Now the darkness was taking the things shewantedto remember, while Randall’s data stayed sharp—47.6062, -122.3321. David Thornton. KILO-SEVEN-TANGO. November 3rd. Thousands of puzzle pieces rattling around in her skull, and she couldn’t forget a single one.
But Ms. Delacroix’s face was fading. Binary’s warmth was fading. Her own life was fading.
But she’d sent the message.
Binary noticed everything. He would see the broken meter. The SOS.
The rest was out of her hands.
Morgan pressed her forehead to her knees and whispered into the void.
“Please.”
Chapter 5
One year ago:
Mercury: I trust you. You know that, right?
Binary: Trust is difficult to quantify.
Mercury: That’s not an answer.
Binary: Yes. I know. The data supports reciprocation.
Mercury: “The data supports reciprocation.” That might be the most romantic thing you’ve ever said.
Binary: Stay safe, stranger.
Mercury: Stay strange, safety.
“I’m telling you, there’s nothing there.” Lincoln pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at the data scrolling across his center monitor. Deputy Director Hawkins from Treasury had been on the line for twelve minutes—eleven minutes longer than this conversation warranted.
“The access logs show?—”
“The access logs show someone looked.That’s it. No downloads, no data extraction, no malware signatures. Someone knocked on the door and didn’t come in.”
“But the access pattern?—”
“Is unusual. I agree.” Lincoln minimized the Treasury data and pulled up the pattern analysis he’d been running.
Six agencies in the last twenty-four hours—FBI, Marshals, Treasury, Homeland, Federal Reserve, DEA. His contacts from all six groups had come to him independently at different times, each at their own distinct level of hysteria.
They all showed the same anomaly: access without action. None of them were talking to each other—typical—which meant Lincoln was the only one who saw the full picture.
“But unusual isn’t the same as compromised,” he continued. “You’re looking at reconnaissance at best. Someone mapping your systems without taking anything. Testing your firewalls and finding them solid.”
“But it doesn’t concern you?”
Under normal circumstances, Lincoln would find this fascinating, if not necessarily disturbing. Six federal systems probed simultaneously, no trace of extraction, no obvious motive. It was the kind of puzzle his brain usually devoured. Hell, it was the kind of thing he would’ve tried just for kicks.
When he was about four years old. Now it would be way too simple.
His eyes drifted to the third monitor from the left. The dark web portal sat open, its interface primitive and familiar. Silent.
“Mr. Bollinger?”
“I’ll flag it if anything changes.” He was already reaching for the disconnect. “Your systems aren’t compromised. Someone’s just window-shopping. It happens. Probably some bored middle schoolers.”
