Basic Shadow Ch. 09

It took Tommy and Cassie working forty-eight hours straight, with help from Gordie and Bobby and the other half dozen of Dee Dee's computer experts, to tie it off, cut out the damage creation features, the Doomsday bomb, the recurrent draws, all the monstrous features of what had to reign as one of the largest planned thefts, at least in terms of numbers of victims, ever.

The rest of the team had seen references to the main drain, on top of another half dozen petty theft schemes that they'd deleted from the systems.

Fifty-four hours after the crew had invaded, Gordie, almost out on his feet, could finally report that they were clean and secure. Like the other computer experts, Gordie had only managed to scrape together five or six hours of sleep since they'd started. The accountants had been working nearly as flat out, confirming the extent of the disaster and documenting what they'd been doing. Cassie was dropping off as she tried to finish the summary of the main drain she'd been dictating to Francine. Robin was standing guard, but it was clear he wasn't worried much since he'd brought the kids in to cheer Cassie up. Tommy was grabbing forty winks in the COO's office, curled up with a beautiful woman everybody thought looked familiar, but they couldn't place, nice legs, though, shame about the scars, who was a demon to anyone who even tried to approach him. Dee Dee had just finished feeding Jason and was buttoning up her blouse. Then came a shout from Captain Klein:

"Hut!"

The security forces leaped to attention, all hundred and fifty of them, or at least the ones around her - Dee Dee had finally got a count - as van Rijn strode in with what had to be the white hat boys from head office.

"So, what have you found?" he asked. "You know I went out on a limb for you. If it is going to be cut off behind me, I should know."

"A few little things," Dee Dee told him. "The company would have been leaking money for only the next three months or so."

"Oh, and why would they have been so generous as to stop?"

"Because they would have taken it all, and stealing from yourself only works with the tax man."

"You're saying that those sounds of a saw in my ears are imaginary?"

"Yes, if they come from around here, they're imaginary."

Cassie seemed to have finished.

"Francine, would you please read the summary to Mr. van Rijn."

Dee Dee watched van Rijn as Francine read from her notes. Van Rijn sat down a third of the way along. He was pale.

"This is all stopped now?" he asked when she finished.

"Dead in the water," Francine reported. "No chance of revival. None."

He changed the focus of his regard.

"So, is this going to be a matter for the media?" he asked Cassie. "Something like 'Daring cub reporter helps save the world from a financial meltdown'?"

"You forget 'beautiful', 'young' and 'young mother', I think," she laughed. "Since the skills I used, even under the direction of what amounts to a court order, are not ones that my state bar society regards as among those essential to the practice of law, or even acceptable for their practitioners to have, let alone use, I think leaving them ignorant is the kindest course. I've had enough of the 'Daring beautiful young mother cub reporter saves world' headlines anyway. I'm more inclined to the 'Beautiful young mother raises four wonderful daughters peacefully' type of headline these days."

"Fine. That is the better path if we are to avert a financial panic. There is no need whatever for a panic, now that the problems have been resolved, though that never seems to stop the sheep. We will honour whatever compensation arrangement you have with Ms. Foster, as part of her expenses. There will be a bonus. D. D. Foster has unquestionably performed beyond even my extravagant expectations. I am sure you will receive your share. For you, personally, I want to assure you that if the day ever comes that we: Pieter van Rijn, Iphigenia North America, or any Iphigenia company, can be of assistance to you in any way, any way at all without limit, if you call on us, we will be there. I hope you understand, and I hope you call on us for at least something, as it will be hard for us to have such a debt on which no payment whatever has been made. It can never be paid in full, of course, but we look forward to being able to make at least payments on account.

"Please make Mr. Graves aware that we stand in the same relation to him.

"Now to Ms. Foster. The same debt exists, to you and your people. You will say that it was your job, more so, certainly, than it was for Cassie and Tommy, but I will say in turn that the benefits to this company, and to the Iphigenia group, so far exceed whatever incredibly overblown account you may choose to send us that the debt will continue to exist and not to be paid in full until the last of you shuffle off this mortal coil."

"I suppose I can't say anything but thank you."

Van Rijn raised his voice. "Ms. Foster tells me you're done, here. Everyone go back to your rooms and get some sleep. In fourteen hours, it will be dinnertime, and Iphigenia Group will treat you all before you go home to the best dinner one can get in New York."

***

And it came to pass in the fullness of time that the prophecies revealed in the Book of George the Prophet were fulfilled, that the evil were undone and came no more to Iphigenia North America. As for other evils, George and Shadow stood guard against them.

***

Note: Iphigenia is from the Greek, and is mentioned in most of the mythologies, though not as such in the Iliad, including two plays by Euripedes and one by Aeschylus, not counting many mentions in lost plays. She is known from Aulis and Taurus as well as from Mycenae. I took the name from a Bach cantata, "Iphigenia in Brooklyn".

This is the end of Basic Shadow, at least for the foreseeable future. I've always been surprised at the level of support this series has garnered. Thank you all. I owe special thanks to the trolls, who have worked assiduously to hold down the scores and keep me from getting a swelled head.