Page 17 of The Flame of Carson (Blackout Security Inc. #3)

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A cross town, Ethan , Tony, and Gage stared at the screen reading the latest e-mail that Stacey had received just that morning.

She had told Gage that she wasn’t reading them anymore and frankly she didn’t want to.

She only wanted to know what was in them if it pertained to her day-to-day dealings or if the guy threatened Gage again or anyone else in her inner circle for that matter.

Gage respected her for her strength and resilience to this whole mess.

His eyes narrowed as he read the email again.

You think you’re so brave by ignoring me? You know nothing Stacey. You don’t know me, but soon you will.

Your boy toy can’t keep you safe. The Feds can’t keep you safe. Those friends of your boy toy can’t keep you safe.

Soon, oh soon Stacey you will know TRUE pain and fear.

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G age couldn’t read anymore, “We have to stop this fucker.”

“We will Gage, I promise.” Ethan vowed.

“I will say this, he’s good. Damned good.” Tony gritted, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “I’m using every trick I know to find out where exactly he is, but nothing is working.”

Gage ran a hand through his hair as he began to pace.

Jimmy and Cain had said the same thing of their own tech geek.

The day after the man showed up at Gage’s house, both Tony and the Feds installed tracking software in Stacey’s work and home computers in the hopes of pinpointing the exact location.

So far, nothing and it was damn frustrating.

How were they supposed to protect his woman if they couldn’t find this man?

He still had not voiced the nagging thought he got when he read the first email Stacey got in Austin.

The thought that maybe Stacey DID NOT in fact know the man.

“Gage.”

Gage stopped pacing and turned to face his friend, his boss, his former commander, “Yeah?”

Ethan took a few steps toward him, and lay his hands on Gage’s shoulders, “Listen to me buddy. I know how frustrating this is for you, how crazy it’s driving you, but you have to stay focused.

I know you’re keeping a distance from this on the Blackout end, but personally you’re right in the thick of it. ..”

“I can’t just turn it off damn it!” Gage interrupted with a growl.

“I know you can’t. Brother, you have to keep a clear head here. Okay? If this escalates even more, and you are too clouded to see, that’s when Stacey or you could get hurt.”

Gage could feel his gut clench and unclench at Ethan’s words. As much as he wanted to deny them, he knew Ethan was right. “I hear you. It’s funny, when we took Krista’s case and I watched you go through this, I was the voice of reason. I thought I would handle this better if I were in your shoes.”

“Gage, you’re handling it much better than I did, but I can see you starting to lose that rigid focus. You have to be careful there.” Ethan added.

Tony looked up from the computer and faced his friends. “If you two love birds are done, I may have something.”

“Fuck you, Tony.” Gage and Ethan shot back in tandem, causing Tony to chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I haven’t found him, but I think I’ve found out why me and the Feds are having a hard time finding him.

” Tony started, “If what I’m reading is right, he’s using a filter.

This particular filter is one I’ve only heard rumors about.

I’ll reach out to my counterpart with Jimmy and Cain to confirm. ”

“What’s so special about this...filter?” Ethan questioned.

“Well, this particular little bastard not only masks the IP of the user, but it also blocks hackers. For a few years now, I’ve heard whispers that this program was around but never really believed it.

Yet, it’s the only possible reason. I know the tech guy Jimmy and Cain use and if he’s having the same problems I am, then it means this program is in fact real and out there. ” Tony explained.

“Then how does that help us?” Gage asked.

“It doesn’t help us exactly, but what it does mean is that this guy knows his way around the hacker community and that could help us identify him.

I’ll need a few days to reach out to my contacts there, but if my gut is right, I should have more clues and hopefully some answers for you.

” Tony replied. He then let out a heavy sigh.

“This information could also hinder us.”

“How do you mean?” Gage questioned.

“If he knows his way in the hacker circles, that could also give him another layer of protection. See, hackers will protect their own. Doesn’t matter if they know the person or not.

It’s like an unspoken code. Kind of like in the military or law enforcement; you protect your own.

Now, that code can be broken for the right.

..price so to speak. Like I said, I’ll reach out to my contacts and talk to Cain and Jimmy’s guy if you still want me to try this route.

” Tony explained, looking at both Gage and Ethan.

“Do it. I have faith that you and Jimmy and Cain’s guy have enough contacts to help us.” Ethan said.

Tony nodded and picked up the phone. Gage and Ethan turned and walked out of the tech lab. Gage finally felt a spark of hope that maybe now they would have a way to find the fucker who had been targeting Stacey.

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S tacey sat at her desk reading a new manuscript that had just arrived.

So far it seemed promising. It had the makings of a wonderful story but would definitely need more polishing.

Sitting the manuscript aside, she opened her email and shot off an email to her boss along with copies of the manuscript and query letter she had scanned earlier.

She hoped her boss would agree to pursue this.

After hitting send, she sighed and leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head.

Her lunch with Alora and Krista was fun and relaxing but she still couldn’t shake the possible new theory she was developing.

She was brought out of her thoughts by her desk phone.

“Stacey Carlin.”

“Hey Stacey.”

“Walt! Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice.” She sighed in relief. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got the crap kicked out of me by a bulldozer.” Walt chuckled lightly. “Apparently, I’m doing well enough that they’re releasing me in the morning. And before you ask, no I’m not going back to my place. I’m going to be staying with Eliza at her place for a while.”

Stacey let out a relieved breath. Eliza was Walt’s longtime girlfriend. She was also a NYC cop and a fellow martial artist. “Good. I would be going crazy if I knew you were staying alone after what happened. Has Sherman told you what’s going on?”

“I know this guy shot up Gage’s house and has started with the flowers and e-mails again.”

“That’s about it. I’ve decided not to read the emails anymore and when I get one, I just shoot them off to Blackout and the Feds. It’s keeping me from losing my mind trying to figure out who this asshat is and where I know him from.”

There was silence on the other end for a few moments before Walt spoke again. His voice gave away the nervousness about what he was saying. “Stacey, have you considered that you don’t actually know this guy?”

Stacey sighed, “I’ve been starting to think the same thing.

I’m going to wait another day or so before I say anything to Gage.

God, I hope I’m wrong. If this is someone that I don’t know.

..that is an even more dangerous problem for me.

It means that he picked me at random and that’s a scary thought in itself. ”

“It is, but in this day and age anything could happen. Besides this creep, how are things going in Austin?” Walt said, changing the subject.

“Things are going well. Everyone here has been very welcoming. I’m in love with my assistant Judith.

Krista’s new book is coming along swimmingly and if things keep going like this, it will be finished ahead of schedule.

I’m loving my house too. I can’t wait for you and Eliza to come out and see it.

” Stacey beamed, leaning back in her chair.

“Me either. How are things with Gage? Is he as happy about you moving here as you are?”

“Oh yeah. Things with Gage are going great.”

Walt chuckled, “Sounds like you might be in love Stacey.”

Stacey laughed. As she kept talking with Walt, she couldn’t help but think about what he said.

Was she in love with Gage? Oh yes, she knew she was falling deeper and deeper every day, but would she call it love?

She was pretty sure it was, but hearing someone else point it out made it hit home more.

Maybe it was time to stop beating around the bush and just flat out tell Gage what she was feeling.

Stacey just hoped she wasn’t jumping the gun.

It would devastate her if he wasn’t on the same page.

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G age was surprised to find Stacey’s car sitting in his driveway.

As he pulled in beside her, the woman in questioned opened her car door and slid out.

Gage drank her in for a moment as she walked around the hood of his truck to the driver’s side door.

Today she was dressed in a knee length dress of sapphire blue that hugged her body like a second skin.

Her hair was down and framed her beautiful face.

It didn’t look like she was wearing any make-up, but that wasn’t surprising.

Stacey rarely wore any to work. When he had asked her why, she simply stated it would be rubbed off by the end of the day anyway, so why bother.

The look was topped off with a pair of black knee-high heeled boots.

Gage would love nothing more to take her inside, go upstairs to his bedroom and screw her brains out as she wore only those damned boots.

Pushing those thoughts away, Gage killed the engine, grabbed his bag from the passenger seat and climbed out of the truck. “Hey babe. This is a surprise.”

“I figured I’d surprise you.” Stacey smiled with a shrug.