White-Hot Hack Read online

  “I can’t wait for you to see the inside,” Linda said, keying in the code for the lockbox that hung on the door.

  On the main level, the rooms were spacious and plentiful. A floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace served as a focal point in the family room.

  “The fireplace is two-sided so you can also enjoy it when you’re in the kitchen,” Linda said.

  Adjacent to the family room was a large den that would work well for a home office. Linda showed them the formal dining room and living room and a smaller sitting room that could have a number of uses. The previous owners had been partial to pastel wall colors and floral wallpaper, which wasn’t Kate’s style at all. But that would be an easy fix.

  “Isn’t this amazing?” Linda asked when she led them into the eat-in kitchen, which managed to be both large and cozy. She pointed out the Viking range, double oven, large-capacity refrigerator, and eighteen-bottle wine cooler. The fireplace Linda mentioned had room in front of it for a loveseat or a couple of chairs.

  “It really is,” Kate said trailing her hand along the granite countertop of the large center island.

  “Do you spend a lot of time in the kitchen?” Linda asked.

  “No,” Kate said. “We eat out quite a bit.”

  Linda’s smile faltered as if she couldn’t comprehend the thought of a young woman who didn’t cook, but she recovered quickly. “Well, Middleburg has some wonderful restaurants that are less than twenty minutes away.”

  There were five bedrooms and three full baths upstairs. “The basement level has an additional two bedrooms, two full baths, and a separate kitchen that would make an ideal guest suite,” Linda said. “There’s also a wine cellar, theater room, and home gym.”

  They walked outside. The garage could hold up to four cars, and the backyard featured an outdoor fireplace, stone terrace, pool, and a giant barn. A stable with eight stalls sat adjacent to a large paddock enclosed by a wooden fence.

  “This property is ideal if you think you’ll be keeping horses.”

  “Yeah, we probably won’t be doing that,” Ian said.

  “What do you think?” Linda asked when they finished the tour.

  “It’s a beautiful home,” Kate said.

  “Gorgeous,” Linda said.

  “How many square feet is it?” Kate asked.

  “About six thousand.”

  Kate winced.

  “The lower level would be great for when your family comes,” Ian said. Because Kate was so close to her parents and brother, he’d urged her to let them know they were always welcome to visit. “I know the paint and wallpaper aren’t your style, but you can change anything you want.”

  “I know an interior decorator,” Linda said. “I’d be happy to make introductions.”

  Before they headed home, Linda showed them the Middleburg Historic District. The downtown area spanned six blocks and was comprised of stately Federalist homes and quaint storefronts located along brick sidewalks. The foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains could be seen in the distance.

  “This is such a lovely place,” Linda said. “Wide-open spaces with small-town charm. Wonderful for raising a family. The leaves will be changing any day now, and the fall colors are truly a sight to behold.”

  As they drove down Washington Street, Linda pointed out restaurants, coffee shops, and other small businesses. “Bring anything to mind?” he asked Kate, lowering his voice so only she could hear him.

  He caught the wistful sound in her response when she smiled and said, “It reminds me of St. Anthony Main.”

  That night they ate dinner up in the main house with Phillip—head of the FBI task force and the closest thing Ian had to a father since his dad died—and his wife Susan who treated Ian like the son she never had, lavishing far more attention on him than Ian’s own mother did. Afterward, he and Kate returned to the guesthouse and Ian poured them a drink.

  Though these four walls had been the closest thing he’d had to a home base for many years, he was ready to move on. Kate was as fond of the guesthouse as she’d been of their summer cottage, but she’d readily agreed they needed more space if they ever hoped to retrieve their belongings from storage, and a friend of Susan’s had recommended Linda shortly after their return from Roanoke Island.

  “I think we should buy the Middleburg house,” Kate said after they settled on the couch.

  He smiled. “Was I that obvious?”

  She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Yes, but I can understand why the property is appealing to you.”

  “But do you like it enough for it to be our home?” Kate had given up a lot of things to be with him, and he wanted her to be happy.

  “Sure. It’s a great house. I might need to leave a trail of breadcrumbs so I can find my way from the wine cellar in the basement back to the wine fridge in the kitchen.”

  “We can go a little more high tech than that. I’ll put a homing-beacon app on your phone and program it to start beeping when you get close.”

  Kate laughed and took a sip of her wine. “Problem solved.”

  “We’ll probably be there awhile.” He was looking forward to that because he was tired of moving, tired of never spending more than six months to a year in the same place.

  “That’s a good thing.”

  “You can do anything you want to the house. Redo every single room until it’s exactly the way you like it.”

  “Oh, I plan to. I’m going to start at the top floor and work my way down. That French colonial might not look so traditional when I’m done with it. I’ll be the talk of the town.”

  “Try not to create too big a scandal. We’re still on the down low.”

  That was a bit of an understatement. Before Kate’s parents left Roanoke Island, Steve had pulled Ian aside and asked lots of questions, namely how he planned to keep his and Kate’s identity hidden. Phillip had helped to reassure Steve that it wasn’t the first time they’d dealt with an issue like this, and they would follow the protocol designed to ensure they left no trail, digital or otherwise. Ian knew if Steve wasn’t satisfied with the plan, he’d rally hard to keep his daughter from being part of such a risky endeavor, and he understood. Someday he might have a daughter of his own, and the thought of her being in Kate’s shoes gave him all the perspective he needed. Though he and Phillip felt the odds of someone nosing around Kate’s parents or brother were fairly low, they’d spent a considerable amount of time discussing how the Watts family should respond should they be approached by anyone looking for Kate.

  “What about the commute? Are you sure the drive in to headquarters won’t bother you?”

  “Phillip’s been commuting roughly the same distance from Frederick for almost the entire length of his career. I won’t be going in every day, so it’s not a big deal to me.”

  “I’m going to miss Susan.”

  “She’ll be less than an hour away.”

  Ian had done the preliminary work on the pentesting he was doing for Phillip from his laptop while sitting on the couch, which wasn’t ideal and gave him no room to spread out. Kate hadn’t wanted to disturb him, so she’d spent most of her time with Susan while he was working, either up at the main house or visiting the many tourist sites DC had to offer. It made him happy to see the two women getting along so well, but he’d felt guilty about displacing his wife.

  “Who would have thought we’d end up on a horse farm in northern Virginia?” Kate said.

  “Virginia is for lovers, sweetness.” He pulled her onto his lap, slipped his hands under her jaw, and gave her a number six kiss.

  She kissed him back, letting her lips linger. “Clearly it was meant to be. But come on, Ian. We both know Linda had me at wine.”

  The cash sale went through quickly, and after the closing they drove to the house to wait for the movers. Ian turned off the car, but before they got out, Kate said, “What are we going to do with a barn and stable?”

  He shook his head. “I have no idea.”

 
They walked up to the front door, and after Ian unlocked it, he reached for Kate’s wrist to stop her from taking a step inside. He looked into her eyes and said, “This is it, Kate. This is where we begin.” Then he swung her up in his arms and carried her over the threshold.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Kate was in the master bedroom unpacking the last few boxes. She’d finally located her pajamas, but when she carried an armful to the dresser and opened the drawer, a stack of them— brand-new, in a rainbow of colors—were waiting there for her to discover.

  Ian was in his office hooking up computer cables. He was wearing jeans and a worn, faded T-shirt that said HACK NAKED. “Hey, sweetness.”

  She hopped up on the desk. “Nice shirt.”

  “I found it in a box I hadn’t opened in years. It’s a souvenir from a hacking convention I attended a long, long time ago. You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve mellowed since then.”

  “I can barely wrangle you now. I can’t imagine keeping you in line back in the day.”

  “I’ll admit I was a bit of a handful.”

  “I’ve almost finished unpacking. It seems as though the pajama fairy has already paid me a visit. Can I just tell you how much I love that? I can’t wait to wear them.”

  He winked, and her heart did a little flip because no one looked sexier when they winked than her husband.

  He reached into an envelope sitting on the desk. “I have something else for you.”

  Kate examined the Virginia driver’s license with her picture and the name Diane Smith. “Strange. I do not recall making a visit to the DMV. Where did you get this?”

  “I made it.” He looked so proud.

  “Is it fake?”

  “It’s legit…ish. I hacked my way in, created our IDs, and had them mailed to our new PO box. It wasn’t that hard. Your mom could probably do it.”

  “Please do not tell her that. Let me see yours.”

  He reached into his wallet and withdrew his license. He’d used a photo she’d taken of him a few weeks before the wedding in which he was darkly tanned and shaggy-haired. A blond surfer. The name on his was Will Smith. They’d decided their middle names would be a good compromise: familiar enough that they’d respond to them, but common and therefore quite anonymous. Kate’s biggest fear while house hunting was that she’d accidentally call Ian by his real name in front of Linda, but luckily that hadn’t happened.

  Kate handed the license back to him. “This is all very Mr. and Mrs. Smith. If I find out you’re really an assassin, you will be in so much trouble.”

  “I promise I’m not an assassin. And legally you are Katherine Diane Bradshaw and I have the documents to prove it. They’re just hidden safely away. The online records are, unfortunately, missing. Shame about that.”

  Their home had been purchased by the LLC they’d created for Ian’s new company and neither of their names—real or otherwise—appeared anywhere on the title.

  Ian fed a cord through an opening in the desktop and crawled underneath the desk. “What’s on your agenda today?”

  “I’ve got a few more boxes to unpack, and then the decorator is stopping by. She called this morning.”

  Between them, they barely had enough furniture to make a dent in filling the rooms of the large home. Linda had given their names to the decorator she’d mentioned, and Kate had received a call from a woman named Jade Lynn.

  “She called me too. I gave her your number and told her you were in charge.” He came out from underneath the desk and powered on the computer and both monitors.

  “What time are you meeting Phillip?” Kate asked.

  “Noon. He said he has a lot for us to go over, so I probably won’t be home until dinnertime.”

  “That’s okay. Jade has no idea what she’s gotten herself into. I have a feeling we’ll be tied up all day.”

  Jade Lynn arrived with an armful of design books and an enormous bag hanging from her shoulder. She shifted them and held out her hand. “Diane? I’m Jade Lynn.”

  “Come in,” Kate said, shaking her hand and opening the door wide. “It’s great to meet you.”

  “Likewise.”

  “Here, let me take those.”

  “That would be fabulous,” Jade said, handing the books to her.

  “Let’s go into the kitchen,” Kate said. “We can spread everything out on the table.”

  Kate guessed Jade’s age as midthirties. She wore her blond hair in a long braid that lay over her shoulder, and her clothing was as bright and colorful as the fabric swatches and paint chips she pulled from her enormous bag.

  “How much of the existing décor do you plan to keep?” Jade asked.

  “None of it. My style is a little funkier. A little less…”

  “Horse and fox hunt?”

  Kate smiled. “Exactly.”

  “Let’s get an idea of the colors and textures you like. Before I leave, I’ll take pictures of every room, and then I’ll go back to the store and choose things I think you’ll like. We’ll bring them out and you can see how they look.”

  “That sounds great, but I don’t want to spend a lot.”

  Jade laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Your husband told me you would say that.”

  Ian picked up a pizza on his way home. They brought their plates into the family room and sat down on the sectional that used to be in his apartment in Minneapolis. Kate’s couch was now in the master bedroom along with Ian’s king-size bed, and Jade had promised that any new pieces she selected would match the ones they wanted to keep.

  “How was your meeting?” Kate asked. “Are the hacktivists still giving Phillip trouble?”

  “I think they’re worrying him a lot. He’s expanded the list of systems he wants locked down tight.”

  “Did you ask him about it?”

  “A little. We didn’t really discuss the details.”

  “Why? Is he not allowed to?”

  “He can. I still have clearance. I just don’t need to hear a lot about it if I’m not going to be working with everyone.”

  Kate could see the longing on his face and knew he hated not being part of the action.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” The speed with which he assured her it didn’t matter told Kate that it absolutely did. “Phillip will get along just fine without me. He’s still got Charlie.”

  “Who is Charlie?”

  “Someone who’s been involved with the task force almost as long as I have.”

  “Is he as good as you?”

  “No one is as good as me.”

  Kate grinned. “Is he at least a bit more humble?”

  He reached for another piece of pizza. “Maybe a little.”

  “So you’re really okay with not being on the task force?”

  “Between getting this new company going and all the pentesting that’s piling up, I wouldn’t have time for it anyway.”

  Somehow Kate didn’t totally believe him.

  He took a drink of his beer. “How was your meeting with Jade?”

  “Productive. I really liked her.” Kate explained Jade’s process and how she’d taken pictures of each room and would be returning with several different options.

  “Sounds like quite a project.”

  “It’ll definitely keep me busy.” Kate had never imagined spending her days with nothing more pressing than choosing which color to paint every room and whether she wanted leather or upholstered furniture. Equally unfathomable was Ian’s assurance that he didn’t mind not being a member of the task force.

  Kate tried not to dwell on the fact that despite their assurances to the contrary, neither one of them could possibly be one hundred percent satisfied by their choices.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Kate was sitting at the kitchen island on one of the new stools Jade had delivered. Almost every day she and her deliverymen would buzz the gate, and Kate would check the video monitor connected to the surveillance camera to con
firm their identity before she opened it. They would pull up in front of the house, park their van, and unload artwork and rugs and furniture. Jade had given Kate the name of a contractor, and several workmen had descended upon the top floor and were busy stripping wallpaper. As soon as they were done, the painters and carpet layers would complete the next step of the transformation.

  She opened her laptop to send an e-mail to the food pantry. She’d reached out to Helena as soon as they’d returned from Roanoke Island, apologizing for not checking in sooner and blaming her absence on a bit of lingering sadness and a desire for solitude. Helena had been so happy to hear from her, and now that Kate had a new laptop and a secure, well-hidden ISP address, they’d been corresponding on a regular basis.

  To: [email protected]

  From: [email protected]

  Dear Helena,

  I hope this message finds you well and that the leaves in Minneapolis are just as gorgeous as they are in Indiana. So far September has been absolutely beautiful, and I hope you’re enjoying fall every bit as much as I am.

  I got the job at the law firm I told you about in my last message. I’ll be in charge of a small caseload of public interest files. It’s the type of law I’d hoped to practice after I graduated, and I’m so happy to have finally found a position.

  How are Samantha and the kids? Have they been in lately? I hope they’re doing well. I bet Georgie is getting so big. When you have a minute, there’s another client I was hoping you could check on. His name is Zach Nielsen and he lives with his younger brother and disabled mother. The last time I spoke to him, he mentioned he’d gotten on full-time at his job and might not need any more assistance from the food pantry. Can you pull his file and see if he’s been in? I was just thinking about him the other day and thought I’d check. If he has been in, there’s no need to let him know I asked.

  Please tell Bert I said hello. I sure do miss you.

  Hugs,

  Kate

  Kate’s e-mail chimed fifteen minutes later when Helena responded.