Page 35 of Hack
Archer laughed as he made the call and ordered them dinner. He was glad they weren't going out. He was tired after the long flight, and he wanted to just sit back with his feet up. Once the pizza was ordered, he pulled out his own laptop and sat down on the bed. He had emails to return and other work to do.
As he worked, he kept glancing up at Carter, watching as he typed. He was handsome, with his thick blond hair, blue eyes, and fit body. For a guy who spent most of his time behind a computer, he was in great shape. He hadn't seen or heard Carter talk about going to the gym or working out, so he wondered if he was one of those lucky people with genetics that never let them get fat. He hated people like that. It was one of the most unfair things in life.
He smiled at the thought, shaking his head to clear it. He needed to stop focusing on the man across the room and get busy with work. They both had a ton to do, and not knowing what tomorrow would bring, it was best to get everything done now.
He worked until the pizza came, then stopped to answer the door. He set it on the dresser next to the TV before looking over at Carter. "You hungry?"
"Yeah." Carter didn't look up or stop typing.
Archer didn't bother to ask again. Carter would eat when he was ready. He wasn't about to bother him if he was in the middle of committing a felony by hacking into police reports. He grabbed two slices of pizza and one of the sodas he'd ordered with it and sat down on his bed. Setting his laptop to his side, he scanned his social media while he ate.
"Well, that went nowhere." Carter pushed back from the desk.
"Couldn't get in?"
"No, I got in, but they haven't moved all their records to digital yet. If I want a copy of the report, I'm going to have to get it on paper, and we both know how long that could take." Carter stood and went to the pizza. He pulled two slices out, then grabbed the drink. He came over and sat beside Archer on his bed. "I don't know how people survived before computers."
Archer smiled at his agitation. "Let me make a few calls tomorrow and see if I can get anything. I have a few connections."
"Thanks. I don't know if it matters, but the more I know about this family, the easier it should be to figure out how Lyle thinks. There is something we're missing. There is no way we can know the who, but not find out the where and the why. Something is going to tell us where he would go, why he would do this. Someone knows something. There had to be signs of this in his youth. No one just suddenly starts killing young girls. He was killing animals or something at a young age. Maybe I'll check at the school, see if there are records of problems with Lyle there. I've seen his criminal record. He got in trouble for vandalism in high school, but that was the only thing as a juvenile. As an adult, he had a couple of assault charges, mostly drunken brawls. He had one traffic ticket for speeding. Then nothing when he went off grid."
Archer leaned back against his pillow. "I don't think he's in the area. I think he's up north somewhere. He's smart enough to know not to stay close to home. It's the first place we'd look. Most of the graves are up north, most of the kidnappings. It all says he's not here."
"I agree, but something here will lead us to where he is." Carter twisted the cap off his soda bottle. "Sorry, I get pissy when I can't find what I want."
"It's okay. I know the feeling. The murders of his parents happened back in the eighties. We barely had computers back then, at least in the early eighties. I'm not shocked records aren't digital yet. Most places are still trying to upgrade everything. I'll work some of my sources tomorrow and see if anyone is around who remembers the case. There has to be a retired sheriff or someone who worked the case." Archer reached for his phone, making a few notes to himself so he remembered.
"What time is it?" Carter asked.
"Just after six."
"So it's three in California." He sighed.
"Worried about work?" Archer asked.
"I shouldn't be. The guys can handle it just fine. I'm just restless when I'm not there. There's nothing big going on tonight anyway. They're probably sitting around, drinking beer, and playing video games." Carter shrugged. "I'm just a control freak."
"Nah, you just like being sure things are running smoothly. Nothing wrong with that, but tell me, how do I get a job where I can drink beer and play video games?"
Carter laughed. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."
"That secret, huh?" He was desperate to know what Carter did. The late hours, the stress, the secrecy, it all meant something. Probably something illegal.
"Life and death secret to be honest. Telling you anything could put my team in danger, and I won't risk that. I already lost one team member because I fucked up, I'm not going to risk anyone else." Carter took a bite, chewing hard as if the thought upset him.
Archer wondered what he meant by lost a team member. Had someone died, and if so, was it Carter's fault? It was a reminder of how little the two of them really knew each other. He knew better than to ask anything. Hopefully, in time, Carter would open up more. "You're all close?"
"They're my family in every way possible. I'm closer to them than I have been to anyone since losing Beth. I'd give my life for them." Carter sighed. "What we do is dangerous and takes full trust in one another. That fact makes it impossible not to be close. When your life is on the line almost nightly, then you learn to love one another quickly."
"You're lucky to have people like that in your life." Archer really meant that. He had no one. There were a few people he called friends, but they were honestly little more than acquaintances that he spoke to when they ran into each other or needed a favor. He hadn't had anyone close in years. Not since probably college when he'd last been in a serious relationship. Fuck, that was a long time ago.
"I am, and I don't take that for granted. Which is why, even though you have to wonder and want to know more, I can't talk about them or what we do. We have a pact that if we tell anyone about us, the team approves it first. That way, everyone knows what is going on and who is aware of us. I trust you, but it doesn't matter that I do. The whole group would need to agree to talk about this with you." Carter sighed. "I'm probably just confusing you even more."
"Yeah, you are, but I respect that you can't talk about it. I get it. There are things I can't discuss myself, probably nothing like yours, but I still get it." Archer set his drink on the bed between his legs.
"You don't have any close friends?" Carter asked.
"Not really. I'm on the road too much to form any close ties. I don't have any family left other than an older aunt who doesn't remember me. She's eighty-eight years old. Lives in Virginia at a care center. I visit when I'm there, but there's no real attachment there. She wasn't part of my life much growing up. Dad wasn't big into the family thing. He avoided it when he could, so we were never close to my aunt. She had a son, but he was killed overseas years ago." Archer rubbed his hand down his thigh. "It's my way of life. Can't miss what you never had."
