The Delta Chain (32 page)

He and Adam shook
hands.
‘
Awkward question, but how did it
go in Sydney?
’

‘Depressing, obviously,
but all things told the family held up as well as could be
expected.
’

‘I got a call from Kate,
as I believe you did-
’

‘Yes.
’
Adam
’
s abrupt reply was a clear
sign he didn
’
t want to discuss
Kate
’
s secret journey.
‘
How
’
s your
investigation into the virus?
’

‘Slower than
I
’
d like, because it
’
s not spreading in the usual way. In fact,
it
’
s not actually spreading at
all.
’

‘Not
spreading,
’
said
Collosimo.
‘
But the computer
crashes-
’

‘The great stumbling block
we
’
ve had was figuring out why, after
anti-viral software cleaned the system, that the virus resurfaced.
I
’
m now certain the virus
was
being
deleted successfully each time by our software.
’

‘So how was it
operating?
’
Collosimo asked.

‘I believe the virus was
being sent in anew each time it struck, through a “backdoor”
created by a hacker. Once having planted the virus, the hacker then
closed that backdoor and erased all signs of their presence.
It
’
s as though they were never there. But
backtracking through the system with some highly sensitive tracking
programs, I can detect residual traces of a
hacker
’
s activity.
’

‘So you
’
re saying,
’
Adam
clarified,
‘
that each time Kate deleted
the virus, the hacker returned afterwards, creating a new portal
and replanting the virus.
’

‘Yes, although with
variations to the code, so that it could initially evade the
anti-viral guard.
’

Adam frowned.
‘
Wouldn
’
t that require
comprehensive knowledge of the system and its
firewalls?
’

‘Yes. And quite possibly,
this hacker is someone with insider access. Or
it
’
s someone using a “stolen” password to
access the system. Either way, once inside, the hacker creates the
backdoor, allowing them to re-enter later. Afterwards, they patch
over the hole to throw off any sign or suspicion that they were
ever there in the first place.
’

‘Okay,
’
said Adam,
‘
and they then
repeated that whole process each time the virus
reappeared.
’

‘Yes. A deliberate game of
cloak and dagger, to fool Kate and the rest of us in to believing
the virus hadn
’
t been erased, and was
still lurking in the network.
’

‘Stephen Hunter takes his
laptop off site every evening,
’
Collosimo
said,
‘
and he
’
s
a got a thing going on with a reporter. Melanie Cail.
’

‘You suspect her of using
his password, on his own laptop, to enter the system?
’
asked Reardon.

‘We suspect her of being
the fax saboteur, and if you ask me she
’
s
a prime suspect for this as well.
’

‘Can you trace this
hacker?
’
Adam asked.

‘Hopefully, yes. As I
explained, this hacker covered their digital footprint, but
sometimes, by digging deep, we can retrieve that data.
’

‘How?”

‘When a hacker breaks into
a system and leaves a “back door” for re-entry,
’
Reardon said,
‘
they do it by
leaving a signal code which only they know and to which their own
computer is linked. If this file has such a signal, and if I can
retrieve it, then that code is the way I trace the hacker. I do it
with a DOS prompt, like this…
’
Reardon
’
s fingers flew across the
keyboard,
‘…that sends a ping to the network, instructing it
to send a reply signal back to the hacker’
s
computer. Our signal then bounces back again, bringing with it the
hacker
’
s computer
’
s IP number. When and if I have that number, Adam, I hand
it to you and you obtain the name and address listed against the IP
through police resources.
’

‘When will you
know?
’

‘Patience,
patience.
’
Reardon knew the art of being
both jokey and serious at the same time; he was in his element and
loving it.
‘
This is painstaking work and
there
’
s a big “if” about whether it will
be successful. But I
’
ll call you as soon
as I have any answers.
’

‘It
’
s a personal journal,
’
Costas
said, flicking through the dog-eared pages of the diary.
‘
The lad must
’
ve been
keeping it a long time. And he
’
s quite
the writer. It looks as though he hasn
’
t
just kept a record of daily events. There
’
s…well, many passages of observations and
reflections.
’

‘His own private
world,
’
Barbara said,
‘
I believe it
’
s common with
children who suffer abuse or isolation.
’

‘Does it say what The Com
is?
’
asked Joey.

‘Who-a! It would take ages
to read through the whole journal and establish anything like that.
And it is, after all, Daniel
’
s private
writings, not our business to go rummaging through.
’

‘Surely it would help
though,
’
Barbara said,
‘
if a glance through gives us some
…idea…
’

‘…
Where he’
s from
and why he
’
s in trouble and
stuff.
’
Joey completed her thought in his
own words.

‘How
’
s he doing?
’
Costas asked
Barbara.

‘The poor kid is out
cold.
’

Costas was still flicking
aimlessly through the pages.
‘
Okay,
perhaps just this once. If it helps us help him…
’
He sat at the kitchen table, stopping at one of
the undated NOTES pages on which Daniel had scribbled “Our Secret”
as a heading.
‘
Let me try this,
’
Costas said. He read the passage out in a quiet
voice as Joey and Barbara crowded in closer.

“There are times, like now, when we are
confined to the main house for weeks at a time. During these times
we are not allowed onto the grounds of The Com. I’
ve always hated these times, especially when the weather is
warm and the sun is shining.

“My brothers and sisters and I wonder about
these confinements. The Keepers tell us it is part of their
teaching. That learning to cope with confinement is good for our
souls. Once, one of the younger girls crept out onto the grounds,
against orders, whilst the Keepers and the Carers were occupied.
The girl just wanted to play with her ball during a recess. I
don’
t remember the girl
’
s name now. She was given a terrible beating, which we all
saw, and then locked without food or light, just daily water, for a
full week in The Darkness.

Sometimes, during the night, we
could hear her crying or whimpering and that sound, more than any
other, is the one I try to block from my memories. Afterward, the
girl was sent away to one of the other Coms. Or so we were
told.

We never saw her again.

None of us ever dare sneak from
the house whenever a confinement has been called.

So what is the real reason for
the confinements? The Keepers always tell us our existence is
secret. A very important secret. They teach us that sometimes
people from the outside world are in the area, snooping about, and
that we are protected from the evil of these others. We are warned
to be careful, that these people will try to snatch us away to a
cruel and vicious place.

Elizabeth had once
overheard a Keepers
’
conversation, about
police and newspaper reporters wandering around outside. We guessed
that was the most likely reason for the times we are kept
housebound.

We often wonder about the
outside world and about the other Coms? Are they the same as ours?
And what will our futures be like when we finally emerge from the
safety of The Com, after The Change has occurred?”

‘Goodness me,
’
Barbara said.
‘
There
are others like poor Daniel. It sounds as though
he
’
s been in some sort of…prison
–
or cult.
’

‘Yes.
’
Costas was pensive as he flicked further back through the
pages. A group of children growing up secretly in a guarded place
and there were, apparently, more of these places. Was this for
real? And who were these people Daniel referred to as Keepers and
Carers?

‘Daniel
’
s writing style is mature for his age,
’
Barabara observed,
‘
and very
literate.
’

‘He
’
s been well educated,
’
Costas
said,
‘
but if he was so secluded, I
wonder what kind of texts he
’
s been
exposed to?
’

‘Books that were chosen by
these Keepers,
’
Barabara
suggested,
‘
probably religious texts, and
classics.
’

Once again, in hushed tones,
Costas read on:

“I’
ve always believed the
reason I jumped into the well, so long ago, was because I was
suffering depression. Later, I overheard two of my Carers
discussing this. One of them said it wasn
’
t possible, that young children do not get depressed. I
didn
’
t even know, back then, what
depression was. At a later time I looked it up in one of the Com
dictionaries.

“I believe my depression, and that of the
other kids, was caused by the harsh disciplines of The Com; by the
beatings and by the lock-ups in the underground cellar that we
called The Darkness…”

Kate had dozed off in the
recreation room of the Wildlife Preservation offices. She was woken
when Jean Farrow came in, prodding her softly.
‘
Poor dear, you
’
re so tired. But
there
’
s something you should come and
see.
’

Harold
Letterfield
’
s office had become an ad-hoc
operations centre for the tracking of the hunters. Letterfield,
Walter, Hank, Trish Watts and two recently arrived Federal police
officers were crowded around the Landscan III. All eyes were glued
to the screen.

Kate entered with Jean.

‘They
’
ve reached the coast and they
’
ve
been stopped for a while,
’
Walter told
her.

Kate inched forward,
examining the co-ordinates where the blip was positioned on the
map. Her eyes grew wide with amazement.
‘
It can
’
t be…
’

Collosimo entered Melanie
Cail
’
s empty apartment with ease. When he
left, ten minutes later, there were video and audio “bugs” safely
in place.

He expected Melanie might do or
say something in the privacy of her home that revealed her as the
saboteur. A subsequent arrest, or warning off, would kill three
birds, not the proverbial one or two: 1) the media attention would
end; 2) Melanie would no longer pose a threat; and 3) Adam Bennett
would no longer be needed on special assignment.

An on-site detective was the
last thing any of them needed at any time, let alone right now.

He returned to the Institute, on
tenterhooks, wanting the problem solved.

‘I
’
ve had confirmation Erickson will be here, on schedule,
tonight,
’
Donnelly informed
Westmeyer.
‘
If we
’
re going to help Vender catch this kid then Erickson and
his goons are the best men for the job.
’

‘He
’
ll need to be more of a phantom than ever on this.
Vender
’
s Keepers and the cops are all out
there so the town is going to get crowded.
’

‘Does Sandy Bingham know
about this?
’

‘No. And I want it kept
that way. He
’
s already going nuts about
the drownings and all the damn media coverage over our
saboteur.
’

‘What
’
s up his ass anyway? How does any of this directly threaten
him?
’

‘He
’
s on edge about his re-election. Don
’
t expect anything Bingham says or does to make any blasted
sense. He
’
s always been a loose
cannon-
’