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“For the love of God, Angie, what the hell did you get yourself into?” Stephanie muttered, finishing her wine in one gulp.
“Me?” Angela exclaimed. “You think I'm happy some geek hacked the mainframe with my credentials and then went and got his head cut off?!” She twisted around on the sofa and glared over the back at Alina. “See? I told you I shouldn't tell her. She's thinks it's my fault!”
“No one thinks it's your fault,” Alina said calmly, walking over and handing her a full wine glass.
Without a word, Stephanie passed Alina her empty glass. Alina suppressed a grin and went to refill it.
“I'm assuming the name Lowell Kwan means something to you two?” Michael asked, breaking his silence and reminding them of his presence.
Stephanie glanced at him.
“Yes,” she said. “We think he's the head of the hacking ring we're investigating.”
“You mean...you mean he's one of them?” Angela asked. Her mouth dropped open.
“I believe so,” Stephanie said tiredly. “I have no proof, yet. You said someone was following you? When did that start?”
“Last night. I saw them after I got home, and then again this morning,” Angela told her. “That's when I called Lina. I wanted to know if I was crazy.”
Stephanie and John looked at Alina as she came into the living room and handed Stephanie her full glass back. She smiled slightly.
“She's crazy, but not because of that,” Alina answered the unspoken question in both their faces. “A navy sedan followed her. I have it on my security footage. I would have a name for you, but this one was over-enthusiastic and scared him away,” she added and motioned to Michael.
He made a face at her.
“I didn't know what you were doing,” he retorted. “I saw someone acting shady and took care of it.”
“Do we have anything to go on?” John asked. “Anything at all?”
“Of course!” Alina went back to her seat on the arm of Michael's chair. “I have the car and tag number on camera. Give me five minutes and I'll have a name for you.”
“How about you give me the video and let me handle it?” Stephanie asked dryly.
“I think Ms. Walker is asserting her jurisdictional superiority,” Michael murmured, drawing a faint smile from Alina.
“Sorry,” Stephanie said with a sheepish grin. “It's habit. I'm used to doing everything.”
“Well, this is something I can do for you,” Alina said easily. “Use me while you have me.”
“If Lowell is part of this whole thing, then why did he have me change my passwords?” Angela asked suddenly. “Why didn't he stay quiet and leave it to the FBI to hang me? Why the show?”
Alina glanced at Angela, her eyes glinting in appreciation. Angela was quicker than any of them gave her credit for, and Alina was amused at the sudden look of comprehension that crossed Stephanie's face.
“Oh my God,” she breathed, her eyes widening. She looked at Alina. “That's why you want her here where you can keep an eye on her!”
Alina nodded.
“He got what he needed from her,” she said quietly. “She's a liability now.”
“Hello? I'm sure this all makes perfect sense to you, but I'm in the dark over here,” John interrupted. “What did he get? Why is she a liability now?”
“Rodrigo used Angela's credentials to get into the mainframe and presumably plant some kind of a virus,” Stephanie explained, “but then he disappeared. Lowell would have been able to see whose credentials Rodrigo used, but not the password. With Rodrigo dead, the only other person who would know the password used is Angela.”
John stared at Stephanie.
“So, he called her in and had her change her passwords,” he said slowly. Understanding burst upon him suddenly. “She had to type the old password in to change them!”
“Giving Lowell the password Rodrigo used to access the mainframe,” Stephanie finished.
“But...if Rodrigo already planted a virus, why does Lowell need to get back in there?” Angela asked, frowning.
“It depends on what the virus is doing,” Michael answered her. “If it's gathering information, it could be linked to a harvesting program that only responds to the credentials used to set it up.”
“Or, if he's being thorough, he could be going back into the mainframe to remove it before it's detected,” Stephanie added. “I'm leaning towards what you said, though, Michael. They're too smart to run the risk of getting caught going in to take the virus out. Unfortunately, we won't know until we find out what they did on the mainframe.”
“So he used me?” Angela demanded. “And now what? Now he's just going to kill me?”
“Something like that,” Alina said cheerfully. “Aren't you glad you came over for lunch now?”
“I think I should have her moved to one of our safe houses.” Stephanie ignored Angela's indignant sputter. “I can't let you take on responsibility for her.”
Alina met Stephanie's gaze, amused.
“Do you really think your agency can do a better job of protecting her?” Viper asked softly.
Stephanie flushed slightly.
“That's not the point,” she muttered. “It puts you in danger, too.”
John started to laugh, but covered it up with a cough when Angela looked at him.
“Steph's right, Lina,” Angela said. “If all this is true and I stay here, I'm putting you at risk.”
“Don't be ridiculous,” Alina said shortly, standing up.
“Well, if Michael stays too, then at least we have a Federal agent in the house,” Angela mused slowly.
Stephanie glared at John as he started coughing again.
“I'd feel better if I knew Michael was here,” she agreed, resisting the urge to laugh by biting the inside of her lip. Hard.
“I can postpone going back to Brooklyn for a day or two,” Michael announced, his eyes dancing. Alina's dark eyes met his and he almost burst out laughing at the look of exasperation in their depths. “Do you have enough spare rooms?”
“I'm sure we can work something out,” Viper replied, her face impassive.
She picked up her empty wine glass and went into the dining room. She felt like she was in the middle of a Vaudevillian farce. What the hell was she doing? Alina picked up the wine bottle and refilled her glass. If Harry ever got wind of this, he would never let her live it down. A Secret Service agent was supposed to protect her?
“That's settled, then,” Angela said cheerfully. “I won't be any trouble, Lina. I promise.”
Alina sipped her wine and turned around. Before she could open her mouth to answer, there was a sudden crash upstairs. Her gaze flew to the hallway as something banged at the top of the stairs. Alina set down the wine glass and was reaching behind her back for her gun when a high-pitched screech echoed down the stairs, pausing her hand.
Yeeooow!
A bell jingled frantically as something galloped down the stairs and a flash of orange streaked down the hallway and through the living room. Viper raised an eyebrow as Raven dropped over the banister and landed on the floor in the hallway, his black eyes darting into the living room. A loud, guttural growl was followed by an even louder hiss from behind the recliner and Alina moved into the living room, tilting her head to look behind the chair. A pair of panic-stricken green eyes stared back at her from an enormous poof of orange and white fur.
Viper blinked.
“Why does there appear to be a cat in my living room?” she asked softly.
The silence in the room was deafening.
Alina turned around slowly, pinning Angela with an astounded look.
“Did you really bring your cat into a house with a wild hawk?” she asked incredulously.
“I didn't think Raven would know she was here,” Angela stammered. “I thought he only went into your bedroom. I didn't think Annabelle would go in there.”
Alina stared at her speechlessly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Raven hop up onto the bar and start moving toward the end that was more in line with the recliner. Annabelle made her protest known by hissing again and letting out a loud spit.
“Stop!”
Viper spoke sharply and Annabelle abruptly stopped hissing. She hunkered down behind the chair and stared up at Alina with huge eyes. Turning her head to Raven, Alina stared at him silently. He stopped walking along the bar and settled down, glowering at her with his black eyes. When they were both quiet and still, Alina turned her attention back to Angela.
“You do realize that Raven eats small animals?” she asked softly.
Angela just stared back at her.
“I couldn't leave Annabelle alone in the house,” she said defensively. “What was I supposed to do?”
“I warned her,” Michael said. A grin tugged at his lips. “I tried.”
“You should have tried harder,” John remarked and glanced over the couch at Raven. “My bet's on the bird. I'll put twenty dollars on it.”
“Oh John, for God's Sake,” Stephanie said disgustedly.
“What?” he asked innocently.
“Angie, come here,” Alina said, shaking her head. “You take Annabelle and I'll take Raven.”
“What are you going to do?” Angela asked, coming over and reaching behind the chair to pick up the hyper-extended ball of fur that was her cat.
“Try to defuse the situation,” Alina retorted shortly and moved toward Raven.
When Angela picked up the cat, Raven straightened up, watching them with his beady black eyes. With his mistress advancing upon him, he shifted from one foot to another, bobbing his head. Alina held out her arm and he stepped onto it, his eyes darting between hers and the cat. Alina began to murmur something in a low voice and the hawk shook his head sharply, fluffing out his feathers and shifting his weight between his feet. Ignoring his obvious displeasure, Alina continued to murmur quietly, holding her arm up so the hawk was at eye level with her.
Stephanie shook her head, watching as Alina mesmerized the hawk effortlessly. She had seen her old friend do this before through the years, but each time it was still just as bizarre. She would never understand this knack Alina had of communicating with animals.
“You're lucky Lina can control that thing,” John told Angela quietly.
“So are you,” Angela retorted. “You would have lost twenty bucks.”
They all watched as Alina turned, moving out of the living room and down the hallway with Raven still perched on her arm.
“Did you even close her bedroom door?” Stephanie asked as Alina disappeared up the stairs with the hawk. “How did Annabelle get in there?”
“I thought I did,” Angela answered, carrying the cat over to the couch and sinking down. She stroked Annabelle's back absently. “I guess it wasn't completely latched.”
“Poor Annabelle,” Stephanie crooned and reached out to rub her head. “Did the big bird scare you?”
Annabelle started purring and her fur began to settle back down as she was fussed over by Stephanie and Angela. Michael looked at John and grinned as John rolled his eyes.
“I think I would have bet on the bird, too,” he told him.
The comfortable blackness of nothing disappeared as Viper came awake with a start. Her heart surged into her throat and her eyes popped open, awareness streaking through her like lightning. Something had shifted in the dead of night, unceremoniously pulling her from the darkness of her dreams. Her bedroom was dark and the house was silent, but something had disturbed the peace.
Alina didn't move. She concentrated on the silence, detecting where the movement that had awakened her originated. After a second, she exhaled silently. Someone was in the room with her. She could hear their heartbeat and feel their presence.
Viper's fingers closed around the handle of her Ruger, tucked between the mattress and box spring. She rolled over swiftly, withdrawing the gun in the same movement and aiming it at the shadow standing near the window. Her finger stilled on the trigger when she saw a familiar outline of broad shoulders highlighted by the moonlight filtering through the sheer curtains.
“Sweet Lord, you're living dangerously, Hawk,” she hissed, sliding her finger off the trigger and lowering the pistol.
“I was starting to wonder if you were going to wake up,” Hawk retorted. “I've been here for almost a minute.”
“I woke up the second you came in,” Viper muttered. She set the gun on the nightstand and sat up with a yawn.
“You have a full house,” Hawk said, crossing the room silently toward the bed. He was dressed in black and moved with that jungle-cat grace she knew so well. “What's going on?”
“You don't want to know,” Alina muttered, running a hand through her hair. She leaned back on the headboard and watched as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Where were you?”
“Taking care of some business,” Hawk answered vaguely. “Where's Raven?”
Alina glanced at the empty perch in the corner of the bedroom and grimaced slightly.
“Out sulking,” she said. “There was an incident earlier and he wasn't happy with the results.”
Damon raised an eyebrow.
“What happened?”
“Angela brought her cat into the house and I stopped him from ripping it apart,” Alina answered bluntly.
Damon stared at her for a beat before his lips curved into a grin.
“I keep missing all the fun,” he murmured. “What's the gunny doing here?”
“Angela thought it would be a good idea to have a Federal agent in the house. She seems to think she's putting me in danger by being here,” Viper told him, her lips twitching humorously.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
Damon stared at her for a beat before his shoulders started to shake silently with laughter.
“Harry would love this,” he said chuckled.
Alina smiled reluctantly and shook her head slightly.
“Harry can never hear about this. I would never hear the end of it. I don't know how much longer I can play the normal life card with Angela,” she admitted. “This is more complicated than I thought it would be. Charlie would be appalled if he knew.”
“You know, I don't have these problems on my ranch,” Damon murmured with an unholy grin on his face. “No one bothers me and no one questions what I do. I think it must be Jersey. Y'all are a breed onto yourselves here.”
“Did you just 'y'all' me?” Viper demanded, her eyes dancing.
Damon winked.
“Tell me about Jessica,” he said, changing the subject abruptly.
Pulling his Beretta from his back holster, he set it on the nightstand next to her Ruger before stretching out on the bed next to her. He propped his shoulders against the headboard and turned his head to look at her, his face inches from hers. Alina raised an eyebrow.
“Comfortable?” she asked politely.
He smiled slowly.
“Very.”
“Jessica is somewhere safe,” Viper told him, ignoring the wicked grin on his face. “Jenaro has her son.”
“What?” The amusement disappeared from Hawk's face at her words. “Where?”
“I don't know. He took him last week to ensure her cooperation. He's had her running errands for him and has been using her address for IDs, etc. She's done everything he asked for fear of what he will do to her son.”
“Hell.” Damon frowned ferociously and stared across the dark bedroom, crossing his arms over his chest. “How old is he?”
“Seven.” Viper leaned her head back. “If he's still alive, he could be anywhere. You know the cartels are human-traffickers. He could be halfway around the world by now.”
“Do you think that's what he did?” Hawk asked, shooting her a sharp look.
Viper hesitated for a second, then slowly shook her head.
“No,” she answered. “I think he's using him here somehow. If Jenaro wanted to sell a child, Jessica has a four year old daughter who would make him more money. I have the feeling the boy's still close by.”
“If he is, then Jenaro has him stashed away somewhere, out of sight.” Damon rubbed his jaw tiredly. “I've been watching them and there's no sign of a child there.”
Viper glanced at him sharply.
“You found him?” she asked.
Hawk's smile was cold and deadly.
“Of course,” he said softly.
“And you haven't seen the boy?” Viper pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I wonder what he's up to.”
“The child makes things more complicated,” Hawk murmured. He stacked his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. “I'm assuming you told Jessica you would find him?”
“I didn't tell her anything,” Viper retorted, “but I will find him. I'm not going to let someone like Gomez get away with her son.”
“Just remember, Jenaro's mine,” Hawk told her, his voice like ice.
“I'll do my best,” she said, unfazed by the harshness in his voice.
“Anything new with the Fearless Feds?” Damon asked, changing the subject again.
“Yes, but I don't know what it is. They came here tonight for a reason, but never got around to addressing it. They weren't expecting Angela and Michael. They did drop a name tonight. Lowell Kwan. I'll run it in the morning.”
“Lowell Kwan?” Damon glanced at her.
“Mmm.” Alina yawned. “They think he's the one who was running Rodrigo.”
There was a scraping noise on the roof and they both looked up as the skylight swung open. Raven dropped into the room and onto his perch, shook out his feathers, and looked at them curiously.
“The prodigal bird returns,” Damon murmured. “Should I be worried?”
Alina smiled faintly as Raven bobbed his head and settled down on his perch to clean under his feathers.
“I've told you already. He likes you,” she replied. “Michael had to call me earlier because Raven wouldn't let John up on the deck. When I got here, John was sitting in the grass and Raven was standing guard on the banister.”
“Good bird,” Damon said to the hawk.
Raven lifted his head to nod at Damon, then went back to cleaning his feathers.
Alina chuckled and settled back down under the covers.
“He has his moments,” she murmured contentedly.