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Jenna sat at the table and nodded. “From the evidence, we have to assume foul play. Someone is either collecting or killing these people. We have five missing now. Someone is to blame and I need to hunt them down before anyone else vanishes.”
“Yeah, I went through everyone I figured is a possible.” Kalo gave her a boyish grin. “Thanks for having me along, Jenna. When the guys are away the office is kinda lonely.”
It had been some time since Kalo had joined the team, but until recently he’d remained in the office, away from any danger. Bobby Kalo’s story was sketchy, and Jenna had been given the essential details about him from Jo and Carter. She understood he’d had a rough childhood and lived on the streets for most of his young life and gotten himself into trouble with the law on many occasions, but here he sat surrounded by law enforcement as a crucial member of the team. She pushed the carton of takeout toward him. “Grab something before Dave eats it all.”
“Hey, there’s plenty for everyone and then some.” Kane munched on a burger.
Turning back to Kalo, Jenna nibbled at a bagel and cream cheese. “I speak to you on the phone all the time but know nothing about you. Do you have friends in Snakeskin Gully?”
“Nope.” Kalo selected a burger and fries and unwrapped the bun slowly. “I’m a big-city gaming nerd and they’re cowboys. We don’t have anything in common, and I know we all speak the same language, but I’ve tried talking to the locals and it’s as if they don’t understand a word I say. There is a computer store in town with free Wi-Fi and not many hang out there. In the city it’s a great place to hang out, use the equipment and access the dark web.”
Jenna sipped her coffee. “Is that how you got into trouble?”
“Using the dark web? Not really. Hacking the Pentagon and the DOD and not giving myself a backdoor was a mistake. Someone like me recognized a code I’d added and the Secret Service dragged me away.” He indicated to Jo. “Jo was involved in research about hackers. She and a zillion others grilled me for months and then they gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Work with them or be in the federal jail system for the rest of my life.”
Listening with interest, Jenna nodded. “So did you go to Quantico? You’re an FBI agent, right?”
“Nope, I’m an FBI consultant. I’m not permitted to be armed or carry a badge, but I do have FBI creds in case I’m arrested.” Kalo chewed his burger slowly and washed it down with soda. “This is why I’ve been kept in the office. “
Finding his treatment, a little harsh, Jenna frowned. “You must have been very young when you joined the team at Snakeskin Gully. Where do you live?”
“I live at the office. I have a room.” Kalo hunched his shoulders. “I like it there. At first, I had a room in a house with an old lady. She was a little deaf and had the radio on so loud I couldn’t think straight. Carter made arrangements for me to move in to the office. I like it there. It’s like having my own place, plus I can use all the equipment whenever I like. I can play games all night and nobody cares.”
Raising her eyebrows, Jenna stared at him. “You were only fourteen when all this happened, is that right? Do you go back home to your family for the holidays?”
“Jo and Carter are my family.” Kalo smiled at her. “They’re good people. I go fishing and hunting with Carter. Well, I’m along for the experience. I don’t like to fish or hunt. Well, I can’t kill anything.” He laughed. “We all spend the holidays together and have Christmas dinner at Jo’s place, things like that.”
“He couldn’t come with us before, because he was too young.” Carter leaned closer to Jenna. “He’s eighteen now, so he can come along with us. Before when we were away on a case, he stayed at Jo’s place. He has a room there and adult supervision. We do take care of him, Jenna.”
“That’s good to know.” Jenna, smiled. “So how did you become so good with computers?”
“The first time I saw code, I understood it. I was about seven or eight. I wanted to know more and went to libraries and then started to steal books from stores.” Kalo shook his head. “I know it’s wrong but I was just a little kid. It was like an obsession and still is. I needed to know more. I could understand everything and discovered I could write new codes.”
“What he is”—Carter’s expression was serious—“is a lethal weapon. He’s classified as a genius, and with his skills, it’s better to have him, and kids like him, working for us. Most of them just need a break. Their curiosity got them into trouble. When Bobby hacked the Department of Defense, he didn’t do anything, just left a smiley emoji, which was his downfall.” He smiled. “He designed a new program to prevent hackers like him breaking into the system. He’s with us to keep him safe, and the peace and quiet of Snakeskin Gully doesn’t stifle his creativity. He has all the resources he needs.”
Surprised that Carter was so involved with Kalo’s well-being, Jenna nodded. “That’s good to know. Talent should be nurtured.” She stood and collected the trash from the table. “If everyone has finished eating, we’ll get down to business.”
“I’ve uploaded the list of possible suspects to your devices and phones.” Kalo opened his laptop. “I’ll go through them with you so everyone is on the same page. I selected all possible types of employment that had the following criteria.” They looked at his list:
1. Works with the public.
2. Has a profession that would enable him to move around unnoticed.
3. Works within a radius that encompasses Black Rock Falls and Blackwater.
4. Has a suitable vehicle for transporting kidnapped victims or bodies.
5. Lives alone.
6. Lives in a secluded area or owns property in a secluded area.
7. Male.
8. First priority is a man approximately five-ten to six-two, size-twelve boot.
9. Worked in the local area at the time of the abductions.
“I added ‘possible scratches from previous victim’ as a reminder to be aware that Jenell Rickers could have scratched him.”
