Evil Without a Face by Jordan Dane

the computer in his lap, leaving Jess rapt in her thoughts.
    If Baker was in the process of severing his links to the old setup, the delivery to Chicago—some poor kid—might turn out to be a sacrificial lamb. She had no way of knowing where or how the “delivery” might be coming. No leads at all, except for the e-mail reference to Alaska. Hell, she didn’t even know if she could trust the intel. There’d be no way to intervene, so she had to do the next best thing.
    Her instincts told her to focus on stopping Baker—for the greater good—but could she ignore the feeling that a faceless kid’s life hung in the balance? She hated how that made her feel. No doubt about it. Life sucked on a grand scale, a fact she understood better than most.
    Even if Sam could work her cop magic this late in the day and check the flight manifests for all inbound planes from Alaska, the odds weren’t good that her friend would have the resources to go much further. They wouldn’t even knowwhat to look for. And if the CPD knew she was connected to Sam’s search, everything would come to a grinding halt. Besides, given the time of day and the duration of a flight from Alaska, the plane was already gone, narrowing her odds for success considerably.
    She knew she was on her own—as usual.
    In no time, Seth had Baker’s laptop rigged and ready to go. He packed it back into the computer bag it came in and handed it to her, the thin gloves removed.
    “Call me on my cell if you think of anything else,” she asked.
    “Yeah, okay.” He nodded.
    Jess got to her feet and headed for the door. “You got my number, right?”
    “Yeah, programmed into my cell.” He stood and followed her. His hands fumbled through his pockets, pulling out coins, cash, and a set of keys.
    “Let me walk you out. I gotta meet a friend for drinks.” He shrugged and added, “It’s gotta be five o’clock somewhere on the planet, right? You’re welcome to join us.”
    “Thanks, but no. I gotta motor, but can I get a rain check?”
    “Yeah, no problem.” Seth locked the door behind them and walked with her to the elevators. They chatted as they rode down to the ground floor, the idle chat of two people getting to know one another. For Jess, it felt good to act normal for a change.
    He walked her out the building and stood on the sidewalk by the front door, but before he took off, she wanted to make a point. Seth’s part in the computer Trojan horse wasn’t over.
    “One last thing. I gotta ask you a big favor.” She winced, realizing the magnitude of what she was about to ask from a new hourly employee. “I’d like you to track Baker’s activity once he gets his property back. I know I’ve got no right to ask, but—”
    Without hesitation, Seth replied, “Sure, I’ll do it.”
    “Wait, before you commit, you gotta know. With a lowlife like Lucas Baker, I have no idea when or for how long that will be. I’ve gotta scare him up first. You still in? Even with all the flaky hours?”
    “Count on it. I’m in.” Again no hesitation.
    Jess grinned and shook her head at her employee. “If you’re buckin’ for a raise, Harper, you should probably consider playing harder to get. You’re too easy.”
    “And for a guy, there’s no such thing as being too easy.” Seth smirked. Jess had a sneaky suspicion the boy wasn’t talking about the almighty dollar anymore.
    “Before I forget…” She grabbed her cell phone off her belt loop and thumbed the menu to her contacts page. “Give me a phone number where I can reach you. Now that you’ve volunteered for duty, I’ve got to reach you twenty-four/seven.”
    He gave her his cell number and she keyed it into her phone.
    “I’ll stay in touch. And thanks, Seth. You’re a good man.”
    She tugged at a loose strand of his hair, and her show of affection sent a blush across his cheeks. In return, he rewarded her with a quirky grin and a shrug. Cute. Damned cute.
    With Baker’s laptop slung over her