11. Dale
Iprowled past the front window, checking through the dusty blinds of the house I’d lived in for the past twenty years. The street outside was empty, deserted at this hour, but I never trusted appearances. I watched for any movement. The only motion came from tree branches scraping against the abandoned house across the street. Its front gate dangled open, and the sidewalk and street were cracked with age and neglect.
I hated this house, this neighborhood that I’d been stuck in ever since Faith Evert ruined my mother’s life. It was her fault I was here. Her fault my family had been reduced to crippling poverty. Her fault my sister and mother were dead, and I was alone in the world. I stalked over to the last snapshot taken of my family. Gloria, my mother, already sick with the cancer that took her, was thin and pale. My mother, worn by age and worry, couldn’t even manage a smile. They’d been victims of the Everts—and they were the reason why those bitches were going to pay, every one of them.
The daughter with the perfect blond hair and little boy would be first. Carolyn Evert. God, I even hated her name. My mother had told me about the spoiled girl, always getting what she wanted. I’d take her down—her and her store with the stupid name. All That Sparkles. By the time I was done, nothing would sparkle about the jewelry store. I had plans to reduce it and the Everts to ruin and ashes.
And I was close to succeeding. But Carolyn was cleverer than I’d expected. She’d foiled the robbery, thanks to that dumbass druggie. That’s what I got for hiring a guy who came that cheap. I should have known he couldn’t be counted on when a few pills and the promise of more was all it had taken to convince him to commit armed robbery. It was just as well he was dead. The guy might have become a liability later.
The robbery had caused trouble for the store. That was good, very good, but they’d reopened too quickly. I was going to have to escalate my game to take them out. Computer sabotage was a pivotal part of my plan—and, conveniently, my area of expertise.
I sat at a card table where my computer was, focusing on the large monitor. I’d remoted into my work, a job I’d pursued after learning that my employer was Carolyn’s tech company. Oh, the havoc I could cause.
Take that, bitch.
I’d seen her recent request for a security sweep come through. It would unearth some information about the measures that I’d taken, but nothing that could tie the fraudulent emails back to me. Not easily, anyway.
The computer forensics sweep might, though. I cracked open a beer and flexed my fingers. I’d done my best to keep my cool in the office when that email came through, even though my anger had spiked when me and the other techs received a notice to cooperate fully with the outside “expert” she’d hired by handing over passwords and access codes. I had played along, since I’d had to make it look good, all the while plotting how to cast blame on others.
Because I knew with every click of the analyst’s mouse, my danger increased. Carolyn was getting closer to me. If she’d hired an expert, it meant she’d already figured out that these setbacks weren’t accidental. Now that she knew she was looking for a saboteur, narrowing down the list of who had access wouldn’t take too long.
I grinned. Bring it on. I had more plans up my sleeve, starting tonight.
I opened her account, and code filled my screen, each bit making sense to me. How could I best screw with her? I tapped a couple of keys, wiping out some stored inventory files from the server. Annoying, but I could do better.
Let’s jack up payroll next. With a few swipes of my fingers, I implanted a worm that would interrupt the direct deposits. Those employees wouldn’t get paid next week. Too bad.
I leaned back in my chair, my eyes scanning the dingy room. I wanted something bigger. Something that would make the business collapse and bring the Evert family to their knees.
Ideas cascaded through my mind until one took shape. Ah, yes. That. I laughed.