"Close. This branch of the NRO hired-"

"What's NRO?"

"National Reconnaissance Office. They run all the satellites. Their research wing put me together with a bunch of other hackers to help tighten up their security. Seems their computers are under constant attack, especially from the Chinese. So what we do is pretty cool. One team sets up a security system, and the other team tries to break through it. If we get through, then we switch sides, shore up the breach, and now it's their turn to try to break through. We keep going back and forth, switching sides, and let me tell you, it's working. We've been building firewalls that are higher, wider, and smarter than anything else out there."

Jack's mind wandered as Russ went on about viruses and worms and trojans. He noticed the blond guy in the sweater stopping Julio again as he returned to the bar. He pointed toward Jack and Russ.

"How come they get to sit over there and we don't?"

Julio swung on him and got in his face. He was a good head shorter than the blond guy but he was thickly muscled and had that air of barely restrained violence. He went into his Soup Nazi act.

"You ask me one more time about those tables, meng, and you outta here. You hear me? You out and you never come back!"

Julio loved to use "meng" whenever he could, especially with the yups and dinks.

As Julio strutted away, the blond guy turned to his companions, grinning.

"I just love this place."

"So all in all," Russ was saying, "a pretty cool gig."

"Sounds utterly fascinating."

Russ grinned. "I can tell you'd rather stick pins in your eyes."

"Not pins. Nails. Glowing, red-hot nails."

"Hey, it's not bad being a white hat. It pays and they may go to bat for me and get me back on the Net." One of the terms of Russ's probation was banishment from the Internet, cruel and unusual for a guy like him. Of course, he'd found numerous ways around that. "But that's not why I'm here. Got a friend in trouble."