His Hart's Command (Nothing Special 6)

Vasquez retreated a couple of steps, his chest heaving.

“Then, you’re gonna think this is my worst blow, but’s actually not.” Free eliminated the space Vasquez had made between them, homing in on his hesitation. “Next, I’m gonna add your name to the Sex Offender Registry. Did you know there’s HOAs, neighborhood watches and property management companies that watch those lists like hawks? Do you rent or own, Vasquez? Don’t answer that, I’ll know in a few moments. Those people live miserably. Neighbors harass them…watch their every move and stare at them like they’re…disgusting people. So unfair.”

“None of that will stick. I’m a cop,” Vasquez gritted. His voice had definitely lost some of its bravado.

“Yeah. I know. But, damn that’s a lot of bloody red tape to go through to fix it, don’t you think…only for it to happen all over again the following week. I mean it’s so hard to explain those wonky computer errors, yes?” Free gave Vasquez his most devilish grin. “How you liking my offensive strategy so far? I also have a helluva defense as well. How will you strike? Come on. We’re sharing.”

Vasquez growled in Free’s face then reared back and punched the side of the elevator next to his head. The fake wood paneling split, the crack loud enough to make him flinch and duck his head from the flying particles. Free moved to the other side, watching Vasquez carefully. He was huffing through his teeth, while he squeezed his scarred fist.

Free tilted his head to the side in contemplation. Amazing. He still wasn’t afraid. “Not an extremely effective strike, but, okay…my turn to fire back.”

Vasquez was panicking. All Free kept hearing in his mind now was, ‘finish him, finish him!’ Sticking up for himself was exhilarating. He glided his fingers across his tablet screen. The elevator started to descend to the first floor. “Stop,” Free said, and the car jerked to a halt. It wasn’t necessary to speak the command, but it appeared cooler and he liked the effect it was having on his tormentor.

“Enough. Let me off.” Vasquez seemed nervous… as if he realized he was no longer in control—a bully’s worst nightmare.

Free ordered the doors to open and when Vasquez moved to get off, Free made them close again. Then it was his turn to laugh darkly. Gotcha asshole.

“I will knock you on your ass. This is kidnapping,” Vasquez argued weakly.

“You thought I was done? I’m just getting started. After you’ve spent countless hours in DMV and the federal clerk’s office explaining you’re not the sick pedophile their system says you are, I think I’ll hit you where it really hurts…the finances.” Free rolled his eyes in exasperation “And bank errors are always so damn hard to clear up. I mean, they freeze accounts and it takes weeks sometimes for them to figure out what the hell happened.”

Vasquez looked like a deer caught in headlights. He must’ve thought when Free said war that he was gonna agree to meet him in a back alley and duke it out with him. Fuck that. He wasn’t in a fight club, and he’d never really excelled in his self-defense classes. He fought the only way he knew how—cyberwar.

“And God constantly says to never reveal one’s strategy—that the element of surprise is best—but this strike is just too bloody clever to keep secret. Can you guess what my kill-shot will be? It’s three terrifying words. I’ll shorten them for you so your feeble mind can understand. The I.R.S. Those evil bastards take your dreams, man. And they absolutely detest being told they made a mistake, or their computers are wrong. So, I’m gonna go ahead and schedule an audit of your last five years tax returns.” Free jerked forward until he was face-to-face, toe-to-toe, his own fury unleashing on Vasquez. Finally! “That should be enough to keep you busy and out of my goddamn face! And if that’s not enough…”

Free tapped his screen, “I’ll just get rid of your annoying ass permanently.”

Vasquez’s own sleazy voice played back from Free’s tablet. “I’m not one you want to fuck with. I don’t care if I have to make up something, I’ll take you dick-sucking bastards down one-by-one.”

Vasquez gaped. His chest deflating like a pricked balloon.

“Quite incriminating, yes. Ahh, technology. Gotta love it. Boy, I would hate for your sergeant…or worse, the captain to hear this.”

Vasquez looked as if he wanted to tear the device out of Free’s hand and stomp it into a zillion pieces.

“Don’t even bother. Anything I do on this tablet is automatically sent to my hard drive.” Free opened the elevator doors. He stepped into the hall on Hart’s floor and turned slowly, glaring at Vasquez. “I think we’ll both agree that I’m not the one to be fucked with. Because what I listed is just a start. Now stay the hell away from me and don’t you ever threaten my friends again.