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“Look,” she said, scrolling the mouse until it pointed to the copyright notice at the bottom of the page. The word Copyright was followed by the copyright symbol, a year, the letters NWM, Inc. and All rights reserved.
“NWM,” she said. “New World Militia? I think this video game is one of their recruitment tools. I also think it’s how they communicate with certain operatives within the organization.” She clicked on the flashing bar, then her fingers moved to the keyboard and quickly typed C-e-n-t-u-r-i-o-n.
The browser window went blank. At first nothing happened, but after a few seconds the browser window came to life again, and when it did, a list suddenly appeared. Six names, each one indicating a link. Every name on the list known to the four people whose eyes were glued to the computer monitor. And one date, the Thursday before, followed by the letters RIP.
“Requiescat in pace,” Keira whispered to herself. “Rest in peace.”
All three men swore under their breath.
Keira double-clicked on the first name on the list, and a new browser window opened. Pictures of Callahan over the years lined up across the screen, from his official rookie photo with the NYPD to a recent unposed one of him in his Black Rock sheriff’s uniform. His home address was also there, along with pertinent facts, including his weapon of choice, as well as the names of Mandy and their three children.
Callahan growled when he read the last part, but Keira ignored him and quickly saved the web page, then converted it into a pdf file for insurance. She returned to the original browser window and clicked on the second name on the list, already knowing what she’d find. But that didn’t stop her heart skipping a beat when pictures of Cody appeared in the new browser window.
“So, that’s why I was being followed,” Cody murmured under his breath, stating what they had all been thinking.
His voice jumbled around inside her, and it was all Keira could do to save that web page and convert it also. She started to click on the third name, but then as suddenly as if someone had pulled the plug, the browser window went blank, and it stayed blank no matter how she tried to refresh it. Keira opened a new browser window and tried double-clicking on the Veni, Vidi, Vici icon on the desktop, but to no avail. They couldn’t access the video game’s website.
“Could be the internet connection,” she muttered to herself. She double-clicked on the link to another online video game, and that one came up immediately, as did the next one she tried. She attempted to access Veni, Vidi, Vici again, both via the link and by typing in the web address, but nothing.
Keira suddenly felt cold. “Someone blocked our IP address.”
“What’s that?” Callahan asked.
McKinnon answered. “Internet protocol address. It’s how data is sent from one computer to another over the internet, and uniquely identifies a specific computer. Kind of like the computer’s fingerprint.”
She glanced up at Cody. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to access the password-protected area.”
“It’s okay,” he reassured her. “There are four of us to testify to what we saw, and you managed to save two of the web pages.”
“Yes, but...now someone knows we used Tressler’s account to access the site. Maybe even the people who killed him.” Her eyes held regret as well as concern. “They know he’s dead, so they know it can’t be him. They have to know we’re on their trail now.”
Cody didn’t say anything at first. Then he looked at Callahan. “I shouldn’t have let the FBI take custody of Danvers. I should have insisted on questioning him when we had him.”
“It’s not too late.” Callahan glanced at his watch. “We can be in Sheridan in less than an hour.”
“Yeah, but I should have followed up right away. How did he get here? Earlier I was theorizing he came through the woods because there was no car, but he didn’t walk here from Buffalo. He either left his car somewhere, in which case we should be able to find it, or he had an accomplice who is long gone by now.”
Callahan thought for a moment. “How big would you say Danvers is?”
