Digital Fortress Chapter 63-65

Chapter 63Beckers red-hotly purchased Vespa motorcycle struggled up the entry road to Aeropuerto de Sevilla. His knuckles had been white the whole way. His lodge read just after 200 a.m. local time.As he approached the main terminal, he rode up on the side qualifying and jumped off the bike tour it was still moving. It clattered to the pavement and s confidetered to a s eyeshade. Becker dashed on rubbery legs through the revolving door. Never again, he swore to himself.The terminal was sterile and starkly lit. Except for a janitor buffing the floor, the charge was deserted. Across the concourse, a ticket agent was closing shovel in the Iberia Airlines counter. Becker took it as a bad sign.He ran over. El vuelo a los Estados Unidos?The attractive Andalusian muliebrity behind the counter looked up and smiled apolo blendi accosty. Acaba de salir. You just missed it. Her words hung in the air for a long moment.I missed it. Beckers shoulders slumped. Was there standby live on the f light?Plenty, the woman smiled. Almost empty. and tomorrows eight a.m. also has-I need to know if a helpmate of mine made that flight. She was profligate standby.The woman frowned. Im sorry, sir. There were several standby passengers tonight, but our privacy clause states-Its very important, Becker urged. I just need to know if she made the flight. Thats every last(predicate).The woman gave a sympathetic nod. Lovers quarrel?Becker thought a moment. Then he gave her a sheepish grin. Its that obvious?She gave him a wink. Whats her name?Megan, he replied sadly.The agent smiled. Does your lady friend have a last name?Becker exhaled slowly. Yes, but I dont know it Actually, its kind of a complicated situation. You verbalize the plane was almost empty. Maybe you could-With away a last name I really cantActually, Becker interrupted, having another idea. Have you been on all night?The woman nodded. Seven to seven.Then mayhap you saw her. Shes a young girl. Maybe fifteen or sixteen? Her hair was- Before the words left his mouth, Becker realized his mistake.The agents eyes narrowed. Your lover is fifteen years aged?No Becker gasped. I mean Shit. If you could just help me, its very important.Im sorry, the woman said coldly.Its not the way it straitss. If you could just-Good night, sir. The woman yanked the metal grate down over the counter and disappeared into a back room.Becker groaned and stared skyward. Smooth, David. Very smooth. He scanned the open concourse. Nothing. She must have sold the ring and made the flight. He channeliseed for the custodian. Has visto a una nina? he called over the sound of the tile buffer. Have you seen a girl?The old man reached down and killed the machine. Eh?Una nina? Becker repeated. Pelo rojo, azul, y blanco. Red white and blue hair.The custodian laughed. Que fea. Sounds ugly. He shook his head and went back to work.David Becker stood in the middle of the deserted airport concourse and wondered what to do next. The evening had been a comedy of errors. Strathmores words pounded in his head Dont call until you have the ring. A profound exhaustion settled over him. If Megan sold the ring and made the flight, there was no telling who had the ring now.Becker unopen his eyes and tried to focus. Whats my next move? He decided to consider it in a moment. First, he needed to make a long-overdue gaffe to a rest room.Chapter 64Susan stood alone in the dimly lit silence of Node 3. The task at hand was simple Access Hales terminal, locate his key, and indeed delete all of his communication with Tankado. There could be no hint of Digital Fortress anywhere.Susans initial fears of saving the key and unlocking Digital Fortress were sound off at her again. She felt uneasy tempting fate theyd been lucky so far. North Dakota had miraculously appeared right under their noses and been trapped. The only remaining question was David he had to find the other pass-key. Susan hoped he was making progress.As she made her way d eeper into Node 3, Susan tried to clear her mind. It was odd that she felt uneasy in such a familiar space. Everything in Node 3 beed foreign in the dark. But there was something else. Susan felt a momentary hesitation and glanced back at the inoperable doors. There was no escape. Twenty minutes, she thought.As she turned toward Hales terminal, she noticed a strange, musky odor-it was definitely not a Node 3 smell. She wondered if maybe the deionizer was malfunctioning. The smell was vaguely familiar, and with it came an unsettling chill. She pictured Hale locked below in his enormous steaming cell. Did he set something on fire? She looked up at the vents and sniffed. But the odor seemed to be coming from nearby.Susan glanced toward the latticed doors of the kitchenette. And in an instant she recognized the smell. It was cologne and sweat.She recoiled instinctively, not prepared for what she saw. From behind the lattice slats of the kitchenette, two eyes stared out at her. It onl y took an instant for the horrifying truth to hit her. Greg Hale was not locked on the sublevels-he was in Node 3 Hed slipped upstairs to begin with Strathmore shut the trapdoor. Hed been strong enough to open the doors all by himself.Susan had once taked that raw terror was paralyzing-she now knew that was a myth. In the same instant her wizardry grasped what was happening, she was in motion-stumbling backward through the dark with a single thought in mind escape.The crash behind her was instantaneous. Hale had been sitting silently on the stove and extended his legs ilk two battering rams. The doors exploded off their hinges. Hale launched himself into the room and thundered after her with powerful strides.Susan knocked over a lamp behind her, attempting to trip Hale as he moved toward her. She signifiedd him vault it effortlessly. Hale was gaining quickly.When his right arm circled her waist from behind, it felt like shed hit a sword bar. She gasped in pain as the wind went out of her. His biceps flexed against her rib cage.Susan resisted and began twisting wildly. Somehow her elbow struck cartilage. Hale released his grip, his work force clutching his nose. He fell to his knees, hands cupped over his face.Son of a- He screamed in pain.Susan dashed onto the doors pressure plates saying a fruitless prayer that Strathmore would in that instant restore power and the doors would outflow open. Instead, she found herself pounding against the glass.Hale lumbered toward her, his nose covered with blood. In an instant, his hands were around her again-one of them clamped firmly on her left breast and the other on her midsection. He yanked her away from the door.She screamed, her hand outstretched in futile attempt to stop him.He pulled her backward, his belt buckle digging into her spine. Susan couldnt believe his strength. He dragged her back crossways the carpet, and her shoes came off. In one fluid motion, Hale lifted her and dumped her on the floor next to his terminal.Susan was suddenly on her back, her skirt bunched high on her hips. The top button of her blouse had released, and her chest was heaving in the bluish light. She stared up in terror as Hale straddled her, pinning her down. She couldnt decipher the look in his eyes. It looked like fear. Or was it anger? His eyes bore into her body. She felt a new wave of panic.Hale sat firmly on her midsection, staring down at her with an icy glare. Everything Susan had ever learned more or less self-defense was suddenly racing through her mind. She tried to fight, but her body did not respond. She was numb. She closed her eyes.Oh, please, God. NoChapter 65Brinkerhoff paced Midges office. Nobody bypasses Gauntlet. Its impossibleWrong, she fired back. I just talked to Jabba. He said he installed a bypass switch last year.The PA looked doubtful. I never heard that.Nobody did. It was hush-hush.Midge, Brinkerhoff argued, Jabbas compulsive about security He would never put in a switch to bypass-Strathmore made him do it, she interrupted.Brinkerhoff could almost hear her mind clicking.Remember last year, she asked, when Strathmore was working on that anti-Semitic terrorist ring in California?Brinkerhoff nodded. It had been one of Strathmores major coups last year. Using TRANSLTR to decrypt an intercepted code, he had uncovered a plot to neglect a Hebrew school in Los Angeles. He decrypted the terrorists message only twelve minutes before the bomb went off, and using some fast phone work, he saved three hundred schoolchildren.Get this, Midge said, lowering her voice unnecessarily. Jabba said Strathmore intercepted that terrorist code six hours before that bomb went off.Brinkerhoffs jaw dropped. But then why did he wait-Because he couldnt get TRANSLTR to decrypt the file. He tried, but Gauntlet kept rejecting it. It was encrypted with some new public key algorithm that the filters hadnt seen yet. It took Jabba almost six hours to adjust them.Brinkerhoff looked stunned .Strathmore was furious. He made Jabba install a bypass switch in Gauntlet in case it ever happened again.Jesus. Brinkerhoff whistled. I had no idea. Then his eyes narrowed. So whats your point?I think Strathmore used the switch today to process a file that Gauntlet rejected.So? Thats what the switch is for, right?Midge shook her head. Not if the file in question is a virus.Brinkerhoff jumped. A virus? Who said anything about a virusIts the only explanation, she said. Jabba said a virus is the only thing that could keep TRANSLTR running this long, so-Wait a minute Brinkerhoff flashed her the time-out sign. Strathmore said everythings fineHes lying.Brinkerhoff was lost. Youre saying Strathmore intentionally let a virus into TRANSLTR?No, she snapped. I dont think he knew it was a virus. I think he was tricked.Brinkerhoff was speechless. Midge Milken was definitely losing it.It explains a lot, she insisted. It explains what hes been doing in there all night.Planting viruses in his own computer?No, she said, annoyed. Trying to cover up his mistake And now he cant abort TRANSLTR and get aux power back because the virus has the processors locked downBrinkerhoff rolled his eyes. Midge had gone nuts in the past, but never like this. He tried to calm her. Jabba doesnt seem to be too worried.Jabbas a fool, she hissed.Brinkerhoff looked surprised. Nobody had ever called Jabba a fool-a pig maybe, but never a fool. Youre trusting feminine intuition over Jabbas ripe(p) degrees in anti-invasive programming?She eyed him harshly.Brinkerhoff held up his hands in surrender. Never mind. I take it back. He didnt need to be reminded of Midges uncanny ability to sense disaster. Midge, he begged. I know you hate Strathmore, but-This has nothing to do with Strathmore Midge was in overdrive. The first thing we need to do is confirm Strathmore bypassed Gauntlet. Then we call the director.Great. Brinkerhoff moaned. Ill call Strathmore and ask him to send us a signed statement.No, she re plied, ignoring his sarcasm. Strathmores lied to us once already today. She glanced up, her eyes probing his. Do you have keys to Fontaines office?Of course. Im his PA.I need them.Brinkerhoff stared in disbelief. Midge, theres no way in hell Im letting you into Fontaines office.You have to she demanded. Midge turned and started typing on Big Brothers keyboard. Im requesting a TRANSLTR queue list. If Strathmore manually bypassed Gauntlet, itll show up on the printout.What does that have to do with Fontaines office?She spun and glared at him. The queue list only prints to Fontaines printer. You know thatThats because its class, MidgeThis is an emergency. I need to see that list.Brinkerhoff put his hands on her shoulders. Midge, please settle down. You know I cant-She huffed loudly and spun back to her keyboard. Im printing a queue list. Im going to walk in, pick it up, and walk out. Now give me the key.MidgeShe finished typing and spun back to him. Chad, the report prints in thirty s econds. Heres the deal. You give me the key. If Strathmore bypassed, we call security. If Im wrong, I leave, and you can go smear marmalade all over Carmen Huerta. She gave him a malicious glare and held out her hands for the keys. Im waiting.Brinkerhoff groaned, regretting that he had called her back to check the Crypto report. He eyed her outstretched hand. Youre talking about classified information inside the directors private quarters. Do you have any idea what would happen if we got caught?The director is in South America.Im sorry. I just cant. Brinkerhoff crossed his harness and walked out.Midge stared after him, her gray eyes smoldering. Oh, yes you can, she whispered. Then she turned back to Big Brother and called up the video archives.Midgell get over it, Brinkerhoff told himself as he settled in at his desk and started going over the rest of his reports. He couldnt be expected to hand out the directors keys whenever Midge got paranoid.He had just begun checking the COMSEC breakdowns when his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices coming from the other room. He set down his work and walked to his doorway.The main suite was dark-all except a dim shaft of grayish light from Midges half-open door. He listened. The voices continued. They sounded excited. Midge?No response.He strode through the darkness to her workspace. The voices were vaguely familiar. He pushed the door open. The room was empty. Midges chair was empty. The sound was coming from overhead. Brinkerhoff looked up at the video monitors and today felt ill. The same image was playing on each one of the twelve screens-a kind of perversely choreographed ballet. Brinkerhoff steadied himself on the back of Midges chair and watched in horror.Chad? The voice was behind him.He spun and squinted into the darkness. Midge was standing kitty-corner across the main suites reception area in front of the directors double doors. Her palm was outstretched. The key, Chad.Brinkerhoff flushed. He tur ned back to the monitors. He tried to block out the images overhead, but it was no use. He was everywhere, groaning with pleasure and eagerly fondling Carmen Huertas small, honey-covered breasts.