But then we got kicked out, Hasselqvist added. Or replaced by someone else, someone more suitable. A new favourite … He glared sullenly at HP.
Something like that, Nora nodded. Either way, once we sobered up and got over the worst of the withdrawal symptoms from the Game, we all started to figure out that what wed been involved in wasnt just wrong, but that wed also been manipulated. That wed been nothing but puppets …
HP drank a quick gulp. The coffee was unexpectedly hot and burned his tongue, but he forced himself to swallow it.
We each started trying to find out more about the Game and the Game Master, but as you know it can be dangerous to break …
… rule number one, HP muttered.
Exactly … We were all warned off, some more than others. But a few months ago we were all brought together by someone else …
She exchanged glances with Hasselqvist.
He used to work for the Game, Hasselqvist said. Were not sure, but we think he …
No matter what we think … Nora interrupted, glaring at Hasselqvist, this person did bring us all together.
And now you want revenge, HP said. Give the Game Master a bit of payback for the shit he fed you? Stick a spanner in the works so you can all sleep a bit easier … ?
HP shook his head and emptied the cup down his throat.
Been there, done that … Thanks for the coffee, but Ive got much bigger problems …
Sit down, HP! Nora said before hed even got to his feet. To his own surprise he obeyed her at once.
Were not just some bunch of losers wandering around without a plan. Weve got a source, an insider. Someone who knows how it all fits together, and maybe even knows whats going to happen next. And, not least, why!
She looked at him, waiting for the words to sink in.
With the Sources help we can put a stop to the whole thing. Not just individual tasks, but the whole of their fucking Game plan. You get it?
Before he could answer there was a knock at the door.
Thatll be Jeff, Ill get it.
Hasselqvist walked over to the door.
Who is it?
He opened the door a crack to look out, but the person on the other side yanked the handle so hard that Hasselqvist almost fell over.
Leave it out, Kent, this isnt some fucking spy story … the man chuckled as he came into the room.
He was wearing jeans and a tight t-shirt that bulged impressively over his swollen muscles.
Oh, so sleeping beautys woken up. He nodded quickly at HP as he took off his sunglasses. You managed to mend him then, good work, Doctor!
The man – Jeff, evidently – smiled a shiny white smile and winked at Nora, but to HPs satisfaction she ignored him completely. Not that this seemed to upset Muscleman in the slightest. He pulled a chair over towards HP and sat astride it as he scratched the back of his cropped head a couple of times, revealing a serious tribal tattoo on his lower arm.
Is there any coffee?
Ill get it, Jeff!
Hasselqvist got busy with the thermos.
So what do we know? Nora asked.
Jeff shrugged.
I got rid of the revolver and his phone. He nodded towards HP. Blacks in position up at the Fortress. Theyre busy cutting the inauguration ribbon right now, at a guess. The citys still crawling with police cars, even if they dont seem to have a clue what theyre looking for …
He turned on HP.
You should be fucking grateful I got hold of you, mate, he said, pointing a thick index finger at HP. If it wasnt for us youd be dead now. That big bodyguard had you in his sights, another two seconds and BANG!
He added a cocked thumb to the index finger and demonstrated what he meant.
Hasselqvist handed him a cup of coffee.
Anyway, how the fuck did you come up with the idea of shooting Black? That wouldnt have solved a bloody thing …
HP muttered something inaudible into his coffee cup. He had to admit that the mountain of muscle in front of him had a point. As the horse medicine did its thing, he was starting to regain control of his brain. But even though he kept rewinding and playing the tape in his head, he still couldnt really explain what had happened. It all felt very distant.
As if nothing he had experienced over the past twenty-four hours had actually happened, and had just been a dream. Correction – a nightmare …
Have we heard any more from the Source? Jeff grunted.
He sent all the plans … Hasselqvist began, but Nora cut him off.
Not yet. First we have to find out if he wants to work with us.
She nodded to HP.
Okay, I am actually here, you know, he said. Look … Im grateful to you for helping me, but Ive actually got a shit-load of my own prob …
Is one of them your sister, by any chance? Nora interrupted. The one who works for Sentry?
What? Her jobs with the Secur … What did you say?
He saw them exchange a glance, and didnt like that.
Your sister heads up a bodyguard unit for Sentry Security, to look after business bigwigs. Sentry was bought up last year by a company called PayTag. And presumably you already know a bit about them, seeing as you just tried to shoot their managing director …
HP opened his mouth to reply, but Nora didnt give him the chance.
Good, then maybe you also know that PayTag is constructing a number of huge server farms around the world? Well, perhaps server hotels would be a better description. Here in Sweden theyve built a massive installation in one of the militarys old underground bunkers just outside Uppsala. The place is called the Fortress, and itll soon be storing data for pretty much every company and government body across the whole of northern Europe …
HP nodded again, more forcefully this time, and suddenly he couldnt help smiling.
Becca was Blacks bodyguard.
Of course!
She was indirectly working for the Game, which was obviously still bad news. But in his fucked-up state he had misunderstood the whole thing. Hed thought Becca was in a relationship with Black.
Epic fail!
Christ, he could be really thick at times …
The others were staring at him.
Well, what do you say?
Er, what?
Jeff leaned forward on the chair, making its plastic back creak. Suddenly HP realized that there was something familiar about the angular face. They too had met before somewhere …
Are you going to help us?
To do what?
More glances, dubious this time.
Eventually Nora broke the silence.
Shut down the Fortress!
14
Abandonware
Hello?
Good evening, dear friend.
Ah, its you, splendid. Is this line secure?
Absolutely.
In that case I would be grateful for an explanation of what happened.
I can understand that …
I dont appreciate it when binding agreements are broken. Recent events …
Aid our cause in the long run, believe me!
In what way?
In every way …
Now listen, I dont appreciate this sort of prank. You can call yourself the Game Master all you like, but dont forget whos paying for your activities.
Naturally, my clients interests are always at the top of my priority list, my dear friend.
I should hope so! If we could try for a moment to look beyond this … incident. How is everything going with the rest of the plan?
Splendidly. Were just about to begin. You wont be disappointed, Mr Black.
The lift had taken them down to the viewing level. A glassed-in hub with five spokes extending fifty metres straight into the rock on all sides around them. And, if shed understood correctly, there were a number of similar levels below them.
The control room that they were looking down on, through the large glass window opposite the lifts, was undeniably impressive.
Shed been inside a couple of underground bases before, when she was working for the Security Police. The one occupied by the emergency services call centre beneath the Johannes Church in Stockholm was probably the most impressive. But that was nothing compared to this.
Thirty or so workstations were grouped in three semicircular rows above one another, so that everyone had a clear view of the gigantic screens down in the centre.
Every workplace had three connected screens, along with a mouse, keyboard and a headset neatly hung up alongside. The whole thing looked rather like the Regional Communication Centre in Police Headquarters in Stockholm, but was obviously much more up-to-date and vastly more expensive.
The control room was empty and all the screens were switched off.
At full capacity well have thirty operators working in three shifts. Theyll all be experts in IT security. If necessary we can reinforce them with a further ten … the site manager bubbled, looking as if he might burst with pride at any moment.
Maybe that wasnt so strange …
The invited reporters, local politicians and members of parliament seemed just as impressed with the setup as Rebecca was. One of them asked something that she didnt hear, but it must have been funny seeing as they all burst out laughing.
Black was standing slightly off to one side, flanked by two people from the local management team and a dark-haired woman in her forties whom Rebecca had met in the office a couple of times, one of their new foreign bosses, Anthea Ravel. She didnt seem particularly pleasant, and spoke that sort of dry, patronizing English that made you feel like a lowly servant. Shed also had such a tight facelift that almost all of her facial expressions were the same.
Some people in the office had taken to calling her the Ice Queen, which was a fairly appropriate nickname.