Page 46 of Guarding Truth
“At least you have the fighting skills to make it as a bodyguard. Because you’re not cut out for nerd life. I mean, if you can’t tell the difference between a Vulcan and a Wookie, I can’t help you.”
“Fine. I’ll give it another try. Maybe Ivy can explain it to me in terms I can understand.”
“Probably not.” He snickered. She responded by sticking out her tongue.
They drove the remainder of the trip in silence, Juliette staring out the window, no doubt evaluating plans for the security detail at the safe house. Caleb relished the moment of peace in the back seat of the sedan. No one was chasing them, and Ivy was protected. His head pounded a steady beat from the stress of the past few days. He closed his eyes.
The vehicle stopped, jarring him awake. They’d arrived at a house in a residential area.
“Uncle Caleb,” Ivy called as she ran out the front door, Alana at her heels. “I’m so glad you are okay.” He enveloped her in his arms and led her inside, not trusting either of them would be safe outside.
Ivy gave him a tour of the house like she owned it. Maybe he needed to get her out of the city, at least for a vacation. But this house would make a fabulous getaway place.
“The decor is modern farmhouse.” Ivy droned on as if she’d memorized the script of one of those home makeover shows. “And did you see outside? The neighbors at the end of the property have horses.” Caleb crossed the living room and peered to the patio, which opened up into green pastureland spotted with some trees. In the distance, two horses hung out by the fence line, munching on some tall grass.
Maybe thiswouldbe a vacation, since they’d have to entertain themselves with no electronics. If only he could convince Agent McGregor to be the one to tell Ivy. But she’d probably already figured it out.
He finally just bit the bullet. “You understand that there can’t be any Wi-Fi here. No connections of any kind.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “I know.” But her face indicated her complete displeasure and ruined life.
“I mean it, Ivy. You can’t get online, or you’ll run the risk of tipping off the bad guys to our location. This house is safe. We have to abide by the rules.”
Her bottom lip jutted out. “But if anyone can track down these hackers, it’s us. I know you can find them. You’re the best hacker alive.”
“We just need to let the FBI do their job. They’re the professionals.”
“You don’t ever take any risks, Uncle Caleb. Your skills are way better than these other guys. Why are we hiding in this house when we should be working with the FBI to stop these bad guys?”
The simple answer—he’d never risk Ivy’s life for anything. “You know why. It’s not safe.”
Ivy rolled her eyes and pulled a device out of her bag. “Can I at least have my Kindle? Without Wi-Fi, I won’t be able to do much, but at least I’ll have my books.”
He caught the attention of Agent McGregor, who had turned the formal dining room into a makeshift command center with papers, half-drunk cups of coffee, and blueprints spread across the wooden farmhouse table. The agent shrugged his consent. How much trouble could Ivy get into with a Kindle and no connectivity?
“Yes, you can keep your Kindle,” Caleb said.
Ivy hugged the Kindle and raced toward the guest bedroom she’d already claimed as her own. His niece just didn’t get it. Men with guns had hunted him and Juliette. This wasn’t one of those games he used to play with her where he’d send Morse Code messages through the flashlight app on her cellphone. The stakes were too high.
He walked into the formal dining room and saw Agent McGregor and Juliette, deep in discussion about security plans. The agent motioned for Caleb to join them. Noelle headed off to check on Ivy.
“As I was telling Juliette, we’ll have two agents stationed here around the clock. They’ll work the perimeter, and the Elite Guardians will take shifts to help with inside security.”
Caleb nodded. “What are you doing to find these hackers and put a stop to them before they destroy my company and take down a bank?”
The man leaned back in the wooden chair and steepled his hands in front of his face. “I still think our best shot is Ivy. I think having her meet with the hackers may be our only way to stop them. She can make connections with them in ways we can’t. She could reach out to them and convince them that she wants to join their ranks?—”
Caleb huffed, silencing the man. “I can do the same thing. Use me, not her.”
Agent McGregor sighed. “They already know you’re not interested. And they’ve already established that they’re willing to prey on her naivety. They don’t know that Ivy told us about the meeting with CyberLane. We have the cell phone. I think Ivy should try to make contact. Set up a meeting.”
No. Just…no.
“I want to do it.” He hadn’t even vocalized his answer.
He turned around and saw Ivy standing in the doorway to the dining room. “Ivy, it’s not safe.” He pulled out the chair next to her so she could sit with them at the table. The adult table. Why couldn’t she just be a kid? This wasn’t her burden to bear.
“I don’t want to sit around and do nothing. We can get these guys and all be safe, or we can hide out here. I know I can help.”