Cybernation (2001) by Tom - Net Force 06 Clancy

Author:Tom - Net Force 06 Clancy [Clancy, Tom - Net Force 06]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-03-17T20:24:12+00:00

Chapter 20.

Net Force HQ

Quantico, Virginia

Toni sat at Alex's desk, going over operations reports. She was glad to be back. She'd forgotten how interesting this work was in the time she'd been away. As Alex's assistant, she had been privy to the inner workings of the nation's computer business, all kinds of information the average citizen didn't even know existed had come across her desk. When she'd quit--over a mistaken supposition that Alex had been too idiotic to correct--she hadn't missed work, because almost immediately she'd had an offer from the director to start a job for the mainline FBI. The pregnancy, then the baby, had stopped that. It had been the better part of a year, and she'd lost a few steps. But it was like riding a bicycle--the basic balance was still there, and with a little practice, she'd be rolling smoothly again pretty fast.

She felt a quick stab of guilt. Did that make her a bad mother, that she wanted to work? Shouldn't she be at home, doing mommy things, putting all this away until Little Alex was old enough to go off to school? It wasn't as if they needed the money. And she did miss the baby, that was true. But her husband needed her, too, and what was she to do? Guru had showed up, and that had seemed like some kind of sign.

Still, she worried.

Well, it was only temporary, after all. A few days, a week, until the crisis was over, that was all . . .

"Boss still testifying?" Jay said from the doorway.

"I think so," she said. "Anything new on your front?"

"Yes and no. I'm on the right track, I got ambushed in VR again. But this time, I surprised the sucker. Didn't get a solid lead, unfortunately."

"Win some, lose some."

"Oh, this one ain't won or lost yet. Too early. But I have some feelers out on the CyberNation gambling ship, down in the Caribbean, and I'm expecting those to come in later today."

"You think they are responsible?"

"Gut-check? Yes. Proof? None."

"Lay it out for me."

"Sure." He came in, flopped down on the couch. He started ticking points off on his fingers: "One, CyberNation has a lot to gain if people switch to them because of net woes. Two, CyberNation has the talent to pull this kind of thing off. I don't have a complete list of their programmers and weavers, but I've seen their public face, and it is very slick, uses all the latest language. Three, their advertisements increased just about the time all this started, a vigorous campaign to sign up new members, stressing the integrity of their systems. Four, there's that connection with the casino ship and the dead guy from Blue Whale. Five, I haven't found anybody better, and I've been looking real hard."

"Circumstantial and iffy," she said.

"Hey, I got another whole hand of fingers here. Six, CyberNation is pushing on other fronts. They have a powerful lobby working in D.C., and in various major countries around the world.

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