Daemon

darknet,
the
darknet. Imagine a network, like the Internet, but more sophisticated and much more exclusive, populated only by humans the Daemon has recruited.’
    Merritt frowned.
    Ross changed the subject. ‘In any event the Daemon detected my video applet, and I was ejected before I could capture the whole thing. If it knew my real name and address, I suppose I would be dead now. But it doesn’t know my real name. No one does. And no one ever can.’
    Merritt wasn’t thinking about calling for backup anymore. What if Ross was telling the truth? Far from being over, something might just be starting. Something terrible. He looked up at Ross. ‘I’ll need to see more evidence.’
    ‘That can be arranged.’ He stood and motioned for Merritt to follow him. ‘Walk with me.’
    Merritt struggled to his feet and limped after Ross as he headed off through the park.
    ‘I’m innocent, Agent Merritt. So is Peter Sebeck.’
    ‘The detective?’ Merritt remembered the local cop who had been convicted in the conspiracy. ‘He’s on death row.’
    ‘Yes. That’s partly why I’m here.’
    ‘So that’s the angle; you’re here to free your partner.’
    ‘For godsakes, who would be smart enough to steal a couple hundred million dollars, but then stupid enough to wire the money to tax havens controlled by Western intelligence agencies? Why would Sebeck keep fake passports in safe deposit boxes under his own name? Sobol stole Sebeck’s identity.’
    Merritt smirked. ‘And this Daemon stole your identity, too, I imagine?’
    Ross shook his head. ‘No. Sobol didn’t anticipate me, and his Daemon still doesn’t know who I am. But it’s trying to find out – because I’m the only one fighting it.’
    Merritt regarded him. ‘So, who are you, Mr Ross?’
    ‘I already told you, no one—’
    ‘I don’t want your name. I want to know who you
are
.’
    They walked on for a while in silence, Ross considering the question. Before long he turned to Merritt. ‘I came here on an H1-B visa.’
    ‘A foreign tech worker?’
    ‘Yes. I was brought in for Y-two-K remediation and stayed through the Internet bubble. They billed us out as expert developers to large multinational corporations at two hundred and twenty dollars an hour.’
    ‘Who billed you out?’
    ‘The Russian mafia.’
    Merritt let out an involuntary laugh.
    Ross sighed. ‘There was a lot of money sloshing aroundback then – and a lot of Russian tech talent. An illegal trade developed.’
    Merritt’s instinct was to keep laughing. Except he couldn’t think of any particular reason why it couldn’t be true. It seemed all too possible. Was he being naïve again?
    Ross urged Merritt to keep moving. ‘We developed secure e-commerce sites and Web solutions. Pound for pound, we probably pulled in more revenue than prostitutes – plus, the money didn’t need to be laundered.’
    ‘Get to the part where you become an identity thief.’
    ‘The tech bust. There was a falling-out between some of our handlers toward the end. I took advantage of the confusion to disappear. Most of my compatriots were brought back to the Russian Federation, where I assume they are still in servitude to this day. I stole an American identity – a Mr Jon Ross. He had a suitable academic background for my purposes.’
    ‘Where did you learn how to do that?’
    ‘I worked on a lot of credit card systems and projects for various state governments. I learned how the systems work, and I created a place for myself within them.’ He looked up at Merritt. ‘I just wanted my freedom, Agent Merritt. I never stole from Mr Ross. In fact, he sold me his identity, and I substantially improved his FICO score.’
    ‘How is it you speak English so well? You sound like you’re from Ohio.’
    ‘My father worked with the Russian consulate here in D.C. during the Cold War.’ Ross pointed toward the Potomac. ‘I grew up in Fairfax.’
    Merritt kept shaking his head – but then, he didn’t know what to believe.
    Ross grew somber. ‘After the fall of the Berlin Wall, we were recalled to Russia. My father was murdered by Communist hard-liners in the 1992 coup attempt.’
    Merritt searched for signs of dissembling – rapid facialmovements, fluttering of the eyes. Ross displayed only a wistful calm. A melancholy.
    In a few moments Ross brightened. ‘Well, that was a long time ago.’ He gestured to the government buildings around them. ‘I have always held a deep admiration for the