“You too.” Dar agreed, as he hopped off the boat onto the dock, and gave Kerry a brief smile as he passed her.
“C'mon, Chi.” Dar got up and walked over as the dog gathered herself and hopped on board. “Glad you showed up.” She added to Kerry.
“What was that all about?” Kerry stepped over onto the deck, putting Mocha down to go sniff. “New neighbor?”
“Something like.” Dar opened the door to the cabin, stepping back as Chino bustled inside ahead of her. “Guy was looking for someone to build him something that lets people Internet surf without being eavesdropped on.”
Kerry stopped and regarded her in surprise. “Really?”
“Mm.”
“Interesting coincidence?”
Dar shrugged. “I”m going to get the hamsters going. Untie us?” She headed up the ladder onto the flying bridge and got herself settled behind the the controls. She started up the engines and checked the gauges, listening to the sound as they rumbled to life.
“Okay, we're clear.” Kerry climbed up and sat down next to her as she gently applied power. “I locked the dogs inside in case they get any funny ideas about jumping overboard.”
“So I hear.” Dar swung the bow out as she got clear of the dock and started out of the packed marina. “Here we go.”
Kerry put her feet up on the lower shelf of the console and leaned back, as the breeze picked up around them. “So that was an interesting visit.”
“It was. Not sure if it was a legit question, or something someone's floating out because of the press we just got, or someone fishing me from inside the CIA.”
“CIA?”
Dar smiled. “You never know. I told them to go talk to ILS about building his clients a private network.”
Kerry started laughing. “You didn't'”
“I did. Why not? They do that.” Dar replied. “I figured regardless of the reason for the question, that won't get me in too much trouble. He said someone from ATT sent him. Think that was your buddy?”
“I think I should ask him.” Kerry said. “I don't really like the timing of that, Dar. Maybe it was someone from ILS wanting to cause us trouble.”
“Ker.”
“You never know, right?” Her partner said, pointedly. “Frankly, I would rather it have been the CIA, testing us to see if we were going to spill some details on the project. That, at least, would make sense to me.”
“This guy said he knew about the black box they've got tapping everything.” Dar said, after a brief pause. “I told him there's no way to get around that.”
Kerry frowned. “Is that really true?”
“The box being there, or not being able to get around it?”
“Yes.”
Dar nudged the throttles forward as they cleared the entrance to the marina. “I think the first one's true since you told them to go do that.” She eyed her partner, who made a face. “Yeah, I know. As to the second? From a technical perspective, given that it would be an in line tap, there is no physical way to avoid it.”
“But?”
Dar remained silent for a moment, as she adjusted the engines. “Should I be looking for a way around it?”
Kerry merely looked at her.
“Good point.”
Part 13
It was long past dark as Dar piloted the boat back into the harbor, the engines rumbling softly as she made her way between the lines of yachts to either side.
There were a few people still out on the piers, some coiling up hoses, others moving boxes of supplies from the land onto the boats, and there was a cascade of light but curiously musical clanking of the riggings as the boats moved slightly on the tide.
Their slip was one of the outer ones, and Dar had no problem maneuvering the boat into it, cutting the engines and sliding in a little sideways as they eased against the bumpers and Kerry hopped off to tie them up.
It was quiet once she shut power down, the soft creak of the wooden pilings and the scuff of Kerry’s footsteps sounding loud and distinct. Dar relaxed a moment, flexing her hands out and letting them rest on her thighs before she got up from the console and turned to head down the ladder.
At the top of it she paused, hearing her pocketed cell phone start to ring. She pulled it out and answered it. “Hello?”
“Hello, Dar?”
She hesitated. “Yes… Jacques?”
There was a faint sigh on the other end. “Yes, it is me. May we speak for a moment?”
Dar went back over to the console and sat down. “Sure.” She said. “So long as you’re not calling me to threaten me with a lawsuit, in which case I”ll give you my lawyer's number or call me an asshole.”
Jacques chuckled briefly. “No, it is neither. Though I am sure you know my colleagues wish nothing better than to try and throw some legal trouble your way.”
“Nice thanks for a job well done.” Dar remarked dryly. “Hope they all step off a cliff and croak.”
He sighed again. “Let us put that aside for a time as at this moment there are other things occupying their attention. I suppose you know what is going on?”
Dar leaned back and considered. “Yes.” She said, briefly. “I know what’s going on. But if you’re wondering if I had anything to do with it the answer is no.”
“No, we know that.” Jacques responded, surprisingly. “If that was the case, so much as I respect you there would already be legal filings in process. You understand?”
“Sure.”
“So there has been an investigation, yes? In no way was it found out that you had any part in this massive failure.” He said. “In that, you did not participate, that is what is understood. “
Kerry climbed up onto the flying bridge and paused, looking questioningly at her. “Trouble?”
Dar shrugged. “Jacques.” She mouthed silently.
Kerry rolled her eyes. “Going to take the dogs in and get dinner.” She patted Dar’s leg and retreated down the steps again.
“Okay, so why the phone call then?” Dar asked. “Jacques, honestly, I’m sorry someone screwed things up so colossally, no one wanted that.”
“Yes, I knew you would think so.” Jacques said. “The mistake that was made, was underestimating your influence. So let me ask you a few questions if I may do so?”
“Sure.”
Jacques paused to compose himself. “This thing that went wrong, do you think it was a thing done on purpose?”
Dar’s brows contracted a little. “Not sure what you mean.” She said. “If someone went in and made changes, sure that was on purpose. It’s very hard to accidentally log yourself into a device and type things into it. “
“No, no, yes I understand that the action was purposeful.” Jacques said. “But do you think that the intent, the changes being made, were done on purpose to cause us harm?”
Oh. Completely different question. “Ah. You mean, was the change done to screw things up on purpose?”
“Yes.”
“Have no clue.” Dar said, honestly. “From what I heard, it was done to put someone’s mark up. You know what that means?”
“Not so much.”
Dar considered. “There’s a lot of me in those systems.” She clarified. “Seemed to me like someone wanted to take that out and put their own stamp on it.”
“Ah.”
“So, was it done on purpose? Sure. But was it done maliciously?” Dar shrugged. “I don’t know the guy and I don’t want to guess at his motives. Seems like a stupid, and very public screw up though.”
Jacques considered that in silence for a moment. “The investigation, it was just finished earlier and the report I was given said there was bad intent in the action.”
Dar folded her arms and leaned back against the console. “Making the change I could believe was honest desire to take my rep down.” She said. “But making it impossible to go back? Either that was ego way larger than mine, Jacques, or.. yeah, maybe there was something behind it.”