Not a fool this time…. Chapter 25
Gale got the coffee started and made herself a sandwich. Standing at the glass door to the patio she looked out past the pool to see Peaches cruise through the yard with Cream about ten feet behind. She was thinking, too. Wondering which of Walter's scars was from being wounded in Paris doing a simple programming job. She wondered about 'Bosnia'. Walter in Bosnia of all places, protecting classified equipment and software? She wondered about the 'couple other cases' mentioned without details. She wondered if Roehr was egging Walter into doing something risky or if he was just doing his job. The coffee was ready so she poured a cup for Walter and took it into the den. She saw Walter was on his desk top unit while the laptop was open at the corner of his desk- just the same as it always was in the garage. She put the coffee on his desk within reach.
"Thanks, Gale," Walter said looking up at her with a smile.
She walked around the desk to give him a kiss. "I'm going to do a few laps then call it a night." She kissed him again and left.
Walter went into the 'zone' and in time located his old, unfinished coding for the hypothetical and brought it on screen to scroll through the countless lines of code already written. He scrolled through again then sat back to think of continuing the job… he never did drink his coffee.
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Ten o'clock in the morning, Gale once again started the coffee and when brewed, poured a cup and went into the den to put it on Walter's desk. Walter, at his desk, computer on, flat screen displaying lines of code, sitting but eyes half closed and unfocused as he had told her last night. She unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hand gently across his chest then bent to kiss him. Softly she said "Walter…..."
"Gale." Walter said as softly as she, he closed his eyes fully, took a deep breath and smiled. "Good morning… ahhh, coffee. You are a life saver," he said with a smile. "Give me about an hour and all should be ready."
"An hour and I will be back."
Walter sat up and pulled the desktop keyboard closer and started typing without a break for an hour. He then opened a desk drawer, took out an external hard drive, set it up and started the download of the program he started fifteen years ago and completed just this morning. He got up and went to the door to meet Gale coming in. "Ah, good morning, lovely lady," he said giving her hug. "This is a lovely morning, indeed," he murmured kissing her neck under her ear. "I am wanting to see and feel more of you," he whispered. "Oh, how I do love you!"
At noon, Walter pulled the Ferrari out to drive to the meeting. "Not going to wait for a car?" Gale asked. "What if we get followed again?"
"I am tired of this nonsense. We will drive, in the next day or so we will get you a car and we will drive wherever we want," Walter said going back in the house to get dressed properly for the meeting, grab his laptop and the safely boxed external drive containing his program. A pleasant drive to Elias Enterprises main office building, parked in the visitor parking and they walked to the gate.
Entering the conference room, all were already in attendance. "The driver said you had already left when he got to your house. Thought you were not supposed to be driving for a while." Richard said when they walked in.
"Sorry, thought I was supposed to call for the car or I would have canceled. I was up all night so a bit off this morning." He sat down, got out his laptop, put it on the table and opened it. Then got out the box containing the hard drive.
"Everyone want to have a seat, and get the meeting started." Walter said. "Last night I remembered I started coding work on a hypothetical- been doing such for decades. When someone needs a particular program, there is a good chance I have one already done that may need nothing more than minor alterations to fit the particular customer's needs. This is one I started fifteen years ago and never finished. The hypothetical being- what if I didn't want someone to know where I was located when I sent them a message by computer. That particular program I finished which is why I can send a message to a site and if they try to track it back, it will be routed to say a coffee shop in New Brunswick even were I located in LA. Easy, done all the time. I also worked it the other way but never finished the program- didn't seem of value at the time to track to the location a computer that was sending out an already rerouted message. Confusing, huh?" Walter looked to Steve Roehr. "Do you know of the Scorpion case where the governor's daughter and three other children were DNA hacked and made sick? A message was sent to the governor's daughter's laptop saying he made them sick. Sick to the point of the children dying of a virus made specifically for their DNA signature. The case was brought to Scorpion because that message was bounced all over the internet around the world and could not be pinpointed and that was the initial start to our involvement that culminated in the arrest of a virologist, and the CDC given the information to restore the health of those children. EVERY computer message has a 'fingerprint', that being the case, they can be traced- here is a program that will attach a worm code to make any message traceable back to its source no matter how many times it is bounced around the world. May take a while, but it will be traced back to its source location. Once that location is known, Simone and her people can move in- remember, Simone, I said you could catch the criminals, I'm just a computer nerd."
"You are serious, Walter?" Simone said. "That easy you can trace to the location?"
"I can't guarantee how long this will be functional, as everyone knows no matter how new the tech, someone or something comes along to bugger it up again, hackers will hack, nature of the beast. However, until this is overcome, you WILL be able to catch a good number of the criminals and put one big dent in their operations."
"Yesterday, I sent a message to Ralph Dineen, probably the closest to me in computer ability, and told him to send me a rerouted message at one this afternoon so it is already waiting for me. Richard, have a portable desk top unit available for use? Have it brought in, I will download my program to it, open my contact and receive the message from Ralph and let it trace where it comes from."
Richard had a portable desktop unit brought in from maintenance, plugged in and brought online while Walter got some coffee. When completed and on line, Walter opened his contact site and received the message from Ralph. He showed that Ralph had rerouted it from a computer café in Baltimore. Walter ran his search program- within ten minutes it showed the true location the message was sent from- the garage where Ralph presently resides.
"Richard's computer crew can make copies of this program to freely make it available for Interpol, Homeland and any other law enforcement agency needing it," Walter said. "Again, in time the baddies will overcome this- matter of time as with all things, but will make things easier for law enforcement now, and they will be having law enforcement coming from all sides which should take me right off their radar."
Simone laughed, "I was amazed when you cleaned up Interpol's problem so quickly, and now you fix our problem again. Sure you and Gale wouldn't like to come live in France? You would be a national treasure. When can I expect a copy of that program Richard?"
"Homeland could use one, too," Steve said. "I have some friends in the FBI that would probably have a use for this as well."
"While my computer crew makes copies of this, how would everyone like some Italian? Early dinner on me. Simone and Steve you can ride with me if you like. We come back the copies should be ready for distribution."
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Arriving at the restaurant, Dave opened the door for Gale and Simone to enter while Richard, Steve ad Walter brought up the rear of the pack reaching the door.
"Richard, Walter, this is the place where we first met some time ago," Steve said. "That was an awkward situation I was not prepared for to put it mildly. As for any misunderstanding at the time or since, I apologize. I understand this is long after the fact, but sincere."
Walter looked at him, "then deportation is no longer an issue?"
"Researching the cases you were involved in with Homeland, your efforts to keep the US safe justly earned you your citizenship, fraudulent marriage notwithstanding. To be honest, your work long before that marriage should have gotten your citizenship papers making that marriage unnecessary." Steve said as he put his hand out for Walter to shake, "it is an honor to actually meet you."
Walter looked at him a moment and shook his hand, then turned to enter and join Dave, Gale and Simone, Richard and Steve following.
"Walter, how long do you think this program of yours will remain viable?" Simone asked. "What is the usual life span of new law enforcement software before the criminal element circumvents it and everyone goes back to an even field?"
"Solely depends on how good their computer people are. All these so called 'farms' are 99% operators- exceptionally few actual programmers. Most of the criminal computer element are people using software a lot of the time was developed for legitimate usage that is then used for nefarious purposes. It is unfortunate that good communication can be used to defraud and harm unsuspecting users."
"Simone, have you worked with American law enforcement often?" Richard asked. "You speak 'American' English well."
"I have worked with a number of American law enforcement agencies over the years." Simone said. "Unfortunately, borders don't mean anything to the criminal element. And with the advent of computers and the web, there is now a necessity for different nation's law enforcement agencies to work together… the criminals certainly do."
"Do you think Walter will have any more problems with the European element over here," Dave asked. "We have enough trouble with the home grown losers without having to import more."
Simone looked at Dave, then turned to Walter and Gale. "I cannot say if the trouble is done or merely alleviated for a while. I do suggest, Walter and Gale, that you both take extra steps to ensure your safety. All the usual steps one should take living in a large metro area these days. Situational awareness should be ingrained in every city dweller."
"Let's order, and talk of lighter subjects." Richard said. "Simone, have you been to the fine LA galleries- see if they can hold their own with the famed Paris galleries….. if you have the time while here."
Gale looked to Walter raising her brows with a smile, leaned over to whisper, "think your former dalliance has caught your employer's eye," gave him a kiss on the cheek then continued eating her spaghetti.
Walter looked at Richard speaking with Simone. The dinner conversation continued when Richard got a call informing him the copies of the program were made, safely boxed, and ready for distribution which brought the dinner and social gather to an end.
Walter and Gale drove home, pulled into the garage while Peaches and Cream watched from the yard. Entering the house through the garage, Walter put his laptop on the kitchen counter while Gale set up the coffee for in the morning.
"How long has Richard been divorced?" Gale asked.
"As with so much of Richard's private life, I have no idea." Walter replied. "He did tell me once his IQ was in the high 150's and I know he was into mathematics while in college, but beyond that- have no idea except that he is a billionaire, has two private jets, six Ferrari, and runs Elias Enterprises with a multitude of international divisions spanning banking, financials, manufacturing, and space…. and signs my paychecks."
"Has Simone ever been married?"
"My love, have you forgotten to whom you are speaking? Personal information of those around me is of little interest… I never even did a search on you. YOU could have had six past husbands and I would not know, or care, as long as I am the last husband you have. Simone's personal life is of no concern to me."
"I think it would be neat if Richard and Simone hit it off." Gale said.
Walter pushed back his laptop, stood up from the bar stool at the counter and put his arms around Gale. "I think it would be neat if we took a shower and went to bed."
"You know, that really was amazing what you did today, Walter. I am also glad you warned me about the 'rabbit hole'. It is nice to know I can bring you back to reality so easily.'
"It is amazing what you do to me all the time, Gale. A simple touch, kiss, softly spoken word…. does not just bring me back to reality, it IS my reality."
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