Chapter Eleven
Divinity
There is a man who lives in a large loft in Islington. They call him Hermes. He cares little for the affairs of ordinary mortals and finds his joy in the wonders of technology. Alas, like the rest of us, he has to pay for rent and food somehow. Legend says that he originally worked for a video game company, but found the job less than challenging. So to obtain the necessary pizza and beer money, and decided to set himself up in the information technology business. Rumor had it that he hadn't left his building in ten years. I had some very safe money riding against that rumor, based on the fact that the building he lived in had been torn down and rebuilt seven years ago. But I digress.
We stepped into an industrial service elevator and I hit the button for the top floor. Holmes eyed the whole contraption dubiously, but kept his comments to himself.
"Holmes, this guy specializes in computers." I had been trying to explain the whole concept of computers to Holmes ever since he hacked his way into mine.
"So try not to look surprised at the wonders of the modern age?" Holmes finished smugly. "My dear Aurora, I like to think that in all my years of detective work I have acquired a passable gambler's face." I rolled my eyes; I would never have to worry about Holmes developing an inferiority complex.
The elevator deposited us on the top floor and began to creak back down to the ground floor. A brass gong sat in glorious incongruity atop a disassembled hard drive next to the elevator. I rang and an Indian woman emerged out of rows of metal shelving units. She raised an eyebrow in query. I held up the pizza by way of answer. She took it from me and lifted the lid, savoring the aroma of dead fish.
"Onyx, right?"
"Yeah. I don't believe I've had the pleasure."
"Iris." We shook hands. "C'mon, he's been expecting you." We followed her through the shelves to a where a man sat, surrounded on three sides by more shelves piled with electronic components. The fourth side was taken up by a dozen television screens all tuned to different channels. I noted one was a security camera feed from a buttonhole camera in the elevator. In the center of the loft there was a horseshoe-shaped table with several computers humming away. At first glance there was no one else in the room.
"Hermes, your friends are here."
"Ah, Onyx m'dear." A muffled voice came from under the table. I bent over to see Hermes sprawled under the table, hands buried in the innards of a Mac. "This G3 blew out another fan today. I've been meaning to upgrade to a G5, but you know how Amazon.com is."
"Hmm." I said noncommittally. I could manage my email, but that was about the extent of my computer hacking skills. Hermes stood, brushing nonexistent dust from his hands. He was not your archetypical hacker. His blond hair was cut short, and he was so skinny that he looked like a stiff breeze would blow him apart. He was also as pale as a vampire, which only served to heighten the impression of brittleness.
"What happened to our dear Wesley?" He asked, eyeing Holmes.
"He decided to take a sabbatical."
"Not a government funded sabbatical I hope?"
"No, no. He had a rather severe disagreement with an employer and…well, you know how it goes. Hermes, I would like you to meet a friend of mine. Holmes this is Hermes."
"How d'you do?"
"Pleasure, I'm sure." They shook hands, sizing each other up.
"Where are you from, Mr. Holmes?" Hermes asked curiously. I knew his curiosity was eating him alive. Hermes made it his business to know everyone and everything and Holmes was an unknown quantity.
"Sussex. I've been out of the country for some time."
"Hmm." I decided to interrupt before Hermes got too curious.
"Hermes, I need your help in locating Skyler." Hermes favored me with a long look.
"Shouldn't be hard. I know a guy who knows a guy." Hermes lowered himself into his throne-like swivel chair and tapped a few keys on a keyboard. One of the TV screens across the room flickered and resolved into what appeared to be Skyler's police dossier.
"So far only the Brits are looking for him. Officer Harris Bowman is heading the case, and he's concentrating on the contacts he had from the Tigers case. So far he's turned up a whole lot of nothing."
"Naturally, you have improved upon their pitiful attempts." I prompted.
"Naturally. Shortly after his escape he obtained a credit card and some other false papers from a contact of mine in Manchester. I've been tracking the purchases through the credit card company's computer. One of which was for a prepaid mobile phone. I trapped the number. He's been making arrangements to leave the country. He also paid a visit to your pub I noticed."
"Did you also implant a tracking device under his skin?" I asked incredulously.
"Nothing so crude." He scoffed.
"Then how did you know he was at the Thief?"
"There is an ATM across the street from the pub, correct? The security camera archives onto digital tape, which is stored on an internal network which is in turn connected to an external network." Hermes leaned back in his chair, thoroughly pleased with himself. "Yours is a popular place for our colleagues. We really should set up an information exchange."
"I need all the information you have on Skyler." Hermes gave me another of those looks. He rolled across the room to a file cabinet and pulled out a thick manila folder.
"I was expecting some bounty hunters to request my help." He explained as he handed it over. I flipped through the contents; a mug shot, lists of known contacts, the cell phone number.
"You are a god, you know that right." He smiled and shrugged.
"That's what they tell me. Now, Onyx, you know I make it my business not to pry." Iris coughed slightly. Hermes ignored her. "But I am curious why you would be interested. I heard you were retired."
"Skyler is family." I said finally. "And not in any sort of metaphorical, human-family type way. He's my brother." Hermes nodded sagely.
"Family is always difficult." He said. "Would you like some pizza?"
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm almost done. Honest. Cross my heart and hope to die.
Many thanks to all y'all who are still reading/reviewing/wandering through. Virtual cookies for all!
Questions, comments, critisicms, complaints? Make your voice heard.
.•´¨`•»¦«•Kerowyn•»¦«•´¨`•.
Divinity
There is a man who lives in a large loft in Islington. They call him Hermes. He cares little for the affairs of ordinary mortals and finds his joy in the wonders of technology. Alas, like the rest of us, he has to pay for rent and food somehow. Legend says that he originally worked for a video game company, but found the job less than challenging. So to obtain the necessary pizza and beer money, and decided to set himself up in the information technology business. Rumor had it that he hadn't left his building in ten years. I had some very safe money riding against that rumor, based on the fact that the building he lived in had been torn down and rebuilt seven years ago. But I digress.
We stepped into an industrial service elevator and I hit the button for the top floor. Holmes eyed the whole contraption dubiously, but kept his comments to himself.
"Holmes, this guy specializes in computers." I had been trying to explain the whole concept of computers to Holmes ever since he hacked his way into mine.
"So try not to look surprised at the wonders of the modern age?" Holmes finished smugly. "My dear Aurora, I like to think that in all my years of detective work I have acquired a passable gambler's face." I rolled my eyes; I would never have to worry about Holmes developing an inferiority complex.
The elevator deposited us on the top floor and began to creak back down to the ground floor. A brass gong sat in glorious incongruity atop a disassembled hard drive next to the elevator. I rang and an Indian woman emerged out of rows of metal shelving units. She raised an eyebrow in query. I held up the pizza by way of answer. She took it from me and lifted the lid, savoring the aroma of dead fish.
"Onyx, right?"
"Yeah. I don't believe I've had the pleasure."
"Iris." We shook hands. "C'mon, he's been expecting you." We followed her through the shelves to a where a man sat, surrounded on three sides by more shelves piled with electronic components. The fourth side was taken up by a dozen television screens all tuned to different channels. I noted one was a security camera feed from a buttonhole camera in the elevator. In the center of the loft there was a horseshoe-shaped table with several computers humming away. At first glance there was no one else in the room.
"Hermes, your friends are here."
"Ah, Onyx m'dear." A muffled voice came from under the table. I bent over to see Hermes sprawled under the table, hands buried in the innards of a Mac. "This G3 blew out another fan today. I've been meaning to upgrade to a G5, but you know how Amazon.com is."
"Hmm." I said noncommittally. I could manage my email, but that was about the extent of my computer hacking skills. Hermes stood, brushing nonexistent dust from his hands. He was not your archetypical hacker. His blond hair was cut short, and he was so skinny that he looked like a stiff breeze would blow him apart. He was also as pale as a vampire, which only served to heighten the impression of brittleness.
"What happened to our dear Wesley?" He asked, eyeing Holmes.
"He decided to take a sabbatical."
"Not a government funded sabbatical I hope?"
"No, no. He had a rather severe disagreement with an employer and…well, you know how it goes. Hermes, I would like you to meet a friend of mine. Holmes this is Hermes."
"How d'you do?"
"Pleasure, I'm sure." They shook hands, sizing each other up.
"Where are you from, Mr. Holmes?" Hermes asked curiously. I knew his curiosity was eating him alive. Hermes made it his business to know everyone and everything and Holmes was an unknown quantity.
"Sussex. I've been out of the country for some time."
"Hmm." I decided to interrupt before Hermes got too curious.
"Hermes, I need your help in locating Skyler." Hermes favored me with a long look.
"Shouldn't be hard. I know a guy who knows a guy." Hermes lowered himself into his throne-like swivel chair and tapped a few keys on a keyboard. One of the TV screens across the room flickered and resolved into what appeared to be Skyler's police dossier.
"So far only the Brits are looking for him. Officer Harris Bowman is heading the case, and he's concentrating on the contacts he had from the Tigers case. So far he's turned up a whole lot of nothing."
"Naturally, you have improved upon their pitiful attempts." I prompted.
"Naturally. Shortly after his escape he obtained a credit card and some other false papers from a contact of mine in Manchester. I've been tracking the purchases through the credit card company's computer. One of which was for a prepaid mobile phone. I trapped the number. He's been making arrangements to leave the country. He also paid a visit to your pub I noticed."
"Did you also implant a tracking device under his skin?" I asked incredulously.
"Nothing so crude." He scoffed.
"Then how did you know he was at the Thief?"
"There is an ATM across the street from the pub, correct? The security camera archives onto digital tape, which is stored on an internal network which is in turn connected to an external network." Hermes leaned back in his chair, thoroughly pleased with himself. "Yours is a popular place for our colleagues. We really should set up an information exchange."
"I need all the information you have on Skyler." Hermes gave me another of those looks. He rolled across the room to a file cabinet and pulled out a thick manila folder.
"I was expecting some bounty hunters to request my help." He explained as he handed it over. I flipped through the contents; a mug shot, lists of known contacts, the cell phone number.
"You are a god, you know that right." He smiled and shrugged.
"That's what they tell me. Now, Onyx, you know I make it my business not to pry." Iris coughed slightly. Hermes ignored her. "But I am curious why you would be interested. I heard you were retired."
"Skyler is family." I said finally. "And not in any sort of metaphorical, human-family type way. He's my brother." Hermes nodded sagely.
"Family is always difficult." He said. "Would you like some pizza?"
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm almost done. Honest. Cross my heart and hope to die.
Many thanks to all y'all who are still reading/reviewing/wandering through. Virtual cookies for all!
Questions, comments, critisicms, complaints? Make your voice heard.
.•´¨`•»¦«•Kerowyn•»¦«•´¨`•.