Chapter Fourteen
Jamie fell into the passenger seat of the Benz just as the sun set over the Gulf, the tall Port cranes casting long shadows in the orange glow. Sweaty and tired of being in a suit all day, he tossed his coat in the back and rolled up his dress sleeves. “Hamilton’s still on-site,” he said, after checking his phone again. “Download’s fifty percent complete.”
“I’m going to check in with Gary.” Aidan was already dialing.
“Agent Talley,” the SAC’s voice called after four rings.
“Gary, Aidan here.” His partner brought the phone to his ear. “Hamilton was less than helpful, and the rest of the Port stayed mum, but we’ve got a tracker on him. Expedite the warrant for a search on his place, and if the judge won’t grant it, at least go take a look around. Does he have roommates? Does it look lived in or is it deserted like Jo Ann’s? And keep a car on both.”
Aidan cranked the engine, the phone switched over to Bluetooth, and Gary’s booming voice filled the inside of the car. “We’re on it. You two headed back here?”
“We’re going to keep an eye on things at the Port.” Aidan drove out of the main parking area, steering toward the deserted bank parking lot Jamie had pointed out on their way to the car. One waterway over and several blocks down, it had a good line of sight, and with the encroaching darkness the drive-through shelter would keep them relatively concealed.
“I can send Todd and Oscar to relieve you in a few hours,” Gary offered.
Stopping at a light, Aidan glanced over. “You got your laptop?”
He nodded.
“Okay on sleep?”
Jamie nodded again.
“We’ll be fine,” Aidan replied to Gary. “But do get more teams out here in different positions. We can’t cover it all.”
They exchanged logistical details as Aidan wove through alleyways, hanging up just as he pulled the car into the rear entrance of the bank lot.
“Something’s going on there.” Aidan put the car in park and killed the engine. “I’m used to how ports work. Tight-knit, Union-run. No one wants to rat on their friends, but Hamilton’s the new guy. No way they’d close ranks around him this fast.”
“You think someone else there is getting paid too?”
“Multiple someone elses. That or they’ve been spooked, and not by us. Now that they know we’re sniffing around, I want to see if Hamilton bolts and if they get any visitors.”
“Well, if we’re going to be here awhile...” Unbuckling his seat belt, Jamie reached into the back seat for his bag and laptop.
“What are you doing?” Aidan asked.
“I’m going to start going through the material we’re downloading.” He pulled out and booted up his laptop. “I also want to add extra alerts in the GNL security system. If someone knows we’re onto them, they may try to move something out tonight. You’re watching the Port; I’m watching the network.” He toed off his shoes, yanked off his tie, and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt.
“Good thinking, but don’t get too comfortable yet.”
Confused, Jamie glanced at his grinning partner. “I thought we were on a stakeout.”
“We are, just not in this car. Not enough leg room for an all-nighter.” Aidan bumped his knees against the steering wheel to demonstrate. “And the Benz is too noticeable in this area.”
Jamie had spent time in cars with far less legroom, but his partner had a point about the Benz sticking out if anyone bothered to look for them.
Aidan punched the start button on the dash, reactivating the car’s electronics without starting the engine. He tapped at his phone and the dial tone rang through the speakers.
“Mr. Talley,” a woman answered on the second ring. Jamie recognized the voice as one of the condo’s concierge staff. “What can I do for you?”
Half an hour later, someone from the building staff showed up with an LR-4, the backseat full of the other supplies Aidan had requested, including all of Jamie’s snacks from the hack-a-thon the other night. It was a smart move on Aidan’s part. As the hours ticked by, they had space to spread out in the SUV, and in the sticky Texas heat, the extra breathing room and upholstered seats were much appreciated.
“I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for them to bring all this out here.” Jamie finished off his third can of Dr. Pepper with the last bite of a BLT.
Aidan, by now also sans jacket, tie and vest, sipped from a thermos of coffee and filched another Oreo from the package on the console between them. “Unlike some of the other residents, our family doesn’t abuse the concierge services, so they’re happy to help when we do ask for a favor every now and then.”
“Is your family ever all here together?”
“Once or twice a year, hence the big dining table. The nieces and nephews like the beach.”
“Your family’s tight?”
“We are.”
“Is that because of what happened in Ireland?”
“Yes and no.” Aidan took a long swallow of coffee and stole another Oreo. “Having lost a son and other friends and relatives, my parents place a high value on family time. So, yeah, we’re tight, but Siobhan and I are the only ones who remember Ireland and the Troubles. The rest of our siblings were very young when we left.”
“That explains why I didn’t hear any accent in Danny’s voice.”
“He’ll say certain words or phrases he’s picked up from Mom and Dad. Siobhan and I were the only ones who had to work to get rid of the accent.”
“Why did you? When I met your mother, she didn’t hide hers, so it’s not a safety issue.”
Aidan shifted in his seat, angling toward him. “Were you always tall?”
Jamie startled at the abrupt non sequitur, but after his repeated knock, knock jokes, he played along, sensing this was going somewhere. “Always the back row of choir.”
“I knew I heard a voice under there when you were cooking the other day.”
Aidan reached for another Oreo, and Jamie snatched the package away.
“That’ll be the last time you ever hear it, if you want another cookie.”
“Please don’t take the fake chocolate away.” Aidan thrust out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout, and Jamie laughed as he tossed the package across the console into his lap. The laughter, the joking, was welcome after the tense show they’d put on for the local agents the past two days. He didn’t like pretending to be at odds with Aidan. The strange thing about it, though, was Jamie sometimes couldn’t tell when Aidan was acting and when he wasn’t. He’d let him off the hook for it last night, but today in the office, it didn’t feel like Aidan playing hot and cold for show. He was a raging bull in the conference room with Oscar and Todd, and then his usual self when they were on the phone with Danny.
“Back to my point, though,” Aidan said, bringing Jamie out of his thoughts. “You were always tall, right? Always stuck out?”
Ah, now he got it.
Aidan would have been a preteen when his family immigrated, the worst time to stick out in a new crowd. From his own experience, Jamie knew that while accents fascinated adults, kids were not so easily amused. Adolescents, in particular, were prone to cruelty and ostracizing those who didn’t fit in. In a place like California, where there was no accent or local dialect, Aidan’s Irish brogue, probably also cracking at that age, must have put one hell of a target on his back. Add the...
“That’s also when you started dying your hair, isn’t it?”
Aidan leaned against the driver side door, gaze cast out over the water. “Siobhan went darker, more auburn like mom’s hair. I, on the other hand, experimented with peroxide. Neither of us wanted to be the redheaded freckled kids with the funny accents. On top of that, I liked guys as much as I liked girls. I knew that about myself, even back then, just as I knew there was no changing it, so the hair and accent had to go instead.”
“You could always let it grow back red.”
Aidan chuckled. “I’m afraid of how much gray there’d be in it.”
“A little gray hair is to be expected.”
“You saying I’m old?”
“No, that’s not... I didn’t mean... Gray hair looks distinguished.”
“Oh, so I’m the distinguished older mentor now?”
Jamie open and shut his mouth several times, trying to figure out how to dig himself out of this hole. Thankfully, Aidan gave him a hand up, albeit a sorrow-tinged one. “I thought about dying it back after Academy, but Gabe liked it blond. Now I have his stylist’s number on speed dial.” He ran a hand through his hair, wavier than usual in the Texas humidity. “After so long, this is me now.”
“It’s not a disguise anymore?”
Aidan speared him with dark, serious eyes. “Is playing FBI agent a disguise for you?”
“I’m not playing anything.”
Aidan held up his hands. “Foot in mouth disease is apparently catching. All I meant—”
Jamie reached through the seats to grab another can of soda. “I know what you meant.”
“Well?”
Jamie felt the pressure of another one of those times when Aidan had shared and so should he. After the past couple days, it felt almost necessary, like they needed to shore up the fledgling connection that had been beaten and picked at by Oscar and everything else around them. In the dark of night, in the intimate space they’d created here in the Rover, it seemed like as safe a time and place as any to let Aidan in a little more.
“I never planned to play basketball forever, and I was always good with computers.”
“I know. I saw your transcripts. Aced your computer science classes at Carolina, graduated top of your crypto doctorate program at MIT. Why the FBI and not the private sector?”
“Either way, I wanted to move to the West Coast. I didn’t need the money, and it’s a lot easier to answer reporters’ questions with ‘I can’t talk about my work.’”
“A lot easier to be out in California too.”
“Yes, it’s very different from home.”
“You miss North Carolina?”
“All the time, but the career questions would always be there in a basketball-crazy state. In the Bay Area, no one cares about March Madness.”
Aidan’s voice was a touch woeful, a touch introspective, when he said, “You can’t hide forever, Whiskey.”
Without thinking, caught up in that wave of somber reflection and the intimate atmosphere, Jamie reached out and brushed his fingertips through the darker roots beginning to show at Aidan’s temple. “Neither can you, Irish.”
Dark eyes shot to his and held his gaze, only breaking away when the shrill ringtone of Aidan’s phone pierced the silence. His partner fumbled the phone once, twice, before finally answering and hitting speaker.
“Um, yeah, Danny, hey.”
“You okay, Ai?” Danny said. “You sound a little rattled.”
“Fine,” he clipped, as Jamie asked, “What’ve you got for us?”
“I heard you and my brother caused a stir today at the Port.”
“Our brand of charm didn’t get us far, especially with Marge,” Aidan said.
“And your brother couldn’t help throwing his name around a little,” Jamie added.
“So I heard,” Danny replied. “A very nervous union rep called me.”
“You handle him?” Aidan asked.
“Yeah, he won’t say anything to anyone else.”
“Good. Did your contact come through?”
“She did. At the times you gave me, there were several extra guys around. Ones that aren’t normally on shift then.”
“You got a list?”
“Just emailed it to you.”
Jamie grabbed his laptop from the floorboard and pulled up Aidan’s email, opening the new email from Daniel Talley.
Aidan gasped. “How did you get into my email?”
“Not the point right now.” Jamie waved him off as his eyes tracked down the list, freezing halfway. He handed the computer across the console to Aidan, who’d set the phone on the dash. “Anyone’s name look familiar?”
“There’s our guy, Hamilton, second one down.”
“Keep reading.”
He knew when Aidan saw what he had, his partner’s eyes widening and jaw dropping.
Terry Altman. PhD dropout and part-time lab tech for his father, the Director of Galveston National Laboratory.
“Text Torres and Barnes. See where they are on pulling that background search.”
Jamie was already typing a message when a lilting “Yoohoo” came from the phone sitting on the dash, reminding them Danny was still on the line.
“Sorry, bro,” Aidan said. “Saw something on that list we weren’t expecting. Think your contact could get us manifests of the ships in dock at those same times?”
“Sure thing, but you know Galveston does a lot of cruise ship business nowadays. Three lines plus Disney go through there. Half the manifests I get for you will be passenger lists.”
“Focus on the commercial shipping vessels first.”
“That’ll help narrow things down. I hate I’m missing all the fun.”
Aidan huffed. “If you call fun sitting in a car for five plus hours with the Cookie Monster—”
“Says the man who ate half the package of Oreos,” Jamie said.
Danny laughed, big and loud. “Think I’ll stay out of this domestic dispute.”
“Good idea,” Jamie said. “Hey, Danny, thanks for the list, and keep us posted.”
“Same,” Danny replied, before hanging up.
Jamie’s phone beeped with a text message from Oscar. “Local office is pulling everything they can on the Altmans.” He set the phone aside. “What are you looking for in the manifests?”
“Parts.”
“Parts for what?”
“A distribution device.”
Jamie put the pieces together. “For a bioweapon. Something could be coming in, not necessarily going out.”
“Given Hamilton’s EOD experience, we have to consider both possibilities.”
“Why not have Danny also get the passenger manifests? Someone could be bringing it in on their person.”
“Too huge a pool to consider at this point. All those passengers have already been checked, at the point of origin and every port since. Checking the commercial vessels first will narrow the initial scope.”
Aidan handed the laptop back, email closed, password likely also changed, if that was what he’d been typing when he was talking to Danny.
Jamie sank back in his seat. “I’d feel better with extra customs security checking bags.”
“I don’t want to spook anyone yet by sending in a bunch of law enforcement agents. They know we’re sniffing around, and if there’s a leak in the field office, they’ll know even faster. Let’s keep an eye on things tonight and see what happens.”
A prickle crawled across Jamie’s skin. “I don’t have a good feeling about this, Aidan. There’s something we’re missing.”
“Good field instincts. We still don’t know if Hamilton’s the head of all this or if he’s a mercenary for hire and someone else is calling the shots. Or why they’re doing it. Or even what they’re doing.”
“That’s a lot we don’t know.”
Aidan tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel. “But I think we’re getting closer.”
* * *
Sprawled across the front seats, ass in the driver’s seat, legs thrown over the console, Jamie was decrypting Hamilton’s phone data and digging through background searches on Dr. Altman’s son when Aidan’s “getting closer” speculation proved true.
The little red dot on his tracking app died and two seconds later alerts rang from every electronic device in the car—the computer open in his lap, his phone propped on the steering wheel, the tablet lying on the dashboard, the phone somewhere on his sleeping partner in the backseat.
Aidan shot up, eyes squinting against the rising sun. “What the hell is that?”
“There’s a breach occurring.” Jamie swung his legs around and Aidan clambered over the console into the front passenger seat. “And Hamilton killed the tracker.”
After shooting off a quick text to the GNL security team letting them know he’d be working beside them, Jamie opened the portal he’d built into the network security mainframe and started activating countermeasures.
Beside him, Aidan had Todd on speakerphone. “You guys seeing this on your end?”
“We’re on it,” Todd replied. “Oscar’s in the system, tag-teaming with Agent Walker.”
Jamie nodded. Oscar had flagged him two seconds ago.
“The tracker’s dead?” Aidan asked him.
Splitting his attention, same as he’d done at the shooting range, Jamie continued to work as he answered Aidan’s questions. “Two seconds before the alerts.”
“Were you able to get all the data off his phone?”
“Yes, but it’s still decrypting.”
“What did you find on Terry Altman?”
“Definitely didn’t live up to his father’s expectations. Squeaked by in community college. Dad used his influence to get him into the UT grad program. Dropped out after a year. His paychecks from UT Med line up with his dad’s publications, which syncs with what Griffin said. He’s got a steadier gig at the Port. Driver’s license says he lives at home still.”
“Negative,” Todd chimed in. “Terry moved in with one of his dock buddies four months ago. Three guesses who.”
“Hamilton,” Jamie and Aidan answered together.
“Yes, sirs. We checked out their place an hour ago. Warrant didn’t come through until this morning. It’s in a similar state as Jo Ann’s. Looks like they left in a hurry.”
“Until thirty seconds ago, Hamilton was still on-site,” Aidan said. “We didn’t see him leave, Barnes. Check in with the other teams.”
Sirens wailed outside the car, and Jamie glanced up. Police cars and fire trucks streamed by them, racing away from the Port toward GNL.
His computer dinged again, regaining his full attention. “Shit! They’re through the internal firewall. It has to be someone with system access. Jo Ann, wherever she is.”
“Negative,” Todd repeated. “I’m staring right at her.”
Aidan leaned forward, hand clutching the dash. “What do you mean?”
“Sorry, sir. I should have started by telling you the Marshals brought her in an hour ago. They picked her up after she used one of Emily’s credit cards.”
“So then who the hell did I just boot from the system?” Jamie said.
Aidan’s head swiveled. “You shut it down?”
Straightening out of his hunch over the keyboard, Jamie stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles. “Yeah, but not before they accessed all the inner lab doors and the locking mechanisms on two cabinets.”
“Barnes,” Aidan commanded. “Make sure GNL is locked down. No one and nothing goes in or out.”
“Yes, sir. First responders are en route.”
An incoming call from Danny flashed on Aidan’s phone. “Hold a minute, Barnes.” Aidan switched to the other call.
Danny didn’t bother with pleasantries. “One of those names on the list is at the Port right now, off schedule.”
“Altman?” Aidan said.
“That’s the one.”
“Barnes said they were gone.” Jamie shut his laptop and handed it off to Aidan.
“Altman’s meeting Hamilton here, and they don’t want us to follow.” Aidan uncurled from where he was bent, tucking the laptop into the bag on the floorboard. “You drive.”
Not that Jamie planned to waste time switching. He was the faster driver anyways. Cranking the car, he familiarized himself with the controls, found the sport mode in two clicks, and launched them out of the bank parking lot.
“What else can I do?” Danny said.
“Nothing, that’s it, Daniel.” Aidan’s voice brooked no argument. “I’m not sure what we’re walking into, but you stay the hell out of it.”
“Ai, Jamie, be safe.”
“Love you, bro.” Aidan rang off and switched the call back to Todd. “We’ve got Hamilton and Altman at the Port. Walker and I are headed in. Tell the other teams to converge.”
“Yes, sir,” Barnes replied, and Aidan hung up. “Faster, Whiskey.”
Jamie gunned the Rover through the sparse early morning traffic, passing another fire truck and two more police cars headed the opposite direction.
“You noticing a trend?” Aidan said.
“All the emergency response vehicles are leaving the area.”
“Perfect time for something illegal to go down at the Port.”
“You think the hacks are a distraction?”
Aidan nodded. “In some part, yes. It’s all connected somehow.”
“Let’s hope Hamilton and—”
Jamie’s words were cut off by a jolt to their rear fender. An oversized dark blue SUV had burst out of an alley and rammed into the Rover’s back end.
“What the fuck?” Aidan shouted.
Wrenching the steering wheel, Jamie fought the skid, stopping them from spinning out and aiming them down the next alley instead. “We’ve got company.” He kept one eye on the road ahead and one on the rearview mirror. The SUV on their tail accelerated, gaining faster in the path Jamie cleared for them. Impact was inevitable. “Shit, hold on!”
The other car rammed them again, hurtling the Rover forward, he and Aidan straining their seat belts. He switched the LR4 into manual and tapped the shifter paddles, gaining some separation from their pursuer.
He cleared the alley, finding they’d been diverted away from the Port.
“What the fuck is going on?” Aidan was white-knuckling the oh-shit handle above his door, torso twisted to look behind them, his face paler than Jamie had ever seen it.
“Someone doesn’t want us at the Port.” Pulling a hard right, Jamie aimed them down another street leading right back there.
And into the path of a second oncoming SUV.
A horrified “Oh God, no” escaped from his partner just as Jamie saw an under-construction on-ramp ahead on the left, orange-and-white-striped barrels blocking the entrance. He pressed the gas pedal to the floor and headed straight for the oncoming truck.
“Whiskey!” Aidan cried, head spinning forward and back. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Their pursuers were closing in on either side, as bypassed alleys flew by left and right.
“You’re headed straight for them. Turn, goddammit!”
But turning down one of those alleys would leave them cornered. There was only one path to escape.
Jamie grabbed the back of Aidan’s head and pushed it toward his knees, screaming, “Hold on!”
At the last possible second, he veered left, out of the path of the oncoming SUVs and into the barrels. The SUVs in front and behind plowed into each other, exploding in their wake, the blast momentum propelling the Rover farther than Jamie had intended.
Through the barrels and past the unfinished on-ramp.
Through the guardrail.
And down the cliff on the other side.