Wyatt: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 3) Page 2

  She had been so proud of herself, sitting in the library feeling like Super Woman, that she never noticed that Bastian had been standing behind her. “What are you doing Peyton?” She could remember all the joy she had felt vanished in that very instant. He actually sounded disappointed. The look on Bastian’s face was one of disgust, and that hurt worse than any other slight or hurt had before.

  After explaining and promising to never take such risks again, Bastian let it go. Peyton was never able to get him that game. He wouldn’t have it, saying that she was much more important to him than any game. He didn’t want her to live behind bars. He made her give the money that she had made to a charity. Funny how that changed when we got older, but then again, Peyton had proved to him over the years just how good she was at it.

  She never stopped learning and devoured every book she could get her hands on. As she got older, she started ordering books, having them sent to a PO Box in another county. Peyton couldn’t let her guard down because she knew if her mother ever got wind of her skills with a computer, Judy would exploit them without a second thought. Peyton didn’t want that, so she kept it a secret.

  Not long after that, just as she had predicted, her mother and Bastian’s father split. They went their separate ways, her mother and herself moving on yet again. However, the bond that Peyton and Bastian had formed during their brief time together was strong, and they managed to keep in touch with each other after all these years. As promised, Bastian had kept her skill set a secret as well. The problem was she was she was also kept a secret. He didn’t introduce her to his friends, his team, or anyone else. And he very rarely visited. Peyton always held out hope that someday they could be an ordinary family with visits on holidays. Or even conversations would do, like, “Hey, what you been up to?” but that wasn’t their world.

  Bastian called every week, but often the conversation turned to him asking her to do to this or that and then the conversation was over. He did visit but not on holidays or birthdays. His visits often revolved around something Peyton needed to be done or he thought she should have done; it kind of hurt. She didn’t doubt he cared for her, she just wanted a little more, or maybe just what “normal” people had. Would she ever stop craving normal?

  Peyton felt like she was living a lie. What really bothered her, though, was that she had been doing for a very long time. Maybe since before she was even born. Judy had secrets, at least from her. Bastian begged her to look into some of the things her mother had said, but Peyton refused. She didn’t want to know, and Bastian couldn’t understand that. She didn’t have much, but what she had right now was enough. Peyton didn’t want to let her mother’s evil hurt her anymore.

  Every hack put her one step closer to being caught or worse arrested. She might be good, but she was far from stupid. She wasn’t that naïve little girl sitting in the library feeling like Super Woman. Actions had consequences and the games she played now had much higher stakes. Hacking into government systems and finding what she needed never bothered her. If she got caught, she would be arrested. What scared her the most were the people she often performed her personal form of justice on. There were very real and dangerous people out there that, if they ever got wind of whom she was, she would lose more than just her freedom. She would lose her life.

  Peyton had broken those rules many times to help her brother and his team, justifying it by agreeing with their cause. But mainly she just wanted the connection. Bastian's visits were few and far between they communicated by phone or computer most of the time. He would call, and she would work her magic on her computer to get him anything and everything he asked for.

  She was extraordinarily gifted when it came to the computer, and over the years her skill became nearly unmatched. Naturally, she was happy to help him and his team out. Peyton was one of the best, but that life also scared her and put her at risk. One of these days she was going to have to say no, and she feared that by doing so she would lose the only connection to a real family she had. She wanted to believe Bastian was different, he had proved himself and his loyalty, but he also kept her hidden. Taking another sip of her now cold coffee, she wanted to smack herself. Would her insecurities ever end?

  Looking out again at her property, she couldn’t help but think; maybe it was time for a change. She hated the changing seasons, but maybe if she moved somewhere warm all the time, it wouldn’t bother her so much. But the reality was, she also liked the reminder. Peyton needed to remember the past, because, as people liked to say, it makes a person stronger or whatever. If they knew her truth, it didn’t make her stronger, it made her adaptable.

  So, as she sat there watching the leaves fall, she gathered her strength and thought about what was to come. She had just completed her latest specialized canine training course, and her newest batch of fur babies was gone, and that hurt. She never liked it when the dogs she trained found new homes. She was always worried that they wouldn’t be cared for the way she took care of them. She put every safeguard into place to make sure they had good homes, but sometimes it didn’t matter.

  This group of service dogs all went to police departments or the military. They were always the hardest for her, because although she had trained them well, the animals she always came to love were placed in dangerous life and death situations. Peyton always hoped that she had done enough but always doubted herself. Every time she got a letter saying one of her previous service dogs was lost in the line of duty, it killed her a little.

  That was part of the reason she was sitting on the porch contemplating her future. Training and adopting out service dogs paid the bills and kept her from having to do the standard 9 to 5 routine, so many others had to do. Her brother’s group also helped keep her afloat. However, she didn’t want to use her hacking skills on a consistent basis; that was just asking for trouble. Peyton had had enough trouble in her life to last till the end of time. She couldn’t see herself working for someone else, but sometimes change needed to happen. She couldn't help but wonder if she could really make those changes.

  She might have to live the reclusive lifestyle, but that didn’t mean she favored it. Peyton enjoyed her few creature comforts, mainly being able to go to the store buy her food and leave. The Internet provided anything else she might want. She was a little tomboyish, opting for jeans, t-shirts, and sweatshirts instead of dresses, makeup, and high heels. She also loved the great outdoors, fishing, hiking, and climbing. Those things kept her sane. Taking her dogs out and camping a night or two often cleared her head and made the loneliness she was feeling more and more each day a little more bearable. At least that was what she kept on telling herself. The truth was, nothing was really helping.

  Peyton heard a long low howl and new a second and a third would soon join the first. Her babies were out doing what came naturally to them. Zeus’s deep bark made her smile at Hera’s higher one. She almost laughed but waited. Soon she would hear Brutus. They were on their morning run, checking the perimeter and ensuring Peyton was safe. She had trained them to do it, but it had been years since she actually had to give them the command. Every morning and every night they went through the same ritual, chasing away other animals and alerting Peyton to any changes. She let them out multiple times during the day, but the mornings and nights were always the longest.

  Those three were her family, her friends, and companions. She found them years ago, at a high kill shelter and took them home immediately. They were all mastiff pit bull mixes, and the shelter had a no tolerance policy; pit bull or pit bull mixes were to be put down immediately. Peyton hated that. In her mind, a dog’s temperament and aggressiveness wasn’t a product of genetics. She tried very hard to prove that with her work, often choosing mixed dogs to train over well-documented purebreds. Her philosophy was, nature versus nurture, or whatever you want to call it. Her dogs would and could kill, but only at her command. They were exceptionally trained, her proudest accomplishments.

  Zeus, with is fawn coat and heavy build was
the alpha of their little pack. He also had the biggest personality. He would prance and play, just waiting to get some love and attention. Hera was the lover even though she weighed out at over 150 pounds. She felt that she should be a lap dog. She wanted to be on you, near you, or touching you at all times if she wasn’t working. Her brindle coat was so dark she almost looked black. Then there was Brutus, the runt of the litter. Dang, that was a joke; he was huge. He had the size of a mastiff but the look of a pit bull. To say he looked fierce was an understatement. His coat was a silvery gray that shined like a full moon on a clear winters night, and his eyes were a grayish blue that startled. Regardless of his fearsome looks, Brut was the biggest baby of the bunch. He loved his hugs and belly-rubbins more than Zeus or Hera put together.

  She was thinking that it was time to retire the three. Peyton had even started the new batch of puppies from a local shelter, but it wasn’t giving her the same satisfaction that it always had in the past. Her three babies would always be her constant companions, but just as she felt her life’s goal was changing, she felt theirs was as well.

  Something had been in the air for days. Peyton couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her, following. She would get that creepy hair standing on end chill that would run up her spine, but there was never anything there. She was beginning to doubt herself, but the feelings wouldn’t go away. Not to mention, her dogs were also acting strangely. They spent more time alert than relaxed, and their daily perimeter checks were lasting longer than normal. It could be a byproduct of her own anxiety, but she really didn’t think so. Something was going on, and she needed to figure it out sooner rather than later.

  Peyton considered calling her dogs in, but decided against it; they were doing their jobs. All it would take was a short quick whistle, but for now, she would let them work. Maybe they would be able to figure out what was causing her this extra anxiety. She could call her brother, but Peyton did not want to alarm him needlessly until she had concrete proof. So, she would put that off as well. She hated doubting herself, but sometimes what went bump in the night really was just a shoe. Wow, she needed to get out for a while if those were the sayings she was coming up with.

  Chapter 2

  Peyton heard the landline ringing and smiled. She knew that it could only be one person. Her brother was the only one that had that number. The line was secure; she had made sure of it. It was virtually untraceable. It had taken them several days a few years ago, to acquire the secure connection, and to this day, Peyton made sure it remained safe. Running into the house, slamming the screen door, Peyton ran to the phone.

  "Hello?"

  "Hey Sis, how are you doing?"

  Hearing her brother’s deep voice always made her happy. Sebastian Frost, or Bas as his team likes to call him, was her stepbrother several times removed. She called him Bastian and had since they first met. She was pretty sure he hated it but not once had he asked her to stop. The first time they met Peyton was scared, and because of the giant lump in her throat, she couldn’t say his whole name. The shortened version stuck and the reality was that she liked the idea of calling him something no one else did. He was the only consistent human in Peyton’s life. They forged a bond during an ugly time in their childhoods, and those bonds never broke. She knew if she ever needed him, he would be there for her, even though she would never ask. The problem was that she craved the contact so much, she often did things just so he wouldn’t stop calling. She really needed to get some therapy. There were things in her life she needed to protect him from, whether he liked it or not. If he ever found out what those things were, she felt he would surely abandon her. That was not a risk she was willing to take.

  Peyton wanted to believe that even if she stopped working with him and his team, that things would stay the same between them. She hoped that her value in his life was more than just the information he sought from time to time. His visits were not often, but he still came and that had to mean something, right? She also liked the trust he put in her. She had been helping his team for years with obtaining information regarding rescues. He only recently allowed her to have contact with a few members of his team, mainly a man named Wyatt. But from their numerous conversations, she felt as if she knew all of them.

  Her communications with his team consisted of texts or emails, never having any direct contact with them. Peyton was pretty sure that was the way Bastian wanted it. She had never actually seen or spoken to any of them in person. Which, in the grand scheme of things, was kind of weird, but she had never questioned it. Sometimes she wondered if Bastian was ashamed of her. He never acted differently, so she had to assume that wasn’t the case. He was busy doing important things. If she could lighten his load a little, she was more than happy to do it.

  "Thanks for helping out with that information. It really helped my team."

  "No problem, Bastian. You know I will help you whenever I can." Peyton answered, feeling uncomfortable with the praise. "I know you can’t tell me what is going on but can you at least say if the woman, Emma, is okay? She looked so lonely and scared in the last few videos."

  Peyton had instantly connected with the woman, seeing the same look in her own eyes every time she looked into the mirror. Loneliness. Man, she really needed to get out more because now she was connecting to people she would probably never meet. Not long ago Bastian had called and asked her to track the movements of Emma Conner’s. They wanted to know where she lived, whom she hung out with, and everything in-between. Peyton did the job, finding Emma on multiple sources to track her movements. Although it had been a straightforward and easy task as far as the work went, the details of this case had affected her. Peyton could see herself in the woman.

  "Yeah, she is doing great, actually, complete with a happy ending and all that. Her and my buddy, Dalton, hooked up and are looking to get married."

  That shocked Peyton; she had only gotten that information a short time ago. Whichever buddy Bastian was talking about moved pretty fast. Peyton wondered, did people really just fall in love at first sight and decide to get married? She always thought that only happened in fairy tales or romance novels. It didn’t seem possible in real life, but apparently, she was wrong. Emma was now getting married, weird.

  His next statement shocked her but also put her on edge, “How would you like to meet her and the rest of the team? You can even meet Emma, she’s staying at our base."

  Peyton never expected that. Bastian had always kept her separate from his team, never once inviting her to his base or bringing one of the men to visit her. Sometimes it bothered her, and in the same token, sometimes she liked the distance. She was sure her feelings had something to do with her messed up childhood, specifically her mother, but she was really starting to question her place in the world. Peyton couldn’t keep on going the way she was; hiding away, only living a half-life. She wanted more, friends, family, and most of all, some peace and a sense of security. She didn’t want to look over her shoulder for the rest of her life, waiting for her mother’s next move. She was coming to the conclusion that it was time to face her demons, stop hiding, and finally live. Going to Bastian and working with his team might be the answer to that.

  She enjoyed working with his team, but it also scared her. Getting the answers, they needed involved a lot of risk on her part. She had helped them quite a few times over the years, dealing with some extremely sensitive information that she had dug up on the deep web. She did so by hacking databases and alphabet agencies, but her contact was limited, and she always thought it would remain that way. It was easier that way because it meant fewer possibilities of getting stabbed in the back. If they didn’t know her, then they couldn’t turn on her. She was starting to think maybe that wasn’t the right way to look at things any longer.

  Peyton was torn. As much as she desired to be included in a larger part of Bastian's life and was elated that he had finally asked her to, she couldn’t dismiss the odd tone she detected in his voice when he did so.
He was asking but was also holding back. It was hard to explain, but there was an edge to his voice that she hadn’t often heard.

  Realizing she was nodding her head and Bastian was still waiting for a reply she stated," I would like that to happened someday, but why are you acting so weird?"

  "I’m not acting weird."

  Peyton could picture him raking his hands through is hair. It was a nervous habit he had for as long as she could remember. She didn’t know if she was going to like what he had to say next.

  "It’s just, remember me telling you about Ryleigh and all the data we need to get through? She asked if you would be willing to come here to help out. There is just too much for us to handle and continue with everything else that is going on. And before you say you can’t because of the dogs, Jacks told me you could bring them."

  Wow! Something terrible must be going on, Peyton thought to herself. Not only was he asking her to come, but it also seemed like he had let his team know whom she was and what she did for a living, most notably, what service she had provided to them. That wasn’t like him. It was agreed early on, that because of the sensitive nature of the particular side work she did for him and his job at the NAC, that it was best for her identity to remain anonymous. Remain a hacker with no name.

  Bastian worked for NAC, a security company that helped find woman and children that had been taken, held for ransom, or worse, and recovered them. Peyton had done her research and knew that NAC was large with lots of connections, which meant lots of scrutiny. She wasn’t quite sure that she was ready for that, given the nature of her past.

  "I don’t know, Bastian. You know I don’t like people to know about my computer skills. If I just keep to the dogs, no one asks any questions. Not to mention, not everything I do is exactly legal. NAC had government contracts that could be placed in jeopardy if any of that came into light. There would be some significant consequences. It is one thing for you or your buddy to turn a blind eye when you are not really sure where it is that I get my information. If I am there and doing the same, it will put, not only you but your company at risk as well. I won’t do that to you or NAC. You guys do good work. I refuse to taint it."