No Test for the Wicked: A Lexi Carmichael Mystery, Book Five (22 page)

Chapter Thirty-Two

It took thirty minutes or so before the police had secured the school. I walked—well, limped—out of the school, holding on to Slash’s arm. Elvis and Bonnie were behind us and we all trailed the gurney that held Wally. The medic had arrived and injected him with some kind of painkiller and he’d promptly passed out. Shortly thereafter, a bomb technician had removed the vest.

Slash kept his arm around me as we walked. Elvis helped Bonnie, who was wobbly on her feet from exhaustion and severe stress. Slash guided us toward the impressive row of ambulances that had lined up along one side of the school. I’d gone just a few steps when I heard someone call my name. I looked around and saw a guy pushing his way through the crowd, flashing a badge.

“Lexi!”

“Beau!”

I slipped away from Slash and wobbled toward my middle brother. He enveloped me in a big hug.

“Jesus, Lexi, I thought computer security was supposed to be a quiet job. I’m the policeman in the family. I’m supposed to be the one at risk, not you. Just so you know, that incident made us all about ten years older. Dad may be developing a heart condition from this.”

“Jeez. Believe me, becoming a hostage was
not
my idea.”

He pulled back and searched my face. “I’m glad you’re okay. How badly are you injured? What happened and how did you get mixed up in it?”

“It’s a long story, Beau. But I’m good. Really. Despite my appearance, I don’t have any life-threatening injuries. Are Mom, Dad and Rock holding up okay?” Rock was our older brother.

Beau shoved his fingers through his hair. “We’ve all been worried sick. I had to pull every favor owed to me, but I managed to get into the Command Center. I kept Mom, Dad and Rock abreast of the situation in real time.”

“That was good of you, Beau.”

He touched my cheek. “Don’t make it a habit. You look like hell.”

“You always say that.”

He laughed. “True. But today you look worse than usual.”

“It’s been a heck of a hard day.”

Slash came up beside me, putting his arm around me again. Beau looked between us.

I cleared my throat. “Uh, Slash, meet Beau. Beau is my brother and a policeman in the Robbery Division in Baltimore.”

“I met your brother in the Command Center.”

Beau nodded. “Yeah, he was instrumental in getting me in. I owe him big.”

“You owe me nothing.”

“Well, then, thanks.”

The two gave each other something between a high five and a handshake. It looked like they were already friends.

Slash didn’t remove his arm from my shoulders and I could almost see the wheels in Beau’s head spinning. He was curious as to what might be going on between Slash and me, but I wasn’t going to launch into an explanation of our relationship at this point while covered in blood and gore. Especially since no one in my family knew yet.

Finally, Beau patted my hand and then grimaced as something gross came off on his fingers. “See you soon, sis?”

I rubbed at my cheeks. “Sure. Just tell Mom, Dad and Rock I’m okay. I’ll call them as soon as I’m able.”

“Will do. But if I know Mom, expect a visit in the hospital.” Beau gave me one more hug and then disappeared into the crowd.

Slash walked me to an ambulance. I started to climb in when he put a hand on my arm. He leaned in for a kiss and then pulled away. “I have to leave you here,
cara
.”

“You’re not coming with me?”

“I can’t. I’m not permitted to ride in the ambulance. Besides I need to tie up some loose ends here. I’ll be at the hospital as soon as I can. Stay safe, love.”

He kissed me again and then strode away. I watched him until he disappeared into a small trailer that had been set up in the school parking lot.

A medic handed me a bottle of water and a blanket and I climbed into the ambulance and sat on one of the cushioned benches. I took a swig of the water when Elvis climbed in with a blanket already draped around his shoulders and an empty water bottle in one hand.

He joined me on the bench and then took my hand, lifting it like a winning boxer in a prize fight.

“We did it, Lexi.”

“We really did,” I said grinning. “Brains over brawn. Geeks rock.”

“We do, indeed. Never doubted it.”

“I never doubted
you
, Elvis.”

“Likewise. You are the most amazing geek girl I’ve ever met.”

His compliment warmed me. “Speaking of geeks, do you know if Piper and Brandon are okay?”

“I think so. I saw them being led out of the school. Both were walking on their own. Brandon is a real hero, you know. Disarming the bomb at the door to let the SWAT team in. Not bad for a high school kid. A good-looking guy like that should be able to milk that for a movie or book deal, or, at the very least, three dozen dates or so.”

“He only has eyes for Piper.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Oh. So you’re a relationship expert now?”

“Not really. It was pretty obvious.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It was. First love. Something a man never gets over.”

“Now who’s the relationship expert?”

He fidgeted. “It was obvious, just like you said.”

There was a moment of silence before Elvis spoke again. “So, speaking of relationships, where’s Slash?”

“He’s not allowed to ride in the ambulance.” I took another sip of water. “Besides he had to tie up some loose ends or something.”

“Oh. Well, I just wanted you to know that I’m proud of you.”

“I’m proud of you, too, Elvis. You were a true hero back there.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” He leaned back against the wall of the ambulance. “I meant I’m proud of you as a person. You’re growing, Lexi. You’ve openly confronted your weaknesses. You are more confident, self-assured. You even went on national television, for crying out loud.”

“Whoa. That
so
wasn’t my idea.”

“It doesn’t matter. You embraced it. No, you freaking
owned
it. You have a boyfriend.” He cleared his throat. “You’re navigating the murky waters of social relationships and moving forward with your life. Taking chances and reaping the rewards, despite the risk. I admire you.”

“Hey, you’re moving forward, too.”

“No.” His voice hardened. “No, I’m not. I’ve stayed in my comfort zone, hiding behind my skills. Even Xavier is emerging from his shell. He’s going to Greece with a woman he’s crazy about. He’s taking risks. Big ones. But my life has stalled. I’ve let the things I want pass me by because the odds were not in my favor. I realize now that’s a crappy way to live. I’m missing out on the best parts of life trapped in an emotional freezer.”

I squeezed his hand. “Stop right now. You
are
growing and expanding. As someone who knows you pretty well, I can say that with full certainty. But I totally understand the freezer concept. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. It’s cold in that freezer, but it’s safe.”

“It’s safe, but it’s stagnant and it’s lonely. It’s time for Elvis Zimmerman to thaw.”

We glanced over as Bonnie climbed into the ambulance and sat on the other side of Elvis. She looked beyond exhausted. Elvis scooted over even closer to me to make room for her on our bench. It was almost as if we all needed to touch one another to remind ourselves we were truly alive.

“I just talked to the police,” she said. “Several students got shot. We have no idea how serious their conditions are yet.”

I couldn’t bear to think about anyone getting hurt, especially kids. But given the arsenal in the school, I wasn’t surprised. “I’m so sorry, Bonnie.”

“I don’t know what we would have done without you, Lexi. Without you and Elvis. It would have been much, much worse.”

“You’ve got a couple of very bright students who played an important role, as well.”

“So I understand.”

Elvis stretched out his legs in front of him. “Speaking of students, I wanted to tell you Piper’s bridge was ace, Lexi. That girl has some wicked skill. No, more than wicked. She’s potential wizard material. Really, really good. She had linked all three systems and hidden it with some pretty sophisticated methods.”

For Elvis to call someone good was significant. To call them really,
really
good was monumental.

“Do I want to know what that means?” Bonnie asked.

“No,” Elvis and I said in unison and then laughed.

“Are you sure it was her work?” I asked Elvis.

“Mostly. I think Brandon helped some, but she’s the true master.”

I felt a tug of jealousy that he was so impressed with her ability. Then I reminded myself that I owed my life, in part, to Piper and her bridge, and also to the man sitting next to me.

I had to say it. “Elvis, I want...I want to thank you for risking your life to save mine. I don’t know how to say how much that means to me.”

“You don’t have to explain anything. I told you I had your back. Always have and always will. You know I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

“I know. But...you killed someone on my behalf. I’m aware, at a firsthand level, that isn’t an easy thing to live with.”

The muscles in his jaw tensed. “It was easy. I didn’t even have to think twice about it. I wasn’t going to lose you. I’m just glad I wasn’t too late.”

I couldn’t think of what to say to that, so I pressed my cheek against his hand and closed my eyes. A moment later, a medic climbed in with us and slammed the rear door shut. The ambulance lurched forward.

I finally left high school for good.

Chapter Thirty-Three

The doctors refused to let me be debriefed until they were done examining me. By that time, my ribs and right knee were bandaged and my entire face had been slathered with salves and ointments. I’d been given an IV for dehydration and some excellent pain medication. I’d required two small stitches beneath my left cheekbone where Jouret had clocked me a good one. Otherwise, I’d come off really lucky in terms of injuries.

My parents and Rock were permitted a short visit. My dad nearly fractured my ribs (again) with his hugs. My mom burst into tears (again) after reminding me this was my second stay in the hospital with serious injuries in a month. My brother Rock, who is a reporter for the
Washington Post
, wanted me to promise him an inside scoop, but I had been sworn to secrecy until after my debrief. After that, I promised him whatever insights I was permitted to offer.

Slash came and went, and I saw numerous medical staff. The official debriefing happened shortly after my family left and the nurse had brought me a tray of hospital food. I managed to force down some green gelatin, but I couldn’t eat anything else. I did drink a half a carafe of water, despite the IV drip I’d had earlier for dehydration.

After identifying themselves as FBI agents, two men and one woman proceeded to take me through the entire chain of events. It was more painful than I’d expected to tell them about the death of Mr. Jouret, Mr. Fitzgerald’s shooting and my attempted murder of one of the terrorists.

Hadim. That had been his name. The man Elvis killed in order to save me. Despite Elvis’s words, I wasn’t really sure how he was processing it. It was hard for
me
to process and I was the victim. Elvis had killed a man for me. Intellectually, I understood what he was going through, because I’d been through a similar situation myself. Self-defense is a good reason for causing another’s death, perhaps the best reason, but it doesn’t change the fact that someone dies.

I paused, swallowing hard. I must have stopped talking for longer than I expected because the woman FBI agent had to gently ask me to continue.

“Tell us more about this Ice Eyes.”

“His name is Johannes Broodryk. He’s a cyber mercenary from South Africa.”

I spent considerable time and effort explaining everything I knew about Broodryk, his signature file and his efforts to extort the students’ parents for bitcoins. Two of the agents were part of the FBI’s Cybercrimes Unit and both were surprised that I had thought of something as simple as bending the network cable to prevent the emails to the parents from going out. One of them actually slapped me on the back in excitement before realizing what he’d done.

Once they realized I knew what I was talking about in terms of computers, they began firing dozens of technical questions at me. The other agent finally had to shut them down, but at least I felt as if I had given them the big picture, even though I believed that by this point, Broodryk was long gone.

The session lasted well over an hour. At that point, the doctor told them they had to leave. The agents argued, saying they had several follow-up questions, but the doctor held firm. For today, the debriefing was done and no more visitors were allowed until the morning. After they left, I leaned back against the pillows and closed my eyes.

I must have fallen asleep, because I jerked upright with a gasp, my heart galloping. I don’t remember what I’d dreamed, but my heart was racing and my hands shook. I was disoriented until I heard the bleep of the blood pressure machine hooked to my finger. I took a couple of calming breaths and then removed the clip from my finger. The room was dark, but the light from the machines provided enough visibility that I could see where I was going without tripping over anything.

I peeked out the door, startling a policeman who had been reading a newspaper. He leapt to his feet. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Why are you here?”

“Keeping the press at bay. There are a slew of journalists and reporters who would like to speak with you. You’ll all be famous now.”

I hadn’t thought of that...of what it meant to my life. Oh, jeez. I couldn’t stress about that now.

“Do you know if any of the terrorists survived?”

He took off his hat, put it across his knee. “As far as I know, only one made it out of the school alive. He died about an hour ago on the operating table. The rest were either shot by the SWAT team or killed themselves. It was pretty ugly, but you’re safe now.”

I felt sick. “Thanks. What about the students? Were any hurt?”

“No casualties yet, other than a teacher, but two students are in critical conditions. I heard one student was saved by his explosive vest. How crazy is that?”

“Really crazy.”

I must have paled, because he looked concerned.

“Sorry, kid. Maybe I shouldn’t have provided that level of detail. I understand everyone involved will be offered counseling services.”

“It’s okay. Thanks for letting me know. I’m also trying to find out about one of the students who got shot. His first name is Wally, possibly short for Wallace. Can you tell me what room he’s in? I just want to know how he’s doing.”

He stood. “Okay. I’ll check with the nurse.”

He walked down to the nurse station. A nurse came around the desk and walked back to my room with him.

She frowned. “You really shouldn’t be out of bed.”

“I’m fine. Please, can you tell me the status of one of the students?”

“I just looked him up. Wallace Harris in Room 304. He had surgery a few hours ago to sew up damage from a bullet he took to the shoulder and to have a nasty head cut stitched up. He got banged up pretty good, but no life-threatening injuries.”

“Wow. That’s great news. Can I see him?”

“He’s probably still unconscious from the anesthesia. His parents were here earlier and he didn’t wake for them.”

“I don’t care if he’s unconscious. I just want to see him. Please. He’s...a friend.”

Her face softened. “You kids were pretty amazing. All right. Come with me.”

I didn’t have the heart to correct her about being a kid, so I just followed her to Room 304. She opened the door and we walked in. Wally was in a room by himself, hooked up to several machines, which beeped softly. I stood next to the bed and looked down at him. His eyes were closed. He looked so small in the big bed. He didn’t have his glasses and his head was swathed in a white bandage. His hands were at his sides. I reached down over the bedrail and touched the top of one of them. To my surprise, he opened his eyes.

“Lara?”

“Lexi.”

He blinked a couple of times. “Ah, right. Can I...have...some water?”

The nurse poured him some water and lifted him up to a sitting position so he could drink it.

“How do you feel?” she asked him after he had taken a few sips.

“Like I got run over by a stampede of buffalo.”

“You’re a pretty resilient kid. At least that’s what your parents said when they were here earlier.”

“They were here?”

“They left a few hours ago. They’ll be back soon.”

“I feel a bit like I’m floating. No acute pain at least.”

“It’s the medication. You’re due to have another round soon.”

“Excellent. I feel pretty happy right now.”

The nurse smiled, inspected the dressings on his shoulder and head and then checked his pulse. After shining a light in his eyes and asking him to follow her finger, she tapped out something on an electronic tablet and then tucked it in a pouch around her waist.

“Okay, you’re looking stable. I’ll be right back. I’m going to get you some more medicine. Talk fast, kids. Visitor hours are over when I get back.”

As soon as she left, I smiled at him. “You did good, Wally. Really good. A true champion.”

“Damn. I always knew I was hero material.”

“I knew it, too. You’ll probably be a star now. Famous worldwide.”

“Really? Do think it will make a difference with the chicks?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Maybe they’ll make a movie about it.”

“Maybe.”

“Who would play me?”

“No idea.”

“He’d better be a hunk.”

“Good luck with that.”

He smiled, before it faded. “So, you weren’t a student after all, Lara...I mean, Lexi. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You were pretty amazing at the keyboard. Super advanced. What were you really doing there?”

“I was trying to penetrate the WOMBATs.”

“
What?
”

My legs were still a bit shaky, so I perched on the arm of a nearby armchair. “I work for a cyberintelligence firm. Headmistress Swanson hired my company to find the students who kept breaking into the system, changing grades and causing general havoc. I was hired to figure out how to stop them. My approach was to penetrate the group from the inside.”

Wally’s mouth dropped open and then he laughed. “Oh, God, that’s rich. Really rich. The terrorists had no idea who you are.”

“Not until the end.”

“How did they find out?”

I considered. “My cover buckled, I think. I put it up pretty quickly. It was designed to fool high school students, even clever ones. But it wouldn’t have withstood a wizard like Broodryk. That’s Ice Eyes’s real name, by the way.”

“So, it
was
you who put Phantomonics on the system?”

“No. My friend, Elvis, did. He was at the school, too, helping me when the terrorists came in. We were trapped inside Computer Central.”

“That’s how you knew the system so well and were able to so efficiently shut down Phantomonics.”

“Yes. I’m a pretty decent hacker. I even did some hacks bordering on cracks in my younger years before I saw how dangerous it was.”

He considered me for a long moment and I sat silently, waiting. He finally spoke. “So, what would you have done to those students involved in WOMBAT, had you found them?”

“I was looking primarily for the leader.”

“Why?”

“Because a leader leads. People look to them for guidance.”

“I see. Is that why you became friends with me? Stood up for me? You thought I was involved and would lead you to the leader?”

“No. That’s not at all why I became your friend, Wally. I did that because I needed a friend and thought maybe you needed one, too. I didn’t have any friends in high school the first time around. It sucked.”

“None at all?”

“Not a one. Unless you count the computer.”

He smiled. “So, that was the plan? You penetrate the group, find the ringleader and then suspend or arrest the students?”

“Actually, I would have explained that ruining their future wasn’t worth it for the thrill of changing a couple of grades or a schedule. Believe me, I’ve been there. I got caught in a hack in high school that almost ended my future before it started. Fortunately, my father is a lawyer and I caught a break. Trust me when I say that there are many more interesting and lucrative ways to channel that focus and energy.”

“Such as?”

“Such as becoming an intern at a local cyberintelligence firm. Mine.”

He blinked in surprise. “Really? What’s the trade-off?”

I leaned forward against the bed rail. “Shut down the WOMBATs. Stop hacking into the school’s system and pass the word down to others that it’s not worth it, especially now that the school is on to you.”

“Ha. I’m flattered. You think I can do all that single-handedly?”

“I don’t just think it, I
know
you can, Wally.”

“That’s because you think the ringleader is me.”

“I
think
that honor goes to an awfully shrewd kid who was able get a bunch of other really smart kids to follow him.”

A small smile touched his lips. “Wow. Nobody has ever believed in me like you. It’s crazy.”

“It’s not crazy, it’s logical. I saw something special in you from the beginning. You’ve got a really, really bright future ahead of you if you play this right.”

He perked up. “Okay, let me recap. Theoretically speaking, since I’m not admitting anything, if I shut down the WOMBATs, I get an internship at your company?”

“Yes.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“Does this also mean you are going to dump that other guy for me?”

“Not a chance.”

He sighed. “Well, you can’t blame me for trying.”