Memories End by James Luceno Read Free Book Online Page B

she had sent no such authorization. A second woman had purchased a round-trip travel package to Tibet only to end up incarcerated in thecapital city for not being able to show a prebooked return flight. A father of three was looking for his eldest son who had left home with all of dad's ATM and credit cards.
    He rubbed his eyes as he regarded the screen. None of the cases would pay much, but they would at least help cover the fines.
    Precisely at 8:00 P.M. the private videophone line intruded with a series of tones. The caller obviously had access to Felix's personal number, so odds were in favor of the call being legitimate and not an attempt to get him to switch his long-distance service or donate to Casualties of the Stock-Market Crash.
    “42212-667-6766,” Felix said, picking up at last.
    “Felix McTurk?”
    Felix waited. The phone's video-display screen remained blank. “That depends on who's calling.”
    “A prospective client, Mr. McTurk.”
    To Felix's trained ear, the caller was a kid making use of a voice processor to sound older. There was, however, a trace of an accent he couldn't identify.
    “You mind telling me who gave you this number, Mr….”
    “Gitana,” the voice told him. “Magyar Gitana. And I'd rather not reveal the source, Mr. McTurk.” “Is this a data case, Mr. Gitana?”
    “I need help with the transferal of some sensitive information. The run will have minimal environmental impact.”
    Felix directed a puzzled frown at the phone. “Environmental impact?”
    “Would you be willing to fly for me, Mr. McTurk? It's what you do best, isn't it?”
    “Well, I'm as good as most and better than some,” Felix lied. “The problem is, my cybersystem is, uh, temporarily out of commission while it undergoes an upgrade.”
    “For our purposes, it would be best if you did
not
fly from your personal system.”
    “Back up a second,” Felix said. “You've got the wrong number if you're planning an illegal run. Just how sensitive is this information you want transferred?”
    “Its value to me is incalculable. I have reason to believe that certain outside agencies are also eager to lay hands on it.”
    Felix jotted notes on an electronic pad. “Are we talking about federal agencies or private ones?”
    Gitana fell silent briefly. “Maybe both.”
    Felix shook his head in impatience. “We're getting nowhere fast. How do you figure I can help you if I don't have access to a cybersystem?”
    “I've already taken the liberty of signing you up for an introductory tour of the Network sponsored by Virtual Horizons on Broadway near Thirty-third Street.”
    “I'm listening.”
    “Be there for the ten A.M. tour and I'll meet you inside the Network at precisely ten-fifteen. At that time, I will furnish you with additional information regarding the data I wish retrieved, along with instructions for redepositing them.”
    “Frankly, I don't like the sound of this.”
    “My sources tells me that you once had a thriving business, Mr. McTurk. I can put you back on the fast track. Call up your bank records.”
    “What?”
    “Humor me. It will benefit you greatly.”
    Felix called his bank records on-screen. One moment there was $301.27 in the account, and the next there was $29,301.27—enough to cover almost all his debts. He stared at the figure in disbelief.
    “The adjusted amount will remain, whether or not we succeed in our mission. Should we succeed, you can expect an additional fifteen thousand dollars by no later than three o'clock tomorrow afternoon.”
    Felix was already calculating how he would spend the extra bucks. “One thing,” he said after a moment. “Let's suppose the Network meet doesn't go as planned. How do I get in touch with you?”
    “You don't,” Gitana said with a note of finality.
    Tech and Marz gazed groggily at the glowing display of the laptop. Neglecting homework assignments and dinner, they had spent the entire evening attempting to discover the identity of