“I did.” He reclined backward, arms across his chest and eyebrows raised as if he dared me to argue. “I know you’re not much of a team player, Kingston, but I also know you don’t know the first thing about the dark web.”
He nodded to the folder, and I flipped it open.
“In order to kill this man, we have to know who he is, and if there’s a person who can expose someone trying to hide beneath pseudonyms and codes, it’s Midnight.”
“Midnight?”
“Your new partner.”
I peered down at the folder in my lap. It was splayed open across my thighs and contained a single piece of paper. An address was scrawled across it.
“His name is Silas Gray. Midnight is the alias he uses on the internet. Very few people know his true identity, and he goes to extreme lengths to keep it that way. You won’t find a photo of him anywhere.”
“How the hell is that possible?”
“He’s a genius, Kingston. Born with the gift of intellect.”
“So, he’s… a hacker?”
“Precisely.” He sat up. “Silas conceals paper trails, wipes camera feeds, and re-routes bank drafts. He keeps our men out of jail by framing others for our crimes, and he does it without leaving his chair.”
I scrubbed at my jaw. “He’s on your payroll then?”
“He is, yes, for nearly six years. Silas prefers to remain anonymous, and I grant him his wish because he never fails. You know nothing of him, but I assure you the knowledge he contains of your life is vast. Similar to the knowledge he has of every man that’s ever stepped foot in my door. The background checks he runs are extensive and with ample time, he can find anybody on the planet.”
I flipped the folder shut, running my thumbs along the edge. My head bobbed as I took in his words, and his plan was beginning to make sense. “Silas finds him, and I kill him.”
“Exactly.” Ben tapped a button on his keyboard. “You’ll team up with him because I want you to and you’ll trust that I know what I’m doing.”
“Of course.”
“Silas is the best at what he does. With enough warning, he could hack and re-route a US missile. Discovering this man’s true identity is child’s play to him.”
“I trust you, sir.”
“As you should.” He stood. “That is his home address. Memorize it, burn it, and triple check you aren't followed there.”
“Is he aware I’m coming?”
“Not yet. I’ll inform him as soon as you’re on your way. Hacking takes precision but it isn’t always fool-proof. Our target is going to do what he can to mislead us and it’s your job to investigate where Silas can’t.”
“Yes, sir.” I stood from my chair. “Anything else I should know?”
“A kid with his talents should be working for NASA or the CIA but instead he’s working for me. You know why that is, Kingston?”
“I—”
“Because he’s unhinged.” Ben’s grin was sinister. “He’ll try to convince you otherwise, but make no mistake, Silas Gray is maniacal. Though he’s never killed a man, and I suspect he never will, he enjoys watching the process.”
Interesting.
“Silas has witnessed most of our kills over the last six years. He claims it’s helpful in the event he has to assist with a cover up but the truth is that it just thrills him.”
Head cocked, I flexed my fingers, running my tongue along the smooth edges of my teeth. I knew I shouldn’t be, buthell, I was fascinated.
I held the belief that most of humankind was walking around a little unbalanced, and when beaten hard enough,for long enough,a man would inevitably break.
Some of us had already broken.