“I don’t need to tell you that if you can’t solve this case, Washington won’t be very happy. This is serious, Agent Kohler. Very serious. This has to be your priority.”
I tried not to slam my hands down on my keyboard, though my nails dug into my palms, most likely drawing blood. I plastered a fake smile on my face. “Yep. I get it, Chief. Now I should get back to it. After all, this is mypriority.”
Perry, picking up on the I’d-like-to-murder-you vibe between Derek and me, watched us both with a morbid fascination.
After Agent Sanders walked away, my partner whistled low. “Wow, did you kill his dog or somethin’?”
I rubbed my temples, the aching headache a dull throb. “Why do you say that?”
“Agent Sanders is a hard-ass. Everyone knows that. He’s not what you would call the warm, fuzzy type, but even I’ve never seen him take such an intense dislike of someone before.” Perry took a sip of his coffee, watching me over the rim of his mug.
“Yeah, well, I’m not too fond of him either,” I muttered.
Perry pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. “You want one?”
I shook my head. “Nah. I’m going to get out of here for a few and get some breakfast. You want anything?” Perry shook his head so I grabbed my keys and got to my feet. I went to turn off my monitor and paused, staring at the line of numbers and letters tucked in discreetly toward the bottom of the frame.
12080512alwcaw.
To most people it wouldn’t mean anything. But I had been following Freedom Overdrive for a long time. And I recognized his signature. His stamp. His big, giant middle finger right in my face.
I knew that these numbers, these letters, they meant something.
They had been chosen for a reason. A significant one.
I knew that unlocking their meaning would help me find Freedom Overdrive.
A hacker’s digital signature was akin to a thumbprint. Completely personal. Unique.
The numbers could be dates.
They could be times.
They could be a goddamned address.
I ran my hand over my face, wishing I could scream. Guessing the reasoning behind the signature was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Then something else caught my attention.
06050900.
It was buried just below the code I had been obsessing over. I had almost missed it entirely.
06050900.
Huh.
That was new.
What did it mean?
I bent closer to the screen, my hand hovering over the mouse. Maybe this was something I needed to look into further….
“Derek wanted me to give these to you.”
A pile of files was dropped on my desk, jarring my hand. I looked up from the numbers on my computer into Madison’s impassive face. She barely looked at me, her lips pinched, the vibe between us tense and uncomfortable.
If I was going to work in this office, I had to do something about the ongoing awkwardness. The guilt wasn’t so great either. Because even though I knew ending things with Madison had been the right thing to do, it didn’t change the fact that I had hurt her.
