She paced some more, drew a few deep breaths and exhaled several times, then continued.
“I guess you guys know he was awarded some big government contracts.”
“Yeah,” Matteo answered. “His AI was going to revolutionize the government. Everything from Social Security to Medicaid. Haven’t heard anything about it in a couple of years. Seems like everyone talked about it for a while and then it just went away.”
Annika stopped pacing and leveled a serious gaze at him. “Yeah. That’s because it was a bust. I mean, it did give some of those programs new systems. But it didn’t expedite things or make or make the process easier. It was never about that, though. He was data mining. And the United States government just gave him the personal data of millions of Americans.”
Jack reared his head back in shock. “What? He wasn’t supposed to get anyone’s personal info. I remember that. Congress promised and?—”
“Those systems were one big Trojan horse,” Annika said. “And now he has all our info. He’s using it to train AI. To manipulate markets. To pry into people’s health records. Think what he can do with it. Everything from targeted ads to selling the information on the black market. But it’s not just about money. It’s control. He’s the richest, most powerful man on the planet. And I tried to blow the whistle. I was going to the government but…”
She hung her head and sighed. A moment later, she went on.
“I can’t even get a job now. I’m flagged in every system imaginable. Thanks to those government systems, he has that kind of power. The moment an employer runs my Social Security number, he’ll get an alert. I’ll be dead.”
She didn’t realize Daddy had gotten out of his chair until he was right in front of her.
“That’s who those guys were. His goons. Chasing you.”
She nodded and said, “That’s just the deal. It was a freak accident. A coincidence. I just happened to be in the same alley they were. And they recognized me.” Tears welled in her eyes. “They would have killed me if you hadn’t happened along.”
Daddy hugged her and kissed the top of his head as they gently swayed.
“We didn’t just happen along, honey. We were searching for you. Because I knew you were my sweet girl.” He kissed her again. “And that’s what the Daddy Guard does. We’re going to help you again, too.”
“You are?”
He pulled away and said, “Uh-huh.”
Jack was on his feet now, too. “We sure are. You know, we have some government contacts of our own. They might help us clear this mess up. You could be a whistleblower.”
“I tried that,” she countered. “No one believed me. He has such a squeaky-clean image! They all love him. We need the proof.”
“You saythe proofas if some exists,” Daddy said. “Tell me about it.”
Annika started pacing again as she explained.
“He managed to wipe every trace of his information theft from the government servers. I noticed things weren’t right and started asking questions. Too many questions. Then he fired me. But before I left I managed to root around his systems a little bit.” She smiled proudly. “Not to brag, but I know my stuff.”
The guys laughed and cheered.
“Yeah, you do!” Daddy said. “You’ll fit in good around here, too. We brag on ourselves all the time.”
The others laughed.
“He keeps the data offline. It’s stored on internal servers that aren’t even connected to the internet,” Annika continued.
“Ah. I don’t know much about this stuff,” Matteo said, “but I’m guessing that means they can’t be hacked.”
“Exactly,” she said. “Someone would have to get in his underground lair, connect them to the internet, and then hack them. But there’s lot of concrete walls, alarms, and armed guards between the data and a person brave enough—or stupid enough—to try that.”
A heavy silence fell over the room. She assumed everyone was realizing the ramifications of what she’d just explained. Surely they could see now that it was a no-win situation.
“He’s an evil man,” she said. “I’ve spent over the past year hungry and scared because of him. He took everything from me.”
Matteo took her hand. “You’re safe now. But even here, protected within these walls, that’s not enough. He took your identity. Tried to steal your dignity. I want him to go down. AndI want him to give you back what’s rightfully yours. One way or another.”
The other Guard members agreed, all now on their feet and gathering closer.
