control and data acquisition and was an egghead phrase for the computer system that controlled the security of the building. It came from industrial processes where a computer monitored all aspects of production to ensure efficiency. More and more commercial facilities were networked this way, with one overarching computer controlling everything from the air-conditioning to the lighting—sometimes in a location hundreds of miles away from the building.
I said, “Where were you planning on gaining SCADA control?”
“There’s a blockhouse out back. We’re pretty sure that’s where the lines are feeding. Once we had control, one team would enter while another pulled security, using the cameras all over the building.”
“How sure are you about the blockhouse?”
Johnny grimaced. “Well, not one hundred percent. I was going to crack that first, put on a slave unit, then crack the building. If we couldn’t figure it out, or the blockhouse was bad, we’d just pull back.”
Knuckles said, “You just need a data line that’s in the network?”
Johnny nodded. “Yeah. We only need about two inches for the slave unit to function. It’s got a broadcast range of about a quarter mile, so anywhere nearby’s good enough.”
“Why not just use one of the wires coming out of the cameras?”
“We thought about that, but they’re all on the exterior of the building above the second floor. I thought it would be easier to crack the blockhouse than climb the building. We don’t have any climbing gear.”
“But if you tagged the camera, you’d
know
you had the network, right?”
“Yes,” Johnny said. “But I just told you, we don’t have any climbing gear, and I’m not risking a guy trying to do that freehand. If he fell, the whole operation would be shot. On camera, no less.”
I saw where Knuckles was going. “But what if you had the climbing gear? That’d be a better choice, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, it would.” He squinted at me. “Don’t tell me you guys brought climbing gear.”
“Something better. We brought a monkey.”
16
J
ennifer was halfway up the drainpipe to the third floor when she heard movement below her. She saw three men milling around the corner of the building, half in and half out of the shadows. Her foot slid against the pipe, making a soft clanking noise. She held her breath.
Please don’t look up.
When Pike had made the monkey comment, she knew they were talking about her. At first, she had violently disagreed, saying that Johnny was right. There was just too much risk. Pike had worn her down until she eventually agreed to at least see if she could climb the building before she made a decision. She knew it was a simple four-story square from her earlier visit, but she hadn’t really looked for a way up on the outside.
It turned out to have a solid drainpipe on the back corner, which was hidden in the shadows from the street. Each floor had what looked like a foot-and-a-half ledge circling the building, with a six-foot alley separating the target from the buildings next door. The cameras in question were on the third floor.
She knew she could climb the building with ease. Pike knew it too and had worked on her until she agreed. In truth, she had secretly been a little thrilled by the challenge. Now, twenty-four hours later, her hands becoming slippery in the cloying humid air, she wondered what the hell she’d been thinking.
Her earpiece crackled, and Pike’s voice came through like a megaphone. “Koko, you set yet?”
Jesus Christ, that was loud.
She looked down and saw that therewere only two men now. Neither glanced up. She clicked twice for no, then clicked rapidly four times. She heard the crackle again while still fumbling with her volume control.
“I understand you have a situation.”
She clicked once for yes.
“Roger. I copy. Do you need assistance?”
She thought about it, knowing assistance would cause the mission to be scratched. She didn’t
I said, “Where were you planning on gaining SCADA control?”
“There’s a blockhouse out back. We’re pretty sure that’s where the lines are feeding. Once we had control, one team would enter while another pulled security, using the cameras all over the building.”
“How sure are you about the blockhouse?”
Johnny grimaced. “Well, not one hundred percent. I was going to crack that first, put on a slave unit, then crack the building. If we couldn’t figure it out, or the blockhouse was bad, we’d just pull back.”
Knuckles said, “You just need a data line that’s in the network?”
Johnny nodded. “Yeah. We only need about two inches for the slave unit to function. It’s got a broadcast range of about a quarter mile, so anywhere nearby’s good enough.”
“Why not just use one of the wires coming out of the cameras?”
“We thought about that, but they’re all on the exterior of the building above the second floor. I thought it would be easier to crack the blockhouse than climb the building. We don’t have any climbing gear.”
“But if you tagged the camera, you’d
know
you had the network, right?”
“Yes,” Johnny said. “But I just told you, we don’t have any climbing gear, and I’m not risking a guy trying to do that freehand. If he fell, the whole operation would be shot. On camera, no less.”
I saw where Knuckles was going. “But what if you had the climbing gear? That’d be a better choice, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, it would.” He squinted at me. “Don’t tell me you guys brought climbing gear.”
“Something better. We brought a monkey.”
16
J
ennifer was halfway up the drainpipe to the third floor when she heard movement below her. She saw three men milling around the corner of the building, half in and half out of the shadows. Her foot slid against the pipe, making a soft clanking noise. She held her breath.
Please don’t look up.
When Pike had made the monkey comment, she knew they were talking about her. At first, she had violently disagreed, saying that Johnny was right. There was just too much risk. Pike had worn her down until she eventually agreed to at least see if she could climb the building before she made a decision. She knew it was a simple four-story square from her earlier visit, but she hadn’t really looked for a way up on the outside.
It turned out to have a solid drainpipe on the back corner, which was hidden in the shadows from the street. Each floor had what looked like a foot-and-a-half ledge circling the building, with a six-foot alley separating the target from the buildings next door. The cameras in question were on the third floor.
She knew she could climb the building with ease. Pike knew it too and had worked on her until she agreed. In truth, she had secretly been a little thrilled by the challenge. Now, twenty-four hours later, her hands becoming slippery in the cloying humid air, she wondered what the hell she’d been thinking.
Her earpiece crackled, and Pike’s voice came through like a megaphone. “Koko, you set yet?”
Jesus Christ, that was loud.
She looked down and saw that therewere only two men now. Neither glanced up. She clicked twice for no, then clicked rapidly four times. She heard the crackle again while still fumbling with her volume control.
“I understand you have a situation.”
She clicked once for yes.
“Roger. I copy. Do you need assistance?”
She thought about it, knowing assistance would cause the mission to be scratched. She didn’t
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