12.00. At the stroke of noon everything changes. In
three separate locations screens bust into life and there is sudden intense
activity. Searches locating a specific IP address and GUI’s are started and
people are shouting across each other. Everyone knows how important it is to
trace this computer, it’s location and who is operating it and before anyone
else possibly can. In the Minister’s office a call is patched through. “Yes,”
says the Minister with a voice of dejection and resignation. A quiet
authoritative voice speaks, ‘Someone has just plugged in the USB stick.”
12.05. Messages are transmitted to various teams to be
‘on standby’. Body shapes change as people go from a state of semi comatose to
alert. The man sitting in his pyjamas is still being questioned and losing the
will to live. Apart from falling asleep he has done nothing wrong but they
won’t believe him. The door is suddenly opened and with one look his two
questioners jump up and leave the room. He is left with two people dressed in
black and both armed. He tries a ‘raised shoulders’ slight grin but it cuts no
ice. He glances down and see the stupid gap in the front of his is pyjama trousers
are open. The worst day of his life has just got even worse.
12.10. GPS and search programmes run speedily and
silently closing in on the location and ownership of the computer in which the
USB stick has been inserted. In her living room Tracey-Rebecca stares at
the white box asking for the password. ‘Of course it would be password
protected’ she thinks and ejects it. After a moment she types in ‘password
generators’ in the google search box and starts to read about the most common
forms of passwords. In a number of offices there is a collective sigh of
frustration, anger and profanity as the signal drops out. Have they got enough?
12.15. We have
drunk our coffee and Faith checks her watch and says in an innocent way, “I
wonder if we have the wrong time? Perhaps you could call him?” His wife picks
up a landline and presses ‘quick call’ 1. After a few moments she turns and
says, “It’s gone straight to ansaphone I’m afraid. I’ll try his work mobile,
I’m not supposed to have the number really,” she says in a conspiratorial
voice. As she presses 2 Faith knocks her cup onto the floor. She has read the
woman correctly as she immediately hangs up and runs to get a cloth from the
kitchen to remove the stain from the cream carpet. Without a pause Faith is up,
presses 2 on the phone and takes down the number on the screen then we are out
of the door and away as the woman returns.
12.20. The area
has been tracked with differing levels of accuracy and range by the opposing
sides. They know that it is near Betcherton and once again teams are despatched.
One team has been there already and sat waiting at the Ground One Coffee Shop
before being sent elsewhere. Now everyone who is travelling in cars and vans
realises that this is the best chance they have. They have to retrieve the
object. A call through to the Minister lets him know that things are moving
again. The young man at the desk knows that the Zurich team are the best he
has. The game has started again.
12.25. We are
back in the Genius bar and Faith is searching the web whilst I discuss the
various merits of memory sizes on the iPad to keep eyes away from her work. She
has had to go into one of the ‘Departments’ websites and we know that this will
be noticed. We can only hope that it will be some time before the information
is fed up the chain. She suddenly stands bolt upright and turns to me. “Do you
have the answers you need?” she says to me. I reply quickly and we leave the
shop. Outside she tells me who the mobile number belongs to I feel a state of
shock tremble through me.
12.30. She is
not going to be able to sleep and she is not going to be able to open the USB
stick. She sees her mug of coffee undrunk on the table. The top has a surface
of curdled milk. She goes over to the fridge and sniffs the milk. An
involuntary gag in her throat tells her it is off and that is doubled by the
thought she could have drunk it. She picks up her purse and bag and sees the
USB stick which, for an unknown reason, she slips in her bag. She leaves the
house and walks up towards the Ground One Coffee Shop
12.35. In the Reptile
House at London Zoo a man stands staring at a crocodile. Neither move nor seem to
take their eyes off each other. An outside observer might note that the
crocodile seems more wary. In the reflection of the glass the man sees another
gentleman walk up behind him. Momentarily the man takes his focus from the
crocodile and to the reflected eyes of the gentleman who turns immediately and
drops an envelope onto a nearby seat. The man turns his attention back to the
crocodile and counts to 80. As he turns from the tank the crocodile snaps into
the air. Any other people in the area turn to watch. Quietly the man retrieves
the envelope.
12.40. Faith
and I are sitting talking through what we now know. It would appear that
whatever could go wrong has gone wrong and most will think we are responsible.
We need to get a message through to Control and let them know what has happened
and who we now think is involved and responsible for the chaos. There is only
one direct route and will put as it risk but after going through all the other
options – it does seem our only choice.
12.45. “Hi
Trace, night shift?” says the café owner. She nods with a tired expression and
asks for a Double Macchiato to go. She looks around the café which is unusually
busy and filled with suits. There is very little conversation. She turns to Ed
who owns Ground One. “Busy here today,” she says. “It’s been an odd day. First
thing this morning this lot arrive, order drinks, pay then run out leaving them
behind. About half an hour ago they turn up again. Seems like they’re waiting
for something. Tracey-Rebecca changes her mind and asks for her coffee to drink
in.
12.50. They
have both narrowed the signal from the USB to a street. Unfortunately for them
it is mainly blocks of flats. In both office teams are running names and
addresses through systems to see if any trigger any known links. It’s like an
episode of Heir Hunters but without the dull commentary and actually interesting.
As they search information is being passed through to the teams. Everyone is in
the state of nervous expectation. They know it’s a race.
12.55. The
Minister is doing his best to report progress. The only really good news is
that the USB still exists, whoever has not yet opened it and they have a slight
trace on its whereabouts. Other than that it sounds like a catalogue of chaos
and cock up. The Minister is still trying to deflect blame to those around him
but those above are clear about who they blame. He hangs up the phone and returns
to the window. The walls either side are filled with photographs of him meeting
some of the most famous and notorious people in the world.
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