Chapter Thirteen

Drew pulled the vibrating phone off his belt, and glanced at the caller ID. “Do you have the package?”

“No,” the caller replied.

“Why not?” Drew scowled. “What happened?”

“She wasn’t alone. She had a kid with her. And some FBI agent was waiting for them. We couldn’t make the grab at the airport. We followed them to a house near downtown, but she’s surrounded by feds.”

“A kid, and the feds?” Drew almost shouted in the phone. That threw a wrench in the works. He didn’t want children involved in his plans. “Hold on.” He rolled his chair over to the other table and jiggled his mouse. The screensaver vanished and the Northstar logo appeared. He typed in a command to display an e-mail program on the screen. “Sh—” he bit off the expletive and glanced behind him. Mother sat in the corner, knitting.

He turned back to his computer and scrolled through the new e-mails, reading the contents quickly. It was right there in front of him—and he’d missed it. O’Neal had sent an agent to collect her and she was bringing her nephew.

If he didn’t get her away from the feds, they were going to arrest her. He wanted her to take the blame for his hacks, but not yet. He still needed her for one more task. He didn’t like it, but maybe he could use the kid as leverage.

He spoke into the phone. “We’ll adjust our plans. I’m working on something now. Hang back. Watch for the next opportunity. And when the time comes, bring the kid, too.” He waited for confirmation, then ended the call.

****

The FBI’s safe house lost all its warmth. Allison’s insides turned as cold as the blizzard they’d left in the mountains of Idaho. She felt the blood drain from her face and wrapped her arms around her middle in an automatic gesture of protection. Damn them. Damn Sloan.

Mitchell pushed closer to her side. “Aunt Allison, are you all right?”

Allison reached an arm around his slender body and pulled him close. “I’m fine.” She lied, hating that she was forced to say it to protect her nephew.

She quashed a hysterical bubble of laughter. Sloan had been lying from the beginning, doing his job. She was the job.

How dare Sloan bring Mitchell into this! He’d exposed her nephew—a child—to their suspicions! Allison took a breath. She couldn’t let Mitchell know they were accusing her of being a traitor. She had to shield him at all costs.

“We’re just trying to sort everything out.” Allison hoped her tone would ease her nephew’s worried look. “Perhaps one of these agents could get you something to eat. You can use another room to relax and play your game.”

Mitchell eyed the men around the table, then folded his arms across his chest. With a single step, he moved his defensive stance in front of Allison. “I’m not leaving until I hear Sloan say everything is all right.”

Sloan’s face softened as he looked at Mitchell.

She would have given her right arm to have that gentle look directed her way. But there would be no softness—no sympathy—for her.

“It’s okay, Mitch. No one’s going to hurt your aunt. You have my word.”

The deep timbre of Sloan’s voice sounded reassuring, even to her. She wished she could believe him. Then she realized he avoided the outright lie by offering physical safety, but nothing more.

“Go on,” she said to Mitchell. “I’ll come and get you when I’m finished here.” She squeezed his shoulders and urged him away from her.

Mitchell hesitated. He looked at her and then back at Sloan. “You promise?”

Sloan nodded. She wanted to scream, to call him a liar to his face, but held her tongue. Agent Kane stepped forward and touched Mitchell’s arm. Her nephew followed the agent out of the living room. They turned a corner to the hallway. She couldn’t see which room they went into, but heard a door close. At least Mitchell would be out of earshot for whatever happened next.

She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. When she opened them, she faced her accusers alone. “Does Byron O’Neal know that you think I’m the hacker?”

Sloan’s jaw tightened. A muscle twitched in his cheek.

She’d spoken the accusation aloud. She wasn’t a dummy—didn’t he realize she’d guess what they were alleging?

“We’re doing this on his authority,” Sloan finally answered.

She let her chin drop. The breath she held whooshed out as though she’d been punched in the stomach. “He thinks I’m capable of betraying him as well,” she whispered to herself.

Tom pushed Sloan aside with an agitated flurry. He stood in front of Allison, glaring down at her. “Why, Allison? Why did you do it? We’ve worked side by side for months!” His voice broke as though he couldn’t believe her betrayal.

Tom wasn’t asking if she’d done it. She didn’t understand how her lab-mate believed she was capable of such a crime. He’d worked as many hours as she had on this case. For weeks, he’d seen the data, her work…

It was Tom who had convinced O’Neal and Sloan that she was the hacker! No one else could have recognized the similarities in the code.

Stricken by the surety in Tom’s voice, she rebelled.

Why should she defend herself? Why should she offer explanations he clearly wouldn’t believe? He thought she was capable of betraying Northstar even after they had worked in the same lab together for almost a year.

She looked at Sloan. How long had he known? His face showed no reaction to her plight. Nothing. He didn’t see the pain and hurt his accusation caused. How could he erase all they had shared? She hadn’t realized just how good he was at his job. Until now.

A cold rage settled around her heart at the loss of trust from her employer, her friend…and from Sloan.

Well, she was good at her job, too. She would prove her innocence, but only to the authorities. Her allegiance to Northstar was damaged—possibly beyond repair.

Allison lifted her chin, straightened in the chair, and answered Tom. “Asking why won’t give you what you want, Tom. You’re too eager to believe I’ve betrayed you.” She shifted to Sloan and stared into his dark eyes. “Believe me when I tell you, there is never any justification for betrayal.”

Sloan blinked. A shadow crossed his face, but he didn’t speak.

“I’m not the hacker.” Her voice was strong and her words hard in the cold silence.

Tom started to protest, but she interrupted him. “I’ll find the real hacker for you. I’ll prove my innocence. Then Mitchell and I are going home.”

“Can you?” Sloan broke the long silence. “Can you prove you’re innocent?”

That Sloan even had to ask made her wince as if she’d been tossed in the blizzard with no protection. She felt totally abandoned. She squashed the pain around her heart. “You should have asked me sooner.” Spinning in her chair, she faced the computers.

“Don’t let her touch anything! She’ll destroy the evidence!” Tom grabbed her right shoulder.

Pain shot through her arm. Allison winced as she tried to free herself. Tom stood directly over her, his weight pressing down hard. With a supreme effort, Allison grabbed his fingers in her left hand and squeezed. Tom’s knuckles cracked against each other and he let go.

“Ouch!” Tom cradled his hand and looked wildly at the others in the room. “Stop her.”

Sloan hadn’t moved, only watched with hard impassivity. Agent Roberts seemed to take his cue from Sloan. Finally, Sloan crossed to her chair and looked down at her. “What are you going to do?”

That single question hardened her resolve. “I can do it faster than I can explain it.”

Sloan’s jaw clenched.

“But you’ll have to trust me,” she said quietly.

Agent Roberts stepped over to the table. “What do you want to do, Cartland?”

“You’re asking him?” Tom’s laugh rang hollow. “He can’t even program a coffeemaker.”

Sloan silenced Tom with a look that Allison hoped she would never see again. As bad as everything was right now, Sloan had never glared at her with such contempt.

Sloan looked over at Agent Roberts. “Is everything backed up?”

The agent nodded.

“So if she does something to compromise these files, we won’t lose anything?”

“Only time,” the FBI agent replied.

“We don’t have time.” Tom threw his hands open. “Mr. O’Neal wants this case resolved today.”

Sloan looked at Allison. His face didn’t give anything away. “We can spare a few more minutes.”

She felt a weight lift. He was giving her a chance.

“I’m telling you,” Tom insisted, “you’re making a mistake.”

Sloan dragged a chair over to the computers, and placed it next to Allison. “Then why don’t you watch what she’s doing,” he told Tom. “If there’s a problem, let me know.”

Tom walked over to the chair, but Sloan grabbed him by the arm before he could sit down. “If you lay a hand on her again, your fingers will never touch another keyboard as long as you live.”

Tom glared with something akin to fear in his eyes, but he nodded and sat, hands in his lap.

Allison inched away from Tom’s chair and gave Sloan a sideways glance. Did he believe her? Is that why he threatened Tom? She wished he would say something to give her hope, but his expression was closed. Her breath shook as she faced the computer. After reviewing the manufacturer’s information on the screen, she started typing.

The FBI systems were fast. Window after window popped up on her screen. She glanced over the information, checked it against the data on a second monitor, and then started typing again.

After forty-five minutes she stopped. With a single keystroke, the laser printer on the corner of the table hummed to life. She pulled the sheet of paper from the tray, glanced at it, and then handed the page to Sloan.

“The hacker’s physical location.” She pointed at the address. “Go there, and you’ll have your proof that I’m innocent.”

“Why didn’t you do this before?” Tom eyed her suspiciously. “How can you suddenly track this information down when it took months just to secure the firewall?”

“I’ve always had the skills, Tom. What I didn’t have before today was the name of the manufacturers who sold the hardware. I couldn’t get that information without breaking the law. The FBI is able to work around those constraints. They have warrants.”

She looked at Sloan. “I also traced the purchase from the manufacturer to the buyer by breaching several systems. You were all watching. The FBI doesn’t have warrants to breach those systems.” She turned to Agent Roberts and took a deep breath. “You’ll have to arrest me for that infraction.”

Sloan handed the paper to Agent Roberts. “Call for backup. We’re moving out now.”

She reached for her jacket.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sloan raised an eyebrow.

“With you.” She was surprised he would even ask. “Believe me, I want this guy. Now, more than ever.”

Sloan shook his head. “You’re staying here with Mitch. I made a promise to him, and I’m going to keep it. I’m not putting either of you in danger.”

“You mean you don’t trust me.” A bitter taste filled her mouth.

“I mean, if this pans out, you’ll be in the clear.” His tone was unyielding. “Until then, we have no choice but to keep you in custody.” He closed the distance between them. “I’m following orders, Allison,” he whispered. “Stay with Mitch and Agent Kane, you’ll be safer.”

He pulled her to him. Before she could protest, his mouth covered hers. The kiss was a full assault on her senses. Her gasp captured his breath as his lips seared through the shell she’d started to rebuild around her heart. Her resolve shattered as she let him in.

His kiss wasn’t tender, just thorough. Her response was immediate and absolute. He released her with a suddenness that left her breathless. When she looked up, she was staring at Sloan’s retreating back.