20. Chapter 20
What’s taking Clyde so long with the encryptions?
Kate paced the small drawing room Ziegler’s guard had placed her and Caige in after Clyde stole information Ziegler wanted.
At least she wasn’t with Mrs. Sinclair, who’d rightfully accused her and wanted her dead.
Or maybe that would have been more entertaining.
With each sweep of the space, her assessing gaze kept lingering over a pair of panda figurines displayed on a china cabinet.
Pure sterling silver. It was the most expensive item around that she could fit in her clutch.
“He sure likes to make a woman wait,” Kate drawled as she sauntered closer to the expensive prize. Her fingers tingled. Caige seemed off in his own world, staring at a book he took from the bookshelves, but Kate could feel his gaze heating her back.
“Sorry, Kate-san,” Clyde said into her ear, understanding her message had been for him. “I’m in Ziegler’s hacker’s system still, but I’m having difficulty finding what we need.”
With boredom getting the better of her, she exaggerated a sigh, placing her arms on the countertop as she cocked her hip to the side, butt blocking the wall-mounted camera behind her.
She winked at the baby panda, real silver wires appearing like actual fur.
Dragging her arm back, squeaking it lightly along the glass counter, she pulled the figurine until it fell into the clutch she had left gaping open.
It landed safely within the bag on her next breath.
Gotcha! She kept her smile inside as she turned, resting her elbows back on the counter.
“Put it back,” Raz growled.
“What?” she squeaked before she could stop herself.
“Whatever you just stole, return it.”
Strife warmed a path up her neck. Her grip tightened around her clutch. She wanted to ask him how he knew, but it didn’t take long to feel the flowing emotions through their connection. Damn link. It’s not like I intended to keep it.
“I’m bored, okay,” she said.
Turning, she dropped the bag on the cabinet as if needing to pull something out. With her frame blocking the camera, she slid the baby panda out. When she placed him down, she poked him closer to the mother panda.
“Found the access point for the submarine’s security cameras,” Clyde said through the Micron Ear. “Securing the connection now. It may take a moment.”
She nibbled her lip. Hopefully, he’d secured it before Ziegler found her device.
Goosebumps prickled up her back.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Caige said from beside her, eyeing the figurines. She hadn’t even heard him move, just felt his uneasy presence.
“Don’t worry,” she said.
Something brushed by her ear, and she turned as Caige dropped his hand.
“What are you doing?” Did he turn my microphone off? She’d barely perceived it, but a single tap against the tragus muted it. When she lifted her fingers to unmute it, he seized her wrist. Fear scuttled up her spine.
Caige spoke softly. “Don’t fuck him over.”
“Who? Raz?”
“He doesn’t trust easily, and if you break that trust, you’ll be dead to him.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“He cares about you, and I don’t want to see him hurt again. He’s been through enough.” Caige released her.
Again? She had a feeling he was referring to the friend who had used him and slaughtered his clan. Kate’s tongue felt too large for her mouth, so she nodded in understanding, though her world was spinning out from beneath her feet. She knew the warning meant more than just her thievery.
What was she supposed to do? This mission meant too much. Even if she wanted to tell Raz the truth, he would look at her differently and change his mind about helping her. She betrayed Naomi—left her behind and now she was the woman who had killed his friend.
“What’s going on?” Raz asked in her ear.
She tapped her tragus to unmute her microphone and cleared her throat.
The door clapped open. “Ziegler will see you now,” the guard said.
Putting her teasing grin in place and pushing her doubts aside, Kate left the room with Caige behind her.
Through a small hallway connected to a half bathroom, they came upon a warmly lit space with brick-red and gold tapestries. The office’s dark and modest appearance and large bar gave Kate a rich mobster vibe. The guard remained outside and shut the door.
“Care to join me?” Ziegler asked, all smiles as he stood behind the bar, rummaging through a few of the transparent glass bottles.
“A whiskey on the rocks would be lovely.” As Kate braced her arm on the leather bordering, a prickle danced up her back.
Ziegler wasn’t the only one watching them.
In particular, the TV screen on the upper left filled her with unease.
Ziegler didn’t strike her as the type to watch sports at the bar.
He grabbed two tumblers and poured an auburn liquid into them, his rings glittering in the light. “Let’s discuss our situation.”
She clutched one of the glasses.
“What an interesting plot twist with you getting, ah, stealing the information from Mrs. Sinclair’s player…
” Ziegler took a drink. “I wasn’t sure how it was possible with each player’s remote access encrypted through only one access point.
That was until I found”—he lifted her pink compact mirror from under the counter and slid it toward her—“this hiding behind the tower.”
“I wondered where that got off to.” Her insides dropped to the floor. Did Clyde secure the connection in time? She took the compact and opened it, showing nothing more than powder makeup. “What does this—“
He snatched the mirror from her palm and slammed it on the countertop. She jumped. Shattered plastic shards revealed a bundle of wires attached to a microchip. Caige moved closer into her periphery.
“Don’t play with me,” Ziegler whispered.
She leaned across the counter. “From my understanding, this is a Hackers Gala. The players may get the information by any means necessary. So, what if it took some help on my part? That’s handmade by my hacker.
It’s fair game in my eyes.“ She brought the glass to her lips, let the stinging alcohol touch her tongue, but swallowed air as she lowered the drink.
“Well played,” Ziegler said, eyeing her and Caige. “I could accept that part, but the second part is where I have a problem.”
“I’m still checking on the integrity,” Clyde said. “I think I got through before I lost connection, but I need to verify.”
Staggering relief loosened her grip on the tumbler.
“You assume the sabotage was on my dime?” Kate asked.
“You’re the only person who had full access to all players.” He nudged toward her compact.
“As did you.”
“Except I don’t have what I want.”
“I can’t help you. My player’s system was fried as well.”
A vein in his neck protruded, and his face grew red. “You’re going to give me the information about Mr. Mineer.”
She hesitated. “Why do you need it so badly?”
His bloodshot eyes flickered to the TV.
Someone was behind that dark screen. As she pieced together who it could be, her arm hair stood straight up. Ziegler only feared one man.
Matsuda.
It can’t be him. Please don’t let it be him.
Numbing fear loosened her tongue; the words tumbled from her mouth.
“Have it. You can have the information. I only wanted to show my hacker’s abilities.
They aren’t efficient if they can’t cover their tracks.
” She placed her glass down and stepped away from the bar.
Twining her arm with Caige’s, she guided him forward to block her from the TV’s view. Was there a camera she couldn’t see?
“Wow,” Ziegler said. “You’re giving up?”
A ringtone blared into the room, startling her. Ziegler held up his finger as he fished the phone out of his pocket. When he read something on the device, his jaw twitched. “Seems you’ve caught my sponsor’s attention. He would like an audience.”
Kate swallowed dry air.
Ziegler lifted a remote from behind some bottles and pointed it toward the ominous black screen. Her fingers itched to snatch the remote from him. She didn’t want to see. Didn’t want to know. The TV ticked on and brightness filled the room.
“Hello, Elizabeth Hackerm,” a familiar male voice said from the speakers. The voice was hypnotizing as much as it was robotic. Silken as much as it was vicious. Twining around her larynx, the very sound suffocated her.
What if he recognizes me? The woman he had known her as had been Japanese, but were more than four generations of mixed genes strong enough to change her appearance? Her leg muscles went rigid, ready to run. As she turned, her view of the TV glassed over.
“I’m Eiji Matsuda.”
She focused on the plain white background behind his figure. No. Please. Get me out of here.
“I didn’t know you were acquainted with Elizabeth, Jack,” Matsuda said.
Jack? Right, Caige’s alias. Matsuda knows him personally? Wooziness accompanied the thought.
“I’m not, sir,” Caige said. “I’m here on her dime.”
“Kate, breathe.” The timbre blazed through her fading consciousness. The lingering warmth along the link in her mind tugged at her. Raz. “Come on, baby. Clyde’s got it. I’m on my way, but I need you to breathe.”
A sharp sting on her arm shocked her. She gasped. Caige released his pinching fingers. She breathed in deeply, and the purple dots receded from her sight. She swallowed, trying to recover. “Gomen-nasai.” She bowed at the hip.
The swooping black eyebrows above Matsuda’s deep brown eyes pinched together. “Nihongo ga hanasemasu ka?”
Shit. She had reverted to her native language and mannerisms, and he asked her whether she knew Japanese. “A little. Jack here has actually been teaching me. I may have stolen him because of his status on your roster. He adores your secret works.”
“Really?” His eyes hit that light amber of appreciation that used to get her whatever she wanted. And if she could bump Jack’s favor in Matsuda’s eyes, this interaction would be worth it. But that was only if Caige could pass the test. “What’s your favorite?”
Please don’t fail me. Matsuda’s art was a talent he tried to keep hidden given his fragile ego concerning them. Still, anyone who did extensive research on him would know about them.
“Ame no naka ni bara is my current favorite piece,“ Caige said.
Kate sighed internally and tried to unclasp her fingers from around Caige’s arm. His Japanese wasn’t even that bad.
“Ah…you humble me. Elizabeth, thank you for the show. I haven’t seen talent like that in some time.”
Age had been kind to him. No wrinkles had accumulated over the fifty years.
He still had strong features, giving him a fierce, youthful appearance.
His oversized Gucci-printed sweater added to the effect.
He had always loved keeping up with the latest trends.
Her jaw clenched, hating herself for still harboring that knowledge.
He isn’t the man you knew. You fell for someone who doesn’t exist.
“Thank you.” She met his eyes. The gaze that had once made her feel like an eagle in the sky now made her feel like dust on the floor. But his lack of bravado made it seem as though he had no clue who she was.
“But why all the theatrics only to turn around and give it up?” Matsuda asked. “What’s your game?”
“Ohh…” She held her hand over her heart to add to the theatrics. “It’s not a game at all. Except it gave me an audience with you.”
She hadn’t thought he would stoop to watching a Hackers Gala.
Something worth his time must have grabbed his attention, as he was a man who wanted all the time in the world.
Enough that he had found himself a Fallen who could grant miracles.
Her heart crushed under the idea that he was using Naomi to extend his life.
“Why did you want to meet with me?” he asked.
“Because I can provide you with top-dollar hacking services. Why should I go through the middleman when I can deal directly with the money?” A trick he had taught her himself.
His lips crinkled, revealing a wicked smirk, and her heart squeezed painfully tight. “I respect that. You risked garnering enemies.”
“I hoped you both would curb Mrs. Sinclair’s temper for the information I possess.”
He snorted before he looked past the camera. A garbled whisper from someone off his screen tightened Matsuda’s face, hard lines forming and eyebrows drawing together. “Deal with the information exchange among yourselves. Elizabeth. I will be in touch.”
I hope not.
The feed turned black. Ziegler’s arms crossed his chest. His demeanor changed, dripping with sex appeal aimed at Kate. He liked bold women, so that wasn’t a surprise. “Seriously? You have Matsuda’s thug tied to your arm? That’s why I thought I recognized him. Why take the risk for Matsuda?”
Right. Matsuda knew Jack personally, which meant he wasn’t just a lackey; he was high up in the ranks. Where their arms were linked, sweat accumulated. “To prove I’m worth his time.”
“Spoken like someone who knows Matsuda.”
He had no idea.
“So where is my information?” Ziegler came around the bar and stood between her and the door.
“Waiting for you in an email.”
His mouth gaped before he let out a long laugh. “You are something else. Now, about this prize…”
“Sinclair can have it—as my condolences for her equipment. I got what I came here for. Am I free to go?”
He waved toward the exit. “Be my guest.”
As she and Caige walked by, Ziegler placed a hand on her shoulder. She recoiled on the inside.
“You play a dangerous game, Elizabeth,” he said. “Don’t get too cocky.”
She shook off his grip and leaned into his ear. “There’s never been a cock I can’t handle.”