Caldwellawokeatthecrackofdawn.ForawhilehethoughthewasstillinhiscapsulehotelinAngel.HealmostexpectedtoseeanLCDcountingdownhiscreditbutallhecouldseewastheblinkofLEDsonthevariousitemsofelectronicsscatteredaroundthesuite.Nonightmaresthistimeandhefelthehadenjoyedhisbestsleep,adeeplysatisfyingintervalofdreamlessblack,inalongwhile.Heshoweredandchangedintoblackslacksandawhitelinenshirtwithnocollar.Theshirtwasasizetoosmall.Hepressedanarrowonthelapelandthefabricstretchedtoamorefortablefit.
Theelegantforty-somethingwomanwhoCaldwellfoundouthadmanagedthedailygoingsonatTheMansionforclosetotwentyyearshadseentoitthatnewclotheshadbeenbroughtuptohissuite.Bywhom,CaldwellhadnoideabuttherewasasmallstackofmiscellaneousfashionbagswithnameslikeG.O.D.,Izzue,JoyceandShanghaiTangstackedinonecornerofthesuite.Hehadn’tbotheredtoopenallofthem.
Thesuitewasprisedofalargebedroomwithaking-sizedwaterbedanden-suitebathroom,asmallstudywithablackGreatWallComputronicsconsoleandmonitorandalivingareawithtwosofasandanAmoiplasmascreenonthewall.Itwasoneofthoseplasmasthattiltedtofollowyourlineofvision,anoldinnovationthatCaldwellpersonallyfoundstupid.
Hewentdowntobreakfast.MeiLinwasalreadythereinthediningroom.Herfacewasinscrutablebutasusualshelookedstunning.Herhairwaspulledbackinaponytailandhereyesenhancedwiththefaintestofblackmascaras.Caldwellsuspectedshehadmadesomeextraeffortforhisbenefitbutthatcouldhavebeenhisegotalking.Hethoughtshecouldhavedonewithoutthemascarabuttrytellingthattoagirl,probablyyourfirstloveandtheloveofyourlife,whohadspentmostofheradultlifethinkingyouwereashit.Shewaswearingaredloose-fittingshirt,blackslacksandmetallicgraypumps.Breakfastwashotporridgeandstrongblackcoffee.
Afterbreakfastsheshowedhimthegroundsofthehouse.Therewerealtogetherfiveself-containedprivatesuites,severalmonlivingspaces,agymandalibrary.Theseguysseemedtolovetheirgyms,afactprobablyrelatedtosomepersonalhangupofFouler’s.Caldwellfiguredthatifyouspentmostofyourwakinglifeinfrontofaconsoleyou’dneedeasyaccesstoagymwereyoucouldreversemusclewastage.Therewerealsoseveralofficestoonesideofthehouse.
HewassurprisedtolearnthatthesolemnwomanwasDeWitte’swifeandthatshewasinfactaJapanesewhohadspentmostofherworkinglifeinHongKong,withsomewhatinfrequentvisitstohernativeJapan.TheyhadmetwhenDeWittejoinedHYDRAHongKong.He’dbeendismissedfromtheBritishArmyforfailingtoturnuptothebarracksafteradrunkennightonthetown.Thewoman’snamewasKumiko.TheyhadasonDantewhohehadmetbrieflyatbreakfast.DantewasworkingasaninternintheSystemsDepartmenthavingjustfinishedhighschoolafewmonthsearlier.Hewasagood-lookingEurasiankid,withashockofbrowncurlyhairandamischievouslookinhisorientaleyes.Caldwellidentifiedwithhimimmediately.
GettingintotheOperationsRoomwaslikegettingintoFortKnox.Severalfingerprint,bodyandirisscansandmultiplecodeslatertheyfoundthemselvesinasteel-reinforcedroomwithmoreconsolesanddisplaysthanhehadeverseen,exceptperhapsinhismemoryoftheputerroomatHYDRAHQinLondon.TheOperationsRoomwasemptyexceptforDanteDeWitte.
“Cad,man,I’vesetupaworkspaceforyouandMeiLinoverthere,”theboysaid,pointingtoonesideoftheroomwhereanergonomicmultifunctiondeskhadbeensetup.”
“ThanksDante.”
“Ifyouneedanything,gloves,goggles,cyberspacehook-upjustletmeknow.It’sallwirelessanywaysoaslongasyouarewireless-friendlyyouarereadytogo.”Thekidobviouslylovedhisjob.HewasageeklikeCaldwell.MeiLinlookedatthemasthoughtheyweretwokidsatToys-R-Us.
“Won’tbeneedingthat.Thisthinghasdirectsatellitelinkstocyberspace,”CaldwellsaidtappingKenzo’sconsoleunderhisarm.
“Sweet,”Dantesaid,whistlingashewentoutthedoor.
MeiLinandCaldwellsatattheworktopintwopaddedleatherchairs.ShepulledalongthinrecordingdevicefromherpocketandfiddledwithitwhileCaldwellsetuptheconsole.Hepluggedinthegoggleandglovesanddonnedthem.MeiLinspokesomethingintothedevice.
Caldwellcrackedhisknuckles,stretchedandpressedthebuttononthefrontthatwasflushwiththeconsole’ssleekblackbody.Agreenlightcameonasthoughitappearedfromnowhere.AburstofactivityintheLEDsastheconsolepaintedthescreenonhisretinaandanotherontheworktop.Caldwelltappedonthekeyboard,feelingthetactilesensationofthekeysthroughthegloves.Heloggedontohisnetbase.Thereweretwomessages.OnewasfromGlyph.Caldwellheartstopped.Glyphhadreturnedfromthegrave.AndthenherememberedthatitwasprobablybecauseKatwasusingoneofGlyph’smessagingapplications.
HeyCad,
HopeyouarrivedsafelyinHongKong.Letmeknow.
Love,
Kat
CaldwellsentKataquickreply:
Kat,
Arrivedsafely.All’sgoingaccordingtoplan.
Best,
C.C.
Hefireduptheothermessage.Caldwellfrozeinhischair.MeiLinleantinfurthertoseethecontentsofthemessage.
Subject:IAMWATCHINGYOU
CadCaldwell,
Iknowwhoyouare.Iamwatching,omnipresent.Iknowwhatyouareupto.Foryourlong-termhealth,Iimploreyoutoceaseanddesist.Icannotbeheldresponsiblefortheconsequences.
“Whothehellcouldthatbefrom?”Caldwellaskedaloud.
“Whatisit?”
“Someanonymousthreatmessage.Letmechecktheelectronictrail.”
CaldwellhackedintothemessagingserverofhisnetbaseproviderinMumbai,India.Hehaddoneitsomanytimesthatithadbeesecondnature.Hedrilleddownintothemessages,foundhislastmessageandscannedthemessageheaders.TheheaderoftheanonymousmessagesuggestedthatithadefromRussia.
“SentfromRussia,thisisnotmakinganysense,”hesaidtonobodyinparticular.
“Couldbearelay.Amask.Ananonymizer.”MeiLinsuggested.
“Mostlikely.”
IttookCaldwellalloftwominutestobreachtheRussianserverthemessageclaimedtobeingfrom.Hepulledupthemessagelogsandwithinsecondsfoundtheentryforthemessage.Ithadn’toriginatedinRussiaatall.ItwasarelayedmessagesentfromadomaininNewChina.
“TheoriginisinNewChina.”
“Letmesee,”MeiLinsaid.Caldwellpassedthegogglesovertoher.HestartedtohackintotheNewChinamessageserver,sendinginalowlevelpasswordsniffingbot.Caldwellwasattemptingtocrackthemessagingserverbybruteforcebutnothingseemedtobehappening.Heflippedtohisnetbaseandcheckedonhissmallarmyofbots.Theyareallthereexceptforthepasswordbot.Ithaddisappearedfromthedatabase.
“Butthat’simpossible.TheIDEshavetracedmypasswordbotandkilleditinthedatabase.”
“ThereisaringoflowlevelIDEsandICEssurroundingtheentireChineseportionofcyberspace,someofthebestintheworld.Theypracticallyinventedtheconceptofintrusioncounterattack.Tryanotherone.”
Caldwellsentinanotherbot.Thisonewasslightlymoresophisticated.Whereasthepreviousonemadenoattempttohideitspresence,itwasalowlevelpasswordbotthatsniffedaroundopenports,thecurrentbotwasaTrojanthatattemptedtomimicanordinaryuser.Itscannedsurroundingtrafficontheperipheryofthemessagingserverforgenuinemessagingrequestsandhijackedanyusernamesitfound.IDEswereusuallywrittentorecognizethatgenuineusersmayhaveproblemsimputingthecorrectpassword.Caldwellflippedtohisnetbase.Allhisbotshaddisappeared.
“Shit.Mybotsareallgone.Destroyed,”Caldwellsaid,hismindincapableofarticulatinganythingelseatthatparticularmoment.
“Howdidthathappen?”
“Probablytracedthesecondbotandrealizeditwasinthenetbase.Itwasjustamatterofsendinginaremotequeryandwipingtheentiredatabase.”
“Doyouhaveabackup?”
“Yes,Idobutthosebotsarenotgoingtocutit.Canyouimagine,thisisjustanordinarymessagingserverinNewChinaandtheIDEsarethissophisticated?HowthehellarewegoingtofindasecretnetworkwheretheIDEsmustmakethisonelooklikechild’splay?”
“That’swhyyou’rethemanforthejob.Actually,wedon’thavetimeforthis.Webettergetcrackingonthismysteriousnetwork,”MeiLinsaid.
“Ohweare.Somethingtellsmethetwoarerelated.WhyelsewouldsomeoneinNewChinasendmethreateningmessages?”
“OK.Sowhatnow?”
“Ihaveanidea.What’sthebiggestHongKongpanyofferingdatainterconnectlinkstoChina?”Caldwellasked,anidearisinginhimlikeaphoenixfromitsashes.
“TheNewChinaElectronicXchange&TelemunicationsCo.Ltd.”
“Longname,”Caldwellobserved.
“Theylike‘emlonginNewChina.WecallitNEXTforshort.Why?”
“WhatarethechancesofthecyberspacedatabeingsuckedintoChinahavinggonethroughNEXT’ssystems?”
“High.”
“Wherearetheirdatacenters?”
“NEXTTower,Central.Why?”
“That’swherewearegoingnext.”
“Pardonme?”
“IneedtoseethelogsatNEXT.Thatmaytelluswherethedatawent.Icanattempttohackthemfromherebutit’lltaketoolongtobreaktheirIDEs.HongKongissomewhatofanAchillesheelwhenitestoprotectingtheNewChinanetworksfromtheoutsideworldsincetheyneedinterconnectswithserviceprovidershere.IamsuretheyhavesomeoftheirbestIDEsprotectingtheNEXTsystemsbutifIcanuseanauthenticatednetworkterminalthatmightbequicker.”
“Yourealizewhatyouaresuggesting,right?SecurityatNEXTTowerisincrediblytight.Tomyknowledgeithasneverbeenbreeched.Gettingcaughtisnotanoption.”
“Iknow.DoyouhaveanARunit?”
“Yeah.”
“Andavehicleequippedwithacyberspaceconsole?”
“Yes.”
“Great.Thenwhatarewewaitingfor?”
“Cad,IneedtotalktoFouleroratleastDeWittetoauthorizethis.WearetalkingNEXThere.Ifyougetcaught,thefalloutwillbestratospheric.”
“We’llbeinandoutinamatterofminutes.CallingFoulerwillonlyplicatethings.”
“YoubetterbesureaboutthisCaldwell.”
“Trustme,”Caldwellsaid,fixingherwithhismostintenselook.Hedidn’teventrusthimself.
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