Page 31 of Maverick

“It’s like reverse engineering. Let’s take whiskey, for example. If I wanted to prove that Jameson copied the recipe for whiskey from Jack Daniels, I could look at all the ingredients, identify the process used in the creation, and determine whether it was a copyright infringement. We can do the same with this. It’s a backdoor that no one will know about but us. A secret flag, if you will, that tells authorities it’s a fake.”

“But once users figure that out, they’ll try to develop something else,” said Hex.

“That’s true. They might,” she nodded. “But the truth will be out by that time. The public will know that the newspaper, magazine, and celebrity gossip program is not reliable news. They will be discovered.”

“That’s why the agency wanted you. They want to own this technology, sell it to our enemies without their knowledge of what it can truly do, and create utter chaos.”

“I think so,” nodded Katelyn. Luke looked at the engineering team, frowning.

“I don’t understand the technology, but I know we have to do this. Finish it. Test it. And let’s launch this damn thing.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

“Are we sure this is the place?” frowned Mav.

“It’s what Victoria and Monroe said was the location of the school. Sebec, Maine, population a little over six hundred. It’s mostly seasonal cabins for lake-goers in the summer,” said Brax.

“Looks like we have to park here and walk the rest of the way in,” said Mav. They exited the SUV, and Mav pointed to an old, rusted sign that was leaning over.

Maine School for Girls

Private Property – No Trespassing

“Looks like they didn’t want anyone knowing where they were,” frowned Pax.

The trail was worn but not so much that it showed recent use. Weeds and branches were strewn from a recent storm. A half-mile into the hike, they walked into a clearing with a massive three-story, white building in the distance.

“It almost looks like a hotel,” said Saint. He looked down at his tablet and frowned. “We’ve got cameras and security lasers everywhere. Comms? Can we get this shut down?”

“Working on it.” They could hear AJ and Hiro talking. Something that usually took them seconds was taking more than a few minutes.“Done. Someone really didn’t want you to go there. Watch for any potential booby traps. This system was sophisticated. Or at least it was seven years ago when we sold it to the agency.”

“The security system is ours?” frowned Mav.

“The agency is a customer of ours. We sold this to them, as I said, seven years ago. But this school has been closed for at least five or six years. No electricity or utility records of any kind.”

Pax approached the massive double doors and easily picked the deadbolt lock, and then the padlock holding the chains wound through the handles. As he pushed the doors open, the loud creaking of the rusted hinges echoed in the entrance hall. They flipped on their body cams and lights, walking through the dusty old building.

“It reminds me of an Ivy League school,” said Saint. “Everything is about show, like this entrance.”

The others nodded, following him into the room on the right. It was lined floor to ceiling with books, massive oak tables and chairs exactly where they were last used. The men walked the perimeter, testing the bookcases to see if there were any hidden entrances.

“There must be five hundred thousand books in here,” frowned Mav. “Why leave all of this here?”

“No longer needed, I guess,” said Pax.

In the room across the hall was a massive sitting room with sofas and chairs, uncovered, collecting dust. Paintings of what they assumed were deans or founders were on the walls, the fireplace with burned logs and ash still remaining.

“This is fucking creepy,” said Brax. “It’s like they just said leave, and everyone walked out without taking a damn thing. Look at this. It’s a doodle made by some kid.” He waved it to the others then heard a scream in his ear.

“Stop! Don’t tear that, don’t toss it, don’t leave it. Bring that with you,”said AJ.

“What the fuck, dude. You nearly gave me a heart attack. It’s just a fucking piece of paper with scribble on it,” said Brax.

“No. No, it’s not. That first line of scribble indicates something to do with nuclear energy. Do not throw anything away. If you find scribbles like that anywhere else, take them all or photograph them and burn them.”

“Got it, brother. Just don’t yell at me again. I’m sensitive,” he smirked.

The main floor had a massive commercial kitchen with top-notch appliances, china, and crystal. The dining hall had rows of tables and chairs, all neatly pushed in and ready for the next meal. There were a couple of offices, probably for teachers or deans, but there were no files, papers, or books in any of those rooms.

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