8
Alex Santos’s fingers flew over the keyboard. In seconds, he was on the dark web, navigating his way to the private chat room where some of the world’s most talented hackers talked to each other.
It was late and Buzz and Snip, the two old veterans who practically lived at Lancy’s Bar, were serving last-call drinks. Alex had promised them free drinks if they covered for him for ten minutes. Alex had cleared the bar of bugs already that morning, had just sent a plane to refuel Grant and Valeria’s helicopter, and now he wanted to check in with his fellow hackers.
The last time he had been online, they had all noticed something going on. There was online chatter about missing bombs, political upheaval, and hacking of financial institutions. Alex said as much as he could without giving anything away. But after the bombing that had hurt Tate and Birch, he was sure the board would be lit up.
And he was right. Rock Star, a hacker from London, was sending out messages to him. Did you see it coming? I think there’s more.
火龍, or Fire Dragon, as the Chinese hacker was known, posted: The military shot a man with a bomb outside of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. It was hushed up, though, and reported by the government media that the person died of a heart attack. They didn’t bother explaining why someone having a heart attack was shot eight times.
Alex typed: First London Stock Exchange is attempted to be hacked and then a bomber outside Shanghai. Is this all about money? But if it’s about money, why target the president? And no, I didn’t see it coming.
Dark Surfer, a hacker from Australia, joined them: I wonder if the missing bomb from here ended up in Shanghai?
Alex paused as he looked at the screen. There was a missing bomb from the FBI lab in Quantico as well. Where would it be used . . . Birch.
Rock Star: There’s chatter that a whole shipment of weapons from Russia is missing. A shipment that was supposed to be medical aid, but what my sources are saying was really five suitcase-sized bombs. Russia is scrambling to find them.
Alex blew out a breath: Five bombs from Russia, one from Australia, and one from the US are missing.
Fire Dragon: One dead in Shanghai and one president almost assassinated. There are still five bombs out there.
Dark Surfer: But what are the targets? Are they places or people or both?
Rock Star: I sent the intelligence to MI-6 anonymously. I didn’t know what else to do.
Alex blinked in surprise. Most hackers were completely against the governments they believed were decades behind them in technology and whom they generally didn’t trust since they knew all about the spying the government did through that technology. Many hackers had been taken from jail to work for the NSA or MI-6 to hack on behalf of the government, just like Alex had been. He expected Rock Star to be flamed, but instead the boards were quiet.
Dark Surfer finally responded: It’s the only thing you could do. We have to save as many people as we can. But where do we even start?
Alex: Mollia Domini
Fire Dragon: What?
Alex: It’s the group from the shadows that I believe tried to kill the president.
His fingers shook as he waited for a response. If any of these people worked for Mollia Domini, then Alex would be dead by that night. They were anonymous to most people, but even the slightest hint of a digital trail would be enough for this group to track down. But something had to be done. Some information had to be out there and if it was, these hackers would find it.
Rock Star: I’ll look into it and let you know what I find.
Fire Dragon: Me too.
Dark Surfer: If they are behind it all, then be extra careful. I’ll also see what I can find out. Cover your tracks and cover them well. Good luck.
The chat room went quiet and Alex trembled as he closed his laptop. Either he’d just helped his group or he’d signed their death warrants. He looked at his watch. He had time to close up the bar, clean up, and head to DC.
Grant waited patiently as he flew through the night. After hanging up with Lizzy, he thought Valeria would launch into an explanation. But she didn’t. She was quiet instead. She thought she was hard to read, but she wasn’t. The worry was as clear as the confusion. She was trying to work it all out in her head, so Grant left her to it.
The radio crackled and Valeria jerked out of her trancelike state. “What’s that?”
“Easy, it’s just the refueling plane.”
Grant wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw Valeria swipe away a tear. Instead of asking what was wrong, he concentrated on hooking up to the refueling plane. Soon enough, they would be alone again, and he could ask her what was going on.
Until then, he enjoyed seeing a side of her he doubted Valeria showed many people. She may be turned away from him and quiet, but he sensed the concern and compassion she had for her team. So, he’d do what he does best—sit back and let the woman come to him.
Humphrey sat on the chair next to the president’s bed and watched through the glass as the nurses and doctors read over the president’s reports and generally got in the way.
“When will they let you leave?” Humphrey asked, wondering if any of them were spies for Mollia Domini.
“Three days is what they said last. I’ll have two doctors at the White House at all times for another two weeks. It’s just the two of us in this wing, so they are constantly around to check on us. You better tell me what news you have and fast,” Birch told him.
Humphrey felt bad asking when Birch could leave while he was still pale and bruised. Tate didn’t look any better with her arm in a sling from a bullet wound and her leg in a cast from major surgery. However, war was coming and they had to be ready.
“Valeria has been found.”
Tate gasped and sat up too fast. She winced but didn’t sit back down. “Where is she? Is she safe?”
“She’s safe. Lizzy called. She and Dalton are on their way back. Valeria called them for extraction from Mexico. Since they couldn’t make it, they sent Grant Macay to rescue her.”
“Grant Macay? Who’s that?” Tate asked, cutting off Birch.
“He was the pilot from Dalton’s PJ team. He helped out with the South China Sea incident. They are in flight now to Laughlin and will be in DC by morning. Lizzy has ordered Val to read him in.”
Birch nodded. “Does Valeria know about Brock?” Humphrey shook his head. “I want to tell her. He died saving our lives.”
“Valeria says she can bring Mollia Domini down. She found the information when she was in Mexico. We need to find a way to get them in here to see you,” Humphrey said, looking over his shoulder at a nurse coming toward them.
She opened the door and smiled. “Here’s your medicine, Mr. President.” The nurse seemed to take forever as she gave Birch his medicine, gave Tate hers, took their blood pressure, and recorded their vitals. Finally she left, leaving the sliding glass door open a couple inches. Humphrey got up without saying a word and closed it.
“I don’t think we can,” Birch said as he eyed the doctor coming toward them yet again.
“Video call,” Tate said quickly. “Get a secure video link, and we can put in headphones and take the call from here. I’ll wobble to put a broomstick against the door if I have to.”
Humphrey nodded. “I’ll have Alex get me a secure, untraceable laptop.”
The door opened and the doctor walked in. “And how are we feeling tonight?”
Humphrey rolled his eyes as he went to work sending what he needed to Alex. He’d meet him a short distance from the hospital and bring the laptop back to the hospital that night.
He waited for the doctor to leave and rose to shut the door yet again. “Now, onto the rest of the matters affecting the country.”
Valeria looked out across the Mexican landscape. Another hour and they would be back in the US. Grant hadn’t asked to be filled in yet. Instead he’d been quiet, allowing her time to think. And that was what she needed to do. She still hadn’t revealed the thumb drive located in her belt buckle, and she hadn’t informed him of Mollia Domini and what they were up against. The idea that Tate and Birch were hurt because she couldn’t get the intel to them had hit her fast and hard. Harder than she thought it would.
Valeria wasn’t the type of person to get close to others. The one time she did, the man turned on her and had her fired from the DEA. But Little Miss Sunshine, Tate Carlisle, had snuck up on her.
“So, you were with Dalton when the helo went down in Syria?” Valeria asked, finally coming out of her thoughts.
“Aye.”
Valeria rolled her eyes at the one-word answer. “Why did you go with him?”
“It was the right thing to do. We don’t leave anyone behind.”
“Even if it gets you discharged?”
Grant nodded. “Even if it got us thrown in a cell for a month.”
“Are you ready to do something that will land you in a grave if you’re caught?”
“I picked you up, didn’t I?” Grant winked at her, and Valeria felt a small smile tug at her lips. His confident attitude was something she could relate to, and by his actions tonight, he had the skills to back that attitude up.
“There’s a group called Mollia Domini that wants to control the world from the shadows. Assassinations, media manipulation, and political interference. Some of the biggest names in the world are part of it,” Valeria told him, expecting a reaction but only received a grunt instead.
“What were you doing in Mexico without backup?”
That wasn’t the question Valeria was expecting or wanting. “I had a lead.”
“So you go it alone instead of filling in your team?” It sounded like a reprimand, and it probably was, but this guy didn’t have the right to comment on a group he only was now learning about.
“I don’t think you—”
“Don’t work yourself into a lather. If I’m joining this team, I need to know the strengths and weaknesses. To be a strong team, you have to acknowledge those strengths and weaknesses. Don’t try to tell me shooting off to Mexico half-cocked on some lead and leaving your team behind is a strength.”
Valeria felt the familiar urge to defend herself, but the knowledge that she could have possibly prevented the bombing of Tate and Birch stopped her. “I thought at the time I was protecting my team.”
Grant flashed her a smile. “See, that wasn’t so hard.”
Valeria narrowed her eyes. “Then what’s your weakness?”
“Stubborn women. It’s the Scot in me,” he said, sending her a wink. Valeria blinked as she realized he wasn’t disparaging her. In fact, he admired it. “But I do have a tendency to disobey orders I don’t think are right. Now, are you going to tell me what you found in Mexico?”
“There’s a lot more to tell before we get to that point.” Valeria looked out over the controls and began laying everything out.
He looked at the map and smiled. Soon, very soon. He would bring the world to its knees and then they would turn to him to save them. Countries, presidents, monarchies, and working people alike would hail him as their savior as they handed over everything he wanted. So what that Shanghai didn’t go according to plan. That’s what test runs were for. He had many other more important locations ready and waiting. However, the president was another matter. One that he needed to take care of immediately.