Firewall (11 page)

“And Zoey,” she said.

He nodded, knowing the child held priority for her. Zoey was the one way Murford could force Taryn to do whatever he wanted. That’s why the SSA didn’t want her out of Grayson’s and Joe’s sights. She swung the pendulum to help end or destroy this mission.

6:35 A.M. TUESDAY

Taryn had to admit, Joe could make a mean bowl of steel-cut oatmeal. He’d set out bananas, blueberries, strawberries, and granola that didn’t have any of the food items she avoided. Guilt snaked through her for enjoying breakfast when the FBI didn’t have answers for hurting people. Joe had spoken a glaring truth during an earlier prayer. He’d asked the Lord to bless the food to the nourishment of their bodies. She’d heard those words many times growing up, but the gravity of the situation reinforced the need to stay healthy and strong. The dog hadn’t left her side, and now he lay on the floor beside her. What a gentle animal in the midst of so much uncertainty, even if he needed a bath.

She inwardly chastised the two men downing mushroom, sausage, and cheese omelets and biscuits dripping with honey and butter. Did they have any idea what they were doing to their bodies? Of course, if the health experts saw how much coffee she consumed, they’d write an article for the
American Journal of Medicine
condemning it.

Although sleep ranked at the top of her list, food helped stimulate brain cells.

Joe refilled her coffee cup. “A lot of unanswered questions are driving us nuts, but this is the big one for me.”

She focused on his leathery face.

“Why was the airport bombed if Murford thought he had what he needed?”

“I don’t know.” She wished she had a better answer. “I’m wrestling with the same question. He could have killed me on our honeymoon and not all those people. For that matter, he had plenty of opportunities to kill me.”

“Didn’t he have the ability to nab your techy toys before the trip to the airport?”

She sensed a warm flush spreading through her. How did she explain her possessiveness of the responsibility given to her, and how she felt about intimate matters? “This is a little awkward for me. . . . I never gave him the opportunity. I was always . . .” She took a sip of the coffee. “Awake. Cautious. Knew when it was time for me or him to go home. My toys stayed with me.”

Joe rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Embarrassment boiled her cheeks. “Thanks. I believe some things are reserved for marriage.” She couldn’t look at Joe or Grayson while she remembered Murford’s persuasive methods.

“We haven’t grasped the whole picture yet,” Joe said. “Hopefully the FBI has it all figured out.”

She wanted the answers now. How long would it take? “If they’ve solved the case, why am I on their top-ten wanted list?”

Grayson pushed his empty plate to the side. “I have a theory. Let’s assume Murford works for someone else. I mean, his background doesn’t show connections to anything this big. Let’s say this someone has an agenda connected to LNG export. Could be a congressman leaked the info. Or someone working for Gated Labs. A manufacturing company that saw dollars escaping out the door with oil and gas prices guaranteed to rise. Or one of our country’s enemies.” He moistened his lips. “Ethan Formier is also dead, and it looks like a coincidence. However, I’m not a believer in those things. Were you and Formier targeted in the explosion? Or was he a victim of chance? You claim to suspect a Gated Labs employee of breaching security, and therefore you disabled the
program. What happened for you to make such a critical decision, and how much was Formier aware of?”

Taryn let his words resonate through her. The situation with Ethan’s death bothered her more than she wanted to admit. He’d been a respected VP, a friend, and a mentor. “Before Ethan left for his ten-day trip to Mexico, we talked about Haden Rollins and Kinsley Stevens. Company policy frowns on fraternization, but it wasn’t a secret the two were seeing each other. Kinsley is Brad Patterson’s niece, so that probably explains the leniency.” She remembered the many times she’d walk into a meeting room and the couple would stop their conversation.

“Just before the two companies piloted the new software, I heard Kinsley and Haden talking in the break room, whispering, although they thought no one was around. Kinsley wanted my position as team leader in a big way, and Haden promised to make it happen. His words were ‘I know how to discredit everything Taryn’s ever done. The Nehemiah Project will go down.’ I confided in Ethan. He expressed the possibility of sabotage to the project and for both of us to keep our eyes open. The next day a problem developed with the software.” A rush of anger poured over her. “Ethan and I looked into it and discovered the issue came from Kinsley’s computer. But she didn’t have the skills to plant a bug of such magnitude. Ethan and I believed Haden had initiated the situation and blamed it on Kinsley to cover his rear.”

“So you think it’s more Rollins than Stevens?”

“I do.” Her mind raced with Haden’s capabilities. “But I don’t have proof.”

“What happened after that incident?”

“Ethan left for Mexico. The Friday before my so-called wedding, I overheard Kinsley and Haden.” She took a deep breath. “I knew both were in the break room alone, so I listened outside the door. Haden said Nehemiah would fail while I was gone on my honeymoon. When I e-mailed Ethan, he suggested I do whatever I thought necessary to ensure the security of Nehemiah and those
using the software. But to let him know what I’d done. He’d discovered something about Gated Labs that bothered him and planned to confirm it before having a face-to-face with Patterson. Ethan advised me not to cancel my wedding plans. I made the decision to disable the software and install the old one. Not Ethan.”

“No one else was involved?”

“No. My word against theirs. I didn’t e-mail Ethan with new access credentials because I planned to talk to him on Monday.”

“We have work to do.” Grayson scooted back, scraping his chair legs across the floor.

Joe pointed at Grayson. “You two make a good team. This man knows how to ask questions and access information too. I taught him most of what he knows. I’ll give Quantico a little credit. But most of it comes from good genes.”

Grayson laughed. “Dad would appreciate your observation.”

“My brother-in-law has sand for brains. Told him so the other day.”

“When?”

“Last weekend. I called him to shoot the breeze. When he criticized your and my career choice, I let him have it. As if the Marines have the market on crime fighting and protecting citizens.”

“He won’t change.”

“Neither will I.”

The varied emotions on Grayson’s face told her his past must be as dysfunctional as hers. At least her parents had always supported her. Photographs of Grayson sat in every conceivable spot in Joe’s living room
 
—sports, high school graduation, college, and one with Joe in front of the FBI office. The official seal served as a backdrop for their photo. She’d once had photos too
 
—ones that signified love and devotion. Or so she thought.

Joe stood. “Unfortunately I have a doctor’s appointment at eight this morning. Nearly forgot about it, but the doc won’t renew my blood pressure meds unless he sees me. I plan to stop by the FBI office on my way home. See what I can find out with my new
security clearance.” He winked. “Wish I had an extra computer for you. This is the best I can do.” He pulled his BlackBerry from his pants pocket and handed it to Grayson. “I’ll use my other phone today, and this will help you stay connected. Feels good to be doing something useful again. Right now I’m going to load the dishwasher and get a shower. You two go save the world.”

“Right.” Grayson carried his plate to the sink. “Since when did I become a superhero?”

“From the moment you met me,” Joe said. “Hey, you’ll be without a car for a while.”

“We’ve been there before. Go get your meds.”

“I can do my share,” Taryn said. “I’ll clean up the kitchen.”

“No deal. Help Grayson stay in line.”

Taryn blew him a kiss. Unlike her, but she’d grown fond of the crusty character in a very short time.

“Take care of my girl,” Joe said. “She’s a keeper, and Murford didn’t have enough sense to realize it. Now get on out of here.”

She followed Grayson into the living area and onto opposite ends of the sofa again.

He picked up the legal pad and pencil from the table before them. “They broke the mold with my uncle.”

“Too bad,” she said. “I like him.”

Grayson’s facial expression changed to stress.

“What are you thinking?” she said.

“Before we get into the computer stuff, I have a few more questions.”

A lingering glance from him shadowed her, but she refused to acknowledge it. Grayson had a strange effect on her, and she hadn’t processed it all.

“Tell me about Claire.”

My sister-friend.
“She’s innocent in all this. Her only role was in taking wedding photos. Her biggest fault was being my friend.”

“But Murford made himself known to her. Why take the risk?”

Holding back a swirl of emotion took a chunk of her control. A
counselor would call his question therapeutic. She called it heartbreaking. “Claire’s life bubbled with joy. She had an infectious laugh that made everyone around her forget life’s hiccups. Makes me sick to think he planned on killing her all along.”

“Does she have family? I know you’re the child’s guardian.”

“Ex-husband, and both sets of Zoey’s grandparents live in Israel. No contact with her.”

“Why?”

“They’re Orthodox Jews. Disowned her when she became a Christian.”

He continued to write. “I get the picture. Did she like Murford?”

Taryn recalled her and Claire’s near argument. “She thought he was rushing things. Wanted me to wait until after the first of the year to get married. She said we could plan a huge church wedding.” She buried her face in her hands. “I told him about her concerns.”

“His response?”

“He said she was only being a good friend and cautious about my welfare.” She blew out another one of his many lies. “He claimed I should feel honored that she cared about my happiness.”

“Did he ever say anything negative about her?”

She settled into the sofa, in the corner where she seemed to fit. Buddy placed his head in her lap, and she stroked it. The animal needed a bath, and so did she. “Hmm. He said I was lucky to have a friend like her. Brought her flowers and little gifts for Zoey. He didn’t like her snapping pics when we were together, but then he asked her to take the wedding photos, even made suggestions at the so-called ceremony. He succeeded in winning her over. Like he did me.”

“Are you sure no one witnessed the wedding?”

“Someone may have noticed it was happening, but we were secluded.”

“What things irritated him?”

“Not being punctual. Not a problem for me. Only Claire, who had her own inner clock.”

Grayson scribbled more notes. “Did he ever say anything to indicate his family’s whereabouts, where he went to school, or friends?”

“He said he’d attended Texas A&M and received his master’s in business, and his family had lived in Abilene. The only friend was the limo driver. Why, oh, why didn’t I check him out?” She sighed. “Never mind.”

“It’s okay. What did Murford call his driver?”

“Buzz. It was his hair. Are you thinking a military haircut?”

“Strong possibility. Did Buzz have an accent?”

“Sounded like he was from Texas.”

“Sure wish I had my iPad, but Joe’s BlackBerry will do.”

She understood. “Look at the bright side. We haven’t been shot at since early this morning.” As soon as the words sounded in the air, she regretted them.

10:30 A.M. TUESDAY

Grayson used Joe’s BlackBerry to verify Taryn’s information and type out his report to the FBI. It was tedious and boring, while her fingers danced across the laptop’s keyboard. He’d been in contact with the SSA and learned that her cell phone records indicated consistent numbers used for both inbound and outbound calls. She verified one as Murford’s and the second as Claire Levin’s. Every bit of information she’d given about herself had been accurate.

An FBI team explored the minutes from Congress’s closed, classified hearings regarding the export license for LNG. Interviews were in progress, but it took time to unscramble comments and diverse personalities. Those who’d opposed the license would be listed in the transcripts and might provide a lead to the bomber.

The other matter that needed attention was the dialogue between the two LNG companies using Gated Labs’s Nehemiah software. Although he knew one was located in Kitimat, Canada, and the second in Corpus Christi, he didn’t know the dynamics of the personalities in charge.

He walked to the kitchen to steal a look outside. The backyard with autumn touches of gold, orange, and purple produced color that Joe enjoyed. Flowers and bushes were planted according to the latest gardening magazine with the perfect balance of whatever the
soil required. Joe had a tool belt of talents, while Grayson could kill a cactus.

“Found him.” Taryn lifted her arms in more of a stretch than a victory sign. She winced and rubbed the area around her head wound.

Grayson rejoined her. “Who?”

“Buzz. I wanted to find substantial evidence to prove he and Murford aren’t the winners in this game. Those two aren’t as brilliant as they’d like to think.” She tilted her head, and auburn hair captured his attention. “Anyway, I have footage of him at Brown’s Restaurant picking up dinner. Got the date and time, and it coincides with one of my evenings with Murford.”

Grayson leaned over to see the computer screen. The camera had a clear facial shot of a square-shouldered man. “He’s got quite a build for a limo driver.”

“Go figure. Do you want me to ID him, or do you want to send it to the FBI?”

“Both.”

She laughed, and her fingers raced over the keys. “His name is George Breckon, and he trained as a Navy SEAL. Dishonorable discharge involving the death of another SEAL. He was acquitted due to lack of evidence. Same unit as Murford.” She scrolled through her information. “He’s been busy. In the fall of 2012 while living in Phoenix, he was charged with assault and battery. Early 2013, he knifed and killed a man in self-defense
 
—a bar fight. I can look deeper to tie him to Murford after their military release. Your choice.”

“Go for it. It’s your thing, and you obviously do it well.”

Her eyes sparkled. “I’m hoping some of Murford’s favorite restaurants were places the two visited before they put their plan into action.” Her eyes glued to the screen while her fingers tapped at lightning speed.

“The two could have been the ones who tore apart your condo,” Grayson said.

“The jerks.” She narrowed her brows. “Destroyed everything I owned when they already had what they needed.” Her arms lifted to the ceiling again. “Yes! Here are both of them at Tony’s.” She turned the laptop his way. “More evidence to send to your boss.”

“Maybe you should join the FBI.” Grayson hugged her shoulders.

She stiffened.

He released her as though she’d shocked him. For a moment he’d forgotten Murford’s betrayal and the pain she’d gone through. “Hey, I’m sorry. Out of line.”

She paled and rubbed her shoulders. “It’s all right. I’m a little apprehensive. Getting over what happened will take some time.” She turned her attention to the keyboard. “Even to a man who’s saved my life more than once.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She gave him a shaky smile. “I’ll work on the security system backup at Murford’s condo. See if pics of others are there.”

Grayson mentally kicked himself for upsetting her. This woman had experienced one tragedy after another in a matter of twenty-four hours. Despite the bruises and lack of sleep, she was gorgeous
 
—drop-dead gorgeous, as Joe would say. Wow. Highly intelligent. Courageous . . .

He reined in his wanderings. Not the time to be thinking about a woman in that way.

As soon as the SSA gave the okay, Grayson would bring her into the office, where they’d keep her protected until arrests were made. Who was giving FBI information to bad guys?

“This one will take me a few minutes,” she said. “Not sure why the security office claimed they couldn’t immediately recover the condo’s footage.” She gave him the first eye contact since he’d touched her. “Maybe they needed to cover their behinds while they tried to retrieve it. Admitting they lost information doesn’t do much for a security company’s credibility.”

“Makes sense. I’ll send the SSA your updates.” He typed a message to Alan Preston and pressed Send.

“Shouldn’t Joe have been back by now?” Her voice held a ring of uneasiness.

He glanced at his watch. “You’re right. His trip to the FBI office might have taken longer than he expected. What’s on your mind?”

“Joe thinks we won’t find Zoey alive.”

“He doesn’t want to build false hopes. Disappointment can destroy a person, and you’ve already gone through a lot of heartache.”

“I understand, and I know Joe wants me to be prepared.” She didn’t look his way. “Murford pretended to adore her.”

“If his actions were legitimate, that’s good for Zoey.” Grayson had studied the worst of criminals, and many had no conscience. The adage of “the end justifies the means” fit most profiles.

“Grayson, you’re trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate it. But Murford treated me the same way and left me to die in a bombing.” She pointed to the drape-covered window. “I want to catch a glimpse of light in this nightmare. Claire used to tell me to put my problems in God’s hands.”

“My faith keeps me going when I want to quit.”

“So you and your uncle are Catholic?”

Unusual question when they didn’t have anything in the house pointing to Catholicism. “We’re Protestant.”

“What about St. Francis hanging from the rearview mirror of Joe’s car?”

He couldn’t help but grin. “It came with his T-Bird twenty years ago. Sentimental value, that’s all.”

“He kissed it before going in after you at the theater. I think he needs to hold on to dear old St. Francis.”

“Joe’s saved my rear more than once. What about your faith?”

“I attend Claire’s church, a Messianic group.”

“Interesting. Do you celebrate Old Testament festivals? Then add Christianity to it?”

“It’s a weaving of the entire Bible, like fitting the pieces of a puzzle together. Very rich, with lots of themes carrying from the Old to the New.”

He contemplated her Messianic beliefs. “Once this is over, I’d like to visit your church.”

“Sure.”

Strange she’d agree so quickly. “Thanks.”

“Tell me, Grayson, you interviewed the people at Gated Labs. What did you think of Kinsley Stevens?”

The blonde bombshell? “Smart. Has her own agenda. What about her did you want me to see?”

“I don’t trust her, especially after I caught her on my computer. Haden is definitely smarter, more conniving. Anyway, when I asked her what she was doing, she simply laughed and hit Escape before I could learn more. Told me to go to Haden, our supervisor, which I did. I was furious and didn’t think about the consequences.”

“What happened?”

“He accused me of being paranoid and suggested a psychiatrist who could prescribe what I needed.”

“Do you still think it’s more Rollins than her?” The BlackBerry rang before she answered. It was Joe.

“Get out of there now,” Joe said.

Grayson was on his feet, reaching for his Glock. “What’s wrong? Where are you?”

“I’ve been driving around trying to ditch a tail. Got a bad feeling, son. Go.”

He turned to Taryn. “We’ve got to run.”

She wrapped one hand around the laptop and coaxed Buddy with the other.

“Go out the back,” Joe said. “They could be waiting for you in the front.”

“Joe, are you sure about this?” he said.

“This is my fault. You wanted to leave, and I talked you out of it.”

Grayson didn’t waste a moment shoving Taryn and Buddy to the rear of the house. Joe’s manicured backyard offered little protection except for an oak tree shading a concrete bench and ornamental shrubs and flowers. Grayson grabbed an Adirondack chair as they raced out the back. A seven-foot wood fence bordered the sides of the yard, but the rear had a brick wall separating the property from the street. They’d need to use the chair. How could he manage with his side bandaged and Taryn’s head injuries?

“Where are you?” Grayson said.

“Heading toward the FBI office. I’ve called Alan, and he’s sending two cars and HPD to the house in hopes of nabbing this guy. Alan says we’re bringing you two in.”

Grayson didn’t have time for any more dialogue. He ended the call and stuffed the phone in his pants pocket. A spray of gunfire and shattered glass burst through the quiet neighborhood. He grabbed Taryn and pushed her to the ground, placing her body under his and covering her head.