Alex’s fingers flew over his keyboard. He had known something was going on when the dark boards he frequented had gone quiet. It had taken days, but he’d found out why they went quiet: they had moved.

Gaining access had taken all his skills as a hacker, and he was pretty sure his identity was already known since someone referred to him as Leavenworth. However, he also knew the identities of several of the people in there as well. One in particular he was interested in. Rock Star was the screen name for Penny Stark, who lived in London.

Over the years, the members on the dark boards hacked everyone. It was a game of sorts to test your abilities. Alex had been anonymous except for five people who had gotten through his protections. In return, he’d worked and worked until he had discovered their identities. Two were from the US, one was from China, one was from London, and the final one was from someplace Alex had never identified beyond being close to Hong Kong, possibly Taiwan.

It was after reaching out to them that he found the new dark boards. These boards were limited to people everyone knew. At the most, twenty-five people from around the world were present on this hidden site. Alex eventually gained access and was scrolling the posts. Everyone from Canada to Australia and everywhere in between was talking about what was going on. Someone had hacked the previous dark site and was monitoring it.

Alex typed: Does anyone have any government contacts? I think something is going on. There was a missing bomb out there, and he wanted to find it.

Rock Star responded: I don’t have contacts, but I’ve come across some news from chatter.

Alex asked: Chatter?

Rock Star answered: Someone tried to hack the London Stock Exchange Group.

Dark Surfer, a hacker from Australia, added on the post: There has been a break-in at a government facility in Sydney. No one is talking, but something big was stolen.

火龍, or what Alex had learned was Chinese for Fire Dragon, added: There’s been an increased military presence in Shanghai.

Rock Star responded: It’s why we moved. Something big is going on. There’s nothing about it on the news, and our governments are not speaking either. What do you know?

Alex stared at the computer. When it came down to it, he didn’t know whom he could trust. A group of hackers, even if they were hacking for noble reasons, were still criminals like him. How did he know that they weren’t associated with Mollia Domini?

Alex: Our media isn’t reporting anything either.

Alex took a breath. He’d test the waters: I heard chatter about some group, though. I don’t know anything more than some group is working hard to stay dark. I wonder if they may be affecting things.

Nothing. No one typed anything and Alex was worried he’d blown his cover.

Finally the response came through from Rock Star: I thought I was the only one.

The others responded: Me too.

Fire Dragon finally asked: So, how do we find out who they are?

That was the question. At least Alex had help now. He just had to walk a fine line of giving enough information for people to go on, but not enough to break his confidentiality with the president and put his team in jeopardy.

“Move!” Lizzy shouted at the long line of traffic not listening to her. She’d left the group over an hour before and was moving at a slow crawl out of the city. There had been an accident on the bridge to complicate all of the traffic for the Fourth of July celebrations. She’d be lucky to make it home by nightfall. At least that’s what it felt like to her as she put her car in Park and tried to take a calming breath. She hated traffic.

Lizzy’s phone pinged with a notification. She picked it up, happy for a distraction. It was a NEWS ALERT from The Washington Leader. Lizzy read the headline and cursed.

She tried Tate first, but her phone went to voicemail. She tried Dalton next, but his did the same thing. She sent an urgent message on the secure messaging system. Jeff Sargent just spilled his story. I’m stuck in traffic. If he’s not dead already, he will be soon.

A second later, her phone rang. It was Humphrey. “We’re shutting your road down so we can get you out. I see you’re on the Capital Beltway, but where are you exactly?”

“I’m looking at the parking for the outlets at the National Harbor.” Lizzy looked at the packed shopping areas and almost broke out in hives at the thought of all those people crammed together.

“Can you get to the Oxon Hill Bike Trail?”

Lizzy looked around. “No problem. Traffic’s at a standstill.”

“We’re shutting the road down so it won’t move until we’re ready for it to. Get out of your car and head over to the trail. Crew will touch down in the field near the parking area. He’s lifting off now.”

“Don’t you think Marine One will be a little noticeable?” Lizzy yelled as she started jogging down the interstate toward the bike trail.

“He, um, borrowed a media helicopter nearby.”

“Please tell me it was BBN’s,” Lizzy chuckled as she crawled over the guardrail.

“It was. He’ll leave it on top of some nearby building after wiping it down when you two are done.”

“Thank you, Humphrey. How is Tate doing?”

Humphrey sighed. “It’s hard to watch, Lizzy. I don’t know how she’s doing it. Some military men are hitting on her. Some wives are openly calling her names. The media is taking every opportunity to question her, using the most vulgar questions possible. All the while, half the politicians are going after Birch for keeping her on staff. But Tate has kept her head up even though it’s probably taking a mental toll.”

“Tell her to stay strong. I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

Lizzy hung up and waited for Crew to arrive. She pulled up the article and read.

It’s my duty as a reporter and a news editor to tell the truth and report the news. However, I have failed at that duty recently out of fear. I refuse to be fearful any longer. My job has transitioned from reporter to salesman. Pressure to sell advertising, to sell the products of our parent company, and to sell the fear that has you opening the paper every day. Because of this, you, the readers, have no ability to identify the propaganda to get you to buy more insurance or to turn against a rival company.

My reporter, Joel Davidson, had a story he wanted to run and was killed before he could. I know Joel, and while I have no direct evidence, I will guarantee Joel did not murder his wife and commit suicide. Instead, I believe the person who deleted his article killed him to prevent it from being published.

What article could be worth killing someone over? One that has an FBI source reporting a missing chemical bomb that links back to former FBI Agent Phylicia Claymore. That’s what. An article that alleges Phylicia Claymore wasn’t acting alone in her treasonous activities. An article that alludes to a conspiracy to harm you, the American people, for a power grab.

I had thought it impossible that someone was telling lies to the American people until I was told by corporate to publish a piece of fake news about President Stratton or lose my job. The email from corporate is pictured below. I had thought it was impossible that a group could be stealing bombs from the FBI and working with FBI agents to commit genocide until I came home from a funeral to find my house bugged and myself followed. Tell me, why would that happen unless there is truth in Joel’s story? Joel was a reporter who didn’t care what he had to do to break a real story in order to keep America safe. And in his honor, I’m defying all orders from corporate and those who have been threatening me, and I am publishing Joel’s story.

The sounds of helicopter blades sliced through the air and tore Lizzy away from the screen. She took a screen shot of the story. She was sure it wouldn’t be up much longer. Just like she was sure Jeff Sargent wouldn’t be alive much longer.

She looked up to see a bright blue helicopter descending. Lizzy leaped in the second she could and put the headphones on so she could talk to Crew as he flew in the direction of Jeff’s house.

“Thank you for getting me,” Lizzy said as they flew over stopped traffic and into the suburbs.

“Anytime. I grabbed some rappelling rope from Marine One in case you need it,” Crew said with a motion to the back of the helicopter.

Lizzy moved to hook up the rope and put on the gloves just in case she needed to make a quick exit. She looked over at Crew flying. His cocky attitude was kept in check. He was no-nonsense and the perfect professional. His dark skin seemed to glow in the sunlight as he handled the helicopter with precision. After all, he was one of the best pilots in the country.

“You haven’t been around much the last couple of days. How are you doing?” Lizzy asked.

“Fine. It’s a lot to come to grips with, you know?” Crew didn’t take his eyes off the sky as he answered her.

“I do know. Look, I know things didn’t work out between us like you had hoped, but I am glad you’re part of the team.”

Crew finally looked at her and gave her a nod of his chin. “I was an ass. I didn’t have any claim to you, even if my grandpa thought I did. But if I’m going to lose my what-might-have-been, at least it’s to someone that I can respect and someone who’s so in love with you that I feel bad I even tried to get in the middle of it all.”

Lizzy sputtered. There was that word again. Why was everyone saying it? “Dalton doesn’t love me, but thank you. I didn’t mean for it to happen, and it seems silly to even focus on it when we have all of this going on. I feel as if a clock is counting down, and we’re almost out of time.”

“Love is never silly. And it’s completely obvious you both love each other.” Crew laughed and looked back at her again. “Never took the two of you as cowards of the heart.” His face grew serious again. “I feel it, too. That time is running out. And I can’t do anything about it. I don’t know how to investigate like you do. I feel I’m just watching the world implode.”

They sat silently for a minute, each lost in the severity of the circumstances few people knew about. Crew leaned forward, and Lizzy turned to see what he was looking at. “What is it?”

“That house with the garage door opening. That’s Jeff’s house.” Crew moved the helicopter into a slanted approach so they could look into the garage as they went to land. But the second they started to land, a dark blue SUV shot out from the garage.

Crew jerked the helicopter up to avoid hitting the SUV and Lizzy reached for her gun. A woman was gagged and bound on the floor in the backseat of the vehicle. In the front passenger seat, she saw who she guessed was Jeff. She couldn’t see his face, but she could see that his hands were bound to the door.

“Who’s driving?” Lizzy asked, grabbing a pair of binoculars.

“Give me a second.” Crew maneuvered the helicopter so Lizzy could see in.

“I don’t know him. But I’d be willing to bet he’s Dan’s replacement. We need to stop that car. Can you do that?” Lizzy asked.

Crew grinned at her. “You wouldn’t believe what I can do in a helicopter.” He sent her a wink before pulling up into the sky. “This helicopter’s max speed is 112 miles per hour. We need to get him before he can get out of this suburban maze.”

Crew pushed the helicopter ahead of the SUV. He waited for it to slow down and take a turn and then Crew dropped fast. Lizzy yanked the rappelling glove from her right hand and pulled her gun as Crew hovered feet from the ground in front of the oncoming car.

“I don’t think he’s going to stop,” Crew told her calmly as he held the helicopter steady.

“Let’s see if I can help with that.” Lizzy opened the sliding window and shot at the driver. The driver stepped on the gas. He was a man who made her shiver when he looked at her. Instead, he barely moved as Lizzy’s shots grew closer to him. The man was ice cold in his handling of the car. Lizzy saw Jeff’s eyes grow wide. Tape covered his mouth as his tied arms were hidden from view.

“I gotta pull up,” Crew said in a calm voice. At the last second, he pulled the helicopter up as the SUV raced under them. “I can try hitting him with the landing gear, but honestly, I don’t think that will scare him. He didn’t take his eyes off me as he headed right at us.”

“Can you get me next to him?” Lizzy asked as she reloaded her gun.

“Negative. The street is too narrow for the blades.”

Lizzy pulled on her rappelling glove. “Then get me on top of him.”

“Are you sure?” Crew asked as he followed above the SUV.

“Yes. If I hit wrong, I could take out the Sargents. And I don’t want to wreck the car and risk them that way either. I need to get my hands on this guy.”

Lizzy pulled the headset off, ending the discussion as she moved to open the door. Crew slowly lowered them as close as he could get to the roof and Lizzy stepped onto the landing gear, holding onto the rappelling rope she’d secured. She watched as the roof came closer and closer, but then the driver took a hard right, tearing into a driveway, through a fence, and onto another street.

She held on tight as Crew followed. Her body swayed out from the helicopter, but Lizzy just kept her eye on the SUV that was picking up speed through the connected neighborhoods.

Crew kept up and again began to lower the helicopter closer to the roof. Not waiting to try to jump onto the car’s roof, Lizzy slid down the rope. She stopped herself just like Dalton had taught her at the end of the rope. She dangled there as Crew maneuvered into position. Lizzy looked ahead and saw the street ending. The man would be turning either right or left. If Lizzy didn’t jump now, she risked him making it onto a straight road where he could potentially lose the helicopter.

Lizzy took a deep breath and let go. Her feet hit the roof and she let her body fall flat. She gripped the side of the roof with her fingers and the other side with her toes as she stretched out across the roof. The SUV turned sharply, and Lizzy battled the momentum that threatened to throw her from the roof. As the car straightened out, Lizzy moved toward the driver’s door only to be stopped by bullets ripping through the roof.

“Shit,” she grunted as she rolled to the other side. She was reaching for her gun when the driver slammed on the brakes.

The breath was stolen from her lungs as Lizzy flew forward off the roof. Time seemed to be suspended as she flew off. She tucked herself into a ball and felt her hip slam into the hood of the car before she bounced off and landed hard on the pavement. Air was forced from her lungs. Pain shot up the entire left side of her body.

Lizzy tried to blink her eyes open, but her body fought it. When she managed to finally crack an eye open, she saw the door to the SUV slowly open before her eyes closed again.