Firewall (19 page)

5:30 P.M. WEDNESDAY

Taryn woke to the clang of meal trays. One look at the hospital’s dietary special, and she turned up her nose
 
—meat loaf, mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon, a fruit cup, and a slice of chocolate cake. That would teach her to sleep through filling out the day’s menu. Okay, she could eat the fruit and hope Grayson remembered the bananas, almond butter, and Fritos. Who said a vegan had to neglect junk food? Iced tea never appealed to her, so she reached for the glass of water.

No word about Zoey.
Lord, I won’t sink into depression. I vowed to trust You.

The pain in her head had eased. She concentrated on how to access Ethan’s files and allowed the password possibilities to float through her mind. She reached for a pad of paper and pen on her nightstand. The best way to see what was in plain sight was to imagine being in his office.

On his desk sat a photo of his family. The first letters of each of their names came to mind. Although that idea ranked between too common and dangerous, she jotted it down anyway, then backward. She tried the same with Formier. With each arrangement, she also assigned numbers according to where the letters fell in the alphabet and then backward. She listed the other items on his desk
 
—a lamp, phone, computer, notepad, coaster, and a picture
of his chocolate Lab, M&M. Using birthdays made little sense, but she could find out his family’s and arrange and rearrange those numbers.

She started another list
 
—where he was married, vacation spots, first car, name of high school, college, grad school, and where he’d worked. . . . All of the answers would have to come from his wife. What else? Ethan liked to mix things up. He told jokes and loved classic movies, often reciting lines. He had a ranch in the hill country, a getaway for him and his family. A caretaker there oversaw the grounds and fed twenty head of cattle and two horses. Something there, or too obvious? She’d play with all his idiosyncrasies once she had her hands on a laptop.

She envisioned the tall, slim man with streaks of gray hair and piercing eyes.
Ethan, what did you mean by “hiding in plain sight”?

“You don’t look like you’re napping to me.”

She perked at the sound of Grayson’s voice. He leaned against the door of the hospital room.

“I slept for hours, and now I’m working on Ethan’s password.” She drew in a sharp breath. “Zoey?”

He sat, shoulders slumped, and she steadied herself for the worst. “Looks like she’d been at the cabin with a woman. Clothes were found indicating so. Agents are searching the area, sweeping for fingerprints and DNA.”

“If a woman has her, then I can hope Zoey is okay.” A woman might show some maternal instinct that would help keep the little girl safe.

“They left in a hurry. Milk in the fridge. A box of mac and cheese on the counter.”

“Good,” she whispered. “You brought me hope.”

He kept his chair at a proper distance. “How’s the head?”

“Better than before.”

“But you’re frowning.”

“That’s because I’m hungry, and I don’t have a laptop.”

He peered at her supper tray. “I can see why.” He set a Kroger
plastic bag on the bed. “Organic bananas and almond butter and Fritos.”

“Heaven has come to earth. Help yourself.”

“I’ve eaten.” Grayson pulled a single banana from the bag and handed it to her. He unscrewed the lid to the almond butter. “Want me to stir it?”

“Please, Chef Hall. And thank you.” She reached for a spoon on her tray, noting he stirred the almond butter better than she did.

“Do you want it smeared over a banana?”

“Yes, please. You know my weakness.”

A flash of something crossed his face, but she refused to comment.

Once her tummy was satisfied, she studied him. Tired lines fanned from his eyes. “How’s Joe?”

“Good. He spent some time late this afternoon with an insurance adjuster.”

She cringed. “Did they board up his windows?”

“Yesterday.”

She took a long drink of her water. “Does my mom know I’m all right?”

He nodded. “We had an agent pay her a visit. Explain you are safe and not to worry.”

“Thanks.” She wiped the Frito crumbs from her bedding. “I’ve got a concern.”

“A new one?”

She adored his teasing grin. “How do you sleep when cases are like spiderwebs?”

Grayson moved his chair closer, and she welcomed it, though she’d not admit that. “We can’t solve this tonight. In fact, we’re two small players. Tomorrow, when you’re feeling better, we can explore what you can do. Right now let’s talk about you, which is an amusing topic.”

“I can’t think of any other childhood stories. Unless you’re analyzing me.”

He gave her a thumbs-up. “I’m just making conversation.”

She allowed herself a glimpse into his blue eyes. Again feelings rose in her she wasn’t ready or willing to address. “Okay. I’ll give you a little insight into what you already know. My two older brothers are incredibly talented, successful, outgoing, and good-looking. I’m the youngest. My parents wanted a girl so badly, and then they got me.”

“I don’t understand.”

She shook her head. “I was born a total introvert
 
—very socially backward.”

“But you’ve always seemed comfortable with me.”

She’d heard that before from a man who’d betrayed her. But it wasn’t fair to compare the two. “You’d be singing another tune if you’d seen the lack of social skills in my younger days.”

“Can’t even imagine it.” He drew in a breath. “Anyone ever tell you that your hair is the color of sunset?”

She sensed a slow blush rising from her neck.

“Hey, I’ve embarrassed you. Sorry.”

“No problem. Anyway, I suffered through a painful adolescence and became engrossed in school. So I pursued my dream of developing software to help industries and companies do a better job.”

“Good choice. Were you looking for a husband when Murford stepped onto the scene?”

“Absolutely not. Some of my high school days left a few scars.” She swallowed to gain control of her emotions. “I should have known better with Murford. No one’s that perfect.”

“You’re wiser for the next time.”

She hoped so. “Now tell me about you. From the conversation at Joe’s house, I gather you and your father have issues.”

Grayson tossed her banana peel onto the meal tray. “Lots of issues.”

“What about your mom?”

“She’s dead.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It was a long time ago. Her death is part of the problem.” He stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

“You heard my story, and what else are we going to talk about?” She tilted her head. “I’m a good listener.”

He hesitated, no doubt thinking through his decision. “Okay, here’s the whole story. I had a twin who died at birth, and I was scrawny and sickly. Had asthma until I grew out of it.” He paced at the foot of her bed. “Dad wasn’t happy to have a wimp for a son, especially when my older brother was a replica of a Marine. When I was eight, Mom and I were driving home from Little League practice. A storm blew in, along with a twister.” His brows narrowed. “Mom pulled under an overpass, and we climbed up a bank to the narrow area where the concrete bracing was built into the ground. She shoved me in, but there wasn’t room for her. The tornado came through.” Moistening his lips, he stared out the window. “I held her hand as long as I could.”

Taryn wanted to reach for him. How horrible for a child.

“Her body was found a mile away. My dad never got over it. Still blames me. Go figure why. Anyway, our relationship is not good. Dad’s now an ex-Marine, and my older brother is a lifer there. I chose to follow in Uncle Joe’s career path, and that made things worse.”

“How old were you when you went to live with him?”

“Fifteen. Joe’s a man’s man. Believes in God, country, and the FBI.” He smiled. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Sounds like a great ending.”

He stared at her, and heat rose in her face again. “We make choices, Taryn. The good ones we hold on to, and the bad ones we learn from.”

“And your faith has helped you deal with the problems?”

“It doesn’t make the issues disappear, but it’s good to know I’m not walking this life alone.”

She understood what Grayson meant. Since her renewal of faith a few nights ago, she’d sensed God’s presence wherever she went. Would He be there if she were killed? If she discovered Zoey had not survived?

Grayson’s BlackBerry rang, and she turned to give him privacy.

“Sure. We can do it.” He disconnected the call. “Pedraza’s talking. He said the ones who want the software can trace you anywhere. We’ve got to move and figure out how they’re doing it.”

6:15 P.M. WEDNESDAY

Less than an hour later, Grayson walked with Taryn into a retirement center complex. Special Agents Clint and Patti were already there with Buddy.

She hugged the German shepherd as though he were a long-lost friend. “Thank you for bringing him. Oh, he smells so good.” Her eyes watered. “And he’s put on a little weight. Please thank whoever’s been taking care of him. I know it doesn’t make sense to be so attached to a dog this soon, but I am.”

Grayson felt the same way about her. He pointed to Joe. “His idea.” He glanced around the small apartment equipped for a senior citizen. “Guess you won’t be falling.”

Joe chuckled. “This has more safety features than a hospital room.”

“Very funny.” Taryn stroked Buddy. “Whose idea was it to move me out of the room as a corpse?” Her humor was intact, but her face was white as a sheet.

Grayson held up a finger. “Guilty.”

“The ride to the funeral home?”

“Guilty.”

“And the ride here in Joe’s blue beauty?”

“Me again.”

She laughed and sank onto the couch. “That one’s a keeper.”

Grayson couldn’t resist the urge to tease. “It was the first time you were quiet since we met.”

“I’ll get even,” Taryn said. “After I take a nap and develop a good plan.”

“Don’t mind them,” Patti said. “I have a laptop for you. We women have to stick together. Especially us redheads.”

“Two questions,” Taryn said. “Number one
 
—is this arrangement permanent, or will I be returning to the FBI office?”

Grayson knew she wouldn’t like the answer. “Here, until we have the situation resolved.”

“In the eyes of the media, am I still a person of interest?”

Grayson rubbed his palms together. “Yes.”

“When that changes, will the record show I helped with the investigation, and will the media be notified?”

“I imagine so, but the media is cruel. Your innocence isn’t hot news. Your potential guilt is what the readers and listeners want.”

“Okay. I figured the same. Anyway, I have a list of sites to check, and I appreciate the laptop.”

He wanted to go to her side, but he needed to keep his distance. “You’ll be working on accessing Formier’s password, monitoring the hacker job, and behaving yourself.”

“As in, I can’t take advantage of the pool with all the senior citizens?”

“Not unless you dye your hair white and look eighty years old.” Grayson knew she wouldn’t rest until Zoey was found. But each hour that passed without signs of the little girl decreased the chances she was still alive.

Taryn’s burner phone rang, and she answered it. “I thought you’d call before now.”

She mouthed
Save
to Grayson.

“What’s the assignment?” She wrapped a finger around an auburn strand of hair. “You what? Worked on it a while longer before calling me? I was offered big bucks for this.”

Grayson studied her face. She’d make a good agent.

“So did you get in?” She laughed. “Face it. You need my nimble fingers and quick mind. What is this about?” Her gaze flew to Grayson. “So what’s the problem that they can’t get into the software?” She listened. “Why the deadline? Got it.” She disconnected the call.

“Is it Nehemiah?” Grayson said.

“Absolutely. Friday morning at six is the deadline. So glad I enabled it. Whatever’s going down happens around then. I can drag my feet, but Save has made substantial progress. I have no doubt he’ll gain access very soon, but it will destroy his computer.”

“Good. And it’s not Friday yet,” Grayson said. “More people are working on this case than you can imagine. I’m standing on those odds.”

NEW YORK

9:10 P.M. EASTERN, WEDNESDAY

What is wrong with these stupid people? I pace. I scream. I swear. They’re supposed to be the best money can buy, and they perform like amateurs. Every member of Murford’s team has been arrested or is dead except one woman. Now I don’t know where they’ve taken Young . . . but Save and his hacker friend will have access to the software before the deadline. I have to believe it or I’ll explode. When Nehemiah is mine, I want Young beaten, tortured, and killed.

My phone rings and I see it’s him. His last call still burns my ears. I’m not a coward, but I regret this arrangement. If I’m not careful, he’ll cheat me out of my share. I answer the phone.

“Is the bombing at IAH still fresh in your mind?” he says.

“Yes.”

“Do you want to know why it happened?”

The whole world wants the answer to his question. He never says anything unless he backs it up with something . . . deadly. My opinion was he wanted to stroke his ego and show he could mastermind the explosion. “I suppose to shift attention from LNG to a national tragedy.”

“Close, but not entirely accurate.”

“Why then?”
Tell me so I can survive this deal gone south.

“It’s a symbol. Number one is how I feel about Americans. All of you deserve to die, and I’m committed to making it happen. But you knew my sentiments when we started this. The bombing of terminal E is what I’ll do to you if this fails. Your money, your reputation, your high-rise building will crumble. You’ll spend the rest of your life in solitary confinement . . . if you live past the trial. My web of people is endless. Does that inspire you, Iris?”

He ends the call before I can respond.

I’m not a quitter, and I will bulldoze this junk heap. What if he goes down first? If I shoot him in self-defense, I’ll be a hero in the eyes of the free world. He claims to be in Europe, but I’m smarter than he thinks. He’s not going to guard his pot of gold from anywhere but the good old US. He’s in Houston, and I’m going to find him. Eliminate him before he pulls the trigger on me.

I make arrangements to get to Houston’s Hobby Airport on the next flight out, then fly out of the country late tomorrow night from Dallas. Can’t trust IAH with the extra security measures. He won’t expect me. Either way, I win.