Back in Stump River, Daniel leaned back in his chair, a half smile on his face, his feet propped on the edge of his desk. The hacking job had been trickier than he’d imagined, but he’d eventually cracked the security code and opened the files on the USB drive. The accomplishment gave him a rush and he savoured the sensation while idly studying the contents. There was no hint as to the owner but…
He sat up, his feet dropping to the floor, the smile on his face fading as he realized what he was looking at.
“Hey Ryne, I need you to see something right away.” He sent the text message and then waited, staring at the data and thoughtfully stroking his lower lip.
A minute later there was the sound of pounding feet on the stairs and then Ryne appeared in the doorway.
“What’s up?”
“Do you know what this is?” He turned the screen so it could be viewed.
One arm braced on the desk, Ryne leaned closer and scanned the files. “No. Not really.”
“It’s from the USB drive Armand asked me to hack.”
“Oh.” He started to straighten, then paused and pointed to one of the lines. “This looks familiar. It’s a security code, isn’t it? For accessing Lycan Link’s data base.”
“Yep, you’ve probably encountered it when you’ve filed reports. And these others, they’re more of the same. Access codes to various files, security systems, maybe even passcodes for entering the facility.”
“How do you know that?” Ryne slid a questioning look at him.
“Another computer nerd I know, Brad Owen, works for Lycan Link. I help him now and then by testing the system.”
“Is that legal? Or do I even want to know?” Ryne slowly straightened.
“Don’t worry. It’s all on the up and up. He even pays me. How do you think I could afford that new sound system?”
Ryne looked around the room seeming to just now notice that it was jam packed with computer gadgets, instruments and soundboards. “Hacking pays better than I thought.”
“You’d be surprised. But back to this.” He tapped the edge of the screen. “These are highly classified codes. No one outside of Lycan Link should have access to them.”
Ryne’s face clouded. “Then how the hell did it end up on a random thumb drive?”
“Lots of possibilities. Somebody hacked Lycan Link’s system? Or someone was careless; they copied the files over and then lost the drive. An employee with a bone to pick or out to make a quick buck? This kind of stuff happens all the time. Companies have policies in place about the use of portable drives, but they aren’t properly enforced.” He shrugged. “The question is, what do we do about it? Tell Lycan Link, I assume?”
“Yeah,” Ryne stared across the room, eyes narrowed. “They’ll need to replace all their codes as fast as possible, check for breaches that have already occurred. It could take them days, even weeks for all I know.” His gaze shifted back to the screen. “And in the meantime, how many copies of this are floating around?”
“Not too many, I wouldn’t think.” Daniel flipped the screen to the web browser he’d been using. “I’ve done some looking online and no one is advertising anything remotely similar for sale.”
“It’s hardly the thing you post on Craig’s List, is it?”
He smirked. “If you know the right places to look, you’d be amazed at what you can find.”
“And you know them, of course.”
“Yep.” He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head. Computers, they were his forte, his world, a place where his analytical mind gave him a natural advantage. “I get bored when I’m not working on my music or fixing computers for other people. The internet is…entertaining.”
“Entertaining?” Ryne arched a brow.
He returned the look with a steady gaze of his own. He wasn’t challenging his Alpha, at least not exactly. More like asserting his position.
After a moment, Ryne gave a grunt.
It wasn’t much but coming from Ryne it was like a damned stamp of approval. He held back a smile as he nodded towards the information on the computer screen again. “So, if it’s not for sale…”
“Then perhaps whoever owned the thumb drive doesn’t know what it is, or they have an agenda that they haven’t acted on yet.” Ryne scowled. “Can you erase the files?”
“I could but, what if I replace them with bogus data instead? Then Armand can use it as bait and maybe we track down who owns it. If they manage to snatch it back, all they’ll have is a bunch of gibberish.”
“Okay, let me check with Damien; he can tell me who to contact at Lycan Link. If they agree, we’ll put the plan in motion.” Ryne shook his head. “I’m glad this kind of shit doesn’t happen in Stump River. Life’s nice and quiet around here.”
“Well…”
A wail sounded in the background and Ryne sighed. “Talk to you later.” Raising his voice, he called out as he left the room. “Daddy’s coming, Gracie!”
“Yeah, nice and quiet here.” Daniel made a face and turned to the computer again, studied the screen for a moment and then his fingers began flying over the keys.
Reno jammed his hands in his back pockets as he stared out the window of his tiny apartment. Once again, something had come up that would likely keep him and Brandi apart, each working their own assignments. They kept saying they’d spend more time together, dial back on the amount of travel and yet things continued to pop up at Lycan Link that demanded their attention. He smiled as he thought of their recent conversation.
“I miss you, Reno.” Brandi’s voice drifted over the airwaves and he imagined her lying in bed, her red curls starkly contrasting with the white of her pillowcase.
“Me, too.” He plopped down on the bed so he was leaning against the headboard, his ankles crossed. If he closed his eyes, he could almost detect her scent, feel the warmth of her body against his side. “I wish you were here.” His voice grew deeper.
There was a rustling sound, covers being moved. “Me, too.”
“You can’t get out of your meetings?”
“No. The demands of the exiguous shifters haven’t been getting the attention they deserve and—”
“The exiguous? You mean the weenies?”
“Reno!”
“The minis?
“That’s not nice.”
“Okay, the shifter-tots.”
“The what?”
“Shifter-tots. Sort of like tater-tots.”
“Reno Smith! Now I know you’re just trying to rile me up!”
“Yep.” He chuckled. “Your eyes are probably spitting fire and your cheeks are flushed. I’d love to trace that flush down your neck, undo your shirt and see if it goes all the way down to your—”
She groaned. “Don’t get me riled up that way either, especially when you’re not around to do anything about it.”
“Sorry. If it’s any consolation, it’s no fun on this end either.” He adjusted the fit of his pants and cleared his throat. “So, what’s this about the smaller shifters?”
“Use exiguous, not smaller; it’s more politically correct.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He added an extra Texan drawl which earned him a growl. He laughed softly then settled down to listen to her explanation.
“The exiguous feel they’re not being heard and to some extent it’s true. Lycan Link seldom includes the fox or coyote species and the lynx, bobcats…well, they’re not really part of the canine group but if we’re trying to unite all shifter species then they need to be treated as the equals they are. There are a lot of nasty rumours going around, some claiming they’re mistreated, even a rebel group that wants to…
He listened as she explained the issues, a smile on his face. She was one of the top DCs at Lycan Link as well as highly respected for her work with the Affiliation Office. He was damned proud of her and how passionate she was about her various causes.
Eventually her voice trailed off. “Reno?”
“Yes?”
“Am I boring you?”
“Of course not! You could never bore me.”
“Well, you weren’t saying anything.”
“Because I was listening to the sound of your voice, thinking how much I missed you and how lucky I am to have you.”
“Nice catch, Smith.”
“It’s the truth, Jones.”
“It’s Johansson.”
He laughed at the old joke. “Sometimes I miss those days. I think we saw more of each other then.”
“The problem is we’re both too dedicated.” Her words came out as a sigh.
“And too good at our jobs. People keep turning to us for help.”
“Yeah, it sucks being so awesome.” She finished the sentence with a laugh that evolved into a yawn.
Recognizing how tired she was, he reluctantly ended the call with a promise to fly out to her location in just a few days.
Now, in all likelihood, that plan was screwed because of the call he’d received moments later. Ryne Taylor, a friend of Damien’s from his Academy days, had contacted him with a problem. Passwords had been leaked from Lycan Link. It wasn’t the first time information had slipped through their security but whoever was responsible seemed to be getting bolder, the leak bigger each time.
After assuring Taylor he’d get back to him, he’d considered his options before calling on the only authorized person he knew he could trust, Captain Fielding. The man had devoted his life to Lycan Link and was a stickler for rules, yet wasn’t above circumventing the system if it suited his personal sense of integrity.
He’d invited the Captain over for a drink under the guise of needing to discuss a personal matter. Fielding had sounded surprised—they rarely socialized—but hadn’t questioned the request, merely saying he’d be there in twenty minutes which was right about now.
Sure enough, Reno saw a car pull up and a few minutes later there was a knock at the door. He opened it and welcomed his visitor.
“Captain.”
“Smith.” The captain gave him a nod and scanned the apartment. “Nice place.”
“Thanks.” Reno didn’t know what was nice about it since neither he nor Brandi had spent much time decorating given they were seldom there. However, compared to the room at the barracks where Fielding lived, it was probably top-notch.
Numerous rumours existed about why the captain didn’t have his own place. Some said he did but never went there because his mate had died, others whispered his dedication to work had caused her to leave him. Still others declared he’d never found a mate who could put up with his hard-nosed personality. Whatever the case, the man lived and breathed Lycan Link and probably knew as much about what went on there as anyone.
“You had something to discuss with me?” Fielding prompted, straight to the point as usual.
“Yeah. Grab a seat, this may take a while.” Reno nodded towards the small living room. “Want a beer?”
“Sure.”
As soon as they both had their drinks, he explained the situation as succinctly as possible. Fielding listened, his expression growing grimmer by the minute.
“I’m having Taylor send me a copy of the files so we know which codes have been compromised.” Reno explained.
“Hell.” The captain set his beer bottle down with a thud. “We might as well assume everything has been accessed. This thumb drive fell into our hands but how many others are out there?”
“I’ve no idea. Best case scenario is this was the only one.”
“And when has ‘best case’ ever been an assumption we use when planning an operation?”
Reno took no offence at the comment. The captain was right. Planning for the worst had always been their mindset. “We’ll need to put Security on high alert until IT can reset every code. All employees will have to change their passwords, the same for all programs and data bases. Alphas will need to be advised of the updated codes…” He shook his head. “It’ll be a fucking mess.”
“These leaks have been happening too damned often.” Fielding stood and began to pace the room. “It’s more than someone getting sloppy. It’s more than a spy for the Purists. The loyalty of one of our own is in question.”
“That’s what I’ve been thinking and why I asked you here, so we could speak freely.” He watched Fielding carefully to judge his reaction.
The captain nodded. “You suspect it too, don’t you? You’re wondering if conversations are being monitored, messages intercepted.”
“As the humans like to say, ‘big brother is watching’. Yeah, I’ve had that feeling at times. Nothing I can put my finger on though.”
A muscle worked in Fielding’s jaw. “I’ve given my life to Lycan Link, to the ideal it was founded on, but there are things that don’t add up.”
“Such as?” Reno leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his beer cradled in his hands.
“I’m not sure…” He shook his head and gave a harsh laugh. “Maybe I’m just an old codger seeing conspiracies where none exist. They want me to take an early retirement, you know.”
“No, I wasn’t aware of that.” Reno hid a smile at the term ‘old codger’. Sure, the captain had more grey than dark in his hair, but he was still fit, his mind sharp and the depth of experience he brought to the table was second to none.
“I told them no, that I was hanging on until I got my full pension. Their response was to remind me to make sure I kept my nose clean.”
“A warning?”
“Maybe.”
“So, what are you going to do?” Reno leaned back and eyed the older man curiously.
“I’ll play their game as long as I can. Keep my eyes and ears open while toeing the line. As long as I’m on the inside there’s a chance I can figure out what’s going on.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Keep doing your job. Act the maverick when you need to, and I’ll keep chewing you out for it. Business as usual.” He sat back down and took another drink.
Reno nodded, a twisting in his gut. He hoped he was wrong, that the captain was wrong, too. Taking a deep breath, he brought the conversation back to the current issue. “So, this flash drive thing. Taylor’s waiting for me to call back. I’m thinking we need to keep as quiet as possible until we find out where it came from.”
“I agree. I doubt we’ll be able to trace it back to the actual leak but at least we might be able to find out who’s on the receiving end, and possibly what their plans are.” Fielding pinned him with a hard stare. “What do we know about this Ryne Taylor? And the bear shifter involved? We don’t deal with Ursas very often.”
Reno shared what he knew and together they formulated a plan.
Armand frowned as Ryne called him with information about the USB. “I thought your Lycan Link was impenetrable.”
“That’s what they claim but Daniel says no system is completely safe. All it takes is time and patience until a weak spot is eventually found whether it’s a flaw in the programming, human error or someone who can be bought.”
“A USB drive would be easy to smuggle out.” Phone to his ear, he walked over to the window and stared down at the street below. It was just breaking dawn, the shadows reluctantly giving way to the light of day. How many times had he stared out this window during the night, looking for signs of danger? He stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyes. “So, what’s the plan?”
“I’ve already been in contact with someone from Lycan Link, a guy called Reno Smith. My friend Damien worked with him.”
“This Damien, he stayed at the Broken Antler last winter?”
“Right. He’s in Chicago. If you need help, he’s your go-to man. However, Reno would prefer we didn’t bring anyone else in at this point. If the codes were leaked by a Lycan Link employee, we don’t want the rumour mill getting hold of it and tipping him or her off.”
“Makes sense.”
“What we need you to do is work with Lucy and retrace her steps to try to pinpoint when the USB came into her possession and who might have owned it. Once you find out anything at all, report back to me and I’ll pass it along.”
“It’s a shifter we are looking for?”
“That’s a logical assumption but it could be a human, I suppose.”
He narrowed his eyes considering that point. “It’s stolen information so it’s possible it fell into human hands if one was being used as a live drop.”
“True. As a link in the chain that moves illegal items along, they might not even realize they’re sitting on a powder keg.”
“Or one of the humans who knows of shifter existence has violated our trust.”
Ryne responded with a growl. “I hope the hell not. I’ve been through a situation involving the Keeping before and I sure as fuck don’t want to do it again.”
They were both silent, considering the ramifications.
Eventually, Armand cleared his throat. “Is there any particular cover story? I can’t tell Lucy and her friend what was really on the USB.”
“What if you say it’s plans for some new gadget, industrial espionage, that kind of thing?”
“It might work.”
“Play it by ear and I can always call in a DC to help clean things up if necessary.”
“DC?” He wandered down the hall to check if Lucy was still sleeping.
“Disaster Control agent.”
“Right. I’ve heard mention of them though the bear community has nothing similar. We tend to be more circumspect than Lycans and don’t get into trouble the way your species does.” He couldn’t resist teasing his friend.
“I won’t confirm or deny that statement.” Ryne chuckled. “So, are you good with what we need you to do?”
“Yes, but I’ll warn you, if Lucy is in danger I’ll protect her even if it means we don’t find the owner of the USB drive.” He observed her sleeping form through the partially opened door. She looked so peaceful, a half-smile curving her lips. “Her safety is my first priority.”
Lucy woke to the sound of Armand talking quietly on the phone. She couldn’t make out what he was saying but, it was comforting knowing he was near. The events of the past few days were beginning to take their toll on her. Armand might think she was brave and strong, but she wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take.
At least this time, she wasn’t alone. She had Armand and Roxi and Jimmy and even Jeff the chef and Kathy. Gin, she wasn’t so sure about. In a pinch, the woman might come through…or not. Hopefully, there’d be no need to test that theory!
“You’re awake?” Armand slid into bed beside her and she inched over to give him more room. He was a king-sized mattress kind of guy.
“I just woke up. Who were you talking to?”
“Ryne. He wants us to retrace your steps the day you brought that box home and see if we can find out how you came to be in possession of the USB.”
“Was there something important on it?”
“Sort of. It seems you’ve become part of a case of…industrial espionage.”
“You mean like stealing company secrets and such?” She pushed herself up on her elbow and stared at him. “That’s crazy! If it was Roxi, it would make sense, but me?”
He shrugged. “That’s what Ryne said based on Daniel’s findings.”
“Shouldn’t we tell the police?”
“No. Ryne said we don’t want to draw attention to you and your new identity.”
“Oh crap.” She gave a heavy sigh and sank back down on her pillow to stare at the ceiling. “I’ve turned into a human magnet for cloak and dagger stuff. Life in Stump River wasn’t exciting, but this is more than I bargained for.”
“Then maybe you need to return.” He rolled on his side, reached out and stroked her hair from her face, tenderly tracing the scar he called her badge of courage. “Come back home where you belong, Lucy.”
She felt herself stiffening. It was the question she’d been waiting for and yet dreading, the one she didn’t know how to answer.
He lay there, silently looking at her with that steady gaze of his. His question hung between them, seeming to squeeze the air from her lungs, making her throat tight.
Instead of replying, she switched topics, checking the alarm clock then injecting a perky tone into her voice to counteract the uncomfortable feeling that had begun to permeate the room.
“Oh my goodness, look at the time! I’m doing the late afternoon shift today—traded as a favour to one of the others—but I have things I need to get done before then.” She began to draw back the covers. He placed his hand over hers.
“You’re avoiding the subject.”
She stilled at the gentle touch of his hand, pressing her lips together, not pleased that he wasn’t following her lead. “And what if I am? You certainly avoided things in Stump River.”
“No, I was waiting for you. I told you that.”
So patient, so reasonable. So…so...irritating!
“You’re putting the blame on me? I think you just didn’t want to take a chance.” She pushed his hand away and sat up, swinging her legs out of bed and presenting him with her back.
“A chance on what?”
“On us.” She found her robe and put it on. “I think you were afraid things between us wouldn’t last so you just didn’t bother trying.”
“I…”
“It’s called trusting the other person, Armand.”
“It isn’t always that easy.” A muscle was starting to twitch in his jaw.
No doubt she was pushing his buttons, but she didn’t care. She’d thrown herself at him time and time again and he’d never responded. Now he waltzed back into her life and expected her to jump at his suggestion. But what would she be going back to? More of the same except there’d be sex with him on the side? Well, he hadn’t made any noises about a real commitment and she wasn’t settling for less. Not anymore. He had to make the first move now.
She folded her arms and stared down at him. “You know, my mother didn’t always make the best choices in life, but she taught me to be positive. She’d say ‘sometimes you just have to hope things will work out and try anyway. Otherwise you’ll spend your whole life waiting.’ You might want to think about that!”
Grabbing her glasses from the nightstand, she stomped off to the bathroom to take a shower.
Standing under the warm spray, she wondered what had gotten into her.
Why pick a fight with Armand now? Her inner voice scolded. For years this was what we’d been wanting!
Right. What was wrong with her? Why were all those nasty accusations spilling from her?
Stress from recent events? Latent anger and hurt from all the years he’d rebuffed us?
Whatever the case, she’d have to apologize to him.
Definitely. He’s been nothing but kind. He could have headed home when this whole memory thingy started to unfold.
But he hadn’t. Armand wasn’t the kind to walk away when things were tough. Once he said he’d do something, he stuck with it.
And wasn’t that the kind of man we’d always dreamed of?
It was but… She sighed at her own confused emotions. Exiting the shower, she towelled off and headed to her bedroom, ready to ask forgiveness for her foul mood and hoping she could explain her feelings. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there.
“Armand?” She called his name as she padded to the kitchen.
“He left,” Roxi mumbled as she put water in the kettle.
“He’s gone?” A cold wave washed over her at the knowledge she’d driven him away with her acerbic tongue.
“Yeah. Said he needed clean clothes.”
“But, he’s coming back, right?” She clutched her robe tightly, her hand pressed over her heart.
“I guess. He said something about making a list of possible suspects.” Roxi yawned widely. “What’s that all about?”
“Believe it or not, Armand’s friend said that thumb drive has something to do with industrial spying. We need to figure out who owns it.”
“Really?” The sleepiness in Roxi’s eyes was swiftly replaced by the calculating look she often had. “That’s interesting.” She appeared lost in thought for a moment before giving herself a little shake. “You done in the bathroom?”
“Yep,” she nodded not giving Roxi’s reaction too much thought. She was just relieved her outburst hadn’t chased Armand away.
“Great. If he gets back before I’m done, don’t start brainstorming that list without me. I don’t want to miss out on the excitement.”
“It’s only exciting because you aren’t the one that’s been the target.”
“True.” Roxi walked past and gave her a playful punch in the arm. “Thanks for taking one for the team.”
She watched Roxi leave and shook her head. Sometimes it was hard to remember she was a friend.