“This GenetX Corporation,” Tiger spat the words as if they were rotting flesh. “The world thinks they are curing diseases and feeding the starving … and behind the scenes they’re creating bushy-tailed love dolls for the chosen few.”
“I told ya before! Satan wears a tailored suit and sits in a corporate boardroom!”
“You may have something there.” Tiger shook his head. Some sick people in this world! But then the thought occurred to him. I’m one to be talking. I just had one of those things rock my world a few hours ago! He turned away. “I’ve seen enough!”
“Wait!” Jocko grabbed him by the arm. “What’s this?” He pulled up another sub-file. “Operation Kitsune … I think we need to check this out.”
“Why?”
“‘Cause Kitsune is Japanese for fox, you dipshit!”
“Well, by all means!”
“Gimme a minute! This file must really have some good shit in it! It has its own set of security encryptions. By the gods! These are even more sophisticated than the main folder.”
All Tiger could see were rows of numbers changing constantly on the screen as his friend worked feverishly to find a way in. He could tell by the look on the man’s face that this was, by far, a bigger challenge than what he had faced earlier. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this.
“Maybe we oughta just leave well enough alone,” he suggested.
“No! I’m almost in!” Jocko roared. “Just a few more seconds!” Aw, hell! It had become personal now. To admit defeat would be to admit some company lackey had bested him, something that had never been done before. He wasn’t about to let that happen. Not now. Not ever!
“We already know what we need to kno—”
“I don’t give a shit! They’re not keeping me out!” Sweat covered the man’s forehead and drenched his already greasy hair, as he mentally processed his way through the enemy’s safeguards. Slowly, one by one, they were falling, but it was taking its toll on him. He had met a worthy foe. But while he might be considered indeed worthy, he was still not unbeatable. He had met his match today. He had met the Net Ninja!
“Yes!” With a cry of triumph, Jocko threw his arms into the air, as the last line of defense crumbled and the file opened. “You’re still my bitches!”
His exultation would be short-lived, as a booming, angry voice would suddenly fill the room.
“Intruder! Your trespass here has not gone unnoticed, nor will it go unpunished!”
“What the fuck!” Tiger knew his gut instinct had been right. This had been a mistake.
“Oh God!” Jocko screamed in terror, as he ripped the earpiece from his ear. “Oh God!”
“What’s happened?” Tiger fought panic now. Fear gripped him suddenly like a clammy vise around his heart.
“We saw you! We know where you are!”
“Summer!” Jocko yelled at the ceiling, as he grabbed up an armful of quicksticks, tramp drives and other assorted geek gear and began to stuff them into an old backpack.
“Yes, my stud muffin?” A female voice that sounded as if it belonged to a porn star replied to him.
“Summer, I need you to initiate the “Home Alone” protocol once I exit this building.
“What’d you do?” Tiger didn’t like the sound of this. If Jocko was leaving his apartment, it was bad. Very bad!
“We are coming for you, intruder! There is nowhere you can hide!”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Summer was now speaking again, the only calm voice left in the room. I certainly will miss our time together, Reginald.”
Reginald? What the hell?
“However, you must know that to initiate the Home Alone protocol, I must confirm the failsafe.”
“Yes, yes!” Jocko had just crammed a dirty Dead Dylans reunion tour tee into the bag. Tiger could tell he’d been shaken very badly, as he ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes, trying to remember the passphrase. “Okay, okay … let’s see …” He took a deep breath. “Do that to me one more time …”
“Once is never enough …” Summer purred in her best bedroom voice.
“With a man like me!”
Am I really hearing this? Tiger wondered if he were trapped in one of those dreams where you couldn’t wake up. I seriously think I just puked in my mouth a little!
“Home Alone protocol now initiated and will activate upon your departure, Reginald.”
“Will you please tell me what the fuck is going on here?” Tiger had run out of patience. He was tired of being ignored. “What the fuck did you do … Reginald?”
“I didn’t do anything, you asshole!” He turned on Tiger now, desperate in his obvious terror.
“You better remember who you’re talking to!” The look on Tiger’s face suddenly brought a little calm back to the panicked man’s demeanor. He knew he was no match for Tiger physically, and he sure didn’t need to piss him off. After all, he was going to need him now. And Tiger was the only friend he had … human-wise.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “It was a trap! They let me in and then they turned the tables. They hacked me!”
“What does that mean?”
Jocko threw the backpack over his shoulder and looked as calmly as he could at Tiger. “It means … that
