Wendy. "Start talking girl, what's going on?"
Wendy tried to pull her racing thoughts together and decided to confide everything to Kim. She didn't know what else to do. "A man just came up behind me,
I never saw his face. He dropped that on the table and told me it was some incentive to work faster. I've been assigned at work to figure out what seems to
be some type of computer code. So far, I can't even understand what it is. I'm wondering if it might be encrypted in some strange way."
"Two days ago, on Sunday afternoon, when I got home from a walk, there was a plain brown envelope taped to my apartment door. When I opened it, there was a
note and a watch. The watch was one that I gave to my brother Don two Christmases' ago, and I've never seen him take it off, ever. The note was printed
from a computer and said, "We have your brother." It went on to say that if I wanted to see him alive again I was to obtain a copy of the code I was
working on at work and to erase all other copies at the NSA, or they would kill him. If I went to the police, they would kill him. If I told people at the
NSA, they would kill him."
"I was scared shitless but hoped it was a hoax. I tried to reach Don in Boston but could not get hold of him. I left messages for him to call but have
heard nothing yet. I tried to be careful with what I said on the messages and how I sounded because he is a cop up there, and I did not want to make it
seem as if I was going to the police. I've been worried sick, and I don't know what to do. Now, whoever they are just dropped this envelope on me and said
it was an incentive. Jesus! What the hell am I going to do?"
"Do you have a protocol at work for this sort of thing?" asked Kim.
"I don't know. I've never been involved in this sort of thing. I don't even know what the code they want is. I've been working on it but haven't been able
to make heads or tails out of it so far."
"Ok, stop right there Wendy. I want you to focus very carefully on what I'm saying. Are you with me?"
The waiter came up to their table. "May I take your drink orders?"
Kim turned to him and answered "Yes, could we please have two martinis but could you leave us alone for about ten minutes before you bring them over. We
are in the middle of a conversation we want to finish first."
"Certainly miss, I'll be back with your drinks in about ten minutes."
Kim turned back to Wendy. "Okay, are you focused?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Good, the fact that whoever it is, knew you were working on this means they have at least one source at your work. The fact that they did not use the
source to get the computer code you are referring to, suggests they are aware of some of what goes on in your office but can't get the access they need for
this item themselves. They obviously know quite a bit about you as they took your brother. They are also keeping you under some sort of observation because
they knew you were here tonight. They are serious people because your brother is a cop. You can assume they have you under observation both inside and
outside of work to at least some extent. When we are done here we are going to drink our martinis when they come, and then I am putting you in a cab to go
home. I don't think you are up to dinner right now. Don't tell anyone from your work what is going on because you don't know who you can trust. Look around
and figure out where copies of the computer code are located and pretend you are working on doing what they asked but don't actually do it. Don't do
anything at work that can get you arrested or fired if you can avoid it. Once they get what they want it is easier for them to kill your brother and you
than to release him or leave you around to talk. While you are doing that I will be working on getting your brother out and trying to solve the problem of
further threats to you and him. Trust me on this Wendy. You know I'm beyond good on computers, but I'm good at a lot of stuff, and I'm your ally
Wendy tried to pull her racing thoughts together and decided to confide everything to Kim. She didn't know what else to do. "A man just came up behind me,
I never saw his face. He dropped that on the table and told me it was some incentive to work faster. I've been assigned at work to figure out what seems to
be some type of computer code. So far, I can't even understand what it is. I'm wondering if it might be encrypted in some strange way."
"Two days ago, on Sunday afternoon, when I got home from a walk, there was a plain brown envelope taped to my apartment door. When I opened it, there was a
note and a watch. The watch was one that I gave to my brother Don two Christmases' ago, and I've never seen him take it off, ever. The note was printed
from a computer and said, "We have your brother." It went on to say that if I wanted to see him alive again I was to obtain a copy of the code I was
working on at work and to erase all other copies at the NSA, or they would kill him. If I went to the police, they would kill him. If I told people at the
NSA, they would kill him."
"I was scared shitless but hoped it was a hoax. I tried to reach Don in Boston but could not get hold of him. I left messages for him to call but have
heard nothing yet. I tried to be careful with what I said on the messages and how I sounded because he is a cop up there, and I did not want to make it
seem as if I was going to the police. I've been worried sick, and I don't know what to do. Now, whoever they are just dropped this envelope on me and said
it was an incentive. Jesus! What the hell am I going to do?"
"Do you have a protocol at work for this sort of thing?" asked Kim.
"I don't know. I've never been involved in this sort of thing. I don't even know what the code they want is. I've been working on it but haven't been able
to make heads or tails out of it so far."
"Ok, stop right there Wendy. I want you to focus very carefully on what I'm saying. Are you with me?"
The waiter came up to their table. "May I take your drink orders?"
Kim turned to him and answered "Yes, could we please have two martinis but could you leave us alone for about ten minutes before you bring them over. We
are in the middle of a conversation we want to finish first."
"Certainly miss, I'll be back with your drinks in about ten minutes."
Kim turned back to Wendy. "Okay, are you focused?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Good, the fact that whoever it is, knew you were working on this means they have at least one source at your work. The fact that they did not use the
source to get the computer code you are referring to, suggests they are aware of some of what goes on in your office but can't get the access they need for
this item themselves. They obviously know quite a bit about you as they took your brother. They are also keeping you under some sort of observation because
they knew you were here tonight. They are serious people because your brother is a cop. You can assume they have you under observation both inside and
outside of work to at least some extent. When we are done here we are going to drink our martinis when they come, and then I am putting you in a cab to go
home. I don't think you are up to dinner right now. Don't tell anyone from your work what is going on because you don't know who you can trust. Look around
and figure out where copies of the computer code are located and pretend you are working on doing what they asked but don't actually do it. Don't do
anything at work that can get you arrested or fired if you can avoid it. Once they get what they want it is easier for them to kill your brother and you
than to release him or leave you around to talk. While you are doing that I will be working on getting your brother out and trying to solve the problem of
further threats to you and him. Trust me on this Wendy. You know I'm beyond good on computers, but I'm good at a lot of stuff, and I'm your ally
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