Part 10:
The company maintains it for relocating executives. Daniel looked at the images. is a two-story colonial with an actual yard. The kind of place he and Sarah had dreamed about before the diagnosis changed everything. I can’t afford. It’s part of your compensation package. Housing allowance for senior executives.
I’m not a senior executive. I’m a security guard with a fancy title. Clara’s expression shifted something fierce flickering in her eyes. No, you’re the director of corporate security for a company that handles classified defense contracts. You’re responsible for the safety of 4,000 employees and billions in intellectual property.
You’re not a security guard, Daniel. Stop thinking like one. Before he could respond, her phone buzzed. She glanced at it, frowning. Speaking of security issues, we have a problem. Someone’s been probing our network defenses. Third attempt this week. Hackers. More sophisticated than that. Pattern suggests foreign intelligence. Probably Chinese or Russian.
She pulled up data on the conference room screen. Marcus insisted it was routine, nothing to worry about. Daniel studied the attack patterns, his mind shifting into tactical mode. It’s not routine. They’re testing response times, mapping your defensive architecture. This is reconnaissance for something bigger. That’s what I thought.
Clara watched him analyze the data. What would you do? First, assume they’ve already gotten something. Run a full audit check for any data that’s been accessed unusually. Second, honeypot trap. Give them something to find that looks valuable but lets us track them. Third, physical security review. Cyber attacks are often combined with human intelligence operations.
Someone inside could be helping them. Clara smiled. The first genuine one he’d seen from her in their professional setting. Marcus’ response was to buy more firewall software. Marcus thinks like a bodyguard. This requires thinking like a soldier, which is why I hired you. She closed the tablet. I’ve scheduled a meeting with the senior staff tomorrow.
You’ll need to present your initial assessment and recommendations. Tomorrow, I’ve been here exactly 1 hour, and you’ve already identified more actual threats than Marcus did in 3 years. Trust your instincts, Daniel. They’ve been right so far. Her phone buzzed again. This time, her expression softened. It’s Lily. She wants to know if you’re coming to dinner Sunday. I don’t want to intrude.
You saved her life. You’re not intruding your family. She paused, seeming to realize what she’d said. I mean, Lily sees you as she’s attached to you. Just Lily? The question hung between them, loaded with implications neither was ready to explore. Clara was his boss now, a billionaire CEO who lived in a different universe from his two-bedroom apartment and bargained groceries.
But she was also the woman who texted him at 3:00 a.m. unable to sleep from fear of what might have been. “We should discuss the staff files,” Clara said, redirecting with practiced ease. “There are concerns about several employees that Marcus dismissed, but I think warrant investigation.” They spent the next two hours reviewing personnel.
Daniel taking notes and asking questions that revealed how surface level Marcus’ security had been. No background checks on contractors, no monitoring of unusual access patterns, no psychological evaluations for personnel with critical access. It was security theater designed to look impressive while missing fundamental vulnerabilities.
“Jesus,” Daniel muttered, reading about a janitor with buildingwide access who’d never been properly vetted. This is worse than Afghanistan. At least there we knew everyone was potentially hostile. Can you fix it? I can fix it, but people won’t like it. Real security is inconvenient. It slows things down, asks uncomfortable questions.
I don’t pay people to like me. I pay them to do their jobs. Your job is to keep us safe. Do whatever you need to do. At 3:45, Daniel stood to leave. I need to get Ethan. Take the company car. Clara offered drivers waiting downstairs. Thanks, but I’ve got my Honda. The one with the broken tail light and the engine that sounds like it’s dying.
You researched my car, too. I noticed it in the hospital parking lot. Hard to miss the duct tape holding the bumper on. Daniel felt heat rise in his face. It runs. Daniel, her voice softened. You’re not in survival mode anymore. You have a real job with real compensation. It’s okay to accept that. It’s been 3 weeks. This could all what disappear.
Do you think I make hasty decisions? Do you think offering you this position was some impulse born of gratitude? She moved closer and he could smell her perfume. Something subtle and expensive. I’ve built this company by recognizing talent and securing it. You’re not charity, Daniel. You’re an investment. The intensity in her eyes made him look away. I should go.
Sunday dinner, she said. 6:00. Lily will be devastated if you don’t come. Just Lily, he asked again, echoing their earlier moment. This time, she smiled. Bring Ethan. The boys can play while we discuss security concerns. Daniel left the building feeling like he’d been through another kind of combat one where the weapons were words and looks where victory conditions remained unclear.
