“So what do you think he’s gaining from this? I mean, he’s already the most powerful person in the world.”

I knitted my lips into a straight line and shook my head. “Honestly, I don’t have the slightest idea. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me either. With some of these guys it’s obvious, like Kim Jong Un or Saddam—they had to hold on to absolute power for their own survival. But that’s not what’s going on here, is it? There’s endless possibilities—lifestyle, riches, vengeance, self-defense, you know, if we don’t conquer them they’ll destroy us. Sometimes it’s a necessity. Before World War II the Japanese needed access to cheap oil to expand. Then there are your religious zealots spreading their message of peace through murder.

“Money? He’s already a very wealthy guy. What’s that quote…” I dug into my Bible file, which in fact was pretty thin, and pulled up a go-to quote: ‘For what shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?’”

She buried a laugh in the back of her throat. “I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”

We shared another flash-smile. Then continued speculating without reaching any conclusion for several more miles, finally acknowledging that the why of it made no difference.

We were breezing along into the late afternoon, not quite feeling groovy, but I still had slim hopes for a Beach Boys medley. And then that old spoilsport Cher had to interrupt. Laura and Cher had been getting along quite well; Laura had even asked Cher for help in avoiding traffic on our new route. About an hour earlier I had told Cher to scan police reports to see if my name came up. “Rollie,” she said suddenly, “I have found your name in a report.”

Shitfuck. “Cher, what?”

Several years earlier Y had hacked Cher into several law enforcement communications systems, including the LET NET, just as in earlier days reporters would monitor police scanners. Maybe it wasn’t entirely legal, but it was a good tool when I was working on a story. Cher reported, “A high-priority BEAT has been issued on the Law Enforcement Network. This includes all pertinent information. It also mentions a white van with handicapped license plate number WP4106. Two photographs are attached. Suspect is believed to be north of Pittsburgh. If spotted, officers are to contact Homeland Security immediately.”

“Cher, thank you.” I assumed she was done.

She was not. “Rollie, I have not concluded my report,” she corrected. “Officers are informed the suspect has in his possession sensitive documents. Suspect is to be searched and all documents are to be confiscated but not read.”

“Cher, thank you.” I very quickly analyzed that information, considered all the possibilities, and came to a valid conclusion: I’m fucked! I ran through my options; throwing myself on the floor and kicking my feet in the air while I whined was definitely out. That left pretty much everything else.