where they’d provide as much detail as possible about the software, app, or system, from its various names to the type of program it was, where it was originally found, what it did, who created it, down to various screenshots. In Jack’s department, everything was recorded down to the last detail, all of it internal and only accessible from within the building with backups stored in a secure location, thanks to Leo’s connections.
Checking the database turned up… “Nothing.”
Sil ran around the desk to stand beside Jack, his wide eyes locked on the center screen. “That’s not possible! It took me hours to upload all that information.” Sil shook his head, as if doing so might bring all the data back.
Jack was torn. The distress coming from Sil was genuine, or at least enough to make Jack doubt the guy was acting. Emmett remembered seeing the email, so there was that. He was certain the others would remember as well. The timing was suspect, however. Around the time Sil sent the email was when Jack received the disappearing photos and Fitz was drugged. What didn’t make sense, was why Sil would alert everyone to the same program he’d used to send Jack the photos? Sil was smarter than that.
“I swear, it was there.”
“Okay. Why don’t you get back to work and I’ll see what I can find?”
Sil’s shoulders slumped. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
“I didn’t say that. Until I know more about what’s going on, I’m not making any judgement calls. Innocent until proven otherwise, remember?”
Sil nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”
Jack waited until Sil left the room before calling Joker in. He relayed all the information and waited while Joker mulled it over.
“Before I tell you what I think, can I ask you why you haven’t told King about this?”
Jack frowned at him. “If someone in my department is messing with me, I want to be the one to deal with it. I can handle this.”
Sacha glanced at him from where he sat on the couch.
“You don’t think I can handle this?”
“Did I say that?”
Jack sighed. He’d just accused Sil of putting words in his mouth and now he was doing it to Sacha. “Sorry.”
“Right. It’s not that I don’t think you can handle this; it’s that you don’t have to. You have all of us to back you up.”
“I don’t see Ace calling King to help him out of whatever insane situation he gets himself into. Or Lucky, or you. Shit hits the fan, and you deal with it. If this is happening in my department, I’ll deal with it.”
“Okay, you know what, I’m just going to say it. You need to stop with this less-than bullshit.”
Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know if you’re having a midlife crisis or what, but you’ve been hung up on this whole action-hero bullshit for months now. This ‘we’re out there facing the physical stuff and you’re inside dealing with equipment’ thing that somehow means you’re less important or less capable than us. Fuck off, J.” Sacha jumped to his feet and thrust a finger at him. “You served like the rest of us, got blown up with the rest of us, so just fucking stick to your computers and enjoy it.”
Jack stood and threw his arms up. “Who says I don’t enjoy what I do?”
“Before Fitz, you’d been moping around the office.”
“I wasn’t moping,” Jack muttered, once again crossing his arms over his chest. Had he been moping? Fuck, okay, so maybe he’d been moping.
“You have a hot young boyfriend, money, buy yourself a fucking Ferrari or something.”
Jack flipped him off, making Sacha laugh. Sacha dropped back down onto the couch, his words quiet when he next spoke. “Just be careful, okay? If you need, we’re here. Now, do you still want my opinion?”
“You know I do. Asshole.” Jack sat in his chair and waited.
“I agree it doesn’t make any sense for him to alert everyone about an app he was about to use for illegal reasons. Then on top of that, he tells you he not only found the app and let everyone know about it but used it to send a sexually explicit email that came to you, his boss, by mistake. Fuck, man. Either he’s banking on you ruling him out and playing a very dangerous game, or he’s not your guy, and if he’s not, which it still could be, then it could be anyone.”
“Yep. Anyone can get ahold of this app