| Subject: Chapter 2 |
Author:
Juli
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Date Posted: Wednesday, May 17, 05:29:10pm
In reply to:
Juli
's message, "Anti-Virus" on Wednesday, May 17, 05:25:56pm
Chapter 2
Nikita Jones cringed as the tattoo artist stuck the needle into her friend, Carla, once again. It was a common occurrence for Nikita and Carla to be in this particular tattoo parlor, but after her first one, Nikita had not gotten another. Carla, on the other hand, seemed to be addicted. For every new boyfriend, which seemed to Nikita to be about once a month, Carla got a new tattoo in honor of the guy.
“At least,” Nikita thought, “she doesn’t get their names.”
“Will you stop cringing every time he does it?” Carla complained.
“I think that watching makes mine ache all over again,” Nikita told her, with a pained look.
“That’s ridiculous,” Carla told her. “You’ve had that thing for over year. It’s healed!”
“I know, but…” Nikita said, rubbing her shoulder blade where a pair of green eyes was permanently penned into her skin.
Carla shook her head.
Nikita glanced around the shop and then out at the crowded boulevard. Her small wire-rimmed glasses were pushed up onto her head like a headband. She wore baggy black pants tucked into combat boots and a cropped, camouflage tank top under a leather jacket.
“All done!” Carla exclaimed, getting up from the table and admiring the tattoo that now nestled right above her waistband on her back.
“Nice,” Nikita dutifully observed.
After they paid, the two girls walked back along the street that led to their apartment. Carla was an artist and sculptor who worked out of their third bedroom, using it as a studio. Her work had recently been granted an exhibition, but until that had happened, she had mainly been living off the good graces of her roommate.
Nikita was a chemist working for a company call Section One. One look at her appearance would have dissuaded most people of her brilliance, but she had finished top of her class in Genetics and Biotechnology.
“You wanna get a drink before we go back?” Carla asked.
“Nah,” Nikita answered, shaking her head. “I have to be to work early tomorrow for a meeting. I think I’ll just turn in.”
“Ok. I’m meeting Jake later on, so I’ll see you later,” Carla said, giving her friend a hug and then leaving her at the entrance to their apartment.
“Be careful!” Nikita called after her, and then she turned to go inside.
***
“It’s not good,” Birkoff said to the two men sitting across from him. “It’s a tight system, and besides Wolfe, there are only four other people who have access.”
“So we use the people, no big deal. We’ve done it a hundred times before,” Walter said with a shrug.
“Who are they, Birkoff?” Michael asked.
“That’s the problem. One is Dr. Miles Hollingsworth. He’s 79 years old. Doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t go out at all. I don’t think we can use someone like Josephine on him.
“The next two are a married couple – Jonathon and Emily Blatt. Both in their fifties with grown kids and a couple of grandkids on the way. The money angle won’t work – they’re loaded.”
“Who’s the final option, Birkoff?” Michael asked.
“Probably our best bet. Her name is Nikita Jones, she has a PhD in Chemistry. She’s young though, and single,” Birkoff reported, sliding a picture over.
Walter whistled.
“She has a roommate named Carla, lives near the beach. Wolfe pays her plenty. I think this Wolfe guy runs a tight ship. I’m surprised he hired us at all. This one will take a lot to break, Michael.” Birkoff told him, worry in his voice.
“We’ve not failed to break into one yet,” Michael replied. “We’ll start with this Nikita. She’s young and attractive. We just have to find the right guy. I admit it probably won’t be as easy as Reed was with Josephine, but it just takes time.”
“What about the system itself?” Walter asked.
“That’s another issue. I can’t break into even the outer shells until I have a password. I have a program working on it, but I’m afraid I won’t even know what we’re up against until I break a password or we get one from one of them,” he said.
“It’s fine Birkoff,” Michael assured him. “Just keep the program running and we’ll start working on the girl.
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