The Great Race by Tom Clancy

Author:Tom Clancy [Clancy, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

‘What’s the matter?’ Alex asked. ‘You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.’

‘No, but you may have gone out with a spy,’ Leif told his friend. ‘This young woman is part of a team competing in the race - from the Carpathian Alliance. If they win, they stand at least to see, and possibly even cart off, some prime examples of new computer technology.’ He looked at Alex. ‘By the way, did you report your unauthorized technology transfer?’

Alex rolled his eyes. ‘I was just asking if you could help replace the computer I lost!’

‘Had stolen,’ Leif corrected. He could see he was going to get nowhere with his fun-loving friend. So they talked for a while more, made plans to get together if Leif got free of Hollywood before Alex headed back to Paris, and then cut the connection.

Leaping from the computer-link couch, Leif went through the suite, rounding up his fellow Net Force Explorers. ‘You’re not going to believe this,’ he told them. ‘The friend who called in made a recent, unscheduled stop in the Carpathian Republic. And while he was there, he had his luggage lightened.’ He went on, repeating Alex’s story - and telling about the girl in the picture.

‘You’re sure it’s the same girl?’ Davis asked.

‘Unless it’s her twin or a clone,’ Leif replied.

‘She is kind of hard to miss,’ Andy admitted. ‘What did you say her name was? Ludmila?’ He grinned and began talking like a holo announcer. ‘Stay tuned! Our next program is Ludmila Popov, Sexy Spy!’

‘Knock it off, Andy,’ Leif said, a little annoyed.

‘Well, we thought the C.A. team was involved in spying on us right from the get-go,’ Matt declared. ‘Now we know they had reason to be familiar with the kind of computer David was carrying.’

Leif just shrugged. ‘The proof is a little late in coming. Maybe Wallenstein might have put his foot down in the beginning if we could have pointed to a single team up to no good. After the meeting this morning, everybody will be trying out their full collection of dirty tricks.’

‘At least we know who we’d better stay away from,’ Andy said.

Leif had to agree with that.

I wonder if I’ll end up feeling sorry for old Hairless Jorge from Corteguay, he thought.

That evening, after a little rest and a decent meal, Leif and the other Net Force Explorers got in their rental car and drove over to Pinnacle Studios. The visitors’ lot was a bit of a hike from Casa Falldown, but they walked the distance with lots of time to spare. Leif grinned to see the little scrap of paper still stuck in the door to their ofiBce. He and the other boys took their places on the computer-link couches and synched in.

Leif waited in his virtual office until David called him, giving the okay. ‘Nothing disturbed that I could see,’ his friend reported. ‘I’ve checked all the telltales and run the file of the ship against our backup. Everything matches. I think we’re okay.

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