Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Annika had left the other girls to the movie a few minutes before.
She’d felt guilty about the breakdown she’d had earlier in the kitchen. It wasn’t that it had happened. It was that she felt she owed Daddy an explanation.
She’d made it downstairs and to the hallway just outside the den in time to hear someone say the name Edward Marlot.
Oh crap!
Did some of his people somehow find her? It probably wouldn’t be hard. If they had gotten a picture of Matteo when he’d rescued her, they could easily trace him to the mansion. With all the technology at their disposal, Edward could find anyone at any time!
So much raced through her mind all at once that it was hard to sort through her thoughts and emotions.
Should she run? The thought of leaving Daddy and her new friends was dreadful! But by staying she was putting them all in danger. If Edward really was coming after her, it was best she leave to draw the attention away from everyone else.
Or maybe she’d even surrender.
Edward would kill her for sure. Or maybe even worse. But if it would spare those people she’d already grown to love, then it was worth it.
A moment later, though, the visitors stepped into the hallway. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t even realized the conversation inside the den was wrapping up.
She realized it was two police officers.
Whew. That had been a close one. Though they might still work for Edward. With all his billions of dollars, he had people everywhere.
The thought made her want to run out the front door so she could disappear into the night. What kept her from it was Daddy. She knew he’d never sell her out.
He’d always protect her.
The officers smiled and greeted her. They both then gave Matteo a look that said something to the effect of, “You sly dog, you,” before leaving the mansion.
Once Matteo returned from walking them out, he took Annika by the hand.
“Sweet girl, I think we need to talk.”
She agreed and followed Daddy into the den.
While Matteo, Jack, Isaiah, Ace, and Kendrick sat down, Annika stood in the center of the room so she could explain things.
Daddy had tried to keep her on his lap, but she couldn’t bring herself to sit still. She needed to move and maybe even pace as she laid it all out for them.
“Okay, cutie. Just go slow. Take your time. Tell us what’s going on,” Matteo encouraged. “And remember—you are absolutely safe with us. I’ll never let anyone get to you.”
“I know, Daddy,” she said.
Gosh, it felt so good to call him that!
After drawing a deep breath, she began to walk back and forth in the center of the room. Her feet sank into the soft, plush rug. It felt a lot better than the hard pavement she was used to.
“I told you I grew up in Nebraska.”
“Yeah,” Matteo said with a nod.
“Well… you know I went to technical school for computer stuff.”
“Yeah. You told us that, too,” he said.
“My skills drew some attention. I won a big contest and secured an internship at Edward Marlowe’s company. Or one of his companies. He owns like a dozen or more. I took it because it got me out of Nebraska and out here to L.A. I really wanted to work in the movies, but… well, it never worked out.”
She paced some more, drew a few deep breaths and exhaled several times, then continued.
“I guess you guys know he was awarded some big government contracts.”
“Yeah,” Matteo answered. “His AI was going to revolutionize the government. Everything from Social Security to Medicaid. Haven’t heard anything about it in a couple of years. Seems like everyone talked about it for a while and then it just went away.”
Annika stopped pacing and leveled a serious gaze at him.
“Yeah. That’s because it was a bust. I mean, it did give some of those programs new systems. But it didn’t expedite things or make or make the process easier.
It was never about that, though. He was data mining.
And the United States government just gave him the personal data of millions of Americans. ”
Jack reared his head back in shock. “What? He wasn’t supposed to get anyone’s personal info. I remember that. Congress promised and—”
“Those systems were one big Trojan horse,” Annika said.
“And now he has all our info. He’s using it to train AI.
To manipulate markets. To pry into people’s health records.
Think what he can do with it. Everything from targeted ads to selling the information on the black market.
But it’s not just about money. It’s control.
He’s the richest, most powerful man on the planet.
And I tried to blow the whistle. I was going to the government but… ”
She hung her head and sighed. A moment later, she went on.
“I can’t even get a job now. I’m flagged in every system imaginable. Thanks to those government systems, he has that kind of power. The moment an employer runs my Social Security number, he’ll get an alert. I’ll be dead.”
She didn’t realize Daddy had gotten out of his chair until he was right in front of her.
“That’s who those guys were. His goons. Chasing you.”
She nodded and said, “That’s just the deal. It was a freak accident. A coincidence. I just happened to be in the same alley they were. And they recognized me.” Tears welled in her eyes. “They would have killed me if you hadn’t happened along.”
Daddy hugged her and kissed the top of his head as they gently swayed.
“We didn’t just happen along, honey. We were searching for you. Because I knew you were my sweet girl.” He kissed her again. “And that’s what the Daddy Guard does. We’re going to help you again, too.”
“You are?”
He pulled away and said, “Uh-huh.”
Jack was on his feet now, too. “We sure are. You know, we have some government contacts of our own. They might help us clear this mess up. You could be a whistleblower.”
“I tried that,” she countered. “No one believed me. He has such a squeaky-clean image! They all love him. We need the proof.”
“You say the proof as if some exists,” Daddy said. “Tell me about it.”
Annika started pacing again as she explained.
“He managed to wipe every trace of his information theft from the government servers. I noticed things weren’t right and started asking questions.
Too many questions. Then he fired me. But before I left I managed to root around his systems a little bit.
” She smiled proudly. “Not to brag, but I know my stuff.”
The guys laughed and cheered.
“Yeah, you do!” Daddy said. “You’ll fit in good around here, too. We brag on ourselves all the time.”
The others laughed.
“He keeps the data offline. It’s stored on internal servers that aren’t even connected to the internet,” Annika continued.
“Ah. I don’t know much about this stuff,” Matteo said, “but I’m guessing that means they can’t be hacked.”
“Exactly,” she said. “Someone would have to get in his underground lair, connect them to the internet, and then hack them. But there’s lot of concrete walls, alarms, and armed guards between the data and a person brave enough—or stupid enough—to try that.”
A heavy silence fell over the room. She assumed everyone was realizing the ramifications of what she’d just explained. Surely they could see now that it was a no-win situation.
“He’s an evil man,” she said. “I’ve spent over the past year hungry and scared because of him. He took everything from me.”
Matteo took her hand. “You’re safe now. But even here, protected within these walls, that’s not enough. He took your identity. Tried to steal your dignity. I want him to go down. And I want him to give you back what’s rightfully yours. One way or another.”
The other Guard members agreed, all now on their feet and gathering closer.
“Sounds to me,” Matteo continued, “like we need to somehow get our hands on that data.”
“I think that’s impossible, Sir,” Annika replied.
“Not with the Daddy Guard,” he responded with a cocky grin.
Everyone voiced their agreement.
As improbable as taking Edward Marlot down seemed, for some reason, Annika believed if anyone could, it was Daddy. Somehow, he’d think of a way.
An excitement was building deep within her. It started to rise. A moment later, she could feel it drumming in her fingertips and even tingling in her toes.
For the first time in a long time, she had hope.
Hope that came from Daddy. And her new family.