you see it?”

The grainy footage looped a couple more times, and she paused.

“Right there. You signaled everyone to hurry, but couldn’t close your fist. When I broke your finger all those years ago, it never healed right. It must suck to always have your pinky sticking up.”

The recording started again, and I spotted the hand several times throughout the video.

I’d seen some crazy catches in my time, but Kat’s ability to spot something so small and tie the slight mistake to Sebastian was insane.

“Your wife sure concocted a crazy story,” Sebastian said. “You’re going to war with my company over this?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Antonio said. “Depends on if you give Kat the information she wants. The thing about your company is you hire people who only look out for themselves and a few dollars. Two of your men turned on you after spending two minutes with me and confirmed you helped Ash escape. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the intel we needed on why.”

“Money,” Sebastian shrugged. “My client gave me a lot of money and orders to break him out. Not my problem if you have a beef with Ash.”

Kat opened a silver cabinet and pulled out a tray of knives. “I’m thinking about starting with your pinky, so you don’t get caught on video again, but then I have to deal with all the blood. Waterboarding is another option, but it gets water everywhere. My supplier of Pentothal is on a spiritual journey, so truth serum is out of the question.”

One of the missions Sebastian had taken part in crossed my mind. The cartel in Somalia took him for a week before he had escaped and saved another person. I wasn’t sure how Kat thought she could break him.

“You think losing a finger will make me talk?”

Kat caressed the handle of the large knife. “You are probably right. I guess we could watch another video.”

The screen flickered, and a woman with dark black hair appeared on the screen. The footage was from a security camera in Asher Ross’ office. The woman stared at a large monitor while tears streamed down her face.

“I’ll kill you.”

Kat moved with cat-like reflexes and pressed a knife to Sebastian’s throat. “Sit the fuck back down.”

“Fuck that, sexy,” Antonio said.

“I’m trying to hurry, honey, but he’s not cooperating,” Kat whined. She turned her attention back to Sebastian. “I knew you wouldn’t crack. One call and your pretty, little wife finds out everything. I’m unsure how you convinced her you’re a knight in shining armor. Stress about learning you’re the scum of the earth wouldn’t be good for the baby.”

“What do you want? I helped him escape for a nice payday. Now let her go.”

Kat wiggled her finger back and forth. “Except we hacked your system. You never received money for his release, and he’s now on your payroll. So why did you send him to Vegas to kill Zack?”

“Oh come on, man.” Sebastian looked at me. “We go way back. Are you going to take some woman’s crazy story over mine?”

“Yes,” I spoke. “You almost killed my fiancé. Ash has hated me for years, and you released him. Now is this because of Crimson Creed or me?”

Sebastian ran a hand over his face. “If I tell you everything, you’ll let my wife go?”

“Yes,” Antonio said. “Now talk.”

“Ash and I go back decades. We grew up in the same foster care system. I knew he was crazy, but I owed him my life. A few months back, he sent me information on how to help him escape.”

“That can’t be possible. No way he could get communication out of the Black Hole.” The guards spent five years on the base, no one-off ever. Only people who traveled to the location would drop on the top deck, but never associated with any inmates.

Sebastian shrugged. “They don’t leave the guards on base for long periods anymore. I helped with the escape. He told me he had some unfinished business to take care of and would be back to assist me with future missions. I didn’t know anything about his plan to take Zack out or the Crimson Creed.”

An hour had passed and we hadn’t come any closer to why Ash planted the bomb. Hannah’s father had stopped with the televised press conferences, but now the man kept sending messages to my team demanding his daughter.

“Let her go.” Sebastian waved toward the screen.

“I don’t hurt women,” Antonio pulled out his phone. “I’ll let you talk to her.”

He put the phone on speaker, and after two rings, Asher picked up. “Sebastian wants to talk to her.”

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