Kevin Cushman, screen handle Warplord924, was twenty-eight years old, lived with his mother, and dressed for success in pajama bottoms, T-shirts, and bare feet. He spent the day in front of an entire wall of computer screens, hardwired together in a virtual spiderweb of cables. But he was no pathetic loser. He pulled down six figures a year solving people’s computer problems. A high six figures. He was able to work mostly from home, which allowed him time for more important computer activities.
When Millie came in Kevin was killing horrible poison-dripping scorpion-centaurs in some far-off galaxy. Millie waited patiently for one of them to get him. Finally a poisoned tooth sank into the hero’s arm and Kevin’s champion died in the dust.
Kevin looked over his shoulder, said petulantly, “Now see what you made me do?”
“Sorry,” Millie said. She knew from experience any other response would be worse.
His dead hero was somehow reconstituting himself, but Kevin put the game on pause so he could swing around in his chair to confront her. “That’s what you always say. And you know what I always say. Sorry does not take back the hit or extract the poison. I can’t power up until Level Twelve. I can only reboot at half-charge.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Millie said. “Listen, Kevin, I have a job for you.”
“I’ve got all the jobs I need.”
“Yeah, well, you want this job.”
“Huh?”
“This is a covert op. It’s classified, something big. They need a man of your talents. You’ll get clearance.”
“That is way cool. What’s the catch?”
“There’s no catch.”
“Come on, there’s always a catch.”
Millie considered. “Well, sort of.”
“What?”
“You’ll have to get dressed.”
—
KEVIN LOOKED DECIDEDLY uncomfortable in a jacket and tie when Millie presented him to Holly Barker forty-five minutes later.
“Here he is,” Millie said. “Holly, this is Kevin, aka Warplord924. Kevin, this is Holly Barker.”
Holly didn’t get up. “Hi, Kevin. Do you know who I am?”
“I googled you.”
“Of course. Then you realize anything you may hear will be highly classified.”
“Does this have anything to do with the assassination?”
Holly ignored the question. “Here’s the deal. You’re on the team. You’ll have highest priority clearance. Except for one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“There is no team. This is a covert operation. So covert it doesn’t exist.”
Holly got up, opened the door to the adjoining office. “You can set up in here. You’re going to be monitoring a wiretap.”
“Is it legal?”
“Very good question. Try to forget you asked it.”
Kevin blinked.
Teddy, who’d been sitting unobtrusively off to the side, got to his feet. “Don’t worry about it, Kevin. We’re the good guys. We take care of our own.” He walked Kevin into the next room where a swivel chair commanded a wall of computer equipment. “You monitor the tap from here. When a call comes in, trace it, and tell me where it came from.”
“I’m not sure I can do that.”
“Sure you can. Millie says you’re the best.”
In the other room Holly said, “Shit!”
“What’s the matter?”
“He’s on TV.”
Teddy clapped his hands together. “Showtime.”