Digital Fortress Chapter 66-70

Chapter 66Becker crossed the large number toward the rest means doors only to find the door tag CABALLEROS blocked by an orange pylon and a cleaning cart change with detergent and mops. He eyed the both(prenominal) other door. DAMAS. He strode over and rapped loudly.Hola? he c bothed, button the ladies room door open an inch. find divulge permiso?Silence.He went in.The rest room was typical, Spanish institutional-perfectly square, white tile, one in earth-closetdescent in contributedescent lamp over orient. As usual, t present was one point of view and one urinal. Whether the urinals were ever used in the womens room bathrooms was immaterial-adding them saved the contractors the expense of having to build the spare stall.Becker peered into the rest room in disgust. It was filthy. The discredit was clogged with murky br induce water. st signing paper towels were strewn everyw here. The floor was soaked. The old galvanising hand blower on the hem in was smeared with g reenish fingerprints.Becker stepped in tr end of the reflect and sighed. The eyes that usually stared foul with angered clarity were not so ready tonight. How long rent I been caterpillar tread around over here? he wondered. The math escaped him. Out of professorial drug abuse, he shimmied his neckties Windsor knot up on his collar. hence he turned to the urinal slowly him.As he sas welld there, he run aground himself wonde call up if Susan was internal yet. Where could she deal at peace(p)? To pock Manor with start me?Hey a effeminate voice tush him utter angrily.Becker jumped. I-Im he stammered, hurrying to zip up. Im sorry IBecker turned to face the little misfire who had vertical entered. She was a unsalted sophisticate, right take the pages of Seventeen Magazine. She wore conservative plaid pant and a white sleeveless blouse. In her hand was a red L. L. bean duffel. Her blond pilus was perfectly blow-dried.Im sorry. Becker fumbled, buckling his belt. Th e mens room was any(prenominal)way Im leaving.Fuckin weirdoBecker did a double-take. The profanity let onmed inappropriate coming from her lips-like sewage flowing from a polished decanter. notwithstanding as Becker studied her, he dictum that she was not as polished as hed initial suasion. Her eyes were puffy and blood bosom stud, and her go forth arm was swollen. Underneath the reddish anger on her arm, the form was blueness.Jesus, Becker musical theme. Intravenous drugs. Who would get go across guessed?Get tabu she yelled. Just repel outBecker arcminutearily forgot all slightly the ring, the NSA, all of it. His heart went out to the young lady friend. Her parents had probably sent her over here with some prep school use up program and a VISA card-and shed cease up all alone in a bathroom in the place of the night doing drugs.Are you okay? he asked, fannying toward the door.Im fine. Her voice was haughty. You can kick in straightawayBecker turned to go. H e shot her forearm a close vicious glance. Theres secret code you can do, David. Leave it alone. this instant she hollered.Becker nodded. As he left he gave her a sad smile. Be careful.Chapter 67Susan? haul panted, his face in hers.He was sitting, one leg on every side of her, his full weight on her midsection. His tailbone ground painfully into her pubis by the thin fabric of her skirt. His nose was soaking blood all over her. She tasted rotter in the top of her throat. His hands were at her chest.She matte nothing. Is he touching me? It overlyk a moment for Susan to realize draw was buttoning her acme button and covering her up.Susan. Hale gasped, breathless. Youve got to postulate me out of here.Susan was in a daze. nought make sense.Susan, youve got to help me Strathmore killed Chartrukian I axiom itIt took a moment for the words to register. Strathmore killed Chartrukian? Hale obviously had no idea Susan had seen him downstairs.Strathmore knows I saw him Hale spa t. Hell kill me tooHad Susan not been breathless with fear, she would have laughed in his face. She recognized the divide-and-conquer mentality of an ex-Marine. Invent lies-pit your enemies against separately other.Its true he yelled. Weve got to call for help I cogitate were both in dangerShe did not believe a word he said.Hales muscular legs were cramping, and he trilled up on his haunches to swag his weight slightly. He opened his let the cat out of the bag to speak, but he never got the chance.As Hales body rose, Susan felt the circulation surge back into her legs. Before she knew what had happened, a reflex instinct(predicate) jerked her left leg back unwaveringly into Hales crotch. She felt her kneecap crush the squishy sac of tissue between his legs.Hale whimpered in agony and instantly went limp. He rolled onto his side, clutching himself. Susan twisted out from under(a) his deadweight. She staggered toward the door, knowing shed never be fortified complete to get out.Making a split-second decision, Susan positioned herself behind the long maple meeting shelve and dug her feet into the carpet. Mercifully the table had casters. She strode with all her might toward the arched crackpot mole, get-up-and-go the table forrader her. The casters were good, and the table rolled well. Halfway crosswise Node 3, she was at a full sprint.Five feet from the glass wall, Susan heaved and let go. She leapt to one side and cover her eyes. subsequently a sickening crack, the wall exploded in a shower bath of glass. The sounds of Crypto rushed into Node 3 for the first time since its construction.Susan beliefed up. Through the jagged hole, she could see the table. It was still rolling. It spun full(a) circles out across the Crypto floor and eventually disappeared into the darkness.Susan rammed her mangled Ferragamos back on her feet, shot a last glance at the still-writhing Greg Hale, and dashed across the sea of broken glass out onto the Crypto floor .Chapter 68Now wasnt that easy? Midge said with a sneer as Brinkerhoff pass on over the key to Fontaines office.Brinkerhoff looked beaten.Ill erase it in the beginning I go, Midge promised. Unless you and your wife want it for your mysterious collection.Just get the damned printout, he snapped. And then get outSi, senor, Midge cackled in a thick Puerto Rican accent. She winked and headed across the cortege to Fontaines double doors.Leland Fontaines private office looked nothing like the rest of the tellorial suite. There were no paintings, no overstuffed chairs, no genus Ficus plants, no antique clocks. His space was streamlined for efficiency. His glass-topped desk and black leather chair sit down directly in front of his wondrous picture window. Three appoint cabinets stood in the corner next to a little(a) table with a French press coffeepot. The moon had risen high over Fort Meade, and the soft light filtering through the window accentuated the starkness of the directo rs furnishings.What the blazing am I doing? Brinkerhoff wondered.Midge strode to the printer and scooped up the dress list. She squinted in the darkness. I cant read the data, she complained. exercise on the lights.Youre reading it outside. Now become on. yet Midge was seemingly having too lots fun. She toyed with Brinkerhoff, walking to the window and angling the readout for a better view.MidgeShe kept reading.Brinkerhoff shifted anxiously in the doorway. Midge come on. These are the directors private quarters.Its here somewhere, she muttered, studying the printout. Strathmore bypassed gantlet, I know it. She move closer to the window.Brinkerhoff began to sweat. Midge kept reading.After a few moments, she gasped. I knew it Strathmore did it He genuinely did The idiot She held up the paper and move it. He bypassed Gauntlet Have a lookBrinkerhoff stared dumbfounded a moment and then raced across the directors office. He move in next to Midge in front of the window. She poin ted to the end of the readout.Brinkerhoff read in disbelief. What the?The printout contained a list of the last thirty-six files that had entered TRANSLTR. After each file was a four-digit Gauntlet clearance code. However, the last file on the sheet had no clearance code-it scarcely read manual bypass. Jesus, Brinkerhoff thought. Midge strikes again.The idiot Midge sputtered, seething. number at this Gauntlet rejected the file twice Mutation strings And he still bypassed What the hell was he intellection?Brinkerhoff felt weak-kneed. He wondered why Midge was everlastingly right. Neither of them noticed the reflection that had appeared in the window beside them. A massive propose was standing in Fontaines open doorway.Jeez, Brinkerhoff choked. You cerebrate we have a virus?Midge sighed. energy else it could be.Could be none of your damn stage business the deep voice boomed from behind them.Midge knocked her head against the window. Brinkerhoff tipped over the directors chair and revolve toward the voice. He immediately knew the silhouette.Director Brinkerhoff gasped. He strode over and extended his hand. Welcome radical, sir.The abundant man ignored it.I-I thought, Brinkerhoff stammered, retracting his hand, I thought you were in South America.Leland Fontaine glared down at his aide with eyes like bullets. Yes and now Im back.Chapter 69Hey, misterBecker had been walking across the con running toward a bank of pay phones. He stopped and turned. Coming up behind him was the fille hed just surprised in the bathroom. She waved for him to wait. Mister, waitNow what? Becker groaned. She wants to press invasion-of-privacy efflorescences?The girl dragged her duffel toward him. When she arrived, she was now wearing a huge smile. Sorry to yell at you back there. You just kind of startle me.No problem, Becker assured, somewhat puzzled. I was in the wrong place.This will sound crazy, she said, bat her bloodshot eyes. But you wouldnt happen to have some money you can tally me, would you?Becker stared at her in disbelief. Money for what? he demanded. Im not funding your drug habit if thats what youre asking.Im trying to get back home, the ash-blonde said. female genitals you help?Miss your career?She nodded. Lost my ticket. They wouldnt let me get on. Airlines can be such assholes. I dont have the money to buy another.Where are your parents? Becker asked.States.Can you reach them?Nope. Already tried. I think theyre weekending on somebodys yacht.Becker scanned the girls expensive clothing. You dont have a credit card?Yeah, but my soda water canceled it. He thinks Im on drugs.Are you on drugs? Becker asked, deadpan, eyeing her swollen forearm.The girl glared, indignant. Of course not She gave Becker an innocent huff, and he suddenly got the skin senses he was being played.Come on, she said. You look like a thick guy. Cant you compass point me some cash to get home? I could send it to you later.Becker figured any cash he gave this g irl would end up in the hands of some drug dealer in Triana. offset printing of all, he said, Im not a rich guy-Im a teacher. But Ill tell you what Ill do Ill call your bluff, thats what Ill do. Why dont I charge the ticket for you?The blonde stared at him in utter shock. Youd do that? she stammered, eyes wide with hope. Youd buy me a ticket home? Oh, God, thank youBecker was speechless. He had apparently misjudged the moment.The girl threw her arms around him. Its been a foul-smelling summer, she choked, almost bursting into tears. Oh, thank you Ive got to get out of hereBecker returned her embrace fractionalheartedly. The girl let go of him, and he eyed her forearm again.She followed his scan to the bluish rash. Gross, huh?Becker nodded. I thought you said you werent on drugs.The girl laughed. Its delusion Marker I took off half my skin trying to scrub it off. The ink smeared.Becker looked closer. In the fluorescent light, he could see, foggy beneath the reddish swelling on her arm, the faint outline of writing-words scrawled on flesh.But but your eyes, Becker said, feeling dumb. Theyre all red.She laughed. I was crying. I told you, I missed my flight.Becker looked back at the words on her arm.She frowned, embarrassed. Oops, you can still kind of read it, cant you?Becker leaned closer. He could read it all right. The meaning was quartz glass clear. As he read the four faint words, the last twelve hours flashed before his eyes.David Becker found himself back in the Alfonso long dozen hotel room. The obese German was touching his own forearm and speaking broken side of meat Fock off und die.You okay? the girl asked, eyeing the stuporous Becker.Becker did not look up from her arm. He was dizzy. The four words smeared across the girls flesh carried a very simple message FUCK OFF AND DIE.The blonde looked down at it, embarrassed. This friend of mine wrote it middling stupid, huh?Becker couldnt speak. Fock off und die. He couldnt believe it. The German hadnt been insulting him, hed been trying to help. Becker lifted his gaze to the girls face. In the fluorescent light of the concourse, he could see faint traces of red and blue in the girls blond hair.Y-you Becker stammered, staring at her unpierced ears. You wouldnt happen to wear earrings, would you?The girl eyed him strangely. She fished a tiny purpose from her pocket and held it out. Becker gazed at the skull pendant suspension in her hand.A clip-on? he stammered.Hell, yes, the girl replied. Im scared shitless of needles.Chapter 70David Becker stood in the deserted concourse and felt his legs go weak. He eyed the girl before him and knew his search was over. She had washed her hair and changed clothes-maybe in hopes of having better luck interchange the ring-but shed never boarded for New York.Becker fought to keep his cool. His brutal journey was about to end. He scanned her fingers. They were bare. He gazed down at her duffel. Its in there, he thought. Its got to beHe sm iled, barely containing his excitement. This is leaving to sound crazy, he said, but I think youve got something I need.Oh? Megan seemed suddenly uncertain.Becker reached for his wallet. Of course Id be happy to pay you. He looked down and started sorting through the cash in his billfold.As Megan watched him count out his money, she drew a startled gasp, apparently misunderstanding his intentions. She shot a shake up glance toward the revolving door measuring the distance. It was liter yards.I can give you enough to buy your ticket home if-Dont swan it, Megan blurted, offering a forced smile. I think I know on the dot what you need. She bent down and started rifling through her duffel.Becker felt a surge of hope. Shes got it he told himself. Shes got the ring He didnt know how the hell she knew what it was he wanted, but he was too tired to care. Every muscle in his body relaxed. He pictured himself handing the ring to the beaming deputy director of the NSA. Then he and Susan w ould lie in the humongous canopy bed at Stone Manor and make up for baffled time.The girl finally found what she was smell for-her PepperGuard-the environmentally safe alternative to mace, made from a potent blend of cayenne pepper and chili peppers. In one swift motion, she swung around and fired a direct stream into Beckers eyes. She grabbed her duffel and dashed for the door. When she looked back, David Becker was on the floor, holding his face, writhing in agony.