Daybreak by Vannetta Chapman

Author:Vannetta Chapman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vannetta Chapman
Published: 2020-04-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

NORA PACED BACK AND forth as Randall pulled a small device from his pocket and plugged it into Jonathan’s laptop. She saw the scene flash to black, then fill with lines of code. Randall was in his element. He smiled to himself, and his fingers flew over the keyboard as he explained to Jonathan that he was tracing the source of the payment.

“How is that possible?”

“Watch and learn, grasshopper.”

Moments later Randall relayed the information to the director’s office, then told Jonathan what he wanted him to do.

Nora was growing impatient. Chasing code was all good and fine, but there was someone out there in the real world intent on creating chaos. They needed to get on the road. “Can’t we just take the laptop with us?”

“Apparently I’ve been compromised. They’re tracking my computer, which means they’d know if you took it with you.” Jonathan stared at the screen in disbelief. “How did I not see this?”

“Kind of hard to see what’s hidden. Unless you can look at the code there’s no way you would know, and obviously the laptop developers would rather you stay out of that side of the device.”

“Hence your plug-in, literally.”

“You got it.” Randall high-fived the young man.

Nora didn’t know whether to roll her eyes or throttle them both. She settled for a stern look and a gruff reminder. “We’re on a time clock here. Something else is happening. We don’t know where. We don’t know who, and we don’t know...”

“Classmates.”

Nora and Jonathan both stared at Randall in confusion.

“Our perp used a student from the Institute the first time. Maybe he dipped into that well twice.” Randall pulled the sheet of paper out of his pocket and passed it to Jonathan. “Tell me who on that paper is smarter than you are, and don’t be shy. I know you know.”

He glanced up at Nora and said, “Most geeks are aware of where they stand in the pecking order.”

Jonathan barely glanced at the list. “Only person on there who can code better than I can was Kathryn Waters.”

“Was?”

Jonathan shrugged. “We don’t talk. I have no idea what she’s doing now. Kathryn is...somewhat antisocial.”

Randall gave him a few final words of instruction. As he and Nora headed to the door, Jonathan asked, “How did he know? How did Professor Garcia know that I was...involved in something?”

“Best guess? He wrote a program to keep track of his students. He cared about you, Jonathan.”

“Yeah, and it cost him his life.”

Nora glanced at Randall, walked back across the room, and squatted down in front of Jonathan. He reminded Nora of her nephew, and she realized with a start that she wanted to see him again, that it had been much too long and she’d taken certain things—like family—for granted.

Not that long ago, she’d been in a small town in Shipshewana, Indiana, chasing yet another cyber criminal. In that case, she’d had to depend on the help of an Amish farmer. Benjamin Lapp had reminded her that family and faith matter. She’d promised herself she’d make those things a priority in her life, and she’d meant to.

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