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Back The Utopia Experiment Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Title Page
  2. Welcome
  3. Prologue
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. Epilogue
  81. About the Authors
  82. The Covert-One Novels
  83. Newsletters
  84. Copyright

“Marty’s a hacker—maybe the hacker. Reclusive and pretty crazy, though. From an online perspective, not a man to be screwed with. The last guy who crossed him has spent the last five years living off the grid in Indonesia because it’s the only place he can get any peace.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Whitfield said, severing the connection. A tech expert. Not exactly a surprise.

He looked at Jon Smith’s military record sitting on his desk but didn’t reach for it. There was no need. He was an honorable soldier who could normally be counted on to follow orders. The problem was Russell. And now an unstable hacker with a massive and entirely fabricated online presence.

It was clear that the control he thought he’d regained was nothing more than an illusion. If the situation continued on its current trajectory, it could end up beyond even Castilla’s power to rein in.

What had Zellerbach found? And more important, had he released information about his discovery to the Internet? Because once that door was opened, there was no shutting it again.

Whitfield let out a long, angry breath. He’d actually started to believe that he’d be able to get out of this without the blood of two American patriots on his hands.

A card with Castilla’s direct number was on his desk, but he pushed it aside. This wasn’t a situation that could be solved by political hand wringing and Fred Klein could be counted on to do everything in his considerable power to protect his people. The time had come to put an end to this.

Whitfield dialed another number. This one was picked up on the first ring.

“Sir?”

“I need a team.”

“Target?”

“Three. Jon Smith and Randi Russell. The third is a computer tech named Martin Zellerbach.”

“Yes sir.”

There was a worrying, but understandable, excitement in the man’s voice. Payback for what had happened to his comrades.

“I’ll be directing the operation personally.”

“Sir?”

The NSA had taken the position that the Merge’s encryption was uncrackable, but he couldn’t help wondering if Zellerbach had found a way in. Dresner’s control over his technology was an ongoing problem that Whitfield would be very pleased to resolve.

“You heard me. And Zellerbach is to be taken alive for questioning.”

“What about Smith and Russell?”

He let out another long breath, this one quiet enough not to be picked up by the microphone. “They’re to be eliminated.”

62

62

Near Washington Circle, District of Columbia
USA

JON SMITH LAGGED FARTHER and farther behind Randi as they moved along the dark sidewalk. She slowed and finally was forced to stop in order for him to catch up.

“What’s wrong with you? My grandmother moves faster.”

“I don’t want to be here, Randi.”

“Quit being such a Boy Scout. It’s getting on my nerves.”