he’d found in the alien game too cleanly for there to be any other option. Which meant that either the security work protecting the data had failed, or that someone inside the network had sold out. Social engineering was usually cheaper than hiring a first-class hacker, and a lot easier just to have somebody give you the stuff than working for it. Not as much fun, but easier.
And while being the bearer of bad news was a part of his job, the process of pointing out security holes and finding fault with a colleague’s work was never fun. People tended to greet such news with less than cheery smiles.
Oh, Captain, by the way? All this expensive and dangerous crap everybody is running around trying to figure out? It came out of your unit. Sorry, pal . . .
“Here we are, sir,” said the guard, indicating a frosted-glass door. The guard knocked.
Things could always be worse—I could be escorting people into the Pentagon, wondering when and if they were going to attack me.
A gorgeous and very well-built short-haired blonde opened the door. She was Jay’s age, maybe a few years younger, and she smiled at Jay and his escort. The woman wore an Army uniform with captain’s bars, and a name tag:
R. Lewis.
Whoa! When he’d seen the name in his datafile, “Captain R. Lewis,” he had naturally assumed it was a man. There was a dumb mistake—he knew better.
“Another stray? Thanks, Willie.”
“Anything that gets me to your door, ma’am.” He nodded and left.
Lewis turned to Jay and all the focus was on him.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Smokin’ Jay Gridley,” she said, “although I seem to recall that you never inhaled. Come on in.”
Jay frowned. “We couldn’t have met. I’d remember.”
“We haven’t. I’m Rachel Lewis. I was two years behind you at MIT.”
“No shit?” Jay had actually attended most of college electronically, and right around the time MIT and CIT did their e-merge. He liked to joke about CIT being better, but in truth, he was technically a grad of both.
Jay followed her into the office. He noted how neat and tidy it was: books, shelves, everything in place. On her desk was a state-of-the art VR setup that rivaled his own, with a pair of Raptor-vision VR glasses hanging off the side, the word “prototype” stamped on it. They looked newer than the ones he had. He didn’t much like that.
“No shit. I heard all about you in my classes.”
“How’d you wind up in the Army?”
She sat at the desk and stretched, sprawling on her chair with an unself-conscious sensuality.
“Family biz. My father was career Army, my grandfather, great-grandfather, like that. I didn’t have any brothers, so it was up to me.”
Jay nodded absently. “Nice gear.” He waved.
“I know one of the guys at Raptor—he keeps me up-to-date. Helps to know people.”
She paused. “So how are things in crime these days?” She smiled and leaned forward. The top button on her uniform was undone and the gap, although small, was eye-catching.
Hello? Jay was surprised to find himself wanting to look. He’d had colleagues flirt with him before, and it usually took more than a pretty smile or nice hooters to call to him. Lewis was attractive, no question. A chemical thing, that was all.
“Exciting, Captain—a lot more than school.”
“No need for formality here, Jay. Call me Rachel.”
Hey, he was married now, with a son. No harm, no foul.
“Okay, Rachel. ” He paused. “Actually, I’m here—”
“Wait, wait—let me guess. You’re here about the lost data.” Had Ellis told her?
“You know?”
“You’re not the only player in the game. One, I run a top-security network. Two, you are the top VR guy for Net Force, and your jurisdiction has recently changed to include the military. You could have come here to compliment me on a job well done, except, three, you don’t look happy to be here, and—”
She leaned forward again.
“Four, I’ve been going over my security logs
And while being the bearer of bad news was a part of his job, the process of pointing out security holes and finding fault with a colleague’s work was never fun. People tended to greet such news with less than cheery smiles.
Oh, Captain, by the way? All this expensive and dangerous crap everybody is running around trying to figure out? It came out of your unit. Sorry, pal . . .
“Here we are, sir,” said the guard, indicating a frosted-glass door. The guard knocked.
Things could always be worse—I could be escorting people into the Pentagon, wondering when and if they were going to attack me.
A gorgeous and very well-built short-haired blonde opened the door. She was Jay’s age, maybe a few years younger, and she smiled at Jay and his escort. The woman wore an Army uniform with captain’s bars, and a name tag:
R. Lewis.
Whoa! When he’d seen the name in his datafile, “Captain R. Lewis,” he had naturally assumed it was a man. There was a dumb mistake—he knew better.
“Another stray? Thanks, Willie.”
“Anything that gets me to your door, ma’am.” He nodded and left.
Lewis turned to Jay and all the focus was on him.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Smokin’ Jay Gridley,” she said, “although I seem to recall that you never inhaled. Come on in.”
Jay frowned. “We couldn’t have met. I’d remember.”
“We haven’t. I’m Rachel Lewis. I was two years behind you at MIT.”
“No shit?” Jay had actually attended most of college electronically, and right around the time MIT and CIT did their e-merge. He liked to joke about CIT being better, but in truth, he was technically a grad of both.
Jay followed her into the office. He noted how neat and tidy it was: books, shelves, everything in place. On her desk was a state-of-the art VR setup that rivaled his own, with a pair of Raptor-vision VR glasses hanging off the side, the word “prototype” stamped on it. They looked newer than the ones he had. He didn’t much like that.
“No shit. I heard all about you in my classes.”
“How’d you wind up in the Army?”
She sat at the desk and stretched, sprawling on her chair with an unself-conscious sensuality.
“Family biz. My father was career Army, my grandfather, great-grandfather, like that. I didn’t have any brothers, so it was up to me.”
Jay nodded absently. “Nice gear.” He waved.
“I know one of the guys at Raptor—he keeps me up-to-date. Helps to know people.”
She paused. “So how are things in crime these days?” She smiled and leaned forward. The top button on her uniform was undone and the gap, although small, was eye-catching.
Hello? Jay was surprised to find himself wanting to look. He’d had colleagues flirt with him before, and it usually took more than a pretty smile or nice hooters to call to him. Lewis was attractive, no question. A chemical thing, that was all.
“Exciting, Captain—a lot more than school.”
“No need for formality here, Jay. Call me Rachel.”
Hey, he was married now, with a son. No harm, no foul.
“Okay, Rachel. ” He paused. “Actually, I’m here—”
“Wait, wait—let me guess. You’re here about the lost data.” Had Ellis told her?
“You know?”
“You’re not the only player in the game. One, I run a top-security network. Two, you are the top VR guy for Net Force, and your jurisdiction has recently changed to include the military. You could have come here to compliment me on a job well done, except, three, you don’t look happy to be here, and—”
She leaned forward again.
“Four, I’ve been going over my security logs
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