“Joey, we’re going to try to get both of you deals,” Eddie said. “We’ll work on another angle for Leah. The more information you can share about Aiden, the more leverage we have with the Crown. Do you have anything else that they would want to know?”

Matt shoved the beanie back on his forehead, revealing a one-and-a-half inch wound just below his hairline. Beads of red seeped through the skin from the friction caused by his movement. “Aiden bragged about a big exploit. He said that he and Tr0lz were going to blow up this town.”

“Jesus.” Eddie frowned. “Who’s this Tr0lz hacker?”

“Tr0lz was part of the Forum’s inner circle. I thought he was a white hat.”

“What’s a ‘white hat’?”

“A white hat is an ethical hacker. I’m a white hat. I hack to expose the truth. But I’m pretty sure that Tr0lz is a black hat.”

“What gave him away? His name?” Eddie’s tone was dry.

Matt threw him a look. “I thought the name was social commentary.”

“Do you think they are capable of a terrorist act?” Kate asked.

Matt exhaled. “I didn’t think Aiden was the terrorist type. He only cares about himself.”

“But what about Tr0lz?” Kate’s gaze swung from Matt to Joey.

“I’ve never met him,” Matt said. “Have you, Joey?”

Joey shook his head.

“So he’s a wild card,” Eddie said. “And if he convinced Aiden to join him in a terrorist exploit, what kind of cyber hacking would affect the whole city?”

“The obvious hack would be to screw up the city’s infrastructure,” Matt said. “Electrical grids, communication lines, transportation systems. Does Halifax have a subway?”

Joey shook his head. “Nope. Just buses.”

“And trains and planes,” Kate murmured.

“What about the electrical grid?” Eddie asked. “How possible is it to hack in to that?”

The trickle of blood from Matt’s wound had become several, thicker streams. He used his sleeve to wipe the blood away from his eye. “It’s possible. But it’s complex.”

“What’s an easier exploit?” Kate asked. She pulled a pair of sterilized adhesive strips from her pocket that she had found in her cupboard. “I’m going to put this on you. You’re bleeding up a storm.”

While she tended the slice in his forehead, Matt said, “An easier exploit might be to hack into the communication systems, or the airport flight control system…”

A shiver skittered up Kate’s back. “Is there anything in Harry’s files which might have triggered this new exploit?”

Matt gave her a wry look. “Harry Owen has so much classified information that it’s impossible to narrow it down.”

“We can’t keep this from the police.” She stood back and eyed her handiwork on Matt’s forehead. The wound appeared closed. For now.