Breaking Out Bk. 02 Ch. 12

"4.30am? Who the fuck is ringing me at 4.30 in the morning?" Roger fumbled with his cell phone ... "Shit ...," it was upside down ... where was the button ... "Yes?"

"Roger? Roger Grainger?" 'An agitated woman's voice ... he should know that voice but his brain was too fuzzy.'

"Yes, yes ... what is it ... what's wrong?" Nobody rang anybody at this hour of the morning unless something, somewhere, was wrong

"It's Helen, Helen Weston ... get up now and start packing ... enough clothes for at least a week ... don't argue ... just do it ... we'll be there in 15 minutes!"

"Wait ... what's going on ... why ..."

"Shut up Roger, you're hired! You're working for me now! Think of your hourly rate and double it ... that's what we'll be paying you so get your cute ass out of bed and get moving! Do it! Now Roger ... move your ass now!"

"Yes ... yes ... alright ... stop yelling ... I'm moving ... just tell me what's going on?"

"I'll brief you in the car ... what's your address ... be waiting outside!"

30 minutes earlier Helen had been snuggled up in Greg's arms while Ellie was facing her, wrapped in Sean's arms and 30 seconds later Helen was screaming at Greg to get up and get Carrie and Shanti up to the office NOW!

"Forget about clothes ... they don't need clothes to run some checks on someone. Ellie wake up ... we need to get someone to DFW an hour ago ... make it happen"

"OK, OK ... shit ... don't yell ... so it's urgent right?"

"Oh fuck yeah ... IT'S END OF THE FUCKING WORLD URGENT!!"

"OK, OK, I'll fly them ... give me a couple of minutes to organise a plane ... just stop yelling."

The girls just had time to turn their computers on when Helen rushed into the main office "A full background on Roger Grainger, IT security consultant, please. What's his experience? Who has he worked for ... include everything ... even the Lower Buttfuck Elementary School District if he is listed there ... everything ... every note ... but give me the important points in one page."

Ellie stumbled into the office and she was just as naked as everyone else, "We can be wheels up at 5.15 but where are we going?"

Helen took a deep breath, "At 7am this morning, some junior engineer at PetroSafeChemicals in DFW turned their workstation on and now the whole plant is going through its emergency shutdown procedures because the main systems are all locked and there's a ransom message on every screen.

"They only thought of us because they were afraid that if they called in a major IT security company the shit would hit the fan with investors ... and right now it's a pretty touchy time for the company. So, keep this under your hats."

15 minutes later Helen was clambering into the backseat of Greg's truck while Roger took the front seat so he had more room to use his laptop.

"Now, Helen will you please tell me what's going on and why you think that I can somehow stop Armageddon?"

Greg laughed, "Welcome aboard Roger ... I guess this is what life in the consultancy fast lane looks like."

Helen snorted, "Ignore him! PetroSafeChemicals in Dallas woke up to find most of their computer systems locked and a message to say that they could return to normal operation if a ransom of around 15 million dollars was paid.

"The only system that doesn't seem to be affected is the one that runs their refinery processes, but they are shutting that down as a precaution.

"They have come to us because they are trying to keep word of this from leaking out and they were afraid that if they went to one of the big companies it would be banner headlines by this afternoon.

"I've done a quick background on you and you have come up smelling roses so we've got our fingers crossed that you can do something miraculous and keep a lid on this."

'Shit ... I was only dancing with her last night and being seduced by her and now she has hired me?' Roger was still struggling to deal with the idea that someone would hire him so quickly but he didn't want her shouting at him again so he started to focus on what needed to be done.

"Hmmm ... let me just see if anything has been said about this on any of the hacker boards ... if it has then we may be too late to stop word from getting out." He already had his laptop out and sitting on his knees so it didn't take him long to reach the site he was looking for.

"Hmmm ... nope ... I'm not seeing anything yet."

"Is that good news or bad news?" Greg asked.

"It's hard to say right now. If this is a new group that has launched the attack then I would expect that we will soon see some chest thumping on the hacker boards. Many of these guys aren't much more than talented amateurs who want to establish a reputation among their peers, so they always want to announce their victories.

"If it's a new ransomware gang then they're going to want to make a lot of noise about it too because that will build their reputation and make future targets keener to pay up and get their files back because they will know that these guys are serious.

"If it's a country like North Korea then you won't hear a whole lot from them until after they have the ransom and then they may announce it and try and blame it on someone else. If it's Russia or China then the press will probably get a background briefing from someone because these guys want the world to think that they can do something like this at the drop of a hat.

"If it's a country from the Middle East then god knows what is going to happen."

Helen nodded, she knew that this was going to be a very difficult job and one where the outcomes could all be bad and it might be a case where the best outcome was the one that damaged her client the least.

"Now what help are you going to need here Roger? Obviously, we don't want you going to one of the big companies for help if it can be avoided so do you have some solo operators that you can call on for help in these circumstances ... and where do we have to bring them in from?

"We actually have two people on the ground, in the plant as we speak. They were there for another job that we're doing for PSC but that will be on hold now and we can move them across to work for you.

"One, Diane Copeland is a very smart cookie ... I'll tell you more about her while we're in the air ... the other is an engineer who we might bring home with us rather than leave him hanging around twiddling his thumbs.

"I know that neither of them have any expertise in this but they may be of some help until you can get qualified people there to help you."

Roger thought for a moment or two, "I want Josef Zarep here ASAP ... he lives in Australia so getting him here will take a while ... I don't need the engineer but I will take the smart cookie and I want Bogdan Malovich in on this too. Bog lectures in computer science at the University of Florida.

"Bog, Josef and I have worked together before and had some good outcomes so I would like them here ... but I'm not sure how quickly Josef can get here from Sydney.

Helen called the office and Brianna answered the phone, "What are you doing there at this hour of the morning?"

"Carrie called and asked me to come in because there was an emergency ... I at least arrived with my clothes on."

Helen laughed and that helped ease the tension that was really messing with her body, "I need to know the earliest you can get someone on a flight from Sydney to LA ... call me back when you've got a date."

Greg swung the truck into the small parking lot outside the office West Wings Rental and Ellie came out, "We've got a Cessna Citation 550 ... it's small enough that it only needs one pilot. I've filed the flight plan and we're ready to go."

"Where's the pilot?" Roger seemed a little uncertain.

"That's me Roger, you don't have to worry, I'm certified up to 737's so this little thing is a piece of cake."

"That's what worries me ... it's little."

Ellie laughed and gently stroked his face, "Roger, honey the thing you really have to worry about with any sized plane ... even the really big ones ... is the landing ... it's nothing more than a controlled crash ... think about it."

Greg watched as Helen, Roger and Ellie boarded the plane and in a few minutes the engines had spooled up and he could see Ellie in the cockpit talking to the tower ... it was hard to believe that a sexy woman like Ellie who could be so hot in bed could be so professional in the cockpit of a jet!

Three minutes later the tower had slotted her in between two Dreamliners and the diminutive jet was hurling itself down the runway and launching into the sky before climbing and banking to the East.

By the time he got back to the office Helen and Brianna had Roger's colleague scheduled on a flight that would get him into LA at midday the next day. Strings had been pulled by various people to get him a visa and he would be walked through security to make sure he wasn't delayed and no one fiddled with his laptop.

Brianna would be at the airport to escort him across to West Wing Rentals and Ellie would then fly him to DFW.

"Man, what a crazy morning," he sighed as he sat down opposite Carrie with a mug of coffee.

"Tell me about it," she laughed. "Poor Sean thinks that he's moved in with a group of crazy people and he almost hid while you, Helen and Ellie were running round screaming orders, making phone calls and getting dressed.

"Is he OK now?"

"Yeah, I think he's recovered ... he's gone off to be part of the cast for an ad for some dog biscuits or something ... but he said that he would be back in time for dinner."

"Dinner!" Greg sat up, "Helen was planning on me burning some steak on the grill but maybe I should organise something with the housekeeper instead."

"And don't forget," Carrie reminded him, "Amy and Serge are going to be here tonight."

Roger looked across at Helen, "Do you always hire people by ringing them at 4.30 in the morning and screaming at them till they throw up their hands in surrender?"

Helen swivelled her chair around till she could face Roger, "Only when the world is about to end and the person who can save us all is at the other end of the phone. And as for the screaming ... well ... a guy I once knew told me that the more screaming you do the more cooperation you get because people will do just about anything stop others screaming at them."

"This ransom thing is not really that bad for your business is it?"

"Oh no, we will still get paid even if the worst possible outcome is the one you achieve but if we can get someone there fast and get the job done with the best possible outcome then we will make money now and in the future ... and it won't hurt our reputation with other potential clients either.

"Now I know that you can't tell me now how long this job will take but when you have completed the work you and I are going to have a serious talk about you coming to work for us ... permanently.

"Hmm ..." Roger pondered that thought, "I would definitely like to hear what you have to say. Maybe it's time I tried working for a boss again ... I can honestly say that none of the bosses I had when I was first out of college was anywhere near as sexy as you."

His body still remembered some of the things she did to it while they were dancing the night before and Helen had no trouble spotting his erection.

She got up and went to the door that opened into the cockpit, "Are we at the right altitude?

Ellie looked back over her shoulder and the puzzled look on her face changed to a grin, "Oh definitely ... do you want me to close the door?"

Helen giggled, "Oh no ... in fact feel free to take a photo or two that I can send to Greg."

Roger hadn't heard what the girls had been talking about, he was too busy wondering what it would be like to be alone with Helen and doing more than just making out on the dancefloor. Finding that she had been wearing no panties the night before had been a major turnon and he wondered if she was wearing any under the tight skirt she was had on today.

He was still lost in those thoughts when he suddenly realised that she wasn't talking to Ellie anymore ... she was standing in front of him, naked to the waist.

"I've always wanted to join the mile-high club Roger, will you help me?" she asked as she held up a sealed condom packet.

"God that was so intense." Roger groaned, "I can't believe that it really happened."

"Oh it happened Roger," Helen giggled, "and you were so good." She rolled onto her side and threw one leg over him. The floor hadn't been the most comfortable place to fuck but a couple of pillows from a locker at the back of the plane had sure helped.

"You were amazing Helen but I have an awkward question. Did I see Ellie taking a photo of us?" He was sure that he had seen Ellie looking back into the cabin and she had a phone in her hands.

"Hopefully she got photos and video. Would you like to see them? Perhaps you could pick out the ones that I should send to Greg?"

"What?" One word suddenly appeared in Roger's brain ... BLACKMAIL!

"Don't panic! I told you that we have an open marriage and we do ... and we nearly always send photos or a video of some of the fun we have with other people."

"Are you sure that he's OK with that?" Roger was having trouble believing that a husband and wife could have such a relaxed attitude to sex with other people.

"Hey, last Saturday he watched his pornstar wife pull a train of nine guys ... so do you think that he's going to get upset when one guy nails me?" He could see the laughter in her eyes but he was still having trouble believing that Greg really was that easy going.

"OK ... if you say so," he finally agreed.

"Oh I do say so ... and here is something else that I'm going to say. When you get back to LA I want you to head down to a clinic that Greg and I go to and get a health certificate that shows that you're free of STD's so that there's really nothing between us."

"Hmmm ... don't be a sissy ... there's nothing in those tests that hurt ... and if you don't have them then you're never going to be able to join our little community."

"How did you know that I wanted to do that?"

Helen just smiled, "Let's talk about that when I'm back from my world tour."

"Your world tour?"

Helen laughed, "Yeah it seems like a world tour. Two weeks starting next Monday, starting in Chicago and ending up in Miami with a weekend conference in the middle."

"Is Greg going with you?"

"No, he's not even coming over to spend that middle weekend with me," Roger could plainly hear the disappointment in her voice, "that weekend is going to be more meetings and more of me selling the business, but Ellie's soon-to-be-ex will be there with me."

Roger frowned and Helen laughed, "Don't question it ... just accept that Ellie lives with Greg and me now and I have occasional sleepovers with Byron ... her husband."

Helen and Ellie were back in LA in time for dinner ... and to see Greg getting introduced to his granddaughter. She could see that, for Greg, it was love at first sight and once he had Kalya in his arms he wouldn't give her to anyone else ... until she needed her diaper changed.

Amy and Serge's Nanny took the living arrangements in the house in her stride and made no audible comment about them at all. Sean arrived home to find the house full of people and was about to slip away until Carrie grabbed him.

"You're sleeping with me tonight Sean and I hope Ellie didn't wear you out too much last night because I need some serious loving tonight."

Greg had a chance to speak to Sean privately that evening and made sure that Sean was happy with the arrangements. He had no complaints but wanted to know how he could get the housekeeper to cut down on the size of his meals.

If she kept giving him big meal portions Sean was sure that he would need to let his belt out sooner rather than later.

When dinner was served Helen asked for the rest of the gathering to excuse her as well as Greg and Ellie for they had some urgent business to discuss, and they took their meals up to the cabana.

In the midst of all the chaos of that morning Helen had jumped on the plane in the hope that she might get to talk to someone at PCS about increasing the work for Roger and his team and she had managed to speak to Ken Griebler, the CEO just at the right time.

"I got to see the CEO about an hour before we were supposed to leave to fly back here."

"Helen, I won't lie to you, you guys were not even on our radar for the pump review but a major investor made it clear that we were to hire you guys ... and I'm glad we did.

I had reservations about you Helen because of your notoriety but you had a team on the pump report much faster than I expected ... your guys picked up something that somebody here had missed totally. You guys have saved us a lot of money ... and a lot of attention from everyone from the local fire marshal through to half-a-dozen different departments in Washington.

"I don't dare think of how big the fines would have been when that error was discovered."

"Ken, I'm not trying to beat my chest about this but that issue was picked up by a 52 year old, untrained observer who remembered something from her high school physics class.

"I think that there might be more to those pipes than meets the eye ... somebody was either very lazy or very incompetent and everyone since that person has said nothing about the problem."

"I know Helen, and someone has been very lazy or very incompetent when it comes to IT security around here too ... and god knows how we have gone this long without attracting a real ransom demand.

"But once again, you guys acted like true professionals. You had a team on the ground in a matter of hours, even though you were coming from the other side of the country, to deal with what could have been a total IT disaster that could have cost us tens of millions of dollars in lost production.

"I want you guys to carry out a complete IT security audit once this ransom issue has been finalised. I don't care what it's going to cost ... we just can't crooks into our system again.

"And while you're at it ... I think it's time we brought in a fresh IT team. At best the old team is tainted by the slack attitude of a few while at worst they're all complicit in allowing things like this to happen so they all have to go.

"I want you guys to organise hiring the new team. I want you guys to handle everything so that we end up with a turnkey solution.

"I know that it's going to cost a lot of money but just add it to my bill."

It wasn't until she was walking around to the IT office that she realised that a pornstar had just signed a multi-million dollar contract with an A-list company by doing nothing more than shaking the CEO's hand.

Helen had almost been forced to drag Roger kicking and screaming away from the work he was doing and it took some persuasion to get him into the rental she was driving and take him for a drive around the block while she recounted the meeting with the CEO.

She left him with instructions to think about what she had told him and to call her around 9pm PST and tell her if he could do the job.

"So, our work there has just increased ... all because I danced with a nice guy last night and yelled at him this morning till he agreed to come to DFW with me."

They talked for a little while longer and then Helen left Ellie and Greg out by the pool while she went back into the house.

Helen stopped for a moment to cuddle Kalya before she and Serge disappeared into the master bedroom and shut the door. For a while she didn't want to think about business ... she just wanted to be fucked to the point where she could barely remember her name.

Greg had been going to go over his notes for the meeting the following day with Marsha Granic but he had no hope of concentrating on that tonight.