CHAPTER 7
Liam spent all night and most of the morning backing into every system he could, looking for a trail to follow. Watermark was secure, despite the attempted security breach the day before. Whoever targeted Brother’s Keeper couldn’t get in – no one could. It wasn’t the first time someone tried to break into their system, but it was the first time they did it without leaving a trace.
Brother’s Keeper Security didn’t dabble in small town security. They were a highly sought after, high profile, firm. They had a powerful client base that they defended, which meant they pissed off plenty of people and gathered endless enemies with every case. Even the Feds relied on the brothers at times. They were the best of the best and took down the worst of the worst. Their enemies were endless, and despite hiding in broad daylight as they did, someone found them and wanted in. Question was, why?
In any other circumstance, he would take the Watermark attack personal – someone after him and his brothers. And though it was personal now, he suspected it was nothing more than a distraction. It was a way to pull him and his brothers into a wild goose chase of sorts while whoever was behind it went after something else. Or, someone else – Felicity. He couldn’t ignore the timing of it all. Felicity’s odd behavior and disappearing acts reflected trouble, even danger if one were to analyze the late-night alley incident.
If the attack was on Brother’s Keeper, why create the situation at the corner market across the way and involve the city streets as well? What did one have to do with the other? Nothing he thought, not a damn thing. Watermark’s attempted breach was nothing more than a way to get the brothers off the streets and focused anywhere but across the way at the market, the street and traffic lights just another layer of distraction.
Whoever was behind this knew the O’Reillys, knew where they were and how to keep them focused anywhere but that market. If the Watermark alarms didn’t hold their attention, the attack on the city and its people would have because if the O’Reillys were anything, they were honorable, protectors, even of their city. Who knew them that well? Who knew to attack their home and business – and toss them a civilian’s in danger bone they wouldn’t be able to resist should the one not hold their attention?
It was maliciously calculated and carefully orchestrated. Someone tried to get in and knock their systems offline, but Liam’s system couldn’t be hacked. Every attempt to knock them offline and the system would bounce right back. It was designed to do so. It was virtually incorruptible. He had more fail safes and indestructible virtual walls up than he had around himself.
Their attacker didn’t leave a trace because they didn’t want to. There was always a trail to follow because nobody was as good as Liam at what he did. He had his system so secure; it was designed to capture images of tampering, almost like a fingerprint that he could trace. There was nothing this time. The real worry in that was that whoever did this knew how to hide from him in his own system. They anticipated his programming and traps. Nobody would know how to do that but Felicity – or someone close to her. Anyone else was far too amateur when faced head to head with Watermark security.
What’s more was the fact that Felicity and Reagan’s trip to the market was spontaneous. It was spur of the moment; nobody could have prepared for that ahead of time. They didn’t need to if they were watching her. They saw an opportunity and took it. This entire situation wreaked of trouble, and it had Felicity’s name all over it. Liam just needed to figure out the how and why of it, then he could figure out the what or who.
“Find anything?” Luke asked as he entered the lair.
Liam sat back, rocking in his chair scratching his head. “Not a damn thing. It’s like nothing happened. They wiped everything clean.”
Dace and Wylie had followed Luke in, each dressed in black fatigues and strapped with weapons.
“Still think this is City?” Wylie asked.
“It has to be, right? Nothing else makes sense right now,” Liam said reluctantly.
“It would be a really big coincidence if it wasn’t,” Luke admitted, disappointment in his tone. “I don’t think she’s intentionally doing anything wrong though.”
“No. Not City. She is too invested in this firm and this family. Shit, she’s practically a mother figure to Reagan. The two are inseparable.”
That had Liam’s attention. “Reagan. What if…she isn’t safe now? How do we even know?”
“We don’t.” Luke’s posture stiffened, and his glare tightened, “This bastard is good, really good. Until we know who it is and what the end game is, we need eyes on City at all times…and Rage.”
“Is that really necessary?” Wylie asked. “What if she notices, gets offended?”
“I think we need to play this as once a criminal, always a criminal,” Liam offered, “just until we know what side of this she is on.”
After a deep sigh, Dace plopped in a chair next to Liam. “I hate to say it, but you’re right. We need to remember how she came to our family to begin with. She wasn’t bad; the people around her were.”
“You don’t think it has something to do with her past, do you?” Wylie asked, always reluctant to see the bad, and only wanting to see the good in people.
Luke crossed his arms and leaned against the conference table centered in the room. “Why not? It could be her past as much as one of ours. Maybe she’s just a pawn. Either way, eyes on, boys.”
After a moment of silence and reflecting, the brothers put together a plan and schedule to keep City under their thumbs without her knowing it. If she left the building, one of them would too. Liam, on the other hand, mulled over the once a criminal, always a criminal statement. It was a harsh statement, pointed, but appropriate at present.
He could say that fairly because he had unintentionally been a criminal too, and the only reason he wasn’t behind bars in a maximum security, federal prison, charged with treason, obstruction of justice, and a dozen more federal crimes while playing someone’s bitch, was because the government needed him on the outside. Blanket immunity in exchange for him or his services rather.
When Luke had gone missing in action, and the government denied knowing who Luke was or that he was even on a mission because it was so highly classified, Liam went looking for himself. He took a virtual tour through every government server out there, looking for leads. The idea that he broke through classified barriers and was able to uncover undisclosed agencies while he scoured for information sickened him.
It was far too easy to get in and roam around, and he was only found out weeks after he found his brother. Though many attempts had been made, nobody had been able to break through every layer of security in place until Liam. He found his brother and got a get out of jail free card, and the United States Government got a major system reboot.
Between his work on the technical side and that of his brothers, who each served on some level from Army Ranger to branches that the government still denied existed, despite Liam finding them, the O’Reilly brothers were in with the Feds and on the taxpayers’ payroll. It also granted them favors when they needed them, like when they came across Felicity. They kept her out of jail too.
As esteemed as that was, their client list possessed less esteemed clients who walked the thin line between right and wrong. Power and money brought out the best and worst in people – that’s who they worked with. Narrowing the list of chipped shoulders was a tedious task. It could be anyone that they contracted with or anyone they shut down and put away.
Given Felicity’s behavior – sneaking around, going out late at night, and the incident in the corner market – he had a starting point. Was she double crossing them, or was she in trouble? It was more likely the latter because if Felicity was anything, it was loyal. She loved on that family, especially Reagan, as his brothers pointed out, and he couldn’t’ imagine her hurting a single one of them because even hurting just one of them was hurting all of them…even Reagan.
Like an honorary O’Reilly, he didn’t doubt that she would do anything to protect all of them. Is that what she was doing? If she was in trouble, she knew she could come to them. She was like family, and they protected their own fiercely. Unless they were the target and going to them was the first nail in the proverbial coffin from whoever was behind this.
Liam was pulled from his thoughts, and his brothers took to their feet, when an alarm on the system alerted them. Felicity was on the move. He tended to let his brothers do the stalking and surveillance, but his gut said to watch her. She might need him.
It was late afternoon, warm and sunny, when Felicity made her way out of the building and down the street toward the waterfront. It wasn’t clear where she was going exactly, as that path could lead anywhere. Oddly, she chose to cut through the blocks of new construction. Portland was expanding its urban living neighborhoods, and this area was generally safe, however at this hour, the construction crews would be few and far between, and there wouldn’t be any pedestrian traffic at all. About the only thing this area served as, at this time of day, was overflow parking for people who drove in and didn’t live in the neighborhood.
Store fronts and high-rise buildings that housed the areas condo’s faded into matching buildings that were yet to be finished but would soon house another district of business and overpriced city living above. It was quiet, as he anticipated. The street lights were on. This neighborhood had clocked out for the evening.
Liam kept up with Felicity without letting on that he was behind her, ducking behind pallets of building materials and dodging backward glances by disappearing into scaffolding and construction tunnels. When a car could be heard coming from behind him, Liam ducked into a doorway just before the intersection Felicity was about to cross. He didn’t want to risk being seen.
As the car passed, picking up speed, he leapt out to the sidewalk and ran toward Felicity because the car…didn’t have a driver. Liam couldn’t believe what he was seeing. How could that be? He ran toward Felicity, yelling her name as another car passed. No driver. When Felicity turned to him, her eyes widened, and she screamed, jumping out of the way just before the first car would have hit her.
Shocked, she had fallen to the ground and was trying to get up when Liam knocked her out of the way just before the second vehicle could nail her. The car clipped the corner of the scaffolding they ducked under, barely missing the pair.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” a shaken Felicity asked, trying to catch her breath. “You almost killed me!”
“What? I saved you – you’re welcome!” Liam scolded.
Before she could reply, Liam pushed her as far into the deep doorway as he could, pinning her between the building and his body. A loud crash caused her to scream as the building shook, and debris began to fall around them. Liam wrapped her tight in his embrace, tucking her head under his, shielding her from injury.
When the dust began to settle, Liam turned to the scene behind him, giving her a clear view of what just happened. A car – what was left of it anyway – had them semi-trapped after it crashed into the brick façade of the building.
“What’s going on, Liam?” Felicity’s voice shook, “Oh my god! There’s nobody driving! How-how is that possible?”
It was in that moment all of his questions were answered. When Felicity looked him in the eye, and he witnessed the fear resting in her gaze, he knew. She wasn’t behind any of it – wasn’t willingly involved, She was the victim. Thank God, he thought.
“What kind of trouble are you in, Felicity?”
“Wh-what are you talking about?” Offended, she pushed him back slightly so their bodies were no longer touching one another. “How do you know this,” she yelled, waving her hand around, indicating this was the car, “wasn’t meant for you – or a message for one of your brothers or cousins? You guys have the enemies not me. I’m behind the scenes.”
“The first car blew right by me, and I was the easier target. It went for you; that’s how I know.” Frustrated, Liam ran his hands through his hair, resting them on the back of his neck as he looked up, and let out a deep sigh. “What are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding any…”
Liam dropped his head, leveling his gaze with hers, willing her to be honest with him through his pointed stare. “Someone is hacking car computers, using their GPS to guide them like a friggin’ remote control toy, Felicity. They’re like heat seeking missiles, locked on you.” He gripped her shoulders and leaned in. “Someone just tried to kill you. Kill you! Do you hear me? What the hell is going on?”
She didn’t answer. Felicity stood there, doe eyed, and speechless while fear consumed her. He could tell she wanted to tell him, was desperate for help, she was overwhelmed. The roaring silence pulled his attention from her and to the street behind them. Liam stepped back and turned to the crashed car, leaning over it until he could see the quiet street beyond – it was motionless, but dotted with parked cars on each side.
“Shit. They’re waiting for us,” he said, “Someone is watching us. The minute we run, we’ll have a car on our ass.”
Felicity placed her hands-on Liam’s chest as she stepped forward, “How are we going to get out of here then? What do we do?”
Taken aback by her obvious fear, Liam couldn’t help but comfort her. He stroked her arms instinctively without a second thought. It wasn’t like Felicity to be so alarmed, lose her calm, but she had. The level of fear that she exuded was a clear sign of just how bad the situation was, how much danger she was in. The desire to protect her grew like a roaring flame, something he didn’t entirely understand but had no time to reconcile at the moment.
“You’re safe, Felicity. With me, you’re always safe,” he assured her. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Okay?” As quickly as the soft side of Liam came, it went. He’d figure out why she made him so weak in the knees later. Now, he had to get them out of there.
Liam looked around, taking in their surroundings with a different set of eyes. The only cameras he could spot were city security cams that were attached to the traffic signals and the streetlights that were up.
“We need to shut down the cameras,” he said. “Whoever is watching…” Liam paused and looked to Felicity, offering her yet another chance to tell him who was behind this. When she didn’t respond, he continued. “I don’t even know if those cameras are online. I have to assume they are since the cars have all been within these last few blocks.”
“Makes sense, but how do you do that from here?” she asked.
“I don’t, I do it from Watermark.”
Liam pulled out his phone and called Luke. Twins, Liam was the brains, and Luke was the braun of the duo. Quickly giving him a rundown about what he and Felicity were facing, and that they were trapped, Liam told his brother what he needed him to do – get on the computer in the lair and hack.
“You want me to what?” Luke chided, “I don’t have a get out of jail for free hacker pass, bro. I can’t even set the clock on my microwave, man.”
“You’re not going in blind. I will walk you through every step. It’s really easy,” Liam replied.
“Right, easy. I can get to the rooftop and shoot them down. We really have better odds with that, bro.”
“Luke, we need to shut the cameras down. The City of Portland needs to go black for a minute. I really need your help on this.”
Luke took the helm at Liam’s wall of screens in the lair while Wylie and Dace sat back and watched. Liam’s instructions fired through the speakerphone, one step at a time, to which he received grunts and choice words in response from each of his brothers on the other end as they tried to follow along.
“Got it!” Luke hollered through the phone, proud of his accomplishment.
“No. No you didn’t,” Liam said in frustration as he watched the street lights flicker on and off a handful of times. “We can try it again.”
“Why are we doing this? I can just come and pick you up in my car,” Dace offered as the most obvious solution.
“The cars’ computers are hacked, and I’m not sure how quickly whoever this is can get in. The last thing we need is someone gaining control of your car with you in it – not safe,” Liam fired back.
“I meant in Ruby. She doesn’t have a computer.” Dace grinned, referring to his ruby red Ford Mustang Fastback. “She’s a ’69 - good year,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
A loud hum surrounded them, growing into a distinct buzzing sound before it finally came into view – a drone. It hovered in front of Liam and Felicity, the movement on the camera audible as it zoomed in and out.
“Liam? What’s going on, bro?” Luke questioned. “What’s that sound?”
Standing right in front of the drone, Liam unholstered his weapon and aimed it at the drone, and said, “Fuck you, asshole.” Then he fired, shooting it to the ground.
His brothers all shouted over the speakerphone at the sound of his weapon,
“We’re fine,” Liam said, turning to Felicity. “I just shot down the camera. It’s a weaponized drone.”
“Shit!” came through the phone from one of his brothers. It didn’t matter who it was at that point. This game they were playing just took on a whole new level of what the fuck danger.
“What have you done, Felicity? Who the hell is behind this?” Liam yelled. “This…this is serious shit. An armed drone?”
Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Felicity couldn’t look Liam in the eye. She was so damn scared that Liam felt sorry for her, despite nearly getting his head blown off trying to save her ass.
“You realize if there is one of these, there could be several, and we won’t even know they’re there unless they want us to know they are?” If asking nicely and asking harshly wasn’t enough to get the truth out of her, Liam would scare it out of her. “They can follow us, shoot at us…kill one of us.”
Panic overwhelmed Felicity, tears streaking her face and sobs escaping her, despite her attempt to keep it together.
“I can’t protect you if I don’t know what I am protecting you from,” he said.
“Bro – Mustang?” Dace interrupted from the other end of the call.
“I don’t see any other way out,” Liam said, eyes still fixed on Felicity. “If you guys can’t shut down the city cameras, you definitely can’t get into these drones.” Tossing Felicity a guilt inducing sharp look, he finished with, “We’re sitting ducks out here.”
“We’re headed down to the garage. ETA 3 minutes,” Dace responded.
“Your car may not come out clean, Dace. I count five cars lining the street that weren’t there before,” Liam admitted.
“I’m not afraid of a little Prius and it’s double-A battery, man.” Dace chuckled.
Dace planted an idea, and Liam knew how they would get out unscathed. Batteries. While he quickly pulled a plan together, he heard the elevator ding in the background. They had reached the garage at Watermark.
“Dace? Bring the Jeep; lose the top.” Liam swiped from screen to screen on his phone and began to tap the screen in rapid motion, hunting for schematics for each make and model of car sitting on the street. “I’m sending you guys some files; study them on your way.”
“Uh, on the way? We’ll barely have our seatbelts buckled before we get to you, and you want us to study?” Wylie interrupted.
“Bring Luke. He’s shooting,” Liam said with a smile.