Game of Fear (Montgomery Justice #3)(50)
Hawk followed his line of sight. “The moment you walked out to meet Ernie,” Hawk said, under his breath. “Don’t know if they saw him, but immediately after you hit the back room, they threw a couple of twenties on the bar and hightailed it out of here.”
Gabe’s jaw tightened. Nick better come through fast. If those two had seen Ernie, the snitch might not live to check into his motel.
Ashley couldn’t tell what time it was. The Warden and Niko had taken her watch, her phone, everything she had.
She now wore their clothes, ate by their schedule. If she wanted anything she had to ask—even down to a drink of water or a trek to the bathroom. She’d read about the psychology of breaking a prisoner’s will. She understood what they were doing.
Well, screw them. She was her father’s daughter and she wouldn’t break.
Her fingers pounded the keyboard as her anger mounted. Finally, she relaxed in her chair staring at the code on the latest mission they’d given her. Those bastards. She knew what they wanted from her now. A back door to the NSA databases—and not just any databases. The databases that stored passwords to other databases, computers, and networks.
They wanted worldwide access.
Whoever had come up with the idea to use Point of Entry had been smart, much smarter than her—or maybe just more devious. Anyone reaching Level 88 gave these people a key to their local computers and home networks. How many had reached Level 88 over the years?
God knows she hadn’t suspected anything at all. She’d downloaded the free upgrade to the game without hesitation. She hadn’t checked for secret layers and invisible commands buried in the software.
The scary part was, if she was right, this updated version of P.O.E. looked like players wouldn’t even have to hit Level 88 before the Warden took control.
Millions of computer systems worldwide would be compromised.
“Quit daydreaming, Lansing,” Niko said, eyes narrow and suspicious. “You haven’t touched your keyboard in the last four minutes.”
“Do you have an aspirin?” Ashley asked, making a show of rubbing her temple and wincing. “I’m getting a wicked headache and it’s hard to concentrate.”
With an exasperated sigh, he stood. “Come on.”
He led her past a bevy of kids hunkered down over their machines. They didn’t look up as she passed. Until she reached Justin. She slowed a bit. He had headphones on. His screen showed the latest version of P.O.E. He’d reached Level 65. Still had a ways to go.
Justin took his eyes off the game and, on-screen, a gun took out his player. He turned white.
Niko smacked the side of Justin’s head and yanked off his earphones. “You know the penalty for not passing a level, Mr. Connell. I suggest you focus on the game, instead of your girlfriend.” Niko glanced at his watch. “You have twelve hours to reach Level 80.”
“But . . . that took our entire team weeks.”
“Then I suggest you get started.”
Niko grabbed Ashley’s arm and yanked her from the room, then dragged her down the hall. “You think you’re so damn smart, don’t you. Well, you’re not. You have no clue what’s about to happen here. Your IQ might be high, Lansing, higher than anyone since Shannon, but smart won’t save you—” His voice trailed off. He cursed and stared at Ashley, a bleak look on his face.
“Something happened to her, didn’t it?” she said.
Niko’s jaw clenched. He led her through another door and into a new corridor she hadn’t seen before.
Ashley’s voice went low. “Like what happened to Fletcher?”
“Shannon asked too many questions. You’re so damn like her, it’s scary.” He touched the side of Ashley’s cheek, then dropped his hand. “Don’t make her same mistakes. The Warden hates you because you won’t bend to his will. You’re very close to ending up like Shannon.”
Ashley recoiled, from both his touch and the warning. God, she was scared. She’d only been here a short time, and it already felt like years. She had to find a way out for her and Justin.
Niko opened a door and the steel slam echoed, hurting her eardrums. The moment his footsteps thudded down the hall another door flew open. “Niko, the computer has a glitch. Everything is ready to go but the zip codes didn’t print.”
Ashley peeked into the room. Her eyes widened. Hundreds of express mail packages and printed labels littered several long tables, along with a stack of Point of Entry Version VIII games. It wasn’t supposed to hit for a month.
“If you can’t fix the problem, get a tech to come in and handle it. I don’t have time now.”
The man gestured to Ashley. “Can she do it?”
“No. She’s new. She’s not allowed to use that database.”
The guy frowned.
“Look,” Niko growled. “Tell the Warden I authorized you to use a senior tech. Then reprint the damn labels and get those games out today.”
“Right.” The man’s voice lowered. “They pulled the explosives. We almost done?”
Niko’s face paled, then he glanced at Ashley, giving the other guy a harsh look.
The man looked at Ashley with a sympathetic gaze. “Oh, right.”
That didn’t sound good. At all.