Obsessed

Obsessed

Angela Ford

Excerpt from Obsessed

 
Jess looked in that direction and something caught her attention. She tip-toed toward the door and discovered a postcard on the floor just inside the front door. Memories of the postcards crossed her mind as she bent down to pick it up. Her hand trembled as she read her name on the front of the post card. She turned it over slowly. A tear formed and hit her cheek as she read the words written on it. I Crave You.

  The sudden jolt of shock that hit her at the front door led her to scream Tom’s name. The postcard fell from her hand. Tom came running from the bedroom. Jess’s scream woke everyone and they all met at the front door. Jess couldn’t speak but pointed to the welcome mat where the postcard lay. Those three words “I Crave You” could be read as plain as day. Tom reached for the postcard with horror; one of Vineyard Haven addressed to Jess with those three words just like the ones she’d received in the past.

Obsessed

A Books to Go Now Publication

Copyright © Angela Ford 2015

Books to Go Now

Cover Design by Romance Novel Covers Now

Also published on Smashwords

For information on the cover illustration and design, contact [email protected]

First eBook Edition –October 2015

Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.

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Dedication

Dedicated to my readers who requested Jess and her team continue. I hope you enjoy Obsessed :)

Look for Angela Ford’s other titles

Closure, Unforgettable Kiss, Forbidden, Blind Tasting, Christmas Wreath, Surrender, Spellbound Cinderella, Sunset Kisses, Time to Love, Love Again, Bare

Chapter One

June 26, 2015

Have a hard landing.

Mike strained his eyes. His eyebrows curved and heavy creases formed between them. Utter confusion consumed him as he re-read the message on his phone. He had just thought about the airplane coordinates. Seconds before he received the message, he’d glanced out the window and noticed the thick blanket of clouds. He figured they were about twenty miles outside the airport but it was difficult to see any landmarks on such a cloudy day. He thought about how difficult it would be to know your direction without flight coordinates.

“What the heck?”

Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) Mike Turner’s words startled Special Agent (SA) Gina Edwards who sat next to him on the FBI ISTF (Internet Safety Task Force) team jet.

“What now?”

He flipped the phone in her direction so she could see the message.

“What the hell does that mean, Mike? Who sent you that?”

In a state of confusion he answered, “Nikki.”

Before Gina could remark, the plane’s normal descent picked up speed and an eerie quiet filled the air.

The pilot’s voice came over the speaker in a frantic tone. “We’ve lost power. We have no control. Mike, I need you in the cockpit, now!”

Mike rushed toward the cockpit as he heard Gina cry out, “Oh shit! We’re going down!” He turned to see Gina desperately search for her seatbelt. He looked over at agents Eric Matthews and Dave Malcolm. He nodded his head slightly in Gina’s direction. He hoped they’d help to calm her down. Eric moved to the seat beside Gina and reached for her hand. The look of fear in her eyes grabbed at Mike’s heart as he watched a single tear roll down her cheek. It only filled him with desperation to save them. He turned quickly and raced to the cockpit.

Mike noticed the co-pilot frantically testing the flight control switches as beads of sweat reached his brow. The pilot, in a desperate attempt for communication, shook his head which told Mike he’d lost all connections. Their expressions alone told Mike they were screwed.

“What do you think happened?”

“Is it possible to hack into the controls, Mike?”

Mike remembered the Hack in the Box conference he’d recently attended. Hacking and hijacking planes by pressing a few buttons on an Android mobile app happened in the movies. But this conference delivered the worry and fear of a couple of technologies that were massively insecure and susceptible to attacks. One was a surveillance broadcast which sent the aircraft’s position, altitude and such, through an on-board transmitter to air traffic controllers. It also allowed aircrafts to receive flight, traffic and weather information about other aircrafts in their vicinity. The other technology that could be susceptible was the communications reporting system, used to exchange messages between the aircrafts and air traffic controllers via radio or satellite, and automatically deliver flight phase information. Either one could deliver malicious messages to affect the behavior of the plane if someone knew what they were doing.

The pilot’s horrific expression jolted Mike when he heard him continue. “We’ve lost everything Mike—power, control and radio. We’re descending too fast and we’re still twenty miles outside of the airport. We’re in for a hard landing, unless you can hack in and gain control over the landing gear.”

His words, “hard landing” only made Mike remember Nikki’s message. As quickly as it entered his mind, he shook off the thought and focused on their potential crash. Mike’s computer skills made his reputation in the FBI. He knew his ‘genius-hacking ability’ was the reason the FBI hired him. He opened his laptop and worked his magic. Limited power came back abruptly but no radio contact. They had limited control of the landing equipment but nothing much else.

“Somebody’s playing with the controls.” Mike informed the pilot. He knew if anyone could hack into the plane’s coordinates, Nikki could; but
why
raced through his thoughts. He didn’t want to believe she would do this to him or his team.

The co-pilot interrupted Mike’s thoughts. “From what I can gather, there’s an open field we can attempt to use as a runway. With the limited power of the landing gear, it may work. I’m just not sure if we have enough space with our speed. We’re going to hit hard.”

The pilot turned to Mike. “Can you hack in and get us any more control?”

Mike raced against the little time they had. “Damn she’s good,”
Mike whispered under his breath. “But she can’t compete with me.”
Without taking his eyes off the laptop he informed the pilot of his success. “We have complete control of the landing gear now. I’m working on control of the engine speed.”

“We’re out of time, Mike. Make sure everyone is belted in and pray.”

The pilot’s words hit Mike with the reality they were about to crash. He rushed back to his team.

Chapter Two

Three days before the crash.

Mike Turner moved his fingers relentlessly across the keyboard. His first case as team leader of the ISTF successfully ended in an arrest and the safe return of a teen to her anxious parents. He felt a smile creep across his face, not only of the accomplishment of his newly adapted leadership, but one of genuine relief that the young girl had been untouched by the Internet predator that’d kidnapped her the day before. Mike finalized his report and hit Send. Exhausted after thirty-six hours with no sleep; his finger reached for the shutdown key when a warning box flashed on his screen
You’ve Been Hacked
. He smiled. He knew exactly who hacked into his computer. Mike wasn’t the least bit worried about the warning. In fact, his mind and body were no longer exhausted; the only thought that now crossed his mind—Nikki Dubois.

Mike met Nikki at an FBI cyber safety seminar held in Houston. Nikki Dubois measured a mere two inches below his six-feet. Her blonde waves and big blues would have made any man look twice. Not Mike. He heard her before he saw her. He immediately fell in love with her brilliant mind. He overheard her discussion of a well-known FBI case, one Mike’s team handled under the leadership of SSA Jessica Resario. Mike smiled as he listened. Enthralled with her description of how well his team unraveled the case and successfully made an arrest, he decided to introduce himself. Her smile threw him off and he sucked in a quick breath. Her beauty caught him off guard. Mike had never been a ladies man like his team member, SA Eric Matthews, but for some odd reason, he wanted to make his move. Her knowledgeable conversation intrigued him. Her computer literate mind captured his attention. Mike cleared his throat.

“SSA Mike Turner of San Francisco’s ISTF.” He extended his hand and nervously smiled. His anxiety relaxed with her reply.

“It’s an honor to meet you, SSA Turner. I’ve followed your team’s cases. Congratulations on your recent promotion.” Nikki placed her hand in his. Mike felt the electricity soar through the one simple touch. The man who rambled like there was no tomorrow, as Jess always said, was left speechless by the woman who stood before him. Mike stood quiet. He followed her eyes to their hands and realized he hadn’t let go.

“Sorry.” He released her hand.

Nikki smiled politely and said, “I’m sorry too. How rude of me not to introduce myself. I’m Nikki Dubois. I’m the Senior Computer Analyst with the L.A. office.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Dubois.” Mike’s heart raced. For the first time in his life he had the sudden urge to kiss a complete stranger. He felt his cheeks blush at the thought. He hoped she hadn’t noticed.

“Please, call me Nikki.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Nikki. Please call me Mike.”
Stop being such a dork. You definitely are not as smooth as Eric. He’d have this woman melting in his hands by now. Forget it, Mike. She’s way out of your league.

To Mike’s surprise, she asked him to join her for lunch. He wondered if her intention was business or personal. Either way, he knew he’d enjoy the conversation over lunch.

He did enjoy their conversation that day. Her intention, both business and personal, led to their inseparable relationship of three months. The miles in between them never affected their relationship. Mike met her on his days off, in-between cases with trips to L.A. The team teased him about seeing someone, but he said nothing. He didn’t have to. He worked with a group of profilers; the best and well-known within the FBI. The team, especially Eric, teased Mike constantly, but he kept Nikki well-hidden. Jess asked but never pushed. Mike respected her for it, though he knew he couldn’t keep his private life hidden for long. Jess had always been the protective big sister he’d never had growing up.

You know, you could get into trouble hacking into my computer.

Mike laughed after he typed the instant message to Nikki. He read her response and felt that sudden rush of adrenaline flow through his veins. The rush only she could create. He messaged her back and shut down his computer. She not only hacked into his computer at work, she’d done so by using his laptop in his bed. Nikki promised she’d accompany him to Jessica’s daughter’s graduation the next day. She’d surprised him with an early arrival. Her last message told him she waited in his bed, wearing only a smile.

“Am I in trouble, Agent?” Nikki’s tone screamed out seduction.

Mike shook his head and swallowed hard.

“You are. I’m placing you under house arrest.” He not only teased her with his words but with the cuffs that dangled from his finger. Mike leaned against the bedroom door and enjoyed the view. She lifted the corner of the sheet and slowly moved it across the bed. Mike liked what he saw. It made his heart race faster.

“Are you waiting for an invitation, Agent?” She winked at him.

Mike moved slowly toward her. With each step he took, he began to undress. He said nothing further. He’d show her how much trouble she was in.