Special Forces: Operation Alpha: HACKED (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

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  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Stoker Aces Production, LLC. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Special Forces: Operation Alpha remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Stoker Aces Production, LLC, or their affiliates or licensors.

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  Shawnee Daniels wrongly assumes she’s being punished for innocently hacking the Police Chief’s photos. Okay, maybe not-so-innocently, but someone had to expose him for the dog that he is. When she arrives at the mandatory computer seminar, the FBI enlists her help in stopping a serial killer who’s remotely hacking vehicles while the owners are behind the wheel.

  Why he’s targeted these people remains a mystery. None of the victims frequent the same places, some don’t even live in the same state. The only commonality is they all drive Fords.

  When Detective Levaughn Samuels is taken hostage—his life teetering on the edge of a high-speed chase—there’s nothing Shawnee won’t do to save him, no line she won’t cross. And when her BFF shows up unannounced with problems of her own, she only complicates matters.

  Can Shawnee stop the killer before she loses the only man she’s ever loved? Or will the ride of his life end in death?

  HACKED is a Mayhem Series crossover novella.

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Other books by Sue Coletta

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Monday, 1:15 p.m.

  Franconia, NH

  Dying was the last thing on her mind.

  Behind the wheel of her Ford Explorer, Anika Harrington took her lunch break cruising the breathtaking Kancamagus Highway. This winding country road was unlike any other in the area, with its backdrop of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the eight-hundred-acre national forest, and natural wonders which mystified travelers for centuries. Wildlife frolicked in the woodlands. The anticipation of catching a glimpse of something large and furry lured many to the area.

  Today, nature itself offered a peaceful respite from the chaos at work. Especially now, with her fiancé’s new bleach-blonde secretary hitting on him every chance she got. Once Anika became Mrs. Roger Rudolph II, she’d hand the bitch her walking papers. Until then, she stole moments to respire, refusing to allow jealously to rule her life.

  Out of nowhere the SUV increased speed on its own. At first she shrugged it off, but then the vehicle accelerated even faster. She stomped the brake. The car didn’t slow.

  Oh my God. What’s happening?

  A death-grip on the wheel, the tires screeched around a bend in the road. With both feet, she slammed the brake harder this time, pinning the pedal to the floorboards. The Escalade rocketed into high gear, engine racing at eighty miles-per-hour. Her heart slammed against her chest wall, blood pumping faster than a subway in an underground tunnel.

  Out the window, she hollered, “Help!” She veered right, left, following the winding asphalt at record speed. Unattended, a Yorkshire terrier wandered into the road, and she swerved into the dirt shoulder to miss him. The Explorer’s backend fishtailed in the sand. Adrenaline spiking, her pulse soared. Thump, thump, thump thrashed in her ears.

  “Help! Someone! Anyone!”

  With both feet she slammed the brakes over and over. The speedometer read ninety miles-per-hour as black smoke trailed behind her, metal against metal tearing the brake pads clean off.

  A gazillion things raced through her mind in the course of a few seconds. Did Roger know how she longed to marry him on Saturday? Did she say “I love you” when she hung up from Mom last night? For cripes’ sake she’d never even had an orgasm. Not a real one anyway, like the girls talked about after yoga class. She couldn’t die. Not yet. Not today. Not like this.

  Tears clouded her vision, and she leaned on the horned. If other drivers wouldn’t respond to her call for help, maybe they’d pay attention to earth-shattering noise. With one hand on the wheel, one on the horn, Anika rose, her new Jimmy Choo’s still planted on the brake pedal.

  Over the stereo speakers came a distorted male voice. “You will die today. It’s your call on how long you suffer.”

  What was that? Did sheer fear cause her to hallucinate? Perhaps she was in the middle of a nervous breakdown. Or maybe, an associate from the OnStar-like feature, Sync, noticed the increased speed and called to help. “Hello?” she asked, a hesitation to her tone. “Can you hear me?”

  “Stop with the horn. You’re giving me a headache.”

  “Oh, sorry.” She removed her hand, expecting peace, but the brakes kept grinding, screaming. “Do you have my location? The vehicle won’t stop. Please, help me.”

  “You will die today. I’ll wait while it sinks in. No one is coming to save you.”

  “What?” A sob writhed low in her chest, tangled around a rib as tears rose in her throat. “Why are you doing this? Sweet Jesus!” A white-tailed deer pranced across the road, and she wrenched the wheel to avoid him. “Why me?”

  “Don’t worry about the why. If I were you, I’d make your last few moments count.”

  Every muscle in her body tensed, her elbows locked at an angle, blanched knuckles tightening around the steering wheel. “Please don’t do this. I’m getting married Saturday.”

  “Not now, you’re not. I suggest you get right with your God while there’s still time.”

  “You bastard! Who made you the ruler over life and death?”

  Cool and calm, he said, “Goodbye, Anika.”

  As if shocked by a Taser, her heart thudded to a stop. “Wait!”

  The tires sailed off the grassy embankment. For an eternity of minutes she was airborne. On impact, her body rocketed through the windshield, and then…blackness.

  Chapter 1

  Thursday, 9:00 a.m.

  Pittsburgh, PA

  Just because I may or may not have accidentally-on-purpose hacked the Police Chief’s computer after he grabbed my ass, didn’t mean I needed further training. He’s lucky I didn’t deck him. Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have sent his wife the photo of him in a compromising position with his secretary. Big deal. Why was I getting punished? It’s not like the cheating bastard didn’t have it coming. Whatever.

  Now, I was stuck in a seminar with ten other forensic hackers, who all looked like they should be grading term papers. At the very least, they should wear matching pocket protectors. Schmorons.

  Whoa. Hello, Mr. Alpha Male. Dressed in camos and a beige T-shirt, muscles rippling the material, the guest speaker sauntered into the conference room. Before he spoke, he waited for the muffled whispers to die down in the Butler Meeting Room at the Westin Convention Center.

  In a low, raspy voice, he said, “My name is John Keegan, but everyone calls me Tex. I’m medically retired from the Navy, where I was a Navy SEAL. During my last mission, I got injured. The doctors had to take half my l
eg. Now that you’ve gotten to know me better, let’s move on to why you’re here. I’ve personally hand-picked the best white-hats from around the globe. Consider it an honor. Anyone who doesn’t, can leave now.”

  My gaze roamed the conference room. No one budged.

  “With me today is Special Agent Odin Barret from the FBI.”

  Aw, shit.

  “Good morning,” said the fed, and I sunk low in my seat. “I asked my good friend Tex to assist me with this assignment. I don’t normally work cybercrimes, so any tech-related questions should be directed to him. I’m working up a profile on the UNSUB, which I’ll share once it’s ready. For now, let’s get started.”

  He projected a photo on to the screen behind him. A middle-aged woman with shockingly-red lipstick against her fair skin smiled for the camera. “This is Deborah Haze, age thirty-five, married with two kids and another on the way.”

  He tapped a key on his computer, and the image of remnants from an incinerated SUV—obviously set ablaze by tumbling over the edge a hundred-foot cliff—replaced the victim’s smiling face. “Until her death two weeks ago, that is. In the packet in front of you, you’ll find a memory stick that contains the case notes. Familiarize yourself with her life. She’s the first of nine victims, all murdered by a hacker or hackers.”

  Hands shot up around me. Obviously none of my so-called compadres had any field training. If they did, it sure didn’t seem like it today.

  Tex’s gaze narrowed in on me. “Shawn Daniels, right?”

  “Yup. I prefer Shawnee to Shawn, but whatever.”

  “Special Agent Barret just told you about a string of murders, and you don’t have even one question?”

  “Actually, he hasn’t told us much of anythin’ yet.”

  “Correct. Listen up, everyone. For now, you’re dismissed, but make yourself available.” He pointed straight at me. “You, stay put.”

  Stay? Maybe if I’m really lucky, he’ll teach me how to sit and heel. For now, I didn’t call him on his bullshit orders. I didn’t, however, know how much longer I could refrain.

  Once the room cleared, Tex came around the tables, arranged in a horseshoe pattern, and slid a manila folder toward me. “Here’s the rest of the file. As you probably guessed, the packet only contains details on the victims. I had to be careful to choose the best person for the job.” He pulled out the chair next to mine and flipped open his laptop. “Ready to get started?”

  “Always.”

  “Uh, Tex?” The fed hovered behind him. “I’m not sure she’s the right fit. Before you let everyone go, you may want to reconsider.”

  “Oh, really? Why’s that?”

  I leaned aside, hushed, “We have history.”

  “I think it’s best if we speak privately.”

  “It’s cool,” I said, standing. “I’ll go.”

  Tex grabbed my arm and lowered me to the chair. “No.” He turned his attention to Odin. “When you asked for my help, I told you I’d pick my team. If you don’t like my choices, you can handle this yourself.”

  Whoa. You tell him.

  The scowl in my direction showed Odin’s resistance, but he sloughed off a shrug. “Fine. It’s your call. Don’t come to me later and complain.”

  I shot to my feet. “Hey. If you’ve got somethin’ to say, say it.”

  He waved a dismissive hand at me. “She’s making my point for me.”

  “Look, if you’re still pissed over The Creator case, take it up with my lieutenant.”

  I swear that man growled at me.

  Cool and calm, Tex dragged Odin away from the table. Their muffled exchange didn’t allow me to overhear their conversation, but whatever Tex said worked, because Odin stormed out.

  As though the dispute never took place, Tex returned to his seat. “I’m sending you an encrypted file with what we know so far.”

  Fingers racing over the keys, I cracked his encryption in seconds flat. Child’s play.

  His eyebrows lifted in amazement. “You’re good.”

  I shrugged one shoulder. “I know.”

  “And modest too.”

  “Thanks.” Naive was not my middle name, but I rolled with it. Of all the forensic hackers in the country, Tex chose me. That alone made me to sit straighter in the most uncomfortable chair ever invented.

  Reading the details of each grisly murder, my gaze fluttered back and forth across the screen. “Wow. Do we know why the hacker’s targeting these people? Scratch that. It looks like all the vehicles are Fords.”

  “Correct.”

  “So maybe, it doesn’t matter whose driving. Maybe, he’s got a beef with the manufacturer.”

  “Very good. Now that we have an idea of who he’s after, we need to figure how to narrow the intel and, hopefully, get one-step ahead of him.”

  I stopped typing long enough to face him. “It says here, last year alone Ford sold over 2.5 million vehicles in the US. Are the attacks only in Pittsburgh?”

  “Most, not all.”

  “But you let everyone leave. Don’t we need help?”

  “They’re still in the hotel. Wolf will make sure they stay put. Don’t worry.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “Wolf?” After my last run-in with a gang who used animal monikers, the nickname dredged up a queasiness in the pit of my stomach.

  “It’s a SEAL thing.”

  “If you say so.”

  “You haven’t dealt with the military much.”

  “Uh, no. You guys are badass, though.” I raised a closed fist. “Respect.”

  “Thanks, but that wasn’t a question. I’ve read your personnel file, Shawnee.”

  Crap. “Look. The only reason I hacked Triton Security was—” Tex’s stone-cold expression stopped me cold. “Triton Security wasn’t in there, huh?”

  Eyes closed, he shook his head ever so slightly.

  “Then you must be talkin’ about the time when—” I swatted my hand. “Not important. Anyway…” Before I dug myself a deeper metaphoric grave, I veered the conversation away from the unfounded allegations surrounding my work at the Revere PD. All right, so maybe all “incidents” weren’t unfounded. Nonetheless, even with mad skills, he hadn’t discovered my after-hour activities. If he had, you can bet your sweet ass he’d mention it. Not that I did that sort of thing anymore. Much. “Are we sure a rouge member of Anonymous isn’t behind this?”

  “For a hacktivist group who mainly uses DDoS attacks to shutdown government, religious, and corporate websites, these attacks don’t fit their MO.”

  “I get that, but what about a member who took hacktivism to a whole new level?”

  “Hm. Interesting theory. Okay, run with it, see where it goes.”

  “Me? Remember Operation KKK, where they de-hooded several members of the group by posting their members’ home addresses, social media pages, photos, phone numbers, and email addresses to the Klu Klux Klan’s main Twitter feed, hashtag OpKKK? Yeah, I’d rather not, thanks.” If Anonymous could bring the racists bastards to their knees, imagine what they could do to me? One whiff I was trying to expose a member, valid or not, and they’d retaliate. “Don’t you have an entire SEAL team to do this crap?”

  “SEALs don’t usually get involved with jobs on US soil. The only reason I’m even here is because of my relationship with Odin. Believe me, I’d rather be home with my family.”

  “But you could involve the team off-the-books, right? Because honestly, I want no part of goin’ up against Anonymous.”

  “You misunderstood me. I never said go against them. Join them, feel them out, maybe our hacker wants to be them. Hell, maybe he’s joined every one of their causes. If your theory is correct, they’d want to help weed out a member who may or may not be using their name to commit murder.”

  “Join them how, exactly?”

  “I’ll let you figure that out.”

  “I still don’t understand why you can’t do this job yourself. I’m sure you’re more than capable.”

  “You
’re right, I am.” With no further explanation Tex packed up his laptop and file folders. On his way out of the conference room, he called my name. “Plan to meet me tomorrow in the gym at eighteen-hundred-hours.”

  The gym? Something told me I would’ve rather received punishment for hacking the Police Chief’s account.

  Chapter 2

  1:30 p.m.

  After familiarizing myself with the case files and joining several Anonymous causes, I came across an operation that dealt with crooked cops, and my stomach sank to my feet. Levaughn would never forgive me if I didn’t give him a head’s up about the case, but Tex told me not to mention it to anyone. Conflicted, I dialed Levaughn’s cell. Couldn’t hurt to feel him out, right?

  He answered, “Samuels.”

  Detective Levaughn Samuels, a black man with flawless bronze skin, perfect teeth, and muscles galore. Mm-mmm. Even his voice sent tingles to all the right places. No chicks better be hangin’ around, or I’d teach them a lesson for breaking rule number one of the girl code. And I don’t mean with words.

  “Hey, it’s me.”

  “Babe, how’s the seminar going?”

  “Umm, good.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Wrong?” Dammit. My voice pitched like an adolescent. No way would he not pick up on it. I cleared my throat. “I mean, nothin’. So, whatcha doin’?”

  “Actually, I’ve been here all night. Fatal car crash.”

  As if zapped by a lightning rod, my heart skidded to a stop. “What kinda car?”

  “Why?”

  “No reason.”

  “Shawnee, you don’t ask questions for no reason. What’s up?”

  “Do ya think it’s an accident?”

  “Okay, now you’re starting to scare me. What’s really going on?”

  “I told you, I’m fine. What’s with the twenty questions?”

  Low and loud, he sighed. “Do I think it was an accident? Not sure yet.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because witnesses heard calls for help before the crash. Also, we couldn’t find any break marks.”