The twisted vines comple.., p.11
The Twisted Vines Complete Boxset, page 11
“Vivianne Rossi. Blonde, blue eyes, right? Northern Italian through and through. Whether she ever found out who you were, who knows? But I could see her wanting to remain anonymous. In the wine industry, her family is infamous. Maybe she likes having a friend who doesn’t care about her family at all.”
“Infamous? She’s part of the Rossi Vineyards Rossis?” Spectre hacked Rossi Vineyards. I had hoped she wasn’t related. But if she’s that wealthy, I suppose Kane was right and paying ransom didn’t hurt them.
“Yep. One and the same. Her family is an institution in this area. Maybe that’s why she liked the anonymity.”
“She used to live in Paris. I’m sure she has friends who don’t care about wine.” To hear Kairi talk, sometimes you’d think the world revolved around wine. In my opinion, the whole life on a farm thing is overly romanticized. And make no mistake, vineyards are farms. “Regardless, being anonymous works in the game. I’d prefer to keep the channel private and secure. If we’re discovered…” Shit, if we’re discovered, we’ll need to disappear.
“It’s been six months. Do you really believe he’s still after us? Because I’m beginning to question it. We moved on, and he’s got bigger projects on his plate. Spectre hits FBI lists as frequently as ReVil and Blasphemy these days.” Trevor looks sincere. He doesn’t fucking learn.
“The enemy strikes when it’s unexpected.” He should know this.
“And we acted without orders, and against orders, so he’s going to chop off our heads.” Trevor’s sarcastic wit turns Kairi pale. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Trevor reaches out and touches Kairi’s knee. The love of her life wasn’t beheaded, but the slice across her throat performed the same function. “I was just trying to say I don’t think he’s following Sun Tzu.”
“He is. And when you assume he won’t strike, that’s when he will.”
“Still working from here?” Trevor’s dripping sweat from his morning run. A light spray of dirt coats his lower legs and socks. He’s barefoot, and there’s a white line revealing the portion of sock covered by his running shoe and the portion coated in dust from the trail.
“Yep.” The monitor I have trained on the cameras near The Bookery flicks from the front of the store to the back of the store, to the cash register.
“Not going into town today?” It is obvious I’m not, and his duplication of a similar question is wasting my time.
“Tesla’s sending someone out to hook up another outlet for charging. I need to be here today.” My new car arrived, and I could share the charger with Trevor, but I figure paying for an additional station will be a benefit to Kairi’s property. When we’re not here, her mother rents this place out.
Trevor chugs a bottle of water and wipes his brow while watching the monitor.
“You know, just because you can see her remotely, it’s not the same thing as being in the same room with her.”
“Obviously.” I resume reading the latest FBI update, hoping he’ll take the signal.
“There has to be some personality disorder associated with someone who prefers to live behind a computer screen and not in direct contact. Before you had these cameras, you were in her store every single day. You had to be there. Now that you have these cameras, it’s like you’re content to sit here and stare. It’s not healthy.”
“Is that your professional diagnosis?” I have no idea what I’m reading, a sign that he’s distracting me. He needs to leave the room.
He sighs heavily. His feet create a repetitive thud, decreasing in volume as he ascends the stairs.
Vivi hasn’t been at The Bookery most of this week, anyway, but I don’t need to share that with Trevor. She hired someone to work in the store. He appears to be honest. He reads when he could clean or do something useful, but other than that, he’s a good employee. He has spent some of his downtime on a laptop. I can’t see the screen from the view on the monitor, which makes me curious.
The camera rotation flicks to the front entrance of The Bookery. A familiar man in a baseball cap passes the store, and he pauses a beat, peering inside. The closed sign hangs over the glass panel of one of the double doors. His head angles up to the rafters above. The lid of the cap darkens his face, rendering it unidentifiable.
My view flashes to the back door, and I quickly jump onto the system to take over the screen view. The inside camera flashes to Vivi approaching the front door, passing the register. The skin on my fingers buzzes as the intersection of Vivi and the man outside nears.
I return to the front door view and run down my list of options. They are limited. A call to 911 would take minutes. Ten to fifteen before arrival. I’m over thirty minutes away.
He’s almost out of camera view when my front door view returns. The sign on the glass flips. Whoever he was, he didn’t want to be seen by her. And he was scoping the place. Who pauses in front of a business and looks around for security cameras? Thieves.
Or someone on Kane’s payroll. Maybe he’s learning the lay of the land. Determining the best location to strike. He would only strike The Bookery if he’s somehow connected me and Vivi. If he’s already made the connection, then she’s not safe. I’ve stayed away from her, checking in via text so she doesn’t think I’m freaking out from our make-out session. The time apart has helped to clear my head and evaluate risk and response plans.
“Hey, did you see that latest ransomware threat IC3 sent over?” Kairi enters, freshly showered and coffee in hand. She’s wearing pajama bottoms and a T-shirt.
“Just an overview of the weekly report. Is the company going to pay?” The FBI prefers no one pays ransom threats. Paying the blackmailers only incentivizes them to continue with their crime spree. That’s why I’ve asked to work with a special group within the National Security Agency on encryption software that will allow us to covertly hack into crypto accounts and reclaim stolen funds. If we eliminate the financial incentive, then we’ll make the Internet a far safer space.
“They’re gonna pay. They’ve asked us to track the transaction.”
“That’s pointless,” I mutter. What’s the point of tracking it if we can’t reclaim it? My attention zooms on the screen showing the front of The Bookery. The man Vivi hired comes into view, and he pushes the door open. I check the time. He’s five minutes late.
“Yeah. But I think these guys left a crumb trail. They were sloppy when they hacked in. I spent some time last night on it.”
“Good.” I close my laptop and unplug the wire from the wall.
“What are you doing?”
I stare at the cord in my hand. What am I doing? I have a Tesla guy coming within an hour.
“Erik, are you okay?” Kairi asks. I plug my laptop back in. My eyes burn, and I rub them, shifting my glasses up to my forehead. I let out a sigh. I don’t want to worry Kairi, but she’s part of our team, and my team is my family. Withholding information weakens our defense.
“I think Kane has someone scoping The Bookery. The guy could just be looking for me.”
“If he asks Vivi about you, what will she say?”
“She knows me as Erik Yeung. I work from her store sometimes. She doesn’t have my home address, or at least not a real one. She doesn’t know I live with you. She’s met Trevor and Wolf. If someone showed her pictures, she’d be able to point us out, but she’s suspicious by nature. She might not easily buy into someone’s story if they walked in flashing pictures.” Or she could concoct a crazy theory and decide we’re gangsters or serial killers or mafia. I found a backdoor into the TruthFinder app and created an extensive profile and identity for my new name. Took me most of the night after she shared her data mining source. But there’s nothing in there that would endanger us…although I did grab some real photos from my past to give it a little depth.
“If he’s scoping the place, they already know we’re in the area. It seems to me the biggest risk is if they tracked you back here.”
“The truck.” I snap my fingers. “We need to check it for a tracking device. I’ve been parking it outside of view from her shop. And I drove Trevor’s car once.”
“I really have to say I think you’re paranoid. If he’s going to track us, it’ll be online. That’s the world he knows.”
“You’re being naïve. He has access to anything he wants. Now, this guy I’m watching — he’s not skilled. He’s an amateur. He could have scouts out all over the country. That would be one reason he’s hired lower levels.”
“Listen to you. Lower levels. It’s not a game, Erik. If he knew where we were, he’d hire a sniper, and then, I’ll grant you, it’s game over.” Kairi’s lower lip protrudes, and even though she’s looking in my direction, she’s not seeing me. She’s playing scenarios out in her head. “No. Your scenario is too over the top. It’s more realistic you’ve got a thief on your hands scoping out businesses in the square. You’re so hyped up on Vivi. Have you even noticed if he’s looking at other businesses too? Those businesses might be prime theft targets. I’d bet some of them…not a bookstore, but some of those gift stores and art galleries and such…they could have stuff worth stealing.”
“People really steal physical stuff?” The idea is savage. I know I wanted a camera over the cash register, but her theory bothers me. Physical theft is so small-minded. High risk, low reward. There’s so much more to be gained through cybercrime. For example, the small-scale ransomware that Kairi’s investigating will bring in over one hundred thousand for the ransom crew, all for a couple of days’ work and little to no chance of getting caught.
“Erik, have you ever considered that the only reason we’re currently alive is because Kane wants us working for the other side?”
“What?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a thought.”
“He tried to kill us.”
“Yes, but we got away.” Her voice trails, and I know she’s thinking of Lara. I think of her, too, but what I remember is Kairi holding her lifeless body, refusing to let go, blood everywhere. Kairi, I hope, remembers Lara in life, not in death. Doesn’t matter. There’s no point going down either path.
“Okay. So, we’ve determined that this guy could be a common thief, scoping the whole square.”
“The valley attracts money, and therefore it attracts thieves.”
She shrugs and sips her coffee.
“Or it is connected to Kane.” She gives me the look. I go on. “We consider this unlikely, but if it’s the case, then he’s got low level, and by that, I mean low skill—”
“I know what you mean.”
“Don’t roll your eyes.” She can be such a nag. “Let me work this through. He’s got low levels out scoping areas. Maybe he figured out your real name, tracked your origins, and he has someone out showing photos, trying to figure out if we, or one of us, have landed in this area.”
“Have you seen this guy show photos to anyone?”
“No. I’m playing this out. Stop interrupting me.” I sit away from my desk, out of view of the monitor. “In that scenario, is Vivi in danger?” That’s the question.
“I seriously doubt it. But, in my more realistic thief scenario, she could be since she’s the only one in that area who lives above her store. That place is a ghost town once the restaurants close.”
I don’t like the idea of Vivi being in danger. I don’t like being thirty minutes away if something happens to her. It’s that same feeling of desperation when my sister lived on an island, and I could have a team watching her, but we were helpless if something happened. It’s why I bought the house next door to hers and rotated agents in and out of it.
I could hire security to be nearby. That would be the most secure plan. For me to stay away and hire someone to watch from afar. But she’d probably notice security, and it would be problematic. Then again, I hired security to trail my sister for almost a year, and she never noticed. But, no. That was easier. She assumed the house next door was a rental house.
“I think I’m going to take one of those apartments closer to the square.” I say it aloud as my plan crystalizes. I’ll be as close to Vivi as I can. I won’t put agents on her, but I’ll be close by.
“You really like her?” Kairi asks. There’s no anger or fear. Now she seems in awe. As if it’s unbelievable.
“I do.” I won’t deny it. She’s an old friend, and she’s sexy as hell, and I’m inexplicably drawn to her. My body is drawn to her, and she distracts me all the time. She’s not perfect because perfect would not be a distraction, but I do like her. I hope Kairi and Trevor are right, and I’m simply paranoid. Because it’ll crush me if she winds up living on the run or under witness protection, all because one day, out of boredom, I let my curiosity go.
CRUSHED
Vivi
It’s been nine days since I’ve seen Erik in the flesh. He hasn’t made any updates to his social posts in that time. Now that I have the correct spelling of his last name, TruthFinder did find him. He’s not the most devout social poster, but he is a typical guy. There are no gaps in his history. There’s also a noticeable void in prior relationships. If his modus operandi is to hook-up and disappear, then that absence is explainable.
It’s Sunday morning, and Chloe is over. She is telling me about David James’ Facebook post. I sip my coffee and listen. He is looking for renters for his apartment in Minneapolis.
“He might be moving back,” Chloe concludes.
“Or he’s just moving to a new apartment.” She’s sporting a dreamy, hopeful look, so I expand on the obvious. “In Minnesota.”
“Yeah, you’re right. So, how’re things with Mr. Sexy?” Her question brings him to mind, which is a bit frustrating because while I don’t care about a rental in Minnesota, the distraction in and of itself was welcome. I’m tired of constantly thinking about him. I have determined he isn’t the type to call, so at least I’m not waiting for the phone to ring. But he does text, albeit in terse format.
“Fine?” I don’t want to complain. I don’t want to be that girl. “He hasn’t been working from here. But I also haven’t been working as much. It’s possible he’s come in, and I haven’t been here. I’ve been making it out to visit Granddad every day.”
My messages with Phoenix have hit a daily stride. Over the years, we’ve gone through periods like this. Where we text back and forth constantly. But he’s mainly concerned with what’s going on with the price of gold within our game world. He keeps harping on about how I shouldn’t sell.
“Do you think you’ll go out again?” Chloe asks.
“He hasn’t asked. He hasn’t been around. It’s not looking hopeful.” This past time when we hooked up, it wasn’t awkward, not like with our first kiss. If I’m honest with myself, I am surprised I didn’t hear from him. The way we left it, you’d think I’d fall in the sure thing category. I practically begged him to bone me, and he walked away.
“You’ve been super busy, Viv.”
“Yeah. I have. But, if he was into me, I would’ve heard from him by now.” You can make a million excuses for a guy, but at the end of the day, if he’s into you, he’s gonna call, and he’s gonna make time for you. I’m a big believer in the into-you theory.
“But you have heard from him?” Chloe’s question is cautious. She’s not certain, and I can tell she doesn’t want to make me feel worse.
“Via text. Let’s be real. If he was into me, he would’ve asked me out or dropped by.”
“I wouldn’t give up yet.” She nudges me and clinks our coffee mugs. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”
“Puh-lease.” Yes, that’s another true-life theory, but it’s not like I’m meant to be with a guy who used my shop for free Wi-Fi. I just liked him. And he’s been the star in so many of my recent sex fantasies that I would’ve liked to explore that a little. Chloe is looking at me and chewing on the corner of her lip, a sure sign it’s time to change the subject. “Any new interesting dates for you?”
“A guy from Healdsburg. Meeting him at a winery for a tasting in a few hours.”
“That’s like an hour drive.” My nose scrunches in disapproval. Dating someone that far away would be wicked annoying.
“Have you not noticed that our options are limited?” Chloe defends, reading my mind.
“I bet if we went out to one of the microbreweries there’d be a single crowd.”
“Name the date, and we’ll go. I’ll prove you wrong.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
We both sip our coffee and grin. This is our routine. We never get mad at each other for real.
“How’s Grandpa Rossi doing these days?” She’s amused because she knows full well he’s a grumpy pill.
“Driving us all batty. He’s doing a ton of the stuff he’s not supposed to do, and we can only yell at him but so much. He’s in pain, which makes him pretty horrid to be around. Nothing makes him happy. You can’t do anything right. I’ve never been happier I don’t work with him. I don’t know how Max and Celeste are staying sane.”
“Family business is tough. But I think an aging parent, or grandparent, is tougher. I remember how hard it was when my mom had to convince her mom not to drive anymore.”
“Oh, lord. I hope he remains a safe driver. We’d pry his license out of his cold dead fingers.”
Chloe laughs. “Yeah, I don’t see Grandpa Rossi going down without a fight.”
“You want more coffee?” I hold out the pot in offering. She declines, and I refill mine. “Let’s go sit outside.” The Bookery would normally be closed on a Sunday, but José convinced me to remain open. I agreed, but only once he committed to working. I refuse to give up my day off.
We descend the stairs and wave to him. The Bookery hasn’t yet opened, but José got here early to fulfill online orders.
When the back door closes behind us, Chloe asks, “How’re things going with José?”
“Amazing. He’s been listing my books on Amazon.”
“That’s weird. Don’t they already have everything on sale?”
