Her voice rolled over him as easily as surf kissing sand before it slid back to the ocean. He could listen to her for hours, a strange revelation for a man who preferred working either in near-silence or to the pounding beat of heavy metal music. Bending forward, he reached up to bump his glasses and hit his nose, forgetting hed worn contacts. Hoping she hadnt noticed, he examined several screenshots of coding. You caught this? he asked, impressed.
She laughed. No. She rolled her hand, inviting two younger people into the conversation. Carli and Devon noticed some increasing negative chatter directly tied to the event this evening. The primary person in the chat room had too many specifics of the agenda tonight for it to be random. The FBI has been running down the source, which left Carli and Devon to try and amuse the hacker until you could get here. Pardon me, she said. Carli and Devon, this is Sam Bellemere.
O-M-G. Carli clapped a hand over her mouth. Her blue eyes were huge behind her glasses. I cannot believe you married Sam Bellemere. Youre the
Mastermind of Gray Box, Devon said, finishing her sentence. Were huge fans, he gushed.
They both tried to shake his hand simultaneously and Sam laughed it off. Though hed never be completely comfortable in the spotlight, their overwhelming greeting gave him a pleasant distraction from another mention of marriage. Marrying Madisonor any womanwasnt something he considered forgettable.
Reflexively he looked at her hand and caught the wedding set on her left ring finger. It was timeless and elegant, much like the woman wearing it. The classic beauty of the wedding set contrasted with the larger ruby ring on her right hand that accented the sleek lines of her dress. So he hadnt misheard the suit with the tablet. Madison had listed him as her husband?
Was Rush your best man? Carli asked.
If we could stay on point, Madison interjected coolly.
Happily, Sam thought. Whatever her reasons for calling him her husband, he trusted shed tell him later. He wouldnt embarrass her with questions now, in front of people who clearly respected her. What do you need? He reached for the mouse and scrolled through the screenshots Carli and Devon had captured.
I need to know the white jade cup and the museum as a whole are secure and will stay secure. This exhibit is a huge honor for the US and a big show of trust from China. Any perceived trouble could undo months of negotiations. She waved over another man. If youd coordinate with Special Agent Spalding, I need to circulate with the guests for a few minutes.
Sure. He pulled out a chair and sat down. Within a few keystrokes, he was into the museum system and feeling his way around. Hed much rather be here than out there with her among a crowd of strangers.
While Spalding brought him up to speed, Sam felt Carli and Devon watching every keystroke as he looked for how the hacker had wormed this code into the display controls.
The code caught his full attention and everything around him faded into the background. He was always happier working with computer code than trying to unravel the mysteries of people. People had secrets and hidden agendas such as pretend marriage. Computer code, no matter how convoluted or infectious, always retained a sense of logic, if only to the coder. He couldnt imagine how Madison managed all the protocols and people day in and day out. Hed go crazy under that kind of pressure.
As he worked, he kept up a running litany for Spalding. The chances of finding his location with the tools here are low. Sam wasnt ready to risk a connection and upload his personal tool kit to a compromised system. For tonight, he continued, I can isolate the issues and prevent him from causing more havoc.
Can you keep him out?
That requires a major upgrade for the museum. Theyre well-protected from the things they know about. This... His voice trailed off until he ran into another annoying speed bump. Well, this kid is good.
How do you know its a kid? Spalding asked.
Just an educated guess based on the language, creative approach and execution. He gained access through a gap in the contact page.
Devon and Carli added their opinions and voices to the discussion, speculating on who was behind the attack and where they were hiding. Though Sam wasnt willing to give away the online security programs he used at Gray Box, he was happy to weave in a few improvements and lock out the hacker for tonight. Display controls and locks are back in my control, a man said from across the room.
The group from China will be delighted to hear it, Spalding said with obvious relief. Almost as much as the museum director.
Sam imagined Madison would be pleased, as well. The hard work isnt done, he warned. This stopgap will buy the museum forty-eight hours at best. If he wants back in, hell find a way.
The exhibit runs through the end of the year, Madison said from over his shoulder.
Sam swiveled in the seat and met her serene gaze. I didnt hear you come in. He checked his watch, surprised hed been working on this for nearly an hour.
She gave him a small smile. Can you create a solution that will last?
Yes, but not from here. He stood up from the workstation. Ill work on it more tomorrow. For tonight, everything should run flawlessly.
Wonderful. Her eyes were filled with gratitude. Thank you, on behalf of all of us.
Well need to coordinate with your efforts moving forward, Spalding said. My team needs to know what youre implementing.
Startled at the mans audacity, Sam laughed. Ill keep you in the loop, but youre not coming anywhere near my lab at Gray Box.
This is an ongoing FBI case, Spalding countered, planting his hands on his hips.
All right, its yours. What a relief Im not needed here anymore. Sam stepped away from the workstation and shoved his hands into his pockets before he gave in to the urge to pop Spalding on the chin. At one time, hed been a scrawny nerd. After high school, when his days were his to manage, he started putting in almost as many hours at the gym as he did at the keyboard.
Gentlemen, Madison chided. Im sure we can come to terms at a more appropriate time in the morning.
Sam wanted to snarl at the insinuation that hed cave on this point. FBI, Department of Defense, or whoever, can sign a contract if they want a consultant. I dont work for free.
He and Rush had seen a need and gone after it, cornering the market of online information security. Theyd both developed and sold ideas for millions, so founding Gray Box hadnt been strictly a money-motivated endeavor. Although no one seemed to believe it, they had an altruistic side, professionally and personally.
Hackers once themselves, theyd been disowned by that community when they launched Gray Box. He couldnt recall a week since the company went public without an attempt on the servers. Every hacker in the world wanted the instant reputation and recognition that would come from breaking into Gray Box. The legitimate businesses they supported now still held a reserve of distrust, despite their zero-breach record. Sam reminded himself public image wasnt his problem. He left that to Rush and Rush left the lions share of the day-to-day technology to him.
If youre set, Sam said to Madison, Ill be on my way. He shook hands with Carli and Devon and signed a business card for each of them. With a final nod to Spalding, he let Madison walk him out of the security suite.