April 3, 10:30 A.M. EST
An Air Force Close to Washington D.C.
Kirkman, Lucy, and Brandon board the plane, stow their bags and take seats by the windows. Major Andrews walks out of the cockpit to greet them, “Good morning. So we are going to have coffee in Tokyo? It will take us about 15 hours to get there. We will make a short stop in Seattle. There is food and drinks in the galley. Help yourself. And buckle up. We take off in about five minutes.”
Major Andrews returns to the cockpit and minute later the intercom crackles. “Oh by the way my copilot is Captain Sherry Spinx.”
“Good morning folks and welcome aboard,” Captain Spinx says in a soft but confident voice, and you can just call me Spinx.”
The engines start up and the plane taxies to the runway. Three minutes later they are in the air. The professor, Kirkman, and Lucy Chin all fall to sleep shortly after the plane takes off.
The professor wakes after a few hours and gets up to use the restroom. Kirkman and Lucy Chin also awake. When the professor returns Kirkman and Lucy Chin are in the galley getting out food and drinks. Lucy Chin is wearing a T-shirt that has a logo and the words "planet out" on it.
“What is planet out Lucy?” Kirkman asks.
Smiling at Kirkman Lucy says, “It is sort of like a club Henry. Just people that have things in common.” Kirkman shrugs and returns to his seat with his food and drink.
Lucy sits down next to the professor with a tray of food. She smiles, “I think it is time you clued me in professor.”
“A few years ago a group of cyber terrorist launched something they called the Pearl Harbor 2 attack or PH2. Later another group launched Pursuit of Justice, or PJ1 scenario”, Brandon replies.
“Yes I remember. I also remember that all of them from both groups, except one was either caught or killed,” Lucy elaborates.
“What else do you know Lucy?” Brandon asks.
“Oh that the one that got away is called High-tech Tonya. She is brilliant. She was also your girl friend when you were teaching at Stanford while she was a student there. There are rumors that you taught her to be a terrorist and that you helped her get away after the PJ1 attack,” Lucy said with a grin on her face.
The professor and Lucy Chin nibble on the food.
After a few bites Brandon responds, “I have heard the same rumors.”
“Are they true?” Lucy asks.
“No, I did not help her get away, but its our job now to try to find her,” Brandon replies.
“Why now? And shouldn't the FBI be working on this sort of stuff,” Lucy adds.
Brandon continues, “They are working on it. The reason for now is that intelligence expects that there is going to be a major cyber attack on the United States and that she might be involved. Her girl friend committed suicide a few weeks ago. Tonya has not been heard from for almost two years. The FBI accurately assumes that Tonya will blame them for Mary's suicide because they constantly followed her around and bugged the phones and stuff.”
“Can't say that I would blame Tonya for feeling that way,” Lucy declares. “So who is our boss on this gig?”
“The President of the United States,” Brandon replies without emotion.
“Cool plane. Don't you think?” Lucy says as she is looking around the plane. “Why are we going to Japan?”
“One of the PJ1 team, Kaikara, was in Japan during the attacks. She had girl friend. We are going to get the girl friend,” Brandon summarizes.
“We are going to get her how? We are not going to kill her are we?” Lucy says sternly.
“No we are not going kill her!” Brandon responds. “I want to talk with her, that is if we can find her. And if a cyber attack starts I would rather have her with us than the attackers and for that matter I would rather have her with us instead of the Japanese police getting to her. They did not treat her very well during the PJ1 incidents.”
“Then what?” Lucy continues her line of questions.
Brandon sighs, “We are going to meet up with some friends of mine and then we are going to find out when the cyber attack will start. Counter the attack. Get the bad guys. Find Tonya. Then go on vacation.”
“In that order?” Lucy asks. “Or can we modify the plan as necessary?”
“Smart ass!” Brandon says sarcastically.
Lucy huffs back, “Don't get huffy professor. I am just kidding. After we do all of that what happens to Kaikara's girl friend.”
“I like you Lucy!” Brandon says, “Besides being one of the best hackers in the world you are afraid of nothing. You could also be happier if you had a sister. Get her papers and make her a United States citizen. Maybe she will like my friends and hang out with them. Maybe she will want to go off and start a new life. I don't know, but we will make sure she is okay when it is all over.”
“Well, the INS may not take well to her,” Lucy observers.
Brandon clarifies, “The INS has nothing to with this. I want you to take care of it.”
Lucy smiles and leans over and kisses the professor on the cheek. “And that is why I love you the way I do.”
Lucy gets up and takes the tray back to the galley and sits back in her seat and falls asleep again.
Brandon stares out the window. Kirkman is reading magazines. The plane lands at an Air Force base outside of Seattle, refuels and takes off within minutes.
Kirkman and Lucy Chin drift off to sleep.
Brandon sits contemplating his past relationship with High-tech Tonya. He recalls the first time he met Tonya. A class of 35 or so students was listening to one of his lectures on information warfare.
Brandon begins his lecture. “When we compare the economics of offensive ruinous, offensive containment, or defensive responsive information warfare with that of sustained or random terrorist information warfare and that of sustained or random rogue information it becomes clear that the terrorist and the criminal have an incredible economic advantage.”
“Will that economic difference decrease if the off-the-shelf product mix created by the IT industry mature into a more secure technologies?” Tonya, sitting in the back of the room asks.
Brandon thinks a moment and responds, “Yes, I think the cost of defending systems will go down and the skill required to attack system will go up, which in turn will increase the overhead of the terrorist and criminal. However, I do not think that it will increase their overhead that significantly. Remember that these people usually steal the money the need to pay for their operations.”
The young lady continues her line of questioning, “So if the terrorist just has to steal a few more million dollars to pay for more training and more technology they can stay ahead of the defender for decades?”
“Maybe for ever,” Brandon responds.
Still starring out the window, Brandon smiles to himself as he recalled how inquisitive Tonya was.
Brandon drifts into another fantasy - The first time Tonya was at his house in Palo Alto.
Tonya and the professors walk around taking a tour of the house. He shows her room after room of his paintings. Two rooms have easels in them with drop cloths on the floor. There are paintings everywhere. There is however, very little furniture. Each room has two easy chairs with small tables next to them.
They head upstairs. There are more paintings but again little furniture. Two of the bedrooms have a futon on the floor with reading lamps and a clock next to each. Some rooms have lots of books neatly arranged in built in bookshelves. At the top of the stairs is a window seat that overlooks the front of the house.
Tonya stops to look out the window. She turns around and they are standing close. He takes each of her hands, holds them up in the air slightly and gently runs his fingers down her arms. She is melting. He touches her face.
Tonya swoons she feels like she is going to faint. He leads her to the futon on the floor. He slowly removes her clothes and she his. They kiss again.
They melt into the futon. He gently rolls her over her on her stomach. His hands move up and down her body but barely touching. There is an intense energy building up. From head to toe heat starts to escape from her skin. She has an orgasm, then another, and then another.
“Ecstasy has found its way into every cell in my body!” Tonya exclaims. “How do you do that?”
She is limp. He rolls her over. He kisses her the softest kiss she has ever experienced and she has another orgasm. He moves around to be on top of her and starts kissing her more deeply.
He goes back and forth between intense and gentle kisses and every time he changes her body quivers. They get lost in their deep and mutual passion. In a while they fall into a deep sleep.
It is morning. Tonya wakes. Brandon is not in the bed. There is a robe lying close by. She puts on the robe and goes to shower. When she comes out of the shower the house was quiet.
She goes downstairs. She smells brewed tea. She finds the kitchen and gets a cup of tea. She wanders toward the front of the house. Brandon, dressed in a robe, is standing in front of a huge canvas and is painting. He looks at her and smiles.
“How did you sleep my dear?” he asks.
“Like I died and went to heaven,” Tonya says as she walks around to see what he was painting. ”Very interesting. Do you name your paintings.”
“Sometimes I do. Most of the time I don't,” Brandon says as he continues to paint.
“Do you sell your paintings?” Tonya asks.
“Sometimes I do. I have done a few shows, but mostly I just like to have them around and I do give them to my friends,” Brandon explains.
The doorbell rings and in walks an older woman carrying a tray covered in a towel. She says "good morning professor" sits the tray down and removes the towel and leaves. It was breakfast from the French cafe down the street.
They sit and eat and have a giggly conversation.
After Tonya dresses Brandon walks her to the door. He softly kisses her on each check. They look into each other’s eyes. Brandon breaks the silence, “I hope you come back again.”
Tonya smiles and puts her arms around his neck. “I am going to come as often as I can. Many, many times.” She kisses him and walks out the door.
Brandon snaps out of his trance, shakes his head quickly several times, stands up, stretches and walks back to the galley. Lucy Chin also stands up, stretches and walks back to galley to join the professor.
They make short grumbling sounds to each other.
Captain Spinx walks from the cockpit back to the galley. “Hello,” she says, “How is everybody doing?”
Brandon grumbles a bit “Digging into this great food. How about you?”
“Oh yea! Great food!” Lucy chimes in and then laughs
Captain Spinx looks at Lucy's T-shirt. “Mmmmmm. Planet out fan? One of my favorite places,” she says with a big grin.
Lucy smiles and giggles a little. Brandon gathers his food, “I will let you fans alone here.” He takes his food and drink back to his seat. Giggles and chatter come from the galley.
The professor nibbles on his food and sips his drink.
A few minutes later Captain Spinx walks by going back to the cockpit. “Later professor. Let me know if you need anything.”
Lucy Chin walks from the galley and sits next to Brandon. He smiles at her and smacks her on the knee. Lucy Chin squirms around in the seat and finally lays her head on Brandon’s arm. They both fall asleep.
A few hours later the intercom crackles. “We will be landing in about 45 minutes folks, “ Captain Spinx announces.
Major Andrews walks from the cockpit and approaches Kirkman. “We need at least 48 hours to get ready to return. Any idea how long whatever you are going to do will take?”
“Can you be on standby ready to go on short notice 48 hours from now?” Kirkman responds.
“You got it,” the Major responds as he heads back to the galley.
The plan lands at a desolate airfield outside Tokyo. Two black cars drive up to meet the plane. Kirkman, the professors and Lucy Chin get in one car. Major Andrews and Captain Spinx get in the second car.
As the cars drive away workers surround the plane to prepare it for it's next flight.
April 4, 6:30 A.M. Tokyo
A hotel in Tokyo
The two cars arrive at the hotel. A young woman and a bell man with room keys meet the team to escort them to their rooms. The team members silently depart in the hallways as they enter their rooms.
Brandon opens his suitcase and digs around for clothes and toiletries. He takes a shower. Turns on the TV, crawls under the covers and watches TV, flipping the channels.
A few minutes later the door to his room opens. Lucy walks in. She is wearing a robe. She looks refreshed from her shower. She jumps on the bed as the door closes behind her.
Brandon, looking somewhat surprised says, “Well hi there. And what is on your mind?”
“I just came to hang out. Are you going to sleep? Want some food?” Lucy says in her usual rapid-fire manner of conversation.
“I ordered some breakfast and it should be here in a few minutes, Brandon says. “Let's eat. Let's make some plans. Then let's get some sleep.”
A few minutes later there is a knock at the door. Lucy gets up to answer and let's the waiter in with a cart of food.
Lucy digs into the food. “I am hungry,” she says as she starts eating. “Really really hungry.”
Brandon watches she fills a plate with food and she jumps back on the bed. He puts a few things on the plate and sets up in the bead against the headboard and starts flipping channels. They eat and watch TV.
“What's the plan?” Lucy asks.
“Tonight we meet up with a contact,” Brandon begins to explain. “He has been watching Kaikara's girl friend for more than year. We will figure out how we will make contact. Then we go pay a visit.”
“And what if she does not want to talk to us?” Lucy inquires.
“We will figure that out then,” Brandon says with some irritation as he turns off the TV.
They put their plates aside. They crawl under the covers and Lucy Chin cuddles up next to Brandon.
They go to sleep. Several hours later the phone rings.
Brandon picks up the phone. It is Kirkman. “What time are we leaving to go where ever we are going?” Kirkman asks.
Brandon groggy from sleep says, “What time is it now?”
“It is about 6:30 P.M.,” Kirkman reports.
“Let's meet in the lobby at 10:30 P.M.” Brandon responds as he hangs up the phone.
Lucy stirs under the covers and finally pops her head out. “Tell me about your new ex-girl friend. Does she know anything about this gig? Where is she from?”
“She is a nice girl. She is from Maryland. She does not know anything about this gig,” Brandon fires back.
“Bullshit!” Lucy bellows, “Since when have you been into nice girls?”
Lucy climbs on top of Brandon and stares down at him. “I know you. The girl friend thing is far more complicated than you just tried to make it out to be. Don't bullshit me.”
“Can we let this ride for a couple of days. I assure you that it will all be cleared up then. And you will not be disappointed in the story nor how it ends,” Brandon says as if he was begging for mercy.
Lucy smiles down at him, “On one condition professor!”
“Which is?” He asks.
Lucy Chin says nothing. She starts kissing Brandon and pulls the covers over them.
A few hours later Kirkman, Brandon, Major Andrews, Captain Spinx, and Lucy meet in the lobby. A few minutes later a young Japanese man approaches Brandon. They shake hands. Brandon introduces him to the team.
The group walks out of the hotel and gets into a car and drive into the Tokyo traffic.
“How are things going Frank?” Brandon asks.
“We know where she is, at least where she spends most of her time,” Frank responds. “She has hooked up with a gang of people and they live in a warehouse about 10 kilometers from here. We have some idea of the interior of the place and know that they have been bringing in lots of computers.”
“How many people are usually there at any one time?” Kirkman asks.
“A dozen or so, but if they are having a party, there could be 50 or more,” Frank explains. “They usually do their parties on the weekend. If we get a lay of the land for you tonight then we can probably go in tomorrow night.”
“What kind of help can you provide Frank?” Brandon asks. “We need a few things.”
“This is what we can do,” Frank continues. “The authorities would just as soon the girl is out of the country and would not mind the gang disappearing either. But they don't want to make any official moves. That is why they let you in and let you use the airstrip. As far as they are concerned, if we don't blow it you were never here.”
Brandon spouts of his list of needs, “Can you provide some manpower? We could also use a van to haul off some of the computers.”
“I can get both, but there are only four us,” Frank says. “We should be able to do this. But we need to make as little noise as possible about it. We are getting close.”
They drive around the block a few times checking out the buildings and the streets.
Kirkman asks, “Where are the doors to the place?”
“They are in the alley, Frank explains. “Much to our benefit, we can get in and out with out being seen by any passers by.”
Kirkman continues, “What time do you think is best?”
“These guys stay up late. Why not about 3:00 in the morning. But when we are done you get back on your plane and leave immediately,” Frank says bluntly.
Brandon says, “Any comments from the pilots?”
Both pilots respond, “We will be ready.”
Kirkman continues his questions, “Do you have the guns and the night vision goggles?”
“All set and I also brought along a few extra toys as well.” Frank adds. “We will be well equipped and my guys are really good.”
The group drives silently back to the hotel. The car arrives back at the hotel and the team gets out. Brandon speaks with Frank alone for a few minutes, they shake hands and Frank drives away. The team goes into the hotel.
About a half an hour later Brandon is wandering around his room sorting through clothes, he lies down in the bed and starts flipping channels on the TV. The lights are low. The TV glares in the darkened room.
The door opens, Lucy Chin walks in. She is wearing her robe. “I brought you something!” she exclaims. Spinx follows Lucy Chin into the room as the door closes behind them.
“Mind if we hang out with you for a while?” Spinx asks.
Brandon laughs, “How could I possible mind that?”
Lucy turns off the TV. Both Lucy and Spinx jump on the bed.
“So are we going to play spin the bottle?” Brandon quips.
Both Lucy and Spinx giggle. “We were thinking more like spin the professor,” Lucy says giggling.
Both Lucy and Spinx giggle then stop to exchange a deep kiss. Lucy and Spinx take their robes off, jump on Brandon and take the rest of his clothes off.
“Blast off time!” Spinx says with glee.
Several hours later Brandon, Lucy and Spinx are asleep under the covers in the king size bed. They begin to stir.
“I am hungry, really, really hungry,” Lucy says breaking the silence. She picks up the phone and orders breakfast, then goes to the bathroom. Spinx gets up and follows Lucy into the bathroom.
Brandon sits up in bed and stretches then scratches his head. Lucy and Spinx return and jump into the bed. Brandon gets up and declares “My turn,” as he gets up and goes into the bathroom.
Lucy and Spinx are under the covers romping when he returns. Brandon laughs a bit and jumps into the bed.
About 30 minutes later there is a knock on the door, Lucy gets up and puts her robe on the let's the waiter in with his cart while Brandon and Spinx hide under the covers. Lucy starts take the lids of the food plates and passing out food. They all eat for a while.
“Okay professor, how is this gig going to come down?” Lucy asks.
“Let's not complicate it. One of Frank's guys goes in first. They have jamming devices that should be able to disable any surveillance equipment in place. We try do this very quietly,” Brandon emphasizes.
“Are we going to shoot these guys?” Spinx asks.
“Only if we have to,” Brandon responds. “But Frank has some dart guns and we hope to just knock them out. If that fails then we need to be more drastic. We need to find Kaikara's girl friend and get the hell out of here. We don't really know what name she is going by. But she can pick a name out when we get back to the states.”
“How long do you think this will all take?” Spinx asks.
Brandon thinks a few seconds, “I want to be in and out in less than 15 minutes. Lucy your job is to identify the computers you want. Frank's guys will get them in the trucks. Then we leave.”
“Well professor, you sure a reductionist,” Spinx says, “I hope it works that way.”
Lucy pipes in “No problem!”
They continue to eat.
“What are we going to do in the meantime? It probably is not wise to wander around the streets. Let’s make sure we eat before we go,” Lucy says.
Lucy and Spinx look at each other and smile.
The three jump back into the bed and burrow under the covers.
About 2:00 A.M. The team meets in the lobby with their luggage. A few minutes later two cars and a van pull up out front. Lucy gets in the van. Brandon and Kirkman get in one of the cars. Spinx and Major Andrews get in the other car. They drive off into the streets of Tokyo.
About 30 minutes later they arrive a block away from the warehouse that they visited the night before.
Frank, one of his men, Kirkman, and Brandon get out of the cars and head down the alley behind the warehouse. Frank's man is carrying a backpack. He pulls out an electronic device and activates it. Frank walks up to the door and uses some tools to open it.
As the men enter the warehouse Lucy, and another one of Frank's men follow while Major Andrews, Spinx, and another of Frank's men wait in the alley.
The warehouse is for the most part a large open space. There are three young Japanese men sleeping on sofas that are grouped into a conversation area. Kirkman, Frank, and his assistance approach with caution and using a high-tech injector shoot each of the three sleeping men in the leg. This causes them to jolt slightly but they do not wake.
Two young men walk from behind a row of shelving. Kirkman and Frank surprise them from behind and inject both of them, which causes them to pass out immediately.
On the other side of the row of shelves sitting at a computer terminal is Kaikara's girl friend. Frank walks up behind her and injects her and she passes out.
Frank and Kirkman maintain a ready stance waiting for more of the gang to appear. Lucy and Brandon, with the assistance of two of Frank's men pick computers and other equipment. Frank's men start loading into the van which is now parked outside the back door. They work about 15 minutes.
Kirkman picks up Kaikara's girl friend and puts in the back seat of one of the cars. The team gets into the van and the cars and drive off to the airstrip.
Frank’s men quickly load the equipment into the cargo bins of the plane. Lucy supervises the placement of the equipment. Frank and Brandon walk away from the group to have a short conversation.
“Well that went well enough. Fortunately for us these guys are amateurs,” Frank says with a sigh of relief.
Brandon responds skeptically, “This was a bit too easy Frank. The whole gang must have been drinking and doing drugs to move that slowly. Anyway it won't take long for a few of their friends to come home and discover what happened.”
Frank agrees, “I know. But you got what you came for and we are rid of one of our problems. Go ahead and get out of here. I will let you know if anything else happens.”
They walk back toward the plane. The men had finished loading the equipment and were boarding the plane in silence.
Frank and Brandon shake hands and Frank's team quickly drives away.
The plane is in the air a few minutes later. Lucy and Kirkman were examining some of the laptops and cell phones they took from the warehouse.
Brandon sees them playing with the equipment, “Don't turn any of that stuff on while we are in the air.”
Lucy stows the stuff away and heads to the galley. Unknowingly she leaves one cell phone left out in a seat next to Kirkman.
Kaikara's girl friend is sleeping off the drug in one of the seats. Kirkman, Brandon, and Lucy all sit down to rest.
After about a half an hour Lucy comes and sits next to Brandon. “What are you thinking professor?” she asks.
Brandon does not respond. Lucy continues, “It is not that I am complaining, but this was all too easy. Why weren't there more of the gang there?”
Brandon responds in a contemplative tone, “I don't know. But I do agree that it was too easy. We did get what we came for though.”
“I think the Japanese Secret Service set this up,” Lucy continues. “They may have already killed the other gang members. What do you think?”
“It is certainly possible,” Brandon says. “And if they did, then I suspect that they will put the bodies in the warehouse and burn it down before dawn. Don't dwell on it now. We will probably find out soon enough. Keep an eye on the girl. If you think it is necessary, drug her again. But try to find out as much as you can before we get to California.”
Lucy chin gets up and goes back to sit close to Kaikara's girl friend. Kirkman is already sleeping. Soon Brandon falls asleep as well.
A few hours later the Brandon wakes and gets up and goes to the galley. He opens a bottle of water and takes a few sips. He goes back to his seat, sips on the water, and stares out the window. He starts thinking about Tonya again.
April 4, 12:30 P.M. EST
The Georgetown Apartment of Professor Brandon L. Harris
Agent Brenda Packston is walking around going through the professor's books and papers looking for clues as to where he is at and where Tonya might be. She sits down at the computer and starts looking at all of the files.
She opens the email program and sorts through old emails and downloads the new mail. She finds a new message with a subject line: “Have you seen Laura?”
Brenda contemplates. Have you seen Laura? Who is Laura? She opens that email and reads it. “I am coming to the east. Can we meet? T”
Brenda’s concentration is interrupted by a knock on the door. She gets up to let Agent Sharon Lawler in.
“Sorry I am late,” Sharon says as she enters the apartment. “Well you two sure have nice place, are you going to continue to live here?”
Brenda hesitates a moment, “I have not even thought about it, the relationship is over, but we will probably be friends forever, plus he is not going to think about anything else until whatever is going on is over.”
Brenda continues, “Hey I found something in Brandon’s email I want you to see.”
Sharon sits down at the computer and reads the email, “I wonder if this is Tonya?”
“It could be,” Brenda says. “What do you think we should do?”
Sharon looks at Brenda, “lets play catch a terrorist.” She types a response to the email.
“Saw her recently, she is fine. Of course we can meet. Be careful they are looking for you. Keep me posted.”
Sharon prints out both emails and continues to look at files on the computer. She finds a password-protected folder. “Do you know his password?” Sharon asks Brenda.
“No I don’t, I hardly ever use his computer,” Brenda says as she contemplates what the password could be. “What would he use?”
Sharon tries his name and a few other things, nothing works. “What does he like?” she asks.
Brenda smiles, “Sex!!”
Sharon types in the word sex, “Okay, that worked and now you will have to tell me all of the dirty details.”
Sharon looks through all of the files. She finds a file named Tonya. “This could be something.”
She opens the file word document. “The sex life of High-tech Tonya. A novel in progress. By Tonya Heartfield.” She prints two copies of the document out and they both sit down to read it.
Brenda reads out loud. “We used to stay up late at night in the attic bedroom where Matthew slept. We talked about everything and of course talked about sex. After about a week of this it happened; we all had our first time. And for the next seven weeks we played every night. Judy and I did everything to Matthew that we could think of and of course Judy and I learned that girl to girl sex holds many pleasures.”
Sharon laughs and starts reading sections out loud along with Brenda. “It was getting the good sex that was difficult. I tried football players, basketball players,