Chapter 38
Hale stopped
halfway to the Node 3 pantry and stared at Susan. “What’s
wrong, Sue? You look terrible.”
Susan fought
her rising fear. Ten feet away, Hale’s
monitor glowed
brightly. “I’m… I’m okay,”
she managed, her heart
pounding.
Hale eyed her with a puzzled
look on his face. “You want some
water?”
Susan could not answer. She cursed
herself. How could I forget
to dim his damn monitor?
Susan knew the moment Hale suspected
her of searching his terminal,
he’d suspect she knew his real identity, North Dakota.
She feared Hale would do anything to keep that information inside Node 3.
Susan wondered
if she should make a dash for the door. But she never got the chance. Suddenly
there was a pounding at the glass wall. Both Hale and Susan jumped. It was Chartrukian. He was banging his sweaty fists against the glass again. He
looked like he’d seen
Armageddon.
Hale scowled
at the crazed
Sys-Sec outside
the window, then turned
back to Susan. “I’ll be right back. Get yourself a drink. You look pale.”
Hale turned and went outside.
Susan steadied
herself and moved quickly to Hale’s terminal. She reached
down and adjusted the
brightness controls. The monitor went black.
Her head was pounding. She turned and eyed the conversation now taking place on the Crypto
floor. Apparently, Chartrukian had not gone home, after all.
The
young Sys-Sec was now in a panic, spilling
his guts to Greg Hale. Susan knew it didn’t matter–Hale knew everything there was to know.
I’ve got to get to Strathmore,
she thought. And fast.
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