Page 42 of Backwater Justice
“Got it.” Maggie typed something into the search engine.
“I suggest you start at the Salem Cascade Inn. We don’t want to jump at the Eugene location too soon. It might spook whoever is doing whatever.”
“But we also don’t want them to have enough time to clear out if they think someone is on to them,” Maggie said.
“Good point,” Myra responded. “Annie, what do you suggest?”
“I agree with Maggie. I think we should strike while the iron’s hot. Besides, they’re not going to know we’re about to show up until we do.”
“But what about Oliver? He’s going to have to know, and if he’s involved in any way, he’ll have the place swept.”
Annie snapped her fingers. “I’ll get Fergus to tap into their security system.” She looked at Myra. “What do you think Mill will say?”
“I am sure he’ll cooperate. But we need to keep as many people out of this as possible.”
“It’s got to be an easy hack for Fergus and Charles. I can make a go of it if you want,” Izzie offered.
“We need you to concentrate on the structure of the building,” Myra said. “Or maybe Mill will be able to tell us how to access the system without going through his IT department.”
“I’m sure Charles and Fergus can find a workaround. I’ll put it on my list.” Annie wrote on a lined pad of paper.
* * *
Paper was a requirement during their missions. No matter how secure a techno-system is, paper is a lot easier to destroy than an electronic trail. Once the material is set loose on the information superhighway, it can be detoured by a good, slick hacker.
Even with the advanced technology the Sisters had at their disposal, Charles and Fergus were updating passwords, QR codes, erasing data, and rerouting connections on a daily basis. It was something they’d learned when Fergus was at Scotland Yard and Charles was with MI6. There is a reason for the use of the wordcraftin spy-craft. Like any kind of skill, it required constant attention if it was to be maintained and further developed. Some people painted. Some did woodworking, while others built model ships inside bottles. Fergus and Charles shared a craft in counterintelligence.
Until the Sisters were able to uncover who was doing what, to whom, and why, secrecy and discretion were of the utmost importance. They had to be particularly careful since they were working remotely. Most missions required two, sometimes three Sisters to be dispatched to various locations, while the rest worked from the war room, far below Myra and Charles’s Pinewood farm. This time, there were four of them, all in the same place, thousands of miles from their headquarters and the other Sisters.
During their missions, the Sisters would communicate using burner phones. A new one every day. Annie picked up a briefcase and placed it on the table. Inside were over a dozen phones. Each of the women would use one per day. The dates were etched into the back, and the phones were programmed with everyone’s phone number, each assigned to a speed-dial letter, based on their first initial, with the exception of Myra. She had both M and R in order to distinguish hers from Maggie’s. Once Sasha and Eileen arrived, they would also get pre-programmed phones to enable them to communicate with the Sisters. They had their own cellular system with their boss Avery, who had his line connected with Charles and Fergus.
* * *
Annie’s personal phone buzzed. It was a text from Mark Rowan:
Arrived safely. The place is beautiful. Cannot thank you enough. Mark, Julie, V.
Annie responded with a simple:Stay safe.
She looked up at the group. “The Rowans are settled in.”
“Yay!” Maggie clapped.
Everyone’s laptop began to broadcast the tune of “We Are Family,” signaling Charles and Fergus were coming on screen. The women were chair-dancing to the music, singing the famous lyrics, high-fiving, and fist-bumping. Charles and Fergus sat back with their arms folded, watching the moving and grooving, and grinning from ear to ear.
“Well done!” Charles clapped.
“Bloody brilliant!” Fergus added.
Neither of the men ever tired of the women’s gusto and excitement.
“Hello, love.” Charles looked directly at Myra. “And the rest of you lovelies.”
Everyone sent their greetings across the screens.
Fergus chimed in with “’elo, mates!”
Izzie noted the time. “You guys are up late.”