Page 52 of Slap Shot
"Working something out?" Heather said, stepping into full view. "Interesting negotiation technique."
Both men whipped around to face her. Oliver's expression shifted from surprise to relief to horror, probably realizing that Kai now had two targets instead of one. Kai's eyes immediately began calculating threat levels, his hand moving toward something on his desk.
"Dr. Heather Quincy," Kai said, his voice carrying false warmth. "Your reputation precedes you. Though I have to say, your cybersecurity skills are somewhat overrated."
"Are they?" Heather moved further into the room, noting escape routes and potential weapons while keeping her voice cold. "Because I've been tracking your operations for weeks. Iknow your methods, your signatures, your favorite proxy chains. You're good, Kai, but you're not invisible."
"Good enough to turn your precious team against itself." Kai's hand definitely had something now. The glint of metal suggested a knife. "Good enough to destroy everything Oliver cares about."
"Maybe. But here's the thing about destruction. It tends to be mutual." Heather pulled out her phone, showing him a screen full of network traffic analysis. "See this? I've been running a trace on your systems since the moment I walked into this building. Every packet, every connection, every piece of data flowing through your network."
It was partially true. She had been monitoring his digital fingerprints from her office, building profiles of his methods and attack vectors. But the real-time trace was a bluff, meant to shake his confidence and buy time for police to arrive.
Kai's expression shifted, confidence wavering for the first time since she'd entered the room. "Bullshit."
"Is it?" Heather's fingers moved across her phone screen, executing a script she'd built weeks ago specifically for this moment. "Let's find out."
The digital attack hit Kai's systems like a sledgehammer. His screens flickered, error messages cascading across multiple displays as carefully constructed network connections began collapsing. Months of preparation, years of planning, all unraveling in real time.
"What the hell?" Kai lunged for his keyboard, but Oliver was already moving.
Kai's hand shot toward something metallic on his desk, a letter opener or small knife, just as Oliver's shoulder drove into his midsection. The impact sent both men crashing sideways into the desk, laptops sliding off the surface and clattering tothe floor. Cables tangled around their legs as they grappled for control.
Oliver's hand clamped around Kai's wrist, keeping the blade away from his throat. Kai twisted beneath him, using his smaller size to slip partially free and drive an elbow toward Oliver's ribs. The blow connected with enough force to make Oliver grunt, but he didn't let go.
They rolled across the floor, knocking over chairs and scattering equipment. Kai managed to get on top for a moment, the knife inches from Oliver's face, before Oliver bucked him off and slammed his hand against the ground until the weapon skittered away under a filing cabinet.
"Stop!" Heather shouted, staying back from the fight but positioning herself between the struggling men and the door. She couldn't interfere with what was clearly self-defense, but she could make sure Kai didn't escape.
Oliver finally managed to pin Kai face-down on the floor, one knee planted between his shoulder blades. He had both of Kai's arms twisted behind his back in a position that made any movement painful.
"You think this changes anything?" Kai snarled into the carpet, his voice muffled but still venomous. "You think overpowering me stops what's already in motion? I've got backups, Oliver. Backups of everything. Your past, your girlfriend's secrets, your precious coach's career, it's all going public tomorrow morning whether I'm here or not."
"Not if you're in federal custody," Heather said, keeping her distance from the crime scene but watching for any sign that Kai might break free.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway outside, followed by authoritative voices shouting commands. The police had finally arrived.
"Hartford Police! Building security is directing us to this floor!"
Relief flooded through Heather, though she realized the local police might not fully understand the federal implications of Kai's crimes.
"In here!" she called toward the hallway. "Suite 847! Suspect is restrained but was armed!"
The door burst open as three Hartford officers swept into the room, weapons drawn but immediately assessing the situation. The lead officer took in Oliver pinning Kai to the floor, the scattered computer equipment, and Heather standing well back from the physical altercation.
"Sir, step away from the suspect," the lead officer commanded Oliver.
Oliver immediately released Kai and moved back, hands visible and non-threatening. "He had a knife. It's under the filing cabinet."
Two officers moved to secure Kai while the third began cataloging the scene. Kai didn't resist, couldn't, really, with his arms twisted behind his back and handcuffs being applied, but his mouth kept running.
"This is harassment," he said as they hauled him to his feet. "I'm working legally from a rented office. These people broke in and assaulted me."
"Mr. Moreno," the lead officer said, consulting his notes, "you're under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon and violation of a restraining order. You have the right to remain silent..."
As the Miranda warning continued, another officer approached Heather. "Ma'am, you're the one who called this in?"
"Dr. Heather Quincy, head of cybersecurity for Charm City Chill," she said, pulling out her identification. "Kai Morenohas been conducting systematic cyber attacks against our organization. This is actually a federal parole violation case. He's been operating under restricted computer access terms."
