An Ecology of MInd Read Free Page B

workable.
    The code gave her a good idea of the scale and complexity of the hardware it was written for. Again, by her standards, it was very crude.
    She left a message on Wendy's computer explaining what the code was. Kim then exited the NSA system.
    Next, she accessed Washington's system of traffic cameras. She quickly located a camera that showed the street in front of Morrell's restaurant. Hacking
    into systems like these was not nearly as easy as it was shown in movies. Movies had to simplify things for plot and time constraints. She was not your
    regular hacker though and her computer access was anything but normal. The usual and conventional rules did not apply.
    Kim moved to the video for the time they had been at the restaurant and watched a man exit the restaurant and get into a waiting car that quickly drove
    away. It was too far for the camera to pick up good details, so she enhanced the image. She noted the manufacturer of the car and the license plate number.
    She then focused on the man and enhanced the image as much as she could. Other than seeing that he was Asian, she could not get a clear enough image to be
    much help.
    A check on the Department of Motor Vehicle database gave the name and address of the owner. She had thought it would probably be a stolen vehicle but the
    owner was also Asian, so maybe not.
    Returning to the traffic cameras, she tried to trace the route of the car. By checking the files for video from the different cameras and noting the time
    stamps, she tracked the vehicle west until it left the downtown area and area of coverage by the traffic system. She couldn't use the cameras to trace it
    any further.
    Well, it was a good start. She would just have to use her own resources to get the rest of the way. At least, she had a time and general direction to
    narrow it down a bit.
    Hopefully, she was quick enough. Wendy was counting on her in this. She did not have a lot of close friends, and she tried to protect them. This was not a
    matter she would normally give a damn about. Spies would constantly play their spy games, and she seldom cared or interfered, but whoever did this made a
    colossal mistake when they picked a friend of hers to threaten. They would have had no idea how big a mistake it had been, but they would get an idea soon.



Chapter 3

    THE BLACK LIMOUSINE PULLED SLOWLY up to the curb in front of the Harvard Faculty of History and came to a stop. A uniformed driver got out and walked
    around to the rear right passenger door and opened it. The passenger handed a leather carry-on bag and a cardboard tray with three cups of coffee in the
    cup holders to the driver.
    Dr. Michael Pearson got out of the car clutching a paper bag with a half dozen assorted donuts in it. He was a well dressed dark-haired man in his mid
    thirties. He appeared to be fit and was handsome in a slightly rugged way with a mild tan.
    "Thanks Dave. I didn't want to spill the coffee, and it was a bit much to handle getting out of the car."
    He took back the carry-on bag and put it in the hand with the bag of donuts.
    "So have fun on your fishing trip Dave."
    "Thanks, I plan to. It's actually a combination fishing and poker trip."
    Michael laughed, "I've seen you play poker; you probably should fish more."
    "Hey, I usually do okay at poker," said Dave with a slightly hurt expression on his face.
    "If you say so. Just have a good time. You deserve the break. I left a box in the trunk with an assortment of booze for you and your buddies to have some
    drinks on me."
    "Thanks boss, that's incredibly nice of you. Is there anything you need me to do before I leave for the trip?"
    "Nope, I'm good. You're free and clear to go. See you in a few days."
    "You sure you don't need a hand carrying that stuff?"
    "I'll be fine." He took the cardboard tray with the coffee cups and headed towards the main doors of the building. Dave watched him for a few seconds to
    make sure he didn't need help and then got back in the car