who would like to know why you are reading those particular books—and what use you may put them to.”
“Are you kidding me?” She huffed out an angry breath. “Don’t you people have better ways to spend your time? Why don’t you concentrate on tracking down terrorists with dirty bombs or solving the national debt problem?”
She hunched back even farther in her chair, her face a mask of disgust. The books had been an innocent purchase. She had only wanted to explore quantum computers in complex modeling problems.
“Like take down the government, you mean?”
“Don’t you get it, Teague? I’m small potatoes. I’m no threat to anyone—except maybe myself. I seem to keep shooting myself in the foot because I’m just a little too curious.”
“That’s the first thing we’ve agreed on in the last few hours,” he said irritably. “And I suspect there’s more to your little junket than you’re going to tell me. But so be it. What you do in your free time doesn’t interest me. It’s your work time I’m concerned with because I need three hundred percent from you, Maddie. I need your code skills, your pattern search skills and even your hacking skills. Is that understood?”
Maddie stood up and yawned broadly. “Understood perfectly. But since it is the middle of the night, why don’t you clear out so I can get a few hours of sleep before work starts in the morning. You did say we have an important meeting of some sort.”
“Afraid your sleep time is aborted. You and I have business to take care of.” Izzy picked up his computer and slid it under his arm, then headed to the door. “Bring your iPad and whatever arcane hacking tools you have hidden in that backpack.”
She blinked at him. “Are you kidding? It’s almost three in the morning. I’m tired and I want to sleep.” She was also developing one helluva headache, something to do with that weird episode in the graveyard, she suspected.
“Tough. I need you with me tonight.”
“Why?”
What do you need me for?” Maddie stood stubbornly in the middle of the room, glaring at him.
Teague turned around slowly. A glint of dark humor filled his eyes. “Because we are going to break into the British Museum. I can’t think of any better accomplice than you to help me. Now get moving.”
Maddie started to protest, but stopped.
They were going to break into the British Museum? Seriously, how cool was that? And if anything happened, she could simply blame it on Teague. Then he could get a taste of his own medicine.
She hid a smile of raw excitement and shrugged. “Sure. Whatever. I’m up for a little B&E. Just be sure you remember whose idea this was if we get caught.”
What Izzy said next made her frown uneasily.
“ If we get caught, there won’t be any point in explaining,” he said coldly. “I’m counting on you to see that we don’t .”
Twenty minutes later, Maddie was sitting amazed, looking up at the imposing stone façade of the British Museum. They were in a parked van across the street; Teague was checking the rear service entrance.
He was in professional mode now, using that thousand-yard stare that all cops, firemen and military personnel did so well.
It drove Maddie crazy. Abso-freaking-crazy .
“Want to tell me what we’re waiting for?”
“Someone’s meeting us here. Stop talking, will you?”
Maddie opened the bag of chips she had grabbed from the hotel mini-bar and began to eat her way noisily through it. “Whatever.” She hunched back in the seat and closed her eyes. “Wake me up when I have to actually do something.”
Izzy gave a low grunt and went back to scanning his laptop. Man, Maddie would have given her right arm for a peek under that hood. Knowing Teague, it had to be rigged out with every kind of updated encryption and memory cards. Seriously, what she could do with a toy like that at her disposal.
She could hack back into the Department of Defense, for starters. Change a whole
“Are you kidding me?” She huffed out an angry breath. “Don’t you people have better ways to spend your time? Why don’t you concentrate on tracking down terrorists with dirty bombs or solving the national debt problem?”
She hunched back even farther in her chair, her face a mask of disgust. The books had been an innocent purchase. She had only wanted to explore quantum computers in complex modeling problems.
“Like take down the government, you mean?”
“Don’t you get it, Teague? I’m small potatoes. I’m no threat to anyone—except maybe myself. I seem to keep shooting myself in the foot because I’m just a little too curious.”
“That’s the first thing we’ve agreed on in the last few hours,” he said irritably. “And I suspect there’s more to your little junket than you’re going to tell me. But so be it. What you do in your free time doesn’t interest me. It’s your work time I’m concerned with because I need three hundred percent from you, Maddie. I need your code skills, your pattern search skills and even your hacking skills. Is that understood?”
Maddie stood up and yawned broadly. “Understood perfectly. But since it is the middle of the night, why don’t you clear out so I can get a few hours of sleep before work starts in the morning. You did say we have an important meeting of some sort.”
“Afraid your sleep time is aborted. You and I have business to take care of.” Izzy picked up his computer and slid it under his arm, then headed to the door. “Bring your iPad and whatever arcane hacking tools you have hidden in that backpack.”
She blinked at him. “Are you kidding? It’s almost three in the morning. I’m tired and I want to sleep.” She was also developing one helluva headache, something to do with that weird episode in the graveyard, she suspected.
“Tough. I need you with me tonight.”
“Why?”
What do you need me for?” Maddie stood stubbornly in the middle of the room, glaring at him.
Teague turned around slowly. A glint of dark humor filled his eyes. “Because we are going to break into the British Museum. I can’t think of any better accomplice than you to help me. Now get moving.”
Maddie started to protest, but stopped.
They were going to break into the British Museum? Seriously, how cool was that? And if anything happened, she could simply blame it on Teague. Then he could get a taste of his own medicine.
She hid a smile of raw excitement and shrugged. “Sure. Whatever. I’m up for a little B&E. Just be sure you remember whose idea this was if we get caught.”
What Izzy said next made her frown uneasily.
“ If we get caught, there won’t be any point in explaining,” he said coldly. “I’m counting on you to see that we don’t .”
Twenty minutes later, Maddie was sitting amazed, looking up at the imposing stone façade of the British Museum. They were in a parked van across the street; Teague was checking the rear service entrance.
He was in professional mode now, using that thousand-yard stare that all cops, firemen and military personnel did so well.
It drove Maddie crazy. Abso-freaking-crazy .
“Want to tell me what we’re waiting for?”
“Someone’s meeting us here. Stop talking, will you?”
Maddie opened the bag of chips she had grabbed from the hotel mini-bar and began to eat her way noisily through it. “Whatever.” She hunched back in the seat and closed her eyes. “Wake me up when I have to actually do something.”
Izzy gave a low grunt and went back to scanning his laptop. Man, Maddie would have given her right arm for a peek under that hood. Knowing Teague, it had to be rigged out with every kind of updated encryption and memory cards. Seriously, what she could do with a toy like that at her disposal.
She could hack back into the Department of Defense, for starters. Change a whole
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