Page 33 of Collin: Episodes 13-15
She slapped him gently on the arm. “Don’t look at me like that. I learned most of it from you.”
“I am one hundred percent sure I have never said those phrases in relation to boys in my life.”
“No, but you like to know what you’re supposed to do, you need treats, and you like cuddles.”
Collin covered his face in one hand. “Why did I think it was a good idea to have you here?”
“Because you love me.” She threw her arms around him again and squeezed.
He hugged her back. “I’m supposed to leave for Indianapolis on a work thing in, like, twenty minutes. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Can I come with? Then I could see two new cities!” She bounced up and down.
How she could be that light on her feet in steel-studded shoes?
“I already asked Ash to come with, so it wouldn’t be just the two of us, and I have security.”
“Cool. Then I can play with Ash while you’re working. Unless he’s working, too?”
“Um…no, actually, I’m trying to get him to take a break. He works too much.”
Alice clapped her hands, “Perfect. Damian gave me spending money. I can buy Ash treats and tell him he’s a good boy.”
Collin stared down at her. “You’re terrifying, you know that? Ash is here because he’s such a dangerous hacker they almost sent him to federal prison. He could empty your bank account if he wanted to, I’m pretty sure.”
Alice grinned. “And you like him. You’ve talked about him every time we’ve had a conversation for the last four weeks. He’s your person. So, he’s going to be my person.”
She bounced away. “It’s been five minutes, right? Where’s the dungeon?”
“Techno dungeon; there’s a difference.” Collin hurried after her. “I know you know that.”
The drive was just a bit under four hours. Mr. Reevesworth had allocated an SUV for Collin, Alice, and Holden for security and one of Mr. Reevesworth’s regular drivers.
Alice tapped at the glass as they climbed inside the SUV in the underground parking lot of the office building. “Is this bulletproof?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Holden said from the front passenger seat. “All of Mr. Reevesworth’s current vehicles have bulletproofing.”
“That must be expensive.”
“It’s a good idea.” Ash opened up his laptop from his seat in the back.
Alice crawled out of her seat in the middle beside Collin and sat next to Ash. “What are you doing?”
“Seat belt, ma’am,” Holden said. “We can’t move unless you’re secured.”
“Oh.” Alice’s mouth made a perfect circle of surprise. She grabbed the middle seat belt and buckled in. “Good now.” She flashed Holden a thumbs-up and scooted in next to Ash.
“I’m checking to see if I have visuals on Dana. And…oh, they are plugged in. I’m in. Yes!”
“What does that mean?”
“That they plugged in Collin’s old laptop, well, the computer they used to hack his old laptop and that I have access to now. Come on, come on…”
“What are you doing?”
“Getting control of their local area network or at least trying to. We need to figure out where she is, and this connection is the best we have. Right now, we just know she’s somewhere in California. Or at least, we think she is.”
“Is that her?” Alice pointed to the screen.
