Chapter 10 #2
Indy glares at the phone, as if it’s somehow responsible for what happened earlier in the kitchen.
Then he loops his arm around my waist and draws me closer to him before asking Tyler, “How do we know it’s safe?
If Bea’s implants were hacked…” He stops.
“Were they hacked? I can’t think of another way—”
“They were.” Tyler’s gaze moves from Indy’s to mine. Guilt pinches his features. “Bea. I’m sorry. I should have thought… This is my fault.”
“It’s not.” Rafe jumps in. “The odds—”
“How is it your fault?” Indy asks. While he doesn’t sound angry exactly, there’s a definite edge to his voice.
Tyler frowns. “When Bea first arrived, I paired the implants with the secure phone, and I accessed the manufacturer’s databases to remove Bea’s user information from there.
But.” He grimaces. “I screwed up. I didn’t consider the possibility of someone using her old phone to connect to the implants. ”
“But don’t the police have my phone?” I ask. A beat later, horror hits me as I realize what I said. “But if they do, and they can access my implants, does that mean they can find me? I never thought about it before. But if I’m connected to the phone, and someone can trace the signal…”
My chest goes tight. “I never thought. I should have.” Fear makes my words spill out faster.
“What if I brought them here? What if this was just a test, and they’re somewhere outside, waiting?
What if whoever did this tipped off the police and they’re on their way?
I’ll be arrested. You guys will get in trouble.
What if they think Eden had something to do with it? ”
I can feel the panic taking over my body. Tears I’ve been holding back through sheer force of will make a bid to escape.
“Bea. Hey. It’s okay.” Indy touches my chin, turning my head to face him. “Calm down. It’s not that bad.” He throws a pointed look at Tyler. “Right?”
“It’s not.” He sighs. “I’m pissed at myself for not thinking of it. But there’s no reason to panic.”
Rafe circles his finger in a small get on with it gesture. “I think Bea’s scared. Understandably so.”
Guilt darkens Tyler’s gaze. He looks directly at me as he says, “I’m sorry Bea. I should have looked into your phone right away. But I did some quick research. It’s not in police custody.”
“Which means whoever hurt Bea took it.” Indy’s features are like stone. “They stole her phone after they knocked her out. And they used it to send her fucked-up messages.”
Tyler nods. “That’s what it looks like. Which tells us this guy is very tech-savvy. The average user wouldn’t even know where to begin to do something like that. Keeping the signal open, hacking into it, projecting messages to the sound processor… This guy knows what he’s doing.”
“Can he find Bea?” Rafe asks. “I’m not going to pretend I understand how all of this works. But if there’s some sort of IP address involved, or a GPS location…”
“In theory, yes. He could.” Tyler looks even more upset with himself. “And I should have thought of it.”
Nausea rises. “So he could come here. Or send the police.”
“I doubt he’ll send the police.” Rafe pauses. “Though we can’t be one hundred percent certain of it.”
“Bea. Sweetie. Don’t cry.” Indy brushes away a tear I didn’t realize I’d shed. “It’s okay. We’ll fix this.”
Turning his attention back to Tyler and Rafe, he glances between them as he says, “So. It’s possible this asshole could come here looking for Bea.
Or he could send her location to the police.
” His jaw sets. Fire burns in his eyes. “I’d love to see this coward show up here.
I’d be happy to show him just what happens to men who hurt innocent women. ”
“But the police,” I insist. “If they come. You can’t keep them out. And then you’ll get in trouble.” I cast a frantic look around Indy’s living room. The walls feel like they’re closing in around me. All the air feels like it’s being sucked from the room.
“I was talking to Tyler about it on the way over,” Rafe says. His voice is enviably confident. “And while I’d like to see this guy try to break in here, with the small possibility of the police finding out, I think it would be safer to move Bea to a different location.”
I clutch Indy’s hand, squeezing it hard. My heart lurches unevenly. While I haven’t been at B and A long, just a little over a week, I’ve begun to feel comfortable here. Safe.
“And what if they track her there?” Indy retorts.
“Impossible.” Tyler gestures at the phone resting in my lap. “The implants are only paired with this phone now. I reprogrammed them so the old phone can’t connect. So wherever you go—” He looks at me. “You’ll be untraceable. I know I screwed up before, Bea. But I won’t let it happen again.”
His obvious guilt makes my heart twist.
I’m not upset with Tyler. How could he ever have anticipated this? They’re my implants and I never thought about them turning into something dangerous.
So I go over to Tyler and give him a hard and fast hug. “It’s not your fault. If anyone should have thought of it, I should have.”
“Your fault?” He blinks. “It’s my job to take care of this kind of thing. Of course it’s my fault.”
Rafe coughs. “Maybe we could save the self-recriminations for later?”
Tyler offers me a tiny smile. “I guess he’s right. But I am sorry.”
I hug him again. “Don’t be.”
As I return to my seat, Indy wraps his arm around me again. And despite the tension of the situation, the closeness feels nice.
Better than nice, really.
Honestly, I wish I could just climb back into his lap. Bury my face in his neck and let his reassuring strength comfort me.
But as my dad used to say when I’d whine about something I desperately wanted—the newest game system or the delicate diamond necklace in the local jewelry store or the dog I always wanted but didn’t have time for—wishes are all fine and good, Bea.
But it’s what we do with the reality in front of us that counts.
“So we’re moving Bea to a new location.” Indy lifts his chin at Rafe. “And what about her parents?”
Guilt slams into me.
My parents.
How could I have forgotten to ask?
I clutch Indy’s arm. “Are they okay? Are they safe?”
Rafe nods. His features relax into a smile. “They’re safe. We know a guy back from when we served. Chris. He’s living in Cleveland right now, so he’s not too far from Pittsburgh. I called him right away, and he headed over to pick up your parents.”
“Chris?” Indy sounds relieved. He turns to me and explains, “Chris was on my GB team. I should have thought of him already, but—”
But Indy’s been taking care of me for the last few hours and hasn’t had time for anything else.
“Anyway,” Indy adds after a brief pause. “Chris is great. If he’s with your parents, you don’t need to worry about them.”
“Chris is bringing them to the Sleepy Hollow headquarters as we speak,” Rafe tells me. “They’ll stay in a client apartment there, much like the one you’re staying in here. So they’ll be safe. Chris said as soon as they get settled in, he’ll have your parents call you.”
The relief is so sudden, so intense, all my muscles sag with it. “They’re safe.”
Rafe nods. “They’re safe. As for you, I’m thinking we’ll send you to a friend of ours up in Seattle. That way, on the off chance this fucker does tip off the police, they won’t find you here. And we’ll keep investigating—”
“It’s actually helpful, knowing this guy has tech skills,” Tyler adds. “I’ll start searching the dark web, check out hacking message boards, see if I can find a lead that way.”
“And if the killer shows up here…” Indy has a dangerous look in his eyes. “We’ll make sure he never bothers you again.”
“But…” My head feels like it’s spinning. “This place in Seattle. I’m just… going there? To stay with a stranger?”
“Fuck, no.” Indy’s response is immediate. “You’re not going anywhere alone.” Then he stops to think. “Seattle. Do you mean Yara’s place?”
Rafe nods. “Yeah. Now that she’s out, she’s working for a robotics company in Seattle. She’s renting a two-bedroom house in Rainier Beach. It’ll be a tight squeeze, but I think you can make it work.”
“I’m going with Bea.” Indy’s hard expression brooks no argument.
“I thought you, Ace, and Tyler could go. Like I said, a tight fit, but—”
“We’ve slept in much worse,” Tyler interrupts. “Couple air mattresses, we’ll be good to go. And Rainier Beach is nice.” For a moment, sorrow darkens his gaze. Then he blinks it away and offers me an encouraging smile. “You’ll like it, Bea. Maybe we can even get you to the beach.”
“It won’t be bad,” Indy says, drawing my attention back to him. “Yara’s the one who modified my prosthetic. You’ll like her. And you can think of it like a… vacation, of sorts. We’ll hang around, watch movies, order pizza…”
As he looks at me, a flare of heat in his eyes shares the promise of more.
When I don’t answer right away, he adds, “You can say no, Bea. We’ll figure something else out. I think this is the best solution, but ultimately, it’s your choice.”
But is there really a choice?
Stay here and risk Indy and his teammates? The people I’ve already grown to care about?
Take my chances on my own?
Or go to Seattle with Indy?
“Let’s go to Seattle.” I cast a quick look around the room before my gaze comes back to Indy’s. And I tell him the absolute truth. “If you think it’s the best idea, I trust you.”