White Hat Protection Sneak Peek
Chapter One
Blaine
The money is gone! My stomach bottoms out. Fuck! Horrid news to wake up to. The people closest to me are in danger again.
And her.
Each morning post-workout in my home gym, I check alerts in my office. Old habits die hard. After I accept a client, I monitor them continually. Most criminals don’t reform. They try different avenues to achieve the same goals or use proxies to do it.
My illustrious—infamous—career began in high school. Much to my dismay, I was assigned a coding class as my elective. Coding and computer systems turned out to be my passion. Initially, I would hack for fun. As my skills improved so did my client list and the paydays. I veered into black hat territory and made boatloads of money. A black hat hacker has malicious intent. Their activities are highly illegal and generally cause harm. These individuals destroy files and steal credit cards and personal information. White hats are protective and ethical. Permission to access a computer system is given ahead of time. Did I cause harm? Probably. Did it stop me? Not at first.
For the most part, I wear a white hat now. Some might argue, specifically those in law enforcement, that my hat is gray. The main difference is authorization. None is given for my hacking, but my intent is never to harm. That opinion is a main factor in my reclusive nature. Aside from protecting my identity, I limit my interactions with the outside world.
Typically, Jake calls me, not the other way around. Five years ago, one of the few people who knows my true identity and location reached out with a job. Jake’s now wife, Norah, was assaulted and being framed for money laundering. Given my skill set, I stepped in to assist them.
“Who’s in trouble?” he asks.
“Norah.”
Jake’s rumbling voice replies, “Come again?”
“The money from the Moretti case was withdrawn from the overseas account.”
“By whom?” His voice has an edge, which only happens when his family is threatened, whether actual or found.
My pen taps on the desk in my office. “Don’t know yet. I got an alert. You were my first call.”
“Please dig into the case and get back to me with your findings. Check all angles, including people who were cleared or incarcerated.”
Her. We have worked together… sort of. I gathered information on behalf of Blackthorne for her cases, the most recent when Valencia Halden was kidnapped. Agent Audrey Davenport drew the case and assisted in the prosecution. Like many others, she and I have never met in person. I attended the meeting for the Halden case via video conference. I didn’t have my camera on.
Audrey fascinates me. She’s stunning with long sable hair, piercing blue eyes, and curves for days. Her skill set includes expert marksmanship and extensive investigation experience. Audrey was first in her class at Quantico and rose up the ranks of the FBI quickly. She worked kidnappings and other cases linked to international money laundering, racketeering, and drug trafficking for cartels in Mexico and Europe. Yet, by the details I can glean, she’s kind to everyone and volunteers at an animal shelter each month despite the atrocities she sees in her career.
“Is Morse still wearing an orange jumpsuit?” I ask Jake, whose rage is barely contained. While his wife can take care of herself, they’re soul mates.
“As far as I know, former agent Kyle Morse is locked up for his role in the conspiracy and assaulting my wife… twice.”
“Parole?” I brace for anger to reverberate through the phone.
“We haven’t been contacted, but—”
Sharing facts will help ground my friend and colleague. “He escaped before.”
“Yes. Keep me updated.” He ends the call without a goodbye. I’m not surprised. Jake will rush from his seat, locate Norah and their four children, then tighten security as if he needs more. I set up the security system and network at his compound. No one is getting in, physically or digitally, without authorization.
After gulping down a protein shake and a quick shower, I return to my lair and begin investigating. With my fingerprint, I open my home office and locate the case file.
The key players, including the entire Moretti family, Norah Blackthorne, Robert Quinn, former agent Morse and his partner, Junie Brown, still have active bots combing the internet and dark web for crumbs. Only Norah’s and the bank were set to actively notify me.
Before tackling the data, I reestablish searches for Audrey Dove Davenport, Special Agent Alex Bishop, and Chandler Drolet, his boss. My intent is to find a threat before it becomes a reality.
Hours later, I stop reading and dissecting to grab some food and sunlight. I may not leave my property often, but I prefer to be outdoors daily for a short grounding session. The technique is used for anxiety and panic attacks most frequently. I take a few minutes to be grateful I woke up and maintain low stress levels. The practice also assists in me keeping my days straight. Lifting weights helps as well. I often become obsessed when I’m on a case. My ultimate goal is always to protect the innocent, especially first responders and law enforcement… despite their love-hate relationship for someone like me because I bend the rules.
When I return to my office, I check my email again.
Damn! I was hoping to avoid my obligation this year. One of the conditions for the feds to leave me alone is I attend a cybersecurity conference. The meeting is scheduled for next week. This correspondence reads more like a demand. Whoever they truly wanted to speak is unavailable or backed out at the last minute.
Narrowing my eyes at the screen, I confirm my attendance with reluctance. Complaining about this requirement is futile. Truth is, I haven’t attended in a few years, and the government hasn’t thwarted my ability to wade into the gray abyss. I would prefer to focus on my found family and protect them as best as possible.