“We do too.” Gil stood. “It’s too much to hope that Preston designed it.”
“He has computer skills, but I’m not sure he can handle this.” She drummed her fingers on the desk. “Although, it could happen.”
Another minute passed. Then the screen changed.
Ivy read the message. Then read it again. It was on the third read that she realized her mouth was open and her eyebrows felt like they had permanently taken up residence at the top of her head.
Could this really be happening?
39
GIL STOOD BEHIND IVY and read the message once. Twice. It didn’t change the third time.
The first part was expected. The system had been encrypted. The encryption code would be made available upon the transfer of $10 million, $2 million to five separate accounts.
It was the final part of the message that was the curveball no one had seen coming.
We don’t condone physical violence, so we’ll be keeping the money. If you haven’t figured it out already, Cornelius Preston Johnson is behind this. When you find him, put him in jail for the rest of his life with our blessings.
Dr. Collins, check your personal email.
Ivy reached for her phone.
Gil snatched the phone from her hand. “Maybe we should get Sabrina’s thoughts before we open an email from the people who are holding your system hostage for $10 million.”
“But they aren’t holding it hostage. Sabrina has it secured.”
“Yes, but they don’t know that.” Ivy didn’t argue further, and Gil waited for Sabrina to weigh in.
“Opening the email won’t cause a problem. Your email is also backed up to servers. The malware is usually in the links and in the attachments. I say let’s see what they sent us.”
Gil handed the phone to Ivy. She held it up and waited for the facial recognition to unlock it. She opened her mail application, and then the email in question.
Her eyes met his, wide and confused. “Who are these people?”
IVY READ THE EMAIL AGAIN.There were no attachments or links. What it did have was a narrative summary of Preston’s attempts to get the money—first from her mother, then from her. It detailed his involvement in her kidnapping, the torture, the hotel shooting, Oliver Teague’s murder, and then Tez’s kidnapping.
“What’s going on?” The question came from Luke, but when Ivy looked up, she found Tessa, Luke, and Faith on the other side of her desk waiting for the answer.
“The ransomware developers are double-crossing Preston.” Gil filled them in on the email’s contents.
Ivy spun in her chair so she was facing Gil. “What does this mean for Tez? If there’s no leverage, what will happen?”
“We’ll get Tez back. We have to.” If Gil had any doubts, they didn’t leak into his voice. “Then we’ll find Preston.”
“Do you think Mom knows about it?”
“No way to know, Buttercup. Either Preston sent her on the cruise to get her out of the country so he could make his play without worrying about any interference from her, or . . .”
“She went on the cruise before he made his play so she would have plausible deniability.”
“I’m sorry, but yes. Those seem like the most reasonable scenarios. Regardless, her ship will be in port tomorrow at five a.m.She’ll be met by some very nice officers who will hold her until we know what we’re dealing with. This will serve two purposes. If she’s innocent, it will protect her from any last-ditch efforts Preston might attempt. If she’s guilty, then we’ll have her in custody with no difficulty.”
Ivy’s emotions made no sense. Part of her was afraid for her mother. Part of her was sad. Part of her was angry at her mom for putting herself in this position. Part of her just wished her mom cared enough not to be a jerk.
Gil leaned closer and spoke in an almost whisper. “Buttercup, you may not believe me, but I really hope your mom doesn’t have a clue and gets out of this with nothing worse than a broken heart and wounded pride.”
His words were a cozy blanket wrapped around her soul. “Thank you.” She rolled her neck in a circle, first one way, then the other. Then intentionally pulled her thoughts from her mother and back to the issue at hand. “What happens now? What do we do? There’s no time frame given. No demand made.”
