Page 76 of Decoding Emma
Emma picked up her laptop and stared at the closed door.“Wow…” she breathed then turned to me.Her expression made the room seem warmer, the sun through the windows a bit brighter.She cleared her throat.
“We’re going to have to go over every log entry to try and find a starting place.I know I said the findings were preliminary, but because of the intruder’s behavior, I’m ninety-nine percent certain this is ghostware.One thing I’m absolutely certain of is it was brought in by a current or former employee.I need you to take me through your out-processing procedures.”
Emma held her laptop to her chest like protective armor.I cupped her shoulders and held her at arm’s length.“You showed some serious game and didn’t even flinch.Do you believe me now?”
She lowered her eyes.The blush slowly rose up her neck and into her cheeks.“I was doing what you’re paying me for—my job.”
I tilted my head and leaned forward just enough to catch her gaze.“Emma, Ben and I have worked with some of the best in our profession, top-tier.Tim and Will don’t impress easily if at all.”I raised her chin and kept my other hand on her shoulder.“I wasn’t exaggerating.You managed to corral an incredible amount of information that would’ve taken days to collect and analyze, and you did it in”—I glanced at the clock over the door—“under threehours.”
“The sniffer did what it was designed to do.”
“Yep.Youbuilt it, tested it, perfected it.”I folded my arms across my chest.Emma didn’t look away.Did she have any idea how respected she was in the profession, respected by colleagues who’d made their marks, earned their street cred?Had she been so brainwashed by her family and the misogynistic pond scum that were the underbelly of the STEM professions?
I raised her chin and speared her with my gaze.No way was I going to let her minimize her accomplishments both within the project and her assistance with this intrusion.“Do you know what thirteen thirty-seven means?”
She shook her head.I was mildly surprised on the one hand, on the other, not so much.I chuckled.“I didn’t think so.How about wizard, guru, rock star?”
She tilted her head, one raised eyebrow and a half smile.“Of course I know what those designations mean.I haven’t been living under a rock or in a cave, Asher.”
I couldn’t suppress a chuckle, but I gave myself one brownie point for trying.“One, three, three, seven, is leetspeak for leet, as in elite, an expert, one of the best.Recognition of and supreme respect for some very serious cred, as my brother would say.And you earned it.The accolade has absolutely nothing to do with your father.You cut your own path.”
As I watched her process the compliment, her shoulders straightened, and she stood a little taller.That’s it, Emma.You’re all that and so much more.Don’t ever forget it.
“C’mon, rock star.Standing here isn’t solving the problem.”I bowed, extended my arm, and pointed to the door.Emma giggled and inclined her head as she passed me, opened the door, and waved me through.Just as I was about to move past her, she stood on tiptoe and kissed my cheek.“Let’s do this, bossman.”
Mind.Blown.Day made.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Emma
After the briefing, Asher and I returned to our office just long enough to gather our notes and shut down our workstations.
We had been working in our office because there wouldn’t be any need to work in the server room until the new servers arrived, were installed, and made ready for configuration.
Ben and Asher had decided it would be best to have everyone in one location, so we were moving down to IT.We stepped off the elevator, which was directly across from the main door.I giggled when I looked above the biometric lock.A nameplate no different than any other.Alpha numeric designation for the room, and below that in the standard company font:
BATCAVE
Asher smiled at my reaction.“There’s a story there.Wait’ll you see what’s hanging on the wall behind the chair at Ben’s desk.”
The background hum and cold, not quite enough to chill beer, but close.Control center along one wall, on the opposite side the individual offices for the system, network, and security administrators, aka sysadmin, netadmin, and secadmin.Asher took the lead and knocked twice on Ben’s door then opened it.As we walked in, of course the first thing I looked for was the mysterious hanging object.Ben stood, and I chuckled.Centered on his vanity wall among the degrees, certs, awards, and photos, a matted and framed sign printed on what at first glance looked like eleven by fourteen paper in one-twenty point Copperplate font:
BATCAVE
Ben came around the desk.“Like it?The first nameplate.Seemed appropriate since we’re about thirty feet underground.”
“I love it.So does that make you Bruce Wayne or Alfred?”I caught Asher folding his arms and covering his snort laugh with his hand.
“Nah.Makes me Lucius Fox to his”—he flicked his hand at Asher—“Bruce Wayne.”
“That’s perfect!Pleased to meet you, Mr.Fox.”
“Lucius, please.”Ben leaned on the front edge of his desk.
“Are you two finished?”Asher groused, then looked at me.“You know the Batman universe?”
I gave him my best ‘of course, why would you even ask’ expression.“I told you I haven’t been living under a rock…or in a cave, Asher.My gamer group has analyzed and dissected the Justice League and the Avengers backward and forward.”
