“The trail goes cold.” Hannah’s tone dripped disappointment. “Whoever back-hacked me and hijacked my report was using TAILs.”
“What’s TAILs?” Fisher asked around a mouthful of pizza.
“It’s a Linux operating system that fits on a USB flash drive,” Hannah explained. “A person can plug it into any computer anywhere, and because they’re using an operating system on a flash drive, none of their programs or internet history will show up.” She pointed to her screen. “Ozzie and I can seewhatwas done. But there’s no way to know who did it. Although, that’s really neither here nor there. Because now we know my intel never made it to my superiors. Which means the Texas plot still needs to be foiled.”
“Can you resend your report?” Eliza did her best to ignore the way Fisher licked grease from his fingertips. The move should’ve been gross. But it was Fisher, so it was sexy.
“Unfortunately, no.” Hannah shook her head. “All my evidence was in that report and the report is gone. Whoever back-hacked me wiped my work hard drive, and because of the sensitive nature of the evidence I collect, it’s not like I can ever store anything in the Cloud. And if I try to contact my superiors now without the evidence I gathered, and given my FBI’s Most Wanted status, would they even believe me? Or would they turn me over to the feds quicker than any of us could spit?”
Eliza frowned. “Which means we need to prove the interception of your report was somehow tied to you being accused of helping Red Square. Prove the evidence against you was planted.”
“Exactly.” When Hannah nodded, it made her amazing purple hair dance across her shoulders. Elizawishedshe could pull off something like that. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that colored hair or cool tattoos or badass piercings would make her look like she wastryingto be edgy as opposed to actuallybeingedgy. “Let’s hope proving the evidence was planted will be as easy as figuring out my report got yeeted.”
Hannah swung around to her keyboard. Before she could delve back into the online world, however, the real world interrupted by way of a loud buzz that echoed around the lofty space.
“That would be Rafe calling,” Ozzie pressed a few keys until Rafer Connelly’s freckled face showed on his monitor.
“I thought Toran was working tonight,” Sam wondered aloud to no one in particular.
“His wife came down with the flu and needed him home to look after the kids,” Fisher explained. “Rafer came in to relieve him an hour ago.”
Eliza loved the Connelly brothers. The four big, burly native Chicagoans never forgot to send her flowers on her birthday. And they devoured the sweets she baked as if she’d conjured up mana from heaven.
“What’s up, Rafe?” Ozzie asked the guard.
Rafer’s Windy City accent was thick, his words gruff and no-nonsense. “Feds are here.”
“Fuck,” Ozzie cursed. “That was quicker than I’d hoped.”
“You’ve got to clean up your mouth before the baby arrives or else some of Annabelle’s first words will be curses,” Samantha scolded.
“Says the woman who knows fifty different ways to call a man an asshole.” Ozzie chuckled. “And I told you Annabelle sounds like she should be milking cows and wearing gingham. No. Just no.”
“I refuse to name this child Nyota!” Samantha shot back.
“Why not? Nyota Uhura was a trailblazing character! Our daughter would be lucky to share her name.”
“I let you keep thatStar Trekposter in the living room. But I put my foot down at naming our firstborn after anyone on that stupid TV show.”
Ozzie grabbed his heart as if to keep it from falling out of his chest. “Take it back. Take it back right now.” When Samantha only shook her head and blew him a kiss, he reluctantly pretended to catch it and eat it. Then, he fell serious and turned back to the monitor. “Stall as long as you can, Rafe. Then send them on up.”
When he switched off his computer screen, Hannah was fast to follow suit.
“Quick,” Eliza motioned for Hannah to stand. “You need to hide in the Bat Cave.”
“By myself?” Hannah’s face paled.
Eliza couldn’t blame her. The tunnel dug under the Chicago River was seriously creepy. She’d only been inside a couple times herself, and she could honestly admit that was two times too many.
“I’ll go with you.” Sam was already up and reaching a hand toward Hannah.
“What did you do with your clothes?” Eliza’s mind had leapt ahead to the possibility the feds might have arrived with a warrant.
“Hung them over the shower rod upstairs,” Hannah answered.
“Right.” Eliza was already headed for the stairs. “Hannah and Sam, hide. Fisher, go meet the feds. Ozzie and Samantha, act like we’re just enjoying some late-night pizza. I’ll go hide Hannah’s clothes.”
She didn’t wait around to see if everyone followed her instructions. She knew they would.
