Jeb

Chapter 21

Jeb emerged from the SUV and then turned to offer Skylar a hand. She had slept for most of the flight to California, only waking when they started to land. She rubbed her hand over her eyes, and a grin spread over his face. Though the years had passed, her mannerisms remained endearingly familiar. It was like staring at the young Skylar once again.

Her eyes darted around, seeming to absorb her new surroundings with a keen intensity. They were at the LSIWC headquarters, making their way from the parking area to the walled patio bordering the bluffs leading down to the shoreline. The water crashed in the background, much like it had on the island, but he hoped it would bring her a sense of peace instead.

The sun was setting, shooting colors throughout the sky. She paused, her gaze transfixed on the sunset. She sighed, and he hoped it was in relief, but she was so quiet that he couldn’t get a read on her thoughts.

Hop had disappeared inside the compound, leaving them to approach the building alone. Jeb knew that Carson would be waiting to meet with Skylar in the conference room just inside the building. But since Skylar seemed entranced with the sunset over the water, he stepped closer and put his hands on her shoulders. Bending so that his lips were close to her ear, he whispered, “Are you okay?”

She twisted around to look at him, her face a bare whisper from his. “Yes. I’m just…” Her gaze dropped to his lips and then shot back to his eyes. “Sorry. I’m just a bit overwhelmed.” With a self-deprecating snort, she admitted, “And a little scared.”

“Scared?” Incredulity filled his single-word response.

“Yeah—”

The door behind them opened, and approaching footsteps interrupted them. Jeb turned and offered a chin lift, draping his arm softly around Skylar’s shoulders. “Carson, thanks for everything. And yes, this is Skylar White.”

“Jeb, good to see you. Ms. White? I’m Carson Dyer. Good to meet you in person.”

Skylar straightened her spine, all semblance of nerves hiding as she thrust out her hand to accept Carson’s. “Please, call me Skylar.” She inclined her head to the side. “I was just admiring your view.” Her gaze swept up to the lighthouse, and a chuckle slipped out. “This is much bigger and in much better shape than where I’ve been staying.”

Carson regarded her and then smiled. “Thank you. And I’m sure Jeb can take you to the top for an even more amazing view if you”re interested. If you’re too tired today to climb the steps, you’re welcome back anytime.”

“Thank you,” she enthused. “I’ll take you up on that offer… at a later date.”

Carson nodded, then stepped back and extended his arm toward the door. “If you’ll allow Jeb to show you to our visitor’s conference room, we’ll get started.”

“Of course,” she agreed.

Jeb noticed her lips trembling slightly and dropped his arm from her shoulders. Taking her hand, he guided her inside. He was so used to the LSIWC compound but immediately tried to see it through Skylar’s eyes. Professional entryway with a large desk overlooking the space. He smiled at the familiar face sitting behind the desk.

Rachel Moore stood and walked toward them with a welcoming smile. “Jeb, good to see you back.”

“Rachel, this is Skylar White.”

“Of course it is. Welcome to Lighthouse Security Investigation West Coast, Skylar. I know you must be tired. Let me show you to a place you can freshen up for a few minutes before heading into the conference room.”

“Oh, I think Mr. Dyer expects me to?—”

Rachel leaned in toward Skylar with the air of sharing a secret. Her voice was hushed yet playful. “Don’t worry about Carson. He’ll wait.” She winked at Jeb. “Go on in. I’ll bring Skylar in a few minutes.” Without giving him a chance to object, Rachel looped her arm through Skylar’s, guiding her to a door just behind Rachel’s desk.

Jeb watched the back of Skylar disappear through the door. Just that simple separation caused his heart to beat a little faster.

“She’ll be okay. Rachel will take good care of her.”

At the clap on his shoulder, he turned to see Teddy Bearski. The former sniper was their equipment and weapons manager.

“Rachel knows what she’s doing,” Teddy assured. “She’ll give her a chance to meet a couple of the women in their locker room. Make her more comfortable.”

Jeb knew Teddy had special feelings for Rachel. Considering Rachel was an exceptional person, Jeb breathed a little easier.

“You coming?”

He followed Adam into the large conference room, seeing most of the Keepers gathered. Their usual meetings took place deeper inside the secure area of the compound where their large workroom was located. And while he trusted Skylar, since she was not an employee—or like Landon, a trusted FBI agent—they would meet in the non-descript but highly secure and functional room.

Exchanging greetings with the others, he offered his thanks, knowing it wasn’t needed or expected but giving it all the same. He looked over at Carson and said, “Rachel snagged Skylar. They’ll be here in just a few minutes.”

Carson chuckled while nodding. “It’s all good. They’ll be in soon.”

The murmured conversations around the table came to an abrupt halt as the door opened. Not only did Rachel escort Skylar into the room, but Natalie, Abbie, and Tricia followed them. And they were all smiling. Skylar looked over at him with a little smile on her face.

Brows raised, Jeb took to his feet, his heart light to see a smile on Skylar’s face. Jeb did the introductions. She handled the crowded room perfectly, but Jeb could see the slight tremor of her hands as she settled into the chair next to him. Once they were seated, he placed his hand over hers, catching her quick glance and the soft curve of her lips.

Carson quickly set the tone for the meeting after introducing Landon.

“Skylar, you have a great deal of information that we would like you to share with us. Landon obviously represents the FBI as an agent who has been involved ever since you first let us know what was going on at Montague Industries.”

She nodded as she glanced at Jeb, hopefully accepting the smile of encouragement he gave her, and then turned to the other Keepers at the table. “I naively assumed that trying to be the best and do the best I could for my employer would result in job security. I wasn’t looking for employee of the month accolades, but… I wanted acceptance. Acknowledgment. And I blithely welcomed the idea that they recognized my worth and would compensate me accordingly.” She shook her head and scoffed. “I was so wrong.”

“Skylar,” Carson called out, his voice low.

She lifted her head, turning toward him.

“No one here blames you for anything to do with Montague Industries. We understand you started out as an employee, only seeing what they wanted you to see. Only working on what they wanted you to work on. It wasn’t until they understood the…” he hesitated, then continued, “Program coding brilliance you possessed that they realized that if you were completely isolated, they could make you do what worked for them.” He offered her a wry grin. “That was their mistake—thinking they could control you.”

She held his gaze, then finally nodded, her lips curving slightly.

“What can you tell us?” Landon prodded. “How did you get involved with the inner workings of Alistair Montague?”

She pressed her lips together, then with perfect poise, she said, “I was hired right out of my master’s program, but the company was a subsidiary of Montague Industries. There were many programmers tasked to maintain security. That was my job at first. A large room filled with tables and computers. Then I was moved to the higher-level cubicle section.” She laughed. “I remember thinking how cool it was to be moved to my own cubicle after only one year of employment. I was told that no one else had been promoted that quickly.

“At that time, I was given more direct tasks of hacking into certain government and military sites. I was told this was used to show the government and military where they needed to beef up their online presence and security. I also worked on what I later called the side hustles of Alistair… his websites used for political involvement. Still thinking it was all above board, I was showing where the weaknesses in their sites were. I was moved into an office after only another year. Again, that was unheard of at the company, where many people spend their entire careers in the cubicle city. I was only twenty-six years old and had an office.”

“When you landed in an office, did your workload change?” Carson asked.

Skylar nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she appeared more comfortable telling her story. “Yes. At first, it was just more in-depth work, similar to what I had been doing. That was when I met Gerald Butler, my new direct supervisor. Finding out he was Alistair’s head of Montague Industries” Cybersecurity Division. And that was when I realized who I really worked for. Slowly, my job duties changed. I was writing more and more code, digging into the dark web, and everything was encrypted. I was an expert at it, and after two more years, Gerald came to me with another promotion. He said my skills could be better used but that the requirements would involve me being more isolated from the others who wouldn’t understand what I was working on. By then, I was suspicious of Alistair’s hand in politics and with politicians, but it was an amazing paycheck, and I finally had the financial freedom I craved. Looking back, he knew of my background and played on my insecurities and social isolation.”

“Where did they place you then?” Abbie asked.

“I was taken to one of the smaller office buildings that was part of Montague Industries and was given access to a secure basement office. It was… strange.”

“Strange?” several Keepers asked all at once.

Skylar nodded. “Strange in that it should have seemed bleak but was actually nice. The office was large, well-lit, and had all the security and computer access necessary. There was a kitchenette with a fully stocked refrigerator. There was a comfortable sofa for me to work on, away from the desk, or to sleep on if I wanted. I no longer had anyone else around, but Gerald checked on me. Strangely, working by myself didn’t bother me. But what I was discovering made me need to figure out how to extricate myself from the Montague spiderweb.”

“But it wasn’t easy, was it?” Jeb’s voice sliced through the weighty silence the others gave her as she gathered her thoughts. His chest tightened as he reflected on Skylar’s journey—from the abused and neglected child to earning a master’s degree in computer programming and cybersecurity. She was compensated for her talent and knowledge. Valued. Needed. Everything she craved as a child.

The revelation that his path had mirrored hers struck him with the force of a physical blow. He might have been born into a loving family that nurtured him, but when they were ripped away, he was left adrift with nothing. At least until the Bakers’ house became a safe harbor and he found a kindred spirit. Skylar.

When he joined the Navy, he wanted to excel and become a SEAL. Be the best. Prove that he had what it took to belong to the elite—a foster kid who made it to the top. And even when he felt the Navy was no longer in his future, his ambition didn’t wane. Landing a job at LSIWC was a personal triumph. It must have been like her finally having her own space— the ultimate knowledge that the foster kid without a family had made it.

Even at LSIWC, he spent most of his downtime at the compound, wanting to provide support for any mission, day or night, any day of the week. In fact, some of the other Keepers expressed concern and were worried that he spent too much time at work. Worried that he didn’t have enough of a life outside of being a Keeper. But now, understanding the extremes that Skylar underwent to settle the inner longing to be needed, he realized they were not so very different from adults. The simple longings of their childhoods now haunted their lives.

Inwardly scoffing, he knew he’d recognized their similarities long ago when they were kids seeking each other’s company. But when he faced the tumultuous emotions of leaving for boot camp, he allowed his fear to blind him to their shared experiences. Once again, shame filled him that he’d walked away, knowing it took a desperate act on her part to bring him back into her world.

Now, as he gazed at Skylar, her outward composure belied the internal turmoil he knew she had experienced. Sitting at a table, surrounded by strangers, she was a portrait of quiet strength and vulnerability. He was awed by her courage, just as resolute as she was years ago, perched on the attic window ledge.

Skylar took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. “By then, they didn’t trust anyone except me to encrypt their most secure communication systems. Working alone and being alone, I was able to ensure that Alistair Montague and his highest-highest-level cronies had a way to correspond with politicians, military personnel, multibillionaires, and oligarchs. To be honest, I found most of the correspondence to be boring. I might’ve come from poverty, but I didn’t find the wheeling and dealings of the uber-rich to be very fascinating. But as I became more aware of what all he had his hands in, I realized he was not just a rich businessman with a lot of money to throw around. Seeing that he backed certain politicians with massive donations wasn”t surprising. What shocked me was discovering how the dissemination of everything from conspiracy theories to absolute untruths affected how people voted. It didn’t surprise me that he corresponded with military leaders. Then I discovered that he was not only perpetrating the theft of some of our military equipment, he was also selling it on the black market to some of the people who our military would be fighting against.”

“And the island?” Carson asked.

Skylar dropped her chin and shook her head at that simple three-word question.

And Jeb’s heart ached for her.