Tom Grace: Spyder Web

Cole was in a receptive mood and it was time for Roe to make her pitch. ‘So, I hear that your project is winding down. Are you back to Washington after that?’

‘Eventually, but first I’m taking a much-needed vacation.’ Cole’s persona outside the office was much more relaxed, and a few beers did wonders at easing the tension. ‘My wife and I busted up right when this job with Moy started going hot and heavy, which was good, because it didn’t leave me much free time to wallow in self-pity. Now it’s time for me to get my head back together, so I’m taking all the vacation days I’ve built up and heading for the islands.’

‘Where about?’ Roe was playing the good listener, feeding Cole lines that would keep him talking.

‘All over, Grand Cayman, the Bahamas.’ Cole was very enthusiastic about his upcoming vacation. ‘I’m even going to the Dominican Republic. I’ve never been there before, but I hear the diving is fantastic.’

‘You’re a scuba diver, huh? I’ve done a little diving, but not as much as I’d like.’

‘There’s nothing like it.’Cole gushed with enthusiasm. ‘Shipwrecks are my personal favorite. I’ve been on some over four hundred years old. The sea life and scenery are unbelievable, too. There is nothing comparable to it on land. The only negative thing I can think about diving is that you have to come back up.’

‘That and the cost,’ Roe added.

‘Yeah, that and the cost,’ Cole agreed, ‘but you gotta have some fun in life. I have most of it saved up, but I’ll have to hit on my credit cards a little to get me over the top. It’s a bit of a financial stretch for me right now, but I have to take some time off.’

‘I hear you,’ Roe said with a sympathetic voice, ‘and I’d like to help you out.’

‘What do you mean?’Cole’s face suddenly looked tense and a little apprehensive as his mental defenses went up.

‘I’ll lay it all on the table.’ Roe was presenting her most honest, sincere self. ‘My presence here tonight is not an accident. I sought you out deliberately because I need your help, and I’m willing to pay you for your time and effort.’

‘Does this have something to do with that Moy article you’re writing?’ Cole asked suspiciously.

‘Yes and no. The article is finished. What I’m referring to is a project for a private client, one whose information needs are very specific. This client has asked for a look at his major competitor’s new product line before it hits the market.’

‘That competitor being Moy.’Cole was following Roe’s line of thought very carefully.

‘Yes. My client produces computer and electronics components that are compatible with Moy equipment, at a lower cost. Their problem is that the reverse engineering time increases with each product generation, leaving Moy with longer and longer monopolies over the market while my client plays catch-up.’

Cole shrugged his shoulders. ‘I don’t work for Moy. How could I possibly help you?’

Roe leaned close across the table. ‘You can get me into Moy’s computer network. Once inside, I’ll find what I’m looking for. I’m offering you fifty grand for a onetime use of your password.’

Cole blinked. He felt the adrenaline surge through his body while trying to remain outwardly calm. ‘That’s a lot of money for a password. Why don’t you just hack your way in?’

‘I could, but that takes time.’

‘This sounds too easy. I get a bunch of money to let you use my password. The upside is great, but the downside’s a bitch.’

‘Those are the inherent risks of the game. You don’t win big by hedging your bets.’

‘Up to now, all I’ve done is sit here and listen to your pitch. You approached me; I did nothing to initiate this conversation. What you’ve proposed amounts to a bribe, and my acceptance of that bribe would be unethical and illegal. As a government employee, it’s my duty to report this incident.’

‘But you won’t.’ Roe spoke with a bold certainty, as if she already knew the outcome.

‘What makes you say that?’ Cole replied, shocked by her confidence.

‘The money.’ Roe then pulled out a brown envelope from her soft-sided briefcase and placed it on the table in front of him. ‘My offer is very generous, and you need it.’

‘What? How would you know if I needed money?’

‘I checked you out very thoroughly, Michael. I’d be a fool not to know as much as I could about you before making an offer like this. I know all sorts of interesting things, including the real reason behind your divorce.’

Cole’s eyes lit up and a look of anger flashed across his face. He held his cool, but just barely, as Roe continued.

‘Approaching you, as you astutely pointed out, is a significant risk for me. I have a report from a certain private detective that minimizes that risk greatly.’

‘Let me see that,’ Cole growled as he pulled the envelope from under Roe’s hand.

Inside, he found a copy of the report that his ex-wife’s lawyer had used against him; the photographs, times, and dates were all there. Cole found he could no longer control his anger.

‘How the hell did you get this?’ he shouted angrily as he slammed the document onto the table. A few other patrons of the bar looked over at the disturbance.

‘Settle down and I’ll tell you.’

Cole eased back into his seat, still enraged by her revelation. Roe knew that she’d rattled him with the report. Cole was feeling backed into a corner and now she would help him make the correct decision.

‘Your ex-wife’s lawyer had her detective retain it as an insurance policy. If I recall correctly, that’s a direct violation of your divorce agreement.’

The news infuriated Cole, who was now livid. ‘That bitch! I should have known I couldn’t trust her.’

‘Well, now you don’t have to worry about her.’ Roe spoke calmly and clearly. ‘I am the only person who can expose your secret. I don’t really care what you do in your private life, or with whom; that’s none of my concern. What I do care about are my clients. My offer still stands: You get me into Moy’s computer, and I’ll pay you fifty grand. Do we have a deal?’

‘What about this?’ Cole asked, pointing at the report.

‘I keep the originals until I feel that I can trust you. This report has no value to me other than to buy your silence; I have no interest in seeing your career destroyed.’

Cole’s anger eased a little, but he was still visibly upset.

‘Look, if I was a real bitch, I’d just blackmail you and save my money. No, I’m a businesswoman, and what I’m offering you is a win-win deal. I get the information I want and you get some badly needed cash. I saw your divorce settlement-you got burned. ’

‘Got that right,’ Cole agreed bitterly.

‘Fine,’ Roe replied, attempting to channel Cole’s anger toward her goal. ‘Here’s a chance for you to get financially back on your feet. At fifty grand, I’m paying you more per word than Schwarzenegger gets in the movies.’

Cole’s focus slowly shifted toward Roe’s offer and the booth grew quiet as he weighed his decision.

‘All right, I’m in.’

Roe smiled at him warmly. ‘Do you have a dedicated data line into Moy?’

‘Yeah. The project I’m on has a tight schedule, so I log a lot of system time in the off-hours.’

‘Then it won’t be unusual for you to log in on a Friday night. Is tonight a problem for you?’

‘No, I don’t have any plans. What about the money?’

‘I have it with me,’ Roe assured him. ‘Once I’m in and out, the cash is yours to do with as you see fit. I’ll bet you can do a lot of scuba diving on fifty grand.’

‘I think I can put it to good use.’