Page 93 of Critical Alliance (Rocky Mountain Courage 3)

“One of DARPA’s experiments. It’s just like a sci-fi movie.”

“Robots and all. Well, tiny ones.”

“Gives me the creeps to think it’s real.”

“But they’re good tiny robots that will assist in military missions.” He sighed and moved away from her laptop. “UAVs are part of our military now. We know that.”

“Alex, I know about drones. Dad wanted to use them for good, but there’s a dark side to all this.”

“They can be used against us.” He crossed his arms and lifted his hand to his mouth in thought.

Alex was handsome and brilliant. Under these precarious circumstances, she couldn’t believe her thoughts actually went there. But she couldn’t stop them or the admiration she had for him, along with something warm that fluttered through her. She took a deep breath to clear her mind and waited for what he would say next.

“You mentioned the rogue access point. You’re using a smartphone. What if he’s doing the same thing, only he’s accessing the information with a drone?”

She pursed her lips, pressed her fingers against them. “Hmm. The servers are underground, but there could be another entrance to the building. Maybe at the back. A tunnel. Something. I don’t know. But you could be onto something.”

Mackenzie rewatched the video with the drone and tiny robots. It was a couple of years old, but because she found the code name reference on the secured servers, it left her to wonder what role Hanstech had played. Had Hanstech assisted in creating these drones? Was their current project along the same lines as what she saw in the video?

What if Nebulous 2.0 was putting additional code in for use later when the most damage could be done? That thought sent a chill down her spine.

Drones could be hacked. Code could be changed.

Her legs shook.

Maybe it was time for Alex to call his people. She was in over her head. Who did she think she was to take on Nebulous 2.0 all by herself? If only she had Julian to help. Maybe he’d planned to help. The message had been in the hidden data. If only she hadn’t been an idiot.

“Alex ... I think—”

Her cell buzzed with a 911 text from her sister. Mackenzie snatched it up.

HELP! I’m trapped in my car. Someone hacked my car!

Mackenzie bolted off the sofa. “Oh no, Alex...”

“What’s happened?” He rushed around to read the text as she typed her response.

Where are you? We’re coming to get you.

It’s not safe.

Well, can you get out?

No. He locked the doors. I have nothing to break the glass with.

“He?” Alex asked.

I can’t get out. I’m locked in.

Mackenzie gripped her cell too hard as she repeated her question.

Where are you?

Some forest road off the main road between my house and Hanstech.

We’ll head that way. Try to remember which forest road.

I’m scared. Help me. But please don’t call the police. He’ll know!