Digital Fortress Chapter 76-80

Chapter 76Outside the Seville airport terminal, a literary hack sat idle, the meter running. The passenger in the wire-rim glasses gazed through the plate-glass windows of the well-lit terminal. He knew hed arrived in time.He could arrest a blond girl. She was helping David Becker to a chair. Becker was apparently in pain. He does not yet turn in pain, the passenger thought. The girl pulled a trivial object from her pocket and held it expose. Becker held it up and studied it in the light. w here(predicate)fore he slipped it on his finger. He pulled a stack of bills from his pocket and paid the girl. They talk of the towned a few proceeding longer, and thus the girl hugged him. She waved, shouldered her duffel, and headed off across the concourse.At last, the man in the taxi thought. At last.Chapter 77Strathmore stepped out of his office onto the landing with his hit man leveled. Susan trailed close keystoneside, wondering if stuff was still in Node 3.The light from Strathm ores monitor behind them threw eerie shadows of their bodies out across the grated platform. Susan inched closer to the commander.As they travel away from the portal, the light faded, and they were plunged into darkness. The notwithstanding light on the Crypto floor came from the stars above and the faint haze from behind the shattered Node 3 window.Strathmore inched onwards, looking for the place where the narrow staircase began. Switching the Berretta to his left hand, he groped for the banister with his upright. He figured he was probably just as bad a cinch with his left, and he needed his right for support. Falling down this particular set of stairs could cripple individual for smell, and Strathmores dreams for his retirement did not involve a w blackguardchair.Susan, blinded by the blackness of the Crypto dome, descended with a hand on Strathmores shoulder. Even at the distance of two feet, she could not encounter the commanders outline. As she stepped onto each metal tread, she shuffled her toes forward looking for the edge.Susan began having second thoughts closely risking a visit to Node 3 to get racks pass-key. The commander insisted tangle wouldnt live with the guts to touch them, further Susan wasnt so sure. sweep up was desperate. He had two options Escape Crypto or go to jail.A voice kept telling Susan they should wait for Davids abuse and use his pass-key, but she knew on that point was no guarantee he would even find it. She wondered what was taking David so long. Susan swallowed her apprehension and kept going.Strathmore descended silently. in that location was no need to alert push they were coming. As they neared the bottom, Strathmore slowed, feeling for the final step. When he found it, the heel of his loafer clicked on hard black tile. Susan felt his shoulder tense. Theyd entered the danger zone. Hale could be anywhere.In the distance, now hidden behind TRANSLTR, was their destination-Node 3. Susan prayed Hale was still there, lying on the floor, whimpering in pain exchangeable the dog he was.Strathmore allow go of the railing and switched the gun back to his right hand. Without a word, he moved out into the darkness. Susan held tight to his shoulder. If she lost him, the altogether way shed find him again was to speak. Hale macrocosm power hear them. As they moved away from the safety of the stairs, Susan recalled late-night games of tag as a kid-shed left ingleside base, she was in the open. She was vulnerable.TRANSLTR was the only island in the vast black sea. Every few steps Strathmore stopped, gun poised, and pick uped. The only sound was the faint hum from below. Susan necessitateed to pull him back, back to safety, back to home base. There seemed to be faces in the dark all around her.Halfway to TRANSLTR, the silence of Crypto was stone-broken. Somewhere in the darkness, seemingly right on top of them, a high-pitched beeping pierced the night. Strathmore spun, and Susan lost him. F earful, Susan shot her arm out, groping for him. exactly the commander was gone. The space where his shoulder had been was now just empty air. She staggered forward into the emptiness.The beeping noise continued. It was nearby. Susan wandered in the darkness. There was a rustle of clothing, and suddenly the beeping stopped. Susan froze. An instant later, as if from one of her worst childhood nightmares, a vision appeared. A face materialized directly in front of her. It was ghostly and green. It was the face of a demon, slap-up shadows jutting upward across deformed features. She jumped back. She turned to run, but it grabbed her arm.Dont move it commanded.For an instant, she thought she saw Hale in those two burning eyes. But the voice was not Hales. And the touch was too soft. It was Strathmore. He was lit from beneath by a glowing object that hed just pulled from his pocket. Her body sagged with relief. She felt herself start alive again. The object in Strathmores hand had n igh sort of electronic LED that was giving off a greenish glow.Damn, Strathmore cursed under his breath. My new pager. He stared in disgust at the SkyPager in his palm. Hed disregarded to engage the silent-ring feature. Ironically, hed gone to a local electronics store to buy the device. Hed paid cash to allot it nameless nobody knew better than Strathmore how closely the NSA watched their own-and the digital messages sent and real from this pager were something Strathmore definitely needed to keep private.Susan looked around uneasily. If Hale hadnt accreditn they were coming, he knew now.Strathmore expressed a few buttons and read the incoming message. He groaned quietly. It was more bad news from Spain-not from David Becker, but from the other party Strathmore had sent to Seville.Three thousand miles away, a mobile surveillance van sped along the darkened Seville streets. It had been commissioned by the NSA under Umbra secrecy from a military base in Rota. The two men insid e were tense. It was not the first time theyd received emergency orders from Fort Meade, but the orders didnt usually come from so high up.The agent at the wheel called over his shoulder. Any sign of our man?The eyes of his partner never left the feed from the fisheye video monitor on the roof. No. Keep driving.Chapter 78Underneath the twisting mass of cables, Jabba was sweating. He was still on his back with a penlight clenched in his teeth. Hed gotten used to working late on weekends the less hectic NSA hours were often the only times he could perform hardware maintenance. As he maneuvered the red-hot s dodderingering iron through the maze of wires above him, he moved with exceptional flush singeing any of the dangling sheathes would be disaster.Just another(prenominal) few inches, he thought. The job was taking farther longer than hed imagined.Just as he brought the tip of the iron against the final thread of raw solder, his cellular phone rang sharply. Jabba startled, his arm twitched, and a large glob of sizzling, liquefied lead fell on his arm. defecate He dropped the iron and practically swallowed his penlight. Shit Shit ShitHe scrubbed furiously at the drop of tranquiling solder. It rolled off, leaving an impressive welt. The chip he was trying to solder in place fell out and hit him in the head.Goddamn itJabbas phone summoned him again. He ignored it.Midge, he cursed under his breath. Damn you Cryptos fine The phone rang on. Jabba went back to work reseating the new chip. A polished later the chip was in place, but his phone was still ringing. For Christs stake, Midge Give it upThe phone rang another fifteen seconds and finally stopped. Jabba breathed a sigh of relief.Sixty seconds later the intercom overhead crackled. Would the main(prenominal) Sys-Sec please contact the main switchboard for a message.Jabba rolled his eyes in disbelief. She just doesnt tump over up, does she? He ignored the page.Chapter 79Strathmore replaced his Skypager in h is pocket and peered through the darkness toward Node 3.He reached for Susans hand. behave on.But their fingers never touched.There was a long guttural cry from out of the darkness. A move figure loomed-a Mack truck bearing down with no headlights. An instant later, there was a bang and Strathmore was skidding across the floor.It was Hale. The pager had given them away.Susan heard the Berretta fall. For a moment she was blueprintted in place, unsure where to run, what to do. Her instincts told her to escape, but she didnt have the elevator code. Her heart told her to help Strathmore, but how? As she spun in desperation, she expected to hear the sounds of a life-and-death struggle on the floor, but there was nothing. Everything was suddenly silent-as if Hale had hit the commander and then disappeared back into the night.Susan waited, straining her eyes into the darkness, hoping Strathmore wasnt hurt. After what seemed like an eternity, she whispered, air force officer?Even as she state it, she agnise her mistake. An instant later Hales odor welled up behind her. She turned too late. Without warning, she was twisting, ga eddyg for air. She found herself crushed in a familiar headlock, her face against Hales chest.My balls are killing me. Hale panted in her ear.Susans knees buckled. The stars in the dome began to spin above her.Chapter 80Hale clamped down on Susans neck and yelled into the darkness. Commander, Ive got your sweetheart. I want outHis demands were met with silence.Hales grip tightened. Ill break her neckA gun cocked directly behind them. Strathmores voice was calm and even. permit her go.Susan winced in pain. CommanderHale spun Susans body toward the sound. You shoot and youll hit your precious Susan. You ready to take that take place?Strathmores voice moved closer. permit her go.No way. Youll kill me.Im not going to kill anyone.Oh, yeah? divide that to ChartrukianStrathmore moved closer. Chartrukians dead.No shit. You killed him. I saw itG ive it up, Greg, Strathmore said calmly.Hale clutched at Susan and whispered in her ear, Strathmore pushed Chartrukian-I utter itShes not going to fall for your divide-and-conquer technique, Strathmore said, moving closer. Let her go.Hale hissed into the darkness, Chartrukian was just a kid, for Christs sake Whyd you do it? To protect your little secret?Strathmore stayed cool. And what little secret is that?You know damn-fucking-well what secret that is Digital safeguardMy, my, Strathmore muttered condescendingly, his voice like an iceberg. So you do know about Digital garrison. I was starting to believe youd deny that too.Fuck you.A witty defense.Youre a fool, Hale spat. For your information, TRANSLTR is overheating.Really? Strathmore chuckled. Let me guess-I should open the doors and call in the Sys-Secs?Exactly, Hale fired back. Youd be an idiot not to.This time Strathmore laughed out loud. Thats your big fulfill? TRANSLTRs overheating, so open the doors and let us out?Its t rue, dammit Ive been down to the sublevels The aux power isnt pulling enough freon convey for the tip, Strathmore said. But TRANSLTRs got automatic shutdown if its overheating, Digital Fortress will quit all by itself.Hale sneered. Youre insane. What the fuck do I care if TRANSLTR blows? The damn machine should be outlawed anyway.Strathmore sighed. Child psychology only works on children, Greg. Let her go.So you suffer shoot me?I wont shoot you. I just want the pass-key.What pass-key?Strathmore sighed again. The one Tankado sent you.I have no idea what youre talking about.liar Susan managed. I saw Tankados mail in your accountHale went rigid. He spun Susan around. You went in my account?And you aborted my tracer, she snapped.Hale felt his blood pressure skyrocket. He thought hed covered his tracks he had no idea Susan knew what hed done. It was no wonder she wasnt buying a word he said. Hale felt the walls start to close in. He knew he could never talk his way out of that one-not in time. He whispered to her in desperation, Susan Strathmore killed ChartrukianLet her go, the commander said evenly. She doesnt believe you.Why should she? Hale fired back. You lying bastard Youve got her brainwashed You only tell her what suits your needs Does she know what you really plan to do with Digital Fortress?And whats that? Strathmore taunted.Hale knew what he was about to say would either be his ticket to freedom or his death warrant. He took a deep breath and went for broke. You plan to write a back door in Digital Fortress.The voice communication met with a bewildered silence from the darkness. Hale knew he had hit a bulls-eye.Apparently Strathmores unflappable cool was being put to the test. Who told you that? he demanded, his voice rough around the edges.I read it, Hale said smugly, trying to capitalize on the change of momentum. In one of your brainstorms.Impossible. I never print my brainstorms.I know. I read it directly off your account.Strathmore seemed doubtfu l. You got into my office?No. I snooped you from Node 3. Hale labored a self-assured chuckle. He knew hed need all the negotiating skills hed learned in the marines to get out of Crypto alive.Strathmore knifelike closer, the Berretta leveled in the darkness. How do you know about my back door?I told you, I snooped your account.Impossible.Hale constrained a cocky sneer. One of the problems of hiring the best, Commander-sometimes theyre better than you.Young man, Strathmore seethed, I dont know where you get your information, but youre in way over your head. You will let Ms. Fletcher go right now or Ill call in surety and have you thrown in jail for life.You wont do it, Hale stated matter-of-factly. Calling Security ruins your plans. Ill tell them everything. Hale paused. But let me out clean, and Ill never say a word about Digital Fortress.No deal, Strathmore fired back. I want the pass-key.I dont have any fucking pass-key large lies Strathmore bellowed. Where is it?Hale clamped d own on Susans neck. Let me out, or she diesTrevor Strathmore had done enough high-stakes bargaining in his life to know that Hale was in a very dangerous state of mind. The young cryptographer had multicolor himself into a corner, and a cornered opponent was always the most dangerous kind-desperate and unpredictable. Strathmore knew his next move was a critical one. Susans life depended on it-and so did the future of Digital Fortress.Strathmore knew the first thing he had to do was release the tension of the situation. After a long moment, he sighed reluctantly. Okay, Greg. You win. What do you want me to do?Silence. Hale seemed momentarily unsure how to handle the commanders cooperative tone. He let up a bit on Susans neck.W-well he stammered, his voice wavering suddenly. First thing you do is give me your gun. Youre both coming with me.Hostages? Strathmore laughed coldly. Greg, youll have to do better than that. There are about a dozen armed guards between here and the parking lot .Im not a fool, Hale snapped. Im taking your elevator. Susan comes with me You stayI hate to tell you this, Strathmore replied, but theres no power to the elevator.Bullshit Hale snapped. The lift runs on power from the main building Ive seen the schematicsWe tested it already, Susan choked, trying to help. Its dead.Youre both so honorable of shit, its incredible. Hale tightened his grip. If the elevators dead, Ill abort TRANSLTR and restore power.The elevator takes a password, Susan managed feistily. large-scale deal. Hale laughed. Im sure the commander will share. Wont you, Commander?No knock, Strathmore hissed.Hale boiled over. Now you listen to me, old man-heres the deal You let Susan and me out through your elevator, we drive a few hours, and then I let her go.Strathmore felt the stakes rising. Hed gotten Susan into this, and he needed to get her out. His voice stayed steady as a rock. What about my plans for Digital Fortress?Hale laughed. You can write your back door-I wont s ay a word. because his voice turned ominous. But the day I think youre tracking me, I go to the press with the whole story. I tell them Digital Fortress is tainted, and I sink this whole fucking shapingStrathmore considered Hales offer. It was clean and simple. Susan lived, and Digital Fortress got its back door. As long as Strathmore didnt chase Hale, the back door stayed a secret. Strathmore knew Hale couldnt keep his mouth shut for long. But still the knowledge of Digital Fortress was Hales only insurance-maybe hed be smart. Whatever happened, Strathmore knew Hale could be removed later if necessary.Make up your mind, old man Hale taunted. Are we leaving or not? Hales arms tightened around Susan like a vice.Strathmore knew that if he picked up the phone right now and called Security, Susan would live. Hed bet his life on it. He could see the scenario clearly. The call would take Hale completely by surprise. He would panic, and in the end, faced with a small army, Hale would be unable to act. After a brief standoff, he would give in. But if I call Security, Strathmore thought, my plan is ruined.Hale clamped down again. Susan cried out in pain.Whats it gonna be? Hale yelled. Do I kill her?Strathmore considered his options. If he let Hale take Susan out of Crypto, there were no guarantees. Hale powerfulness drive for a while, park in the woods. Hed have a gun. Strathmores stomach turned. There was no telling what would happen before Hale set Susan free if he set her free. Ive got to call Security, Strathmore decided. What else can I do? He pictured Hale in court, spilling his guts about Digital Fortress. My plan will be ruined. There must be some other way.Decide Hale yelled, pull Susan toward the staircase.Strathmore wasnt listening. If saving Susan meant his plans were ruined, then so be it-nothing was worth losing her. Susan Fletcher was a price Trevor Strathmore refused to pay.Hale had Susans arm kinky behind her back and her neck bent to one side. Th is is your last chance, old man Give me the gunStrathmores mind continued to race, searching for another option. There are always other options Finally he spoke-quietly, almost sadly. No, Greg, Im sorry. I just cant let you go.Hale choked in apparent shock. WhatIm calling Security.Susan gasped. Commander NoHale tightened his grip. You call Security, and she diesStrathmore pulled the cellular off his belt and flicked it on. Greg, youre bluffing.Youll never do it Hale yelled. Ill talk Ill ruin your plan Youre only hours away from your dream Controlling all the data in the world No more TRANSLTR. No more limits-just free information. Its a chance of a lifetime You wont let it slip byStrathmore voice was like steel. Watch me.But-but what about Susan? Hale stammered. You make that call, and she diesStrathmore held firm. Thats a chance Im ready to take.Bullshit Youve got a bigger hard-on for her than you do for Digital Fortress I know you You wont risk itSusan began to make an angry rebut tal, but Strathmore beat her to it. Young man You dont know me I take risks for a living. If youre looking to play hardball, lets play He started punching keys on his phone. You misjudged me, son Nobody threatens the lives of my employees and walks out He raised the phone and barked into the receiver, Switchboard Get me SecurityHale began to torque Susans neck. I-Ill kill her. I swear itYoull do no such thing Strathmore proclaimed. Killing Susan will just make things wor- He broke off and rammed the phone against his mouth. Security This is Commander Trevor Strathmore. Weve got a hostage situation in Crypto Get some men in here Yes, now, goddamn it We also have a generator failure. I want power routed from all available external sources. I want all systems on-line in flipper minutes Greg Hale killed one of my junior Sys-Secs. Hes holding my senior cryptographer hostage. Youre cleared to use cull gas on all of us if necessary If Mr. Hale doesnt cooperate, have snipers shoot him dea d. Ill take full responsibility. Do it nowHale stood motionless-apparently limp in disbelief. His grip on Susan eased.Strathmore snapped his phone shut and shoved it back onto his belt. Your move, Greg.