“What kind of a name is Wren or Catfish? They could be anyone.”
“Except, I’m guessing Wren is a choice because the name you were given at birth doesn’t fit. And mine is a choice because it connects me to my brotherhood.”
I stroke the name patch on his chest. “Yeah. But they’re still the names we show to the world.”
I feel Catfish’s lips brush the top of my head. Like he understands what I’m telling him. That our names don’t define us, but they do protect us
“How would you feel if I called you River?” I ask.
“You can call me whatever you want, as long as it ain’t mean. Might not answer to asshole too often.”
“Well, I’ll save asshole for special occasions, then.”
He chuckles at that. “Why’d you ask?”
“Was just thinking how interwoven our lives are and we’re becoming…friends. And how maybe I wanted to call you something more personal than Catfish, I guess. And I really like your name. So, if you do too, I guess I’d like to call you that when it’s appropriate. When it’s you and me, sometimes.”
He smiles. “I’d like that. So, CG6. Do you know anything at all about this person?”
“They had big pockets. Offered to pay me a lot of money to access these funds. And rule one-oh-one on the web, you don’t ask why. If they’ve got the cash, you do the job. But the summary is, I extricated the money, washed it, and delivered it to CamGriseus6. Gave them my details for depositing my fee. And then the whole amount reappeared in my account. I contacted them and told them they’d made an error. We even had a freaking joke about it. Like, how they’d trusted me to do the job, and at some point,allthe money was in my control. And if I was going to keep the money for myself, I wouldn’t have gone to the effort of sending it on. Ha, ha, ha, etcetera. I sent it back to them, minus my fee.”
Catfish runs his hand over his chin. “It wasn’t a mistake?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. This person is really talented. Like, Calista and me levels of exceptional. They backtracked everything, and because I can’t figure out how they did, the cartel now thinks I stole it, which, I know, I did. But it wasn’t for me. I can’t help but think CamGriseus6 set me up. They pinned the theft on me, so the cartel wouldn’t go looking for them. It’s the only explanation I can come up with. If the cartel finds and kills me, they’ll think they have dealt with theissue. And even if they tortured me, trying to get the money back, I have nothing to give them because I don’t know what the hell happened. Because I don’t know where the money went…yet. Calista and I have both been trying to find it. Or find out who CamGriseus6 is. They’ve disappeared off the map. There are only so many people in the world with this level of skill, although hackers in China and Russia are a little hard to pin down and often within State organizations.”
The sigh is one of frustration. And anger.
“So, we’re up against a southern Mexico cartel when it comes to keeping you safe? Why can’t we tell the guys about that?”
I bite my lower lip as I worry about whether I should trust Catfish with this. But as I’m sitting here, in his arms, feeling protected, I realize that it might be the only right step I can take.
“I was contacted by Dorian Chase, a supervisory special agent within the National Cyber Investigative Task Force. The cartel put a hit out on me, but it was a private contract initiation, because, obviously, they are, like, two thousand miles away, don’t know where I am, and can’t just ride across the border, armed to take me out.”
Catfish sits up. “So, the FBI found out about it and want to know what happened?”
I flop back onto the pillow, out of Catfish’s arms. “God, I’m so stupid. I don’t know how to get out of this mess.”
“What did the FBI say?”
“It was weird. Chase found an old identity I used to use, one with less security than I have now. It’s in a different name, one more closely connected to my deadname, which means they know who I am. But it was written like an invitation to ‘just talk.’ How they knew about the contract on my head and the theft. And how they would work to keep me safe if I cooperated.”
“They must think you have shit on the cartel, or maybe this CG6.”
“I don’t know whether they want intelligence or to arrest me. But Calista, Vex, and I think it’s weird the FBI would reach out to me like this via email and tell me this stuff. It doesn’t feel like their MO.”
Catfish shifts the covers so that they are tucked farther up my body. It’s sweet, I suppose, but I bristle.
“Don’t baby me,” I say, more in response to the uncomfortable feelings I’m sharing than the gesture.
“Sorry. Didn’t want you to be cold.”
I take his hands; his fingertips are cool. “You ever think I might be worried you’re cold?”
Catfish grins. “Yeah, but maybe I like taking care of you.”
I pause for a second. “I’m a little confused. This feels like more than what King asked you to do.”
He looks out the window for a second before turning back to me to answer. There’s a soft smile on his face. “I’m a little confused too. But yeah, it is. Don’t have an answer for you beyond that. Yet.”
