“Agent Kohler, you and Agent Winston will work on the Freedom Overdrive case.” Derek wrote my name beside Perry Winston’s on the whiteboard. I wanted to groan in frustration.
“I thought Quantico had closed that case.” I said.
Agent Sanders cocked an eyebrow and gave me a grim smile that I imagined held a hint of malicious glee. “He’s been active again, it seems. Took credit for a big DDoS attack on Stanford Pharmaceuticals just last month. Quantico has bumped our favorite hacktivist up to high priority.”
Our favorite hacktivist, my ass.
Freedom Overdrive—or Freed0m0v3rdr1v3, as the cracker was known in online communities—had been a thorn in the Bureau’s side for almost four years. He came to prominence after a massive data breach involving thousands of confidential files belonging to a well-reputed pharmaceuticals company that was known for its progressive work in developing new cancer-fighting drugs. These files, which were posted online, showed that this seemingly trustworthy organization was in fact using monies meant for continued research to fund the CEO’s fancy beach house in the Bahamas, as well as crazy weekends in Vegas for the board. The company’s “great” work in providing needed medications to millions of people turned out to be completely bogus; in truth it was systematically gouging customers. Setting prices that made the medications unaffordable to the people who needed them most.
The breach caused the company to shut down in the face of public outrage. Clearly Freedom Overdrive had done what he had set out to do. And deep down I wasn’t too cut up about it.
But this hacktivist was a criminal. He had broken the law. And the Bureau had used a lot of resources trying to bring him down. But he had always stayed a step ahead. Almost taunting us.
“If we haven’t caught him yet, what makes them think we ever will?” Perry muttered under his breath, but Agent Sanders heard him as clearly as if he had shouted.
The senior agent’s face turned an unhealthy shade of red and his eyes popped. “Agent Winston, if that is your attitude, you have no business being in this building. You have no business carrying that badge. If you really think that, I’d like you to rethink your career choice and not come in tomorrow.”
Perry swallowed audibly and I could only shake my head. Sure, we all had those thoughts, but most of us weren’t stupid enough to say them out loud. Being an agent required you to perfect the art of biting your tongue.
“No, sir. I’m sorry, sir,” Perry exclaimed quickly.
“Well, if there aren’t any further comments from the peanut gallery…” Agent Sanders looked at me, as if waiting for me to chime in with my own complaints.
But I wouldn’t. I gave him a cheeky smile. One that I knew wouldn’t be returned.
Besides, I wouldn’t give the jerk the satisfaction of thinking he had one-upped me.
Although I was not happy about being assigned the case that no one in the department wanted, I also believed that if anyone could bring this guy to justice, it was me. So I’d rise to the challenge. I’d track this fucker down and make sure he paid.
If only to piss Agent Sanders off.
“Hey, Mason. Sorry for being an ass about the case back there.” Perry grimaced as we left the conference room.
I gave him a brisk smile. “You didn’t say anything that the rest of us weren’t thinking. Don’t worry about it,” I assured him. Perry looked relieved.
“Okay. Well, good. I guess we should get to it, then.” I didn’t know Perry that well. But I knew his nickname with the other agents.
Agent Dumb-ass.
It was whispered that he had been hired out of the academy as a favor to his well-connected daddy. No one really liked him and his obvious ineptitude didn’t help matters.
Given Derek Sanders’s obvious dislike for me, I wasn’t surprised that I had been given the shittiest agent as my partner on a dead-end case.
“I’ve got a few phone calls to make. Let’s sit down after lunch and have a look at the files that Quantico sent over,” I suggested.
“Files. Right. I should find those!” Perry exclaimed, already looking frazzled.
I gritted my teeth hard enough to break bone. “Yes, Perry, that’s probably a good place to start.”
I was the senior agent. That made Perry my bitch. So the skinny guy with a headful of bright red hair nodded enthusiastically. “Sure. Yeah. I’ll do that. After lunch. I’ll come to you, okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed, hating Sanders more and more for this bullshit he had just thrown at me.
Freedom Fucking Overdrive.
What the hell?
“You don’t look happy,” Chaz piped up, flashing me a cheap smile that matched his crappy suit.
