Page 41 of Guarding Truth
He nodded. “She’s not going to like missing school. Her team is in the semifinals for a robot-building competition this weekend. She’s worked so hard, but I can’t send her. I’m so glad there are three bodyguards now. It’s nice to have you, Alana, and Noelle. You three make a pretty formidable team. Especially Alana. I wouldn’t want to run into her in some dark alley. She’s lethal.”
Juliette chuckled. “Alana is the sweetest once you get past her protective armor. They’ve both been great partners and friends. I trust them with my life. See, we all need someone to watch our backs now and then.” She and her colleagues had their differences, but Juliette had learned to appreciate the value of different perspectives on a situation. Her respect for her colleagues ran deep.
His hands circled around the mug of still-steaming coffee. “While I want to get to the safe house as soon as possible, I want to see my office. Find out what’s left of it. Maybe there’s another clue.” He tilted his head. “At least one of the hackers works for Cyberskies. It’s the only thing that makes sense. How else did they get that program into the bank’s laptop with my security program?” He paused, running a hand through his hair. “It might even be two people—they were leaving each other messages on the hard drive.”
“The police have closed the office building. We’d have to see if the fire marshal would even let us in. Plus, I’m sure the FBI has gone through every inch of the place hunting for clues to help their investigation.”
“I know. But for some reason, I need to see it for myself. Maybe they missed something.”
Juliette moved to the kitchen to clean up the breakfast dishes. “Who would do something like this? Do you have any suspects in mind?”
Caleb blew out a loud breath. “Blake and I employ seventy-five people. A lot of the positions are remote, but there’s maybe twenty of us in the corporate office. And before you say it, I can’t imagine Blake being behind this. I’ve known him since college. I trusted him enough to go into business with him.”
Since their days in basic training, Caleb had always been an excellent judge of character. His eidetic memory caused him to notice details most people overlooked.
Juliette stood. “What if I make breakfast for us? Then maybe we can send Ivy to the safe house with Noelle or Alana. I’ll drive you to the office, and we can check it out before heading out of town, as long as we can get access for us to go in.”
He gave a slow nod, his gaze locked on hers. “I like the idea of Ivy getting to the safe house as soon as possible. We’ll stop off at the office on our way.”
Together.
Just like that, they were a team again, moving as a single unit. He’d saved her life that day on the mountainside.
And she’d lay down her life if it meant protecting Caleb and Ivy.
* * *
THURSDAY, 10:00 A.M.
God, please keep Ivy safe.
Caleb rode in Juliette’s Prius, the steady hum of the engine the only sound as she drove to his office. Noelle had taken Ivy directly to the safe house.
“Not easy letting Ivy out of my sight.” Caleb shifted in his seat to face Jules. “But thanks for taking me by the office. I feel like, if these hackers were bold enough to work for me, they may have left more evidence behind. The fire may have been a way to cover their tracks.”
“Ivy has the best bodyguards on her protection detail. Let Noelle and Alana stand watch while we figure things out with your office.”
His phone buzzed with a text from his neighbor, Abby, asking about the robotics competition this weekend and whether Ivy needed a ride. He responded with the truth.
At this point, I’m not sure. I’ll let you know later.
Abby meant well, but sometimes he felt like he had a mother always looking over his shoulder. On the one hand, she’d watched Ivy and had even tutored her after school. He should be grateful to live next door to a former college professor. But when Abby sent a follow up text asking if they’d be home, he ignored it.
“This needs to end,” he said as Juliette found a space in the garage across from the office building. “Ivy needs to be in school. She’ll be devastated if she misses her competition. She’s worked so hard, and her team qualified for the championship round.”
“I think as long as you’re with her in the safe house, she’ll understand about missing out on the competition. She wants you to be as safe as you want her to be.”
She might be right about that.
They walked across the street. Juliette had called the fire marshal and received permission to enter the building to retrieve files and whatever else was salvageable.
The office complex was deserted since the fire department had closed the entire building, despite the fire being contained in just Caleb’s office. When Juliette opened the door to the lobby, they ran into Blake heading out.
“What are you doing here?” Blake asked, juggling the box in his arms. Papers, computers, and files stuck out the top.
Curious. Why was Blake taking office documents and equipment?
“I’m checking on the damage and wanted to see if there was any evidence left that might point us to the hackers.”