Page 85 of Riptide
"She found me with this program?"
"Within two weeks of your inheritance filing. You appeared on her radar automatically."
"What databases?" Wade moved closer.
Tom's expression darkened. "Probably literally any database she wants. Credit bureaus. Hospital systems. DMV. At least three federal law enforcement systems. Every time this program runs, she's committing multiple felonies."
Piper whistled low. "Girl's got range."
"I doubt she built it herself.” Wade said.
“Definitely not,” Tom agreed. “I found references to someone called MT. He's been maintaining the code, but I don't think it's voluntary." Tom frowned. "My guess? She's blackmailing him too. Forced him to build it, now forced to keep it running."
Cara thought about the nervous man Gabe learned about at the inn. Michael Thorne. MT.
"There's one more thing." Tom looked at Cara. "I found your file."
A document filled the screen. Cara's face—from the bakery website. Below it, pages of information. Inheritance paperwork. Family tree analysis. Screenshots showing no trace of Cara Sweet before Haven Cove.
And at the bottom:
Identity fabrication confirmed. Original identity unknown. High-value target—recommend maximum extraction.
"Maximum extraction," Cara repeated. "That's what I am to her."
"That's what youwere." Piper stood, moving to her dad's side. "Show her the plan, Dad."
Tom pulled up a new screen. "I can destroy the whole program. Make it look like a virus—random malware that corrupted her system. She won't know who to blame."
The room went quiet. Everyone looked at Cara.
She understood why. This was her future at stake. Her decision to make. If something went wrong, if Blaire figured out who was responsible, Cara would be the one who paid the price.
"If we do this," Reagan said carefully, "there's no taking it back. Blaire loses her hunting program."
"She already knows someone's after her," Cara said. "The fake FBI investigation. The brake lines."
"This will make it worse," Wade said. "Cornered animals are dangerous."
Cara stared at the screen. At her own face in Blaire's files. At the wordsmaximum extractionandhigh-value target.
Tom turned to his keyboard. "This will take about twenty minutes. I need to make sure the virus signature looks authentic, not targeted."
"What happens when it hits?" Piper asked.
"Huntress crashes. This won’t delete any files she’s got. I’d bet good money she’s got all her records backed up." Tom's fingers flew across the keys. "What we will do is stop her from being able to identify any new targets."
"Do it," she said. "Destroy the program."
Cara watched him work, her heart pounding.
The team waited in tense silence. Piper chewed her pen cap. Reagan straightened coffee cups. Wade stood motionless by the door, watching Tom's screens like he could will the code to work faster.
"Done," Tom said finally. "Virus is deployed.”
Wade frowned. “But this MT dude could write more code.”
“Eventually,” Tom agreed. “Problem for another day.”
