SEALs of Honor Read online

  “No, never, so we’re not sure whether it’s actually them or not.”

  “That would sure be a twist,” Jonas noted, with a whistle. “Since, like I said, we’ve never known them to get involved with a killing. That way it keeps them out of that level of police scrutiny.”

  “Which is also BS, when you think about it,” Markus stated. “I mean, they are doing the hacking, finding all this personal data on all these bank employees and the board members on up to the CEO. That information alone could be sold internationally for some big bucks, and just that thought could frighten a lot of employees and board members to seek jobs elsewhere, effectively collapsing the bank. It’s a threat the hackers may never follow through on, yet it’s damaging enough to just have that data. Releasing it to the public or to the highest bidder would cause severe-enough repercussions from all the local bank robbers everywhere to get the hackers the money they ask for, by an old-fashioned bank robbery, right? All without the hostage-taking. So why do they need a physical hostage?”

  Jonas stepped in here to explain. “So far the hostages have all been released. Yet they are always hooded, if not drugged, so we get an anonymous tip, find them wandering an alleyway or a deserted street, with no knowledge of what happened to them, much less any idea of how the kidnapping happened or the vehicle involved or the men involved.” Jonas shook his head. “It’s pretty sophisticated for a kidnapping operation, especially where they have no need for the victim.”

  “But it’s not a kidnapping operation in the end,” Lachlan noted, frowning. “Surely hacking into all kinds of business ventures, banks and financial institutions, then just digitally locking everybody out of them for even a few minutes should be considered a serious crime. Regardless, the hackers are creating havoc and costing these companies serious money.”

  “And adding to those issues, in some cases, the ransom demand is almost nominal in some cases, especially compared to the damage that could result.”

  “It used to be nominal,” Leah argued, “but it’s not so nominal anymore.”

  “How much?” Lachlan asked.

  “Unless you think twenty-five to fifty million dollars is nominal …” She left it hanging in the air.

  “No,” Lachlan replied, cautiously feeling his way forward. “It’s not, but neither is it enough to break even one medium-size bank.”

  “Exactly,” Leah confirmed, “but it is an amount that they could pay and keep everything still functioning.”

  “So, in that case, if the hackers needed to come back to the same bank at another time, they could,” Lachlan theorized, with a sarcastic twist.

  “And that is definitely one of the reasons why these boards of directors are so against paying out. They don’t want to set a precedent that can then be repeated.”

  “How do they feel now, with the deaths of the CEOs?” Markus asked, a bit of an edge to his voice.

  “The chairman who used his veto power to stop the payment on this last hacker demand is the one who was killed,” she noted softly.

  “And we’re thinking that’s deliberate?” Axel asked.

  “It would appear so.” Leah sighed. “I mean, … if you wanted to send a message, wouldn’t you take out the biggest, baddest voice in the room?”

  Lachlan nodded. “That would make sense, yes,” he replied equally softly. “But the way they did it is also very interesting. Like a professional hit.”

  “Exactly,” she agreed.

  “So, what is it that you really want from us?” Markus asked, trying to get to her end game.

  “I was hoping to quickly teach you some of the new programs that we’re working with, then get your assistance on the current banking software systems,” she explained. “We need to shore up any holes in their coding, maybe reinforce the back door with several layers of added protection. However, my team will deal with that, while I have you people out in the field, seeking anything suspicious. Who knows? You may find a drunk who saw something related to the local kidnapping or people physically scoping out the bank’s comings and goings. Just keep your eyes and ears open. We need your people on the ground, and we need your people in the bank itself.”

  “The bank? Surely not the bank that’s already been hit?” Lachlan asked, looking at her.

  “No,” she said, “but I have another one that I suspect will be hit next.”

  “Good,” Lachlan noted. “I’d like to get ahead of these guys.”

  “The trouble is,” she murmured, “I’m getting a little bit of static on my chosen bank.”

  “From the board? Is that it?” Markus asked.

  “To a certain extent, yes …” She hesitated, then continued. “It’s also not one of the biggest banks around. It’s more of a midsize bank. And, of course, I need access to bits and pieces of their banking system, and, given who I am, they don’t want me anywhere near them.”

  Lachlan nodded ever-so-slightly at that. “So they’re quite possibly scared that, if they give you access, you could potentially use it against them. For all they know, you could be somebody’s way in.”

  “It’s always great to know that I’m trusted so very much. Thanks for the reminder,” she snapped testily.

  “I think, in a situation such as this, nobody trusts anyone,” Markus explained quietly.

  Jonas, who had been silent so far, nodded. “I think that is quite a safe assumption,” he agreed. “And, as much as I’m here to get information so we can solve this quickly, nothing about this case makes a whole lot of sense.”

  “Nothing about any of these related cases makes sense,” she stated in exasperation.

  Lachlan studied the area, as they walked out onto the main street. He understood he would be staying at the garrison overnight. He was tired, and they had been traveling all day. In a way, it seemed as if she had read his mind, as she looked over at him and shrugged.

  “Sorry, things kind of blew up faster than expected,” she stated. “No rest for the weary. We have to move quickly.”

  He nodded. “Something we’re used to.”

  “I know,” she murmured. “We did send an update back to your boss,” she noted. “And, of course, I’ve updated Tesla.”

  “Is she on the hunt for whoever is doing the hacking?”

  “She is,” Leah confirmed, with a smile. “But she also wanted to get impressions from the field, as you guys moved on the ground.”

  “We can do that.” Lachlan calmly assessed the group, getting nods from Jonas, Axel, and Markus, one by one. “Does Tesla have any theories to offer?” he asked Leah.

  “Not that I’ve spoken about to her to date. She agrees with me on the next target though.”

  “That would be hugely helpful, if you’re correct,” Jonas added.

  “The chances of it being correct are an issue for some.” She nodded. “I get it, and believe me, I’m getting a lot of blowback from others because they don’t agree. … Yet I’m pretty sure I’m right, and, of course, there’s no way to know until it actually happens.”

  With that, they had to be satisfied.

  She pointed out a vehicle ahead of them—a large SUV, with smoky windows.

  Lachlan smiled. “Government-issue vehicles all look the same, no matter where we are.”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, they sure do. They’re probably even built by the same companies.”

  And, with that, they climbed into the twin back seats.

  She sat in the middle of Lachlan and Jonas. “Jonas, I am surprised that you’re here right now.”

  “Hey, I need to know what you guys know,” he stated bluntly. “We’ve got people dying on English soil, and that’s never something that will go down well in my world. The fact that it’s being done across Europe just means that we need to all be on the same page. Interpol is in the loop at every step as well.”

  “Oh, I agree completely,” she murmured. “Though it isn’t necessarily all across Europe,” she noted cautiously. “However, there is a chance that’s where the hacker
s are going, and we do want to stop it before it gets any worse.”

  “Agreed,” Jonas replied, a tinge of anger to his tone.

  “You’re just pissed because they headed into England first, aren’t you?” Markus teased, with a smile.

  “Not so much that they went there first,” Jonas argued, “but that they went there at all.”

  Lachlan looked over at him. “You did come pretty quickly though, didn’t you?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Jonas teased. “I knew you were coming.”

  “You wouldn’t miss the chance to show off,” Lachlan suggested, with a big fat grin.

  “What better way to keep track of what goes on?” Jonas admitted. “We all know that the person here at the information spot gets the best details.”

  “But these aren’t the good details to be had,” Leah noted, her voice hard. “We have real families being affected by this.”

  Jonas had the grace to look ashamed. “And I’m not trying to minimize that,” he responded quietly. “We’re all more than fed up with this whole thing too.”

  “Of course you are.” She turned her gaze to stare through the tinted glass. “And what you all should probably know—right now, instead of down the road—is that the last person who was killed … was someone I knew.”

  *

  Leah stopped, cleared her throat. “And a good friend, which just made this all the more personal.” Before any of them had a chance to react, the vehicle took several sharp turns, sending her careening off to the side. She immediately turned to look at the two men in the front seat. “Is there a problem?” she asked, leaning forward and directing her inquiry to the guy in the passenger seat.

  The driver had no name to go with the face in her mind. Neither did his passenger, who shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he replied calmly, but he was studying the rearview mirror and his side mirror.

  “We are being followed,” Lachlan declared, as the SUV made more drastic changes, and he shifted on his seat.

  She looked at him, still unsure what to think of this trio from Mason’s team, even though she’d already been well prepped by Tesla. Leah had been given a concise description of exactly who these men were, but, at the same time, she preferred to make her own assessments. She asked Lachlan, “How can you tell for sure?”

  “Because the driver is maneuvering to get rid of them.” Lachlan flashed a smile, pointing to the guy in the front seat. “The same black SUV has been behind us for quite a while.”

  At that, the driver looked back at him. “Did you get a decent glimpse at it?”

  “No, not yet,” he replied. “I presume you don’t know who they are.”

  “No, I sure don’t,” he stated. “But this is one of their latest tactics. Taking down people before they get a chance to know they are a target.”

  “Interesting, but that also means they are far-reaching, as in we just flew in to Germany.”

  “Very much so. Must be an international group or one with great online resources.”

  With that, Lachlan went quiet again, but his gaze never left the trailing vehicle. Their ride suddenly took a hard left, careening around the corner again. Leah swayed badly, and other men reacted more assuredly around her. She didn’t have much chance other than to hold on to both Jonas and Lachlan.

  She spent her life on computers and delving into software systems and online research, so this was a little out of her usual realm. And she couldn’t ignore the fact that Lachlan had immediately placed his arm in front of her to stop her from falling to the floor.

  Even though she was buckled in, his move obviously was an instinctive reaction on his part. She shook her head at that and held on to him for a moment longer.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered.

  She took a deep breath. “This is a little out of my comfort zone,” she murmured.

  He nodded. “It’s out of almost everyone’s comfort zones,” he noted, with an engaging grin.

  And that damn grin definitely hit the right chord.

  The fact that Tesla had warned Leah about that grin was something else, but she thought that maybe she was immune to his charms. She had more confidence in herself, especially when she’d been warned about it. But apparently not. She found herself instinctively responding in the same way. “This seems to be pretty normal for you.”

  “I don’t know about normal, but it’s definitely something I have experience with,” he murmured.

  “Good for you,” she admitted. “I’m okay if I don’t ever have an experience like this.”

  At that, he burst out laughing. The vehicle then took another sharp turn, and, once again, she was up against his strong arm, as he held her in place. “I do have on a seat belt, you know?” she mentioned mildly.

  “Yep, and you can get a hell of a nasty bruise from the belt if you hit up against it hard as we take these corners. Something about force and inertia,” he noted, without even turning to look at her.

  She pondered that for a moment, and then realized he was probably correct. And it was not worthwhile to argue. Besides, to know that somebody cared enough about her to ignore getting hurt to keep her in place was unsettling and yet comforting. Now whether that was because he was also somebody Tesla liked or just part of his protective personality, Leah didn’t know, but she wasn’t used to having someone look after her. Yet it really wasn’t the time to sit here and argue about it either.

  Suddenly the vehicle took another series of sharp turns. She held her breath, noting that this got more serious. She sat up a bit and looked out the back window, when Lachlan immediately grabbed her head and told her to stay down. She looked at him for a moment, not comprehending, as he kept her head down and urged her to stay there.

  As soon as she was about to ask him to let her go, she heard gunfire. She stared at him, wordless, but he was down with her. Almost immediately he popped up and said, “Nice. Bulletproof glass.”

  “I didn’t even know we had that feature,” she whispered.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he noted quietly. “It’s all good.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that, but this was definitely more than she had bargained for today. She closed her eyes and whispered a silent prayer to get them out of this. When the vehicle slowed down and came to another sharp corner and then hit the brakes hard, she looked over at Lachlan.

  “I’d say we’re here,” he noted, with a grin.

  She stared at that grin suspiciously. “Did you enjoy that?”

  “Hey, nothing like a welcome like that to make you feel at home.”

  She snorted. “Since when is that a great welcome?” Lachlan quickly unbuckled her seat belt and ushered her out the door of the SUV. She asked, “Are we even supposed to be leaving the vehicle?” But then she noted the other men were outside already, handguns at the ready, even though they were surrounded by three closed-in walls to a carport-type area, with a town house above. “Where are we?” she asked.

  “A safe house,” one of guys replied evenly. “Let’s get you inside.”

  “Why are we parked outside?” she asked.

  Lachlan chuckled. “The drivers will immediately get us new wheels.”

  She was led into the garage and to an elevator at the far back wall and then upstairs. As she stepped into the building, she looked around at the empty anteroom and frowned. “I don’t even know where we are.”

  “It’s better this way,” noted the driver and his partner, as they came up behind her. “Someone is a little too interested in us.”

  Everybody gathered together, and nobody moved farther inside.

  “On whose orders are we here?” she asked calmly, but calmness had nothing to do with what was going through her mind. She was beyond freaked out.

  “This is where we were ordered to bring you if we were followed, and then, with the gunfire, it became imperative,” the driver explained. “It is plain and simple that somebody may be trying to ensure you don’t live long enough to untangle this mess. Mean
while, the rest of us will keep you alive. So you’re welcome.”

  “I appreciate the effort,” she replied, reaching up a shaky hand. “I can’t say that was a trip I’m ever likely to forget.”

  Lachlan grinned at her. “You’re safe here, but we’ll do a full reconnaissance.”

  At that, Markus stepped up. “I’ll go.”

  Lachlan gave him a nod. “We can use the extra hands.” He looked over at Axel and asked, “You coming or staying?”

  “I’m staying behind with Leah and you guys,” he replied. “We’ve got three to hunt already.”

  Jonas nodded. “That’s fair.”

  “Don’t worry, Jonas,” Lachlan added. “We’ll find them. They won’t get her.”

  “Good,” Jonas stated. “She’s the only one who has figured out this much about what the hell’s going on.”

  “By the way, who else would know that?” Lachlan asked suddenly, staring at all gathered here.

  The driver looked at him, confused, then realized what he meant and nodded. “I don’t know, but that’s a good question, and we need to find the answer to it.” And, with that, he and his partner and Markus were gone.

  She looked at the three men still here. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

  “That was either an attempt to kidnap you or an attempt to see just how serious we were about this op,” Lachlan noted.

  “Why would anybody try to kidnap me?” she asked, astounded.

  “Because you are the analyst helping the banks sort this out,” Axel explained quietly.

  She shook her head. “But that’s just crazy. I don’t know anything about this case yet. There is absolutely nothing concrete that I could find to date.”

  “Maybe you did find something,” Lachlan suggested, “but aren’t giving it enough importance. You said yourself you have a plausible location for the next attack. You sounded pretty certain about it.”

  “I may be certain and yet proven wrong very shortly.” She stared at Lachlan slowly and then nodded her head. “But you do realize what that means.”

  “Insiders, I know.” Lachlan’s tone was equally grim. “Do you realize what that means?”