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The featureless landscape of Nebraska was overshadowed by massive cloud formations which charged across the sky like battleships as Noah drove west along I-26. The southwest wind brought the promise of rain. He was getting close to Wyoming, and that alone kept him going. The hours of driving and lack of sleep were taking their toll, and Noah tried every trick in the book to stay alert. The windows were lowered, and he found a talk radio station with an annoying announcer to keep him occupied.
Nebraska was uneventful as usual. However, the farther west he drove, the more apprehensive Noah became. The lack of sleep and nerves felt like a brick had settled in his stomach, and despite the cool fresh air, sweat beaded his brow.
Soon as he crossed over the Wyoming border, Noah opened the pay-as-you-go phone and made a call.
*****
TRACEY BEGAN HER CAREER with the NSA straight from MIT, and her skills had only sharpened. Curly red hair and freckles fooled many, and they doubted her ability to navigate the computer world. For her, it was a simple matter of creating a program to monitor the series of cell phone numbers—to ensure success, Tracey increased the numerical range by a thousand, bracketing the target.
At the end of her twelve-hour shift, the audio alert sounded. Excited, she located the cell tower to pinpoint the location. The signal lasted long enough to trace the call, and the resulting match popped up on a close-contact list.
“Mr. Cameron!” Tracey called out to the open office door. The excitement in her voice brought her boss running.
“Where?”
With two mouse clicks, the overlaying map filled the center monitor. “Westbound.”
The target didn’t show on the map, but the cell towers were clearly marked. The signal had just jumped and confirmed the direction on I-26 West.
“Cameras in the area?” Cameron traced the route with a finger and shook his head. “Never mind. There wouldn’t be.”
The screen flashed red.
“Signal lost. Ninety-eight seconds duration.” Tracey tried to ping the number from the contact list, but it wasn’t available. “The target called this location from one-hundred and forty miles away.”
A fingernail with chipped polish tapped the screen.
Arrow Point, Wyoming.
“Good job.” Cameron pulled out a cell phone and began giving orders as Tracey tried a few more tricks. The warm glow of satisfaction plastered a grin on her face, and the others in the office groaned. They knew she would rub it in. Of course, she would. It was the best part of her day.