“You’re a big softy,” Dillan accused, but his tone had no real distaste.
“Mmm. Maybe.” She shrugged her good shoulder along with her eyebrows. Then, those same eyebrows pulled into a vee. “Wait a minute. If the bureau didn’t sniff out Wilkes’s real identity for a full fifteen years, how did Britt Rollins figure it out? Did Ozzie?—”
Dillan cut her off with a shake of his head. “Nope. It wasn’t the amateur hacker they have on staff over there at the motorcycle shop. According to Ozzie, it was Kerberos.”
The hairs on the back of her neck lifted. She hissed the three syllables like a curse. “Kerberos?”
Dillan’s eyes were wide at the connotation. “Apparently, they were monitoring Ozzie’s attempt to get the goods on the people associated with the joint operation. They figured out what he was really after and contacted him to give him the lowdown on Wilkes. They sent him microfiche images from the local newspapers regarding the real Maddox’s death. Sent him Wilkes’s birth certificate, graduation announcement, and the marriage license between the cartel lieutenant and Wilkes’s mother. They laid it all out for him like it was a Sunday dinner.”
“Wh-why would they do that?” She shook her head. The vigilante hackers were a thorn in the bureau’s side because they found ways to hack into the FBI’s system and uncover information they had no business uncovering. But they were also a boon to all those who believed in truth and justice because they exposed corruption and malfeasance in ways the bureau couldn’t. It was safe to say most feds had a love/hate relationship with the anonymous group. “I mean, their whole mantra iswe are the ears that listen in the darkness. We are the eyes that witness secret sins. We are the guardians against tyranny and fascism.Isn’t this small potatoes for them? They usually go after politicians and corporations. Not some two-bit rat inside the FBI.”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Dillan shrugged. “It’s not like we can get online and ask them why they decided to help.”
“Right.” She nodded. Then she winced when a stab of white-hot pain sliced into her. It was odd. The wound ached constantly. But occasionally, it was like someone shoved a sword through her shoulder.
The doctor said it was normal. Just injured nerves making their presence known. Butdamn.
A line appeared between Dillan’s eyebrows. “You were smart to do what you did.”
“Hmm?” She tried rearranging her bandage so it wasn’t cutting into her armpit. “What did I do?”
“You hit the deck and gave us time to take down Wilkes. At great risk to yourself. He could’ve stabbed you with that needle.”
“He made the mistake of paying more attention to getting to the front door than he did to me. He moved the syringe away from my neck enough for me to think it was worth becoming a human sandbag.”
“Still.” Dillan shook his head. “You got balls, kid.”
“And that’s why they pay me the big bucks.”
When he rolled his eyes, she laughed. Then she grimaced and grabbed her injured shoulder.
His expression was instantly concerned. “Do I need to call the nurse?”
“Hell, no.” She shook her head. “If I complain too much about the pain, they’ll keep me another night. And I need to get home. It’s only a matter of time before one of my pets turns feral and decides to murder whichever one of my brothers happens to be at my house feeding them.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Sean said from the doorway. He had two cups of coffee in hand. Julia’s stomach growled when the sweet smell drifted across the room. “That motorcycle mechanic who was hanging around here for days after they brought you in is the one who’s been seeing after your menagerie of furry and winged friends.”
Julia blinked uncomprehendingly.
“I’ll check on you in a couple of days,” Dillan said, giving her arm one more squeeze before making his way to the door. He dipped his chin at her brother and added, “Take care of our girl in the meantime. She’s a serious pain in the ass. But she’s a fine investigator, and the bureau needs her.”
“We’ll make sure she’s fed and clothed,” Sean assured him.
“And bathed.” Dillan wrinkled his nose and whispered conspiratorially, “I worry there’s no saving that hair. Someone might have to shave her head.”
Julia rolled her eyes. “Goodbye,Agent Douglas.”
He turned and flashed her a grin that would melt the panties off most women. Thankfully, she was immune. “Get well soon. Stuart Brown is missing you terribly.”
“Please,” she scoffed. “Stu only wants me because he can’t have me.”
“True. But I’m getting tired of his hangdog glances at your empty desk. So come back as quickly as you can.”
“That’s the plan,” she assured him.
He lifted a hand in farewell before stepping past her brother and disappearing into the hallway.
“Gimme.” She made grabby fingers at the coffee in her brother’s hand.
