“But it’ll still take them time to send someone to intercept us. We can move again before they can reach us.”
“That’s taking chances. I have a better idea.”
Caitlin waited.
When it became obvious that he wasn’t going to finish, she asked, “And that is?”
“They still go to church regularly, Lutheran wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“You can give their pastor a call. Let him call your parents.”
The car slowed, and Caitlin caught sight of the Best Western sign as they pulled up to the entrance.
John killed the engine. “Wait here. I don’t want anyone seeing your face.”
“Why? What’s wrong with it?”
“Now who’s making fun? Just wait here. I’ll be back in a minute.”
It was more like five.
They drove around to the backside of the motel and John backed in next to the building. Caitlin got out and stretched. The night was cool and pleasant with just a touch of the moisture, which would probably turn to fog by sunrise. John popped the trunk and pulled out his overnight bag and her suitcase.
He grunted softly as he did.
“Let me help you with that,” she said and took the one from his left hand. “Thanks for getting them, I’d forgotten to ask.”
He nodded and grunted something. He shut the trunk and walked to the door marked 108. Unlocking the door, he pushed it open, flicked on the lights, and went inside.
Caitlin took one last look around the quiet parking lot and followed him in.
The room was plain but clean and had a newness that suggested a recent carpeting and painting. John laid her suitcase on the far bed and then dropped his smaller bag onto the nearer bed.
John took the alarm from his bag, hung it over the door handle, and activated it.
“You can have the bathroom first,” he said.
Caitlin nodded, removed some things from her bags, and went to shower.
When she came out, she saw John napping in the easy chair, facing the door. His arms hung loosely to either side of the chair. She went over to him, wondering if she should wake him.
His face had relaxed some of its hard lines in sleep, and his appearance was considerably closer to what she remembered. Asleep, he looked almost innocent. On an impulse, she bent to kiss his forehead. He jerked awake, and before she could step back, Caitlin found herself staring down the wide bore of a handgun.
“For Christ’s sakes, John,” she said without moving.
He lowered the gun immediately. “Sorry, I guess I fell asleep. You through in the bath?”
“Yes, I....”
He stood up and holstered the gun beneath his left shoulder. Without another word, he picked up his bag, went into the bath, and pulled the door shut behind him.
Caitlin moved her suitcase, and then pulled down the covers on the bed nearest the bathroom. The small alarm clock on the nightstand read just after two. It felt more like five. God, but she was tired. She crawled between the sheets and was asleep when her head hit the pillow.
***
Holdren was sipping Darjeeling when his cell phone vibrated against his chest. He set the cup in the saucer and took out the phone. Across the table, Romax’s eyes followed him over a cup of decaf Kona blend.
“Holdren here.”
It was the watch officer back at the barn. “Mr. Holdren, we have a hit on one of your inquiries.”
It was about time.
“Which inquiry?” he asked.
“The Web monitors have spotted a portion of the file you expressed interest in.”
“Just a portion?”
“Yes. Max has determined that it’s the encryption code portion of the file. It appears someone has broken out that section and is seeking help in breaking the cipher.”
Max was the nickname of the big multiprocessor Cray back at the barn. “Interesting. What do we have on the transmission site?”
“It originated in the San Jose area. We’re having trouble spotting the exact location. The URL site doesn’t match any recorded listings. Max thinks it’s a CHAOS location.”
“CHAOS? What the hell is that?” Holdren asked.
“Computer Hackers Alliance for Open Speech.”
“Shouldn’t that be CHAFOS?”
“Yeah, you’d think.”
“And what is CHAOS’s interest in our file?” Holdren asked.
“Max thinks they had a hand in its theft. Personally, I think they’re nothing more than a bunch of computer nerds who have gotten together to increase their own sense of self-worth.”
“You came up with that all by yourself?”
There was a pause on the line before the watch officer replied. “Not really. That comes out of the Internal Threat Office. They think Max is giving these guys too much credit.”
“So they’re just a bunch of computer hackers who just happened to stumble on the most closely guarded secret since Kennedy and Monroe? It sounds like Max may be earning the billions it cost to create it.”
“Well, yeah, if they are involved, it’ll mean stepping up the surveillance of their activities.”
“See to it. We can’t wait for the next committee meeting to make a decision. How long before Max can trace that transmission point?”
“He’s going back through public utility records for the last decade and comparing them with all changes in –”
Holdren interrupted with an impatient snap. “I don’t need to know what he’s doing. I just need to know when I’ll get the information.”
“Yes, one, maybe two hours at the most.”
“All right. We’ll move our operations to San Jose and be ready to move when you have the address. How long before Max will have the file decrypted?”
“He finished it nearly an hour ago.”
“Really? I was told that it would take all of the night and probably most of tomorrow.”
“Yes, normally it would have, but Max doesn’t work the normal way.”
“Oh, and how did it find the password so fast?”
“Max assumed that since
