Page 47 of Tango
Without waiting any longer, I rush to Tucker’s bedroom and bang on the door. “Tucker!”
He rips it open seconds later, bare-chested and sleepy-eyed. “What is it?”
I’m momentarily stunned by the sight of his muscled chest. Of the tattoo right over his heart. Psalm 27.
“What’s happening?
His sharp words snap me back into reality. “My computer is being hacked.”
I step out of the way as he rushes down the hallway and into the room. “Is it connected to the network?”
“Yes.”
He turns on his heel and rushes down toward his office. As soon as he’s inside, he rips the power cord to the router out of the wall—his attempt to keep whoever is hacking my computer from accessing anything on his database.
As soon as it’s shut down, he moves to his computer and removes it from the internet completely. Even though it’s not connected, he needs to sever that connection just in case.
“Alice, are you there?” Logan’s voice echoes down the hall, and I freeze, my gaze locking with Tucker’s.
“How—”
“I don’t have time to wait. I have to believe this is getting to you.”
I sprint out of Tucker’s office and down the hall toward my computer. The screen is black except for a blinking light in the center.
“I’m sorry for the theatrics, but I couldn’t risk anyone else getting their hands on this. At least this way it’ll be harder for them to know—” He trails off. His tone is strained, and even though I can’t see him, I can imagine his worried expression.
“Who is that?” Tucker demands.
“My friend,” I say. “Logan.”
“Look, I don’t know what you and Ramiro got into, but it’s big. I did some digging like you asked, and they’re watching me.” He whispers that last part. “I found bugs in my apartment the day after we met. That’s what prompted me to really start digging. Now they’re saying you killed Ramiro in the server room. That the drive-by was a cover for the investigation. I know you didn’t do it even though I saw the video. You never braid your hair. The idiots didn’t get it right. They didn’t get the details—” He trails off.
I glance back at Tucker, whose jaw is set as he listens.
“I know you too well to believe that you would ever hurt anyone. They told me to eliminate contact with you. That if I was talking to you, I would be implicated as part of it. But because I care about you, I need to warn you: things are changing here. Big-time. They’re cleaning house. Seven patch workers have been fired. They’re saying that the information was stolen by you, and they don’t know the depth of the breach yet. I imagine I’m next, but they haven’t—” A loud bang echoes through the line. “They’re here. I’m out of time. I need you to know that you’re onto something. Keep pressing, Alice. You’re the smartest person I know, and if anyone can figure this out, it’s you. Huck—” Another loud bang. “He’s in on it. But he’s not the only o—” A gunshot. I flinch. “I pray this gets—” he trails off, his tone strained as if he’s fighting to even speak now. “Always lov?—”
The message ends.
My heart is in my throat.
Tears roll down my cheeks.
“No. No.” I rush toward my computer and start hammering keys, even though I know it won’t work. Whatever he used locked it down completely. Not surprising since Logan was a white-collar hacker when he got out of the army. It’s why Web Safe hired him.
“Alice.” Tucker grabs my hand, and I whirl on him.
“No! He was only in this because of me! I asked him to get involved! He’s fine. He has to be fine.” I charge forward, and Tucker stops me by wrapping his arms around me. The sound of the gunshot echoes in my mind.
I couldn’t even see it this time, but I can picture it easily enough.
I’ve lived through one tragedy; it’s not hard to visualize another.
Bullets all work the same. Tearing through flesh and muscle, destroying the spark of life that once resided within. Spots invade my vision as I try to suck in breath after breath, yet find none. Why is this happening? Why?
“Breathe, Alice,” Tucker tells me. He holds me against his strong chest, and I can hear the steady beating of his heart. Doing my best to focus on it, I let the sound of his life ground me in this moment. Thump, thump.
“He wasn’t involved from the beginning,” I whisper. “I asked him to keep an ear to the ground for me. Tell me he’s okay, Tucker. Please. Tell me that was something else.”
