His voice matched her own when he informed her, “Despite his allusion to the contrary, Fish doesn’t play for keeps.”
“Who says I’m looking for keeps?”
The look of astonishment that came over Sam’s face was almost laughable. Then, he changed tactics. “He’s too old for you.”
She glanced briefly at Fisher, still deep in Rodney Dangerfield conversation with Ozzie. “How old is he?”
“Thirty-four.”
“Your age. Which is only four years older than me.”
“Almost five,” he corrected.
“Okay. Almost five. Would it shock you to learn Candy married a man nearly eight years her senior? Are you ready to turn my brother-in-law in to the authorities forcorrupting a minor?”
“That’s different.”
“How so?”
“Your sister wasn’t a minor when she met her husband.”
“And I’m not a minor now. Neither is Fisher. So explain to me again what the problem is?”
She’d just beat him at his own game. The expression on his face said as much.
“Look, Sam.” She sighed. “I get you’re having a hard time admitting I’ve grown up. But I spent six years in college getting two degrees. I have a career and an apartment and a 401K. I’ve had boyfriends and lovers and friends with benefits. So how about you drop the big brother act. Because I am not, and never have been, your little sister.”
The way he blinked reminded her of the YouTube videos she’d seen of old Commodore 64 computers trying to crunch data. Slow and cumbersome.
Grunting her annoyance, she returned her attention to the group. Ozzie had moved on to the subject ofSaturday Night Live. He was telling Fisher the best cast were the 70’s members, including Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and Dan Akroyd.
“No, no, no.” Fisher shook his head. “The absolutebestSNL cast was the one with Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Will Forte and—”
“To answer your question, Fisher”—she jumped in because she thought she might have to wait all night if she didn’t—“that one vulnerable power plant is connected to all the others through a system of proprietary software. If the Chinese upload the malware to the vulnerable plant, it opens the doors to all the others. Then we’re talking a catastrophic cascade of failures until eventually…” She snapped her fingers. “Lights out, Texas.”
“Hell.” Eliza’s eyes were large and unblinking. She pulled a locket from inside the collar of her blouse and rubbed it between two fingers.
“Itwillbe hell.” Hannah nodded. “And nobody should be surprised. For years China has been working on ways to shut down the U.S. power grid. I think this is an experiment. It’ll act as a test for what will happen nationally should the Chinese decide to make a broader incursion.”
“Attacking a nation’s power grid is considered an open act of war.” Sam’s dark eyebrows pulled into a V.
Ozzie wore a matching expression. “Which will result in a kinetic response.”
Hannah had been so preoccupied with the consequences for Texas, she hadn’t consideredthe international repercussions. She wouldn’t have thought it possible after the freezing cold of the motorcycle ride but sweat popped out on the back of her neck. “Wait. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
It was Eliza who answered. “The U.S. position is that digital attacks will be met with physical attacks.”
“Meaning war?” Hannah’s words were hoarse.
“Meaning war.” Sam jerked his chin down once. “With China, which has the largest standing military on the planet.”
Her stomach didn’t just drop then. It hit the frickin’ floor with so much force she wouldn’t have been surprised to hear asplat. “Holy knuckle-dragging shit-gibbons,” she breathed as the hair all over her body lifted as if in warning of a lightning strike.
“Right.” Ozzie pushed back from the table. “So first things first. We make sure your superiors got the intel regarding Texas. If they have and are taking measures to prevent the attack, then we can turn our attention to figuring out who fingered you for working with Red Square.”
As much as she didn’t like the idea of being labeled a criminal conspirator for one minute longer than was absolutely necessary, Ozzie was right. They had to ensure Texas was safe—and apparently head off World War III—before they could turn their attention toward clearing her name.
“You okay if I use your equipment?” She jerked her chin toward the bank of computers.
