Part 17:
But Daniel could see Clara’s mind working, processing the new threat, even as she helped Lily flip a particularly ambitious butterfly. After breakfast, while the children played in the backyard, Daniel and Clara reconvened in her study. “Someone’s scared,” she said immediately. “Scared enough to threaten you directly or warn me.
” The tone was more warning than threat. Same difference. Someone knows we’re investigating and wants you to stop. She pulled up her laptop. I’ve been thinking about the timeline. Marcus was terminated Thursday. Miranda accessed Lily’s records Friday night. The threatening message came Sunday. They’re scrambling, which makes them dangerous or sloppy.
Clara’s fingers flew across the keyboard. I’m moving the security upgrade story to tomorrow night instead of Friday. Let’s see how quickly they react. Daniel’s phone rang. Jake calling back. That number traces to a burner phone, but I got a location ping. Downtown financial district mean anything? Daniel looked at Clara. Wright’s office is downtown.
So are about a thousand other offices, Jake pointed out. But here’s the interesting part. The phone was purchased with a credit card linked to a shell company. That shell company has ties to a Chinese investment firm that’s been suspected of corporate espionage for years. Send me everything you have already in your email and Danny watch your six.
These aren’t amateurs. After Jake hung up, Daniel found Clara staring at him with an expression he couldn’t read. You have military intelligence contacts investigating this. I have friends who owe me favors. That’s not what I’m concerned about. If Chinese intelligence is involved, this is beyond corporate security. This is national security.
All the more reason to handle it quietly. FBI involvement means congressional hearings, media attention, your stock price crashing. We can end this without any of that. Or we could all end up dead. Not on my watch. Clara laughed, but there was no humor in it. You can’t protect everyone, Daniel. Despite what happened at the mall, you’re not actually bulletproof.
I don’t need to be bulletproof. I just need to be faster than they expect. That afternoon, Daniel took Ethan home to get school clothes while Clara prepared for her board meeting. The apartment looked even shabier after a night in Clara’s guest room. Water stains on the ceiling. More prominent, the smell of mildew more noticeable.
“Dad,” Ethan said while packing his backpack. “Why don’t we live somewhere nice like Lily’s house? We live somewhere that’s ours that makes it nice.” “But wouldn’t it be better if it was ours and nice?” Daniel couldn’t argue with 8-year-old logic. Maybe someday, buddy. Maybe with your new job. Maybe.
As they drove back to drop Ethan at school, Mrs. Chen would pick him up later. Daniel noticed a car following them. Black sedan government plates keeping perfect distance. Not a threat, but a watcher. Someone wanted him to know he was being observed. He dropped Ethan at school with an extra- long hug, then drove to Donovan Technologies.
The sedan still maintaining its distance. In the parking garage, Daniel got out and walked directly to the sedan, knocking on the driver’s window. It rolled down to reveal a young woman with federal agent written all over her. “Can I help you?” Daniel asked pleasantly. “Mr. Hayes, Agent Sarah Foster, FBI. We understand you’ve been investigating potential espionage at Donovan Technologies.
” “I’m the security director. Investigating is my job. We’d like to cooperate with your investigation. I’ll keep that in mind, Mr. Mr. Hayes, if foreign intelligence services are attempting to steal classified information, then I’ll handle it and report to the proper authorities when I have evidence. Until then, I’m just a security guard doing his job.
Agent Foster handed him a card. When you’re ready to talk, call me. And Mr. Hayes, be careful. The people you’re investigating have resources you can’t imagine. So do I, Daniel said, thinking of Clara’s determination and his own hard one skills. So do I. Inside the building, he found chaos. Clara’s emergency board meeting had leaked, and the staff was buzzing with rumors.
Janet met him at his office with a stack of reports in a worried expression. Mr. Wright’s been making calls all morning, she said. He’s trying to get the votes to override Miss Donovan’s security changes. How many votes does he need? seven of 12 board members. He has five confirmed two leaning his way. Daniel did the math.
If Wright succeeded, all their preparations would be worthless. Worse, it would signal to whoever was behind this that Donovan Technologies was vulnerable. He headed to the boardroom where raised voices could be heard through the closed doors. Security guards stood outside looking uncomfortable. Through the glass panels, Daniel could see Clara at one end of the table, Wright at the other.
The remaining board members arrayed between them like spectators at a gladiator match. His phone buzzed. Clara. Wright’s about to call for a vote. I need something. Anything. Daniel thought fast. He couldn’t enter the boardroom without cause, but he could create cause. He pulled out his phone and triggered the building’s security alert.
