Chapter 21
Code
Zoey’s been attempting to decipher the list of Bocco’s patrons for a couple of days now.
The names Zhao provided were written in code, making it nearly impossible to compile a list of potential targets.
Theo threatened Zhao, saying that his prison transfer agreement would be voided if he didn’t provide an unencrypted list, but The Dragons weren’t the ones running the underground games.
The threat was useless. And unless the FBI wishes to get in bed with a West Coast biker gang, we’re on our own with the list.
“Hey!” Zoey leaps up from her desk. Her eager gaze flits across the command center as she waves us over. “I think I got it!”
Theodore crosses his arms as he hovers above Gigi’s desk. “You said that yesterday.”
Zoey rolls her eyes. “Just get over here.”
I roll my computer chair two desks over and settle beside Zoey. I blink at her computer screen, unable to comprehend the sophisticated code unscrambler program she designed. “I don’t know how you understand all of this.”
Zoey shrugs, giving me a small smile. “Where some see chaos, I see harmony.”
My gaze shifts to Theo as he struts to Zoey’s desk and deep understanding flows through me. Theo stops behind me, curling his fingers around the top of my chair. I resist the urge to lean backward as I catch Gigi’s knowing grin.
“Well?” Theo probes. “What do you have?”
Zoey’s fingers dance over the keyboard, her excitement palpable. I watch as lines of text scroll across the screen, symbols and numbers shifting and rearranging as her program works to decrypt the coded list. It’s like watching some form of magic, one I’ll never fully understand.
“So, The Viper's encryption wasn’t digital. That's why the usual FBI decryption software didn't work,” Zoey begins, her voice steady despite the adrenaline buzzing around us. “They recorded all their transactions on paper, using a system based on geometric patterns—triangles, circles, squares—each representing different letter clusters. Then they combined those patterns with numeric sequences to replace individual letters. It’s simple on paper but nearly impossible to break without knowing the pattern.” Zoey takes a much needed breath. “I’m thinking they hired an outside party to create this code because this is way too sophisticated for a biker gang.” She winces. “No offense to them.”
Theodore arches over me, leaning closer to the computer monitors. I hold my breath, my body physically reacting to the hypnotic scent of his cologne.
“How did you figure it out?” he asks.
Zoey grins. “It wasn’t easy. I had to build the program, and I spent most of yesterday trying to match random number patterns to symbols. But it hit me when I realized they were using a system similar to an old cipher from ancient Greece. Ever heard of the Polybius square?”
Gigi, Theo and I shake our heads.
Big no.
Zoey sighs. “Anyway, it’s basically like that but adapted to use shapes. So, combine that with some modern-day number-shifting tricks, and voilà.”
She clicks a button, and the program freezes for a moment before a new screen pops up. Names begin to populate, one after another, as the code unravels.
My breath catches as I recognize a few.
“Holy." Gigi whistles, her eyes glued to the screen as she stands behind Zoey, arms crossed. “That’s a lot of big names.”
Zoey nods. “There are fifty in total. I cross-referenced them with public databases, and some of these people… Well, they’re not small-time players anymore.”
I lean closer to the screen, reading over the names. CEOs. High-ranking government officials. Law enforcement. People who have risen to power in the financial sector. Some of them I’ve heard about in passing, and a few have already been suspected of corruption in the media.
Zoey scrolls down the list. “A good chunk of these names belong to people who’ve positioned themselves as untouchable. Politicians, cops, judges…even a couple of FBI agents.”
“Agents?” Theo perks a brow. “That’s not good.”
Gigi pinches the bridge of her nose. “Jesus… What the hell are we supposed to do with this?”
Theo steps away, running a hand through his hair. “Out of the fifty names, how many of them are in positions of power now?” He glances down at me. “I assume that part of your profile is unchanged?”
I nod. “Yes, we’d be looking for high-ranking officials.”
“About twenty, give or take,” Zoey answers, her tone grim. “But only ten people on this list have strong ties to New York, others most likely gambled at Bocco’s as a one-off or were guests.”
My heart pounds as the magnitude of this list sinks in.
In order to protect the people on this list, we’d have to expose their crimes.
Underground gambling has had a long history in New York City, with gangs dating back to the early 1900s running games, but this list…
this list can ruin the livelihood of lots of influential men and women. Mostly men, given the list.
“Theo,” I say, my voice quiet, “if we go knocking on doors with this information, we’ll be kicking the hornet’s nest.”
Theo's jaw tightens as he stares at the screen, a storm brewing behind his calm facade. “I know.” His voice is low, deliberate. “But under RICO, the statute of limitations for gambling related offenses is five years. None of these people will be arrested.”
“But if this gets leaked…” Gigi clicks her tongue. “That’s a lot of pissed off rich fucks.”
“Better to be out of a job than out of a life,” Zoey chimes in, nibbling on the top of a pen. “Right?”
“Zoey, I need you to do backgrounds on the New York based patrons,” Theo says.
“See if you can find any direct connections to the other vics outside of these games. In the meantime…” He glances at Gigi.
“Make the calls. Get me meetings. Be vague. We just need a foot in the door. I’d avoid mention of Bocco’s.
Just say we’ve received a tip that they may be in danger, that should give us an in. ”
Gigi nods, and scurries back to her desk.
I look up at Theo. “What do you want me to do?”
Theo swallows. “Grab your coat, Dr. Hadid. I want to show you something. Meet me in the parking lot in fifteen.”
I frown at Theo as he exits the command center.
“You should’ve worn boots,” Zoey says casually from her desk. “Nothing worse than muddy Chanel.”
My frown deepens as I whip my head at Zoey. “Excuse me?’
Zoey swivels in her chair, a sheepish smile playing on her lips. “I know where he’s taking you.” She briefly glances down at the couture heels on my feet. “You should’ve worn boots.”
I cross my arms. “You know where he’s taking me? Really?”
Zoey tilts her head. “I may be a rookie, Safia, but I’m not an idiot. I know about you and…” She doesn't need to finish her sentence, the rosy hue of my cheeks confirming her suspensions. “Exactly.”
“It’s not—”
“He’s taking you to her grave,” Zoey cuts me off, swallowing.
A part of me is glad she didn’t let me finish that sentence because then I would be a liar.
And I don’t want to be the sort of woman that lies to her friends.
Is that what we are now? Friends? “She, uh… she passed away eighteen years ago today.”
I stiffen. “Who are you talking about?”
Zoey’s face pales. “I assumed he told—” She winces. “Damn it.”
Realization dawns on me. “Jaime?”
Zoey expels a breath of relief. “Yes. Jeez, Safia. I thought maybe…”
My brows furrow as I study her expression. “How do you know about Jaime?”
Panic crosses Zoey’s features as she anxiously fiddles with a black pen. “Oh, um…he told me?”
I perk a brow. “Theo…told you?”
Zoey presses her lips into a thin line. “Yes?”
“Zoella…”
She lets out a deep sigh. “Okay, I may or may not have ran an unsanctioned background check on all the people in this office.” My eyes widen, and she quickly continues.
“I just wanted to know who I was going to be working with, okay? It’s hard being new, and I thought if I knew more about them then I’d, I don’t know, fit in better? ”
I shake my head, empathy gripping my heart. She wanted to feel accepted. I can’t blame her for that. We all want to feel like we belong.
“They could fire you for that, Zoey.”
“Please don’t say anything,” she whispers, regret flashing in her innocent brown eyes. “I won’t ever do it again and—”
“It’s fine, Zoey,” I say, curiosity gnawing at me. “How…how did she pass away?”
I don’t know why, but I’m hoping she confirms that it was a mugging gone bad.
Zoey’s shoulders sag. “According to the police reports, she was a victim of a violent mugging. Happened around 3 a.m. They assumed she tried to fight off her attackers but they—”
“Attackers? Plural?” My stomach sinks. “It was more than one?”
“Given the ME report, I’d say it was at least two people.”
Nausea creeps up my esophagus. “But she was only a kid. She was…” I do the math in my head. “She was only eighteen.”
“It’s sad,” Zoey says softly. “To die so young. And for what? Cash? How much cash does a teenager even have?” She sighs, glancing at the clock on the computer monitor. “You should probably head down there.”
Solemnly, I grab my coat and start toward the parking lot.
My mind spins with unanswered questions.
Zoey’s rhetorical question rings in my ears.
How much cash does a teenager even have?
It doesn’t make sense. Why would she be a target for a mugging?
Maybe she was walking in an affluent neighborhood.
Maybe they thought she was wealthy. But why was she alone at 3 a.m.?
So many whys. But whys won’t bring her back.
Whys won’t heal the wound in Theo’s heart left by Jaime’s death. Only time can do that…right? Just time?
Theo pulls up to the entrance in his SUV. He leans over to open the passenger door for me. I hop in silently, unsure of what to say. But I need to say something.
I clear my throat, a cluster of muted colors catching my attention in the back seat. I look over my shoulder. He bought a bouquet of flowers.
“Where are we going?”
Theo keeps his wary gaze on the snow-ridden road ahead of us.
“You shared something personal with me yesterday…” My body tingles from the sweet memory of our date.
“It’s my turn now. It’s only fair.” He briefly looks over at me, hesitating for a moment before allowing me access into the first floor of his heart.
“Today is the anniversary of Jaime’s death.
Penny and I… We like to visit her grave together.
I thought… I thought you might like to join us.
” His grip on the steering wheel tightens as he whispers, “Would you?”
I swallow, gently reaching over the middle console. I rest my hand on his stiff thigh. “I’d be honored.”
He closes his eyes for a fraction of a second, but it’s enough to fill the car with air of hope and relief.
Theo stays quiet as he weaves through traffic until he turns onto a residential street. He parks the SUV in front of a run-down building.
“I’ll be back in a minute. I’m going to get Penny.”
My pulse quickens, the enormity of the situation not lost on me. He’s introducing me to Penny. His mother, for all intents and purposes. I thought he was granting me access to the first floor, a lower level, but I’m on the roof.
We’ve skipped all the stages in between. My stomach flutters with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. This is a monumental step. He’s no longer hiding from me. Every shield has been shed. And that means something. He wants me to know that I mean something.
A few minutes later, Theo emerges from the front doors with an elderly woman on his arm.
Her gray hair is tied in a low bun, and a warm knitted hat rests on top of her head.
She waddles toward the car, smiling at me through the window.
I quickly hop out of the vehicle, and open the back seat door for her.
“Hello, dear,” Penny says, her voice fragile and soft. She holds out her hand. “I’m Penny Kane. It’s lovely to finally meet you.”
Kane. He took her last name.
I give her hand a delicate shake. “It’s nice to meet you Penny. I’m Safia Hadid.”
Penny grins. “Oh, I know.”
My amused gaze flicks to Theo, and he winces.
“Alright, that’s enough introductions. Let’s get you in the car.
It’s freezing out here.” Theo and I help Penny into the SUV before hopping into the front seats.
Theo mutters under his breath as we pull away from the curb.
“I may have mentioned you once or twice. Leave it at that.”
I snort. “Sure. Once or twice.”
Penny pipes up from the back seat. “Oh, it was definitely more than twice, dear.” Theo shoots daggers at his foster mother through the rearview mirror. Penny rolls her cloudy blue eyes. “I’m old, not deaf, Theodore.” She sighs. “Always such a grump this one, even as a child.”
“A grump, huh?” I hum, stifling a grin.
“Oh, yes,” Penny chuckles. “Every day he’d come home from school and complain about something. Usually, it was other kids. Apparently his peers were all assholes and idiots.”
Theo sighs. “Penny…”
“What? It’s true! Granted, the kids he went to school with were definitely troublemakers, but my Theo here was a good boy. Never got in trouble. Not once.”
I perk a brow. “Never got in trouble, huh? That’s surprising.”
I catch a wide proud grin spreading on Penny’s face.
“That’s not to say he never got in fights.
He’d come home bleeding at least once a week.
But my Theo never got in trouble because he never got caught.
I taught him better than that, didn’t I?
” She taps me on the shoulder, and I crane my neck toward her.
She whispers, “The kids who used to bully Jaime learned their lesson. Theo taught them respect. He’s a good teacher, my Theo.
He always fixes problems. He always resets the scales of justice. My Theo does that.”
A shiver crawls up my spine as I glance at Theo, his body stiff, expression tight.
“Is that true, Theodore?” I ask.
His gaze remains fixed on the icy road ahead as he says, “Yes. It’s true.”
I don’t reply. I have no words. I simply relax into the car seat and wait for the inevitable crash of justice and truth.