“Security cameras,” Ryker said, already moving to pull them up.
“Already got them. I sent you a secure link of a compilation of clips going back months and ending with the email to the hacker.”
A private message popped up from Kale on his computer and Ryker clicked the link. The video started with footage of Bianca working in the office near Ryker’s.
“I logged into the system and tracked what she was working on,” Kale said. “She was viewing transport information for your inland transport. She looked at both the trucks and trains you use.”
Ryker felt his blood begin to bubble up in anger.
“Then this next clip is from three weeks later. She’s accessing all of your ships’ cargo logs. She marked several as cleared even though you hadn’t cleared them. She entered your code to have them bypass security. You can see it here on the form, and you can see the computer code comes from her computer and not yours.”
“Bianca did this?” Ryker asked in disbelief as he had watched her time and time again access the network and either print off the pages or make notes from the screen. “What was she trying to get?”
“The cargo she marked to skip security were all from Italy. That’s all I could get. I’d say they’re mob-run because the paperwork was sloppy, to say the least. I couldn’t tell who they came from, which tells me it’s criminal. It stopped after you fired her, well, I should say it slowed down. I see she visited you the other week. I got her on camera from the time she snuck into the building. A dockworker held the door open for her and she used computer B-17 in the break room. I can’t tell how she got on the property, but it appears she knows your login information. She’s used it on computer B-17 three times since she was fired. Each time it was to get cargo through security.”
Ryker watched as the cargo logs were put up on the screen. Wine, furniture, coffee . . . yeah, right. They were probably hiding illegal drugs or weapons. Son of a bitch. He’d been played and that boiled his blood.
“Who is Bianca reporting to? It has to be Porzio or Di Maio,” Ryker asked with barely restrained anger.
“I don’t know. You’ll need boots on the ground for that. Here’s a link to change your login. I’d suggest a new username and password. Also, I can tell you they tried to enter the system two days before the fire but couldn’t get to the cargo logs. I had them protected. See here,” Kale said as images of Bianca looking confused as she sat behind computer B-17 came onto the screen. “Then this communication was sent via B-17 to the hacker who hacked the system for those six containers.”
“Something must have happened for them to change their plans for those six containers.”
“We initiated that new technology where every cargo container would have GPS on it. They were to be tagged upon unloading and then transported. We started them at port of entry and every shipper and receiver would have the tracking number. They could watch it sail across the ocean if they wanted. However, the program started when that ship was en route,” Kale reminded him.
“Now the question is what do I do about Bianca?” Ryker asked more to himself than to Kale.
“You could put a PI on her and have her arrested. Or you could hire her back and I could give her a fake password and follow every keystroke she makes to see how deep this goes.”
“I think I’ll do both. Put a PI on her tail and also hire her back. Can you make sure she has no access to the system?” Ryker asked.
“I can do better than that. I can make a fake system for her to have access to. I can see what she’s searching for and feed her false information.”
“Then we can give her access to the newly ‘restricted’ cargo logs
and you can have her tracking and stealing the wrong containers. Or better yet, containers with security cameras all around them. We can catch every person who touches it and they won’t know until they open it and discover the fake crates we’ll put inside,” Ryker said with a smile that he knew Kenzie would find scary. He didn’t care if she was getting to his touchy-feely side. No one else did. Certainly not Bianca or whoever she was working with. It actually saddened him to think of Nico playing him like this. He’d liked him, but nothing was going to protect him if he was screwing Ryker.
“Great idea. I can get that all set up. I’ll call you when I’m ready for you to reach out to Bianca.”
Ryker hung up with Kale and gathered his things. He needed to get to the port offices and meet with his head of security to go over where he wanted the new cameras and other security measures to go. He also needed to check on the repairs at the dock that had been damaged by the bomb. It was going to be a very late night.
12
It was three in the morning and Ryker was still working hard. The port construction was moving along and he’d be able to reopen that dock in about three weeks. New security cameras were in place and the entire fence line surrounding the port had been secured. No one was getting into his shipping facility without security knowing about it.
Once that had been completed, Ryker had moved on to his other businesses. He reviewed business plans, answered emails, made orders, and signed off on an ungodly amount of paperwork.
The ringing phone wasn’t unusual. His businesses and factories in Europe and Asia were already open. “Yes?”
“Mr. Faulkner, this is gate one. You have a visitor. A Kenzie Carys. Do you want me to let her in?”
Ryker smiled and realized he was smiling into the phone. “Yes, please escort her up to my office.”
Kenzie was here to see him and he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. It took almost ten minutes for her to drive into the complex, park, and make her way to his office, but then security was knocking and his angel was walking into his office.
“What a surprise,” Ryker said, standing up and moving around his massive desk to give her a kiss.
“I hope a good one,” Kenzie said a little nervously. “I didn’t know if I was breaking some girlfriend rule. I just knew you liked to work late and since I’m also a night owl and live just minutes from here, I thought I’d stop by to give you this. I made it tonight.”
Ryker took the plastic container she handed him and opened it. Instantly the sweet smell of chocolate hit him as he inhaled. “I love chocolate. Thank you.”
“I remember you saying that. These are my turtle brownies. They’re smothered in pecans, chocolate chips, and caramel.”
Ryker leaned down and kissed her. Honestly, he’d have been annoyed if any of his past dates did this. Probably because it wouldn’t have been just out of the goodness of their hearts as it was with Kenzie. She wasn’t like them, though. She was his girlfriend and this was the nicest thing anyone had done for him. “This is so nice of you. Why don’t we share a bite?”
Kenzie smiled and reached into her back pocket to pull out two forks. “I was hoping you’d say that. So, how is work going tonight?”
“Good. I’ve gotten a lot done and we’ve made progress on the investigation into the bombing. We have a lead.” Even as Ryker said it, he realized how much Kenzie had changed him in such a short amount of time. He’d never tell anyone this, even his family. He always kept his business private, but it felt good talking about it.