Operation Hell Gate - Marc Cerasini [12]
"You're the software expert?"
The young woman nodded. "If it's made in Korea I can hack it."
Nina could not hide her surprise. She had expected someone older, with more experience. Perhaps an ex-military type, a veteran of the North/South Korean demilitarized zone — or an adult, at the very least. Dae Soo Min looked to be about seventeen and was acting much younger.
Nina shook the woman's hand. "Hi. I'm Nina Myers, Ms..."
"My friends call me Doris."
Nina picked up her bag. "Follow me and I'll introduce you to the rest of the team."
Jamey was at her workstation processing the hourly reports when Milo Pressman appeared at her shoulder. "Hey, check it out."
She followed Milo's gaze. "My God. Is CTU recruiting at elementary schools now?"
"Quick, pretend to be looking at the monitor," whispered Milo. "I think they're headed this way."
By the time Nina and Doris arrived, Milo and Jamey were seemingly swamped in the sea of intelligence data. "Sorry to interrupt your work," Nina said without a trace of irony. "I want you to meet..."
"I'm Doris. Hi."
"Milo is our security systems specialist, Jamey is our head programmer. You'll be working with them for the duration of this assignment."
Milo and Jamey exchanged looks. Nina crossed to the auxiliary workstation and powered it up. "Jamey, could you send all of the encrypted data we've recovered from the memory stick to station six, so Doris can begin her preliminary evaluation?"
Jamey frowned. "Jack put everything that has to do with the Arete case on Level Four security clearance..."
"No problem. I'm assigning Doris a Level Three security code."
Behind Nina's back, Milo made a face at Jamey.
"You got to be kidding me," Jamey protested. "I didn't get a Level Three clearance code until I worked here for over six months."
Nina rose to her full height, looming over the seated Jamey. "Do you feel threatened? I understand if you do. But not to worry, the situation is only temporary. Just until Doris cracks the code."
Milo watched Doris sit down in front of the keyboard. Inside of a minute she began isolating data, separating the wheat from the chaff. He scratched his sparse goatee. "At the speed she's working, that won't be very long..."
* * *
9:21:51 P.M. EDT
The sky over Queens, New York
Dante Arete stared down the muzzle of Special Agent Hensley's weapon, eyes wide, lips beaded with sweat. Jack Bauer's grip around his throat tightened.
"What the hell are you doin', man?" Dante croaked, wide eyes staring at Hensley. "This ain't what we talked about. This ain't part of our deal."
Jack dragged Arete against him in a bear hug, spoke in his ear. "What deal? Tell me what deal you made with Hensley."
"Shut up, both of you," said Hensley.
Arete ignored Jack, glared at Hensley. "You kill me and the whole deal's flushed, man."
Bauer moved backward, dragging Arete with him, until his spine touched the walls of the pressurized cabin. He risked a glance out the window. The ground was coming up fast, Jack could see cars on the highway, busy residential streets with people on them.
"Shoot now and you'll puncture the fuselage, de-pressurize the cabin," Jack warned.
Hensley shrugged. "We're almost on the ground. I'll risk it."
The engine's whine became more pronounced as the aircraft decreased its speed. Turbulence buffeted the airliner, and the motion rocked Hensley on his feet, foiling his aim. Fearfully, Arete struggled against Bauer's tightening grip, but Jack held him firm. A moment later, Hensley steadied himself, his aim true. "Like I said, Bauer. When the wheels touch the pavement, Arete's mine."
From the corner of his eyes, Jack saw a flash outside the window. Hensley saw it, too. A bright orange object rose toward the airplane from a cluster of low, featureless concrete buildings.
Jack threw Arete to the cabin floor as a brilliant yellow ball of fire lit the windows on the starboard side of the airliner. Interior alarms sounded and emergency oxygen masks dropped from their ceiling compartments