Chapter 40- Bargaining Chip and Hacked

Finch looked at his daughter as she read a suspense thriller by a man named Ted Dekker later that night. She had removed her brown leather boots with the buckles on the sides, propping her feet up on the couch.

Finch smiled to himself. In the month that she had come to stay with him, reading a book like this was a common posture along with reading her books in her bed. More often than not, she would fall asleep with them and Finch would have to close the book, remove her glasses, and kiss her forehead. "Must be an interesting book, sweetheart," Finch said, touching her knee gently.

"If you like someone who writes like Stephen King. This guy has actually been compared to him with how his writing is bizarre and off-the-wall," Brandi said, turning a page.

"Which you do, Brandi. I saw some book last night in your room called "Emmanuel's Veins," Finch said.

"Yeah, vampires in Russia in the time of Catherine the Great. That is true enough. I have read another one of his books called "Black." The next books in that series is called "Red," "White," and "Green." It's about a man who stops an air-borne virus by insights he gets while asleep," Brandi said, rubbing her eyes and lifting her glasses slightly. (A/N: Which in the times we are living in is actually true. The man in the book is trying to stop an air-borne virus by insights he gets while asleep.)

"Interesting books. Just like you," Finch said, raising his daughter's hand to his lips and kissing the palm gently.

"That's what Uncle O.B. said when he caught me reading about Corrie ten Boom and Eleanor Roosevelt for two essays in my history class at the Montessori School," Brandi said.

"O'Bryan was right, my dear. But now it's time for bed. This time I get you to bed before you fall asleep with your glasses on," Finch said, pulling her up.

"Uh, Dad, what if Uncle John calls?" Brandi asked.

"Brandilyn, there are some things that you aren't going to do. This time it's because it is time for bed. I'd be a terrible father if I let you stay up all hours," Finch said, taking her to her cot. At that moment the computer feed crackled.

"Finch, I just found a way to make these guys hurt," Reese said, sounding slightly winded.

"Whoa. That was quick," Brandi said, going to Finch's computer.

"Yeah. I'll be right over," Reese said. It took two hours for Reese to get there to dump a lot of money on Finch's desk in front of him.

"Wow!" Brandi said with a whistle, picking up one of the stacks in front of her.

"I guess we know why they didn't ask for money," Finch said, picking up one himself.

"I have six more just like it. Could be our bargaining chip to get Sam," Reese said, indicating the door.

"There may be lots more where these come from. My daughter's wrong. Angela is not sleeping with our kidnapper, we think she's in business with him from a phone call that was made outside the courthouse. That tech company she works for, they make banking software, the kind that can spot money laundering," Finch said.

"And I just found a room full of small bills," Reese said.

"In 2009, she oversaw the installation of a new anti-money laundering system at OneState Bank," Finch said.

"Yeah and if she still has access, she could turn that whole system off with the click of a mouse," Brandi said, resting her slender arm on Finch's shoulder

"If that's the case, kid, then SP-9 uses one of the biggest banks in the world to clean its dirty money," Reese said, standing up.

"They leave no digital footprint because this is how they pay for things. Cars, lawyers, safe houses," Finch said, indicating the bank's website.

"Daddy, if we can access those accounts, we'll have more than a bargaining chip. We'll have a way to find Sam Jr.," Brandi said with a bare grin.

"Brandi, we need you to talk to Gates. He needs to know about Angela," Reese said.

"I'll try. Gates is more terrifying than my mother. I hope he's still not angry," Brandi said with a wince.


Reese and Brandi followed Gates into the courthouse the next day. "So we think Angela helped plan the kidnapping as she helps SP-9 launder dirty money," Brandi said as she wrapped up telling the judge their suspicions.

"They know I'm stalling," Gates said worriedly.

"We're getting close. You just need to hold off a little longer," Reese said.

"You've had your chances. I'm not playing games with my son's life," Gates said firmly. Reese gripped Gates's arm.

"Look, we're not asking that, but if Angela walks, they'll kill you both as soon as they get what they want. Now we can save your son. You just have to trust us," Brandi said. Gates walked away without a word.

"Well?" Dad asked, walking over to Brandi.

"I guess we'd better get in there and see what he does," Brandi said, gripping her father's hand.


Finch and Brandi watched as Gates dismissed a video feed of the accident. "Upon further review, I'm reversing my decision on admissibility," Gates said.

"Your Honor," the prosecuting attorney objected, clearly baffled at this clear evidence being dismissed. If Finch didn't know what was at stake he would be too.

"It doesn't pass the balancing test, Counselor. This video would unfairly bias the jury against Ms. Markham," Gates said. From where Finch sat he clearly saw Angela gloating in her seat when she heard that.

"Then I move for a mistrial," the prosecuting attorney said.

"Denied," Gates said flatly.

"Judge Gates-" the prosecutor started to say.

"Approach," Gates said. The two attorneys went to the bench. "Is there a problem, Counselor?" Gates asked.

"Respectfully, Sir, what is going on?" The prosecuting attorney asked, her voice anything but respectful.

"One more word and you are in contempt. I'll have you charged with misconduct if I have to. Trust me, Ms. Ramirez, you have no idea how far I'll go," Gates threatened.

"Nothing further. Prosecution rests," Ms. Ramirez said in a subdued voice.

"Blonde little slut," Finch heard Brandi mutter under her breath as she glared at Angela. Finch patted his daughter's hand gently that was in the crook of his elbow. Finch made up his mind then. Finch would have to go to OneState Bank next to hack their website.


Brandi watched as her father typed furiously on the bank's computer. Her father's large hands positively flew across the keyboard and he looked like an IT guy in his button-down shirt and khakis. "Uh, Dad, how do you know this is working?" Brandi asked, watching the screen.

"Brandi, when you know computers like I do, then this is child's play. I have built some of the most complex systems in the world. I have been doing this long before you were born," Dad explained, his fingers moving over and stroking her hand gently.

"Oh. Did my mother and father know?" Brandi asked.

"In a way. I never told Peter what computers I built, but he knew that I did. We also both knew that in public we could never tell anyone that we were brothers. Besides your mother only 3 other people knew I had a brother; my best friend Nathan, O'Bryan, and Arthur Claypole, a man Nathan and I went to college with," Dad said as an overweight man with glasses came in. His eyes locked on Brandi's eyes.

"Hey, that's uh, account data, it's confidential," he stumbled and stammered.

"Not anymore, we just got hacked," Dad said.

"What? How did they get past the firewall?" the man asked in shock as he looked at the screen.

"I'm working here," Dad said flatly.

"What's your names? Who are you?" The man asked.

"Considering they called my dad when your system was compromised, I'd say he's the guy who just took your job," Brandi said, looking up. The man looked nervous and walked away.

"Thank you, Sweetheart," Dad said, kissing her forehead.

"You're welcome. Is it done?" Brandi asked as her father disconnected a flash drive from the computer.

"Yep. Let's get back to the library," Dad said, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm as they made their way out of the bank.