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![]() It was hard to believe. The emergency shut down at the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank was the only time Nancy could remember not feeling totally helpless in the last 24 hours. She may have almost passed out and still had some of the dull headache remaining, but she took action and got something done. Everything else had been happening to her. Now with MEMOREX 333 bearing down on New York's branch of the Federal Reserve and time ticking down to the midnight attack, Nancy was grasping for some feeling of control. She called Jim Slater in Salt Lake.
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| Nancy: |
Jim, hi, this is Nancy McGill.
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| Slater: |
Hi, Nancy. I'm surprised to hear from you. Thought you'd be up to your eyeballs trying to stop that thing from hitting New York.
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| Nancy: |
Yeah, we are. Of course, we're not sure what we can do to help. We've talked over their defensive profile, told them what we think about what happened to you guys, a few suggestions for mixing things up, but that's about it.
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| Slater: |
No telling what tricks he's got, eh?
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| Nancy: |
Right, prepare for anything has been our best advice.
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| Slater: |
And they already knew that. Your experts aren't looking too good, are they?
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| Nancy: |
We're not worried about how we look right now. If we can stop it, we'll come out all right. Time is getting short, though.
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| Slater: |
I heard about the midnight warning. Television looks like a media frenzy. You'd think it was New Year's Eve at Times Square. Well, at least they're all leaving me alone.
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| Nancy: |
How is your recovery operation coming along?
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| Slater: |
You haven't heard? We brought our system back up ahead of schedule. We beat our timetable and everything looks great. It just went back on-line a few minutes ago.
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| Nancy: |
So everything checked out? No damage? No money taken?
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| Slater: |
Nancy, you must be tired. That's the same mistake everybody makes when they think about banks and computer crime. They think of it like stealing cash out of a vault. Actually it works the other way around. Computer thieves try to fake the deposit of money and then withdraw it as legal, negotiable funds.
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| Nancy: |
Okay, I confess. I don't spend a lot of time planning to defraud my bank. Are there other schemes we should be thinking about?
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| Slater: |
The other thing thieves do is plant altered programs that make deposits for them on each transaction. The program might skim a tiny percentage of interest accruals. That mounts up to serious money after a few thousand accounts are cranked through it.
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| Nancy: |
That's interesting. You don't have to take anything, you just setup the computer system to give you free money. And your system is clear on that, too? No changed programs?
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Slater: |
To tell you the truth, we didn't have anything to compare to. We were lucky to have the one backup set available when MEMOREX 333 got through with the mainframes. I still don't know how we got lucky enough to save one whole copy from the tape robot. Good shooting on your part, I guess.
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| Nancy: |
Jim, I'm getting a bad feeling. What if the New York attack is all a distraction?
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| Slater: |
Thanks, now I've got a bad feeling. We do have some old backup sets that we ship up here to Salt Lake every week. I can run some comparison's against those archives. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
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| Nancy: |
Okay, Jim. Let me know if there's anything we can do.
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Roger and Pete both realized time was running. They had to pursue every possible solution. That meant talking to Tony White. As much as Pete hated to do it, he agreed they should lean on him pretty hard. Roger followed Pete into Tony's office.
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| Warwick: |
Tony, do you have a minute? Roger and I need to talk to you.
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| Tony: |
Sure thing, Pete. What's up, new info on 333?
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| Roger: |
Tony, me and your boss go back a few years. We worked together on a couple things for the Agency. You get to know each other real well on projects like those.
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| Tony: |
Yeah, I knew a few field operatives while I was back east. Some get kind of strange after a while.
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| Warwick: |
Most of them come into the company strange. I think it's in the psych profile the recruiters use.
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| Roger: |
My point, Tony, is that I know Pete well enough to tell that something has been bothering him. He's been holding it in, not wanting to face it. The two of us finally talked about it and we decided to come to you.
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| Tony: |
Yeah? How can I help?
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| Warwick: |
Here it is. MEMOREX 333 is too good. He's getting outside instructions fed to him. He has to be. In order for that to happen they have to have somebody inside this operation. We need to find out who it is. Then we may be able to take command of 333 ourselves and avoid any more disasters.
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| Tony: |
You think one of the new guys is a spy or something?
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| Roger: |
We've talked over the whole team. Putting aside Pete's intuitions, you shake out as the most likely candidate.
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| Tony: |
Pete, you can't be serious? You don't think I would. . .
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| Roger: |
No he doesn't think you would. That's why I do. It's a perfect fit. Process of elimination alone makes you a stand-out from the crowd. Nobody else could do it. Put that together with no background file because you came in from Defense Intelligence and we have a winner.
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| Tony: |
I get it, you're going to try this routine on everybody and see if someone spills their guts. Who's next on the list after me?
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| Warwick: |
Tony, let me give you some advice here. Work with us. Give us someone else and help us shut down MEMOREX before he gets to New York. You'll walk away from this. Probably write a book and become an expensive security consultant. How long do you think it's going to take us to find something incriminating on your workstation or on the telephone log?
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| Tony: |
I . . . I . . . I need some time to think, Pete. I don't know what to do.
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| Warwick: |
We don't have any time to spare.
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| Roger: |
Listen, Tony, we know other people are involved and I have a good guess who one of them is. You just confirm that and we'll go from there. Malcolm Dunn is the control point, isn't he?
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| Tony: |
Dunn forced me to do it. He said he'd kill my parents if I didn't work for him. He's been watching this project for five years, waiting for the perfect time. The delays were driving him crazy. You don't know what he's done to me!
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| Warwick: |
Dunn is field control?
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| Tony: |
Yeah, somebody else is operations strategy, but Dunn sets up all the field work.
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| Roger: |
Tony, let's send the mission termination command to 333. Once that's out of the way we can get Agent West to arrest Dunn.
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| Tony: |
I can't help you with 333. His matrix integrity went below the safety point an hour ago. I had him jettison the command and control package in order to lighten the load. Dunn said if I didn't hold him together somehow. . .
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| Roger: |
Yeah, we get the picture. That means MEMOREX 333 is still our top priority. Dunn will have to wait.
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| Warwick: |
Tony, don't say anything to Dunn. Let him think everything is still going according to plan.
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| Roger: |
We better get Spike after 333. There's no other way to stop him now.
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| Tony: |
Who is Spike?
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| Roger: |
Just sit tight, Tony. Avoid talking to Dunn at all costs. If he gets near you, he'll know you're keeping something from him.
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Spike and Dr. Boreskovich were right where they had been in the control room when Roger and Pete left to visit Tony. Spike and the scientist seemed to feed off each other's theories and ideas. No one else could follow them for long. They were working on separating 333's weapon components from the rest of the program structure. In order to work, they needed to design a new control interface that would fit Spike.
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| Spike: |
Glad you two could join us. Dr. Boreskovich and I have made some real progress.
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| Boreskovich: |
Da, da, we have a control interface for the deletion weapon that Mr. Webb should be able to use.
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| Roger: |
How much longer do you need?
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| Spike: |
We just got the object package generated. I'm ready to run the first tests.
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| Warwick: |
We've got a test system for just this sort of thing. You can feel free to blast away anything you find on it: processes, files, even ROM resident instructions.
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| Spike: |
Okay, don't forget you said anything.
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Spike grabbed the new program and moved to Warwick's test system. He surveyed the computer for potential targets. Spike selected a set of files that looked like copies of system logs. They were the digital equivalent of target practice cans lined up across the top of a picket fence. Taking a few seconds to get the feel of the interface, Spike fired. With ten or twelve practice shots Spike was getting the hang of it. He could even selectively delete parts of files, or whole directories.
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| Spike: |
Not bad, eh?
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| Roger: |
Yeah, not bad. You're a regular gunslinger there, Spike Webb. And I must say, you seem to be enjoying it.
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| Spike: |
The target practice was fun. I'm not sure how I'll feel when MEMOREX 333 is firing back.
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| Warwick: |
Spike, we know that 333's matrix integrity is getting very low. You should be able to push him over the edge with just a couple strikes.
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| Roger: |
We also know he's dropped his command interface. That means there's no way to stop him before he hits New York unless you can get to him.
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| Spike: |
The pressure is on. I better get out there then. I still have to find him.
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| Boreskovich: |
We should run more tests on the weapon before you go.
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| Spike: |
I wish there were time for that. I'll try to get some field tests in after I locate MEMOREX 333. Say good-bye to Nancy for me, Roger.
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| Roger: |
Will do.
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There was a small duffel bag on the desk next to Dunn's briefcase. Both were closed and appeared ready to go. Tony White could hear Dunn's voice speaking into the telephone as he opened the door and entered without bothering to knock. Tony closed the door behind himself never letting his eyes stray from the lock they now held with Dunn's surprised stare. The young computer engineer leaned casually against the wall while he waited for Dunn to finish his phone call.
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| Dunn: |
Yeah, yeah, it's all set. No problem. Should be moving out soon. I told you, they came in ahead of schedule. It's good news. Listen, I'll have to call you back. What are you doing here, kid? You want somebody to find us talking together?
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| Tony: |
It's too late to worry about that, Dunn. They already know about both of us.
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| Dunn: |
What do you mean? Who knows?
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| Tony: |
Tango and Warwick.
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| Dunn: |
You gave me up to them?
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| Tony: |
They guessed, I confirmed.
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| Dunn: |
You'll pay for this, kid. Mark my words, you'll pay. But right now, I've got to get out of here.
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| Tony: |
Not so fast, Dunn. You're taking me with you.
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| Dunn: |
What are you talking about?
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From inside his loose fitting jacket, Tony extracted a 9mm. Baretta and aimed directly at Dunn's heart.
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| Tony: |
You're not leaving me empty-handed while you retire to South America.
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| Dunn: |
Take it easy. Take it easy. All right, you're with me. No big deal, but we do have to go now!
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| Tony: |
Let's call upstairs to security so they know I'll be with you.
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| Dunn: |
You do think ahead, kid. I have to give you that.
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Dunn picked up the telephone and pressed the key for the front security desk. He barked into the telephone in his customary blustery way of giving orders to unimportant people. He ordered his car brought around front and explained that he and Tony White would be driving themselves to the city. As Dunn set down the telephone he saw Tony snap a silencer on the end of his gun barrel. The implication was immediately obvious to Dunn.
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| Tony: |
Good job. That should do nicely.
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| Dunn: |
Where did you get a silencer?
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| Tony: |
You don't know very much about me, do you? I've got a lot of special skills. This is about the least painful one in my repertoire. Your lucky there are people around because personally I'd much rather make this loud and painful for you.
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| Dunn: |
Washington will track you down. They'll get you for this.
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| Tony: |
Listen to you. You don't even know who you're working for, you idiot. They gave me the order to take you out. This has been in the plan from day one. You're extra baggage at this point, Dunn. About as important as the next generic middle manager they recruit off the street.
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| Dunn: |
They've already sent in your cleanup crew. You won't make it three miles up the freeway.
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| Tony: |
That's what you're supposed to think, Dunn. It was even my idea. I had them tell you that so you wouldn't whack me if you panicked and ran out early. Pretty good, huh?
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| Dunn: |
I scheduled your hit myself. Picked my own people. It's no fake.
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| Tony: |
Well thanks for the warning. I'll take my chances. No matter how bad the odds, they're better than yours.
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With an evil joy, Tony White pulled the trigger twice. The two rounds pushed Dunn back against the wall and he slumped to his knees as he gripped his bloody chest. Dunn stiffened from shock, lost his balance, and fell sideways like a tree on its way to the lumber mill. Tony moved to stand over him and put a final shot in the back of his victim's head. The killer grabbed Dunn's briefcase and walked calmly out of the office and toward the exit stairs.
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