Hacker Wedding (White Hat Security #9) - Linzi Baxter Page 0,3

could figure out if the mole is on our team or the police force.”

“The media is going to run the story soon.”

Worry slid over me. “I’m thinking about adding another guard for Patty.”

There wasn’t any pattern to the girls and women who disappeared. They all had different hair color, and their ages ranged from eight to forty. We couldn’t find a single tie between them.

“We don’t have any extra guards.” Wes poured himself a drink and sat in the chair across from my desk. “Unless you want to hire a few more people from outside of the country.”

I’d hired Wes after King Beckett had told me about a SEAL who’d been injured and wanted to work with a mercenary company. The idea of hiring more former military people was on my mind. “Do you know anyone looking for work?”

“I might know someone, but he’s not a frogman. He worked for MI6. The last time I spoke with him, he was talking about doing contract work.”

“Do you trust him?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation.

“Okay. Get him here as soon as possible, and let me talk to him. I also plan to call Brock and Antonio and see if they can come earlier than planned, since the power transition will happen before the wedding. At least the coronation won’t be for another year.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Wes nodded and exited through the main door of my office. I pulled out my cellphone and dialed Brock’s number. My longtime friend answered immediately but with sleep in his voice. I winced, knowing it was the middle of the night. In the past few years, I’d often called without paying attention to the time. At least my friend never seemed to mind.

“Sorry,” I grumbled.

“No problem. What’s going on?”

“I was wondering if you and Jessica could come a week early. You're not the only two I need. I’m planning to call Antonio, but I’ll wait until morning. No way do I want to be on Kat’s dangerous side. Who knows what she’ll give us for a wedding gift.”

Brock chuckled. “My guess is you’ll get an alligator. She tried to give us one, but I took it to the everglades and let it go.”

They all still included me in the group texts, and there was a chain of them dedicated to Kat and her antics. For years, she’d worked as an assassin for the CIA. Now she ran a women’s shelter, but she tended to kill any man who crossed one of the women there. Then she would manage to feed the bodies to the alligators in her backyard.

Patty and I don’t need an alligator.

“Yes, I can come early,” Brock said.

“You don’t even know why I’m asking you to do this.”

“We talked about it at the club last weekend. Everyone needs a break, so we planned to come earlier, and Jessica misses her sister.”

I worried that Jessica wouldn’t come. I also knew my wife wouldn’t hold it against her sister for not making the trip. On two different occasions, Jessica had been kidnapped and tortured. It bothered me we were still having issues with women getting kidnapped.

But the guests would be safe in the palace. One of the first things I’d done when I moved to Shialia was to have cameras installed in every inch of it except the tunnels.

“Patty doesn’t know I’m asking you guys to come earlier yet. Her father has been back for a week.”

Brock whistled. “She’s going to kick your ass when she finds out you’ve kept her father a secret for all this time. Actually, I’m surprised Patty hasn’t figured it out.”

“Me too.” I knew she would figure it out soon. If I told her everything when her friends were near, that might help. But she was still going to be pissed at me.

“So, what do you need help with?” Brock asked.

“Patty’s transfer of powers. Also, I need deep background checks run on everyone. We should start with people who work closest with Patty and me.”

“Really?” He sounded surprised. “Patty is finally becoming queen? That’s strange that Jessica didn’t tell me about that.”

I couldn’t help but wince. But her safety was the most important thing. Patty spent most of her days in meetings, cleaning up the mess left from her father’s lack of leadership.

“She doesn’t know.” I ran a hand through my hair. “King Beckett came back last week and thinks it would be better for her to be crowned before we get married.”

“Dude, like I said earlier, she is going to kill you.