Cameron and Jake had never managed to identify the hackers working for Tenebris as they were all based abroad. Frederick’s intel’s claim that Tenebris’s technological set-up was run from London was obviously faked. There were apparently a team of five of them working remotely from different international locations. Geraint was confident he would be able to find them all eventually. Having access to Tenebris’s internal records had given enough clues as to ways he could find their online footprint.

Wycombe and Somersby were now incarcerated in the Sweat Shop – a prison we sent all individuals the Security Services deemed valuable or high-risk enough not to be contained in the normal system. At the Sweat Shop, prisoners’ individual skills were put to use in specially allocated assignments. It was run just like any large corporation – except longer hours, no pay and serious micro-management. Not so much Golden Handcuffs, just handcuffs.

Those who completed their time without burning out were released back into the world, some even to the same job they’d had before. The majority became model citizens, now appreciative of a place of work that gave such civil liberties as days off and lunch breaks. Those who ended up back in the Sweat Shop for a second time didn’t get out again.

The millions these two men had in the bank were directed to worthy causes, while they continued to do what they did best: hedging bets, making money – but this time it was all for the State. And if they didn’t reach their quarterly targets, their punishment was a little more upsetting than not receiving a six-figure bonus. Wycombe’s impressive castle had been taken over by the Security Services. It was rented out for company away days during the week and on the weekends the public were given castle tours and tea in the gardens. Allowing the common people full reign of his beloved family seat was apparently more upsetting than his incarceration.

Eight were able to get the names of every Employee and Employer registered on the Tenebris Network. Those for whom matches had been made and information sold were also sent to the Sweat Shop. Those who had just signed up but never actually committed a crime were fired immediately and black-marked for any future intelligence work. We distributed all the information gleaned from the Tenebris databases to our international counterparts. Cameron was particularly looking forward to bringing back to the States the list of US operatives who’d chosen to register as Employees. I had a feeling there would be no mercy for any of them.

We all benefitted from being able to freeze the assets of all the Employers’ registered bank accounts. It wouldn’t hold them back for long, but for all of us in the intelligence services, knowing who wanted what information for what purpose was a massive win.