The Rise of the Cyborgs

Interlude James

"PUT THE TRACKER UNDER THE CAR James," The text said.

James looked around. The parcel was in the place the text said it would be. The address had been ripped off and it was left in the trash. Now looking at the box James wondered if he had the nerve to put the tracker under the car.

In theory, this was simple. Drive-up. Park in the spot nearby. Walk the dog past the car. Put the tracker under the rear bumper. Pull the pin and walk away.

So far this had all worked. The van was where it should have been. The key had been left where James had been told. Except for the impaired bumper sticker, it was OK. The parcel with the tracker had been left in the trash at an intersection.

The narubus had told James where to drive his van the exact address of the people who were away. He had the key code for the house. Now he had waited for dark.

James had watched while the man had got out of his car - a rental. Then walked with a woman - probably a prostitute from the way she hung on him - to the flat. Set had watched while the lights had gone from downstairs to upstairs.

"DO IT NOW James" the text said. "SEND ME A VIDEO AS PROOF"

James grabbed Tabby and pulled her out of the front door on her leash. Tabby moved slowly from tree to lampost. Tabby was a dog way beyond its territory and smelt like it Eventually James got parallel with the car and held his phone up to his ear. He spoke a one-sided conversation and moved closer to the car. James started recording a video. Then he videoed himself.

Checking again James quickly bend town and slapped the tracker under the rear bumper. He almost moved off before he remembered the ring. Bending down again he felt for the activation ring. He pulled it out and stuffed the ring in his coat pocket. He then held the phone to his ear.

Set then crossed the street and walked back to the house. As he did he sent the video.

"WELL DONE," the text from the nabarus said. "GO BACK TO THE HOUSE WEIGHT 20 MINUTES THEN DRIVE THE PEOPLE CARRIER BACK TO WHERE YOU PICKED IT UP FROM BY 6:00AM. DON'T FORGET TO WIPE THE PRINTS. WHY DID YOU TOOK YOUR GLOVES OFF?"

On the way back James wondered about the whole idea. The sports car looked like a rental. Why track a rental car? Perhaps someone who knows their phone can be tracked. Knows their car can be tracked and rents a car. The hacker was smart. Perhaps this was another one of his victims? May be a competitor. First the Freedome party now this. What did it all mean?

James entered the house and threw a narrow window checked out the car he had just tagged. The lights had changed. Had he been spotted? There was quite a pause between being discovered and coming down to check. The down stairs light came on. The man was dressed and with a phone I one hand and a cigarette in the other. He went out and stood by the car typing seriously with his thumbs. Then he made a call. From this distance James couldn't see what the man was saying but he was quite desperate. Then he went inside and came out with an over night bag. He got into the car still on the phone.

The car pulled back from the house and suddenly became a huge ball of orange fire. The near by houses windows lost windows. The alarms of all the cars started to blare. James dived back incase the window smashed. There was crack like the end of the world. The trees shook dropping leaves.

"FUCK" James said realising what he had just done.

He gabbed the dog Tabby and then rushed out the front door. The street was full of others coming out to look. James not thinking got into his car and drove off leaving the flames leaping out of the car in his review mirror.

"LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE ACCESSORY TO MURDER. JAMES. TOBAD" The text arrived as James drove away.

***

Mean while a second message arrived on watsapp . It was a link to a photo on twitter. It was a picture of a car on fire taken by a neighbour.

"AS REQUESTED MRS JENSON. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DIVORCE. I WASN'T ABLE TO GET THE GIRL HE WAS CHEATING WITH. I PRESUME YOU DON'T MIND THERE ARE SO MANY. THANKS FOR THE DONATION. AS FOR THE OTHER MATTERS I WILL BE IN CONTACT. THIS TEXT WILL SELF ERASE IN 40 SECONDS. I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST CHECKING THE MEDIA UNTIL YOUR NORMAL BREAKFAST TIME. REMEMBER TO DISBELIEVE AT FIRST WHO EVER TELLS YOU THE BAD NEWS. "

Ellen Jenson watched the message erase its self. This hacker was efficient. She had thought she would feel more at the death of her unfaithful husband. Her father had always disapproved of him matter. It was why she had pushed the marriage with Craig for so long. She had been fiercely in love. Then she found her self fiercely out of love. It was late on her coast so she went to bed and found it strangely easy to get to sleep.

It was about an hour and a half later when the phone rang.

"Charles Duane (DAD)" the phone showed as she picked it up.

"Ellen?" The voice came down.

"Dad it's the middle of the night." Ellen said slightly sleeply.

"Ellen I have some bad news for you. It's Craig. Brace your self and if you can, I would say sit down."

"What wrong with Craig has he been in an accident?" Ellen said going over the words she had thought out in her mind.

"Ellen, it is Craig. He's been assassinated. He .. he his car was blown up."

"Blown up? Blown up! No there must be some mistake. I'll phone him I'll call you back OK?"

Ellen phoned and got the answering machine. As she expected Then she texted a couple of times.

She called Dad back on his personal phone.

"He's not answering." Ellen said when he answered. "Who would blow up Craig? This doesn't make sense."

Dad paused for a second "We don't know for sure. The police are saying it's some extremist impaired organisation. They are following up all the clues. The internal and external security people are on it. They are ruling nothing in or out. I've spoken to the first Leader he sends his deepest sympathies. If you want I can get the police to come round. I could get a drone guard if you like? Your mother is taking my personal jet to you. I'm wondering if you have someone you and the kids could go and stay with just so you feel safe?"

"I'll be fine Dad," Ellen said.

"I know you will," Dad said. "Try and get some rest if you can. I promise you I'm going to get these impair shits. I'm going to get them and make them suffer. Good night"

Ellen put the phone down and couldn't resist breaking into laughter. Good night ? This was going to be the worst night ever Good night. He ended all his conversation like that. Formal. It was the final desert topping on top of everything else. The cheating shit Craig was gone. She got everything plus she could play the war widow. Ellen burst into laughter again. She indulged her self once more the kids would be out until the morning.

Near by in the kitchen the voice-box glowed red as it recorded Ellen's conversation and laughter. It only stopped when she finally fell asleep.