"Got it. There's a chance they'll notice we're in the database, depending on their security measures," the hacker said. "You want me to mirror the database?"
"Yeah. And anyone we identify, can you take them out of the database or mark them as dead or similar?"
Stuart was quiet for a moment. "Anything I alter is a potential red flag," he said. "Let me play around with it and see if there's something I can do to alter files without leaving a trail."
"Good." Jonny leaned back.
"If you ever … uh … want to vamp another hacker, it'd be useful," Stuart added.
"I've got a recruitment requirement out for one," Jonny reported. "We're having problems keeping recruits right now. Tasha's working on it."
"Yep. I have two identified," Tasha added. "We're approaching them soon."
"Yeah. I know." The hacker sounded disappointed. "Someone with network security skills would be good."
"Noted," said Tasha.
"Ikir," Charles said quietly.
"Yeah."
Charles indicated the hallway outside the ops center. "Minor problem." He held out the phone to Jonny.
Jonny accepted it quizzically and placed it to his ear. "What is it?"
"What do you mean, what is it?" came the infuriated voice of Brandon. "You know why I'm calling."
Jonny glanced at Charles, who shrugged. "No idea how he got my number," Charles said quietly.
Jonny motioned him away and waited until certain no one was within hearing distance. The last thing he needed was someone else thinking he'd gone soft by sparing the vigilantes.
"I'm afraid I don't," he replied coolly. "What do you want?"
"I want my sister back!"
"I don't know what you're talking about. Sorry." Jonny started to lower the phone, determined to hang up on him, when Brandon's next words stopped him.
"Vamps grabbed her last night."
Jonny debated hanging up. No other missions were authorized last night in California, aside from his own trip to visit Brandon. His people were too tapped out to sneak away and disobey him, which left one possibility. "Go on," he said.
"You just couldn't leave her alone! She didn't kill any of your vamps. She just wanted to help people and practice her skills. What did you do with her? Kill her? Vamp her?" Brandon was panicking. "How the hell -"
"Brandon, listen. I -"
"No, you listen! I'm going to -"
"Stop!" Jonny's sharp tone silenced the young man close to his age on the other side of the call. "I don't have her. I wouldn't risk Xander's anger."
"It's quite a coincidence you showed up in the middle of our apartment and then she disappears."
It is, he agreed silently. But chances were, she'd crossed Valon's rogue vamps one time too many and they tracked her down to stop her from interfering again. "There's a lot going on you don't know about. If you want to find her, go get Xan -"