One by One by Chris Carter

Author:Chris Carter
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780857203090
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2013-08-14T23:00:00+00:00

Fifty-Nine

Despite the temperature inside their office being around a hundred degrees Fahrenheit, Hunter felt cold sweat break out on the nape of his neck and trickle down his back.

‘Are you ready, Detective Hunter?’ the caller asked rhetorically. ‘Because your favorite website just went back online. You don’t need me to give you the web address again, do you?’

Hunter was already typing it into his browser’s address bar.

The web page loaded in less than three seconds. But what Hunter saw forced him to do a double take. This time the picture wasn’t dominated by the green tint of a night-vision lens. Neither was it being broadcast from a dingy, dark dungeon-looking room somewhere. The caller was broadcasting in broad daylight from a busy city street. And this time the camera wasn’t static either. It was moving with the crowd, walking along leisurely, as if handheld by a tourist filming his LA vacation.

Hunter’s eyes narrowed.

There were people all around. Men and women dressed in a variety of different attires, from casual jeans, T-shirts, shorts and dresses to business suits. Some seemed in a hurry, with their cellphones glued to their ears. Some were casually walking around, maybe window-shopping. It was hard to tell, as the camera lens angle was straight and narrow, like tunnel vision. Hunter could see people coming toward the camera and walking past it, but the peripheral vision was blurred.

Hunter quickly used the palm of his hand to cover the phone’s mouthpiece. ‘Call Michelle at the FBI Cybercrime Division,’ he whispered to Garcia. ‘The website is back online.’

Garcia’s desk was probably the best-organized desk inside the entire PAB. Everything had its designated place, and always seemed to be symmetrically positioned. Michelle Kelly’s card was the first of three arranged side by side to the right of his telephone. He dialed the number, and Michelle answered within two rings.

‘Michelle, it’s Carlos.’

Instantly Michelle picked up on Garcia’s serious tone.

‘Hey, Carlos. What’s wrong?’

Garcia typed into his browser’s address bar as he spoke. ‘He’s back online. The website is back online.’

‘What?’

‘He’s on the phone to us right now.’

He heard frantic keyboard clicks from the other end.

The page loaded on Garcia’s screen and he cocked his head back, frowning at the street images before looking at Hunter. ‘What the hell?’

Hunter gave him a subtle headshake.

‘What do you mean – the website is back online, Carlos?’ Michelle said over the phone. ‘I’ve got nothing here.’

‘What?’

‘I’m looking at an Error 404 page. File not found.’

‘Recheck the web address you typed,’ Garcia replied, instinctively rereading the one on his address bar. ‘The images are playing live on my screen. I’m looking at them right now.’

‘I’ve already rechecked it. You sure it’s the same address?’

‘Positive.’

More keyboard clicks.

‘Damn, he’s blocking us out,’ she ultimately said.

‘He’s what . . .? How can he block you out, but not us?’

‘There are a few methods, but I’m not going to get technical with you right now.’

Garcia shook his head at Hunter. ‘They can’t see it,’ he whispered. ‘Somehow he’s blocking them out, but not us.

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