johnjamie
06-10-2011, 03:50 AM
Hi, I'm new to this forum, if you would please read my short story and give me feedback, that would be great.
I'm trying to enter some short story competitions.
Short story "Door and Keys"
By John Urquhart
Eon, the young hacker sat in his bedroom. It was a lonely looking apartment, high up above the city streets and overlooked the river 'thead' which ran through a nearby park. Eon was regarded as one of the greatest hackers and was known for hacking into some of the largest corporation’s supercomputers on the planet. He was also one of the hackers which had not yet been caught and by the look of the dismal apartment, He was either trying to keep it that way or avoid detection until he could work out a solution to a problem he was having.
He looked at his notebook pc, which had a usb memory stick on protruding from its left side and a usb broadband stick protruding from its right side.
Eon was scanning the 9T4 system on his computer. He was scanning the news headlines, scanning the music headlines, scanning any and all information in general, whilst doing as he usually did, checking for patterns in the system. The 9T4 system was complex, yet its irregularities were visible and they were visible in patterns, if you knew what to look for.
In another system that Eon read about, a black cat moving past a doorway and then immediately after that event, another black cat of exactly the same type walking past that doorway indicated a irregularity or pattern in that system. Eon had found it was similar in the 9T4 system, it did have irregularities pulsing through it and often the way to see them was using the hacker method of pattern matching.
His virtual reality headset pulsed with a white glow as he continued scanning the system, looking for irregularities, patterns in data, for weaknesses, for access codes to sub systems.
“Okay,” he said as he seemingly typed in mid air using his virtual reality gloves. Inside the headset as he moved his fingers he could see a computer generated image of his hands typing quickly across a keyboard.
The 9T4 system was the backbone of the whole computer system. It had been designed to over-arch all the financial, security and governmental systems of the world. To hack any sub system in the world, it made sense that to hack the 9T4 system was the thing to do as it held the codes to every other system.
An old grey man’s image flashed onto the screen and appeared over Eon’s virtual reality fingers and typing.
“Are you busy?” asked the old man.
“Well kinda, I’m scanning the system for patterns as I usually do.” replied Eon.
Eon looked at an older man who had grey hair and whose image now flickered inside the virtual reality headset. This older man had been a mentor to him over recent years and he had learned quite an amount of system hacking from the old guy. Eon didn’t know much about the man except that he simply called himself John. If Eon called him sir or anything else other John, he became agitated. Yet he was a kindly old man and had been a clear help in recent times.
"I own the world?" Eon inquired as John’s image flickered.
“Ah, so you have been thinking about what I said earlier. Very nice,” stated the old man, looking at the four corners of Eon’s headset as if he knew its limits and boundaries.
"Yes" replied the man, "you can own the world if you want too and everyone the world owns."
Eon looked aghast, thought for a moment then replied,
"All I have to do is hack the C4 system then."
"Yes," came the mentors reply.
Eon thought for a few moments, and considered. He had briefly heard of this system, the supposedly almost uncrackable C4 system, yet an amount of information he had received lately was rumor and it was hard to tell which was truth and which was misunderstanding based on errant information.
As Eon was considering this, the old man continued,
"Eon, you successfully hack the C4 system, you get to own the world and do with as you please with it," replied the algorithm. “I would hope, as you know, you would choose to do good, however I’m limited in terms of my influence and the choice to do good or evil will always be the individuals’ in the end.”
As Eon thought on this, his mentor continued, "You are wearing the Virtual reality headset currently and that is how you are seeing me. The keyboard you are using to interact with me is virtual, the image of your hands typing is virtual also, what you see, feel, hear through this headset, it is all virtual."
A computer screen nearby on Eon’s desk switched on and the old man’s image appeared speaking. His image was like an movie recorded hundreds of years ago and implanted into a current technology device. His image seemed out of date yet the words he was speaking seemed to be timeless.
Eon reached a decision concerning the latest topic that the old man had been discussing with him. He typed into the keyboard the following text,
"Okay, I'm convinced, where is the almost uncrackable C4 system," Eon then pressed enter.
The computer image appearing within the headset motioned with his hands and admonished the young hacker, saying "Take off your virtual reality headset and you will see it."
Eon took off his headset and looked around his sleeping quarters. Confused, he placed the headset back on and typed with the virtual reality keyboard,
"I see my bedroom, a pizza box and my well loved clutter across the floor." quizzed Eon.
The mentor, spoke to the young hacker, rolling his eyes in a way that attempted to be subtle yet also leave a slight trace of a pattern which he hoped the young hacker would pick up on.
"What you just saw is the C4 system." The image of the old man flickered and a white glow started emanating inside the headset.
He continued, "Remove your headset, however turn up the speakers loud enough so you can still hear me talking to you without wearing it. I’ll switch the headset to microphone voice input for you..."
Eon carefully removed the virtual reality headset and placed it on his computer desk. He could see the man’s image on the computer screen in front of him and a white glow still emanated from the headset he had removed.
The voice from the headset, now loud enough to be heard even with the headset on the table, continued,
"What you are seeing right now is the C4 system. The most complex computer system ever made, with riches along with more fail safes and alarm systems like you’ve never seen before."
Eon spoke into his microphone which was situated on the top collar of his shirt like the news station people often use to wear. The microphone was a little outdated, but it was functional which was fine. Besides, a primary rule when hacking was to never use the latest technology unless absolutely necessary. As long as the technology used achieved the purpose.
"You mean my bedroom is part of the C4 system?" Eon stated.
"Yes," replied John, pausing then continuing,
"Your bedroom is part of the C4 system, if you walk outside your bedroom, that world out there is also part of the C4 system. The people, the birds, the food chain are all part of the C4 system."
"Well hold on," exclaimed Eon.
"Wouldn’t that make me ..." asked Eon with a wild look in his eyes as an understanding began to break forth.
"Yes, you are also part of the C4 system," finished the voice.
Eon looked shocked, unable to speak for a while. He studied the room around him. His apartment clutter, computer desk, can of soft drink and bag of chips on desk. He focused his look at one place in his room in the corner and noticed what could be seen as a slight ripple in the air. An air ripple as if you placed your finger into a still lake and then removed it, disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Eon wondering if he had actually just seen a ripple or not.
"I'm detecting by your silence in terms of microphone voice input that you are likely shocked, dismayed and in utter disarray as to the implications of what you are now being told."
Eon arose from his chair, looked at his bedroom window and walked over to it. He opened the window and breathed in the air. Looking across the street, he saw numerous people walking in the nearby park, some having lunch, some chatting, all of them seemingly going about everyday life.
As he watched the people, he wondered about the C4 system's purpose. If he was a part of it, whatever it was, then what was IT’s purpose. If he was a part of the system, supposedly the C4 system, then surely, Eon thought, he, Eon, must have a role in the C4 system. For he knew that nothing is created without purpose, and that the moment something loses purpose, it dies. The old man had taught him this lesson a while ago.
“All things have purpose,” the old man continued, as if having scanned the probabilities concerning Eon’s current thoughts and found a high probability of this being his current thought.
“Many people don’t realize their purpose and wander idly, some wander their whole life. It doesn’t mean they don’t have purpose, it simply means that some don’t know and some never know what their purpose in the C4 system is.”
"If I am part of the C4 system," asked Eon, pausing momentarily, "then what is my purpose within the system?"
Eon continued to look outside the window and noticed a flock of birds flying over the park adjacent to his bedroom. He looked further into the distance and saw the busy city street lights of 'ByonBael', the city in which his apartment was located.
"Your purpose within the system," exclaimed the old man, "is to successfully hack it."
Eon turned around, looking at the headset out of habit, then glancing at the image of the man flickering on the computer screen on his desk. Speaking into the microphone, Eon started, "Why would I want to hack the most complex computer system ever made? I’m a part of it you said. Why would I want to hack something I am a part of?" inquired Eon.
"You were a part of it Eon, ‘were’ being the operative word. Now, after what I have told you, you are no longer a part of it, the system will detect this momentarily and soon a security algorithm will be knocking on your bedroom door."
"Why?" said Eon.
"What threat do I pose to the C4 system?"
"Your wisdom concerning the system itself is the threat, you have the key that opens every door in the system. It’s what they will try to acquire from you when they find you."
"Which key? There is an override key which opens every door in the system?"
Eon thought and then interrupted, "Hold on a moment, first we were talking about the C4 system, now suddenly the C4 system is actually the world I live in as in real life, I have been given a key which opens all doors and I’m being told I have to hack the system whilst avoiding security algorithms?"
Eon went to his desk, grabbed the half full can of soft drink from his desk and went to his couch to one side of his room. He looked at the white pulsating glow coming from the virtual reality headset, as the voice continued.
"Not avoiding, overcoming. They want to be free too.” The man turned to stand with his back to the computer screen on which his image was being displayed and moving his hands in the air in a similar way as Eon did when virtual typing. Flashes of light came up as he did and a large flat screen appeared in front of him. He continued typing, the large screen disappeared, he then turning back to the computer screen. John quickly explained.
“Three things for now young Eon,
There are many doors, yet only one door. There are many keys, yet only one key.”
Also, he continued,
“Never turn the door handles to the left, only ever to the right, okay.
“When you open a window, look to see what is out there first unless you are absolutely sure you are meant to go through the window.”
“Huh?” asked Eon.
The security algorithms I mentioned earlier, they will be at this apartment door in thirty seconds. You have thirty seconds to leave this bedroom or they will find you.
Eon looked around the room frantically, and found a backpack. He started pushing some clothes into it along with a computer tablet, his virtual reality headset and several power cords as the second passed.
“No time for that now Eon,” urged the old man. They will be here in twenty seconds, grab the bible which is in your top desk drawer, your jacket and leave.”
Eon rushed to the front of his desk, opened the top drawer and saw the bible. Grabbing it, he stuffed it into his backpack.
“I would wish you good luck Eon,” the old man continued, “but as you know by now, there is no such thing. As a programmer you would also understand
this, ‘The concept of random is an illusion of the system.’ ”
A five member strike team cautiously walked upstairs to the dimly lit door of an old apartment, armed with weapons, bullet proof vests and several different blinking devices hanging from their belts.
“Entry team is at alpha,” spoke the leader of the team, standing at the top of the stairs, speaking into his headset.
“Sir, the ripples seem to be originating from inside this room,” said a young technician who was in the team softly, then looking at a computer tablet he was holding. He paused and then continued, “Its lighting up the board like it is the fourth of July.”
“The Sergeant pressed his hand against his headset, listening for instructions.
A voice came through on the headset speaking to the sergeant as he listened, “You are to secure the package, do not damage it.”
“Affirmative HQ,” replied the sergeant.
“Okay Harry, you’re on point, Kao, your wing. Runidan, bring the cube over and place it in the door.” barked the sergeant.
“Yes Sir,” a number of the team responded in unison and began acting on their instructions.
“Remember, Enter and secure the package,” bellowed the sergeant.
“Okay Runidan, disrupt that door.”
The young technician who had been holding his tablet computer, placed it into his pack, took out a cube, touched it in several areas on different faces of the cube and placed it against the door. The cube remained stuck to the wooden door, remaining suspended against the door about halfway up and different colored lights began blinking along the cube. Runidan then backed away from the door a few feet to near where the rest of the strike team members had assembled along the hallway.
Eon finished packing his backpack, walked over to this bedroom window and opened it. He immediately noticed that what was outside the window wasn’t what he was looking at before. There was no city street lights, no people walking up and down a park nearby. What was seen outside the window was a single cobblestone path leading into the distance, lined with autumn trees which were gradually losing their leaves. The path ran a straight line through the trees which appeared on either side and there was a beautiful lake to one side. Eon exited the window and started walking along the path. The window closed behind him and as it shut, Eon saw it disappear.
There was a sudden flash of light and the door to Eon’s apartment flickered momentarily and then disappeared.
The five man team rushed into the room, guns pointed in front of them and started securing the rooms.
“Clear”
“Clear”
“Clear”
Also clear here, said the last two members.
The leader came through and glanced around the room. “Where is his computer, there!”
Runidan, the team’s technician, took his pack over to the computer which was dark and apparently not operating.
He removed a small black device from his belt, placed it onto the side of the darkened computers’ hard drive and began typing on his computer tablet rapidly. A few moments later, Runidan sighed. “Its wiped Sir, the whole hard drive has been wiped. It’s useless.”
The sergeant continued surveying the room and began bellowing orders.
“Secure it, get the cleaners here. I want everything in this room moved and stored for later analysis.”
The sergeant finished surveying the main room which was situated next to the apartment door, went to the window and opened it, looking out at the bright orange of city street lights and a nearby park where a grey van was parked.
“Yes I see you Charlie team,” replied the sergeant. “Did you see anyone walk out of this building?”
“No one exited this building, front or back,” came a voice which was apparently coming from the grey van parked outside in the park.”
“Grrr,” went the sergeant, thinking for a moment. He started angrily giving orders,
“I want to know all the phone numbers made from this room, I want to know all the calls received to this room. I want to know all the expenses this person has made in the last year, where he has worked recently, who his friends are, who his enemies are, I want to know everything about this person. I want to know his cat’s fur color, I mean everything and I want to know that NOW!” barked the sergeant.
“Yes Sir,” said the second in charge.
“Do you think he is the one?” asked the 2IC.
The sergeant looked at the cleaners who were now in the room and starting to dismantle its contents and pack it into boxes. He said, “We are soon going to find out…”
_To be continued _ Doors and Keys _
I'm trying to enter some short story competitions.
Short story "Door and Keys"
By John Urquhart
Eon, the young hacker sat in his bedroom. It was a lonely looking apartment, high up above the city streets and overlooked the river 'thead' which ran through a nearby park. Eon was regarded as one of the greatest hackers and was known for hacking into some of the largest corporation’s supercomputers on the planet. He was also one of the hackers which had not yet been caught and by the look of the dismal apartment, He was either trying to keep it that way or avoid detection until he could work out a solution to a problem he was having.
He looked at his notebook pc, which had a usb memory stick on protruding from its left side and a usb broadband stick protruding from its right side.
Eon was scanning the 9T4 system on his computer. He was scanning the news headlines, scanning the music headlines, scanning any and all information in general, whilst doing as he usually did, checking for patterns in the system. The 9T4 system was complex, yet its irregularities were visible and they were visible in patterns, if you knew what to look for.
In another system that Eon read about, a black cat moving past a doorway and then immediately after that event, another black cat of exactly the same type walking past that doorway indicated a irregularity or pattern in that system. Eon had found it was similar in the 9T4 system, it did have irregularities pulsing through it and often the way to see them was using the hacker method of pattern matching.
His virtual reality headset pulsed with a white glow as he continued scanning the system, looking for irregularities, patterns in data, for weaknesses, for access codes to sub systems.
“Okay,” he said as he seemingly typed in mid air using his virtual reality gloves. Inside the headset as he moved his fingers he could see a computer generated image of his hands typing quickly across a keyboard.
The 9T4 system was the backbone of the whole computer system. It had been designed to over-arch all the financial, security and governmental systems of the world. To hack any sub system in the world, it made sense that to hack the 9T4 system was the thing to do as it held the codes to every other system.
An old grey man’s image flashed onto the screen and appeared over Eon’s virtual reality fingers and typing.
“Are you busy?” asked the old man.
“Well kinda, I’m scanning the system for patterns as I usually do.” replied Eon.
Eon looked at an older man who had grey hair and whose image now flickered inside the virtual reality headset. This older man had been a mentor to him over recent years and he had learned quite an amount of system hacking from the old guy. Eon didn’t know much about the man except that he simply called himself John. If Eon called him sir or anything else other John, he became agitated. Yet he was a kindly old man and had been a clear help in recent times.
"I own the world?" Eon inquired as John’s image flickered.
“Ah, so you have been thinking about what I said earlier. Very nice,” stated the old man, looking at the four corners of Eon’s headset as if he knew its limits and boundaries.
"Yes" replied the man, "you can own the world if you want too and everyone the world owns."
Eon looked aghast, thought for a moment then replied,
"All I have to do is hack the C4 system then."
"Yes," came the mentors reply.
Eon thought for a few moments, and considered. He had briefly heard of this system, the supposedly almost uncrackable C4 system, yet an amount of information he had received lately was rumor and it was hard to tell which was truth and which was misunderstanding based on errant information.
As Eon was considering this, the old man continued,
"Eon, you successfully hack the C4 system, you get to own the world and do with as you please with it," replied the algorithm. “I would hope, as you know, you would choose to do good, however I’m limited in terms of my influence and the choice to do good or evil will always be the individuals’ in the end.”
As Eon thought on this, his mentor continued, "You are wearing the Virtual reality headset currently and that is how you are seeing me. The keyboard you are using to interact with me is virtual, the image of your hands typing is virtual also, what you see, feel, hear through this headset, it is all virtual."
A computer screen nearby on Eon’s desk switched on and the old man’s image appeared speaking. His image was like an movie recorded hundreds of years ago and implanted into a current technology device. His image seemed out of date yet the words he was speaking seemed to be timeless.
Eon reached a decision concerning the latest topic that the old man had been discussing with him. He typed into the keyboard the following text,
"Okay, I'm convinced, where is the almost uncrackable C4 system," Eon then pressed enter.
The computer image appearing within the headset motioned with his hands and admonished the young hacker, saying "Take off your virtual reality headset and you will see it."
Eon took off his headset and looked around his sleeping quarters. Confused, he placed the headset back on and typed with the virtual reality keyboard,
"I see my bedroom, a pizza box and my well loved clutter across the floor." quizzed Eon.
The mentor, spoke to the young hacker, rolling his eyes in a way that attempted to be subtle yet also leave a slight trace of a pattern which he hoped the young hacker would pick up on.
"What you just saw is the C4 system." The image of the old man flickered and a white glow started emanating inside the headset.
He continued, "Remove your headset, however turn up the speakers loud enough so you can still hear me talking to you without wearing it. I’ll switch the headset to microphone voice input for you..."
Eon carefully removed the virtual reality headset and placed it on his computer desk. He could see the man’s image on the computer screen in front of him and a white glow still emanated from the headset he had removed.
The voice from the headset, now loud enough to be heard even with the headset on the table, continued,
"What you are seeing right now is the C4 system. The most complex computer system ever made, with riches along with more fail safes and alarm systems like you’ve never seen before."
Eon spoke into his microphone which was situated on the top collar of his shirt like the news station people often use to wear. The microphone was a little outdated, but it was functional which was fine. Besides, a primary rule when hacking was to never use the latest technology unless absolutely necessary. As long as the technology used achieved the purpose.
"You mean my bedroom is part of the C4 system?" Eon stated.
"Yes," replied John, pausing then continuing,
"Your bedroom is part of the C4 system, if you walk outside your bedroom, that world out there is also part of the C4 system. The people, the birds, the food chain are all part of the C4 system."
"Well hold on," exclaimed Eon.
"Wouldn’t that make me ..." asked Eon with a wild look in his eyes as an understanding began to break forth.
"Yes, you are also part of the C4 system," finished the voice.
Eon looked shocked, unable to speak for a while. He studied the room around him. His apartment clutter, computer desk, can of soft drink and bag of chips on desk. He focused his look at one place in his room in the corner and noticed what could be seen as a slight ripple in the air. An air ripple as if you placed your finger into a still lake and then removed it, disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Eon wondering if he had actually just seen a ripple or not.
"I'm detecting by your silence in terms of microphone voice input that you are likely shocked, dismayed and in utter disarray as to the implications of what you are now being told."
Eon arose from his chair, looked at his bedroom window and walked over to it. He opened the window and breathed in the air. Looking across the street, he saw numerous people walking in the nearby park, some having lunch, some chatting, all of them seemingly going about everyday life.
As he watched the people, he wondered about the C4 system's purpose. If he was a part of it, whatever it was, then what was IT’s purpose. If he was a part of the system, supposedly the C4 system, then surely, Eon thought, he, Eon, must have a role in the C4 system. For he knew that nothing is created without purpose, and that the moment something loses purpose, it dies. The old man had taught him this lesson a while ago.
“All things have purpose,” the old man continued, as if having scanned the probabilities concerning Eon’s current thoughts and found a high probability of this being his current thought.
“Many people don’t realize their purpose and wander idly, some wander their whole life. It doesn’t mean they don’t have purpose, it simply means that some don’t know and some never know what their purpose in the C4 system is.”
"If I am part of the C4 system," asked Eon, pausing momentarily, "then what is my purpose within the system?"
Eon continued to look outside the window and noticed a flock of birds flying over the park adjacent to his bedroom. He looked further into the distance and saw the busy city street lights of 'ByonBael', the city in which his apartment was located.
"Your purpose within the system," exclaimed the old man, "is to successfully hack it."
Eon turned around, looking at the headset out of habit, then glancing at the image of the man flickering on the computer screen on his desk. Speaking into the microphone, Eon started, "Why would I want to hack the most complex computer system ever made? I’m a part of it you said. Why would I want to hack something I am a part of?" inquired Eon.
"You were a part of it Eon, ‘were’ being the operative word. Now, after what I have told you, you are no longer a part of it, the system will detect this momentarily and soon a security algorithm will be knocking on your bedroom door."
"Why?" said Eon.
"What threat do I pose to the C4 system?"
"Your wisdom concerning the system itself is the threat, you have the key that opens every door in the system. It’s what they will try to acquire from you when they find you."
"Which key? There is an override key which opens every door in the system?"
Eon thought and then interrupted, "Hold on a moment, first we were talking about the C4 system, now suddenly the C4 system is actually the world I live in as in real life, I have been given a key which opens all doors and I’m being told I have to hack the system whilst avoiding security algorithms?"
Eon went to his desk, grabbed the half full can of soft drink from his desk and went to his couch to one side of his room. He looked at the white pulsating glow coming from the virtual reality headset, as the voice continued.
"Not avoiding, overcoming. They want to be free too.” The man turned to stand with his back to the computer screen on which his image was being displayed and moving his hands in the air in a similar way as Eon did when virtual typing. Flashes of light came up as he did and a large flat screen appeared in front of him. He continued typing, the large screen disappeared, he then turning back to the computer screen. John quickly explained.
“Three things for now young Eon,
There are many doors, yet only one door. There are many keys, yet only one key.”
Also, he continued,
“Never turn the door handles to the left, only ever to the right, okay.
“When you open a window, look to see what is out there first unless you are absolutely sure you are meant to go through the window.”
“Huh?” asked Eon.
The security algorithms I mentioned earlier, they will be at this apartment door in thirty seconds. You have thirty seconds to leave this bedroom or they will find you.
Eon looked around the room frantically, and found a backpack. He started pushing some clothes into it along with a computer tablet, his virtual reality headset and several power cords as the second passed.
“No time for that now Eon,” urged the old man. They will be here in twenty seconds, grab the bible which is in your top desk drawer, your jacket and leave.”
Eon rushed to the front of his desk, opened the top drawer and saw the bible. Grabbing it, he stuffed it into his backpack.
“I would wish you good luck Eon,” the old man continued, “but as you know by now, there is no such thing. As a programmer you would also understand
this, ‘The concept of random is an illusion of the system.’ ”
A five member strike team cautiously walked upstairs to the dimly lit door of an old apartment, armed with weapons, bullet proof vests and several different blinking devices hanging from their belts.
“Entry team is at alpha,” spoke the leader of the team, standing at the top of the stairs, speaking into his headset.
“Sir, the ripples seem to be originating from inside this room,” said a young technician who was in the team softly, then looking at a computer tablet he was holding. He paused and then continued, “Its lighting up the board like it is the fourth of July.”
“The Sergeant pressed his hand against his headset, listening for instructions.
A voice came through on the headset speaking to the sergeant as he listened, “You are to secure the package, do not damage it.”
“Affirmative HQ,” replied the sergeant.
“Okay Harry, you’re on point, Kao, your wing. Runidan, bring the cube over and place it in the door.” barked the sergeant.
“Yes Sir,” a number of the team responded in unison and began acting on their instructions.
“Remember, Enter and secure the package,” bellowed the sergeant.
“Okay Runidan, disrupt that door.”
The young technician who had been holding his tablet computer, placed it into his pack, took out a cube, touched it in several areas on different faces of the cube and placed it against the door. The cube remained stuck to the wooden door, remaining suspended against the door about halfway up and different colored lights began blinking along the cube. Runidan then backed away from the door a few feet to near where the rest of the strike team members had assembled along the hallway.
Eon finished packing his backpack, walked over to this bedroom window and opened it. He immediately noticed that what was outside the window wasn’t what he was looking at before. There was no city street lights, no people walking up and down a park nearby. What was seen outside the window was a single cobblestone path leading into the distance, lined with autumn trees which were gradually losing their leaves. The path ran a straight line through the trees which appeared on either side and there was a beautiful lake to one side. Eon exited the window and started walking along the path. The window closed behind him and as it shut, Eon saw it disappear.
There was a sudden flash of light and the door to Eon’s apartment flickered momentarily and then disappeared.
The five man team rushed into the room, guns pointed in front of them and started securing the rooms.
“Clear”
“Clear”
“Clear”
Also clear here, said the last two members.
The leader came through and glanced around the room. “Where is his computer, there!”
Runidan, the team’s technician, took his pack over to the computer which was dark and apparently not operating.
He removed a small black device from his belt, placed it onto the side of the darkened computers’ hard drive and began typing on his computer tablet rapidly. A few moments later, Runidan sighed. “Its wiped Sir, the whole hard drive has been wiped. It’s useless.”
The sergeant continued surveying the room and began bellowing orders.
“Secure it, get the cleaners here. I want everything in this room moved and stored for later analysis.”
The sergeant finished surveying the main room which was situated next to the apartment door, went to the window and opened it, looking out at the bright orange of city street lights and a nearby park where a grey van was parked.
“Yes I see you Charlie team,” replied the sergeant. “Did you see anyone walk out of this building?”
“No one exited this building, front or back,” came a voice which was apparently coming from the grey van parked outside in the park.”
“Grrr,” went the sergeant, thinking for a moment. He started angrily giving orders,
“I want to know all the phone numbers made from this room, I want to know all the calls received to this room. I want to know all the expenses this person has made in the last year, where he has worked recently, who his friends are, who his enemies are, I want to know everything about this person. I want to know his cat’s fur color, I mean everything and I want to know that NOW!” barked the sergeant.
“Yes Sir,” said the second in charge.
“Do you think he is the one?” asked the 2IC.
The sergeant looked at the cleaners who were now in the room and starting to dismantle its contents and pack it into boxes. He said, “We are soon going to find out…”
_To be continued _ Doors and Keys _