Plot
Rusty Rutherford exited a diner in a quiet town. He was the IT worker blamed for a ransomware attack that disabled the town's computers. Four men waited in an alley to seize him. Jack Reacher exited a bus at a nearby stop. Reacher witnessed the group attempting to force Rusty into a minivan. Reacher stepped in and stopped them; the men fled. Reacher took Rusty to get coffee. Rusty described the servers.
Reacher remained because he knew something was wrong. He inspected the minivan the men abandoned and checked a garage; the tires matched. A woman named Toni Garza, a former agent, began watching Rusty too. Reacher met a man named Speranski at a bar and realized Speranski wanted Rusty. Reacher moved Rusty to a secure spot. He took a computer mouse and a laptop to check for the decryption key.
Reacher walked to the building where the town data was stored. He spotted a man inside near a server and broke the door down. Speranski was there with a group; they wanted the Cerberus file. Reacher grabbed a metal pipe and fought them in a side room. He used plastic zip ties to bind them. He believed more than money was at risk. He took a Toyota and drove to a truck stop to meet Toni Garza.
Toni Garza stated she worked for a group concerned about the attack. Reacher and Toni went to the house of Marty, an older man who knew the town's history. They found Marty dead on the floor. Someone had searched the house. Reacher looked out the window and saw a car with Holly and Zach, two young people attempting to help Rusty. Reacher told them to leave. He checked his pocket for the laptop. He knew the police, including Officer Rule, would search for him.
Reacher and Rusty went to Budnick’s, a building near the trash bins. Reacher climbed a fence and saw a man named Fisher. Fisher was with a group called the Sentinels. They were local, not foreign. Reacher opened a side door and grabbed Fisher. He made Fisher talk. Fisher told him about a server hidden in the town.
Reacher went to a building owned by a man named Wallwork, who aided the foreigners. Reacher moved through the front door. He heard voices. Thomassino and Klos Klostermann were there. They were part of the Cerberus group. Reacher stepped into the room and told them to stop. A fight began. Reacher used a chair and broke a man's arm. Reacher took the laptop and plugged it into the main server. He saw the ransomware disguised a larger data theft.
The group arrived at the server farm. Reacher was ready. He moved the minivan to block the drive and turned off the lights. In the dark, Reacher tracked them. He found Speranski. Reacher used his hand to stop Speranski from grabbing a gun. Reacher took him down. Toni Garza arrived with the police. Officer Rule saw the scene. Reacher told them the Cerberus file was safe on the laptop.
Rusty Rutherford was cleared. The town's servers functioned again. The group was gone. Reacher stood by the road. He looked at his feet. His shoes were dusty. He had a few minutes before the next bus. Toni Garza asked him to stay. Reacher shook his head. He didn't want to stay in one place. He walked toward the highway. He saw a truck stop ahead and decided to get coffee there before he left.
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