his burned skin crinkling around the eyes.
"Oh, baby, don't tell me you bumped your dick into something."
"No, nothing like that."
"Then what?"
"Let's sit down. And you'd better bring something to take notes with."
In the living room Pierce gave him all the information he had on Lilly Quinlan without explanation about where it was coming from. He also asked Zeller to find what he could on Entrepreneurial Concepts Unlimited and Wentz, the man who operated it.
"You got a first name?"
"No. Just Wentz. Can't be too many in the field, I would guess."
"Full scans?"
"Whatever you can get."
"Stay inside the lines?"
Pierce hesitated. Zeller kept his eyes level on him. He was asking if Pierce wanted him to stay within the bounds of the law. Pierce knew from experience that there was much more out there to be found if Zeller crossed the lines and went into systems he was not authorized to enter. And he knew Zeller was an expert at crossing them. The Doomsters were formed when they were college sophomores. Computer hacking was just coming into vogue for their generation and the members of the group, largely under the direction of Zeller, did more than hold their own. They mostly committed pranks, their best being the time they hacked into the local telephone company's 411 information bank and changed the number for the Domino's Pizza closest to campus to the home number of the dean of the Computer Sciences Department.
But their best moment was also their worst. All six of the Doomsters were busted by the police and later suspended. On the criminal side everybody got probation with the charges to be expunged after six months without further trouble. Each boy also had to complete 160 hours of community service. On the school side they were all suspended for one semester. Pierce went back after serving both the suspension and the probation. Under the magnifying glass of police and school administrators, he switched from computer sciences to a chemistry curriculum and never looked back.
Zeller never looked back, either. He didn't go back to Stanford. He was scooped up by a computer security firm and given a nice salary. Like a gifted athlete who leaves school early for the pros, he could not go back to school once he sampled the joys of having money and doing what he loved for a living.
Tell you what," Pierce finally answered. "Get whatever you can get. In fact, on Entrepreneurial Concepts, I think some variation of abracadabra might help you get in. Try it backwards first."
Thanks for the head start. When do you need this?"
Like I said, yesterday will be fine."
"Right, a quickie. You sure you didn't stick your dick into something nasty?"
"Not that I know of."
"Nicole know about this?"
"Nope, there's no reason. Nicole's gone, remember?"
"Right, right. This the reason why?"
"You don't give up, do you? No, it's got nothing to do with her."
Pierce finished his beer. He didn't want to hang around, because he wanted Zeller to get to work on the assignment he was giving him. But Zeller seemed in no hurry to start.
"Want another beer, commander?"
"Nah, I'm gonna pass. I've gotta get back to my apartment. I have my assistant baby-sitting the furniture movers. Besides, you're going to get on this thing, aren't you?"
"Oh, yeah, man. Right away."
He gestured toward his work area.
"Right now all my machines are booked. But I'll get on it tonight. I'll call you by tomorrow night."
"All right, Code. Thanks."
He got up. They pumped each other's hand. Blood brothers. Doomsters again.
By the time Pierce got to his apartment the movers were gone but Monica was still there. She'd had them arrange the furnishings in a way that was acceptable. It didn't really take advantage of the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows that ran along one side of the living room and dining room, but Pierce didn't care all that much. He knew he'd be spending little time in the apartment anyway.
"It looks nice," he said. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. I
"Oh, baby, don't tell me you bumped your dick into something."
"No, nothing like that."
"Then what?"
"Let's sit down. And you'd better bring something to take notes with."
In the living room Pierce gave him all the information he had on Lilly Quinlan without explanation about where it was coming from. He also asked Zeller to find what he could on Entrepreneurial Concepts Unlimited and Wentz, the man who operated it.
"You got a first name?"
"No. Just Wentz. Can't be too many in the field, I would guess."
"Full scans?"
"Whatever you can get."
"Stay inside the lines?"
Pierce hesitated. Zeller kept his eyes level on him. He was asking if Pierce wanted him to stay within the bounds of the law. Pierce knew from experience that there was much more out there to be found if Zeller crossed the lines and went into systems he was not authorized to enter. And he knew Zeller was an expert at crossing them. The Doomsters were formed when they were college sophomores. Computer hacking was just coming into vogue for their generation and the members of the group, largely under the direction of Zeller, did more than hold their own. They mostly committed pranks, their best being the time they hacked into the local telephone company's 411 information bank and changed the number for the Domino's Pizza closest to campus to the home number of the dean of the Computer Sciences Department.
But their best moment was also their worst. All six of the Doomsters were busted by the police and later suspended. On the criminal side everybody got probation with the charges to be expunged after six months without further trouble. Each boy also had to complete 160 hours of community service. On the school side they were all suspended for one semester. Pierce went back after serving both the suspension and the probation. Under the magnifying glass of police and school administrators, he switched from computer sciences to a chemistry curriculum and never looked back.
Zeller never looked back, either. He didn't go back to Stanford. He was scooped up by a computer security firm and given a nice salary. Like a gifted athlete who leaves school early for the pros, he could not go back to school once he sampled the joys of having money and doing what he loved for a living.
Tell you what," Pierce finally answered. "Get whatever you can get. In fact, on Entrepreneurial Concepts, I think some variation of abracadabra might help you get in. Try it backwards first."
Thanks for the head start. When do you need this?"
Like I said, yesterday will be fine."
"Right, a quickie. You sure you didn't stick your dick into something nasty?"
"Not that I know of."
"Nicole know about this?"
"Nope, there's no reason. Nicole's gone, remember?"
"Right, right. This the reason why?"
"You don't give up, do you? No, it's got nothing to do with her."
Pierce finished his beer. He didn't want to hang around, because he wanted Zeller to get to work on the assignment he was giving him. But Zeller seemed in no hurry to start.
"Want another beer, commander?"
"Nah, I'm gonna pass. I've gotta get back to my apartment. I have my assistant baby-sitting the furniture movers. Besides, you're going to get on this thing, aren't you?"
"Oh, yeah, man. Right away."
He gestured toward his work area.
"Right now all my machines are booked. But I'll get on it tonight. I'll call you by tomorrow night."
"All right, Code. Thanks."
He got up. They pumped each other's hand. Blood brothers. Doomsters again.
By the time Pierce got to his apartment the movers were gone but Monica was still there. She'd had them arrange the furnishings in a way that was acceptable. It didn't really take advantage of the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows that ran along one side of the living room and dining room, but Pierce didn't care all that much. He knew he'd be spending little time in the apartment anyway.
"It looks nice," he said. "Thanks."
"You're welcome. I
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