Carol Ericson - Code Conspiracy

Denver didn’t plan to reveal his secrets to anyone—not even a shadow in the night with his own secrets. “I know someone who works with Dreadworm.”

“Then I suggest you start pulling in favors, major.”

The informant stepped forward, and Denver jerked back, gripping the weapon in his pocket.

“Stay where you are.”

“Your contacts at Dreadworm might be interested in this.” He held up a cardboard wheel in his gloved hand. “Go ahead. Take it.”

Denver snatched the circular object and shoved it into his pocket. “I should pass this on to Dreadworm?”

“That would be advisable.” The informant pulled the collar of his jacket close around his neck. “Because Dreadworm is your only hope right now. Dreadworm is our only hope—I never thought I’d hear myself say those words.”

“Wait.” Denver peered into the blackness, as the man stepped back. “How am I going to contact you again?”

“I’ll find you when I need to.” He laughed, a hollow sound that echoed in the tunnel. “After all, we need to save the world.”

A light appeared at the end of the tunnel, outlining the slim figure hugging the wall, and Denver prayed it was a metaphor for his current situation. Could Dreadworm really be the light at the end of his tunnel?

The shrill train whistle made his teeth ache. Denver climbed off the tracks, his head cranked over his shoulder, his eyeballs throbbing with the effort to pick out his informant, still on the tracks in the path of the oncoming train.

Denver shouted. “Get out of the way!”

The light from the train flooded the tunnel, the empty tunnel, and as Denver stepped back onto the platform, the train whooshed past him, lifting the ends of his long hair and shaking the buttons on his shirt.

His informant had melted away, but his words rang in Denver’s ears.

Pulling his watch cap over those ears and hunching his shoulders, Denver put his head down and made for the stairs.

He had to get word to Gray Prescott to make contact with his ex-girlfriend. Things had ended badly between Gray and his ex, but Gray would have to suck it up and make nice with the hacker with the chip on her shoulder—she just might hold the fate of the world in her hands.

Jerrica turned her head and sucked in a quick breath as the man behind her ducked into a doorway. She hitched her backpack over her shoulders and darted into the street.

A taxi blared at her, and she smacked her hand on its hood, yelling. “Watch where you’re goin’!”

She crouched behind another taxi, the heat from the exhaust pipe burning her leg as the car lurched forward.

For a half a block, she stayed in the middle of the street, navigating a straight path between two lines of cars. Drivers yelled at her from their windows, the obscenities pinging her coat of armor but never piercing it. What did she care about a few dirty words tossed her way? She’d endured worse—a lot worse.

She twirled around and negotiated the traffic while walking backward, keeping her gaze pinned to the surging crowd on the sidewalk, trying to pick out her tail.

She’d lost him. Damn, she’d gotten good at losing people.

She threaded her way through the cars back to the sidewalk and slipped down a small alley. Two doors down, she formed a fist and banged on the metal. She had the access card that would gain her entry, but she knew Amit would be working away and she preferred not to surprise him by slipping in unannounced.

He really needed to adjust his schedule every once in a while—predictability could be dangerous in their line of work.

A lock clicked from the inside, and Jerrica eased open the door just widely enough to insert her body through the space. She placed both hands against the cold surface to make sure the door closed with a snap. Then she glanced at the video display above the door—the alley remained empty.

Her heavy boots clomped on the stairs as she made her way up to the work area.

Amit looked up from his computer monitor, adjusting his glasses. “I thought you were coming in earlier.”

Jerrica swung her pack from her back and settled into a chair in front of a scrolling display of numbers and letters. “Did Dreadworm turn into a nine-to-five gig while I was busy programming?”

“Don’t bite my head off.” Amit ducked behind his screen. “I was just asking.”

“I think I was being followed.” She held her breath, waiting for Amit’s outburst.

He sniffed and wiped his nose with a tissue. “What else is new?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She leveled a finger at the crumpled tissue in his hand. “Do not leave that thing lying around. Nobody wants your germs…or your judgment.”

“I’m not sick. I have allergies.”

“Whatever. I’m getting tired of picking them up.”

“All right. All right.” Amit stuffed the thing into his front pocket.

She narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t answer me. You’re not worried that someone was on my tail?”

“You think someone was on your tail. When is someone not on your tail, Jerrica? Or trying to hack into your computer? Or peeping in your window at night?”

Blinking her lashes, she cocked her head. “They caught onto Olaf, didn’t they? Do you want to go into hiding like him? I don’t.”

Amit slumped in his chair and pushed his glasses to the top of his head, making his hair stick up. “What did you uncover last week that has you looking over your shoulder again?”

“I’m not ready to reveal it yet.” She double-clicked on the screen to stop the scrolling and entered another command.

“You don’t have to reveal it publicly, but you can tell me, Kiera and Cedar in the other office.” He circled his index finger in the air. “We work together. We’re coworkers, remember?”

“Coworkers?” She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “We’re hackers. Olaf always wanted us to work on our own stuff. That’s why the two of us are here and Kiera and Cedar are…somewhere else. I’ll reveal it when I’m ready.”

Amit shook his head and attacked his keyboard. “You and Olaf are two of a kind. Do you know where he is?”

“Why would he tell me? Why would he tell anyone? It’s safer to keep to yourself.” She turned away and stashed her backpack under her desk.

“It might be safer, Jerrica, but there’s more to life than safety.” His long fingers hovered over the keyboard. “You wanna go to a party tonight with me and Kelly?”

“I have work to do.” She batted her lashes at him. “And, as you so kindly pointed out, I came in late.”

“I’m going to take off in about two hours. Are you sure you want to stay here by yourself?”

“I thought you weren’t concerned about safety? You were here by yourself.” She wiggled her fingers above the keys. “Besides, this is one of the most secure places in Manhattan—cameras, locks, motion sensors. I’m good.”

“The person supposedly following you didn’t see you come into this building, did he?”

“There was no supposedly about it, but no, he didn’t follow me here. I lost him.” She wrinkled her nose. “I gotta get back to what I was working on.”

“I can take a hint.”

The steady clicking from Amit’s keyboard indicated a dogged determination and concerted commitment. Amit might pretend that it was Jerrica who was the obsessed one, but the fire blazed in his gut just as hotly as it did in hers.

They each had their own reasons for their dedication to hacking into government systems and exposing the lies and corruption. Amit just did a better job of functioning in society.

She’d had a life once. She’d even had a boyfriend. Her nose stung and she swiped it with the back of her hand.