Page 125 of The Chain

“That’s right,” Pete agrees.

“And possibly The Chain, if The Chain has gotten his notebook and begun deciphering it. So what code would he have introduced here that would slow them down but allow me to pass through freely?”

“I don’t know,” Pete says.

Rachel puts the phone down on the table and paces the living room. Rain pounds on the skylight. A foghorn sounds from the Coast Guard ship.

“Something from your philosophy background?” Pete suggests.

“All he knows about me is that I have cancer, I’m a mom, and my team is the New York—shit, I have it!”

She picks up the phone and types in23.

A message flashes on the screen:That is the correct number. You may start the application after entering your username.

“Twenty-three?” Pete says. “I don’t get it. It’s prime, but twenty isn’t prime.”

“They’re retired Yankees’ numbers. A Bostonian’s not going to know that, but a Yankees fan will,” Rachel says.

The app opens up on a map of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. The app is simple and user-friendly. There’s a green Begin Trace button and a red End Trace button. The simplicity, however, conceals some pretty clever mathematics and statistical analysis.

“What’s the username?” Pete asks.

Rachel typesRachel.

Username not recognized. Two more login attempts,a message on the screen says.

She typesErik.

Username not recognized. One more login attempt.

She typesAriadne.

A screen full of text appears.

Welcome, Ariadne. This app should work with text messages and with phone communications. The beta version will also work, to some extent, with encrypted communication apps. Version 2 will work with most encrypted message apps. Simply click the red button when you are on thephone and this app will attempt to locate the cell phone tower nearest to the call’s point of origin. The longer you are in communication with your interlocutor, the closer and more accurate the app will be.

She shows the text to Pete.

He reads it, nods. “So if they respond to your Wickr text with Wickr only, it might not work.”

“I guess not.”

“If we weren’t under time pressure, I’d say wait until tomorrow morning. Sunday morning, early, most people are generally at home. Saturday afternoon…”

“It’s now or never. We have to take the gamble.”

“OK, then.”

“Here goes,” Rachel says.

She clicks the Wickr button on her phone and begins typing.

I was thinking about what you said on Thanksgiving. I want to know if there’s a way of getting off The Chain forever. I’m having nightmares. My daughter gets terrible stomach cramps. Can we somehow buy ourselves off The Chain permanently? Thank you.

She shows the message to Pete and sends it to Wickr 2348383hudykdy2.

Ten minutes later, she gets a notification that her interlocutor is sending her a response. She clicks Begin Trace, and Erik’s hunter-killer algorithm powers up immediately.

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