yet.”
“Haven’t got a cell phone currently anyway. I’ve got a laptop. Trying not to use it too much, in case ctOS picks up...Wait—I get how I can see you . But if you can see me ...”
“There must be a camera in the room. Yes. But you know where that would be.”
“Webcam in that PC.”
“And a microphone. Pussler naturally didn’t mention that.”
“Pussler—you trust that guy?”
“Didn’t he get me off the street when I was shot? Didn’t he show up for you?”
“Sure, but...he seems like a...uh...waste case.”
“He is. In fact I make sure he doesn’t know where I am most of the time. I’ve left the last safehouse, gone to another he doesn’t know. There is someone else I can’t trust...but I don’t know who it is yet. But it isn’t Pussler.”
“Good to hear. Because he knows where I am. If he decides he wants to make a deal with someone else...”
“He’s on my payroll. And he’s like a stray dog that’s very loyal after you feed it.”
“How many people are on your payroll?”
“A few too many lately. I’m going to be pruning that back. Someone seems to have found out about my meeting with you. Someone on my team. I don’t know who. I didn’t tell anyone. But they must’ve...”
He didn’t seem to want to say what they “must’ve” done.
“How do you finance this payroll?”
“I steal from bad guys. Through hacking.”
“Like—who?”
“Like meth dealers. After I’ve skimmed enough from people like that, I turn them over to...well, I have people I get the information to, occasionally. Even certain people in the FBI, now and then. They sometimes act on my information and sometimes don’t. But it salves my conscience to tell them...”
“I’m down on conscience. I’ve been screwed over by my own conscience. And my dad was screwed over by his.”
“Yes. I know he was. I remember. That’s one of the reasons you’re where you are at this moment—and it’s one of the reasons I’m going to do what I’m going to do.”
“Which is what?”
“If I decide it’s safe to do it, I’m going to give you a very special tool, to help you in your...your personal mission. At least, I think that’s what I’m going to do...But I need more information.”
“About?”
“About what you were doing in the Four Clubs, and why Roger Verrick is being so secretive about trying to find you. Why he’s using every covert technology at his disposal to find you. I heard you talking about some of it when you were with Verrick—I was tracking you all that day. I read some of your military files...but I didn’t get a clear picture. I want to hear the full story, Mick.”
“You mean—now?”
“Yeah. Now. This line is secure, I promise you. Every packet from that room is being switched and repacketed and routed again and encrypted and then repacketed before it gets to me. And vice versa.”
“Maybe. But...” Could he trust Pearce that far? He’d hoped to get some help from him—but should he tell him everything? “Pussler says I owe you bigtime. What is it I have to do for you?”
“I have a feeling our missions are going to converge, Mick. I got a ctOS shot of you talking to a cop, a police detective named Tranter. I got a lip reading program giving me part of what he said. Which had to do with his advice on you not having anything to do with me. Now why is he telling you that? When I checked him out, I found out he’s connected to Verrick. He’s been having meetings with Roger Verrick—meetings Tranter doesn’t put on his police log. Roger Verrick, whom you nearly shot last night. Tranter seemed to know all about that attempt to kill me, judging by his warning to you. Seems like we just might have the same enemies.”
“But there is something you want...”
“Lots of somethings, probably. First off...I had a scrambler on the cameras, that whole block we were on, where they tried to shoot me. So they couldn’t see me. But they’d followed me
“Haven’t got a cell phone currently anyway. I’ve got a laptop. Trying not to use it too much, in case ctOS picks up...Wait—I get how I can see you . But if you can see me ...”
“There must be a camera in the room. Yes. But you know where that would be.”
“Webcam in that PC.”
“And a microphone. Pussler naturally didn’t mention that.”
“Pussler—you trust that guy?”
“Didn’t he get me off the street when I was shot? Didn’t he show up for you?”
“Sure, but...he seems like a...uh...waste case.”
“He is. In fact I make sure he doesn’t know where I am most of the time. I’ve left the last safehouse, gone to another he doesn’t know. There is someone else I can’t trust...but I don’t know who it is yet. But it isn’t Pussler.”
“Good to hear. Because he knows where I am. If he decides he wants to make a deal with someone else...”
“He’s on my payroll. And he’s like a stray dog that’s very loyal after you feed it.”
“How many people are on your payroll?”
“A few too many lately. I’m going to be pruning that back. Someone seems to have found out about my meeting with you. Someone on my team. I don’t know who. I didn’t tell anyone. But they must’ve...”
He didn’t seem to want to say what they “must’ve” done.
“How do you finance this payroll?”
“I steal from bad guys. Through hacking.”
“Like—who?”
“Like meth dealers. After I’ve skimmed enough from people like that, I turn them over to...well, I have people I get the information to, occasionally. Even certain people in the FBI, now and then. They sometimes act on my information and sometimes don’t. But it salves my conscience to tell them...”
“I’m down on conscience. I’ve been screwed over by my own conscience. And my dad was screwed over by his.”
“Yes. I know he was. I remember. That’s one of the reasons you’re where you are at this moment—and it’s one of the reasons I’m going to do what I’m going to do.”
“Which is what?”
“If I decide it’s safe to do it, I’m going to give you a very special tool, to help you in your...your personal mission. At least, I think that’s what I’m going to do...But I need more information.”
“About?”
“About what you were doing in the Four Clubs, and why Roger Verrick is being so secretive about trying to find you. Why he’s using every covert technology at his disposal to find you. I heard you talking about some of it when you were with Verrick—I was tracking you all that day. I read some of your military files...but I didn’t get a clear picture. I want to hear the full story, Mick.”
“You mean—now?”
“Yeah. Now. This line is secure, I promise you. Every packet from that room is being switched and repacketed and routed again and encrypted and then repacketed before it gets to me. And vice versa.”
“Maybe. But...” Could he trust Pearce that far? He’d hoped to get some help from him—but should he tell him everything? “Pussler says I owe you bigtime. What is it I have to do for you?”
“I have a feeling our missions are going to converge, Mick. I got a ctOS shot of you talking to a cop, a police detective named Tranter. I got a lip reading program giving me part of what he said. Which had to do with his advice on you not having anything to do with me. Now why is he telling you that? When I checked him out, I found out he’s connected to Verrick. He’s been having meetings with Roger Verrick—meetings Tranter doesn’t put on his police log. Roger Verrick, whom you nearly shot last night. Tranter seemed to know all about that attempt to kill me, judging by his warning to you. Seems like we just might have the same enemies.”
“But there is something you want...”
“Lots of somethings, probably. First off...I had a scrambler on the cameras, that whole block we were on, where they tried to shoot me. So they couldn’t see me. But they’d followed me
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