Palm Sunday (25 page)

“Let’s say for the highest level. What would happen?”

Norbert understood. Mason wanted to know what was about to be unleashed. “Once it activates, it will start replacing allocation table values. Then it wipes out the boot sector. If the user has sufficient security privileges, it will attempt to issue a command to shut down their primary database. I’m not real confident about that one, but I thought I’d throw it in.”

“Sounds like pretty serious stuff,” said Mason.

Norbert shrugged. “Only in the short term. They may have to reinstall some operating systems, but for the most part it will just be a big nuisance. They’ll lose some data, and they’ll go crazy for a while trying to figure out what’s happening.”

“During which time we’ll be upgrading our equipment.”

Norbert nodded.

“Will it work?”

“We’ll find out this afternoon when I run the tests, but yes, I believe it will.”

“Send me the source code. Put it in my secure folder,” said Mason.

“I doubt it will mean much to you.”

“Nevertheless...”

“You’re the boss.” The phone rang as Norbert turned to his console to copy the files for Mason. It was Kayoko. “Hello, there. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Norbert looked at Mason and indicated that the files were on the way. Mason nodded his thanks and left.

“I have some questions regarding the test matrix,” said Kayoko. “I was hoping we could get together this afternoon.”

“Sorry, Kay, no can do. Mason has me working on something that’s going to keep me busy for a while.”

“I see. Then can I get you to do me one small favor?”

“For you? Anything.” Norbert smiled to himself. He had a thing for Kayoko.

“Could you give me privileges to the matrix base data? At least that way I could run some test scenarios to verify initial functionality.”

Norbert tapped on his desktop with a pencil as he considered. “I could, since those files aren’t restricted from you specifically, but there’s other information in there besides what you would need. It’s integrated.”

“I’m at a standstill with the test preps, Norbert. Unless you can run the extracts for me, everything comes to a halt.”

Norbert was about to say no, when a program he had been running aborted abnormally, demanding his attention. “Okay, okay. But you’re the only one, and don’t go peeking at stuff that’s not related to your area.”

“Okay, Norbert, I won’t peek.” Her good-natured laugh reassured him.

He said goodbye, set up her file privileges, and turned back to his work. 

It had been dark for about an hour when Stanley pulled into the abandoned gas station. There was already one other vehicle in the parking lot, a van, so he pulled up behind it. Katherine had returned to Slocum’s apartment, waiting either for Stanley to return with Bobby, or for a call demanding the real palm unit.

As Stanley pulled up to the white van its doors opened. Three people emerged–two men and a woman.

Stanley opened his door and got out. He held the palmtop he and Katherine had just purchased in his left hand. “Where’s my son?”

The trio from the van stopped when they were ten yards away, and the two men moved to positions on Stanley’s flanks.

The woman spoke. “You have the device?”

He held it up. “Right here. Where’s my son?”

“He’s safe.”

“I want to see him.”

“You will. May I see the palm unit, please?” She held out her hand.

“First I want to see my son.”

The woman looked at one of the men and nodded. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gun, pointing it at Stanley.

He cowered, covering his head with his arms. “Wait! This isn’t the real palmtop!”

The woman looked at the man with the gun and held up her hand. “What are you talking about? Let me see it.”

Stanley started walking towards her, but was quickly warned back by one of the men, who retrieved the device and brought it to her. She turned it over in her hands, carefully examining it.

She looked at Stanley. “Where’s the real one?”

“In the hands of someone I trust. When my son is free, I’ll call for it.”

The woman looked at him in disgust. “Put him in the van.” 

At the agency, Bobby was being treated much better than his father. Though confused as to why he had been brought here, the explanation that his father was soon to arrive helped alleviate his anxiety. But Mason insisted that Kayoko spend some time with him to help put him at ease, and to learn what she could about the father. As they sat in an agency lounge, Bobby sipped a soda that Kayoko had given him.

“Your dad should be here soon, Bobby.” He didn’t respond. “Is the soda okay?”

He briefly took his mouth off the straw. “It’s fine.” He went back to the straw.

“I’m sorry about the way you were brought here.”

“What is this place?”

“It’s an office building. We do very important work here.”

“It’s different from my dad’s office. There are no windows.”

Kayoko nodded. “That’s true, no windows. But that’s because we’re underground.”

“Cool. How far?”

“Two stories. I don’t know how many feet that would be. Maybe about a hundred?”

Bobby shrugged, already losing interest. He pushed the drink away. “When’s my dad going to get here? I want to go home.”

“Where do you live?” asked Kayoko.

Before Bobby could respond, the woman who had picked Bobby up from school walked into the room. “So, there you are. Good news, Bobby. Your father’s here.”

Bobby was immediately on his feet. The woman led the way to the conference room, where a clearly overjoyed Bobby was reunited with his father. Stanley was thrilled to see his son, but apprehensive about the agency’s intentions. The presence of Pampas and two armed men did little to relieve his concern.

Mason entered the room shortly afterwards. “So, Mr. Whipple, we finally meet. As you can see your son is safe and sound. We’ve taken very good care of him, thanks in large part to our counselor, Kayoko Watanabe.” Mason gestured towards Kayoko.

Stanley looked at her and nodded his thanks. “I appreciate your kindness.” He looked back at Mason. “I think we need to discuss some business.”

“Ah, yes,” said Mason. “The item, which you have so cleverly withheld. It’s readily accessible, I assume?”

“I need to make a phone call, say a particular phrase, and then the device will be brought to a predetermined location.”

Mason stared at Stanley. This character was too clever by half. “We seem to be at something of a stalemate, Mr. Whipple. I want the device, and you want your–interest. How do you propose we solve this dilemma?”

“It’s not that hard. We can all ride in your van, including Bobby, and the exchange can be made in a public place. There will be no trickery, and you’ll get your device back.”

Mason paused. “I need some more time to think about it.” He looked at the woman who had escorted Bobby into the conference room. “Put these two together in one of the holding areas for now.” When they had been escorted from the room, he turned to Pampas. “I want this thing ended. Suggestions?”

“Whipple thinks he’s calling the shots,” said Pampas. “But no matter what site he picks for the exchange, we can retrieve the palm unit and maintain custody of him and his son.”

“Why?” asked Kayoko. “You just want the palmtop back, right?”

Mason shook his head no. “Think about it, Kayoko. What do you think Whipple is going to do once he hits the street? We don’t know for sure who he works for, and we can’t let the doctors at him until he gives his partner the signal to bring in the real palmtop. We need both the palm unit, and Whipple.”

“What about the boy?”

Mason shrugged. “Obviously his knowledge is limited.”

Pampas offered a solution. “The father could be housed in one of our medical facilities, the son placed in a foster home, with an explanation of how his father ‘died’.”

Kayoko was aghast. Not so much at the ‘solution’ suggested by Pampas, but by the fact that Mason didn’t dismiss it. She decided to probe. Carefully.

“Isn’t that a bit dangerous? What if the doctors at this facility believe what Whipple tells them? Wouldn’t we risk exposure?”

Mason smiled. “The facility is totally secure, don’t worry about that. My primary concern right now is convincing Whipple that everything is on the level. You did a good job with Slocum on that count, and Whipple seems to be sincerely grateful at how you’ve treated his son. So you take the lead. Make him feel at ease, and see if he’s engaging in any subterfuge.”

“I believe I can do that,” said Kayoko. “What about the son?”

“For now keep them together.” Mason looked at Pampas, who nodded his agreement. “When we’re ready to start the operation, we’ll put them in separate vehicles. That’s the last they’ll see of each other.”

“And Slocum?” asked Kayoko.

“Ah, yes,” said Mason. “I had almost forgotten. It looks like Whipple will have a roommate.” 

Kayoko was desperate. She knew she had to do two very important things, and she had no idea how to do either. First, somehow, she had to rescue the three prisoners. Second, the agency had to be exposed. Of course, in the middle of this she had to survive. She shuddered to think of being locked up in a mental ward for the rest of her life, with perhaps only fleeting moments of coherent thought between drug treatments. This was the fate that awaited Whipple and Slocum if she failed. She shook her head and stared into her computer screen, and suddenly had an inspiration. An idea of how she might accomplish her daunting mission started to take shape.

Slocum sat quietly in his cell, one foot propped up, his arms around his knee. He was still secured behind two sets of bars, but his wrist was no longer shackled to the wall. It was another concession that Kayoko had pried out of Mason. He perked up when she appeared outside the cell.

“You decided to come back. I’m flattered,” said Slocum.

She ignored his banter. “Listen,” she said. “There’s big trouble ahead for you and some others. Right now your only hope is with me–so don’t play games. Time is short.”

Slocum stood up and grasped the bars in front of him. “What are you talking about? What others?”

“It’s not important who they are; a boy and his father. The three of you are about to meet an unpleasant fate unless we come up with something.”

“We?”

Kayoko hesitated. “Yes. I don’t like what’s going on here, and I’m going to help you. But you have to help me figure out what to do.”

Slocum was intrigued. It could be a trap, but they already had him where they wanted him, so what would be the point? He nodded his acceptance of her offer, and she moved closer to the bars, lowering her voice.

“Bobby and his father…”

“Bobby?”

“Yes, the Whipples.” She noted the recognition, and the immediate attempt to cover it. “So you do know them.” He said nothing. “It’s okay. They’re here, but unharmed.”

“How did they get here?” asked Slocum.

“It’s a long story. Right now we have to worry about how to get you out of here. Any ideas?”

“Me? You know this place a lot better than I do. My visits here were few and far between. I don’t think I could even find the front door.”

“The front door isn’t what I had in mind,” said Kayoko.

Slocum thought about it for a moment. “Computers,” he said.

“What?”

“They have to bring new computers in here once in a while, right? Other equipment, too. That means a loading dock, or at least some access point. Maybe someone on the computer staff knows where it is.”

Kayoko’s face lit up. “Yes, that’s it. Norbert. I’ll need him to enter the code to open this gate as well.” She looked at the electronically operated security bars.

“Will he help?”

“I don’t think so–not on purpose. I’ll have to get him to think the order is coming from George Pampas.”

“Pampas. He’s a brute,” said Slocum. “So how are you going to pull this off?”

“Norbert gave me increased security clearance to let me conduct some tests. I may be able to use that to dummy up a message from Pampas ordering these gates opened.”

“What about the inner gate?”

“Pampas carries the key with him,” said Kayoko. “But I think I know where there’s a second set.” Her tasks were piling up fast, and time was passing quickly. Even if she could free Slocum, there was still the issue of Bobby and his father.

Slocum was thinking the same thing. “What about the others?”

“They aren’t being held as securely as you. I think I can get them out without too much trouble. The problem may be time.”

“Get them out first. If you can get to me, fine. If not, then leave with them.”

She looked at her watch. “It’s ten thirty. We’ll have to move quickly if this is going to work, so you sit tight while I get things rolling.”

“Yeah, I was going to go for a walk, but I guess I’ll just wait here.”

“Sorry.”

He shook his head as she left for her office. 

It wasn’t like Norbert to miss something so obvious. He was giving the daily logs a quick once over, as he usually did just before lunch, when an email came in, requesting that the security gate be disabled. The message came from Pampas, but the routing included Kayoko’s email address. That was what he missed–the routing. Then came the telephone call, from Kayoko, which was a pleasant interruption. He even thought he sensed a bit of flirtation as she made small talk about ordering a new computer. Smiling, he hung up the phone, and then entered the instructions into the security subsystem in accordance with the request from Pampas. 

George Pampas kept various sets of keys in a cabinet in his office. It was common knowledge among those who had been at the agency for any length of time. Kayoko was one of those who knew. She carried a blue folder with her as she approached his secretary, who was preparing to leave for lunch.

“Hi, Kayoko. Is that for Mr. Pampas?” The secretary indicated the blue folder.

“Yes, some updates he requested concerning one of our guests.”

“I’m just on my way out, but I can put it on his desk.”