The Coming by Kevin J. Kurtz

Author:Kevin J. Kurtz [Kurtz, Kevin J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781490799636
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
Published: 2020-02-14T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 39

Mark stood there, clutching the flashdrive.

Sam adjusted her pillows. “Were you going to write your story from work?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because your PC’s tapped, remember? They’re tracking every keystroke.”

Mark hesitated. “But that could work in our favor. Mister Brown said we need to be more public.”

Sam stared straight at Mark. “Are you sure that’s what he meant?”

Mark lowered his head. “No. But he did say that revealing this story would save our lives.”

Beth raised her voice. “How do you know you can trust him?”

“I don’t know. I hope so. I think he’s trying to help.”

Sam raised her hand. “Let me see if I’m following you. You want the people tracking you to see you have this top secret information?”

“Yes.”

“And your plan is to publish this information, make yourself more public, and thus become untouchable?”

“Yes.”

“What about Beth and me?”

“I…I’d never want to harm you. Mister Brown said this story would save all our lives.” Mark emphasized all.

“Beth, do you trust Mark with your life?”

Beth stared at Mark. “I do.”

Sam shrugged. “Okay, Paperboy. I guess our lives are in your hands.”

Mark didn’t know what to say.

Sam pointed at Mark’s knapsack. “Do you have your laptop with you?”

“Yes.”

“Let me see it.”

Mark handed Sam his laptop. She attached it to her Lenovo. After a minute, she handed it back to him. “This is clean. No Trojan. So if you need to write something…”

“I understand. Thanks.”

“Sam, do you have time to run the face recognition for the guy in Mark’s apartment?”

Sam sat up straighter. “Now you’re talking.” She started entering keystrokes, frowned, then typed some more. “This isn’t good.”

“What’d you find?”

“It’s what I didn’t find. I searched the DMV of every state for the van registration. Nada. And the facial picture is clear enough to get a hit if he has a driver’s license. But he’s not in the system.”

“How’s that possible?”

“You said your friend, this Mister Brown, is a spook?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if he’s CIA, or what.”

“And he said there’s government agencies watching us?”

“What are you getting at, Sam?”

“Maybe this guy isn’t supposed to be in the system. But he’d be in the DOD database.” Sam started hitting keystrokes again. “Bingo.”

Mark and Beth leaned closer.

“Our pretend cable man is Lieutenant Daniel Broadstreet. Served in the Iraq War, Marine, Third Battalion. Part of a counterinsurgency squad that helped capture Saddam Hussein’s two son’s in Mosul. The list goes on. Retired from active duty in twenty-twelve.”

“So, he’s freelancing now?”

Sam shook her head. “More likely working for the spooks. They like to redeploy skilled military.” Sam closed her laptop. The three sat on her bed, not saying a word.

“I…I’m really sorry I got you involved in this.”

“This is where you say, Sam it was great to see you, but we gotta go.”

Beth leaned across the bed and hugged Sam’s neck. “You’re my best friend.”

“Keep her safe, Paperboy.”

Mark and Beth left the room and headed toward the parking lot.

“I was hoping we could hang out at the mall or see a movie, but I should get you back to the Register, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.

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