Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Emma
After the briefing, Asher and I returned to our office just long enough to gather our notes and shut down our workstations.
We had been working in our office because there wouldn’t be any need to work in the server room until the new servers arrived, were installed, and made ready for configuration.
Ben and Asher had decided it would be best to have everyone in one location, so we were moving down to IT.
We stepped off the elevator, which was directly across from the main door.
I giggled when I looked above the biometric lock.
A nameplate no different than any other.
Alpha numeric designation for the room, and below that in the standard company font:
BATCAVE
Asher smiled at my reaction. “There’s a story there. Wait’ll you see what’s hanging on the wall behind the chair at Ben’s desk.”
The background hum and cold, not quite enough to chill beer, but close.
Control center along one wall, on the opposite side the individual offices for the system, network, and security administrators, aka sysadmin, netadmin, and secadmin.
Asher took the lead and knocked twice on Ben’s door then opened it.
As we walked in, of course the first thing I looked for was the mysterious hanging object.
Ben stood, and I chuckled. Centered on his vanity wall among the degrees, certs, awards, and photos, a matted and framed sign printed on what at first glance looked like eleven by fourteen paper in one-twenty point Copperplate font:
BATCAVE
Ben came around the desk. “Like it? The first nameplate. Seemed appropriate since we’re about thirty feet underground.”
“I love it. So does that make you Bruce Wayne or Alfred?” I caught Asher folding his arms and covering his snort laugh with his hand.
“Nah. Makes me Lucius Fox to his”—he flicked his hand at Asher—“Bruce Wayne.”
“That’s perfect! Pleased to meet you, Mr. Fox.”
“Lucius, please.” Ben leaned on the front edge of his desk.
“Are you two finished?” Asher groused, then looked at me. “You know the Batman universe?”
I gave him my best ‘of course, why would you even ask’ expression. “I told you I haven’t been living under a rock…or in a cave, Asher. My gamer group has analyzed and dissected the Justice League and the Avengers backward and forward.”
Asher drew back and—no other word for it—assessed me from head to toe. “One surprise after another.”
“Another subject for Friday night discussion at Whistle Spot. I know it’s only been about a half hour since the briefing. Any more information? And are those fleeces on the rack by the door for everyone?” I prompted.
I could feel Asher’s eyes on my back, the heat welcome in the cold.
“Yep. Feel free. It’ll take a couple of days to get one with your name on it. The conference room is out the door to your right, in the back behind the glass wall. Let’s go hunt down a hacker. You scored the first hit, so after you, Emma.”
***
I stood and stretched. It was almost midnight.
Asher had been called up to brief John Boyd, about an hour after we arrived on the server floor.
Boyd authorized any resources we might need to find the intruder and repair any damage they’d caused.
Food had been brought in, and we ate while we worked.
At one point, someone Asher introduced as Jackie, the president’s executive assistant, brought some paperwork that turned out to be a detailed addendum to my contract.
It’d been electronically signed by Manning and by Boyd, and apparently it was my turn.
This time, after a side-eye to Asher, I read every word before initialing each page and signing on the dotted line.
An open-ended extension, and latitude limited only by FI tasking.
I was surprised at how quickly this modification happened.
The back and forth to arrange for me to come to FI for the project had taken nearly three months.
Were Greg and his gang trying to throw roadblocks to my promotion?
It’d definitely be something he’d pull. Something to keep in the back of my mind.
Ben, Will, Tim, and Asher had divided up the activity logs and had been analyzing every line.
I was put on examining code, line by line.
By the ten-hour mark, I was nearly cross-eyed and my brain was turning to mush.
Time for a reboot. Asher was bent over a printout.
Margin notes in different colored ink framed the printed text.
When I tapped his shoulder, he jerked, startled.
He looked distracted but smiled at me and squeezed my hand.
“I’m going topside for some fresh air. I need to reboot. It’s all running together. Want to join me?” I whispered.
“Excellent idea. Red Bull or water…or both?”
“Just water. I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to last. I’ll see where my head’s at after some fresh air and a walk.”
“Another good idea. Let’s meet in the atrium. I’ll get the water.”
I looked around to make sure no one was watching, then kissed my finger and tapped his cheek. “See you upstairs.”
He stroked my cheek and headed for one door; I went out the other.
I stopped in the ladies room by the elevator.
It looked like it had never been used. No surprise since there were no other women on IT staff.
I let that marinate while I humored my body and gave in to its demands, and when finished, I washed my hands and splashed cold water on my face.
While drying my face and hands, I took a long look at the woman in the mirror.
Same as always, but different too. This time, I didn’t look away.
When I first started working in the Batcave, I thought I was imagining some kind of change. I couldn’t put my finger on it and attributed it to my imagination. Then, the longer I worked with Ben and his team, I realized I hadn’t imagined it.
There was a mountain of data to go through.
As we dug deeper, Will, Tim, and their technicians on the mid and night shifts weren’t shy about asking me questions.
Their interactions with me were no different than with their coworkers and Asher.
They didn’t talk over me or interrupt. When I answered their questions and made suggestions, their attention was fully focused on my answers and suggestions.
Tri-O-Tech’s environment was the opposite and not in a good way.
I was one of three women on the IT staff and the only female developer.
I hadn’t been on the staff a whole day before one of the network techs, Greg Webster, told me to refill his coffee.
I didn’t move, and he made the mistake of ordering—not asking—me and demanding to know why I hadn’t moved.
I wanted to leave smoldering ashes but decided to just lightly scorch him.
He never made the coffee move again, but in meetings, he and his clique made it a point to interrupt and mansplain.
On the floor, he’d make snide comments about my clothes and hair, always out of hearing of others.
I refused to play his game. One day, he’d trip himself up.
His kind always did. In the meantime, I’d keep my head down and wait for the inevitable.
Alex was a bit better. I suspected one of the reasons he—I heard later—reluctantly sent me on this job was because he knew it would probably be necessary to build unique software to facilitate the merging of FI’s divisions, and my skillset made me perfect for the job.
He also told me that I was on the short list for director of the department.
First woman in that position with Tri-O-Tech, cracking the glass ceiling, more yada, yada, yada.
I could see where that was going to end up.
Webster was also on that list, and when he found out I’d scored the Fantasies, Inc. project as well, he had to drop his two cents. “We don’t have to wonder how Palmer got this assignment, do we?”
The elevator doors opened and interrupted my musings. As I drifted to the atrium doors, a mental lightbulb popped on.
Maybe going for that promotion wasn’t such a good idea. It would mean having a team of men reporting to me, and the odds of gaining their respect weren’t good, closer to the not gonna happen range. Why hadn’t I thought about that before?
Probably because until I worked with Asher and his team, I hadn’t experienced a different environment.
They treated me like an asset, an equal.
The level of respect Asher’s entire staff had shown me was a little overwhelming, but it was also eye-opening.
What had Cassie said once… “Sometimes you don’t know how good or bad it is until you experience the bad and the good.
” I understood what she’d said at the time, but now I’d lived it.
She was right. I’d been existing in my own little world for too long.
“Are you okay?” Asher asked.
I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn’t see Asher until I almost walked through him.
“I’m good. I got so caught up in my own head, I wasn’t paying attention. It’s kind of cool tonight, but the air feels great.”
“I understand the head thing. You look wrung out.”
“Yeah. I feel like it.” But I knew we needed to push through.
“I think that’s enough for tonight.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he shook his head. “We’ve secured everything as best we can for now. The logs and code aren’t going anywhere. It’s not going to do anyone any good if we don’t have fresh minds to solve the problem.”
He was right.
“Okay. I don’t relish the drive home.”
“Good thing we don’t have to.”
“What?” Were we supposed to sleep on the floor? Ahh, the heady university days and studying for finals.
“Knowing how critical this is, John’s putting us up in the hotel down the street. On the executive floor, no less. This way, we can get some sleep and not worry about driving.”
“I’m too tired to enjoy any of the perks. Good thing I restocked my overnight bag.”
We walked side by side and linked pinkie fingers.
What the security cameras couldn’t discern wouldn’t end up in the gossip pipeline.
In the elevator, we leaned against the back wall, and Asher slipped his hand behind me and rested it at my waist. As soon as the car stopped, we were all business before the doors opened…
just in case. At the door, a lifted eyebrow and a wink.
While Asher gave the rest of the team the news about the hotel, I shut down my laptop and shouldered my purse.
“Let’s plan on getting back here by nine at the latest. John has to notify the feds, and he’ll probably do that later this morning, depending on what we’ve found.
In any case, when those guys get here, I want to make sure we’ve gathered as much information as possible.
We definitely don’t need the cyberspooks underfoot. ”
Ben and Asher exchanged a look that clearly telegraphed: That’s the last thing we need.
Asher, Ben, and I brought up the rear, shut off the lights, and threw the locks.
The cool air brushed against my skin as we walked through the parking lot to our vehicles. I grabbed my bag out of the trunk, and Asher got one out of his.
“I should’ve asked if you wanted to drive?” Asher said as we walked into the hotel.
“The walk was nice. Drive for three blocks? Why? I’ve been sitting most of the day and night; I need the exercise. Besides, the fresh air felt good.”
We strode to the reception desk. The minute Asher gave his name, we were given keys and told how to get to our rooms. Our connecting rooms.
Once we got to our rooms, I inserted my key into the lock and looked over at Asher.
“Sleep well,” he whispered.
“You too.” I slipped inside and closed the door. A second later, I heard his door close.
I slung my bag onto the entertainment center, yawned, unzipped it and pulled out a small cosmetic bag, nightshirt, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a hairbrush. Exhaustion weighed down every move. Everything was beginning to run together.
Once I finished in the bathroom, I changed into a nightshirt and climbed into bed. I glanced at the trail of my clothes from the bathroom to the bed. Nope. Later.
Thirty minutes later, I was still wide awake. My mind wouldn’t settle down. Not unusual when I was working on something complex, but I needed sleep. Was Asher awake?
A knock on the door startled me. Climbing out of bed, I realized the knock was coming from the connecting door. I unlocked it and pulled it open.
“Asher.” He looked as exhausted as I felt.
“Did I wake you?”
“No. My brain won’t stop working.”
“I know the feeling. May I?” He gestured to my room.
Stepping back, he walked in. Damn, I’d seen this man naked, but in a pair of pajama pants and no shirt, he was sexy as hell. He yawned. We both needed sleep. I hesitated.
“You’re biting your lip.”
“I’m not sure how to say this.” I was just beginning to get comfortable with speaking my mind to Asher, but this was different. This was more intimate. Get over yourself, Emma. You’ve had sex with the man.
“Do you want me to go?”
“Hell, no.” I winced at my loud voice. “Stay with me.” There I said it, the ball was in his court now.
“Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you want.” He reached down and held the covers open for me. I climbed back into bed, and Asher followed, his warm body cradling mine. “Close your eyes and sleep.”
I instantly relaxed into his embrace, and my mind calmed.
I fell asleep before I’d taken two breaths.