Shadows (Black Raven Book 1) (33 page)

He opened his eyes, stared at her for a second, with an expression that she couldn’t read, and said, “Not as bad as it’s going to get.” He gave her a slight smile.  “But I can handle it. The only guarantee I have today is that the headache will not be my biggest problem.” His expression turned serious again. “Ragno, don’t worry about it.” Eyes on Skye, he said, “Please tell me you have more than this.”

“When the September eleventh attacks happened, my father became obsessed with the fact that our security agencies had the raw intel that could have warned us of the attacks. The government had clues. We also-”

He held up a finger, and stepped closer to her. “Ragno, are you hearing this?” To Skye, he nodded. “Speak up.”

“My father believed that the government had an opportunity to kill Osama bin Laden and the government would have done so, if it had accurately read the clues in advance of the attacks. It drove my father, to distraction. He believed that such important intelligence gathering and assessment didn’t need to be subject to human error, so he designed the integration and assimilation program that he called Shadow Technology. Before he was charged with tax evasion, he’d spent five years working with the NSA, adapting it to their various data collection efforts, which, as you know, grew exponentially in that time frame.”

A breeze rustled the pines. He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing back the pieces that had fallen over his forehead, and nodded. “You’re talking from 2008 to 2013?”

“Roughly.

“There’s a big problem with that,” he said, his eyes flashing with impatience that matched his curt tone. “The NSA denies that your father ever worked with them.”

“You’re taking their word for that? They deny everything. Even as they were building warehouses in Utah to store the data they’re collecting through PRISM, they denied the existence of PRISM, until their own employee leaked documents that proved that it existed.”

“Well,” he said, his tone more pensive than curt, “you’re right about that.”

She continued, “Something changed in that five-year period. You see, as he worked with the NSA, my father was able to observe what they were really doing with the technology he created. They weren’t using Shadow Technology as he intended. They’re not just collecting data on known suspects or persons of interest. They’re collecting everything, all the time, on all of us. You at least know that, don’t you?”

He nodded, and she felt a small measure of relief.

She continued, “The pervasiveness of government intrusion into the daily life of law-abiding, average Americans horrified my father. But there was an even bigger problem that kept him up at night, and he was determined to find a resolution for it.”

He shut his eyes, drew a deep breath, and shook his head. “Because that’s what paranoid conspiracy theorists like your father do. They come up with bigger and bigger problems, each scenario more outlandish than the last. When people like your father wake up in the middle of the night, why the hell can’t they have a bowl of ice cream and fall back asleep like a normal person?”

She didn’t fault him for his irritation, but she had to press on. “He was worried that the government didn’t have adequate systems in place to protect what they collected, so he developed encryption technology that would protect Shadow Technology.”

“He called it the LID,” he said. “We know all of this. He claims it is the most effective encryption technology ever invented.” Sebastian shrugged. “There’s one giant problem with this. My people are telling me that it doesn’t exist. Shadow Technology doesn’t exist and neither does LID Technology.” He gestured with his chin in the direction of the house. “Let’s start walking.”

“You’re wrong. Both exist,” she said, her heart pounding as she struggled to keep up with his long-legged stride. “The LID not only exists, it is in place. Everywhere there’s Shadow Technology, the LID is protecting the intelligence that it produces. Whether the information is relevant to defense, weapons, finances, transportation, whatever. The LID protects it. Where the LID is in place, the U.S. government’s systems are impenetrable.” She drew a deep breath. “Your hackers are good, right? ”

He nodded.

“Can they break into any aspect of PRISM?”

He didn’t bother to answer.

“I’ll take that as a no, and the reason is because the LID is protecting it. Look. Even if I can’t persuade you, in terms of finding my father, does it matter whether Shadow and LID technologies exist?”

“What do you mean?”

She walked beside him, trying to think of something that would make her points seem logical, because if he didn’t believe the premise of the cataclysm scenario, there was no way he was going to go along with it. She had an ace in the hole, but she wasn’t ready to play that card, because the steps of the cataclysm scenario were best delivered in small doses. He had to believe what she was saying now before she went further.

“Look at those people who were wearing foil caps on the news today. It doesn’t matter whether there is technology that can read brain waves, right? They’re acting like the technology exists and they’re wearing the foil-lined caps to prevent it. They believe it, because my father said it. He also talked about Shadow Technology, and he talked about the LID. Someone out there believes what he said and now they want it.”

He walked faster. She had to double step to match his pace. “I understand what you’re saying, but I’ve got more important things to do than chase another rabbit trail,” he said. “In case you didn’t get it from the morning news, my company’s experiencing turbulence. I’ve got quite a few partners who want to know what my plan is to get us out of this mess, and I’ve got to come up with a resolution, fast. I’m not going to tell them that my plan is based on believing that Shadow and LID Technologies are real, when we’ve had some damn good experts working on this and they’ve reached the conclusion that these things don’t exist.”

“You spend a lot on anti-encryption technology for Black Raven, both on the software and on the personnel who oversee it, don’t you? Your people are good at breaking through firewalls, right?”

The house was in view now. The helicopter had landed in the courtyard. She stepped into the courtyard with him as he said, “You know the answer to that.”

One pilot remained in the cockpit. Another was walking toward them. Apparently, she was invisible, as the man didn’t acknowledge her presence, but merely looked at Sebastian as he approached. “Good morning, sir. We’re ready when you are.”

“Five minutes.”

He glanced at Skye, opened his mouth like he was going to say something, before shaking his head. He walked towards the door of the house.

She followed. “My father not only developed the LID, he created a back door to lift it.”

He turned to her when he was just a few steps from the door. “But it doesn’t exist-”

“Good grief, but you’re stubborn. Assume that Shadow Technology exists, and the LID exists. How much would you pay for the technology? And a way to access it? Because that’s what the back door does. Once you’re in the LID, Shadow Technology is yours, and every piece of data in PRISM and other government collection programs is yours to manipulate as you please.”

He folded his arms across his chest and stood, silent.

“What lengths would you go to assume control of that kind of technology? Not just for your company’s use, but to be the sole owner of that technology. To be able to sell it,” she paused, “or not? The treasure trove of government information that is being mined all day, every day, would be yours for the taking, or the selling. Better than having warehouses full of raw information, you’d get to make sense of it.” She snapped her fingers. “Like that.”

“Interesting,” he said. “I’ll give you that. But theories that are based on nonexistent premises won’t find your father. I’d just as soon put on a foil-lined cap than run with this idea.” He opened the door. He had his hand on the solid handle of the front door, his foot on the threshold. “I’m going to go upstairs and tell Spring goodbye.”

Her heart pounded. It was time to play her ace. She had to get to Firefly Island, now, and there was no other way she was going to get there.

Please, Dad, forgive me.

She grabbed his upper arm. “Sebastian. Wait.”

He shrugged out of her grasp as gently as he could. He liked her enough that he felt bad for her. Bad, that she was her father’s daughter. Bad, that her relationship to the man had her believing the delusional crap that he spouted. He even felt bad that he was leaving her, and he didn’t want to examine the reasons why that was the case, because he knew that feeling had more to do with him than her.

Feelings had nothing to do with what he had to do next. Sebastian had followed a hunch, he’d been wrong, and he’d even apologized to her. His seemingly endless desire for Skye to have helpful information wouldn’t make it so. In the search for Richard Barrows, she was a dead end street, and it was now time to move on. He turned his back to her and opened the door.

Three agents in the first floor work area were at their desks. They stood when he and Skye entered. He nodded to them and quickly climbed the stairs to the living area on the second floor. Skye was at his side, taking the steps with him, as the agents who had been outside with them entered the office area. He didn’t have to look at his agents to know they were watching them. He felt their eyes on him. In a matter of minutes they’d all hear about the slap and whatever parts of the conversation had been overheard. He shook off the concern. The day had bigger issues.

“Please wait,” she said, her hand on his forearm as they reached the landing.

He kept moving forward, but before opening the door to the living quarters, he turned to Skye. A bright, intense look burned her eyes as her gaze flitted around the room, to the downstairs area, where the agents were looking up, at them. Turning back to him, she stepped in closer. Close enough for him to smell the fresh air on her skin, mingled with the heated scent of vanilla and spice.

Sebastian’s body reacted as if he’d been hit by an aphrodisiac-filled missile.

Time to get the hell out of her orbit.

She dropped her voice to the lowest whisper. “What I have to say is for your ears only.”

Her eyes were wide, focused on everything and nothing. Her breath was shallow and fast. She looked as though her thoughts had no bearing in reality, as though she was afraid of imaginary demons. Holy shit. She looked like her father, in some of the videotaped interviews that he’d watched. She looked like she was crazy. He had to get away from her. In his ear, Ragno said, “Tell her no.” He didn’t need Ragno feeding him the correct response.

“I can’t make that kind of promise.”

She placed both hands on his biceps, gripping him as though seeking balance in a room that was spinning. The pleading gesture sent shock waves through his body. “Limit those with knowledge,” she said, glancing around the office, looking down the stairs, at the agents, and back at him with eyes that burned with a feverish glaze, “Make sure you know the only people who know this.”

“Right now, if you speak low enough, the only people who will know will be me and Ragno.”

“I can take you,” she said, tiptoeing even closer to him, her body sliding along his as he bent to her. Her voice was barely a whisper, as though she was scared to say the words aloud, “I can take you to my father’s backup. It is proof that Shadow and LID Technologies exist. The backup has the data for backdoor access.”

“Holy mother of God,” Ragno said, as his heart did a stutter beat, “did I hear that correctly?”

“Yes,” he said to Ragno, his gut rejoicing that maybe his hunch for following her had been correct after all. Profound relief seeped through his pores. It wasn’t a roadmap to Barrows. Hell, it wasn’t even a clue as to where the man might be.

But Barrows’ backup?

If it existed, and if it was what Skye said it was, securing the backup was certainly a step in the right direction, and it sure as hell explained why someone would want Richard Barrows and his daughters.

Remembering she was a habitual liar, some of his excitement faded. “Son of a bitch, Skye. Yesterday you said you didn’t know anything about any backup.”

She dropped her hands from his arms, and stood flat-footed, but still too close for him to have any hope of fighting his body’s desire for her. “Yesterday I was afraid for our lives and didn’t know who to trust.”

Standing just inches from her, he looked into her upturned face, searching her expression. He had figured out that when she lied, she stared straight into his eyes with an expression that was intense, but blank. The corners of her lips didn’t curl, and she almost held her breath. Now, her cheeks were flushed, but that could have been from the cold outside air and climbing the stairs. She was also breathing hard and chewing on the inside corner of her bottom lip, things that she didn’t do when she lied.

Dammit.

Maybe he wanted so badly to believe her he was seeing signs that weren’t there. “Why the hell should I believe you today?”

“Be nice,” Ragno said softly, directly into his ear and brain. “She’s giving you something. Something potentially big, if I might add. Don’t squelch it by being an asshole. What’s wrong with you?”

He could give her a list. He ignored Ragno. He kept his gaze locked on the twilight-zone world that was Skye, hoping she wasn’t playing a game.

“And by the way,” Ragno said, “you two are on camera.”

Shit.

He broke eye contact with Skye. A quick glance downstairs showed several agents watching them, while others pretended to be busy. He gave them a quelling look, and they averted their attention elsewhere.

“Why are you crowding her like that?” Ragno demanded. “Or is she crowding you? You two look as though you’re undressing each other with your eyes, and by your body language, it’s as though this isn’t the first time.” She fell silent for a second. “Sebastian?”

He didn’t respond to Ragno’s question, but for decorum’s sake he took a couple of steps back from Skye and folded his arms. Not exactly receptive body language, but hell, considering the source, he still wasn’t sure how far he could trust Barrows’ daughter. She made it clear she wanted to bolt. What if this information she was finally providing was just a ruse to get her away from the security of Last Resort, where she could make a break for it?

“Well? Why should I believe you’re telling the truth today when you said something different yesterday?”

“I told you. Yesterday I didn’t trust you.”

“Now you do?”

She drew a deep breath, looking up at him. As she gave him a slow nod, he wanted to take her in his arms. He didn’t, though, because if he did, he’d be confirming Ragno’s guess and he’d be doing it publicly. Black Raven agents weren’t supposed to cross any of the lines he’d crossed. He’d violated the rule against lusting after a client and the rule against acting on lust with a client. He knew better, because he had written the damn rules, and there were good reasons for them.

“I’ve got to trust you. We need help, and you’ll never find my father, if you don’t believe what I’m saying about Shadow and LID Technologies. If you don’t accept that Shadow and LID Technologies exist, you won’t understand how critical it is that we find my father. Not,” she said tightly, “because he made a jail break–which, by the way, I still don’t believe–but because the knowledge and information he has is of importance to national security.” Skye gave him a significant look. “At the highest
level.”

She sure sounded as though she believed what she was saying, but she’d also been raised by a crazy genius, who bought into tin foil hats and space aliens. “Before I even entertain any of this, there’s one rule,” he said, “and you’ve got to live by it as though your next breath depends on it.”

She nodded, eyes questioning.

“No more lies.”

Her face became blank. She stopped chewing on her lip and her eyes widened. “I agree. No more lies.”

“You just lied.”

She shook her head and gave him a half smile.
Son of a bitch.
She’s toying with me
. The problem was, he liked mind games. Loved them, as a matter of fact. A good mind game was like a good hunt and playing this one with her would be fun, except the stakes were too high. “Where’s the backup?”

“Shhhh,” she said, glancing around the office. “Not so loud.”

“Where is it?”

“The lake house.”

“Which one? Washington or Florida?”

She gave him a headshake. “Neither. Tennessee.”

“Ragno?”

“We have no properties associated with Richard or Skye in Tennessee,” Ragno answered, “or any identities or people linked to them.”

Her gray green eyes were on him, studying him with a pleading look that said ‘believe me.’ He was surprised at how much he wanted to. “Where is the property in Tennessee? Give me the address and the name in which it is registered.”

She gave him a slow headshake. “I can’t tell you until you agree that you’ll take me there. I need to get there myself, and it’s imperative I get there immediately. If I tell you where it is, you’ll send someone else.”

Her desperate, urgent tone spoke volumes. “That’s where you were running to, isn’t it? When I showed up yesterday, you weren’t just trying to run, you were running to your father’s backup.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

His heartbeat slowed, as he started piecing together the import of what she was telling him, and his senses became sharper. Even at an arm’s length, he smelled the outdoors on her. Underneath the fresh pine scent, he detected the sweet vanilla of her anxious fear. “Is your father there?”

She shook her head, her eyes wide and focused on him. “He wouldn’t go there, if people were after him. He’d never willingly lead anyone to his backup.”

“What prompted you to try to go there?”

She drew a deep breath. “My father sent me a signal.”

“A signal?” he asked, fighting to keep his voice calm, remembering that yesterday, Ragno and Pete had suspected that one of Skye’s phones was missing. A fact that Skye had, of course, denied. “He sent
you a signal?”

She nodded.

“When?”

“Yesterday morning. At 5:25.”

Son of a bitch.
“Don’t you think it would have been helpful for me to know this earlier.” His voice grew louder with each word, stepping closer to her, needing to be closer to her. He wasn’t going to touch her when he was so frustrated. He wasn’t his father. He didn’t hit women. But, goddamn it, he had the urge to shake some sense into her. He jammed his hands into the back pockets of his cargo pants instead. “Damn helpful, because we can trace phone calls or texts or-” he took a deep breath as he stood within inches of her. “Hell, yesterday you said you didn’t have another phone, and I know that you didn’t get a call at 5:25 am on any line we’ve traced to you. Are you fucking with me? What kind of signal?”

“Calm down,” Ragno said, her voice low.

“Don’t yell at me,” Skye stood tall, not cowing to him. She strong-armed his shoulder in an attempt to push him away. When he pushed her hand off of him and moved even closer, she punched him in his right bicep, driving her knuckles exactly along the cut line. Blistering pain radiated from the cut.

He automatically embraced the sparks of pain. He had been through much worse suck-ass moments than this one, yet now he didn’t bother to keep venomous sarcasm out of his voice. “That fucking feels just great. You’ve got to stop hitting people, because one day,” he said with lethal softness, “someone’s going to hit you back.”

She flinched, recovered, and looked even more defiantly at him. “You’re the only person I’ve ever hit.”

Great. Fucking great.

He noticed a fear in her eyes that he knew was due to him. A flood of emotions—fury, protectiveness, and concern crashed around him. He thought about apologizing, but stopped himself.
She lies and she hits. What the hell do I have to apologize for? Saving her fucking life? Hell
. He swallowed his frustration. Whatever he had, he had it bad. He softened his voice. Slightly. “Please tell me you’re not as crazy as your father. What kind of signal did he send? Extraterrestrial? Was it a red light? A warm glow?”

“Sebastian. Breathe,” Ragno said, a welcome voice of reason in his ear, as Skye glared at him. “You’re losing it, and this is too important. If, and this is a big if
,
if Shadows and LID technologies actually exist, and the NSA has implemented those programs, there’s any number of entities—and individuals—that would do anything to get their hands on a way of accessing it. We need to know what she knows.”

“Stop trying to intimidate me,” Skye retorted. “Because you can’t. You can yell, you can crowd me, you can ridicule me, and you can…” she drew a deep breath, her eyes scanning the office, and her cheeks became bright red when she took in the fact that others were watching their argument “…forget it. He sent a text. I had a burner phone. I lied when I told you that I didn’t.”

He drew a deep breath. “Of course you lied. Where’s the phone?”

“Smashed to pieces. Down the toilet at home in Covington.”

“Ragno, send agents there. Yank the toilet, search the traps, make sure she’s telling the truth about this.”

“What was the phone number?”

She drew a deep breath. “I have no idea.”

“You’re lying again.”