Free Paradise Hacked (First Circle Club Book 2) by Alex Siegel Page A

adversaries the face had warned him about. They were a threat to the project, not Earth, and Harlow himself was the primary target.
    The three strangers looked human enough. If he had met them on the street, he wouldn't know they were monsters. He had to hope Knox and his crew could capture the trio. Harlow hated to rely on hope, but he had little else these days.
    * * *
    Virgil watched the car containing the O.E.A.P. agents drive off in the distance. He had considered trying to follow them in his own car but had rejected that plan. They were undoubtedly trained to spot a tail. In retrospect, Virgil realized he should've brought a tracking device.
    He turned to Lisa, Alfred, and Sara.
    "I got a license plate number and a wallet," Virgil said, "thanks to Cat."
    "And I have the IMSI-catcher," Sara said. "It may have picked up a few clues."
    "And I took pictures in the coffee shop with my phone," Lisa said. "They're a little dark and blurry though."
    "Sounds like a pretty good haul," Virgil said. "Let's go see Mei."
    "Wait," Alfred said. "What happened with Cat?"
    "I sent her away, but I told her I might call later in case we need her. I have her number."
    "She's a pathological liar and a thief. Even I wouldn't trust her."
    "I know," Virgil said, "but that might be what we need in an emergency. Let's move."
    * * *
    Virgil walked into Mei's workshop. She was still at her computer, but she was sagging in her chair and obviously tired. A plate on a nearby table was half-full of Chinese food. Six open soda cans formed a neat row on the floor.
    "Any luck?" Virgil said.
    "No," Mei said. "I'm throwing pebbles at stone walls and trying not to get caught."
    "Maybe this will help."
    He gave her the wallet taken from Mr. Charlie along with a scrap of paper showing a license plate number.
    Sara, Lisa, and Alfred followed Virgil into the workshop. Sara handed the IMSI-catcher to Mei, and that generated much more interest than Virgil's offerings. Mei plugged the boxy device into her computer using a cable.
    "Let's see what we got," she said eagerly.
    She typed on her computer. Virgil tried to appear engaged, but the windows full of codes meant nothing to him. He could see from her reaction though that she didn't like what she was seeing.
    "What's wrong?" he said.
    "AES-256 encryption. Variable identifiers. Man-in-the-middle detection. Those phones were beyond military-grade security."
    "We think the guys were Special Forces."
    "Yes," Mei said. "I'm starting to think messing with them is a very bad idea."
    Virgil furrowed his brow. "Can you still identify them from their phones?"
    "Not a chance. I'd need access to top secret military databases." She sighed. "Let me see that wallet again."
    She picked up the brown leather wallet and examined the contents.
    "Fake ID?" Lisa said.
    "Hard to tell," Mei said. "The cards are better than the ones I make." She nodded towards a special printer which made identification cards.
    She went back to her computer and entered information from the wallet. Her keystrokes lacked enthusiasm, and after a couple of minutes, she took her hands off the keyboard.
    "What's wrong now?" Virgil said.
    "I'm scared. I've done everything I can to hide my trail, but if I keep poking this hornet's nest, I'm going to get stung. All it will take is one tiny mistake, and they'll figure out where I live."
    "We'll protect you."
    Mei raised her eyebrows. "From U.S. Special Forces?"
    He had to admit she was making a good point. He, Alfred, Lisa, and Sara were inhumanly strong and tough, but they were no match for the military. A large enough number of bullets would shred their bodies and effectively destroy them.
    "But without your help," Virgil said, "we're stuck. We have no other leads."
    She winced. "I'm sorry."
    "No, don't be. You're right. It's not your job to take those kinds of risks." He looked at the rest of the team. "Anybody have any ideas?"
    Nobody spoke.
    "Let's go back to headquarters and talk about it," Alfred said. "We