Chain Reaction 2.76: A Cop, A Spy, and A Hacker

Backing up a little...
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Alex

     "What was that, Goth?" Graham asks me. The arguing has stopped for a moment.

     I have the screen paused on the moment she's snatched. "Kidnapped. Abducted. Taken." I put my face in my hands. Oh, my sweet Emily! And she's been missing all night!

     "How could you let this happen!" he snaps at me.

     I'm instantly furious. However, I hold my tongue when Graham starts voicing some of the same thoughts I just had.

     Ethan glares at the screen. "Who is that?"

     "I don't know."

     "I need to call the station. They need to see this."

     "And how am I going to explain to them how I got this? I don't want Franco knowing I tapped into his system."

     He starts to panic. "We have to find her! We need help!"

     Graham stands behind me, still crying. I turn around in the chair and start barking. "Pull yourself together! Look at us! We're a cop, a spy, and a hacker. If we can't find her, no one can."

     That wakes up the two Taylor men. I'm glad. They're smart in areas where I don't have training. As for me, I can pull up anything they ask for.

     "You know," Ethan tells me while I run a police scan on the little bit of photo that I enhanced, "you're kind of scary, Uncle Alex. I'm going to pretend I'm not seeing this."

      "I'm in love with your little sister, Ethan. Don't call me Uncle Alex."

      Graham mutters under his breath, "Freak."

      I glare at the screen as it continues flying through mug shots. "Guess Emily was looking for a man like her father, then."

      I can hear Ethan rolling his eyes. "Would you two cool it?! Geez, so you both love younger women. Big deal. It happens."

      Graham answers, "Ethan, think of how you'd feel if Malcolm Landgraab suddenly fell in love with Charlotte."

      Ethan scowls and folds his arms. "Alex isn't Malcolm Landgraab."

      "Forget it, Ethan," I tell him. "We will always fight until one of us is..." A name pops up on the screen.

      Graham says in a gasp, "Logan McKinney."

      "Speaking of 'uncle,' say hello to Uncle Logan, Ethan." I move aside so Ethan can get a good look. I hadn't seen Logan since he was a child. From the looks of things, he was heavily influenced by his father. I remember back to when Dad had considered going after custody of Logan too. I wonder how he would've turned out had he succeeded. Sadly, Logan could've still ended up in crime.

     "Looks like he joined the family business," Graham comments.

     "Huh?" Ethan looks at his father.

     "Your grandfather Jett was a crook."

     I punch a few keys, opening up a new window. "Uh, 'was'? He's still alive." A few more keystrokes. "And there's a warrant out for him."

     The next hour or so has me watching traffic cams until I catch a glimpse of Logan carrying my precious Emily into an alleyway.

      What do they want? Money? Why haven't they tried to contact me if that's the case? I call the office and ask for my messages, especially any that sound suspicious. Nothing.

      "Let's go," Ethan says, acting like he has a spring in his butt ever since seeing the picture of the alley.

      Graham holds up his hand and watches his son warily. "Wait. One thing first." He disappears into the basement and comes out with two handguns. He hands one to Ethan. The other one he keeps--not giving me one. It's fine. It's probably better they have them. I'd never purchased my own due to my depression.

      "Dad, I don't plumbing wanna know," Ethan says as he checks the clip. He puts the gun in the back waistband of his pants, still reeling apparently from the knowledge that his dad was a double-crossing secret agent.

      It's too easy. We find them. We have no idea where Logan is, but when we get down a flight of stairs, we find a gray-haired Jett McKinney.

      Ethan and Graham go first.

     "Drop it," Graham growls. 

     I don't think twice and dash over to Emily, terrified at the sight of her passed out on a filthy camping cot.

     "Hiya, fellas," Jett says happily like he's greeting someone at a party.

     "I said drop it!" Graham yells. I hear a gun land in the dirt at my feet, but I ignore it, more intent on getting Emily out of here.

     "Plumbob, you're going to give me so much paperwork, old man," Ethan tells Jett after he tackles him and starts cuffing him.

     "Ethan! Wow, arrested by my own grandson. You do know I'm your grandpa, right?"

     "Yeah. Some family reunion."

     Emily makes a moaning noise while Graham snarls something-I-don't-care at his father-in-law.

     "Shh. It's okay. I've got you. It's Alex. Graham and Ethan are nearby too. You're okay now, baby," I croon to her and kiss her forehead while she whimpers and tries to come to. I need to get her out of here.

     Once I turn to go, Graham pops up and looks at me with an unidentifiable emotion. "Let me have her."

     I don't have to reply because Ethan does. "Dad, we still don't know where Logan is. I need you alert. Let Alex carry Emily."

     Graham looks pained as he caresses his daughter's head. His eyes lock with mine, and we have an understanding: we hate each other but can at least agree on loving Emily, in our own way.

     Graham grunts, unhappy that he agrees with his son. Then, he turns to me and says, "Then get her out of here."

     As I leave, I hear Jett teasing Graham about what it feels like to have an older man fall for his daughter. I can't make out Graham's exact reply, but it sounds like he kicks Jett before getting reprimanded by Ethan. I don't care. I just want to get Emily home.

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