Code conspiracy, p.9
Code Conspiracy, page 9
Jerrica rolled her eyes. “Anyone who knows me would spot that as a fake right away. Go ahead.”
Gray emailed her the attachment Major Denver had forwarded to him and the code wheel, and then grabbed a sharpened pencil. Above each letter in the database transcript, he wrote in the corresponding letter from the code.
After one minute, he squinted at his handiwork. “Houston, we have a problem.”
“What’s wrong?” Jerrica asked.
“There’s another layer to this code.” He drilled the tip of the pencil into the stack of papers. “It’s not a simple substitution.”
“But we did a spot check and it worked. The matched-up letters spelled out real words instead of this gibberish.”
“Now it’s a different kind of gibberish, featuring real words this time, but words that don’t make any sense together.” He picked up the first sheet of the paper. “How about this? Eagle Scout has landed, but he didn’t bring the bubble gum.”
“So, if someone does get the code like we just did, he...or she would still be in the dark. A random search for Denver or sarin gas or Times Square would not yield any results.” Jerrica folded one leg beneath her.
Across the room, Amit choked. “They’re planning to release sarin gas in Times Square?”
Jerrica clicked her tongue. “Relax over there. That was just an example.”
“But you know it’s sarin gas and you’re pretty sure it’s New York, aren’t you?”
“Gray had some previous intelligence from his Delta Force team and we already knew one of the code words for sarin, but we need hard facts to nail this down.” Jerrica tapped the top of her laptop. “I’m going to get going on a program to at least translate the code to real words. We can work on what those words mean, later.”
Gray nodded, but his insides tightened. He didn’t know how many laters they had. Denver had gone AWOL almost six months ago, betrayed, set up and forced to go on the run due to information he was going to get from a source in Afghanistan. That plan he was investigating must be close to fruition.
“I have a dumb question.” Amit gasped as he struggled to rise from the sofa. “Isn’t your father Senator Grayson Prescott?”
Gray shot a sideways glance at Jerrica. “He is.”
“Why don’t you take all of this to him? You trust your own father, don’t you?”
A muscled twitched at the corner of Gray’s mouth. “I trust him, but he’s part of the system. He’s former military himself. He’s never going to believe those around him, seemingly dedicated to the same goals as he is, may be actively working against those goals undercover. And if I tell him I’m working with Dreadworm, he’ll do his duty. Jerrica...both of you...could be in danger of arrest. I’m not going to take that chance—even with my father.”
“I get it.” Amit limped to the kitchen and held up a hand to stop Jerrica who’d jumped to his aid. “I have to start moving around by myself. I plan to join Kelly in Boston as soon as I can...unless you two need me.”
“You’ve done enough.” Gray leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms behind his head. “But don’t rush it. You lost a lot of blood and if your ribs aren’t broken, they’re bruised.”
“I’ll give it a day or two, and I’ll help however I can while I’m here.” Amit rubbed the back of his skull. “I sure wish Olaf would check in with us.”
“Seems like you two have already been doing most of the heavy lifting without Olaf.”
“Olaf is Dreadworm.” Amit turned his dark gaze on Gray. “You don’t like Olaf, do you?”
“Let’s just say, I think he’s caused a lot of trouble.”
“Gray’s always had a thing against Olaf.” Jerrica lodged her tongue in the corner of her mouth.
Gray clenched his teeth. He must’ve been obvious about his jealousy toward Olaf. “I realize if it weren’t for Olaf and Dreadworm, we wouldn’t even be close to nailing down this plan. So, I’m feeling kind of warm and fuzzy about the guy now.”
“That’ll be the day.” Jerrica clicked a few more keystrokes. “We’d better start getting ready to meet Kiera.”
“There’s something special you need to do for the meeting?” Gray’s something special meant bringing a weapon.
“It’s kind of silly, but I’ll wear a cap with the TV show’s logo on it. That’s how she’ll pick me out.”
“You’ve never met her before?” The uneasiness churned in his gut again.
“I haven’t, but Amit has. I know what she looks like, and she has a description of me. It’s fine, Gray.”
“Then let’s get the cap.”
* * *
GRAY AND JERRICA set out again, exiting from the building next door. If anyone was watching Jerrica’s building, maybe they’d believe they all relocated. Maybe they should all relocate.
If Gray hoped to identify any of the government moles, he and Jerrica would have to plan a trip to DC, anyway. And what could be safer than a sitting US senator’s home in North Arlington?
His mother was always coming up to DC to throw parties, and their gathering for Memorial Day was legendary with all the movers and shakers in attendance. Dad was always trying to foist him on the political powerbrokers. Maybe it was time for him to show interest.
“We’re taking the subway.” Jerrica hooked a finger in his belt loop and tugged.
“I’m an expert now. Washington Square Park?” Gray planted himself in front of a map on the wall in the subway station and studied the multicolored lines crisscrossing Manhattan.
He placed his hand on the small of Jerrica’s back. “This way.”
Gray successfully got them to their location and as they climbed the stairs to fresh air, he tucked his sunglasses into his pocket. He hadn’t bothered with a disguise, but Jerrica had that silly hat with the ghoulish logo pulled down to her eyebrows.
As they entered the park, Gray’s muscles tensed and his gaze darted around the open space. A kid screamed, causing a hitch in his step.
Jerrica patted his arm. “I know how you feel.”
Did she? Gray slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and caressed his gun. Jerrica, usually so careful and on edge, almost had a spring in her step as she approached a bench.
She must trust Olaf so absolutely that she trusted everyone around him. If Olaf had handpicked Kiera, she must be golden.
Jerrica settled on the bench facing the street. “I’ll see her coming, and she’ll see me.”
Gray remained standing and scanned the students with their backpacks, the couples on a stroll to somewhere else and a couple of transients looking for a handout. “I’m going to leave you here to meet Kiera while I play scout.”
“Do you want me to send up a smoke signal or something when I see her?” Jerrica crossed one leg over the other and immediately began her nervous habit of kicking her foot back and forth.
The gesture gave him some comfort that she was taking this meeting seriously.
“No. I’m sure I’ll know her when I see her—gauzy red scarf, right?”
“Yes. We shouldn’t be long. She’ll tell me what she needs to, and we’ll part ways. I don’t owe her any information, and I don’t plan to tell her anything about what Amit and I have going on—just that we’ve been compromised and to watch out.”
“Got it.” He squeezed her shoulder and sauntered away to people watch.
A few minutes later, a short African-American woman with long braids, a long skirt and a red scarf hanging loosely over her shoulders shuffled into the park area.
She glanced over her shoulder, and Gray narrowed his eyes and peered behind her for any unusual activity. Maybe nerves had gotten the better of her, too, and she was checking for a tail.
She seemed to be dragging her feet, as if meeting Jerrica was the last thing she wanted to do.
Her head jerked to the side, and she pinned Jerrica with an unrelenting stare. Keeping her focus on Jerrica, Kiera walked toward her as if in a trance.
Gray licked his dry lips. Out of the corner of his eye, he sensed movement and his skin prickled as he watched a previously stationary homeless guy give up his prime spot and mosey toward Jerrica’s bench.
Kiera’s head shifted slightly toward the transient and the three of them—Jerrica, Kiera and the homeless guy formed a taut triangle that buzzed with electricity.
Gray’s head snapped toward Jerrica. Did she sense it?
Her leg kicked back and forth furiously, and she craned her neck like a bird trying to scope out the offerings. She felt something.
The transient picked up the pace, making a beeline toward Jerrica. Kiera waved, keeping Jerrica’s attention focused on her trusted Dreadworm coworker.
Gray’s brain clicked with every movement of the two people closing in on Jerrica. As if in slow motion, the homeless man reached into one of his bulging bags, keeping his hand planted inside.
Would he kill both of them, or just Jerrica?
Adrenaline pumped through Gray’s system and it felt as if he had springs on the bottom of his shoes as he bounded forward.
Kiera whipped her head around toward him, her braids flying through the air, her eyes wide.
It was enough of a signal to the transient, who didn’t even turn around to look at Gray. Instead, his hand emerged from the bag, his fingers wrapped around a gun with a silencer attached. He’d probably never meant to shoot Jerrica from this distance, but his plans had clearly just changed.
So had Gray’s.
“Jerrica, take cover!” As Gray shouted, the unmistakable whiz of a bullet zipped through the air.
Gray hoped to God it hadn’t found its mark, but he had to keep his eye on the gunman who looked ready to take another shot. Gray steadied his own weapon and leveled it at the fake transient.
Before Gray could get off a shot, the man grabbed a child running past in the confusion. Using the boy as a shield, the gunman backed out of the park amid the screaming and chaos.
Then his arm rose and he shot Kiera where she stood.
Chapter Eight
The bullet from the silenced gun cut through the air and the pounding in Jerrica’s eardrums. Was it aimed at her? At Gray? God, not the boy. She dug her nails into the dirt beneath the bench where she’d taken cover.
As the gunman pushed the little boy and he fell to his knees, Jerrica opened her mouth in a silent scream. She scrambled forward on her belly to reach the boy, who popped up crying but unscathed and ran to his mother’s outstretched arms.
Jerrica collapsed. Thank God the boy hadn’t been harmed.
“Jerrica, are you hit?” Gray’s voice invaded the fog encompassing her head, and she reached out a hand.
“I’m okay. He didn’t shoot that child.” If she’d had to bear witness to another child dying from a gunshot wound, it would’ve been almost impossible for her to get to her feet.
Crouching beside her, Gray put his arm around her waist and helped her up. “Kiera wasn’t so lucky.”
As her boots hit the ground, Jerrica’s legs gave way beneath her and she grabbed Gray’s arm. She didn’t need to, as he’d kept a firm, steadying hold on her.
She peeked over his shoulder at Kiera splayed in the dirt, her braids fanning out around her head as a pool of blood inched its way to the ends of the arc they created.
She turned her face into Gray’s shoulder and mumbled against the rough denim of his jacket. “Oh my God. Why?”
“I guess he figured if he couldn’t shoot one Dreadworm hacker, he’d shoot another.”
“But Kiera had nothing to do with the compromised database.” She tugged on his sleeve. “Police.”
Gray stroked bits of debris from the hair hanging below her cap. “We don’t know anything. We don’t know Kiera. We were here taking a stroll.”
“What if someone saw you pull out your weapon?” She patted the gun Gray had crammed back into his pocket.
“I doubt anyone noticed, but if someone did, I have a concealed-carry permit. I saw the man had a gun, and I was going to try to take him down. Best to stick with the truth as much as possible.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Why didn’t I what?” Gray nodded at the cop headed their way.
“Take him down.”
“He’d grabbed the boy by the time I could take aim. I’m a pretty good shot, but I’m not going to risk a child’s life. You were safe, I had cover and I never thought he’d turn on Kiera.”
“Why did he shoot her?”
“Shh.” Gray hissed in her ear at the officer’s approach.
“You folks witness what happened here?”
After introducing himself to the officer, Gray kept his story brief and to the point. Nobody must’ve noticed his gun because the officer didn’t question him about it, and he didn’t offer it up.
“Ma’am, what did you see?”
“Not much of anything.” Jerrica swept the cap from her head and ran her fingers through her tangled hair. “I saw that the transient had a gun, and my...boyfriend saw it, too. He warned me to take cover, and I did. I had my eyes on the child the man grabbed, so I didn’t even realize he’d shot the woman. Is she...?”
“Yes, she’s deceased.” The cop tapped his pencil against his notebook. “Did he seem to be targeting her? Others said he was walking in the direction of this bench.”
Gray cleared his throat. “I’m not sure he was targeting anyone. He pulled out his weapon, the people who noticed it screamed and started running out of the park or taking cover. He shot the woman. Then he took off.”
“Can you give me a description?”
Jerrica held up her hands. “I can’t. I didn’t get a good look at him.”
“I can help with that.”
Gray proceeded to give the officer a description of the transient, and both he and Jerrica gave him their names and phone numbers.
“Thanks. We’ll be in touch if we need more information, and call us if you remember anything else.” The cop tucked his notebook into his pocket, pivoted and then stopped. “It’s weird though. You wouldn’t think a homeless guy would have a gun with a silencer attached.”
“That is strange.” Gray draped his arm around Jerrica’s shoulders. “Can we leave now?”
“Sure, and thank you for your service, Lieutenant Prescott.”
“Thank you for yours.”
Gray entwined his fingers with Jerrica’s and tugged. They left the park, and she didn’t even give a parting glance to Kiera’s dead body on the ground.
They kept silent for two long blocks, putting as much space as possible between themselves and the park.
Gray pointed ahead to a street glowing with welcoming lights. “Let’s get something to eat.”
“Should we tell Amit what happened?”
“He doesn’t have a phone and even if he did, I’m not sure I trust your device.”
“You have your phone. I’ll communicate with him through the message board.” She stopped in front of a bistro and grabbed the door handle. “Here.”
Gray reached above her and pushed open the door. The whoosh of noise and warmth and savory smells cast an immediate spell on Jerrica, luring her inside the buzzing scene.
She closed her eyes. The longing for normality hit her like a sledgehammer. Why now? With everything in her life coming to a head, she sensed an explosion in her future—and she didn’t mean the kind the terrorists had planned.
“Two?” The hostess appeared before them, and Gray nodded.
“We’ll take the bar if we have to.”
“We just cleared a table by the kitchen.” The hostess tried to keep her gaze from wandering over Gray’s body but failed.
Jerrica couldn’t blame her, but she didn’t have to like it. She stepped between the hostess and her view. “That’s fine.”
The hostess eked out a tight smile and spun around, crooking her finger. “Follow me.”
Gray rested a hand on Jerrica’s hip and leaned close. “It’s crowded in here.”
“A good spot in case we were followed, don’t you think?”
“We weren’t followed.” He dug his fingertips into the swell of her hip. “I made sure of that.”
The hostess seated them, and Gray slid one of the menus she’d left toward Jerrica. “Please tell me there’s something more than veggie stuff here.”
“This isn’t a vegetarian place. I think they even have—” she whispered “—burgers.”
Jerrica grabbed the edge of the menu to flip it open with a hand that still trembled.
Gray didn’t miss a thing. He covered her fingers with his own. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“Still shaken. If you hadn’t warned me to take a dive, I’d be as dead as Kiera—unless he killed her because he couldn’t kill me.” She finally opened the menu and stared at the words blurring in front of her.
“I think he always intended to kill Kiera.”
“You think he made her, too, and intercepted our communication?”
A busboy set two glasses of water down. As soon as he left, Gray reached across the table again.
“Jerrica.” Gray placed his hands flat across her menu. “I think Kiera’s the one who gave you up. She tried to set you up for him. He must’ve had something on her.”
“No.” She took a gulp of water and put down the glass harder than she’d intended. “Why would she do that?”
“Being in military intelligence, I can think of several reasons why.” He held up his hand and ticked off his fingers. “Someone threatened her, threatened her family, had something on her for blackmail, paid her off. The reasons are endless.”
They ended their conversation again as the waiter approached. Gray ordered a burger and fries and she ordered a veggie burger, although she had little appetite for anything now.
She dug her elbows into the table and buried her chin in her palm. “I can’t believe she’d do that.”
