Ghostwalker 08 - Street Game

moment I accessed it, through a thousand walls—and yes, I am the greatest—someone began erasing it and back-tracing at the same time.
    Mack swore. You’re on Jaimie’s computer. You’ll lead them right back to her.
    Javier snorted. Give me some credit, Top. I was ready for them. After the first six firewalls and encryptions, I figured they’d be ready for a hacker. I knew the moment I got to the file, alarms would go off somewhere. I had part of it downloaded before the flag went up. The moment the trace started, I bailed.
    Which database? The army?
    Nope. Homeland Security has their own supersecret database no one knows about. We’re in there, boss. Want your file?
    If it’s so damned supersecret, how did you know about it?
    The amusement faded from Mack’s mind as Javier sobered. Okay, I didn’t know about it. Jaimie did. She has amazing programs, Mack, things I’ve never seen before.
    I think she may have worked on some of these. Each person has a sort of signature code, and I swear some of these look like hers.
    Mack wasn’t certain exactly what Javier was talking about, but he knew Jaimie worked on many programs for the various agencies. She developed self-learning programs that adapted as they were used. He’d heard her talk about her ideas, and loved the sound of her enthusiasm, but in truth, he didn’t understand half of what she said. He was proud of her accomplishments even if he’d never fully comprehend them. If she was developing extremely sensitive software for the various agencies, then chances were it was impossible to hack unless she was using her own program to hack it. Which meant that would lead them straight back to her door as well.

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    As for her databases, she either developed them herself, or she stole them. Jaimie was resourceful, which made her invaluable to Colonel Wilford whenever he wanted information for his teams. Mack knew she still worked for the colonel and because her skills were needed on the computer, they didn’t insist she do fieldwork. That and the fact that it was common knowledge that anyone wanting Jaimie was going to have to go through Mack to get her kept her safe.
    He rubbed his pounding temples. He was exhausted with trying to keep so many people protected. Do you have anything on that address for me, Javier?
    Javier didn’t ask which address and Mack was grateful. A headache was kicking in hard. Talk flowed around him, Kane had picked up the slack immediately, but Joe was watching his face and Mack knew little escaped those eagle eyes. He kept his face without expression.
    It looks like a drop to me, Mack. An apartment building in Virginia.
    Who owns the building? Who is the apartment registered to?
    That’s the thing I find interesting. A man by the name of Earl Thomas Bartlett owns the building. He appears to have no social security number and no driver’s license, yet he owns several companies. There’s a Lansing International based in Nevada he recently acquired and a company called International Investments. He has an entire list of companies in various states, all international. He owns a Falcon 2000
    executive jet that seems to be able to land on any of our military bases in any part of the world, which he acquired from Lansing before he ever took over the company.
    And Mack . . . Jaimie has a file on him as well.
    He shouldn’t have been surprised by anything she did, but he was. Jaimie was thorough. When she began digging, she wasn’t going to let anything stop her. What’s in the file?
    I have no idea. Jaimie’s private files are encrypted. I wouldn’t be in the databases except that she gave me a password to use on this particular machine for the various databases she’s tapping into.
    Javier, how much trouble is she in?
    There was another long silence. Honestly, boss, it’s hard to tell with Jaimie. She covers her ass, and I don’t think a computer working on her encryption could break it in a hundred years—she’s that good. But she’s got stuff here I’ve never seen before.
    And Mack. Javier hesitated. She’s not working alone.
    The words were a punch in the gut. Mack cursed under his breath. Are you certain?
    She’s not only backing up her work; she’s sending it to someone else.
    Damn her. I swear I’m going to wrap my fingers around her throat and strangle her. Mack flexed his fingers and shot Jaimie a glare. Joe watching him be damned. He would shake her until her teeth rattled. Why hadn’t she told