Read Hacker For Hire (Ted Higuera Series Book 2) for Free Online Page B

buildings,” Harry said. “He and Jack Metcalf are transforming
that neighborhood. Metcalf is obsessed with building a bio-tech corridor
there.”
    “Jack Metcalf?”
Chris asked. “That name sounds familiar.”
    “He’s on Forbes
list of the 10 richest men in America. He’s the chairman of the board at
Millennium Systems, and hopefully a new client.”
    “Dad, you’ve got
to see Ted’s view.” Sara bubbled over with excitement. “He got a top floor
apartment that looks out over the lake. You can see the Space Needle and Queen
Anne. At night you can see all the lights reflecting off of the water.”
    “I’m pretty
pleased with it.” Ted took a pull from his long neck. “I’ve never lived in a
new building before.”
    “And Teddy’s
thinking about a new car.” Sarah picked up the dirty dishes and carried them
over to the sink. “It feels like we’re all starting new lives.”
    “What kind of
car?” Harry asked.
    “Oh, I’m just
thinkin’.” Ted pushed back his wayward lock of black hair. “I’ve been patching
that old Mitsubishi together for so long that I don’t think it has any original
parts left. It should have a “Made in the USA” label on it.” Ted paused to down
a swig of Corona, then said in a low voice, “I was kinda lookin’ at a Beemer.”
    “A BMW?” Beer
spewed from Chris’ mouth. “First a fancy new apartment, now a new car. What
happened to the poor kid from the barrio ?”
    Ted shot him an
icy look.
    “You must be
making pretty good money at YTS,” Chris continued.
    “The pay’s good
enough. Somehow it just doesn’t feel right though. I want to do more than
protect some strip club owner’s data.”
    “That’s just a
load of bullshit to make you feel better about your job.”
    Ted looked at his
friend. This wasn’t good. Nothing had ever come between them before.
    “Hey, bro, I’m
just thinkin’.”
     

Chapter 5
    The Pegasus slid easily through the waves. The mega-yacht was performing beautifully. Yves
Bohier sat in the sky lounge, put his feet up on the teak coffee table and
stared off into the blue. They were two days out of Manila on a passage to LA.
Captain Evans assured Yves that it would be a smooth voyage. The Pacific high
was expected to hold for at least another week.
    “Mr. Bohier,”
Captain Evans shouted back from the bridge deck. “We’ve got something on
long-range radar.”
    Yves walked
into the pilot house. “And this is an issue because?”
    “It looks
funny. Two bogies. Coming in hot and fast. That’s not an airliner.”
    “Bring the
defensive systems on-line.” Yves scanned the sky to the west.
    Evans took a
key from his pocket and unlocked a locker next to the steering wheel. He
flipped a red switch and a series of green lights came on. Alarms rang throughout
the vessel. Men grabbed life jackets and helmets and scrambled to their action
stations.
    “All systems
are hot.”
    Evans was a
good man, a former US Navy Seal. Like all the rest of Yves crew, a good man to
have in a pinch.
    “Yves, what ees
it?” A tiny French woman, wearing a steward’s uniform entered the pilot house.
    “We have
company, Elise. Fighter jets.”
    Yves had always
known that this would happen someday. He had lived this long because he was
always prepared.
    “Go to top
speed.”
    Evans touched a
starter button. A whine emitted from deep within the bowels of the ship as the
gas-turbine engines wound up. The Pegasus surged forward. Evans cut the diesels.
At the speeds they would be traveling, propellers were totally inefficient and
added drag. Aqua-jets now drove the Pegasus, the props folded up into a
hydrodynamic shape.
    “Jean-Paul,”
Yves noticed that his security chief had taken his station at the weapons
console without a word. “What is the status?”
    “They’re a
hundred and ten klicks out and closing fast.”
    “Prepare to
take evasive action. Jean-Paul, are you ready?”
    “Roger that.”
    Evans rotated
the wheel. The one hundred and