Free Flash Point by Colby Marshall Page A

tiny thumb drive in the crook of Beo’s thumb and pointer finger where it held the book.
    â€˜I don’t like it much, either, dude,’ Atticus had said, never looking at Beo. ‘But I figure it’s the best … maybe only … insurance we have.’
    Beo had grunted some sort of half-assed agreement, shifting to slide the thumb drive into his pocket. He closed his book, stood up.
    â€˜Ishmael said you’d be able to get in. The authorities likely won’t scratch the first layer of precautions we’ve taken, but if they ever do, this will waste enough of their time for us to go underground. Ishmael isn’t the type to leave anything to chance.’
    No. He most certainly is not.
    Now, Beo pulled the thumb drive back out of his pocket as he slipped through an open set of French doors into the study. It was filled with expensive furniture, including glass-fronted bookcases that contained an outstanding collection, the contents of which were probably worth more than the average Mercedes Benz. Beo fixed his attention on the antique mahogany desk in the center of the room, however, and the computer on top of it.
    He tapped a key on the keyboard to bring the PC out of sleep mode. After a few seconds, the monitor came to life, the room’s only light source casting a pale glow across Beo’s pale skin. Drawing in a fortifying breath, he bent to insert the USB drive.
    Unpleasant business, framing one of the precious few people who didn’t contribute to societies many problems. But federal agents would discover the source of the message to the reporter eventually, and when they did, Black Shadow would need a scapegoat.
    And sorry, Athos. But, buddy, you’re just not one of us anymore.
    He smiled and clicked open the file browser, opening the word document to be copied to email. He had a few other stops to make online before this was over, but none of it would take long. After that, Athos would just need to show up when he was called. And of course he would show up. They were all still friends, after all.
    Always better to have an anvil in place, ready for when the hammer of justice fell.
    The look on Yancy’s face wrapped Claudia in the warm, pleasant blanket of power. This was turning out to be even more fun than she thought.
    â€˜How the hell did you know about tha—’
    â€˜I think it’d probably work out best for you if you just assumed from here on out that I know
everything
,’ Claudia said to cut him off. He had to be racking that poor little brain of his for how she could know all about his little escapades as the Robin Hood of the hackers, a part of his life long before he even knew Jenna. ‘So do you?’
    â€˜Do I what?’ he said stupidly.
    â€˜Do your thoughts leak out your stump when the tin piece is off? Does it double as a drain plug or something? Do you still have the skill set to which I just referred?’ she asked, rolling her eyes.
    Yancy licked his bottom lip, clearly trying to compose himself. He sucked in a few deep breaths. Blew them out.
    â€˜If you mean do I know how to hack, yes. It depends on what you’re specifically wondering. Whether I
do
hack, or whether I know
how
to hack,’ he said slowly.
    â€˜Well, you better hope you do. Because I’m willing to offer you a bargain,’ Claudia replied, salivating at the prospect of the reaction that would surely come.
    â€˜And what bargain would that be, Lucifer?’
    Claudia cackled. It was just too good. Too good because he was so right.
    â€˜I need you to hack into a database for me and retrieve a file on someone,’ she said slowly. Carefully.
    Yancy’s eyes narrowed. ‘Who?’
    She smirked. ‘No one related to you.’
    It wasn’t a lie. Not directly, anyway.
    â€˜And you’re saying if I get this file for you, what?’
    â€˜I won’t breathe a word to anyone about your little excursion on the night of Denny