Daemon

short positions in the weeks leading up to Sobol’s death. I was real curious about it until I saw the news today. Now it makes more sense. You know what stock shorting is, right?’
    He gave her a slight smile. ‘I have a series seven.’
    ‘Well, if that means “yes,” then you can appreciate that someone just made a boatload of money by destroying CyberStorm.’
    He looked confused. ‘But what good is money to a dead guy?’
    ‘What makes you think the recipient is dead?’
    He smiled at her – for real. ‘I’m really starting to like you, Anji.’
    ‘I don’t know whether I like you yet, Barry. But I know what would
make
me like you.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘An exclusive on the story when we find out where the money’s going.’
    ‘An exclusive.’
    ‘I get to break the story. And the FBI gives me an introduction to a major media company.’
    He frowned. ‘You’re serious?’
    ‘I’m unemployed. Remember? You just confirm that I’m investigating something big with the bureau.’
    ‘Wouldn’t they think it’s a planted story?’
    She laughed. ‘You’re so funny, Barry. I think I do like you. You’re like an innocent little fawn.’
    He tried to eye her darkly, but it wound up just looking stupid. ‘I’ll need to run it past some people.’
    ‘You do that.’ She felt firmly in the driver’s seat now. Hewas reacting to her, not the other way around. ‘In the meantime, I’m going to get that list of corporate officers, and when you Feds catch up, we’ll talk some more.’
    ‘Careful, Anji. This isn’t a game.’
    ‘Who said I’m playing one?’ She kept her eyes on him and took another sip of her drink.
    He looked confused, as if he suddenly realized he was talking to someone else – not the Anji Anderson he’d expected to find.
    She continued. ‘Are you going to help me, or are you going to stop me? Your choice.’
    He stared at her. His silence said it all.

Chapter 22:// Honey Pot
    Reuters.com
    CyberStorm Voice-Over Actor Found Dead , New York, NY – Expatriate British actor Lionel Crawly was found dead in his apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side early today. Crawly gained a modicum of fame in the online gaming community as the voice of Oberstleutnant Heinrich Boerner , the notorious villain of the bestselling game Over the Rhine . Police sources indicate that the body of the elderly actor lay undiscovered for several days and that the cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy – although poisoning is suspected.
    Agent Philips did not contact Sebeck or Ross directly. Nonetheless, Sebeck felt the heavy presence of NSA security all around his house. Two windowless vans sat curbside near his driveway, and federal agents shooed away reporters foolhardy enough to approach his residential block – although, in the tumult of media attention following the fiery destruction of Sobol’s estate, no one focused much on the cop who discovered the Sobol connection. Control of the Task Force had been transferred to Washington, which meant that Sebeck and the entire Sheriff’s Department were out of the loop. That was fine with Sebeck. It gave him time to focus on something he’d never given a damn about: computer games.
    In general, Sebeck viewed computers as a necessary fact of modern life. His chief complaint was that they gave a false sense of precision to poor thinking. But then, technology was like religion – you either had the faith or you didn’t.
    It was almost midnight, and Sebeck scanned his keyboard to find the hotkeys that would twirl his barbarian characteraround. The majesty of a fully textured 3-D wilderness filled his computer screen. In the foreground, giant rats were overcoming a muscle-bound barbarian.
    Sebeck’s son, Chris, stood next to him. ‘Dad! They’re kicking your ass.’ He laughed and covered his eyes.
    Sebeck glanced at the screen. He started hitting keys at random. His barbarian had the digital equivalent of an epileptic fit, while the rats brought him down. ‘Damnit.’
    ‘Oh man, you suck.’
    Sebeck gave Chris the evil eye, and the boy held up his palms in submission. ‘Just trying to help.’
    ‘Yeah, you’re a hell of a teacher.’
    ‘You should just let me do it for you.’
    ‘This isn’t a game, Chris.’
    ‘Yes, it
is
a game.’
    ‘You know what I mean.’
    ‘I’ve been after you for a year for a subscription to
The Gate
. What’s the difference if I play for a while?’
    ‘Because the psychopath who killed Aaron Larson