The Hypogeum Ch. 01

"Yes. Due in a couple of weeks."

Hardacre fixed Jonathon with a cold eye for a long moment before murmuring, "Congratulations."

Not sure what to make of this interview, Jonathon asked a question of his own, "Mr Hardacre, can you tell me why my USB access was disabled?"

Richard Hardacre looked Jonathon full in the face for the first time and answered, "Yes. Standard practice when an employee working on sensitive material turns out to be something of a security risk."

Jonathon was shocked and blurted out, "Security risk? Me?"

"Yes Mr Baines. You. Removing proprietary code from the premises, placing it on an un-cleared and unsecured system. Also, attempting to gain information from the Hypogeum team."

Jonathon was amazed. He had taken work home many times in the past and had never been accused like this before, "What are you talking about?" he spluttered finally, "I've taken work home on any amount of occasions. My PC at home was placed there by the company and it's swept regularly for viruses and malicious code. I mean, the USB stick is one your department cleared before I was issued with it! And as for attempting to gain information on the Hypogeum, I really don't know what you mean!"

Richard raised a hand, half in placation but also to stop Jonathon from talking further, "Your home PC does belong to the company as does your USB stick and both are, as you say, cleared for working on company software. But not DataVault. I am sure that you understand the company's need to take great care in handling DataVault, when you consider that it will be the number one security watchdog for almost all of the major corporations and banks."

Jonathon's mouth fell open, "How can you know that? It's still being built for God's sake. Won't be ready for final testing for at least two more months and even that depends on this Hypogeum thing being ready for installation... Which reminds me what do you mean by attempting to gain information from the Hypogeum team? I spoke to Eric Jenkins once and asked him about it, he told me it was most hush-hush and he couldn't say anything. I've never asked again!"

Richard Hardacre's voice was cold when he responded; " I know that DataVault will be the number one security software on the market because I have great faith in the company Mr Baines. Faith I feel that you do not share."

"Oh come on! Of course I have faith, but I'm also a realist. We won't know if it's a success until we see the orders coming in."

There was a long drawn out pause as both men stared at each other.

Jonathon could feel his colour rising as he was both annoyed and embarrassed that this man could make him feel like something of a naughty schoolboy. Hardacre on the other hand was wearing his usual bland expression and Jonathon could not read anything in his demeanour about what he was thinking.

Suddenly, Richard smiled, an expression that did not come naturally to him, "Of course Mr Baines." He slipped a pre-printed form from the folder and slid it across the desk towards Jonathon, "Sign this please."

As he automatically reached for the pen in his jacket pocket, Jonathon asked, "What is it?"

"Merely the standard security declaration and agreement to abide by company policy."

Never having heard of such a form, Jonathon scanned through it before signing. His eyes alighted on one of the sub-clauses, namely:

"6g. The employee, if having been found in breech of company security regulations and policies shall be immediately dismissed from the company and escorted from the building. Signature of this declaration indicates the individual's agreement to waive normal dismissal procedures and also agrees to waive all employee statutory rights in this case."

Jonathon was appalled, "This is outrageous! And it can't be legally binding. I refuse to sign."

Hardacre lost his smile, "All employees working for this company will be required to sign once DataVault goes live Mr Baines. For now though, only those who are working on it must sign. At least they must if they wish to continue working here. Think of your position. A new addition to the family on the way, sadly in the light of the current economic climate, downsizing may be the only option open to WinCom. It would be a shame if you were to be made redundant and your wife, Thelma, isn't it? If Thelma found that she had no job to come back to."

Jonathon could barely hold his temper in check, "That sounds like blackmail to me!"

"Why no, Mr Baines. This is merely a discussion on the options open to WinCom based purely on economics. The politics of the marketplace can be fickle."

Jonathon didn't trust himself to speak without really losing his temper; he knew that Hardacre was correct. He had rights as an employee, but he was also a realist and he knew that WinCom wouldn't think twice about using one of their high-priced lawyers to fight an unfair dismissal case. He could stand on his rights, go to court and then spend the next five years tied up in red tape and bureaucracy... whilst his family starved. He sighed heavily and then signed the form. Jonathon slid it back across the desk and stood up, "If you have nothing else, I'd like to get back to work now."

Richard placed the form carefully back in the flimsy folder and then said, "Thank you for your time Mr Baines. Your permissions will be granted immediately and you should be able to use your USD stick by the time you are back at your desk. A word of caution however, from this point on, no coding that frames part of the DataVault project will leave this building. Other programs, yes. DataVault no. Under any circumstances. You may go."

He waited until Jonathon had left the room and then reached for his telephone and whilst he waited for the connection, looked at the photographs that were also in the folder, hidden under the flap while Jonathon had been in the room, one was a poor quality black and white image of a remarkably pretty young woman looking out of a kitchen window, "Sir Nigel? I've spoken to him and sadly I must agree with you. I will make the necessary arrangements... Yes Sir, I'm aware of that. It's a shame though, she is rather pretty... You want what, Sir... I see. Do we really have to... Yes Sir... I understand, but that will make the job a lot more difficult to... Yes Sir. Goodbye."

Hardacre pressed the button on the phone to clear the line and made another call, "Davy? I have a job for you... Yes, one of those jobs," he couldn't keep the distaste out of his voice as he continued, "And I think you probably like this one. Be in my office at seven o'clock tonight."

He replaced the handset back on the telephone and looked again at the photo of Alma. He really didn't understand why she had to be dealt with as well, for as far as he was aware, she had nothing to do with the current situation. But orders were orders. If anything Sir Nigel seemed more interested in having Alma dealt with than her husband, who, if Richard were any judge, seemed to be classed as collateral damage and nothing more. He pondered, or maybe there was more to this after all. Maybe they wanted Alma Baines to suffer before she died, although he was puzzled as to why that should be. Still that was really not his business, a fact that Sir Nigel liked to rub his nose in quite regularly. The society or committee or whatever they were, wanted Jonathon Baines to die and they wanted Alma Baines to suffer horribly and then die, and he was the agent that would make sure it happened.

When Jonathon arrived home that evening, he was still livid about his treatment at the hands of Richard Hardacre. Alma was equally angry once he had explained. She stormed into the kitchen and slammed the cups down as she made each of them a hot drink.

Jonathon followed her into the kitchen and listened as she raged, "That awful pipsqueak! Who the Hell does he think he is? I'll tell you what Johnny! I'll tell you what! I'm not going back there again. I mean, I know we could do with the money right now, but I'll be buggered if I work for a company that wants me to sign away all my rights! And I think you should start casting about for a new job Jonathon was content to let her stamp about and shout until she ran down and then, once she had calmed down, they would be able to discuss their next move. Although he had to agree, that her current choice of finding new employment seemed rather attractive to him too.

They sat in silence in the living room, both lost in their own thoughts as the television droned on in the background. Normally, Alma would be watching a soap opera at this time of the early evening, but at the moment, she wasn't in the mood for light entertainment.

She reached out and placed her hand on his, "So, what do we do?"

Jonathon blew out heavily and then answered, "I'm still for finding a new job. WinCom don't have to know about it until I get something, then I hand my notice in and move straight from one to the other. I think you should stay there for now, at least until you are ready to go back to work. I see no reason why those arrogant bastards can't continue to pay you for staying at She didn't like the idea of continuing her professional relationship with WinCom, but Alma did see the good sense in what Jonathon was saying.

"Okay, " she agreed, "I'll stay with WinCom, at least for now. But you start looking around elsewhere. Start tomorrow!"

Jonathon grinned at her, "I will. I promise," he glanced at his watch and stifled a yawn, "Early night? Dunno about you, but I'm knackered. Been quite a big day, today."

Alma yawned in sympathy and then agreed to an early night.

As they snuggled together under the duvet, neither was aware of a dark figure stood in the shadows at the side of their house. He looked up at the bedroom window and waited for the light to be switched off. Dressed in dark clothing and wearing a black balaclava, the figure pulled a small package and a soot-blackened blade from his pocket and knelt down next to Jonathon's car. He reached underneath and placed the package against the fuel tank, where it stuck with a gentle clang as the magnet took hold. Then, with the blade he made a quick slice into a pipe that was attached to the back wheel. He stood up and faded back into the shadows, "Nice one Davy," he thought to himself as he made his way back through the back garden and over the fence to the alleyway beyond where a dark blue Mercedes Sedan was waiting.

The engine revved slightly and then the vehicle made its quiet way out of the alleyway and away from The Baines residence.