Fatal Transaction (Thriller & Suspense, Cyber Crime) (12 page)

Chapter 26

A
noise woke Sara from her light restless sleep, a sleep filled with nightmares of Levy finding her, Mike beating her, and the police arresting her. The night had been long.

She opened one eye in time to see Derry poke his head into the room.

“Hi there. What time is it?” Her lips stuck together, and her mouth was dry.

Derry smiled. “Around noon. Feel like eating something?”

“More canned vegetable soup?” She worked to sit up. It was not as painful as yesterday, but was still difficult. Derry stepped in and set a bowl and glass on the nightstand before placing an extra pillow behind her.

“You decided to get dressed?” He reached for the bowl.

“I’m really thirsty. Can I have some water first?”

Derry set the bowl back down and handed her the glass of water. She drank a few sips. “Thanks. I must be feeling better—that smells good.” Sara tried to glance over her shoulder, but her muscles complained loudly.

Derry retrieved the bowl. “How does beef stew sound?” He held it out to her.

“Beef stew? You cooked stew?” He didn’t seem like the domesticated type.

“I’m trying to help you, not kill you. I picked it up at one of those places that make meals for people who don’t have the time to cook—or can’t.”

“So, which are you?” Sara accepted the stew along with a spoon.

“Cooking’s not one of my many talents.”

“But saving damsels in distress is.” She tasted a small spoonful of the stew. It was delicious.

“That’s more of a hobby.”

She eyed him. “So, just how many damsels have you saved?”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. Derry’s face lost its light humor as he shifted his eyes away from her. He became quiet.

What happened? Did I hit a sore spot?

“You going to join me, or do I have to eat alone?” She tried to lighten the heavy mood.

“Sure, I’ll be back in a sec.” He left the room.

Sara looked over at the laptop next to her on the bed. Tapping the touch pad brought the screen to life. The browser showed she had a new email. It was from
herself
, or so it said. The tag line read: Greetings from Estes Park.

She opened it.

You’re still among the living, but only because I let you live. My boy wanted you dead. Now, you owe me your life. As partial payment, I took your money. Think of it as a first installment. You’re broke and homeless, there’s no place you can hide. Within hours, I’ll have you. At that point, Mike will finish his work.

Levy. How’d he find out about the money?

Kai must have set up a trap on the account. She was the only one working for him, and smart enough.

How stupid of me
.
Of course, Levy would know I was alive and would continue to look for me. My apartment’s out, along with my friends. Everyone I know owes Levy something, and would never cross him.

Sara jumped when Derry walked in.

“I also got some warm Italian bread. Want some?” A foot-long loaf balanced on top of his bowl of stew.

She closed the lid to the laptop without logging out. She didn’t want Derry to see the email. She’d deal with it later.

“You okay?” He set the bread on the nightstand along with his bowl and a can of Coke.

Calming herself, she looked up. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

The loaf was cut most of the way through. Derry tore off a slice. “Butter?”

“No, thanks. I’ll just dip it in the stew.”

She needed a place to hide. Someplace Levy knew nothing about. Someplace where she would be safe and could make new plans.

She barely listened while Derry continued talking. The answer she was looking for was right here in front of her.
Derry
. A hasty plan formed in her mind.

Sara gave him a calculated innocent smile, one she’d used in the past on other men. She hoped the bruise on her face wouldn’t negate the effect. He fumbled over his words. His gaze was fastened on her face. Even with the cuts and bruises, she still had the touch.

He stopped in mid-sentence. “What are you smiling about?”

“You seem like such a nice person, but I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

He lost a little of his smile as he set his empty bowl on the floor. “You’re not taking advantage of me. I brought you here without your permission. Remember? You were kind of passed out.”

Sara lowered her gaze, giving him the lost puppy look. “I know. It’s just I’m putting you in danger. Maybe I should go before something happens to you.”

She didn’t have to wait long for him to come around.

“Do you think those men know where you live?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure.” She stared at her ripped jeans.

Derry rose. “I think you’re better off here. I mean, I know you don’t know me and all, but I did save your life. I can’t let something happen to you now.”

“I don’t know. What if they come after you? Maybe I should leave today.” Setting her bowl aside, Sara made a feeble attempt to get up. As she swung her feet off the bed, Derry rushed to her side. She attempted to stand but fell against him. She put her arms around him. He was more muscular than he looked.

“Thank you. Just give me a minute and I’ll be okay.” She knew what guys liked. She rested her head against his chest.

He didn’t move. He just stood there. She had him and knew it. He was so easy to manipulate.

“You need to sit back down. You’re in no shape to go anywhere.” He lowered her to the bed.

“But—”

“You need to stop worrying about me, and worry about yourself. At least stay until Natalie says you’re doing well enough to be on your own.”

“You’re sure it’s okay?”
Too
easy
.

***

Kai hadn’t seen Levy since early this morning, and she finally had good news for him. She didn’t necessarily want to deliver this news, but she knew she must. She toiled her way up the stairs to his office.

The door was open. Kai tapped on the frame.

“Enter.”

She stepped just inside the doorway.

“I’m on my way out. I hope you have something positive.” Levy stuffed a small stack of folders into his briefcase.

“Sara read the email I sent.”

He paused with his hand halfway in his briefcase. “So we have her?”

“Soon.”

Pulling his hand out, Levy closed the briefcase. “Soon? You said the moment she read the email we would know where she was.”

“The tracking program was downloaded to whatever computer she’s using, but she turned the computer off before it had time to complete the trace. Next time she goes online, it will send us the full routing list. We’ll be able to find her from that.” Kai tried to keep her gaze on Levy; her dislike for him only grew each time she talked with him.

Levy walked toward the door as his glare bore down on her. “This better work.”

A chill ran the length of her body as he passed.

***

Sara set down her empty bowl as Derry said something about making a place to sleep in his guesthouse.

“You have a guesthouse?”

“Sort of. It’s out back. I’m working on it.” Derry glanced at the window.

Sara followed his gaze.

“You can see it from here.” He stood and opened the blinds.

Sara peered into the backyard. “Where is it?”

Derry pointed. “Right there. I know it doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the inside’s not too bad.”

Sara stared at the shack. That was the only word for it.

She’d seen better looking shanties in the slums of Mexico. Was he serious?

As Derry left to work on it, she brought her mind back to her real problem. Why would Levy tell her he had her money? It wasn’t like him to give away his plans. She needed to look at the email again. Maybe she missed something. He said he would have her soon. How?

How would I find someone?

I’d use an email tracking program buried deep in the header.

Sara’s heart froze. Did she just give away her hideout? Her gaze slid across the bed to the laptop.

Grabbing the computer, she flipped it over and pulled out the battery. She hoped the program had not had time to send the routing information. Kai would be using the program they wrote together. It would take too long to develop and test a new one. Thinking back, she replayed the events from thirty minutes ago in her mind. She needed to calculate how much time she had given the program to run:

She saw the new email.

She opened the email and started the countdown.

She read the email. Ten seconds tops.

Thought about it. Maybe five more.

Derry came in and said something. She closed the lid. Okay, four more seconds.

Add one more, just in case.

That makes twenty seconds.

How fast was this computer? She read the labels on the bottom.

Slow. That was a plus in this case.

Sara figured it would take at least thirty seconds for the program to set up, gather the data, and send it back to Kai.

She was safe—she hoped. The problem was, as soon as this computer went back online, the data would be sent, and Levy would find her. She couldn’t let that happen.

She hoped there was nothing important on Derry’s computer. If there was, oh well.

Sara took her glass of water, and poured it through the air vents in the back of the computer. Sticking the battery back in, she hit the power button.

Chapter 27

T
urning the power on and off several times, Sara made sure the computer was completely fried. But, to ensure Derry didn’t dry it out and get it working again, she took her spoon and placed it on the keyboard. After slamming the lid hard enough to crack the screen, she put the spoon back in her bowl.

Waiting for Derry, she worked on her new plan. First thing she needed was a new computer. One like she had when she worked for Levy would be perfect. With that, she could move around the Internet without Kai or anyone else tracking her.

With a new computer, she could set everything back up: a new escape route, new travel plans, everything she needed—everything but her passport. That was sitting in Estes, waiting for her. Right now it was too dangerous to chance a trip up there. In a couple of weeks, things should be cooled down enough. She could wait that long.

Hearing Derry come into the house, Sara threw the computer to the floor. She slid out of bed and onto the floor, coming to rest next to the demolished laptop, whimpering. She didn’t have to wait long.

Derry burst through the door and dropped down beside her. “I heard a crash. Are you okay?”

“I’m so sorry,” Sara spoke through fake tears. “I spilt water on your laptop, and when I got up to get a towel to dry it off, I got dizzy and dropped it on the floor.”

Derry barely glanced at his dead computer. “Here, let me help you back into bed.” He slipped his arms under her as she placed her arms around his neck.

“What about your computer?”

He carefully set her onto the bed. “It was old. It needed to be replaced anyway. Are you sure you’re okay?”

She kept her arms around Derry’s neck for a few seconds longer than necessary. “I’m fine. But I think I broke your computer.”

He glanced over at it. Bending down, he retrieved it from the floor. He pushed the power button and waited. Nothing.

“Does it still work?”

“No. Maybe it just needs to dry out. I’ll let it sit overnight, and try it again in the morning.”

“What about the screen?”

“It can be replaced. It’s no big deal.”

It was to her. It better not work, or both of them could end up dead. Part of her wanted to tell him the truth. It was too dangerous. That would only make him ask questions.

“Look. I broke it. It’s only fair that I buy you a new computer.”

“Accidents happen.” Derry pushed a few of the buttons, his attention glued to the screen.

“No, I insist. I’m not a free loader. I broke it. I’ll replace it. It’s only right.”

He closed the computer then headed toward the door. “We’ll see how it looks in the morning.”

Once he was around the corner, Sara hit the bed with her fist.
Men
! They could be so frustrating.

Derry was back in two seconds. “Natalie’s coming over in a little while to see how you’re doing.”

Sara fumed. “Fine.”

“Look, the computer’s not that big of a deal. There’s no reason to be so upset.”

She glowered at him. “Then why won’t you let me replace it? It’s my fault.”

“Fine, buy me a new one. I don’t care.”

“Good.”

“Good about what?” Natalie strolled through the door.

Derry turned to greet her. “Oh, hi. I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Well, you shouldn’t leave your door wide open if you don’t want people just walking in.”

“Oh, yeah. I was working out back. I didn’t want to leave you stranded out front.”

Natalie moved in next to Sara. “You look a lot better. How do you feel?”

“Fine, other than having to put up with stubborn men.” Sara stared at Derry.

“I know exactly how you feel.” Sitting on the edge of the bed, Natalie started checking Sara’s vital signs. “So, what’s the male of our species doing wrong this time?”

Sara told her side of the story as Derry cut in, hoping to defend himself. Natalie checked Sara’s ribs. They were still very tender.

Natalie straightened back up. “Other than your ribs, you’re coming along as well as can be expected.”

“Which means?” The statement was unclear to Sara.

“Which means, I want you to get plenty of bed rest for a few more days. If you do get up, go easy, and if you feel lightheaded at all, sit down or have Derry help you.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Natalie rose. Turning toward Derry, she added, “And you.”

“What?”

Natalie shook her head as she moved past him. “Men.”

“What did I do now?”

As Natalie headed through the living room, Sara heard her say, “Let her replace what she broke, and stop acting so macho.”

The front door clicked shut. Sara shifted her gaze to Derry. He looked lost. “I said I’ll let you replace it. Man, you women are hard to please sometimes.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

***

Walking slowly into the living room, Sara took a seat on the couch. Grabbing a blanket, she wrapped it around her shoulders. The sun had set, and the temperature dropped with it.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed. Remember what Natalie said.” Derry was heating up something in the microwave, just out of her sight.

“I made it to the bathroom just fine. This is only a few more feet. Besides, I’m tired of looking at the same four walls. Ever think of adding some pictures to your room? It needs something.” Sara curled up on the couch, and let her head rest against the back.

Derry stepped around the kitchen wall to where she could see him. “Made you a potpie.”

“All by yourself? I’m impressed. Mmm—smells good.”

How to ask? She needed to stay for more than just a few days. Her plans had fallen apart and she needed new ones, plans that would keep her safe from Levy. To do that, she needed to know what Levy was up to. How much he knew.

“The doc said I was coming along fine.”

“Yeah. That’s good.”

“I guess that means I’ll be out of you hair soon.”

The room was quiet for several seconds. “You don’t have to rush out of here.”

Exactly what she wanted to hear. She waited before asking the next question.

“How long are you willing to let me stay?”

No answer. Derry came around the corner, carrying dinner. He set three potpies on the coffee table, and took a seat at the other end of the short couch.

“You afraid of those men finding you again?”

She gave him a pleading stare.

“You can stay here as long as you want. Your safety comes first. Okay?”

Perfect
. “Thank you. You don’t know how much of a relief that is.”

They ate, and made small talk. Derry told her about his job, and why he’d gone to Jasper’s so many times.

She wondered just how much he noticed while he was there.

Sara created an excellent cover story for herself. “I wasn’t there for dinner.”

He didn’t ask. He just sat quietly waiting for her to continue.

“I freelance for credit card companies, writing and testing software for them.”

This part was true. Sara noticed some tension leave Derry’s face.
Good
.

“I was running tests there on a new security protocol. Jasper was paid to help me out, and at first everything went fine. But when I found a few problems with the code, it messed up his card reader. It took me a couple of days to fix it. We compensated him for his losses, but he wanted to back out. He said it was more trouble than it was worth.”

“What kind of problems?”

“I’m working on a triple encryption algorithm. The new code rejected several valid cards. The problem was with some small banks that were using outdated software. My program will make credit card companies close to impossible to hack into, and their cards almost impervious to duplication. If I can get the bugs worked out.”

Sounded good
.

“Whew, that’s way over my head. Do you think that might be the reason those men were after you?”

“I’m sure of it. They wanted my code. They tried to beat the location, and password out of me. I knew if I told them anything, the whole credit card infrastructure would be at risk.”

Boy, don’t I sound noble
?

Derry shook his head slowly. “You’re quite the lady. I imagined all kinds of stories about why you were there. I feel pretty bad now.”

“What do you mean?” She tilted her head slightly.

“Well, you were there almost every night, but never touched more than a bite or two of your food. And the way you and Jasper acted about the credit cards, I was sure they were illegal somehow. I just couldn’t figure out how.”

The man’s no dummy. Gullible maybe, but not stupid.

“And you still risked your life for me? Believing I was doing something illegal?”

“You needed help.” He sounded so matter-of-fact.

“Unfortunately I still need more help.” Sara moved her gaze to the empty potpie pans.

“Name it.” He sounded more upbeat.

“If I’m going to stay here for a while, I really need to find some way to finish my program. It’s already late, and each week costs me a bigger penalty.”

“I’ll pick up a new computer tomorrow, and you’re free to use it.”

Sara gave a short giggle.

“What?”

“I, uh, need a real computer. Not a gaming system.”

“Hey, I didn’t have that many games on my computer.”

“Sure, I saw the list.”

“Okay, I’ll pick one up for you, too. What kind of
real
computer do you need?”

“I’ll make you a list. It’s not something you can pick up at Walmart.”

“Okay. Make fun of my shopping habits.”

“And”—Sarah put on a shy smile—“could you possibly loan me the money, just until I get the system up and running? I have the money. It’s just not accessible without a computer.”

Derry gave her a sweet smile. “Sure, how much are we talking?”

“A few grand.”

“Wow.”

“Like I said, it’s not the type of computer you can just pick up anywhere.”

“I’ll have to take it out of my remodeling account.”

“Thanks. You’re a very trusting person.”

***

It was late, but Derry couldn’t sleep. He stood at the window, peering out onto the quiet street. The few houses he could see through the trees were dark. Their owners weren’t grappling with deceit.

Sara was misleading him. Why?

Part of what she said may be true, but she knew those men at the Scottish Highland Festival. One of them said she worked for them.
On top of that, you don’t use small businesses to test money transactions
.

Things didn’t add up.