Zero Day_ A Novel - Mark Russinovich [87]
“Don’t make a sound or I’ll cut you.” The voice was British. “Over here.”
In the alleyway, she braced herself. “Take my purse. I don’t have much—”
“Shut up. Let’s go to your room. Act like we know each other if the clerk’s at the desk.”
“What do you wan—?” The knife went deeper into her, enough to cause a wave of nausea to sweep through her.
“I said, shut up. Don’t speak again. And remember … we’re friends.”
* * *
Manfield’s information had included her driver’s license photograph. He’d waited nearly three hours for Sue to exit the office building. He’d followed the woman, assuming she was on her way home. In the event he was mistaken, he had her address. When she’d stopped almost in front of the hotel and removed a plastic keycard, he’d realized she wasn’t going home just yet. Since she lived in the city, he concluded she was meeting a lover. He couldn’t risk her spending the night, so he’d had no choice but take her. He wanted this job over with.
42
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
HOTEL LUXOR
EAST THIRTIETH STREET
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31
9:31 P.M.
Jeff ate as he watched cable news. No mention of the Superphreak virus, but it was bound to get into the media eventually. He wasn’t convinced that would be bad. Getting the public involved sometimes had a way of speeding up patches.
He opened ICQ, saw Daryl was online, and typed:
JA33: Is thr any pln t leak t media?
There was a short pause.
D007:
Hello t u 2. I hdnt gvn it any thot. Wht do u thnk?
JA33:
We arent mkng nuff headwa. I cnt see any hrm. Wht do u thnk?
D007:
Less I go off reservtn it wn’t b my cll. Th secrity vndrs knw abt it alrdy. At sum point I’d think 1 f thm wud issue prss rls.
JA33:
I ws jst thnkng we cld gt mre rsorcs t bear if th pblc ws invlvd, + it wld pt heat on t vndrs. r thy coprtng yt?
D007:
Its stll prtty lw n t totem ple so fr. I kp tryng. Rtkts mean mny vrss arnt detectd.
JA33:
Any nw dvlpmnts I shld knw abt?
D007:
More BIOS wipes, prmrly Dell and HP. Thy trnd th mchns to anchr wghts.
JA33:
How about chat rms?
D007:
Sphreak name sumtim bt no help. I dnt hv nuf staff t d t as mch as Id lke.
JA33:
Hv u pstd ny mssgs t sphreak?
D007:
We tlkd bot tht n dcdd gainst t. t wld alrt hm. He’d chng hs pttrn. No one knws mch abut t gy. We fond sm psts fr spreak frm otsde.
JA33:
Wh?
D007:
Smn usng t nme dragon lady. Mean nythng t u?
Dragon Lady? Someone Chinese?
JA33:
could b lmst anbdy bt ths isnt cmmn knwldg yt. th IT mngr at t frm is prt Chinese bt sh ddnt sy nythng t m abot pstng. Wht do u thnk?
D007:
Id sy sphreak hs bn tippd off alrdy. If sh hsnt tld u anythng it cus sh ddnt lrn anytng.
Jeff made a mental note to talk to Sue about it in the morning.
D007:
NYC tomrro. Will call to meet w u if ok.
JA33:
Snds good. Anytng els?
D007:
I think wer scrwd.
43
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
MIDTOWN
HEMINGWAY HOTEL
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31
10:19 P.M.
The Hemingway Hotel had undergone a complete restoration in the 1970s, a time of considerable labor strife in the Big Apple. As a result, much of the work had been shoddy. The hotel had been sold twice since then, and it was a chore to keep the place looking good. The latest owners were contemplating whether another remodeling would be better than repairing as necessary. While they dithered, certain necessary improvements had never taken place, such as the installation of security cameras.
There was no clerk, no one at all at the front desk, as they walked stiffly through the lobby to the elevator bank. Sue punched number 4, unable to think of anything else to do or anything at all to say. In the elevator she began to sweat profusely, droplets running from her armpits. Stepping off the elevator, Manfield and Sue Tabor