caldwelwokeahecrackofdawnforawhilehehoughhewassillinhiscapsulehoelinangelhealmosexpecedoseeanlcdcouningdownhiscredibuallhecouldseewasheblinkofledsonhevariousiemsofelecronicsscaeredaroundhesuienonighmareshisimeandhefelhehadenjoyedhisbessleep,adeeplysaisfyinginervalofdreamlessbck,inalongwhileheshoweredandchangedinobckscksandawhielinenshirwihnocolrheshirwasasizeoosmallhepressedanarrowonhependhefabricsrechedoamoreforablefi

heeleganforysomehingwomanwhocaldwellfoundouhadmanagedhedailygoingsonahemansionforcloseowenyyearshadseenoihanewcloheshadbeenbroughupohissuiebywhom,caldwellhadnoideabuherewasasmallsackofmiscelneousfashionbagswihnameslikegod,izzue,joyceandshanghaiangsackedinonecornerofhesuiehehadn’boheredoopenallofhem

hesuiewasprisedofargebedroomwihakingsizedwaerbedandensuiebahroom,asmallsudywihabckgreawallcompuronicsconsoleandmoniorandalivingareawihwosofasandanamoipsmascreenonhewalliwasoneofhosepsmashailedofollowyourlineofvision,anoldi

ovaionhacaldwellpersonallyfoundsupid

hewendownobreakfasmeilinwasalreadyhereinhediningroomherfacewasinscruablebuasusualshelookedsu

ingherhairwaspulledbackinaponyaindhereyesenhancedwihhefainesofbckmascarascaldwellsuspecedshehadmadesomeexraefforforhisbenefibuhacouldhavebeenhisegoalkinghehoughshecouldhavedonewihouhemascaraburyellinghaoagirl,probablyyourfirsloveandheloveofyourlife,whohadspenmosofheradullifehinkingyouwereashishewaswearingaredloosefiingshir,bckscksandmeallicgraypumpsbreakfaswashoporridgeandsrongbckcoffee

aferbreakfassheshowedhimhegroundsofhehouseherewerealogeherfiveselfconainedprivaesuies,severalmonlivingspaces,agymandalibraryheseguysseemedoloveheirgyms,afacprobablyreedosomepersonalhangupoffouler’scaldwellfiguredhaifyouspenmosofyourwakinglifeinfronofaconsoleyou’dneedeasyaccessoagymwereyoucouldreversemusclewasageherewerealsoseveralofficesoonesideofhehouse

hewassurprisedolearnhahesolemnwomanwasdewie’swifeandhashewasinfacajapanesewhohadspenmosofherworkinglifeinhongkong,wihsomewhainfrequenvisisohernaivejapanheyhadmewhendewiejoinedhydrahongkonghe’dbeendismissedfromhebriisharmyforfailingournupohebarracksaferadrunke

ighonheownhewoman’snamewaskumikoheyhadasondanewhohehadmebrieflyabreakfasdanewasworkingasaninerninhesysemsdeparmenhavingjusfinishedhighschoofewmonhsearlierhewasagoodlookingeurasiankid,wihashockofbrowncurlyhairandamischievouslookinhisorienaleyescaldwellidenifiedwihhimimmediaely

geinginoheoperaionsroomwaslikegeinginoforknoxseveralfingerprin,bodyandirisscansandmuliplecodeserheyfoundhemselvesinaseelreinforcedroomwihmoreconsolesanddispyshanhehadeverseen,excepperhapsinhismemoryofhepuerroomahydrahqinlondonheoperaionsroomwasempyexcepfordanedewie

“cad,man,i’veseupaworkspaceforyouandmeilinoverhere,”heboysaid,poiningoonesideofheroomwhereanergonomicmulifunciondeskhadbeenseup”

“hanksdane”

“ifyouneedanyhing,gloves,goggles,cyberspacehookupjuslemeknowi’sallwirelessanywaysoaslongasyouarewirelessfriendlyyouarereadyogo”hekidobviouslylovedhisjobhewasageeklikecaldwellmeilinlookedahemashoughheywerewokidsaoysrus

“won’beneedinghahishinghasdirecsaellielinksocyberspace,”caldwellsaidappingkenzo’sconsoleunderhisarm

“swee,”danesaid,whislingashewenouhedoor

meilinandcaldwellsaaheworkopinwopaddedleaherchairsshepulledalonghinrecordingdevicefromherpockeandfiddledwihiwhilecaldwellseupheconsolehepluggedinhegoggleandglovesanddo

edhemmeilinspokesomehinginohedevice

caldwellcrackedhisknuckles,srechedandpressedhebuononhefronhawasflushwihheconsole’ssleekbckbodyagreenlighcameonashoughiappearedfromnowhereabursofaciviyinheledsasheconsolepainedhescreenonhisreinaandanoheronheworkopcaldwellappedonhekeyboard,feelingheacilesensaionofhekeyshroughheglovesheloggedonohisbaseherewerewomessagesonewasfromglyphcaldwellhearsoppedglyphhadreurnedfromhegraveandhenherememberedhaiwasprobablybecausekawasusingoneofglyph’smessagingapplicaions

heycad,

hopeyouarrivedsafelyinhongkonglemeknow

love,

ka

caldwellsenkaaquickreply:

ka,

arrivedsafelyall’sgoingaccordingopn

bes,

cc

hefiredupheohermessagecaldwellfrozeinhischairmeilinleaninfurheroseeheconensofhemessage

subjec:iamwachingyou

cadcaldwell,

iknowwhoyouareiamwaching,omnipreseniknowwhayouareupoforyourlongermhealh,iimploreyouoceaseanddesisica

obeheldresponsibleforheconsequences

“whohehellcouldhabefrom?”caldwelskedaloud

“whaisi?”

“someanonymoushreamessagelemecheckheelecronicrail”

caldwellhackedinohemessagingserverofhisbaseproviderinmumbai,indiahehaddoneisomanyimeshaihadbeesecondnaurehedrilleddowninohemessages,foundhissmessageandsca

edhemessageheadersheheaderofheanonymousmessagesuggesedhaihadefromrussia

“senfromrussia,hisisnomakinganysense,”hesaidonobodyinparicur

“couldbeareyamaskananonymizer”meilinsuggesed

“moslikely”

iookcaldwelllofwominuesobreachherussianserverhemessagecimedobeingfrohadn’originaedinrussiaaalliwasareyedmessagesenfromadomaininnewchina

“heoriginisinnewchina”

“lemesee,”meilinsaidcaldwellpassedhegogglesoveroherhesaredohackinohenewchinamessageserver,sendinginalowlevelpasswordsniffingbocaldwellwasaempingocrackhemessagingserverbybrueforcebunohingseemedobehappeningheflippedohisbaseandcheckedonhissmalrmyofbosheyareallhereexcepforhepasswordboihaddisappearedfromhedaabase

“buha’simpossibleheideshaveracedmypasswordboandkillediinhedaabase”

“hereisaringoflowlevelidesandicessurroundingheenirechineseporionofcyberspace,someofhebesinheworldheypracicallyinvenedheconcepofinrusioncouneraackryanoherone”

caldwellseninanoherbohisonewasslighlymoresophisicaedwhereashepreviousonemadenoaempohideispresence,iwasalowlevelpasswordbohasniffedaroundopenpors,hecurrenbowasarojanhaaempedomimicanordinaryuserisca

edsurroundingrafficonheperipheryofhemessagingserverforgenuinemessagingrequessandhijackedanyusernamesifoundideswereusuallywrienorecognizehagenuineusersmayhaveproblemsimpuinghecorrecpasswordcaldwellflippedohisbaseallhisboshaddisappeared

“shimybosareallgonedesroyed,”caldwellsaid,hismindincapableofaricuinganyhingelseahaparicurmomen

“howdidhahappen?”

“probablyracedhesecondboandrealizediwasinhebaseiwasjusamaerofsendinginaremoequeryandwipingheeniredaabase”

“doyouhaveabackup?”

“yes,idobuhosebosarenogoingocuicanyouimagine,hisisjusanordinarymessagingserverinnewchinaandheidesarehissophisicaed?howhehelrewegoingofindasecreworkwhereheidesmusmakehisonelooklikechild’spy?”

“ha’swhyyou’rehemanforhejobacually,wedon’haveimeforhiswebeergecrackingonhismyseriouswork,”meilinsaid

“ohwearesomehingellsmehewoarereedwhyelsewouldsomeoneinnewchinasendmehreaeningmessages?”

“oksowhanow?”

“ihaveanideawha’shebiggeshongkongpanyofferingdaainerco

eclinksochina?”caldwelsked,anidearisinginhimlikeaphoenixfromisashes

“henewchinaelecronicxchange&elemunicaionscold”

“longname,”caldwellobserved

“heylike‘emlonginnewchinawecallinexforshorwhy?”

“whaarehechancesofhecyberspacedaabeingsuckedinochinahavinggohroughnex’ssysems?”

“high”

“whereareheirdaaceners?”

“nexower,cenralwhy?”

“ha’swherewearegoingnex”

“pardonme?”

“ineedoseehelogsanexhamayelluswherehedaawenicanaempohackhemfromherebui’llakeoolongobreakheirideshongkongissomewhaofanachillesheelwheniesoproecinghenewchinaworksfromheousideworldsinceheyneedinerco

ecswihserviceprovidershereiamsureheyhavesomeofheirbesidesproecinghenexsysemsbuificanuseanauhenicaedworkerminalhamighbequicker”

“yourealizewhayouaresuggesing,righ?securiyanexowerisincrediblyighomyknowledgeihasneverbeenbreechedgeingcaughisnoanopion”

“iknowdoyouhaveanaruni?”

“yeah”

“andavehicleequippedwihacyberspaceconsole?”

“yes”

“greahenwhaarewewaiingfor?”

“cad,ineedoalkofouleroraleasdewieoauhorizehiswearealkingnexhereifyougecaugh,hefallouwillbesraospheric”

“we’llbeinandouinamaerofminuescallingfoulerwillonlyplicaehings”

“youbeerbesureabouhiscaldwell”

“rusme,”caldwellsaid,fixingherwihhismosinenselookhedidn’evenrushimself