Read Online Shift by Sidney Bristol - Free Book Online Page A

page of information. Some appeared to be invoices, others scraps of paper or e-mails. Every couple of minutes he’d grab a bit of text and take it to a browser and run a search. The rate at which he processed everything was astonishing. He really was amazing.
    After a while, her attention drifted from the screen to the man. How was it he’d been produced in an environment where he wasn’t wanted—and still had turned into an incredible human being? She’d often thought it was the nature of her birth that led to her lifestyle of danger and fast cars, but with Emery, it was different. He’d turned from the natural path of his life to become something better.
    Part of her wanted to look up his family and make sure they realized just how incredible their son was. It was her protective instincts kicking in. Sure, Emery was part of the crew and she’d take a bullet for him, but deep down she knew it was more. Her girlish crush on him was founded on more than just good looks. She respected him. Unlike her or the others, Emery fought many of their battles before the rest of them even knew there was danger. Technology and information were weapons far greater than she’d anticipated when she was younger and focused on guns and munitions. Maybe if she’d known the way the world would go, she’d have taken up computer science instead of mechanics.
    Yeah, that would never have happened. She was too hands-on for what Emery did.
    The image of a building filled his screen, grabbing her attention.
    â€œWhat’s that?” she asked.
    â€œThe Greenworks building. Purchased around the time Evers was arrested.”
    â€œThat’s a fortress.” She leaned over his shoulder.
    The mostly concrete building had few windows and was surrounded by a chain-link fence with razor wire over the top.
    â€œWhere is it?” she asked.
    â€œNorth of Fort Lauderdale. It looks like the power and water were turned back on a little more than two months ago.”
    She didn’t need to be a computer genius to see that connection.
    They’d wondered where Evers’s operation had moved to since his arrest. Had they just found the new hive?
    â€œIs there security footage?” She hovered over his shoulder, watching as he pulled up aerial footage of the building and clicked through the frames.
    â€œProbably.”
    â€œCan you hack it?”
    â€œIf the cameras are online I can hack them, but it might be faster . . .”
    â€œFaster to?”
    â€œSorry.” He shook his head. “A place like this, sometimes it’s easier to hardwire into their system. It’s got to be fairly sophisticated.”
    â€œWe need to do a drive-by then. Do you have the stuff you’d need to wire in or whatever you’re doing?” The team had been searching for the last two months for whatever Evers’s people were up to. To finally have an answer for the crazy series of events would be fantastic.
    â€œI’m not sure going by now is a good idea.” He turned toward her, gaze narrowed in thought.
    The hit team.
    The little fact of their bolting.
    But it was just a drive-by. Checking the location. Nothing major.
    â€œIf we don’t jump on the opportunity while we have it, it may disappear. Like the import-export company. There’s no guarantee this site will remain operational. Besides, what if there’s another location we don’t know about?” She gestured to the image on the laptop.
    â€œI agree, but your safety is more important.”
    It felt as though a million tiny butterflies took wing in that moment. For a second, she didn’t draw a breath. Emery was putting her above the operation. Her cheeks heated slightly before the guilt slammed into her. She was not more important than the work they did. Her safety wasn’t grounds enough for compromising a solid lead, which was more than they’d had in months.
    Tori shook her head. “If I