The Puppeteer

CHAPTER 7



AFTER LEAVING PETE'S PLACE, Ty headed back to the station, thinking about what Jay had told him. If there were two levels of security, was there a third or a fourth? Chances were, two levels were probably it. There weren't that many firms in the US that worked with underwater security systems. Of course, that assumed Getz hired local, and Ty wasn't about to make that assumption.

He tried to finish up some lingering paperwork, but his head was focused on what advantage Jay's information might give him. And when it arrived, it made for interesting reading. By the time he scrolled through the email, he knew all the benefits of the system and all the potential pitfalls—pitfalls intended to be covered by other, equally expensive systems.

Ty leaned back in his chair and absorbed what he'd read. He knew what the Hunley protected and what it didn't, but he didn't know if there was a way around it, a way to get through it. No doubt Getz's secondary set up would cover the holes the Hunley left open, creating the semblance of an impenetrable wall. So, working on the assumption that the holes would be plugged, the only way through would be to find some weakness in the system itself, some way to get around it.

Ty picked up the phone and dialed. “Cam,” he said when the line picked up.

“Ty,” a voice answered. “How's my baby brother?”

“Ready for a little one-on-one,” Ty smiled as he answered.

“My computer or yours?” his brother shot back. Cameron was three years older, but about half a foot shorter and whole lot lighter. He'd made a bundle in a computer start-up that went big, and then quit because he got bored. Cam was a genius with no talent for anything more physical than rapid-fire keyboarding. On the other hand, he could hack a computer like nobody's business. Legally, of course. Companies hired him to find the faults in their software and billionaires hired him to test entire systems. And his brother was going to tap him for information.

“What's up?” Cam asked.

“I need some information and I was hoping you might be able to help me out? Are you familiar with an underwater security system called the Hunley?”

“I live in the Northwest which is nothing but water and billionaires.” Ty could imagine Cam's eyes roll. “Yes, I'm familiar with the product.”

“Exactly what I was counting on, old man,” Ty grinned, knowing the name-calling would goad his brother. “I'm looking for a weakness.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Ty knew his brother was obsessive about the confidentiality of his findings—as was everyone who worked for him. The only people entitled to know were the people who paid to know. And the people who paid to know went through an extensive background check to ensure the information they were asking for was being requested in good faith.

“Are you asking in an official capacity?”

“I don't have a warrant for the information, but yes, it is for a case. I can't say more than that.” Ty understood his brother's hesitation, and wouldn't hold it against him if he decided not to share the information, but he had to ask anyway.

“A drug case?” his brother pushed.

“Seeing as I work for vice, that's a pretty good assumption.”

“But there's more isn't there?” Cam asked, knowing the answer.

Ty wasn't at all surprised at the question. He had been with vice for six years, and this was the first time he'd ever asked his brother for information.

“Yes.” Ty knew he didn't need to say more. Cam would sort through the scary maze that was his brain, start making connections, and figure that if Ty was asking for help, the case had to pose a substantial risk.

“9/11 or Oklahoma City?” Cam said. He was talking more to himself than to Ty, but Ty knew that when he remained silent, Cam would know he was right.

“OK.” Cam drew the word out. “I'll see what I can get you.”

“Thanks. You're the best.” Ty breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tell that to mom,” Cam rejoined, lightening the conversation. They chatted for a few more minutes and, when Ty looked up after putting the phone back in the cradle, Marty stood across the desk.

“How's the girl?” he asked.

“Girl?” Ty pretended to not understand.

“The hot little filly,” Marty demanded, taking his seat across from Ty.

Ty rolled his eyes. “The woman is a federal agent, and she's fine.”

“How fine?” Marty waggled his eyebrows.

Ty shook his head and decided to change the subject. “They've got quite a set up out there. Big house, lots of equipment.”

“Good stuff?” Marty asked.

“Best I've seen. Some of it I couldn't even have conceived of. But there it was, functioning like a dream.”

“Kind of like the filly,” Marty grinned.

“How did the terror tactics work this morning?” Ty tried to change the subject again.

Marty made a face. “Interviewing a bunch of upstarts who want to be undercover. Why the hell they'd want to give up their nice clean lives to go play at being the scum of the earth is beyond me.”

“Anyone good?” There had been a couple of open positions in the division for a while now and everyone was starting to lose hope they'd ever get filled, despite the near constant inflow of candidates.

Marty hemmed and hawed a bit before answering. “Yeah. A girl. A woman,” he corrected at Ty's raised brows. “Looks like a girl though, barely sixteen. Would be perfect for the high school scene.”

“How old is she, really?” Ty asked, curious. The cops who could go undercover as high school kids always sort of fascinated him. By the time he'd come into law enforcement he knew he wore a weary, wary, and jaded look. He couldn't remember ever looking as young as the kids in school these days.

“Twenty-three,” Marty replied. Ty wasn't sure of the reason for the disgust he heard in Marty's voice. Marty had a whole host of things he believed justified his aversion to almost everything. Thank god most of them were about as superficial as Marty's feelings. At heart, he was a good guy, just hard to get used to.

“On that note, I'm out of here,” Ty said, rising from his seat.

Marty roused. “Going to see the filly?”

“Nope, going rock climbing. See you tomorrow,” Ty called over his shoulder.

Marty grumbled as Ty headed out the door, “You young ‘uns have no respect.”

* * *



Dani lay crosswise on the bed and thumbed through a stack of grisly photos. A man shot execution style the subject of all but a few of them. “He's involved, Drew. I know it.”

Drew cast her a look before returning to the suitcase he was unpacking. “Maybe,” he said.

“Not maybe, Drew. I know it.”

“I'm glad you know it. I think I'll wait for more evidence,” he replied, turning to the closet to hang a suit.

“Sarcasm does not become you, Andrew,” she grinned up at him.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, mother,” he drawled. Dani smiled to herself, she was nothing like his mother.

She turned her head and looked out the window, it wasn't dark yet, but it would be in a few hours. The team had spent most of the afternoon looking into Smythe and his family. Adam still was. But Dani was taking a few minutes to catch up with Drew and try her hand, yet again, at convincing him that the man she was looking for was involved in this case.

She opened her mouth to say something else, then closed it, cocking her head to the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

“Come in,” Drew called after a sharp knock echoed in the room. The door opened and Ty stood in the doorway.

Dani's eyes, of their own free will, swept over him in an appreciative glance. Until she looked at his face. His eyes darted from her, fully clothed, but lounging on the bed, to Drew, also fully clothed, but in different clothes than he'd worn earlier.

“Sir,” he said to Drew holding out a file.

“What's this?” Drew said, taking it from Ty.

“Getz's underwater security system. Or a part of it anyway,” Ty answered.

Drew's brow shot up as he flipped the folder open and perused the pages. Dani didn't often see Drew impressed, but he was impressed now.

“Good work, Detective,” he said, handing the folder to Dani who opened it to find information on the Hunley monitors as well as a map with the location of each monitor and marks indicating possible secondary monitors.

“And the secondary system?” Drew asked.

“I'm working on it. I should have something to you in a day or so.”

Drew nodded in approval.

“I'm also obtaining information on the weaknesses of the Hunley. Once we know the make and model of the secondary monitor, I'll do the same for it.”

“Fast work, Detective,” Drew commented.

“We locals are sometimes good for something,” Ty responded. Dani glanced up to see Drew's reaction to intentional provocation. To her surprise, he seemed more amused than anything. And then his eyes flickered to her.

“I'm sure you locals are good for quite a few things,” he commented.

Ty's mouth hinted at a smile. Only it wasn't the warm fuzzy kind. “I also have a couple of visual surveillance spots I think Cotter should know about. They wouldn't have shown up on his radar.”

Dani watched as the two men assessed each other. No doubt, Drew was pleased with Ty's information and action-oriented characteristics but, to her, he looked like he was withholding his final judgment.

“Cotter's busy, take Dani,” Drew said as he turned back to his task of unpacking.

To anyone else, the words would sound like any other order handed down from the team leader. But to Dani, they held a hint of something else. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to gauge him, tried to read his intent. Never had Drew asked her to take a visual surveillance lead when Cotter's team was at full capacity.

“You own a leather jacket?” Ty interrupted her thoughts.

She turned to look at him.

“A leather jacket?” he prompted. “We'll take my bike.”

“Of course I have a leather jacket,” she replied.

“Fine,” he answered. And waited, holding her gaze.

“Fine,” she said, pulling her eyes from his. “I need a few minutes to finish something and then I'll go grab it. I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes.” She had dismissed him. And with one last glance at Drew, Ty complied and disappeared down the stairs.

“Jesus, Dani. What the hell is up with you and the detective? He looks like he wants to kick my ass when he sees the two of us together.” Drew took a pair of shoes from his bag and set them in a line in the closet.

“You could take him,” she interjected with a nonchalant shrug.

Drew raised a brow. “I'd suspect something happened between the two of you, but you just met this morning—so what the hell is going on?”

She was silent.

“Shit,” he said on a breath, acknowledging her unspoken confession.

She'd never been able to hide anything from Drew. And until now, it had never bothered her. “It's nothing.”

“Like hell, it's nothing, Dani.”

“I went out last night to blow off some steam and happened to meet him.” She sounded blasé, even to her own ears. But he knew her better.

Drew stared at her for a long time.

“What?” she demanded, on the defense. “I'm a grown woman.”

“Who is stupid enough to go home with some guy she just met. Jesus, Dani what were you thinking? You weren't,” he answered himself. “He could have been a psychopath. And even though he turned out not to be, didn't you at least talk enough to find out he was a cop?”

Dani opened her mouth to answer but Drew interrupted. “Never mind, I don't want to know.”

“The bartender is a friend of Sammy's. I know her from a few years back. She vouched for him.” Even to her ears, this logic sounded lame. It was stupid to go home with a guy after meeting him at a bar, but even knowing that, she was hard pressed to feel bad about it. Whatever it was that sparked between them last night was stronger than anything she'd ever felt before.

“Great,” Drew grunted. “I'm glad you had your fun. The Mack Truck strikes again. I'm surprised he could walk this morning.”

Dani felt like she'd been slapped in the face. Why did everyone insist on likening her relationships with men to them being flattened by a truck? As far as she knew, everyone walked away unscarred and unscathed. Her relationships never included any emotion deep enough that would warrant that kind of analogy. On that point, Ty had been spot on. As far as she was concerned, every man she'd ever been with knew the score.

Didn't they?

The little niggling doubt that had been lingering since earlier in the day crept back into her brain and settled uncomfortably.

“Maybe you should be surprised that I can walk this morning,” she tried to joke, but it fell flat when Drew leveled his gaze on her.

“That's the problem, Dani. You can always walk. No matter what happens, what you ignore or leave behind, you can always walk. For as smart as you are, Dani, sometimes you don't have a clue.” She opened her mouth to protest but Drew stopped her with his next question. “What happens, Dani, when you find him?”

She didn't need to clarify who ‘him’ was, but the abrupt shift caught her off guard.

“What do you mean what happens?” She was confused. Was Drew asking or was he trying to tell her something?

“I mean just that, Dani. When we find this man—the man who killed your parents—what will you do? And I don't mean at that moment, or even a week later. I mean with your life.”

Her heart rate kicked up at the question. She took a deep breath and willed the rising panic to subside. Panic because, truth be told, she hadn't ever thought beyond tracking and catching the man responsible for her parents' murders. It had been her singular goal since the day the fog cleared from her mind after their deaths. She'd been lost for so long after they died and finding the man with the blue eyes—the man she'd watched assassinate her parents in their own living room—became her reason to live. What would happen after she found him? And why was Drew bringing it up now?

She frowned. “I…I don't—” she searched Drew's eyes for a hint of what he was looking for. She didn't like the sadness staring back at her.

He raised his hand to stop her and shook his head. “Think about it, Dani. If you're as close as you think you are to finding him, I suggest you figure it out soon.”

She tilted her head and studied him. His unusual request that she go on the surveillance field trip, tumbled through her mind. “What does this have to do with Ty?” she asked.

His sigh irritated her, like he knew something she didn't. “Maybe something, maybe nothing.”

“Maybe something? I told you it's fine, there's nothing to worry about.” The words were confident. Thank god she knew how to lie.

Drew made an annoyed, dismissive gesture with his hands as he turned back to the closet and adjusted his shirts. “Sure, fine, whatever, Dani. Just make sure it stays that way.”

Now he was starting to piss her off. “Meaning?” she demanded.

He spun around and stared hard. When he spoke next, his words were deliberate.

“We need Getz in order to close in on Smythe and we need to know if we're going to have a major international incident, not to mention a possible terrorist attack. Whatever the hell is or is not going on between you and the detective, deal with it and make damn sure it doesn't interfere with this investigation. In any way.”

Dani leaned back, stunned by the intensity of Drew's warning, by the fact that he issued the warning at all. Then, something shifted in the room.

“Dani,” he said and took a conciliatory step toward her.

She vaulted off the bed and took a step backward, toward the door, as he took another toward her.

“F*ck you, Drew,” she replied, hoping he didn't hear the quiver in her voice.

Down the hall, Dani slammed the door to her own room behind her. She felt like an unruly teenager, which pissed her off even more. Drew was out of line. He had no right to think her personal life would ever interfere with an investigation. It never had before, and it never would. And that Drew thought it might on this particular investigation really pissed her off. He knew how personal this case was to her, how it might give her a chance for some closure after all these years. He knew.

And yet he still felt justified in insinuating she'd let anything interfere with that.

Drew was supposed to be her friend. That he seemed more worried about Ty—that she would hurt Ty or do something that might make his working with the team difficult—made her furious.

Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she tugged on her jacket, she paused. Looking at her reflection, she forced herself to be honest. That Drew seemed more worried about Ty didn't make her angry. No, she felt betrayed. She didn't like that he seemed to think she could hurt someone else without a second thought, like she was some kind of machine. And it was clear in Drew's voice that he assumed it would be her fault if things did go wrong. Why didn't he consider that Ty might hurt her? Did he think she wasn't capable of being hurt or worthy of his concern? Did he think she was incapable of emotions, period?

Why?

Dani stilled, and then swallowed as she studied herself in the mirror. She reached out and placed a hand on the dresser, steadying herself and taking a deep breath. Because she knew the answer to that last question. Up until a few moments ago, even she herself wondered if she was capable of having true emotions of any kind. Yes, she loved her sister and her family and yes, she was passionate about her work. But, aside from her family, she'd never been emotionally involved with anyone. Ever.

It was possible that Drew and Spanky and all the others didn't think she had it in her to be emotional over anything or anyone for one simple reason. Up until now, she never had.