“Got it.” Isabelle checked her laptop again. “I have the blueprints for the hospital administration offices. There is also a video of parts of the interior, including the floor plans. It looks like there is an office for the director of the hospital, two small offices, and an open section with workstations. I count four of them. I imagine that’s where all the data from all the departments is stored. I’ll check the electrical specs. That will tell me which section has the most cable connectivity, and that should indicate where the computers are located.” Isabelle tapped a few strokes. “Yep. Looks like the four cubbies have the most outlets.”

“Now, how do we get into their system?” Alexis looked at Isabelle. “I would imagine that information is highly guarded, no?”

“That depends. Even though HIPAA requires that a patient’s privacy be maintained, that doesn’t mean that the computer system itself has particularly tight security.”

Alexis looked a little confused. “I’m not sure what you mean. Aren’t patient records private?”

“Yes, but what that actually means is the information about a patient cannot be shared without the patient’s consent. You sign those waivers anytime you went to the doctor.”

“Sure. I give them the name of someone who they can call.”

“Right. But as I was saying, they aren’t necessarily required to keep everything in a vault.”

“Good thing. We already have three to deal with,” Alexis said dryly.

“True. But what I was saying is that the hospital or doctor’s office must provide a means by which to secure that information. Obviously, password-protected files, but the files could be accessed by several employees, all with their own password. And there are files that are not accessible to everyone.”

“You mean the hospital may not have the tidiest means of securing the database?” Alexis seemed surprised.

“I can’t tell yet. I’ll have to get a look at the workstations and chat with some of the employees. Let’s think on this. I can ask them to show me how their software program works. I could suggest using a file from someone who is deceased. Those are probably archived in a separate program. Or I may fake a need to use the Internet. I’ll figure it out once I get the lay of the land.”

Alexis sat back in her seat and crossed her arms across her fake overly voluptuous chest. “Well, I’ll be darned. Abner has taught you well!” She gave her companion a wide grin.

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Isabelle replied. “I’ve been practicing. Abner gives me programs to hack. I think I’ve moved from ‘intermediate hacker’ to ‘almost excellent hacker.’”

The women burst into laughter. “I’ll drink to that!” Alexis pressed the button for the flight attendant. “My friend and I would like mimosas and a snack, please.”