Thread of Suspicion. Susan Sleeman
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would do such a thing,” Tim answered emphatically.
Ms. Justice pulled her shoulders back, looking even taller than the five-ten or so he pegged her at. “The software wasn’t modified internally. It was done by remotely logging on to your network.”
“No,” Tim said again, but this time his voice had fallen to a whisper. “Our network security is top-notch.”
Tim was melting down. Luke needed to get in there. He rushed toward the door.
“Do you have proof of this breach, Dani, and can you find the person responsible?” Wilder asked.
She took a few steps closer to the table. “The best I can do until I have time to dig deeper is to give you the physical address where the transmission originated.”
Luke stepped into the room and met Wilder’s quizzical gaze. He came to his feet, his chair shooting back and hitting the wall as whispers filled the room. “Baldwin,” he said. “You look terrible. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Luke smiled, but he had to force his lips to turn up. “I apologize for being late. I ran off the road last night and was trapped in my car until an hour ago.”
Wilder let wizened eyes rove over Luke. “And you’re sure you’re fit to be here?”
“Fine.”
“Then you should know there’s a problem.” Wilder took his seat. “We were just about to start the demonstration when Dani told us the software has been sabotaged.”
“I heard her outrageous claim from the hallway.” Luke met Ms. Justice’s damning gaze, firing back with as much strength as he could muster.
She crossed her arms. “It’s not outrageous, Mr. Baldwin. I have verifiable proof that your network was remotely accessed and the software modified.” The zeal in her large brown eyes told Luke she spoke the truth.
“I will, of course, need to see the proof, but at least we now know about the issue and can fix it.” Luke faced Wilder again. “Since the sabotage came from outside the company, I hope you’ll give us a chance to correct the problem and still consider Crypton for this contract.”
“I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear, Mr. Baldwin,” Ms. Justice jumped in, her full focus pinned on Luke. “The transmission may have come from outside the company, but it originated from a SatCom employee’s home address.”
“What?” Wilder slammed a hand on the table making everyone jump. “Give us the address, Dani, so we can expose this traitor.”
She rattled off a local address, her eyes never leaving Luke’s face.
Impossible.
Shock iced over Luke’s heart and his legs felt as if they would no longer hold him upright. He hissed out a breath and searched for a response that not only wouldn’t end his career, his company, his dream, but also wouldn’t land him in jail for espionage.
Ms. Justice took a deep breath then added, “I’ll let Mr. Baldwin tell you who resides at that address.”
Luke couldn’t speak.
“You obviously know who lives there,” Wilder said after a few moments, his focus locked on Luke. “I suggest you share it with us, or the committee and I will walk.”
Luke planted his hands on the table for support, pulled back his aching shoulders and met Wilder’s penetrating gaze head on. “I live there, General. It’s my home address.”
TWO
Unbelievable. Dani stared at Luke Baldwin as she sat at the end of the table.
He hadn’t reacted as expected. No denial of the charges. No explanation. He’d simply come to his full height and snapped his shoulders into a hard line as if he were standing at attention before his commanding officer. Now he stood ramrod-stiff, looking all soldier. All Mr. Tough Guy. Still, she’d seen his face pale and those broad shoulders slump for a moment after her announcement.
His employees huddled in the corner, frantically whispering. If Luke noticed, his expression didn’t give it away. Not surprising. As a former SEAL, he’d developed the ability to hide his emotions.
He suddenly swiveled, his gaze searching the room like a heat-seeking missile looking for a target. His cobalt eyes locked on hers, and she drew in a sharp breath at the intensity. He advanced toward her with the stealth of a large cat, radiating power and demanding attention—hers and everyone else’s in the room.
She was powerless to look anywhere but at him. She took in the three-inch gash, swollen and raw, running over a high cheekbone, and a purple goose egg stretching the tanned skin on his forehead. Underneath his injuries, he was ruggedly handsome, and she caught herself staring as her heart rate sped up. At the other end of the table, Wilder paused, his finger in midair as if making a point to the stunned committee members gathered near him. His eyes tracked Luke, and the committee members followed suit.
But Luke passed them by and didn’t stop until he reached her, his nearness even more unsettling. He peered down on her from his over-six-foot height, his expression earnest. “No matter what you discovered in Crypton, I didn’t sabotage it. I’m not a programmer. Far from it. My computer skills end at knowing how to email and surf the internet.”
“Please, Mr. Baldwin. You expect me to believe you have no computer skills and yet you started a software company.”
“Call me Luke.” He squatted down, his presence filling the space in front of her. “My expertise is the military way of life and how our product is used in the field. Tim handles all of the programming.”
She fired a skeptical look at him, and he quickly held up his hands. “I get that it sounds crazy, but I lost a good friend in Afghanistan due to compromise of our satellite phones. Before Hawk died, I promised I’d find a way to solve the problem and make sure no one else lost their life from the same issue. So I sought out his brother, Tim, and we formed the company.”
Sounded reasonable. Honorable, even. Exactly what she’d expect from a former SEAL. But could she believe him? He hadn’t faked his brief response to her announcement, of that she was sure. But he’d recovered quickly. Too quickly, settling a mask of indifference over his face. Did he not know about the sabotage, or was he upset that he’d been caught? She hadn’t a clue which to believe.
“Look,” he said, his voice low as if he didn’t want the others to overhear. “I don’t even know what a backdoor is.” Looking fatigued, he dropped a knee to the floor, bringing him even closer and giving her a good look at the exhaustion etched in his eyes. “In fact it’d be helpful if you’d explain it to me. In layman’s terms, please.”
Was this claim of a lack of computer skills his attempt to cover up his involvement in the sabotage? She appraised him. His eyes were clear and guileless. She’d give him the benefit of the doubt. For now.
“A backdoor is exactly what it sounds like,” she said. “Think of it like a door to a house or building. Sometimes we enter from a back door so we don’t draw attention to ourselves. A backdoor in software is the same. It lets the person who modified the software slip in undetected to modify the program.”
Luke sucked in a short breath. “It’s true, then. Our sworn enemies could hear satphone conversations and know the military’s every move.”
Dani could tell he was thinking about the loss of his friend, but she couldn’t sugarcoat the potential damage just to make him feel better. “He’d have to hack through military defenses once the software was deployed, but after reviewing the backdoor code, I can tell you the saboteur is very skilled and it wouldn’t be hard for him to do so.”
“That rules me out, then.” He clenched his jaw and corded muscles in his neck stood out. “Besides, what motive could I possibly have to sabotage my own software?”
“If you hadn’t gotten caught, you could’ve