Black Pawn (Michael Cailen Book 1) (33 page)

Dmitri took advantage of the drive to Boston to ask Andrei
questions about his work for Milovich.  What kind of work he'd done, where and
with who.  Andrei recited a few stories, but Dmitri got the feeling there were
many more that he kept to himself.  The ringing of Dmitri's phone interrupted
their conversation.  It was Milovich.

“Hello,” he answered in Russian.

“I have an address for you.  Looks like our friend in the
CIA isn't completely useless after all.”

“What is it?”

“My contact had his men look into the cafe computer Nickoli
was using.  She accessed an email account. They were able to trace one of her
regular contacts to an address in Boston.  It's an apartment rented to a woman
named Jasmine Flores.  I want you and Andrei to check it out.”  He gave Dmitri
the address.

“Why didn't we get this sooner?” he asked.

“Apparently, it took some work tracking it down and it
wasn't given high priority.  Either way, I don't really care.  See what
information you can get from her, and then clean it up.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Milovich hung up without another word.

Dmitri put his phone back in his pocket.  “We have a lead.”

“Good.”  Andrei was thankful.  He didn't want to spend the
day searching motels with Dmitri again.

Hours passed and Michael was bored out of his skull when
Jinx emerged from the back.  She smiled and greeted him as she walked to the
bar.

“You want anything to drink?” she asked.

“No, thank you.”

She poured herself a beer and sat down next to him.  She
took a large sip and sighed.

“How's it going in there?” he asked.

“Well, I'm drinking.  That should tell you something.”

Michael smirked.  “That good huh?”

“There's a minor disagreement on what proportion of zombies
should be used for the diversion verses the actual hack.”

“I see.  Have the other hackers been contacted?”

“Yeah.  That's kind of how the argument started,” she
chuckled.  “Summer will have final say though.  She's the only one who's
actually done it before.”  She took another sip of her beer.

“Is that why you're here instead of in there?”

“Yep.”  She smiled.  “I don't feel like arguing.”

He nodded, thankful he wasn't part of it.

“So,”  she hesitated.  “You and Summer.  Are you two really
a thing?”

He looked at her.  She had a curious look in her eyes and a
slight grin on her lips.

“Yeah.”  He smiled and looked back at the TV.  “We're a
thing.”

“Cool.”  She continued drinking her beer.  “Were you really
in Special Forces?”

He looked at her again, wondering why she was so
inquisitive.  “Yeah, I was.  Why?”

“I've never met anyone who was in Special Forces before. 
It's kinda cool.”  She was grinning shyly and staring down at her drink.  “I've
always had a thing for military men.”

“Why? We make terrible boyfriends,” he blurted.

“What?  Why?”  She looked at him perplexed.

“We're gone a lot.  Every time we leave, there's a chance
we'll come home in a body bag.  If your boyfriends is in Special Forces, he
can't tell you where he's going or talk about it when he gets back.  He'll keep
secrets from you and typically won't like to talk about things.”  He looked at
her.  “It seems more glamorous than it really is.”

Jinx had stopped smiling.  Her playful, giddy demeanor had
changed to one of dismay at Michael's enlightening portrayal.   “Well, when you
put it like that.”

 She sat back in her seat and drank some more of her beer. 
“If you get your life back.  Will you go back to work?”

It was a question he had thought a lot about over the years
he'd spent on the run.  He didn't know the answer.  Part of him wanted to get
out of the life, but at the same time it was all he knew.  “I don't know.”

“I don't think Summer could live like that.”  Her mood
turned sullen.

“Me either.”  He looked at her curious as to why she was
suddenly so sad.  “You care a lot about her, don't you?”

“I hardly get to see her, but she's still my best friend.”

“Six years,”  he remarked.

“Not that long.”

Michael's heart stopped.  Jessica had told him she hadn't
been to the club in six years.

“How long then?” he asked, not betraying any hint of the
underlying fury that was building in him.

“Um.  It's been maybe a year.  Before that, we probably saw
each other once every six months or so.”

“Is that the only time you two get to talk or do you talk
outside of that?”  He was seething but didn't let it show.  It took every ounce
of self control he had not to run to the back room and blast Jessica for not
telling him all of this.

“We talk on the phone.”

Michael forced a smile.  “And of course, there's always
email.”

She chuckled.  “Not as much as you'd think.  I know we're
hackers and all, but I prefer talking.”

“Would you excuse me?”  He suddenly stood up and walked
briskly into the backroom.

“Uh, sure,” Jinx replied, confused by his rude exit.

Within seconds, there was a mass exodus from the office. 
Only Jessica and Michael remained behind.  Everyone looked worried and
confused.

Jinx became concerned.  She stood up.  “What's going on?”

“You got me,” Suki replied.  “He just came in and ordered
everyone out.  He looked really angry.”

“What were you talking about?” Kevin asked her.

Jinx didn't want to answer.  She was petrified that she had
said something to get Jessica in trouble.  She just looked at the office door
and then back at Kevin.

JESSICA SAW
the look on Michael's face when he
entered the room and knew immediately what was coming next.  She wasn't sure
what caused it, but there was no doubt he was angry with her for something.  He
ordered everyone out.  No one dared to question him.

“You said you hadn't seen these people in six years.” 
Michael's voice was remarkably tempered considering how he was feeling.

“I never said that,” she quickly countered.  She had only
said that she hadn't been to the club in six years.  She didn't say she hadn't
seen any of the people since then.

“You implied it and you know it.”  He didn't let her off
that easy.

Not having a comeback for that, she crossed her arms and
looked down at the floor.

Michael stepped towards her and stood just inches from her
with his hands on his hips looking down at her.  The move was extremely
intimidating, as it was meant to be.  She swallowed hard, but didn't look up at
him.  Her hands started shaking and she felt lightheaded.

“Who else have you had contact with?”

“I saw Suki a few years ago and talked with him a couple
times on the phone over the years.”

“What about on the Internet?”

“I only email Jinx.”

He looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath trying to
calm himself.

“Michael, I didn't tell you because I knew you would freak
out.”

“And why do you think that is?” he shouted.  “You're playing
with people's lives!”

“When I said I was ninety-nine percent certain they couldn't
connect me to this place, I was also talking about the people, not just the
club.”

“You talk to Jinx on the phone and email!”  He was really
getting frustrated.

She shook her head.  “I use a burn phone and we both use
proxy servers.  I don't see any way they could connect us.”

“What's a proxy server?”

“A proxy is basically a server you use so that your IP
remains anonymous.  We route through a couple different ones to make it nearly
impossible to trace.”

“You use the same email account that you did for Alex?”

Jessica didn't respond which in itself was a response.

“Great.”  Michael turned his back to her.  “You said it's
nearly impossible to trace.  Does that mean it can be?”

She didn't respond to that question either.

He looked back at her.  “Answer the question!”

“They would have to know what they were looking for.”

“Like the computer you used at the cafe?  The one you
checked your email from Alex with?” he said, his tone filled with biting
sarcasm.  “Do you really think they would leave that stone unturned?”

Jessica felt like she was going to be sick.  It hadn't
occurred to her that they might be able to find Jinx because of Alex's email. 
It wasn't clear if they even knew of the email account but if they did, then
they could conceivably connect Jinx to her.

“Your overconfidence is going to get someone killed.” 
Michael looked at her disgusted.  “She's not safe and this place is
compromised.  We can't come back here, ever.”

“I'm sorry, Michael.”  Her voice trembled and her hands
shook.

He put up his hand and shook his head.  “Don't.” 

He looked her square in the eyes.  “You've done this one too
many times.”

He walked out of the room leaving her there.  She stood for
a few seconds wiping tears away and then slowly walked out after him.

Michael emerged from the office and everyone turned their
attention to him.  He looked extremely agitated and it put everyone on edge. 
Jessica soon joined him, looking nervous and sick.

“What's going on?”  Kevin asked.

Michael looked around at everyone and then finally at Jinx. 
“Jinx may have been compromised.  She's not safe.  And neither is this place. 
No one can come back here.”  He turned his attention to Kevin.  “You need to
erase any trace of what we're planning off those computers and of your
communication with the other hackers.”

Kevin nodded nervously and turned to Snipe.  “I'll need your
help.”  The two disappeared into the back room.

Michael stepped closer to Jinx who now looked just as
nervous and sick as Jessica.

“What is it?”  she asked.

“There's a chance they could find you through the email
account you use to talk to Summer.  You're going to have to stay with us.  You
can't go home.”

Jinx was stunned.  “All right, but I need to get a few
things.”

“No.  You can't go back.”

“You don't understand, I'm diabetic.  I need to get my
medication and supplies.”

“Don't you carry that with you?”

“Not all of it.  I only carry enough for a day or two at
most.”  She was shaking and started to cry.

“Okay, calm down.  We'll get your medication even if I have
to steal it.  You'll have what you need, don't worry about it.”

“We don't even know that they've made the connection.” 
Jessica put her arm around Jinx.

“We don't know they haven't either,” he countered.

“Wouldn't something have happened by now?” she reasoned.

“You know what, don't even talk to me about it.  I am so
angry with you.”  He turned and walked to the other side of the room.

Kevin and Snipe returned from sweeping their tracks.  “All
set,”  Kevin announced.  “I even went in and deleted the server logs. 
Everything is clean.”

“Good,” Michael replied.  “Next time we meet, will have to
be in the building you're setting up.  From now on, everyone is going to have
to follow some new rules.  No one comes back here.  When we meet again, make
sure you're not followed.  Drive in circles, speed up and slow down.  Drive
like you don't know the area or that you're lost.  Anyone following you should
stick out.  Obviously, don't come then.”  Everyone looked panic-stricken. 
“There is no reason to panic just yet, but you all need to be cautious.  Try to
keep contact between yourselves to a minimum.  Maybe get new phones.  Any
questions?”

“Should we set the next meet time now?”  Sun asked.

“That's a good idea.”  Michael looked to Kevin for the
answer.

“We should be in business by the end of the week.  Saturday
at 11:00 a.m. good for everyone?”

They all agreed and the date was set.  Michael looked at the
security feed again and deemed it safe to exit.  He suggested that Kevin take
the girls and stay somewhere else for a while just to be safe.  Michael,
Jessica and Jinx were the last to leave.  He handed Jessica the keys to the
truck then asked Jinx for hers.

“Is this really necessary?” Jinx asked.  “What if we're
going through all this trouble for no reason?”

“The only way to know for sure is to let them come for you. 
If they do, you'll have your answer.  Unfortunately, you'll also be dead.”

She reluctantly surrendered her keys and climbed in the
truck with Jessica.

Michael tapped the hood.  “Stay close.”

Josh spotted a blue Honda Civic approaching followed by a
black Chevy Tahoe that looked like theirs.  He grabbed a pair of binoculars and
saw Michael driving the Honda and Jessica in the Tahoe with another female
passenger.   He opened the bay doors as they pulled up.

He approached Michael as he was getting out of the car.
“What's going on?”

“Picked up another stray,”  Michael replied.  “One of
Jessica's friends.  Apparently when she said she hadn't been to the club in six
years, that didn't apply to contacting the people there.”

Josh raised his eyebrows and looked over at Jinx and
Jessica.

“What now?” Jessica asked.

“You wait in the other room,”  Michael answered in a not
very friendly tone.  She frowned and took a step towards the door to the
office.

“What about my things?”  Jinx asked still concerned about
getting her diabetic supplies.

“I'm going to work it out.  Don't worry.”

Josh started grinning wildly when Jinx approached.  The
second she turned her attention from Michael and glanced at him, he stuck his
hand out. 

“Hi.  I'm Josh.”

She smiled nervously and shook his hand.  “Jinx.”

Josh was tongue-tied and just stared at her smiling. 
Michael rolled his eyes and asked Jinx and Jessica to go in the other room so
he could talk to Josh.

“What is wrong with you?”  Michael asked once the girls had
left.

“What? She's cute.”  Josh couldn't stop grinning.  “Is she
single?”

“You're hopeless.”

“Oh, so it's okay for you, but not for me?”

“She's diabetic,”  Michael changed the subject.  “I don't
know if her place is safe and most of her supplies are there.  I'm debating
whether to risk going and getting it or risk stealing what she needs from a
pharmacy or something.”

“How sure are you that her place is compromised?”

I have no clue.  They have the resources to find her if they
know to look for her.  I just don't know if anyone was smart enough to look in
the right places.”

“We should check it out then?”

“Yeah, I guess it's worth a shot.  I'd rather not have to
break into a pharmacy if I don't have to.”

Josh nodded.  “We need more money.  Food is running low,
especially now that we have one more.”

“We can do that tonight.  In the meantime, I'll take Jinx
over to her place and check it out.  Hopefully, it's clear and we can get her
things.”

“I can take her if you want.”

Michael just looked at him.  “If we're not back in an hour
then something happened.”

Jinx and Jessica were huddled in the middle of the room. 
Michael approached them and turned to Jinx.  “We're going to take a drive over
to your place and see if it's clear to get your things.”

“Can I come?”  Jessica asked.

“No,” was all he replied.  He was still angry with her.  He
put his hand on Jinx's back and gestured towards the garage.

Jinx nervously looked back at Jessica as Michael escorted
her out of the room.  Jessica tried to give her a reassuring smile, but wasn't
sure how successful she was.