smile.
“Yes, yes, Mr. Dane, I will tell you everything, anything, I swear.” I can see the whites of his eyes and I measure his response. Happy that he isn’t lying, I let him go and walk back to the chair I was sitting in only moments before.
“The shipment was supposed to arrive with four disks, but only three arrived. I want to know what was on the fourth disk? The missing one,” I relay my question for a second time to the weasely man in front of me. This time, he has no hesitation in answering.
“I don’t know what was on all the disks,” his voice shakes and I raise my eyebrow at his response. “But, I do know that only one of the disks had anything of importance. That disk has access codes to all the military and private establishments that houses and manufactures weapons, including all the latest test weapons. The information was obtained by two highly skilled hackers, and it comes from more than one security source. I’m sure if one was missing then it’s that one, but it means someone knew which disk to take.” He pants as he finishes telling me, his eyes plead, hoping that I believe him and will let him go.
I realise the hack was clever. This was, of course, all done with purpose. The idea being, while the focus is on the security breach they’re aware of, the team could have their attention on the other sites, the ones they haven’t figured out have been breached yet. It’s not infallible, but still, at least worth a shot for the right money.
“Thank you Mr. Zellop, that will be all for now. Remember, though, if you’re lying, or worse withholding information, I will come back. And make no mistake, there’s nowhere that you can hide from me,” I tell him calmly.
He nods. “That’s everything I know, I swear.” His reply is genuine, after years of dealing with scum I can work out when they’re lying.
As I walk away from the small office, I pull my phone from my pocket and dial.
“Dex,” I say when he answers the phone. “The information on the missing disk gives access to weaponry both on the market and in testing. Tell Archer that he’ll need to get Will and Lok on this case. I need to attend this wedding, and as I can’t focus entirely on this situation, I may miss something vital. This requires sensitive handling and time is already ticking. Archer knows I’m looking at getting out. I’ve asked him not to give me significant cases anymore. The days have gone where I can focus all my attention on this game we play. Small time issues that’s all I want now,” I tell Dex sharply, annoyed that I’m once again repeating what I have told him and Archer before.
“I will relay the message D,” he answers.
“You do that. And Dex, this time make sure the fucking message is heard.”
I click the phone off and get into the waiting car.
“Mr. Matthews, where would you like to go?” Ted the driver asks.
“To my apartment, please Ted.”
“Sir,” he answers and we pull away.
Hearing the distant noise of my phone, I realise I must have fallen asleep. That’s unlike me, even with jetlag. Everything is usually planned and I cover all my bases, falling to sleep unintentionally is sloppy and I curse at my recklessness.
Getting up from the sofa and walking over to the breakfast bar I grab my phone and see it’s Soph.
“Are you okay?” I answer worry curling in my stomach.
She laughs then responds, “Dane, seriously. You need to stop panicking about us all!”
“Not gonna happen, Tink. So this was a social call?”
“Not exactly.” I hear the apprehension in her voice and the worry is back.
“What?” I snap out, more forcefully than I meant to.
My snappiness doesn’t phase Soph though, she just snorts at me down the line. “So Pea and I just had a Skype call with Libby.”
I say nothing, just waiting for her to spit it out.
“It seems she’s split up with her boyfriend.” At her words, I rock back on my heels.
“Why?”
“Well, I don’t
“Yes, yes, Mr. Dane, I will tell you everything, anything, I swear.” I can see the whites of his eyes and I measure his response. Happy that he isn’t lying, I let him go and walk back to the chair I was sitting in only moments before.
“The shipment was supposed to arrive with four disks, but only three arrived. I want to know what was on the fourth disk? The missing one,” I relay my question for a second time to the weasely man in front of me. This time, he has no hesitation in answering.
“I don’t know what was on all the disks,” his voice shakes and I raise my eyebrow at his response. “But, I do know that only one of the disks had anything of importance. That disk has access codes to all the military and private establishments that houses and manufactures weapons, including all the latest test weapons. The information was obtained by two highly skilled hackers, and it comes from more than one security source. I’m sure if one was missing then it’s that one, but it means someone knew which disk to take.” He pants as he finishes telling me, his eyes plead, hoping that I believe him and will let him go.
I realise the hack was clever. This was, of course, all done with purpose. The idea being, while the focus is on the security breach they’re aware of, the team could have their attention on the other sites, the ones they haven’t figured out have been breached yet. It’s not infallible, but still, at least worth a shot for the right money.
“Thank you Mr. Zellop, that will be all for now. Remember, though, if you’re lying, or worse withholding information, I will come back. And make no mistake, there’s nowhere that you can hide from me,” I tell him calmly.
He nods. “That’s everything I know, I swear.” His reply is genuine, after years of dealing with scum I can work out when they’re lying.
As I walk away from the small office, I pull my phone from my pocket and dial.
“Dex,” I say when he answers the phone. “The information on the missing disk gives access to weaponry both on the market and in testing. Tell Archer that he’ll need to get Will and Lok on this case. I need to attend this wedding, and as I can’t focus entirely on this situation, I may miss something vital. This requires sensitive handling and time is already ticking. Archer knows I’m looking at getting out. I’ve asked him not to give me significant cases anymore. The days have gone where I can focus all my attention on this game we play. Small time issues that’s all I want now,” I tell Dex sharply, annoyed that I’m once again repeating what I have told him and Archer before.
“I will relay the message D,” he answers.
“You do that. And Dex, this time make sure the fucking message is heard.”
I click the phone off and get into the waiting car.
“Mr. Matthews, where would you like to go?” Ted the driver asks.
“To my apartment, please Ted.”
“Sir,” he answers and we pull away.
Hearing the distant noise of my phone, I realise I must have fallen asleep. That’s unlike me, even with jetlag. Everything is usually planned and I cover all my bases, falling to sleep unintentionally is sloppy and I curse at my recklessness.
Getting up from the sofa and walking over to the breakfast bar I grab my phone and see it’s Soph.
“Are you okay?” I answer worry curling in my stomach.
She laughs then responds, “Dane, seriously. You need to stop panicking about us all!”
“Not gonna happen, Tink. So this was a social call?”
“Not exactly.” I hear the apprehension in her voice and the worry is back.
“What?” I snap out, more forcefully than I meant to.
My snappiness doesn’t phase Soph though, she just snorts at me down the line. “So Pea and I just had a Skype call with Libby.”
I say nothing, just waiting for her to spit it out.
“It seems she’s split up with her boyfriend.” At her words, I rock back on my heels.
“Why?”
“Well, I don’t
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