Screen one on. Display up.
Eve frowned at the snowy-white screen and blurred black letters.
RESTRICTED DATA
ACCESS DENIED
“That’s it? Access denied? You run into a wall and I have to come in here and sit on your lap?”
“No, you’re sitting on my lap because you wanted my candy.”
Rather than admit that was true, she took another bite of chocolate. “Why’s the display fuzzy?”
“Because, fortunately, I engaged filters before digging around. If I hadn’t, I’d have set off an alarm, and my little excavation would have sent up all manner of flags. So, we do it in here. Computer, redo last task.”
Acknowledged.
The screen flashed off, then on again, clear.
Task complete.
“So?”
“You have no faith whatsoever. Just for that, sit over there and be quiet.”
She shrugged, moved off his lap, and onto a chair. She finished off her candy bar, sipped lazily at her wine.
It wasn’t exactly a hardship to watch him work. She liked the way he rolled his sleeves up to the elbow, tied his hair back—like a man preparing to do some serious physical labor.
He used both manual and verbal commands, so she could watch his quick fingers fly over keys, hear his voice—more Irish as he concentrated—flow out.
“Access denied? I’ll show you access denied, bloody wanker.”
Smiling a little, she closed her eyes, telling herself she was just going to rest them while she walked mentally through the investigation to date.
The next thing she knew, he was shaking her gently by the shoulder. “Eve.”
“What!” Her eyes popped open. “I wasn’t sleeping. I was thinking.”
“Yes, I could hear you thinking.”
“If that’s some smart-ass way of saying I was snoring, bite me.”
“I’d be more than happy to bite you later, but I really believe you’ll want to see this.”
She rubbed her eyes, and focused on his face. “Since you’ve got that big I’m-the-cat’s-ass grin on your face, I guess you got into whatever you wanted to get into.”
“Have a look.” He gestured toward the screen.
Reading, Eve got slowly to her feet.
HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION REDSTAR ACCESS ONLY!
“Jesus Christ, Roarke, you hacked into the HSO?”
“I have.” He toasted himself with a brandy. “By God, I have, and it took considerable doing. You were . . . thinking for over an hour.”
She knew she was goggling, but she couldn’t stop. “You can’t hack into the HSO.”