Page 9 of Hack
CHAPTER FOUR
"I told you to take a few days off." Bryon glanced up as Carter walked through the door of the STK house.
"Yeah, I know, and I planned to, but something came up I need to research." Carter had somehow managed to get ten hours of sleep, but once he was awake, he couldn't stop thinking about Archer's visit and what it could possibly mean in his hunt for his daughter's killer.
"Anything I can help with?" Bryon asked.
"Nah, it's not team related. Just a background check I need to run on someone. Anything new here since I left?" Carter paused in the doorway that led down the hall to the computer room.
"Nothing. It's been quiet. Trenton is in there, but everyone else seems to be taking the day off." Bryon shrugged. "I can't complain. We've been going hard."
"We have. They all need time to unwind. Maybe you should take the night off. Take your girl out to dinner or something." Carter tried to push Bryon out all the time, but he seldom left the house unless it was to run errands.
"She's got some baby shower or something tonight. I didn't ask for details." Bryon waved him off.
"You know where to find me." Carter continued down the hall to the computer room.
He wasn't shocked that Trenton was there. He seldom left unless it was to take time to fly home and spend some time with his brother. Trenton had very little social life, and at times, Carter wondered if he had any friends other than the team. He didn't push Trenton for information. If the guy wanted to open up about things, he would.
"I thought you were taking today off?" Trenton glanced up from the computer as Carter walked in.
"I won't be too long. I need to look some stuff up." He took a seat in front of his computer and turned it on. "You finding anything?"
Trenton sat back, rolling his shoulders. "Nothing new. I've managed to link a few of the videos to others, but we're already aware of the uploaders. I'm going to cut out and take a nap in a bit. Take advantage of how quiet it is around here."
"You should go home." Carter glanced at him.
Trenton rolled his eyes. "Nothing there that isn't here. I just need a comfortable bed and pillow, maybe a hot shower when I wake up. Bryon mentioned ordering pizza. I might challenge him to a game or two later tonight if he's up for it."
As his computer came to life, Carter nodded, used to Trenton's simplistic lifestyle. "I don't know how you do it. We spend all day on the computers. When I get some downtime, the last thing I want to do is stare at another screen. I don't even turn the TV on anymore. I'm so tired of staring at screens."
"Games are different. I use my mind differently. I can relax and know that my decisions aren't going to affect someone's life. Here, with this shit, it's always life or death, or at least it feels like it." Trenton glanced over and frowned. "A background check? You got a new guy for us?"
They'd been watching for new members ever since they'd lost Dyson after his arrest. The team worked fine without filling the spot, but it never hurt to add new members if anyone came along. "No, it's not team related. Just checking on someone for a friend." Carter never discussed his daughter's case with anyone. It was too personal. While the team knew, and he was sure discussed what had happened to his daughter, he never openly talked about it. At first, when Bryon and he started STK, he'd told Bryon the whole story. Back then, the pain had been raw for both of them for different reasons. Bryon had lost his sister to a monster, and Carter had lost his child and wife to another. They'd leaned on each other back then, using their pain and anger to push them forward to create the team. He wasn't sure if they'd had to do it now, that the same passion would be there. They'd needed the pain to push them. It was never voiced, but Carter always thought of STK and the work they did as a tribute to Bryon's sister and his daughter.
As Trenton went back to focusing on his own work, Carter pulled up the programs he would use to run an in-depth, world-wide background check on Archer. He dug into every database he had access to, looking for anything that would warn him away from working with Archer. He read through his files, almost as if he was reading a biography of Archer's life. It wasn't as detailed as a book might be, but having worked for the FBI, the early parts of Archer's life were available.
The man had an impressive history, growing up in a well-off family, going to the best schools, graduating from the top of his class. His college education was more of the same. It seemed Archer was one-hell-of-a smart man.
What Carter found interesting was the fact that Archer had graduated law school with honors, but he'd never followed through and taken the Bar Exam, instead, he joined the police academy and became a cop. Years later, he applied for the FBI and made it.
Carter sat back, wondering why Archer would have given up dreams of being a lawyer to suddenly change direction after so many years of schooling. Nothing in the report gave him any clues. Archer was fluent in four languages, had seemed to excel at whatever he did.
Hearing he'd quit the FBI, Carter had been sure there was more to the story, but as he read through everything he could find, there was nothing. It honestly looked as if Archer just up and quit one day, walking away from a promising career to start working as a private investigator.
Understanding the need to walk away from your old life, Carter wasn't very worried about the whys, but he was curious. What was Archer's story? What happened in his life to make him change directions the times he had?
He stared at an old photo of Archer as he thought over everything he'd read. The man was good-looking. There was an intensity to his look, something in his eyes that told Carter he was a man who was used to getting what he wanted, and a man who didn't quit. With or without Carter's help, Archer would continue to hunt, and wouldn't stop until he took his last breath. It was a passion Carter understood, only he hadn't focused just on Angel's killer, but on all pedophiles he could get his hands on.
There was no doubt that if he got his hands on Lyle Carmen, he would do things to him that he'd never allowed the team to do to other pedophiles. It would be personal. He was sure there would be no coming back after taking Lyle out. He would give up his soul to avenge his daughter and his wife.
"Cart, you okay?" Trenton looked worried as he rested his hand on Carter's arm.
"Huh?" Carter shook his head.
"You just growled." Trenton raised a brow.
"Growled?" Carter ran his hand down his face. "Sorry, I don't know why."
