Code Flicker

by Marlin Seigman

  “I think we’re good,” Jacob said after he severed his final link with the chip.

  “Evgeny will be happy,” Yuri said. “I will go get him.”

  “We make a great team,” Gomez said with a smile. “That’s a good sign for things to come. Now, as soon as they settle up with us, we can get the hell out of here.”

  Jacob agreed. He was ready to get out of the warehouse. He would say he was ready to go home and go to sleep, but he had just had three doses of stimulant. He wouldn’t be going to sleep for a few more hours. Besides, his mind kept coming back to that quiet noise. The speed in his system wouldn’t let him leave it alone, and every time he went back to it, it got louder.

  That was it. Make the noise loud enough and it sounded like the noise he dealt with when he helped the overloads. It was the same noise. The same signature. Some unskilled code flicker must have gotten hold of one of the NirvanaWare decks, or maybe they just tried to copy the code and didn’t get it right. He didn’t know, but he planned to find out.

  Chapter 21

  “I can’t believe those bastards,” Sandy said, pacing the floor of the back bar in DeSoto’s. It was mid-afternoon on Sunday and the club was empty. Everyone was running on fumes after the long hours working on the code decks, but how they were treated by the SRS after they completed the job had them energized with anger.

  Everyone except Gomez. He stood with his back to everyone, playing a game of Pac-Man. “Look,” he said, still playing, “we just do this one more thing for them, and they will give us the ID cards.”

  “One more thing? Then it will be one more thing. It’s bullshit,” Sandy said as she sat down across from Jacob and Xia.

  “How did you get mixed up with the SRS, anyway?” Xia asked.

  “It’s a long story,” Jacob said.

  “Damn it! They got me,” Gomez said. He hit the game and came to the table. “It’s a really long story.”

  “We’ve got some time,” Xia said.

  “I used to work with Evgeny in corporate security. I didn’t know it at the time, but he was an SRS plant, supplying info to them,” Gomez said. “After I left the corporate world for a more honest lifestyle, we ran into each other again. He’d been promoted in the SRS and offered me jobs here and there. It’s worked out pretty well, until now.”

  “Dance with the devil,” Xia said.

  Jacob knew she was right, but sometimes you have to dance with the devil, he thought. The SRS had been the best option they had to get weapons that the Your Better Life security scan wouldn’t pick up, the best option they had to get the correct ID cards, and the best option they had to get enough quick credits for the job. Sometimes you even have to invite the devil to the dance. Which didn’t seem like a problem since Gomez’s relationship with Evgeny was tight and went back a long way, and he had always made sure Gomez and his friends were treated fairly by the SRS. Mr. Li was another story.

  “It’s that Li guy,” Jacob said. “I don’t like him. There’s just something about him that rubs me the wrong way.”

  “I’m with you on that,” Xia said. “He’s an ass.”

  Sandy stood and let out an exasperated sigh. She seemed to be more bothered about the situation than anyone else. “Does anyone want a drink?” she asked. “Beer on the house.”

  “Why not. It’s not just for breakfast anymore,” Gomez said.

  Sandy went behind the bar and returned with four bottles.

  “Mr. Li or no Mr. Li, we need those cards,” Jacob said.

  “Let’s hope we need those cards,” Gomez said. “If Slade doesn’t agree to help us, the cards might not make much of a difference.” Slade was Gomez’s friend who worked security at the Your Better Life building. Gomez had arranged a meeting with him, and he would be coming by the club later.

  Everyone looked at Gomez.

  “What do you mean, ‘if’ he helps us?” Sandy asked. “I thought this was a sure thing.”

  Gomez shook his head. “I don’t think I said that. I said he owes me a favor or two. But don’t worry, he’ll be on board. You just got to have some faith.”

  “Speaking of faith,” Jacob said, “when is Kat getting back from her pilgrimage?”

  Gomez smiled. “Later tonight.”

  “Not to be a downer,” Xia said, “but any idea what the SRS wants us to do to get the cards?”

  “No, not yet. Evgeny told me he would let me know in the next few days.”

  “I hope it’s not as crazy as hijacking eighteen-wheelers with grenade launchers. That was a bit extreme,” Sandy said.

  Gomez nodded in agreement.

  “The middle school science class battery was pretty cool, though,” Jacob said.

  He wondered if he should say more about the code on the NirvanaWare decks. He hadn’t mentioned what he thought about it and its similarities to the code that caused the overloads. Ultimately, it was just a hunch he had, and there was no point in dropping one more thing on everyone because of a hunch. They were already dealing with enough because of him. Xia was right when she said a guilt trip only worked if you let it, but that didn’t change the fact his friends were in a serious situation because he asked them to be there. They may have made the choice, but he was the one that presented it to them. He was the catalyst.

  Xia stood. “I better get going. I haven’t had much sleep since I woke up Friday morning, and I have to go to work tomorrow.”

  “That’s cool,” Jacob said. He stood and hugged her. Gomez and Sandy followed his lead and also hugged her.

  “I’m going to go do some programming on the lights before we open,” Sandy said. “You two can just hang here until your guy gets here. Just don’t drink all of the beer.”

  Jacob and Gomez sat, silent, drinking the beer Sandy brought them, video games running in the background.

  “You seem preoccupied,” Gomez said, finally.

  Jacob laughed. “There’s a lot going on.”

  “True. It’s going pretty much to plan, though. I’ve known you for a long time, and I can tell when there’s something else. You sure there’s not something else?”

  He could tell Gomez about the code. He would listen and tell him to stay focused on the big plan. Anything else could wait. That’s what he needed to hear.

  “Something about the code in those NirvanaWare decks. It reminded me of the code I had to fix in those overloads last week.”

  “Reminded you? How?”

  “There was a sound, a signature to it.”

  “What’s that about?”

  Jacob shook his head. “No idea. Best I can figure is that some code flicker got one of those decks and doesn’t know what they’re doing.”

  Gomez shrugged. “That would explain it.”

  “I just feel like I can’t let somebody go around doing that. Industry standards,” Jacob said with a smile.

  “I don’t think you have time to worry about that right now. How about after we finish this job. The big job, that is. Not whatever the SRS wants us to do.”

  “Thanks, I knew you would talk sense into me.”

  Gomez stood and walked to the Pac-Man game. “And, if we run across the person putting bad code out there, we’ll take care of it then.”

  Gomez played a few more games of Pac-Man while they waited for Slade. When he did show, a six-pack worth of empties covered the table. He walked in the back bar, pointed to the bottles, and asked, “Can I get one of those?”

  Gomez went behind the bar and got him a bottle.

  “This is Jacob,” Gomez said, gesturing. “Jacob, this is Slade.”

  Jacob stood and shook Slade’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  Slade gave Jacob a look that said the feeling wasn’t mutual.

  “Let’s sit down,” Gomez said.

  “So what’s this about,” Slade asked as he opened the beer.

  “Remember that time in Kansas City? That group trying to hack the AR pop star?” Gomez asked.

  “They wanted to make her the face o
f their revolution. They were going to bring down the entertainment industry or some bullshit like that. Thank God they were incompetent. I mean, my kid loves Disney.”

  “Do you remember how they got into the network for the AR?” Gomez looked at Slade.

  Slade was quiet for a moment. Jacob could see in his eyes he was starting to understand why Gomez asked to see him.

  “They had a man inside,” Slade said slowly.

  “Well,” Gomez said, “that’s what this is about.”

  The sounds of video games filled the empty pocket of the conversation.

  “I take it you want me to be your man inside for something?” Slade asked.

  Gomez nodded.

  “Look, Gomez, we go way back and you pulled me out some serious shit in Berlin, but I’ve got a kid now. I asked for a transfer to this job because it’s low key and not much happens. I like it that way now.”

  “I get it. I get it,” Gomez said. “But you won’t have to do much more than look the other way.”

  “I don’t know.”

  Gomez took a drink. “You owe me this one. That shit I pulled you out of in Berlin is worth a dozen of jobs like this. Hell, you wouldn’t have been around long enough to have a kid if I hadn’t been there for you.”

  The look on Slade's face told Jacob that Gomez had him.

  “That’s not fair,” Slade said.

  “You told me you owed me. You said anything. I’ve never asked you for anything. Not once. And I never will again. I promise you that.” Gomez put his beer bottle on the table with a slightly louder than normal thud, punctuating his statement.

  Slade rubbed his temples. “What’s the plan?” he asked.

  “Just like Kansas City. The only thing you need to do is let me and Sandy in and act like we’re part of the security team,” Gomez said. “Then act like you don’t see anything we do.”

  “Who’s Sandy?” Slade asked.

  “She was in the front of the club when you came in.”

  “Why do you need to get into the Your Better Life building?”

  “The less you know, the better,” Jacob said.

  Slade eyed Jacob. He started to speak, but Gomez cut him off. “It just doesn’t make sense to tell you anything else. Plausible deniability.”

  Slade shook his head and stood. “Give me twenty-four hours warning.”

  “We can do that,” Gomez said.

  Slade turned and walked out.

  “Can he be trusted?” Jacob asked.

  “He can be an ass, but he’s a loyal ass,” Gomez said.

  “He didn’t like me,” Jacob said.

  Gomez laughed. “Hell, I don’t think he likes me. He probably doesn’t even like his kid.”

  “So what happened in Berlin? I don’t think you’ve ever told me the full story.”

  Gomez’s eyes grew distant, and he was silent for a brief moment. “A mission went south and we lost some people. Someone on my team. It’s part of why I left corporate. I’ll have to tell you about it later. Kat’s going to be back soon, and I want to cook her a nice pigeon casserole.”

  “Sounds delicious.”

  Chapter 22

  Johnson watched a crocodile burst from a watering hole, its jaws clamping down on the face of a wildebeest. The herd surrounding the wildebeest backed away in panic, water and mud splashing, and the crocodile pulled its struggling prey off its feet and into the water. Johnson found himself wishing the images filling the walls came with narration. A soothing British accent giving context to the struggle.

  “Mr. Craig will see you now,” the secretary said.

  Johnson looked at her as she went back to her screen. “Thank you,” he said, wondering what she chose to watch while surrounded by endless hours of life and death struggle.

  Mr. Craig stood at his wet bar pouring two glasses when Johnson entered the office. “Please, have a seat,” he said.

  Johnson sat and accepted the whiskey.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “I have a very important meeting shortly, so let us get to the point,” Mr. Craig said.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How does our target progress?”

  “His team is assembled, and I believe they have a plan of action.”

  “Excellent.”

  “They have contacted the Sino-Russian Syndicate in order to acquire resources for their plan. As you know, we contracted the Syndicate to intercept a shipment of code decks and subdermal chips. Mr. Quince and his team assisted in that operation in exchange for needed resources.”

  Mr. Craig nodded. “I assume the operation went as planned?”

  “Yes, sir. They received weapons for their part. However, the Syndicate is now insisting that the target and his team assist them further. They have withheld the ID cards the team needs, as well as the credits promised.”

  “I see.” Johnson detected a slight hesitation.

  “I am sure this is a minor setback.”

  “Do you have information as to what the Russians and the Chinese want the target to do?”

  “No, sir. We are still gathering that information. Based on reports from our man on the inside, analysis suggests they will ask them to assist in a hack on a rival organization. The Syndicate has been in a hacking war with the Aryan Brotherhood for several months now. The two organizations have been going back and forth, hacking or attempting to hack each other. They have reached a stalemate, and the target and his team may be just enough to tip the scales in the Syndicate's favor. The analysis indicates that an attack on the Brotherhood’s crypto wallet or their VR sex business is most likely.”

  Mr. Craig leaned back in his chair. “What does your analysis say about the likelihood of success in either of these possibilities?”

  “If I were a betting man, I would place a bet on the target and his team.”

  “And are you a betting man?”

  “Only on sure things, sir.”

  Mr. Craig smiled. “That sounds more like an investment than a bet.”

  “As I said, sir, if I were a betting man.”

  Mr. Craig laughed at this. He looked at his watch. “I see our time is nearly up. I look forward to your next report.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Both men stood. Johnson began to walk to the door, carrying his whiskey glass.

  “Johnson, one more thing.”

  Johnson stopped and turned. “Yes, sir?”

  “I think maintaining a close eye on the Syndicate is a wise course of action, despite our agreement with them. Their reputation for duplicity does precede them.”

  “Of course.”

  Johnson gave the whiskey glass to the secretary. On his way out he nodded to the large, bald Chinese man waiting to see Mr. Craig.

  Chapter 23

  Gomez never understood religion. His mother, on the other hand, was a person of faith. For as long as he could remember, she had a large painting of Jesus hanging over the couch in her living room. In the painting, Jesus stood, knocking on a door. When he was young, he would look at the painting and wonder what it was all about. He understood the symbolism, just not the need for it. His lack of understanding never reached the point of disdain like it sometimes does in people, mostly because he saw the joy his mother’s faith brought her. He just felt indifferent to the whole thing.

  He did enjoy the spectacle of religion, the ceremony of it, and the Church of Nicolas Cage definitely offered the spectacle and ceremony of religion. Sitting beside Kat, he glanced around the chapel. Stained glass versions of Nicolas Cage movie posters lined the walls and a series of twelve panels of stained glass, The Twelve Stations of National Treasure, filled the wall behind the altar. At the altar, the pastor read from The Book of Cage, the church’s official biography of Nicolas Cage. When he finished, music layered with chopped and screwed lines from Nicolas Cage movies boomed from the speakers on either side of the altar as a light show illuminated the chapel. A showing of Snakes Eyes was planned after the music. Gomez didn’t understand religi
on, but he could live with this. Especially if Kat was with him.

  “We’re not staying for the movie, right?” Gomez asked Kat, leaning close enough for her to hear over the music.

  “I told you we could go when the music is done.”

  “Thanks. I know it’s one of your favorites, but I want to get a drink with you.”

  Kat smiled and took his hand in hers.

  When the music stopped, they made their way out of the chapel. The night air was crisp. Kat had insisted on walking the few blocks to the chapel, so they started back towards The Galleria on foot, their breath showing in the night air.

  “So where to? DeSoto’s?” Kat asked.

  “No, I thought we could go someplace quieter. Maybe get a bite to eat. There's that place at the corner of Post Oak.”

  “The one that serves those great vat-grown burgers? Johnny’s Vats?”

  Gomez nodded. “That’s the one.”

  On the walk to Johnny’s Vats, he attempted to appear interested in Kat’s story about her pilgrimage to New Orleans. It was difficult because his mind raced, trying to find the courage he would need to ask her to marry him. He made fun of himself for his mental back and forth of should I or shouldn’t I. He had been in some dangerous situations, he had been shot at, he had even been shot once, but asking Kat to marry him had his gut in a tighter knot than any of that. He was even sure she would say yes, but he still felt nervous. Then he let a sliver of doubt in and tried to talk himself out of it. Marriage was a dying institution, and hardly anyone did it anymore. It was old fashion. But, he told himself, Kat would love a ceremony at the Church of Cage. Hell, he had to admit he would like to see what they did for a wedding.

  “Are you even listening?” Kat asked him when they arrived at Johnny’s Vats.

  “What? Oh, yeah, I am. You were talking about the couple from New York you were hanging out with.”

  Kat narrowed her eyes. “Lucky guess.”