Game of Fear (10 page)

“Don’t kid yourself. These guys can get pretty wild, but the real reason she chose the Air Force was because she’s addicted to flying. Got her pilot’s license at fifteen,” Deb said. “Ashley knew the Academy wanted her for her brain, but she wants to fly an F-22 Raptor, though she’d settle for any fighter. She’s obsessed with the idea. Of course, it didn’t hurt that choosing Air Force over Army drove my dad crazy.”

“Does she get that wild streak from her sister?”

“No. From my dad. He was a fighter pilot in the Gulf Wars. I like the versatility of helicopters, but those two live for speed.”

“Here we are.” Gabe rapped on the door labeled Major Rappaport.

“Enter,” a voice commanded.

Gabe swung the door open, standing aside for Deb.

A man who looked to be in his early thirties rose from the utilitarian desk and walked around the table, holding out his left hand, since his right was missing. “Ms. Lansing.”

After a brief shake, he turned to Gabe. “Deputy Montgomery. Your brother Seth just called to reinforce that you’d be coming by. Told me he’d kick my ass if I didn’t help you.” He shot Deb a sheepish look. “Sorry for the salty language, ma’am. Seth brings that out in me.”

She smiled. “I’m ex-Army. Nothing I haven’t heard before.”

Rappaport studied her more closely. “I remember that now. Ashley thinks the world of you.”

“And that’s why we’re here. This behavior isn’t like her.”

“Won’t you both sit down?”

“Thank you for seeing us.” Gabe shook Rappaport’s hand, then waited until everyone was settled around the desk before taking a seat. “My brother speaks very highly of you.”

“Your brother saved my life. He’s a tough SOB. Carried me out of the fire zone. I owe him.” The major’s gaze rested on Deb. “Have you heard from Ashley? Did she say why she went AWOL? She had an active social life off campus, whenever possible, and she seemed happy here. I’m surprised she’d throw it all away.”

Deb stiffened in the chair.

Ashley’s advisor’s expression was kind enough. He seemed perplexed, but he wasn’t worried. None of them were. Everyone thought she’d just taken off for the fun of it. Deb didn’t get it. Ashley deserved the benefit of the doubt.

Gabe squeezed her leg. “I’m working with Deb to find Ashley. What can you tell us about her school life? Was she having trouble with any courses? Or maybe difficulties fitting in due to her age? She’s young for being here.”

“The youngest we’ve ever admitted. As to difficulty with her classes,” Rappaport chuckled, “hardly. She doesn’t break a sweat in her computer-science and math coursework. English and history, not so much. She doesn’t love to read and write, but she still pulled in solid As. She’s something else.”

“What makes her so special?” Gabe asked.

“Besides the fact she can hack government websites and databases with ease?” Rappaport asked. “Her innate intuition is phenomenal. I’ve worked in intelligence for years, and I’ve never seen anyone like her. That girl knows her way around code and computers like she’s part of them. She could probably break any encryption ever invented, or come close. She’d be dangerous if she wasn’t on our side.”

Deb’s brow furrowed. She’d known Ashley was gifted, obviously, but Rappaport was talking about another level entirely. “Does everyone on this campus know how smart she is?”

Rappaport smiled. “When a sixteen-year-old teenager can blow most of the faculty out of the water in intellect, you bet there’s talk.”

Gabe leaned forward. “Could she have made a student jealous, or even a teacher, because of her abilities? Did she inadvertently show someone up? Can you think of anyone who’d be jealous enough of her skills to do something about it?”

“What are you asking?” Rappaport frowned.

“Deb doesn’t believe Ashley ran away. She thinks she was taken.”

“As in kidnapped?” Rappaport stiffened. “But the police told us—”

“The police and I don’t see eye to eye,” Deb said.

Sympathy, then disbelief crossed his face. “I see. Then the note they found—”

“She didn’t write it. I can tell. It’s not her signature.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Then who did?”

“We don’t know.” Deb wanted to shake him. “Why is it so difficult for you people to see Ashley would be a target? For almost anyone. Industrial or corporate espionage, security, investigators. God, even other countries.” She could feel her temper ready to explode because acknowledging anything else scared the hell out of her.

“What did Ashley do with her free time?” Gabe said quickly, shooting her a warning glance. She knew he was right. She had to calm down. For Ashley’s sake.

“First-year cadets don’t get a lot of it,” Rappaport said. “From what I gather, she hung out with a group of computer geeks from the local high school. I caught them trying to sneak in here one night to play a game I’d given her.”

Deb gasped. It couldn’t be. “A game? Was it
Point of Entry
?”

The major looked startled. “Yes. You know it?”

Deb met Gabe’s shocked glance. “Why did you give her that particular game?” she asked.

“It wasn’t just for her. Some politicians came through on a visit. One of the guests said he was associated with the game maker and asked if he could donate the latest version to the Academy Morale Fund materials. He’d donated to the other academies, too. I played a few levels, and it seemed like something the cadets would go for in their free time. The math was challenging, so the copies went in with the rest of the approved games.”

“Holy sh—” Deb bit her tongue. “What was the name of this politician?”

Rappaport’s brow furrowed. “Sorry, it’s been a while. We get a lot of VIPs around here, but I can check.”

“Please do,” Gabe said, handing over a card with his contact information on it. “The information is critical to our investigation. It’s important we get his name.”

The major studied them both. Deb recognized the suspicion—and the skepticism. “This doesn’t make sense. What’s the real story? What could Ashley going AWOL possibly have to do with a video game?”

Deb opened her mouth to respond, but Gabe’s face went cold and his jaw tightened. He stood. “She’s not AWOL. She’s missing, Major, and she could be in big trouble. We’re certain of it. I suggest you pull the game off the shelves until we know what’s going on.”

Gabe pulled up to a large brownstone resembling the one the Unsinkable Molly Brown had inhabited in Denver. Big, brown, and expensive as hell. “This is it. One of Ashley’s friends has big bucks.”

Deb stared at the home and gripped her pants in her fists. “I should have been to this house before now, met his parents. Why haven’t I? She spent a lot of time here.”

“She’s in college,” Gabe said. “She has her own life, despite her age. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“She’s sixteen,” Deb said, looking over at him, her gaze haunted. “Sometimes it’s hard to remember that.”

“You know who they are, though. They’re high school kids? You met them?”

She bit her lip, distracted, then nodded. He could tell she was beating herself up.

“They used to be classmates before Ashley’s early graduation,” she said.

“She went to school in Colorado Springs?” Gabe looked over in surprise.

“My father was stationed nearby. When he was reassigned overseas, I left the service to act as her guardian. Denver was the closest place that I found a job. She lived . . . lives . . .” Deb faltered. “She’s at the dorm during school, and has to stay on campus Monday through Friday, so it worked out. Or I thought it did.”

Gabe had to stop this spiral. “Well, we might as well head in. Milo and Otis—”

Deb’s lips quirked at the corners. “Just Mylo, actually. Milo
and Otis
is a dog and cat movie. Knowing that information does not go with your tough-guy image, Montgomery.”

“What can I say? I’m Luke’s daughter’s favorite uncle. I’ll watch anything with Joy, if it makes her happy.”

Despite his smile, Gabe studied her closely. She’d backed off thinking of the horrors that could be happening to Ashley. She might have to deal with any one of those. But not yet.

“You’re a surprising man.”

He gave her a quick wink. “Hey, don’t let my he-man sex appeal fool you. I can play Barbies and tea party with the best of them.”

Deb’s smile made him feel warm inside. It softened her features. He wished he hadn’t waited so long to let her know he cared.

To Gabe’s surprise, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, letting her lips linger for just a moment. “I know you meant to distract me,” she said quietly. “Thank you.”

She exited the vehicle and Gabe followed. Well, okay then. He could mix a little beta with his alpha personality, if it garnered this kind of reaction. Good to know.

He hit the SUV’s automatic locks. “You talked to Mylo, right? He knows we’re coming?”

“Justin was supposed to be here, too.”

The tension in her voice rose again. Would Ashley’s boyfriend show? That could be good or bad news if he did. But he figured Deb would take Ashley going on a joyride over the alternative any day.

With a quick, experienced eye, Gabe scanned the surroundings. His gaze paused on the roof. “The house has satellite. These kids are set.”

“According to Ashley, all of them have impressive computer setups. That’s part of what initially drew them together.”

They strode up the front steps and knocked on the door.

A woman about ten years older than them opened it. She gave them the once-over. “I don’t do surveys, I’ve already been saved, and if you’re trying to sell anything, I do my buying on Amazon.”

She started to shove the door closed.

Gabe stuck his foot into the crack. “We are here to see Mylo, ma’am. This is Deb Lansing, Ashley’s sister.”

She didn’t skip a beat. “Tell me he didn’t get her pregnant.” At their startled looks, she sighed. “He has a major crush on her. All those boys do.”

“Uh, no. Pregnancy is not the problem and Mylo is not in trouble. I’m sorry he didn’t tell you we were coming. Is he home?”

“He’s on the computer. Where else would he be? He lives on that damned thing.”

The woman whirled around. “Mylo! Some people here to see you.”

Footsteps pounded up the stairs. A tall, thin, sandy-haired kid, all elbows and knees, stopped in the doorway. “Oh. Oh, yeah. Mom, they’re coming to talk to me about Ashley. Is it okay if they come in?”

His mother gave him a look. “This time, but I’ve told you a hundred times to check with me before you invite people over.”

Mylo blushed. “I know. I just got caught up in the game and forgot.”

She shook her head in dismay. “Well, don’t do it again.”

The kid shrugged. “Okay, but Britney’s coming, too. Remember? She’s got red hair. You’ve met her before.”

The mother huffed. “Fine.” She gestured to Gabe and Deb. “You two might as well come in.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Gabe said, stepping over the threshold after Deb.

“Watch that ma’am crap,” Mylo’s mom snapped. “I’m not much older than you, kiddo.”

“O-k-a-y,” Gabe drawled. “Consider it retracted.”

Mylo had already started down the stairs to the basement. Deb and Gabe quickly followed.

“Sorry about my mom. She’s a little weird sometimes. You can’t pick your parents.”

An image flashed in Gabe’s mind of his father hugging Whitney at the bus terminal and the edge resurfaced.
Amen, brother
. He turned to Mylo. “You’re a teenager. It’s your job to feel like that.”

His gaze was focused on an eighty-inch television that took up almost an entire wall, but a moment later, the screen went red with giant letters that read
Game over
.

Mylo glared at the screen. “I wish the others would get here. I can’t do this alone.” He looked up at Deb. “Is Ashley over her big exam phase? We missed her this weekend.”

Deb stepped forward. “No. She visited me last night, but she didn’t make it back to the dorms. I’ve been trying to find her. I hoped you could help.”

“She’s, like, missing? For real?” Mylo asked. “No way. We can’t get past Level 88 again without Ashley.”

“Level 88?” Gabe asked.

Mylo looked at Gabe like he was stupid. “Level 88?
On
Point of Entry
. Duh. That’s the magic level half the country is trying to get to. Hardly anyone makes it that far. It’s wicked complicated. You have to break into banks and people’s private computers. I hear on the next version, they’re adding foreign governments, spy stuff, terrorist camps. This voice comes on the computer or TV and gives you a timed problem.”

“A voice comes on?” Deb asked.

“Yeah, like a big all-knowing avatar. It’s pretty cool. I can’t believe we did it.”

Gabe picked up a remote from the coffee table, toying with it. “This voice gives you a test on Level 88, but you said you couldn’t get past it again. When did you make that level?”

“Friday, maybe?” Mylo said. “Early in the evening. We’d been really close last weekend on Justin’s machine, but we had to wait for Ashley to get out of school to finish up. We’re only on Level 80 on my setup. Justin, the douche bag, was supposed to be here today and another friend, Britney, said she’d be here a half hour ago. She used to go to high school with us and play the game a lot, but she moved to Toledo. Two hours later there, and her folks have a strict game curfew. It’s a pain. She’s in town for this week with her folks. She hit Level 88 with her new group, too. She’s almost as smart as Ashley.”