Maceo Hodzic: Cypher Security, #1

By Celia Crown

Two years ago, she left me with a flimsy excuse—broke off our engagement and disappeared from my life in a snap of the finger.

 

An average man would have stopped fighting a long time ago.

 

I am not average; I am a former Black Ops soldier with a capital punishment murder case against me.

 

Nothing was ever going to stop me from getting her back.

 

Lana is smart and resolutely talented when she needs to be. It's why she dropped back into my life filled with secrets that could destroy us.

 

I will find the truth and take back what's mine, with or without her permission.

 

I learn best from my mistakes, and she is never going to escape this possessive hold again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Celia Crown
• Release date: Apr 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223874119

Book preview

MACEO HODZIC

CYPHER SECURITY SERIES - BOOK 1

____________________

CELIA CROWN

Copyright © 2020 by Celia Crown.

All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction.

The book or any portion of the book may not be reproduced or used under any circumstances, except with the written permission from the author. Public names, movies, televisions, locations, or any references are used for atmospheric purposes. Any similarities and resemblances to alive or dead people, events, brands, and locales are all complete coincidences.

Contents

Maceo Hodzic

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Epilogue

Afterword

More Books

Maceo Hodzic

By Celia Crown

Two years ago, she left me with a flimsy excuse—broke off our engagement and disappeared from my life in a snap of the finger.

An average man would have stopped fighting a long time ago.

I am not average; I am a former Black Ops soldier with a capital punishment murder case against me.

Nothing was ever going to stop me from getting her back.

Lana is smart and resolutely talented when she needs to be. It’s why she dropped back into my life filled with secrets that could destroy us.

I will find the truth and take back what’s mine, with or without her permission.

I learn best from my mistakes, and she is never going to escape this possessive hold again.

Chapter One

___________

Lana

Cameras are my friends.

Staying within the center of the frame is the best thing I can do right now. Anything that happens to me would be stored on the hard drives of the cameras mounted on the buildings.

Since there is a massive Farmers Market here, foot traffic helps me blend into the crowd so they would be witnesses to the possible kidnapping.

It is the only thing that makes sense, given what I have gone through.

Hey, are you okay? one of the vendors asks when I linger in front of his shop.

His voice startles me, and his eyes are as wide as mine when I whip my head toward him. Our silence is overwhelmed by the bustling market as we just stare at each other.

I quickly identify the nearest camera and avoid his gaze when I leave. I can feel the heat of his stare on my back as I sneak past people taking their time to buy things.

I should be in hiding, but nothing scares me more than disappearing without anyone looking for me. No one knows where I am, and no one is waiting for me, so I only have myself to count on if I want to make it out alive.

Once I get caught, who knows what will happen to me?

Glancing over my shoulder, I pinpoint those who are clearly out of their element.

I spot two men in black suits, their glares hardened. No effort was made to blend in with the crowd, so they must think they can catch me without disguising themselves.

Their obvious appearance gives me the chance to slip past them multiple times. Even if they wore plain clothes, there is something about the way they hold themselves and the way they walk. They are not ordinary civilians. They take measured steps in calculated formations.

I am doing alright, considering how trained they are compared to a girl with three pushups under her belt.

My arms are not meant to do exercises. They are for writing down my findings in nature.

I do, however, know a little bit about protecting myself.

If I stay in the public eye, I will be safe for now. I cannot stay here for long, though, especially after the market closes. I would be vulnerable again.

My eyes take in the cars whizzing through the busy intersection. I make the split-second decision to cross the street with all the pedestrians. I don’t have a plan, but the bank there grabs my attention, and I head into the safety of the building.

It is far-fetched, but a chance I will take.

How may I help you? the woman at the front asks.

Her lips pull into a tight smile as her eyes scan my attire. I have on a raggedy shirt, a pair of pants caked in soot and dust, and my hair is not in the best condition.

I do not look like someone who has a bank account here, if I say so myself, so it is not her fault for being skeptical of me.

I need to withdraw money, please, I croak with the lack of moisture in my throat.

Her eyes flash toward the security guard, but she has not signaled a need for assistance. Itis on the tip of her tongue, judging by the lack of control over her expression. She thinks I am going to rob the bank.

There is not any place in my clothes to hide a weapon.

I steal a look at the security guard; he is alert. He’s not hiding his skepticism, and I welcome his attention as two men enter the bank.

They do not make a big scene or try to grab me. One man stands by the door while the other stands in line, but the security guard is sharp and switches his attention to them.

Do you have your ID? the teller asks in a quivering voice.

No, I say with a solemn sigh. I know my login for online banking. Do you think that would suffice?

I hope the login information for the joint bank account has not changed. This is the only way I can guarantee my safety even if it is unfair, but I am running out of options.

It is just pure luck that this is my bank, or I would need to find a different escape.

Um, the woman mumbles with hesitation, Let me get the manager. Please wait here.

With every second that ticks by, the gaze on my back becomes heavier.

The other teller is open and calls to the man behind me, but he does not acknowledge the employee.

The security guard has no grounds for asking the other man to leave since he is not doing anything other than being a creep. But the guard won’t know they are stalking me until they sweep me into a duffle bag.

A bit of an exaggeration, but I would not put it past them.

Would you come with me, ma’am? an older woman, presumably the manager, says as she gestures to an office off to the side.

She has me sit down while she takes a seat behind the desk. Her demeanor carries a lot of weight as she smiles.

Are you alright, ma’am? she inquires briefly as her eyes flicker knowingly behind me.

I pause, contemplating my options. I’m fine, thank you. I just need to withdraw my money.

I do not know if it is still considered mine after two years, but it is worth a shot.

Of course, she says, I will need your login information.

She pushes a piece of paper towards me, along with a pen. I jot down the information for her. She doesn’t need my ID because the one on file already has my face on it. But for safety reasons, she needs my codes to get through the layers of cybersecurity.

There are two, and I gave her the one I know will be more useful.

Ah, yes, she says with a beaming smile. Here we go, how much would you like to withdraw?

I mumble the amount, and she is quick to get the paper she printed out. After signing, I take the money and shove it into my pocket.

Is there a different exit I can use?

The manager’s hand hovers over the shredder as she looks at me. But I keep my face neutral, knowing the stares at the back of my head are turning into daggers.

The two men have not left yet.

There is one for employees only, she begins, her eyes scrutinizing me with intent. Are you certain you don’t need more help?

I shake my head with a quivering smile. No, I’m fine.

I am not fine. Far from it, but I do not want to drag innocent bystanders into this mess. I just know I cannot be caught by those two men.

Come this way, she suggests after standing up from her chair.

I quickly follow and glance over my shoulder to see the security guard blocking the two men. That will buy me time; any distraction would help.

The manager does not let me stray from our path, and there is nothing but walls around us. I doubt I can just blindly search for the vault even if I were here to rob the place.

She opens the door for the back exit. After disabling the alarm, she ushers me out with a