Read Shadows (Black Raven Book 1) for Free Online Page B

arrived.”
    “Anything?”
    “Not yet,” Sebastian answered. “Haven’t managed to have that conversation.”
    “Media’s getting close,” Minero said. “A local paper called the warden a few minutes ago, seeking confirmation on a possible escape. We think a prison employee leaked the info to the media.”
    Rubbing the pain at his temples with his free hand, Sebastian muttered a curse. The press getting a hold of this clusterfuck would make retrieving the remaining two prisoners that much harder. It would also diminish the likelihood of Black Raven getting more government jobs. Worse, Black Raven would be painted as incompetent.
    The other six prisoners hadn’t been noteworthy. On the other hand, Barrows’ escape was going to be front-page news for days. If Black Raven was publicly tagged for Barrows’ escape, their reputation would be pulverized. His company was going to be ridiculed for letting the paranoid genius walk out of prison. And this was just one of his current problems, but he didn’t allow himself to think of the other disaster he was facing.
    Minero continued, “We might have twenty-four hours before news of the prison break becomes public, but I doubt if we have that long. A few senators are getting nervous.”
    No shit , Sebastian thought, keeping his earlier conversations with various senators to himself. He had no plans to share with the marshals the identities of the power holders in Washington who were friendly to Black Raven.
    “They’re thinking it might be wise to release official reports before the media distorts the story,” Minero added. “Damage control. Earlier, rather than later. By tonight.”
    “Thanks for the heads up.”
    “I’m rethinking my strategy with the daughters. I’m sending a team to Covington. We need to talk to them.”
    “Not a problem,” Sebastian said, biting back the impulse to say, I told you they were important . “Do what you need to do.”
    “Also, my cyber-team is attempting a forensic analysis of any chatter involving Barrows prior to his imprisonment,” Minero informed him. “The problem is, his internet activity was encrypted in a manner that’s challenging, to say the least. We’re having problems breaking through. I know your people are a couple of steps ahead of us. If we were operating from integrated systems-”
    “No.” Sebastian interrupted, his eyes on Skye. She glanced in his direction, but turned when Sarah said something to her. Together, they focused on the espresso machine. “Not an option.” No one accessed Black Raven’s systems, just as no one without clearance ever walked into the company’s Denver-based headquarters. Black Raven did not allow integration, from anyone, anytime. Period.
    He and Minero had become acquainted for the first time four days ago in the immediate hours after the jailbreak. Black Raven’s contract didn’t provide for this  contingency, a what-to-do-in-case-of-jailbreak plan. Because Minero was the head Deputy Marshal in charge, Sebastian guessed that, technically, Black Raven was working for Minero. He didn’t care much about official lines of authority. His job was to get the prisoners back into custody, and that was also Minero’s job. So far, Sebastian liked the guy. The Deputy Marshal had made fast, cool decisions with the considerable manpower that he had at his disposal.
    Minero was a great tracker of escaped prisoners, and this wasn’t the first federal prison break where he’d taken the lead. Federal inmates could be drug distributors, felons who possessed a weapon, a bank robber, an illegal immigrant with a laundry list of prior felonies, men who loved internet kiddie porn, wayward politicians, or fraud conspirators. There weren’t many prisoners like Barrows, though, because the man was one of a kind. He was a computer genius, who, if given computer access, could manipulate security systems and walk the hell out. What had the man been doing before walking out of prison?