2
“You have got to be kidding me,” I fume.
My boss, Dan, is sitting across his desk from me and Grant Carlson. Grant still has his tie undone around his neck, which bugs the hell out of me, because it feels like a neon sign screaming, We just had sex! We just had sex in Eve’s office, and I fucked the bejeezus out of her!
I hope that’s not the case.
I mean, it is the case that he fucked the bejeezus out of me.
But I hope nobody else knows.
Please God…
“He’s hired you as a personal consultant,” Dan says.
Dan’s a nice guy. Wife and three kids, with pictures of them on his desk. Not a good coder, but a pretty good manager. At least, he stays out of my way.
And if he knows I just had sex with Grant Carlson, he’s not letting on about it.
“Nobody’s ever hired me as a personal consultant before!”
“There’s a first time for everything,” Grant chimes in.
I glare at him. YOU shut UP.
He just grins at me in response.
“What the hell does a personal consultant do, anyway?” I ask.
“Well – ” Grant starts, an impish, insinuating tone in his voice.
I glare at him again, and he starts laughing silently.
“There will be some travel involved,” Dan says.
“A lot of travel,” Grant adds.
I ignore the hot guy pushing my buttons and focus on my boss. “And?”
“And… well… Mr. Carlson says that there’s a certain element of danger involved.”
I turn to Grant.
For the first time the entire meeting, he’s serious.
“Look… I won’t lie to you. The person involved wants to kill me. There’s no doubt in my mind of that. It is entirely possible that if you accept my offer, you’ll be in danger. I don’t want that, I don’t like that, but it is a possibility.”
I look at him long and hard.
“How much of a possibility?” I finally ask.
“I don’t know.”
“How do you know he wants to kill you?”
“Because of messages he’s sent me.”
“Who is this guy?”
“I have no idea.”
“You must have some idea… unless he’s just some random nutjob who’s leaving death threats on your webpage.”
“He’s not some random nutjob leaving death threats on my webpage, I can assure you of that.”
“So who is he?”
Grant shifts in his chair. “I need to know you’ve agreed to come on the case and that there’s complete confidentiality in our relationship before I reveal anymore.”
I groan and cover my eyes. “So you want me to walk into this blind.”
“I’ve told you about the danger. You’re not walking in blind.”
I shake my head. “Look, if you need me to track down some guy in Iowa who says he’s going to mount your head on the wall next to his deer trophies, that’s one thing – ”
“It’s not like that,” Grant says seriously.
“What’s it like, then?”
“Like Hannibal Lecter is after me,” Grant says, without a trace of humor.
3
My eyes widen. “You’re kidding.”
“No. I’m not.”
My favorite scary movie of all time is The Silence Of The Lambs. My favorite television show of the last five years (after Game of Thrones) is Hannibal.
You would think that telling a girl that Hannibal Lecter is in the mix would scare her away.
If I were smarter, it probably would.
But I’m not smart like that. Just book/computer code/programming smart.
Not avoid the possible homicidal maniac job at all costs smart.
“You think he’s a serial killer?” I ask, voice hushed.
“I don’t know for sure. But it’s a good bet.”
I stop and ponder.
This might just be the coolest internet security job I’ve ever had.
“That’s the reason I’m offering five times your normal rate,” Grant adds.
Whoa.
I immediately sit up and take notice.
Dan harrumphs like he’s uncomfortable. “Um… actually, you would be paid your normal salary, plus a bonus on completion.”
Grant suddenly gets super cold towards Dan. Like, Arctic.
“Her life is the one on the line,” he says, eyes squinting. “Don’t tell me you’re
“You have got to be kidding me,” I fume.
My boss, Dan, is sitting across his desk from me and Grant Carlson. Grant still has his tie undone around his neck, which bugs the hell out of me, because it feels like a neon sign screaming, We just had sex! We just had sex in Eve’s office, and I fucked the bejeezus out of her!
I hope that’s not the case.
I mean, it is the case that he fucked the bejeezus out of me.
But I hope nobody else knows.
Please God…
“He’s hired you as a personal consultant,” Dan says.
Dan’s a nice guy. Wife and three kids, with pictures of them on his desk. Not a good coder, but a pretty good manager. At least, he stays out of my way.
And if he knows I just had sex with Grant Carlson, he’s not letting on about it.
“Nobody’s ever hired me as a personal consultant before!”
“There’s a first time for everything,” Grant chimes in.
I glare at him. YOU shut UP.
He just grins at me in response.
“What the hell does a personal consultant do, anyway?” I ask.
“Well – ” Grant starts, an impish, insinuating tone in his voice.
I glare at him again, and he starts laughing silently.
“There will be some travel involved,” Dan says.
“A lot of travel,” Grant adds.
I ignore the hot guy pushing my buttons and focus on my boss. “And?”
“And… well… Mr. Carlson says that there’s a certain element of danger involved.”
I turn to Grant.
For the first time the entire meeting, he’s serious.
“Look… I won’t lie to you. The person involved wants to kill me. There’s no doubt in my mind of that. It is entirely possible that if you accept my offer, you’ll be in danger. I don’t want that, I don’t like that, but it is a possibility.”
I look at him long and hard.
“How much of a possibility?” I finally ask.
“I don’t know.”
“How do you know he wants to kill you?”
“Because of messages he’s sent me.”
“Who is this guy?”
“I have no idea.”
“You must have some idea… unless he’s just some random nutjob who’s leaving death threats on your webpage.”
“He’s not some random nutjob leaving death threats on my webpage, I can assure you of that.”
“So who is he?”
Grant shifts in his chair. “I need to know you’ve agreed to come on the case and that there’s complete confidentiality in our relationship before I reveal anymore.”
I groan and cover my eyes. “So you want me to walk into this blind.”
“I’ve told you about the danger. You’re not walking in blind.”
I shake my head. “Look, if you need me to track down some guy in Iowa who says he’s going to mount your head on the wall next to his deer trophies, that’s one thing – ”
“It’s not like that,” Grant says seriously.
“What’s it like, then?”
“Like Hannibal Lecter is after me,” Grant says, without a trace of humor.
3
My eyes widen. “You’re kidding.”
“No. I’m not.”
My favorite scary movie of all time is The Silence Of The Lambs. My favorite television show of the last five years (after Game of Thrones) is Hannibal.
You would think that telling a girl that Hannibal Lecter is in the mix would scare her away.
If I were smarter, it probably would.
But I’m not smart like that. Just book/computer code/programming smart.
Not avoid the possible homicidal maniac job at all costs smart.
“You think he’s a serial killer?” I ask, voice hushed.
“I don’t know for sure. But it’s a good bet.”
I stop and ponder.
This might just be the coolest internet security job I’ve ever had.
“That’s the reason I’m offering five times your normal rate,” Grant adds.
Whoa.
I immediately sit up and take notice.
Dan harrumphs like he’s uncomfortable. “Um… actually, you would be paid your normal salary, plus a bonus on completion.”
Grant suddenly gets super cold towards Dan. Like, Arctic.
“Her life is the one on the line,” he says, eyes squinting. “Don’t tell me you’re
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