Page 14 of Every Last One

While Eric was armed with a warrant to breach and search the home, he wanted to sweep the perimeter before heading inside. He walked along the side of the house and stopped next to a window. The curtains were pulled back, and he peered inside.

Cross was sitting in a stuffed armchair in the corner, leaning forward and gripping his head in his hands. There was a bottle of bourbon on the side table and a rocks glass with little left in it. Cross was doing some day drinking.

He must have sensed Eric’s presence because he lifted his head and looked straight at him. Did a double take.

Eric tapped the glass and smiled.Busted!

Cross staggered to his feet. The front door was open by the time Eric got back there.

“Stevie Cross, I’m Detective Birch. We need to have a little talk.”

Cross shrugged, acting nonchalant as he backed up and waved for Eric to enter.

Eric stepped just inside the door, finding the man’s reaction to him unsettling. He’d rather meet with outright hostility than lukewarm hospitality. “I’m sure you know why I’m here.”

Cross met his eyes. Small, little black beads sunken into a doughy face. Silence.

“Let me lay it out for you then. You turned up at Founders this morning, though not clocking in for your shift. When you were there, you accessed the hospital’s server room. Tell me what you did in there.”

Several seconds passed in silence. It was like the guy was stoned.

“You better get talking,” Eric pushed.

“Someone stole my keycard.”

“And your eyeballs?”Does he not realize I know about the retina scanner?Eric motioned for Cross to spin. When he didn’t, Eric yanked his arm to make him turn, and then snapped on handcuffs. “You’re coming with me.”

“Please, don’t do this. You’re making a mistake. I was made to do this.”

Eric spun Cross around again, continuing to hold one arm. “Creative. I’ve never heard that before.” Given the situation, Eric wasn’t in the mood to give the guy the benefit of the doubt.

“I mean it. Listen, I never meant for this to happen. The whole lockdown thing, the system crash.”

“Who said anything about a system crash?”

Cross wet his lips. “I told you someone made me. I just opened the room. The guy did something with the mainframe.”

“Did what, specifically?”

“I think he uploaded a virus.”

“You think? You’ll need to do better than that.”

“Ya know, to take out the phones and internet.”

“And that’s all?”

Cross swallowed roughly. “It could be worse than that.”

A cold sweat blanketed Eric. “How much worse?”

“It might have jeopardized medical charts and records.”

Peoplewilldie…“Tell me what he uploaded and how to override it.”

“I couldn’t tell you. This guy, he?—”

“Give me a name,” he snapped.