Chapter 8

Even in a king size bed, four people can get a little crowded and we really did not get much sleep. At some point both Fay and I were awake long enough for her to tell me that Ellen was over at Chloe's and I had to get them to school. That would also give Luci and Nikki time to get to work before me.

Fay got up and got dressed and Nikki and Luci followed suit leaving the bathroom to me. I showered and got dressed and was out the door to get Ellen and Chloe to school before I headed for work. I took the long way, stopped for coffee and walked in the door a little after 9.

Maureen was waiting at the elevator as I walked up and we were alone in the lobby.

"Good morning, Maureen. Ready for another day in the salt mine?" I asked. Regardless of the small amount of sleep I had gotten, I was feeling pretty good.

"Good morning, Gary," she replied looking well scrubbed and rested. "You are looking good this morning. I don't think I remember you wearing a suit two days in a row."

"Miracles occasionally happen," I responded. In truth, I had been planning to wear casual pants and a polo shirt, but when I got up, someone, or a group of someones had laid out my clothes for the day. They had chosen a grey herringbone double breasted suit, striped shirt and patterned tie and braces and a pair of black thong style underwear that I would have sworn I did not buy. Come to think of it, I do not remember buying the shirt, tie or braces. Maureen was wearing a grey pinstripe suit, the skirt falling just above her knee. She had decided to forgo a shell today and her cleavage was quite visible.

"Aren't you afraid of causing a riot?" I asked as we got on the elevator. She pushed the button for the 15th floor and turned to me, as the door closed, slinging her purse and briefcase behind her, and cupped her breasts through her jacket.

"Me? A riot? With theses little things?" she said with a sultry voice.

"You are right," I replied after a moment of thought. "Riot is too slight a reaction." She was squeezing them for my benefit. "Careful, your bra might give out from the increased strain and then what would you do?"

She seemed to think about that for a moment. Then, "Why, I guess I would just have to have you help me pick out a new one."

The bell dinged and the door opened on 15 and she stepped out. "See you shortly?" she asked, holding the door.

"I have to deal with Patricia first, so maybe not before lunch."

"If you are done before lunch, I get to take you to lunch, deal?"

"You're on," I said as she nodded and let go of the door. I pressed the button for the 4th floor and went back down to my office.

Luci and Nikki had been in for close to an hour before me. Nikki was on her way out of my office as I rounded the corner.

"There you are," she said turning to return with me to my office. I followed behind her and into my office. It looked like chaos itself had opened up in the middle of the floor. I looked at Nikki and then at Luci. They were wearing casual pants and shirts. Luci was wearing blue cotton with a red polo and Nikki was wearing tan wool and a navy blue scoop neck shirt that just hinted at her cleavage. Her breasts looked bigger today and she just smirked at my observation.

"So what's happening, or should I ask, what happened?" I asked, looking at the chaos. My office was fairly organized when I left it last night and now there were books strewn everywhere. As far as I could tell, there was nothing broken or damaged, but I was not prepared to say there was nothing missing.

"Eric happened," said Luci with a grimace.

"Jerry wants to see you and so does Mike," Nikki continued.

"In what order?" I asked. Both ladies looked puzzled.

"Who wants to see me first, Jerry or Mike," I asked clarifying myself.

"Actually, I think they are both in Jerry's office, waiting for you." Luci finished. She was sitting on a stool I use at the workbench.

"Anything broken?" I asked taking another look around.

"Not that I can tell," Luci said, "but Mike also told us not to touch anything until he said so, just keep an eye on the place."

"Can I put my coat in your office then?" I asked Luci.

Both Nikki and Luci nodded to my request and I turned and walked out the door. I was in a slow burn and it did not bode well for the rest of the day.

I put my topcoat over the back of Luci's chair and fished my email unit out of my briefcase and clipped it to my belt. I might as well leave the briefcase here I thought. I wrote a quick note to Patricia saying I was detained by Security and would be up shortly. I let Nikki and Luci know I was with Jerry, then Patricia and then who knew. Anyone needing me was to call me. I walked over to Jerry's office.

"Good morning, Jerry," I said walking in the door. "I see Tuesday has become the new Monday. Morning Mike," I said taking Mike's hand. Neither gentleman looked happy. "Shall I close the door?" I asked, turning to do just that. Neither of them stopped me.

"You've seen your office," Mike started.

"Yes, I have. But I don't recall leaving it that messy last night. I must have really been tired." I was making light of the situation. At least Jerry smirked at my comments.

"You didn't," Mike responded. "We had a breach of security last night around midnight." Mike went on to tell me that Eric, who had been laid-off as part of the over all reorganization, something I did not know anything about, had come back later with a key card that was still activated and decided that I was to blame for him being out of work. One of the security patrols had caught him in the act (we had security patrols?) and as of right now he was cooling his heals at the local police station on charges of unlawful entry and willful destruction of property.

"The police evidence unit will be by later this morning to photograph and fingerprint," Mike finished up. "Then you can put it back together and see if anything is missing. Would you know if anything was missing?"

Mike was being funny! "Yes, believe it or not, I would. Fortunately I had my laptop with me and I secured the PDAs last week in the storage locker in the server room."

"That is good news," Jerry said for the first time. There was a knock on the door and since I was closest, I reached around and opened it. Patricia was standing there and she did not look happy. She invited herself in.

"Good morning, Mike, Jerry," she said to each in turn. "Do you have this under control?" she asked looking at Mike, who I would swear looked a little frightened for just a moment before she continued, "because I really need to get Gary's paperwork going or Craig will throw me out on the street." She smiled a little as she said it.

"He is all yours Patricia," Mike said. "I just wanted to brief him on what was happening."

"Quite proper," she responded. Turning to me, she said, "Gary, if you will," indicating the door and the fact that I was to precede her out.

"I guess that is my cue. If you find my roller skates, sent them up to 15 will you?" I asked as I left at quick walk. So quick in fact that I actually left Patricia behind and had to slow down for her to catch up. She was wearing a long grey pleated skirt that flowed as she moved and a purple silk blouse with gold buttons. She looked quite lovely and I told her so as we got onto the elevator.

"How can you not be furious?" she asked rounding on me. For an answer, I simply stepped into her and kissed her. She resisted momentarily and then gave in and kissed me back. We were interrupted by the ding and doors opening. I extracted myself and preceded her out, holding the door.

"You did not answer my question," she responded as we walked to her office.

"I didn't?" I asked with a smile. "You're sure? I thought I had." We walked past her desk and into Craig's office. It did not look like he had come in yet and I commented on the fact that she should not keep the boss up so late; it was not good for morale. She closed the door and walked over to me.

"For your information," she said, as she put her arms around me, "he kept me up late last night, and it was wonderful but for some reason, all I could think of was your hard cock pistoning in and out of my cunt," she kissed me and pushed her groin against mine, my erection pushing back against her stomach.

"Now, are you going to answer my question?" she asked as we broke our kiss.

"Nothing was damaged as far as I can tell," I responded, not letting her go, but looking into her eyes. "Eric was a prick to the ladies and I actually expected him to do something juvenile..." my mind caught up with me. "Hold that thought a minute," I said pulling my phone off my hip and punching a number.

"Pete Mason, networks, Pete answered the phone.

"Pete, it's Gary. Very quietly, pull the senior staff in, as well as Jerry and Mike. Check the network. Everywhere. I will be down in two minutes."

"What?" Patricia asked looking at me.

"Twice in two weeks, we could have a problem. Eric had limited administrative access to the core systems, but he had full access to the workstations."

Patricia caught up with my thought processes. "So why are you standing here - go, go!" she practically pushed me out the door. My cell phone started ringing before I hit the elevator.

"Gary, it's Luci, we have a problem."

"Animal, vegetable or mineral," I asked as I hit elevator's down button.

"It looks like the worm from last week. Pete is pulling plugs now but it is up on 15 again." I did a rapid halt and rewind, turning for Patricia's office again.

"Does he know where?"

"Not yet."

"I have a hunch. Where is Nikki?"

"Right behind you," I heard Nikki's voice behind me and she was a little out of breath.

"Did you run up the stairs?" I asked as I slowed my pace for her.

"Nothing to it. Here, you'll want this." she said handing me the disk.

"Gary?" Luci was wondering where I had gone.

"Luci, send Mike up here and get Pete up here once the system is secured. Send them to Craig's office, actually, Patricia's office." I hung up the phone. I had noticed that Patricia's old machine was back in place when I went through her office this morning. I quickened my step. Nikki headed for the wire closet.

I came around the corner into Patricia's office and with little thought, dropped to my knees and scuttled under her desk, moving her out of the way slightly and pulled the network cable out of the back of her PC.

"Gary," she said leaning down to look at me under her desk, "if you wanted to know what I was wearing under my skirt, all you had to do was ask." I could not help myself. I laughed.

"What's so funny?" I heard Nikki ask from somewhere above me.

"Underwear joke, I will tell you later," I responded. "Have you got a flashlight Nikki?" I asked looking at the back of Patricia's machine.

By now, I was lying on my back, looking up at the underside of the desk. Something bumped my knee and I reached down and took the flashlight there. I turned it on and pointed it at the back of the PC.

"Son of a..."I started and then pulled myself out from under the desk. By now Janice and Mike had shown up. I pulled Nikki and Janice into a huddle.

"There is a key catcher on that PC," I said. "Janice, I want Patricia's account locked, and all connections to the financial and HR systems terminated. Get Jason if you have to. Then, change Patricia's password to something obscure. Nikki, I want Patricia's PC, the one she had for the last couple of days and Eric's PC, quarantined. No one touches it until I say so. Put them in Jerry's office for now. Clear?" I received nods from both ladies. I did not have to tell them not to say anything to anyone beyond us. I crawled back under the desk and pulled the key catcher out of the interface.

"Nikki, do you have a marker?" I asked again and again something tapped my knee. I took the marker and made a notation on the back of the system, then crawled out and passed the flashlight and marker back to Nikki. Jerry was there as I stood back up.

"Mike, I would like a word with you and Jerry and Patricia if you don't mind."

"We can use Craig's office," Patricia said.

"Janice, routine scans, and then you can turn everything back on please."

"I will have Alex take care of it," she replied reaching for her phone.

"Thank you, Janice," I replied following Jerry into Craig's office.

Mike turned to me just as we entered, "Now what?" he asked. It was a good question. I handed him the key catcher.

"Ever seen one of these?" I asked. Jerry slipped his glasses on and looked at it as Mike passed it to him.

"No, what is it?"

"Technically, it is a device used to capture the electrical signals sent from the keyboard to the CPU." I heard Jerry's gasp.

"Aren't they illegal?" Mike asked.

"They should be, but no, they aren't. Further they are not hard to make, and they are cheap to buy. I actually have a couple in a drawer somewhere. I have to check to see if any are missing, but I suspect this one was purpose bought."

"By who?" Mike asked. Jerry sat down.

"I don't know, Mike. I can guess, based on who last touched this PC, but I don't know. Jerry, I have already asked Janice to change Patricia's password and terminate all connections to the HR and financial systems. We are going to have to crawl under everyone's desk after that."

Patricia had sat down by the time I finished the sentence, the implications setting in. Mike handed the catcher back to me.

"Anything that can be used, I want," Mike said.

"Count on it." I replied. Jerry walked over to Craig's phone and started dialing. I suspect he was calling accounting.

"How do you want to play this?" Mike asked me.

"We can run it under the cover of a simple network inventory. We haven't done one in a while. Put people under the desks to check serial numbers and they can check the connections on the way. Anything they find comes back to me."

"Gary, Craig is going to want a damage assessment," Patricia said for the first time.

"Initial assessment is as follows," I said, "and Mike, this is for the record. A worm was reintroduced into the network. Point of origin was Patricia's machine, but I do not for a minute believe she is in anyway responsible for the incident. I can make suppositions, but I have no firm evidence. I will know shortly the extent of the infection, but I suspect it is minimal." Patricia looked relieved.

"I can accept that, sir," Mike said. That was the first time Mike had called me sir and he was older than I was. "You will keep me posted of any changes that occur?"

"Count on it."

"Gary, accounting is having kittens," Jerry said rejoining us.

"I'll bet." I reached for my cell and dialed Luci.

"Luci, is there a pair of khaki's hanging on the back of my door?"

"Yes, and a shirt."

"Thanks. Be down in a minute. Grab Tyrone and I will meet you both in the library." I hung up the phone and returned it to its hook.

"I will turn Luci and Tyrone loose on accounting and I will do HR myself. Janice and Nikki can join in the fun once they have their side of the puzzle taken care of. Am I missing anything?" I looked around the room and no one else had anything to add. Mike was already turning to the door.

"Good hunting, Gary. I am going to take a look at some old tape," he said and walked out of the office.

I walked over and put my hand on Patricia's. "It isn't your fault. You did nothing wrong and I stand behind that position. Janice has locked your account and changed your password. She will be up soon with a new machine and then you can do you can get back to work. When is Craig due?"

"Not until after lunch." She really looked shaken.

"Are you going to be OK?"

"I'll be fine, thank you, Gary."

"Call me if you need me before then." I turned to Jerry and he was waiting for me. We left the office and made our way to the elevator. Neither one of us said a word until the doors closed.