Page 9 of Cast in Shadow
When he closed the last news site, the phone rang with an incoming call.
“All right, you’ve got my attention.”
“She’s known as Robin Hood,” Charley said without preamble. “In every one of those cases, huge sums of ill-gotten gains disappeared long before the stories hit the news. We have reason to believe she funnels the proceeds to charitable organizations across the country.”
“She doesn’t keep any for herself?” he asked doubtfully. “How does she fund her philanthropic efforts?”
“She’s a skilled hacker,” Charley said, sidestepping the question. “Much like you, she’s highly transient, and she prefers to remain in the shadows. She stays in low-cost accommodations and seeks out low-wage, under-the-table employment as part of her cover. Once established, she gathers information at the grassroots level, then disappears and finishes the job from elsewhere.”
The transience and living under the radar were two more things he could relate to, except when he moved on, he made a clean break and didn’t look back.
“Who is Robin Hood really?”
A telling hesitation. “That, I don’t know.”
Zeke almost snorted aloud. With the power and knowledge Charley had already demonstrated, it seemed unlikely she didn’t know Robin Hood’s true identity. Yet, his instincts told him two things. One, that Charley really didn’t know, and two, that Charley wanted to. When Zeke added one and two, he got three: the order to find and retrieve Robin Hood had come from somewhere above Charley, and that was enough to give him pause.
“She’s been tracked to several different locations after the fact,” Charley continued, “but she uses a different alias each time. She assumes the identity of a real person, someone similar in age and appearance. Temporarily steals their identity, then disappears, resurfacing later in a different location under a different name. Most recently, she’s been going by the name of Aggie Mays, and has been working as a bartender in a small town in the northeast.”
“If you know that, why do you need me?”
“Because she disappeared several days ago.”
“So? You said that’s part of her MO.”
“Yes, but we have reason to believe this wasn’t intentional.”
“Why not?”
“Call it an educated guess. A hunch, if you will. You understand hunches, don’t you?”
He did, all too well.
Charley wasn’t providing full disclosure—he was sure of it. But he was equally as sure that this woman, Robin Hood, was in trouble. Exactly what kind remained to be seen. Robin Hood might be running from Charley for all he knew—which could explain his involvement.
“One last question. Why do you care?”
Another telling hesitation. When Charley answered, her voice was quieter. “Because like you, Mr. Ericsson, she performs an invaluable service. We’d like to see it continue.”
There was a lot to unpack in that statement, not the least of which was Charley’s inference that her organization kept tabs on people like him and the mysterious Robin Hood, and that was some scary shit. He’d never been a fan of Big Brother mentality, and something told him Robin Hood probably wasn’t either.
He weighed the pros and cons. There was no doubt he was more intrigued than ever, and it had been a while since he’d faced a real challenge.
Several long moments passed in silence before Zeke said, “All right, I’m in.”
“Good,” Charley said simply. “You will be provided with everything you need within the hour. There is to be no further contact until she is safely in your custody in a secure location. Time is of the essence. You have two weeks.”
“And if it takes longer than two weeks?”
“That would mean I made a grave mistake in hiring you, and as I already explained, I don’t make mistakes, Mr. Ericsson.”
A soft click signaled the end of the conversation. A familiar sense of anticipation began to flow through his veins as he gathered his things.
Chapter Five
Zeke
Zeke took a seat at the bar and gave his eyes a chance to adjust to the dark interior. He didn’t need clear vision to be aware of the sudden lull in conversations and curious looks being cast his way. He’d expected as much. McTavey’s Tavern was a small bar in a small town that catered to locals. Outsiders like him were a curiosity, something to question and be wary of.
